Tag: Ed O’Neill

Thanksgiving Smörgåsbord: ‘The Front Runner’ – ‘Creed II’ – ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ – ‘Robin Hood’ (2018)

One of these things is not like the other…

Let’s get it on.

Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Matt Bai & Jay Carson & Jason Reitman, based on the book All The Truth Is Out by Matt Bai
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J. K. Simmons, Alfred Molina, Sara Paxton, Mamoudou Athie, John Bedford Lloyd, Bill Burr, Kaitlyn Dever, Molly Ephraim, Josh Brener, Mike Judge, Kevin Pollak, Ari Graynor, Mark O’Brien, Alex Karpovsky, Toby Huss, Tommy Dewey, Spencer Garrett, Nyasha Hatendi, Steve Zissis, Chris Coy, Jennifer Landon, Oliver Cooper, Courtney Ford, Jonny Pasvolsky, Randy Havens, Steve Coulter, Jenna Kanell, Gabriel Manak, Evan Castelloe
Soundtrack: Rob Simonsen

The Front Runner has gotten mixed reviews, and I think I know why (Rorschach test-type situation), but ultimately I don’t understand why.  Given that we live in the Golden Age of the Documentary, and based-on-true-story movies often fail to justify themselves, this one was a refreshing exception.

I’ll admit that I haven’t seen a Jason Reitman film since Thank You for Smoking, which I enjoyed and which The Front Runner compares favorably to, though they are distinct from each other, but to me you can’t really ask for more from a non-fantastical film-making perspective.  It’s a period piece that takes itself very seriously in that regard (which I appreciated to no end), it’s slick, the performances are by-and-large very good if not excellent (a few questionable casting decisions, but nothing unforgivable), and, at least in my opinion, it lets you make up your own mind (which is perhaps why some people are down on it).

Truthfully though, this is the Hugh Jackman show.  Not that he doesn’t have plenty of help (Vera Farmiga in particular is her usual wonderful self), but it’s certainly among the best performances I’ve ever seen from him, maybe the best so far.  I don’t know if it’ll be “impressive” enough to earn him awards season love, but it would not shock me to see him earn some nods.

It may not be an entirely life-changing experience (although it is about not only a life-changing experience, but a societal-changing experience), but given how down this year has been for movies, I have no problem giving The Front Runner a quality recommendation.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Written by Sylvester Stallone (story and screenplay), Juel Taylor (screenplay), Sascha Penn (story), and Cheo Hodari Coker (story)
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby, Andre Ward, Phylicia Rashad, Jacob “Stitch” Duran
Soundtrack: Ludwig Göransson

Alright, Rocky IV: Part 3-D.  Let’s do this.

It’s crazy, because the main fulcrum of Creed II is like something a couple of kids would have thought up on a playground thirty years ago: “What if Apollo Creed had a son and Ivan Drago had a son and they fought each other?”

And yet, it works.  As predictable as it may be at times, as a sequel to a sequel to a sequel will be, Creed II still has enough in its core to be satisfying.

Story-wise, it’s not as cohesive as I remember its predecessor being, but it brings out just as much emotion (cribbing good story elements from Rocky II, III, and IV helps with that), and, frankly, from a visual standpoint, I actually think it’s a better looking film (I can’t find any numbers, but I’m guessing this had a bigger budget than the $35 million for Creed, which would be one explanation why).

In terms of performances, not everybody gets a whole lot to do (even Stallone seems to have less screen-time than in the last one), but I can’t think of anyone who sticks out in a bad way (except maybe for Max “Where’s My Camera” Kellerman).  Even Dolph Lundgren (who I like more than most other people seem to) brings his fair share to the table.  And, he only gets about three scenes, but I really liked Russell Hornsby as the fight promoter.

I know I rag on Hollywood’s lack of originality these days quite a bit, but at the same time I try to judge every movie I see on it’s own merits, and I like what Creed II brings to the table, especially as a Rocky IV fan.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Phil Johnston & Rich Moore
Written by Phil Johnston (story and screenplay) & Pamela Ribon (story and screenplay), Rich Moore (story), Jim Reardon (story), Josie Trinidad (story)
Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Bill Hader, Alfred Molina, Alan Tudyk, Ed O’Neill, Flula Borg, Hamish Blake, Ali Wong, GloZell Green, Timothy Simons, Ana Ortiz, Jason Mantzoukas
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman

On the one hand, I want to hate on Ralph Breaks the Internet for being a giant corporate self-pleasure session (which, to be fair, it is).

On the other hand, it’s a lot of fun and it tugged at my heartstrings.

Life is complicated sometimes.

I don’t remember why I didn’t see Wreck-It Ralph in theaters, I think I was just too skeptical to pull the trigger, but eventually I came around to it on DVD and was pleasantly surprised; and the sequel is an even more pleasant surprise because it might actually be better than the original.

Does it go too far sometimes with the references for references’ sake?  Most certainly yes, but, strip all of that away (and, honestly, sometimes it is handled in clever and humorous ways, especially the princess elements), and you still have a solid story of friendship.  Simple, but solid.

It might seem obvious, given that it’s an animated film, but beyond the voice performances, which are by-and-large on point, and the music, the movie’s biggest strength is it’s detailed visual creativity.  Little things like how players in the not-Grand Theft Auto game move with a little lag as opposed to the free-flowing non-player characters, and just overall in how the Internet as a setting is portrayed, as I said, it’s a lot of fun.

Will Ralph Breaks the Internet hold up in ten to fifteen years?  Maybe, maybe not, but somehow it feels more substantial than a lot of other “time-capsule” movies.  I mean, it’s clearly geared towards Disney fanatics, of which I am not one, and I still give it a high recommendation, so, take that for what it’s worth.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Otto Bathurst
Written by Ben Chandler (screenplay and story) and David James Kelly (screenplay)
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin, Jamie Dornan, Paul Anderson, Josh Herdman, Cornelius Booth, Björn Bengtsson
Soundtrack: Joseph Trapanese

Hey, remember Batman Begins?  That was a good movie.

No, but seriously, as much as this version of Robin Hood wanted me to hate it, I can’t say I hated it.  I wouldn’t say it’s good, but it’s not all bad either.

I don’t know that it entirely works or makes sense (in fact, it’s a bit jarring at times), but I don’t fault the filmmakers for trying to do something different in terms of visual style and fight choreography.  After all, when you’re the fifty-seventh (numbers approximate) Robin Hood movie in film history, you’ve got to do something to distinguish yourself.

Honestly, even story-wise, I wouldn’t say things are entirely poor, but there are moments when the writing is so awful you can’t even believe it.  Add to this a dose of ham-fisted social and political commentary (The War on Terror is the new Crusades!  The Church is evil!), which is no surprise given that one of the producers is Leonardo DiCaprio, and some related tonal inconsistencies (much of the movie is played pretty straight, but then there are scenes, in order to paint people as cartoonishly evil, that are like The Hunger Games meets Mad Max), and you go from a pretty good movie to something you’d randomly find in a Redbox.

As I keep saying though, it’s not all bad, and most of the good comes down to Taron Egerton as Robin Hood.  Occasionally there’s a line or two that not even Laurence Olivier could make good, but on the whole his performance is charming and enjoyable, yet deeply human.

Still though, as most remakes are, 2018’s Robin Hood isn’t really worth your time or money.

You might even say that it’s a Thanksgiving turkey.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

Classic Twofer – ‘Cruising’ & ‘Hit List’ – Red Light, Red Light

Original Release Date: February 15, 1980
Written and Directed by William Friedkin, based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Walker
Cast: Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, Richard Cox, Don Scardino, Joe Spinell, Jay Acovone, Randy Jurgensen, Barton Heyman, Gene Davis, Allan Miller, Sonny Grosso, Ed O’Neill, James Remar, William Russ, Mike Starr, Powers Boothe
Soundtrack: Jack Nitzsche

It’s virtually impossible to talk about this movie without at least some discussion of the controversy surrounding it, so I won’t pretend to ignore it.

The plot of ‘Cruising’ involves a serial killer targeting gay men in the Lower Manhattan S&M scene (which may or may not still exist today; I have a distinct lack of expertise in this area), and the effort to bring him to justice by a young undercover cop (played by Al Pacino).  Needless to say, many in the gay community were outraged at what they perceived to be an unfair portrayal, and, in fact, the protests during filming were so vigorous that none of the audio from outdoor night shoots was usable.  Combined with the fact that much of America was not ready for any sort of look at homosexuality, let alone such a lurid and peculiar slice of it, it’s easy to see how ‘Cruising’ was a critical and commercial nightmare waiting to happen (although it did just fine in Europe).

Based on the novel of the same name (though reportedly in title only), but more so based on the real-life experiences of former NYPD detective Randy Jurgensen (the film’s technical adviser and one of the supporting actors, with whom there was a Q&A with after the screening), ‘Cruising’ is a movie that is not without its issues.  The third act especially becomes somewhat disjointed, and character motivations become frustratingly hazy (not to mention Karen Allen is basically given nothing to do).  And yet, despite all of its flaws, ‘Cruising’ is a movie I would absolutely watch again in the future, even if I can’t fully articulate why.

One reason is that buried under all of the layers of controversy and shock value are a wonderfully subtle performance from Al Pacino (one of the last times audiences got to see him before he became a self-caricature, which I’m not complaining about, just saying), a beautifully eclectic musical soundtrack (including some really great stuff from Willy DeVille), and a reasonably effective crime thriller story.  Add in a lot of name actors in before-they-were-famous roles, along with more than a pinch of genuine New York City grindhouse feel, and you’ve definitely got something cooking.

It is, for sure, not his best film, and I don’t think I would recommend it for general audiences, but, William Friedkin’s ‘Cruising’ is quite the mood piece.  If you’re curious enough to step beyond the controversy (and not be put off by the more lascivious elements), check it out,  You might be surprised by what you find.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

 

 

Original Release Date: March 3, 1989
Directed by William Lustig
Written by Aubrey K. Rattan (story), John F. Goff and Peter Brosnan (screenplay)
Cast: Jan-Michael Vincent, Leo Rossi, Lance Henriksen, Charles Napier, Rip Torn, Harold Sylvester, Harriet Hall, Ken Lerner, Nick Barbaro, Lou Bonacki, Robert A. Ferretti, Vic Manni, Frank Pesce
Soundtrack: Garry Schyman

This was actually director William Lustig’s personal film print, and was not only willing to share it with an audience, he also provided quite a bit of behind-the-scenes insight (not unlike what you’d find on a commentary track), so much of my information comes directly from him.

The first thing to know about this movie is that it’s loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low‘ (which is itself based on the novel ‘King’s Ransom’ by Ed McBain).

The second thing to know is that William Lustig was conversant with Nicholas Pileggi at the time Pileggi was interviewing Henry Hill (these interviews led to the book ‘Wiseguy’, which led to the movie ‘Goodfellas’), so if you think you hear dialogue in ‘Hit List’ that sounds like it’s straight out of ‘Goodfellas’, you’re not wrong (except ‘Hit List’ came out first).

Other interesting odds and ends include Jan Michael Vincent attempting to make a comeback after a couple years out of work and being, shall we say, difficult to manage (drinking problem), Charles Napier living out of a camper trailer, Rip Torn being tons of fun, Lance Henriksen’s [temporary] back tattoo costing $1000, an uncredited Janusz Kaminski receiving the offer to shoot ‘Schindler’s List’, and Scott Spiegel and Josh Becker being the actual writers (as opposed to the credited CineTel writers).

All that said, I’ll allow the director himself to sum up the movie in one sentence, “It’s ridiculous, but it’s fun.”

As for me, I’d say the movie is full of wonderful accouterments in the form of fun supporting characters and over the top action, but it unfortunately suffers from a lack of chemistry from its two lead actors.

I’ll give ‘Hit List’ credit for having at least a somewhat clever premise (all-American dad and Mafioso team up to find the former’s son), but it’s not a great movie overall.  I definitely put the ‘Maniac Cop’ trilogy above it in terms of the William Lustig catalog.

However, if you’re interested to see how Lance Henriksen might’ve handled the role of The Terminator, I recommend this movie.  It’s just a shame it likely won’t ever get a proper home release (unless you’re still good with VHS), thanks to various bankruptcies and legal entanglements.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)