Eiza González – People Talking

Movie Review – ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ – #FAMILY First

Directed by David Leitch
Written by Chris Morgan (story and screenplay) and Drew Pearce (screenplay), based on characters created by Gary Scott Thompson
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza González, Eddie Marsan, Helen Mirren, Cliff Curtis, Eliana Sua, Lori Pelenise Tuisano, Joe ‘Roman Reigns’ Anoa’i, Josh Mauga, John Tui
Soundtrack: Tyler Bates

So, the franchise of crazy big heist/street racing movies that began with a simple Point Break-with-cars premise that revolved around stealing DVD players is now getting spin-offs?

You know what? I’m fine with that.

After Furious 7, I really didn’t need another full-blown Fast & Furious movie, but we got Fast 8 anyway, which in the end was passable, but I’ll probably never watch it again.

Hobbs & Shaw, on the other hand, while it has some problems, never took me to a place where I said, “You know, I think I’m done with this.” I know that sounds like a back-handed compliment, but, after Fast 8, I really just needed something that was consistently fun, which Hobbs & Shaw delivers (sort of like Solo following the frustrations of Rogue One and The Last Jedi).

As you might glean from the title, this movie is essentially Tango & Cash on steroids, with a good bit of classic James Bond/modern Mission: Impossible mixed in for good measure (not too surprising given writer Drew Pearce worked on Rogue Nation).

Its only real downfall is twofold: some ham-fisted messaging about teamwork, and its length (which is ballooned by some cameos that are fine unto themselves, but questionable as to whether they needed to make the final cut). As much as I love Fast Five, it also set the precedent that these movies all need to be 130 minutes long, which they don’t, but Hobbs & Shaw leans into that anyway (in contrast, Tango & Cash clocks in at a comparatively lean 104 minutes).

Still, by and large, Hobbs & Shaw is reasonably well-executed and a lot of fun, no doubt because of the chases and explosions and punching (I mean, that’s why we’re here), but also thanks to the lead performances. The Rock and Jason Statham are everything we’ve come to expect from them (some of the quipping is a bit much, but forgivable), but the true savior of the film is Vanessa Kirby, who’s smart, charming, and properly humorous when necessary (like what I think Captain Marvel was going for, but failed), but also handles the action surprisingly well (a la Colin Firth in Kingsman).

Not a life-changing film by any stretch, but if you need an action fix that isn’t just all headshots all the time, it’ll do just fine.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Movie Review – ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ – I Can See For Miles

Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Written by James Cameron, Laeta Kalogridis, and
Robert Rodriguez, based on the manga series “Gunnm” created by Yukito Kishiro
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Eiza González, Lana Condor, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Idara Victor, Marko Zaror, Elle LaMont, Leonard Wu, Jeff Fahey, Rick Yune, Casper Van Dien
Soundtrack: Junkie XL

Like so many people over the age of thirty, I have something of a complicated relationship with James Cameron (“Jim” to his friends).

Terminator? Aliens? True Lies? All very good to great films (I’m afraid I can’t comment on The Abyss, as I’ve never seen it, but it has a good reputation).

Titanic? Avatar? Well, that’s precisely where things get complicated, but there’s no need for a dissertation on that, as it’s ground well-covered.

Point is, I had concerns going into Alita, and I know I’m not alone. A lot of what was portrayed in the trailers was off-putting and weird, and now that I’ve seen the movie I understand why, because it’s not the kind of film that’s easily put into a box and sold (I feel like we’ve been discussing that a lot lately), but I can also tell you that it doesn’t deserve to be another $200 million flop like John Carter (which I actually liked, but would not have greenlit at that cost).

It has discernible flaws, to be sure, but, on the whole, Alita is entertaining, heartfelt, and interesting; certainly more accessible to general audiences than John Carter (especially given the source material), but nowhere near the realm of dumb that your average Transformers sequel resides in (though I will take this opportunity to recommend BumbleBee).

In fact, one of the more compelling aspects of the film is that the main characters all have their own issues and ethical questions to deal with, which is not to say that the movie tries to espouse some morally gray philosophic nonsense (*COUGH*TheLastJedi*COUGH*), but it’s admirable that it attempts to maintain a level of complexity that could have easily been jettisoned for a more black and white (aka more bland) story.

Speaking of choices though (and black and white), I’d be remiss if I didn’t give credit to the film’s director, Robert Rodriguez. As much as Alita is James Cameron’s baby, to the point that Rodriguez is on record as wanting to make it as close to Cameron’s style as possible, I think there were certain choices made by Rodriguez that Cameron might not have gone with, and for the better. Most notably, as much CGI as there is in the film, there’s also a whole lot shot on real [big] sets with real props, which helps give the movie at least some grounding in reality. In fact, there were a few moments that gave me some Matrix-y vibes, which makes some sense given that cinematographer Bill Pope shot all of those movies in addition to Alita.

As I mentioned before though, it’s not entirely perfect. As much as I admire the film for sticking true to its manga roots, certain things just don’t quite translate to live-action performance, and certain elements just feel downright silly, and, well, I won’t say anything more as it would get into spoilers.

All-in-all though, I have to hand it to Cameron, Rodriguez, and lead actress Rosa Salazar for trying to break new ground (a la the Jaffa/Silver Planet of the Apes trilogy). Even if it’s not always 100% successful, for me, the flaws are small enough to look past and give the movie a strong recommendation. As I said before, it doesn’t deserve to be another $200 million bomb, and I hope (admittedly selfishly) enough people discover that for themselves.

And, you know what? It might actually be worth seeing in 3-D (which I rarely ever say).

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.

Since we’re here talking about James Cameron hand-off projects, allow me to also recommend 1995’s Strange Days, written by Cameron and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Despite the fact that it takes place in the far distant future of December 1999, it somehow is extraordinarily prescient on the endorphin releases we all find ourselves chasing on social media, among other things.

Check it out.

Movie Review – ‘Baby Driver’ – “A Rock & Roll Fable”

Written and Directed by Edgar Wright
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, CJ Jones, Flea, Lanny Joon, Sky Ferreira, Allison King, Big Boi, Killer Mike, Paul Williams, Sidney Sewell, Thurman Sewell, Jon Spencer, Walter Hill
Soundtrack: Steven Price

I love me some Edgar Wright.

From Spaced, to the Cornetto Trilogy, and even Scott Pilgrim (And have I mentioned I’m still disappointed that Marvel couldn’t work it out with him on Ant-Man? Although his fingerprints are still very much there), the man’s resume is impeccable.

Still, for some reason I couldn’t figure out, I was worried about Baby Driver (which apparently is also the title of a Simon & Garfunkel song; The More You Know).

Maybe the studio just didn’t know how to market it (I mean, this is Sony we’re talking about). Maybe he’d changed, or I’d changed, or we’d both changed. Maybe he was going in a new direction and I just wasn’t ready for it. For whatever reason, something inside me kept saying, “I don’t know about this one.”

Fortunately, my fears were quickly allayed, as I realized not long into the runtime that this film is the best thing he’s done in ten years.

As you’d expect from Edgar Wright, Baby Driver consists of layers upon layers upon layers (including the spirit of Atlanta), as it’s clearly influenced by Walter Hill’s The Driver (which influenced Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive), which itself was based on Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï (which influenced many films, including Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog).

However, as wonderful and influential as those two films are (I’d personally recommend both of them), and as much as there are echoes of all of his previous works throughout, Wright’s Baby is very much its own…baby: a symphony of cars, music, and that signature kinetic energy like we’ve never quite seen before.

Tone-wise, it’s by far the most serious film Edgar has ever done, and it’s got plenty of bite to back up the bark, but that doesn’t mean it’s not without a genuine sense of humor; I’d compare it to The Nice Guys in that regard (unfortunately, the trailers are playing up the humor way too much, making the movie look borderline farcical; it didn’t even occur to me that the movie was rated-R until the second or third F-bomb). This is both a major strength and a minor weakness, because the tonal shifts don’t always quite jibe, but, like I said, it’s a small flaw in a large masterpiece.

In terms of car action, I’m going to say this is the most visceral work I’ve seen since Mad Max: Fury Road (if you’ve got another legitimate nominee from the past two years, I’m all ears). Edgar Wright himself said 95% of the car stuff is for real, both inside and out, and it shows. There’s even one chase that might rival To Live and Die in L.A., which I never thought I’d ever say about any movie. Frankly, I’m not sure it’s even worth attempting to describe the breadth of the gratuitous vehicular action; you truly must see it for yourself.

Of course, all of this might be for naught if the story and the performances weren’t up to par (down to par?), but not to worry. I wouldn’t put every performance in the same basket, but the core of Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, and Lily James is rock solid, which is all that really matters; everybody else is free to be as much of a character (or caricature, depending on your perspective) as they want to be.

If I have any other criticisms besides the occasional odd tonal shift, it’s that the movie is sometimes just a bit too much, in that the camera is almost always moving (though at least they could afford a steadicam, unlike some people), and the soundtrack is sometimes a bit too noisy. Maybe I’m just becoming an old man, I don’t know, but I never felt like I was having sensory overload watching Fury Road, whereas Baby Driver had it creep in a few times.

All-in-all though, there’s not much to complain about. Some might say Baby Driver is style over substance, but sometimes the style is the substance (e.g. Guy Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E.). I say it’s one of the best movies of the year, and I bet I’ll still be saying that come New Year’s Eve.

Whether you’re a die-hard Edgar Wright fanatic or a new fish, if you like gunfights, car chases, and proper action (and music), this film is for you. This was an idea that’d been brewing in his head for a long time, and we are fortunate to see it come to fruition.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)