Tag: Taron Egerton

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)

Movie Review – ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ – Bigger and Bigger

Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book The Secret Service created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Cast: Taron Egerton, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Mark Strong, Sophie Cookson, Colin Firth, Elton John, Hanna Alström, Edward Holcroft, Michael Gambon, Bruce Greenwood, Emily Watson, Mark Arnold, Tobi Bakare, Samantha Womack
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson

Right, then; break’s over.

I suppose it’s fitting that, after a month’s hiatus, I’m doing something I’ve never done before, which is reviewing a sequel to a film that I reviewed at the time of its actual release.

Kingsman: The Secret Service was definitively my favorite spy movie in a year that was chock full of good ones (not that there weren’t disappointments).  It embraced the more outlandish and fun elements of the James Bond franchise (particularly attributable to the era of the now late, great Roger Moore) while putting its own harder-edged spin on things, and I expected nothing less from its sequel (if not…Moore?).

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is definitely bigger, but is it better?

I say no.  I think it’s a bit overstuffed and a bit long for what it is, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t recommend it theatrically (especially if you’re a fan of the first one).  It is absolutely worth your movie dollars, so much so that there’s extremely little I’m willing to give away, so this’ll be a short review.

First of all, as in the original, you’ve got a great top-to-bottom cast (though very few get all that much to do), and everyone is clearly having fun with what they’re doing; which is to say this movie is like Octopussy-on-steroids in terms of the camp factor, though I will say there were at least a couple of moments that actually made me emotional, which was a genuine surprise.

Speaking of genuine surprises, I couldn’t believe how many story elements I legitimately didn’t see coming.  Sure, the main plot is just a bit predictable, but don’t tell me you were able to guess everything from the marketing.

As for the action, Golden Circle is very much in the same style as Secret Service.  No single scene offers a one-to-one comparison to the famous church sequence from the original, but it’s all executed, shot, and edited very similarly, if not actually better.

All-in-all, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is pretty much exactly what I thought it would be: a fun romp that goes too far in a few places.  It’s bonkers and it knows it, it’s got fun nods (both with and without twists) to the first movie (and what I think is a super deep cut Bond reference), and it’s got a great, young, charismatic actor in the lead.

If you’re a fan of the first one, you’ll probably really enjoy this one, as I did.  If not, I doubt there’s anything here that’ll win you over.

Not much else I can say without spoiling anything, but I recommend it heartily.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
There’s no stinger of any kind, probably because this movie is long and they respect that people need to relieve themselves, so, once the credits roll, you’re…Golden?

P.P.S.
Naturally, and as usual, thanks to Alamo Drafthouse for going all-out with the delicious specials and incredible glassware.

Movie Review – ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ – Britannia’s Got Bollocks

Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book The Secret Service created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Cast: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Mark Hamill (yes, THAT one), Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Jack Davenport, Geoff Bell, Ralph Ineson, Edward Holcroft, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Hanna Alström, Richard Brake, Corey Johnson, Samantha Womack, Tobi Bakare
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson

When initially asked to describe Kingsman in only three words, I simply said, “Quite a cocktail.”

And it is.

And it’s delicious.

Kingsman is a wonderfully-balanced blend of the following spirits: every Eon–produced James Bond motion picture from 1965 to 1985; Men In Black; John Landis; Quentin Tarantino; Wright/Pegg/Frost; Attack the Block; and Harry Palmer.

The result is the most gleefully fun movie I’ve seen since this past summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

To put it into better context, 2012’s Skyfall, in addition to being “Bond 23”, was a celebration of fifty years of the James Bond franchise, and a fitting tribute it was; very cool, very classy, and very regal.

Kingsman is also largely a celebration of Bond, but more so of the more, shall we say, ‘B-movie’ elements; those guilty pleasures that serious critics might be afraid to admit they love, but, deep down, we as fans all do.  Things like: a villain with some sort of impediment; a henchman with some sort of enhancement; massive underground lairs; unbelievable gadgets; and an outrageous, nefarious plot that puts the whole world in jeopardy; not to mention gunfights, car chases, and proper action.

At its core, Kingsman is a crowd-pleaser.  It gives the people what they want, and does so with style and flair.  I can almost guarantee I’ll go see it at least one more time in a theater.  I know it was originally slated for a fall US release (as you can clearly see at the end of this trailer), but what I can’t figure out is why this wasn’t a summer release.  I guess compared to all the remakes, sequels, and amusement park rides on the way, Kingsman is severely lacking in the “name recognition” department, but, then again, nobody had ever heard of Guardians of the Galaxy before, and look how that turned out; it only made three-quarters of a billion dollars worldwide.

Anyway, I hypothesized that Kingsman would be a welcome return to form for director Matthew Vaughn, after about a ten-year hiatus from the British-produced action films he cut his teeth on, and, boy, was I right.  I mean, Kick-Ass is pretty good, and X-Men: First Class has its moments, but, on the whole, they’re not that great.  Kingsman, at least from an entertainment perspective (I really need to revisit Layer Cake one of these days), is definitely Vaughn’s magnum opus to this point.  His passion for his source material (both direct and indirect) is very apparent, and, much like a Wright/Pegg/Frost production, there’s no trace of parody here; this is a love letter.

Performance-wise, I don’t think there’s an albatross in the bunch.  Colin Firth is his usual classy self as not-“James Bond”, but also most certainly gets special commendation for pulling off a very high percentage of his own stuntwork, which I can’t imagine he’s ever had to do for a film before; not to this degree, anyway.  I mean, can you think of a signature Colin Firth stunt or fight sequence?  I can’t, yet he pulls it off like a total pro here.  Kudos to you, sir.

Besides that: newcomer Taron Egerton (God Bless the Welsh) gives a very natural performance as the street rat savant “Eggsy”; Michael Caine is his regal self as not-“M”; Mark Strong puts on his best Scottish brogue as not-“Q”; and Sam Jackson gives a delightfully playful performance as not-“Steve Jobs”.  Or is it not-“Bill Gates”?  I don’t even know anymore.

If I have one legitimate criticism of Kingsman, it’s that some of the action sequences are shot/edited a little too newfangled for my taste (although it’s admittedly better than the shaky-cam madness of Quantum of Solace), and some of the visual effects could have looked better, but that’s more of a nitpick.  Given that this movie was produced on a budget one-third that of Skyfall, I’m not going to complain that much about such things.

So, if you like James Bond movies, or need a primer on why other people like James Bond movies, or if you just happen to be both an Anglophile and an action fan, then you should definitely go see Kingsman in your local movie house.

It’s fun.  It’s frenetic.  And it’s got balls.

You’ll love it.

Rating: ★★★★½

Oh, P.S.
There’s a stinger during the credits, but not afterwards.

You’re welcome.