Terry Crews – People Talking

Quick Thoughts – July Mega-Post – ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ ‘Sorry to Bother You’ ‘Skyscraper’ ‘The Equalizer 2’

My affinity for these movies is fairly well-documented, from the first one to the last one.

And why not? After all, when the consensus “worst film” in your franchise is a John Woo guns-motorcycles-doves-knives spectacular, you know you’re doing something right.

A lot of that credit belongs to J.J. Abrams for resurrecting things in 2006 (and staying on as a producer ever since), which was perfect timing, because when the James Bond franchise zigged to more gritty and grounded, Mission: Impossible zagged to what classic Bond always was: a globetrotting, fun, high action, insane stunt-filled series. The key difference is that where the Bond actors would step aside for a stuntman (or stunt driver, or stunt pilot), Tom Cruise, more often than not, gets in there and does these amazing feats himself, and Fallout is no different; so much so in fact that to me the movie played more like a Bond Greatest Hits album than a Mission: Impossible film, which is fine by me.

Hate him all you want for whatever reason you want, I choose to respect Tom Cruise for this: he was an action star at 27, and is still an action star at 57, and while this may be the last Mission: Impossible movie with him in the lead, it looks like he’ll be an action star for at least a few more years.

All that said, and it’s hard to put my finger on exactly why, the script for Fallout feels like a step back compared to the last two films (not to mention my boy Jeremy Renner feels conspicuously absent). However, I will still give it four stars because the action and stunts are more than big-screen worthy, and because the movie does reward long-time fans (making reference all the way back to the first, and yes, second one).

Rating: ★★★★☆

Sorry to Bother You

Often times, when I find myself having to sit through a movie’s trailer dozens upon dozens of times (*COUGH*EighthGrade*COUGH*), I become resentful and refuse to see it on the principle of how annoyed I am, but in the case of Sorry to Bother You, I was always looking forward to it, just because it looked so refreshingly original, which it most definitely is.

In fact, not only is it an original script from writer/director Boots Riley, he also contributed a number of songs to the film’s soundtrack with his band, The Coup, so the whole project has a real homegrown vibe to it (but in a good way, not a crappy student film way).

Fair warning, the third act goes off the rails, which will divide people, but in terms of comedies with social commentary and satire, it’s the best I’ve seen since Ingrid Goes West (though the style of much of the satire is akin to the original Robocop, which, again, is a good thing).

It’s definitely not a movie for kids, and I’m sure it’ll piss some people off, but I enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to adults with brains.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Skyscraper

I know I’m not making a revelatory statement when I say that this movie is like if Die Hard and The Towering Inferno had a baby in Hong Kong.

In fact, it’s safe to say that not only do most people going to see this already know that, but the movie knows that they know that, and therefore delivers exactly that.

What I’m trying to say here is that the movie knows what it is: a fairly mindless yet relatively satisfying piece of popcorn entertainment. Is it dumb? Yes. Is it as dumb as it could be? No, and I appreciate that.

It’s nothing special, and you’re either on board or you’re not, but if you are, you’ll have a good time (and I even noticed and liked some of the music, which feels so rare these days).

Rating: ★★★½

The Equalizer 2

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m starting to get the sense that Antoine Fuqua is not a great action director, because though I think these movies are okay (largely because Denzel is Denzel), I have issues with both that hold me back from enjoying them as much as I theoretically think I should.

My major problem with the first one was I felt the “badassness” was way overwrought, and I thought the movie would have been better served by underplaying it a bit; but I guess be careful what I wish for, because the sequel swings the pendulum hard the other way, but overall I didn’t find the story as interesting as its predecessor, so, I don’t know.

There are some satisfying moments and plotlines, and I really can’t hate on the slower pace (and the James Bond-esque cold open was kind of nice), but, I can’t say I’ll be all that disappointed if they never announce an Equalizer 3.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Almost Summer Shandy – ‘Deadpool’ & ‘Deadpool 2’ – Up for Whatever

One of the beauties of the Deadpool films (although I can see how some might see it as an annoyance) is that anything can happen: gunfights, car chases, proper action, fourth wall breaking, super-meta humor, Neil Sedaka, whatever; anything is possible.

In a genre chock-full of cookie-cutter (and safe) movies (not that I don’t enjoy the MCU, but, let’s be real), I find this level of anarchy quite refreshing.

Not to say that these two films don’t have their own fair share of boiler plate material (one of my only real criticisms of the sequel is that the core plot is highly reminiscent of a certain 2012 sci-fi thriller), but, honestly, it’s just nice to have some villains with a goal other than ruling the world with a giant blue space laser.

You know what else is refreshing? Each movie is a only a solid two hours in length (even less in the case of the first installment). I can handle long run times perfectly fine, but not every movie has to have a story that (often needlessly) takes two-and-a-half hours to tell. Sometimes I like to enjoy a nice, tightly-scripted movie that’s incredibly well-paced (especially true of the first; less so in the second, but still more than acceptable).

I suppose the most credit for these films even existing goes to Ryan Reynolds, who worked for an entire decade just to get the first one green-lit, but, second to that, I have to hand it to writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who first came together on Zombieland, which makes sense). They seem to genuinely understand the character they’re working with and also how to balance some really effervescent comedic material with other much darker elements, all the while maintaining personal stakes along the way.

Speaking of the character though, Deadpool himself is crass, cynical, violent, sarcastic, and crass (did I say crass?), and the films (like Logan, but for different reasons) are appropriately R-rated. Not every comic book adaptation needs to be, and some absolutely shouldn’t be, but in this case the 17-and-up rating is downright necessary. Not that this is all entirely groundbreaking or anything (as Ryan Reynolds well knows, having starred in Blade: Trinity), but I’m nonetheless happy to be getting these at full strength as opposed to some watered-down versions.

Getting back to the movies themselves though, one aspect of the first film I particularly enjoy, and which helps to give it the top-notch pacing it has, is that it chops up the story-line in the first half so you don’t just get the standard origin story in the standard order. Again, not groundbreaking, but nice that they did something to keep it relatively fresh.

Let’s not overlook the performances though. Obviously Ryan Reynolds is playing the role he was born to play, but Morena Baccarin is special as well (and I love that their relationship is essentially an R-rated and upgraded version of Holly and Michael from The Office), T.J. Miller works as an ordinary human sideman, Ed Skrein is effectively villainous (even if he isn’t a supervillain), and who doesn’t love Gina Carano doing anything?

Part two brings more of the same in the way that most sequels do, but it does elevate in story and tone (even if the plot is derivative, as I mentioned before), but I think it’s just a half step off in terms of execution compared to its predecessor.

Still though, it’s highly entertaining and full of fun little surprises. The core cast from the first movie is still firing, Josh Brolin makes a great Cable, Julian Dennison isn’t quite as enjoyable as he was in Hunt for the Wilderpeople but I’m not sure he’s really meant to be anyway, and Zazie Beetz pretty much steals any scene she’s in.

I’ve said this before about Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingsman, and it applies here as well: If you liked the first one, you’ll probably like the second one, too; if you didn’t like the first one, you probably won’t like the sequel, so don’t waste your time.

If you’ve never seen either though, and you’re not easily offended by gratuitous sex and violence (definitely more of the latter than the former), I say give them both a whirl.

And, of course, make sure you stick around til the very end of the first one, and I guess halfway through the credits of the second one.

Enjoy (or don’t)!

Ratings:
Deadpool: ★★★★½
Deadpool 2: ★★★★☆

Classic Twofer – ‘The Exorcist’ & ‘Idiocracy’ – Strange Bedfellows

No, these movies don’t have much to do with each other (outside of Washington D.C.?), but I saw them on back-to-back nights, so, this is what we’re doing.

Original Release Date: December 26, 1973/September 22, 2000
Directed by William Friedkin
Written by William Peter Blatty, based on his own novel of the same name
Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Mercedes McCambridge (demon voice), Barton Heyman

‘The Exorcist’ is another one of those movies, not unlike ‘Planet of the Apes‘, that exists in the collective unconscious as much as it exists as a film. So many memorable moments have been homaged and parodied time and time again (sometimes involving Linda Blair herself) that it can be difficult to separate the movie from its cultural aura (for example, the actual exorcist doesn’t show up at the house until the third act), but I did my best to maintain a fresh perspective seeing it for the first time.

For a film often regarded as “The Scariest Movie of All Time”, I’m not sure ‘The Exorcist’ has enough in its arsenal to hold onto that crown today, but that doesn’t mean it’s not remarkable in its own right (and certain elements are still plenty shocking).

For one thing, it’s William Friedkin’s follow-up to ‘The French Connection’, so you know it’s going to be well-crafted, but, more importantly, as a human drama, ‘The Exorcist’ is as compelling as you’ll find. The journey of what happens to this young girl and the response from her family and a host of medical, spiritual, and law enforcement professionals feels quite genuine. Everything else, the freezing cold room, the make-up effects, the vomit, the levitating bed, all of the visual realism flows from the realistic tone of the story.

However, I do have a couple of issues. First is pace. This isn’t a huge problem, as overall the gradual speed works in the movie’s favor, but, at times, the film feels like it’s being deliberate for deliberate’s sake. This is particularly true during the prologue, which is ambiguous and laconic to begin with, but it could have used some tightening up as well.

My second criticism is somewhat related to the first, and that is the entire character of Lt. Kinderman. I like Lee J. Cobb as an actor (his turns in ‘On The Waterfront’ and ’12 Angry Men’ are near perfect), but every time he appears in ‘The Exorcist’ he’s an energy vacuum. Whether this is merely due to his performance, the script, how he was directed, or some combination, I don’t know, but his character is boring and underdeveloped and I can’t help thinking someone else in the role would have made a positive difference.

All that said, I don’t want sound too harsh, because the movie is deservedly regarded as a classic. If you can bare the horrific and shocking elements (and, if you can’t, just put your fingers over your eyes; I won’t judge you), it’s definitely worth seeing, even if only for the drama.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Original Release Date: September 1, 2006
Directed by Mike Judge
Written by Mike Judge (story and screenplay) & Etan Cohen (screenplay)
Cast: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, Anthony ‘Citric’ Campos, David Herman, Brendan Hill, Sara Rue, Robert Musgrave, Michael McCafferty, Justin Long, Patrick Fischler, Darlene Hunt, Andrew Wilson, Scarface, Thomas Haden Church, Stephen Root, Earl Mann (narrator)
Soundtrack: Theodore Shapiro

“It’s practically a documentary now.”

This is the hacky line many folks have been spouting on account of the tenth anniversary of ‘Idiocracy’ coinciding with a most contentious and outlandish presidential election, but I’m going go ahead and sort of disagree with that there. As frustrated as I am that the internet, an astounding invention that hypothetically should make us all smarter and more united, seems to be making us dumber and more divided, thanks largely to misinformation and lies being able to be spread as quickly as (if not entirely faster than) facts and truth, I don’t think we’ll ever see society devolve to the point that we see in ‘Idiocracy’ (it’s also important to remember that the movie is a comedy, not unlike ‘Back to the Future 2‘, which wasn’t trying to seriously predict the future either).

But hey, enough with the heavy topics.

It’s safe to say that Mike Judge has had and continues to have a successful career in show-business (I’m certainly a fan, mostly). From eight seasons of ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’, to thirteen seasons of ‘King of the Hill’, to an upcoming fourth season of ‘Silicon Valley’ (which I’ve heard nothing but good things about; too bad I don’t have time for television), it would seem he knows comedy well enough to maintain a significant presence for well over two decades. However, when it comes to movies, he has something of a habit of producing things that A. Get buried by the studio, one way or another; and B. Don’t get fully appreciated until after they’ve already come and gone. Of course, we’re talking about ‘Office Space‘, but the principle applies to ‘Idiocracy’ as well (although, I’ll tell you right now, ‘Idiocracy’ is no ‘Office Space’).

‘Idiocracy’ is the kind of movie that you watch clips of on YouTube and laugh hysterically, but when you see the full film you realize it doesn’t quite jell overall. There are individual concepts, moments, and scenes that are brilliant and hilarious (hiring Earl Mann, the voice of NFL Films, to be the narrator, was a stroke of genius), and I give the movie credit for going to a lot of uncomfortable places, but I don’t know if it ever gets better than the first five to ten minutes (especially Michael McCafferty as the Army officer giving the presentation about the hibernation project; he’s great), and that’s problematic.

Maybe I’m being too hard on it. Maybe I’m not giving it enough credit for actually seeing the light of day (albeit briefly), but I think it just comes down to the fact that some comedy holds up over time (like ‘Office Space’), and some comedy doesn’t. As a full movie experience, ‘Idiocracy’ doesn’t hold up well (but you can still find funny clips on YouTube).

Rating: ★★½

P.S.
The 10-Year Anniversary screening was bookended by a livestream Q&A that was more interesting and entertaining that the movie itself, which you can find here (skip ahead as needed).