Free Guy

 

Video Games and the world they inhabit has been a fertile ground for inspiration for filmmakers, whether it was exploring the sort of reality that exists within video games or adapting actual games for the big screen. Free Guy makes an interesting twist on these sorts of films by taking a look at the reality of the non-playable characters in open world games such as Grand Theft Auto and similar games and specifically what would happen if one broke free from their programmed routines and not only started doing their own thing but discovered the true nature of their world. 

Guy (played by Ryan Reynolds) lives a simple but monotonous life as a bank teller in Free City. The city is a place of chaos, including car chases and explosions which Guy has accepted as part of his daily life, unaware that all of this is part of a video game and takes it all in stride with a sunny optimism as he tells people not to have a good day but a great day. Even the bank robberies that occur several times a day are treated with a certain indifference that gives him a chance to catch up with his best friend, bank security guard Buddy (played by Lil Rel Howrey). One day, his path crosses with a player known as MolotovGirl (played by Jodie Comer) and immediately intrigued by her. He deviates from his original programming when he obtains a pair of sunglasses the players wear, revealing the true nature of the world he inhabits or the first time. Guy then goes after MolotovGirl, who initially thinks Guy is another player who hacked the game to appear as a Non-Playable character but soon realizes that Guy is indeed a NPC who has become self aware. In the real world MolotovGirl is actually Millie Rusk who, along with fellow programmer Walter "Keys" McKey (played by Joe Keery), created a game call Free Life that was designed to have it's non-player characters grow and evolve based on their interactions with the game players. She has been playing Free City to find proof that the head of Soonami Games, Antwan (played by Taika Waititi) stole their game and used it as the building blocks for Free City. As Guy continues to break free from his programming and evolve, Millie realizes he may be her best hope to retrieve the proof she needs from deep in the game. Although Keys, who still works for Soonami Games, discovers upon talking to Antwan that the impending release of the sequel, Free City 2, will not be backwards compatible and will overwrite the original game once it goes live in less than 48 hours, leaving a very small window for Millie, Keys and Guy to find and retrieve the original Free World code and prove Antwan stole their work. 

The film was directed by Shawn Levy from a script by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn who have crafted one of the most purely entertaining films I have seen this year. They do a fantastic job creating the world these characters occupy as well as credibly establishing why this could happen within the story. At the same time, they fill the story with such warmth and optimism that amusingly contrasts with the chaos going on around the characters as part of the video game world they occupy. I loved the way they depicted the world, keeping everything in the game as live action and accentuated with the sort of graphics we would see in games, with hidden items like health points, or icons indicating players where to start their next mission only appearing when a Non-Player character puts on a pair of sunglasses. I also appreciated that Guy's sunglasses change throughout the movie, since he would have to get a new pair from a player character at the start of every day. Of course, when we are in the real world, we see the representation of the video game world from their perspective and only then does it show as CGI, with a credible representation of what that game world would look like to us. The story of the film itself, even though I could spot influences from everything from They Live to The Truman Show to Ready Player One still feels unique and fun in it's own right as well. I loved the way the story played out and kept me engaged throughout as not only the characters within the game grew and evolved but how the revelations within the game also informed the characters outside of it, especially Millie and Keys, which I thought was a clever touch.  

The film has a fantastic cast, led by a very funny performance from Ryan Reynolds as Guy. He fills guy with this bright optimism that he manages to keep up throughout the film and even takes discovering his world is a video game remarkably in stride, all things considered. While the character is quite funny, this is not the usual wisecracking, sarcastic Ryan Reynolds character and is a bit of a stretch for him, which he handles quite well. Jodie Comer does well in her dual role of sorts as MolotovGirl within the Free City game as well as her real-world counterpart Millie. While there are certainly plenty of similarities between the two, MolotovGirl is a much more action oriented part, as would be expected for a video game character, and contrasts that nicely with her real world counterpart that is fighting to retrieve her and Keys' intellectual property. Lil Rel Howery is great as Buddy, matching Guy's sunny optimism throughout the film and he plays off Reynolds wonderfully, especially when Guy starts going off program. Joe Keery adds a certain charm to his role as the somewhat lost and lovelorn Keys, who unlike Millie is still working for Soonami Games despite them ripping off his and Millie's game. But the one who stole the show for me was definitely Taika Waititi as the villain Antwan. He was definitely a devious slimeball of a character but Waititi is so much fun in the role and having so much fun playing the eccentric character that he definitely became a character that I loved to hate.

Free Guy is easily one of the best times I've had in a theater this year. The movie is hilarious with sweet, self-aware humor while also being a surprisingly optimistic and wholesome film too. There is just a pure and infectious fun that runs through the film from beginning to end. The filmmakers and actors were clearly having a blast making this movie and that translates on the screen quite well. It's not a good movie...it's a great movie.   

Old

When I first saw the trailer for the latest M. Night Shyamalan film, I was quite intrigued. It was a unique hook for a horror thriller. The resulting film is certainly proving to be one of his more divisive films. I can certainly see why with how the film plays out but it is still an intriguing premise for a film that I found to be reasonably satisfying. 

Guy and Prisca Cappa (played by Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps) are taking a family vacation to a tropical resort with their young children, Maddox and Trent (played by Alexa Swinton and Nolan River). Guy and Prisca are at a crossroads in their marriage and planning to separate. They are viewing this as one last family vacation before they do and trying to make the best of it. When the Resort Manager (played by Gustaf Hammarsten) suggests the family check out a secluded beach for the day, they agree. Also aboard the resort shuttle to the beach is Charles (played by Rufus Sewell), his wife Chrystal (played by Abbey Lee), daughter Kara (played by Kyle Bailey) and his mother Agnes (played by Kathleen Chalfant). They are also joined by Patricia and Jarin Carmichael (played by Nikki Amuka-Bird and Ken Leung). Upon arriving at the beach they are surprised at how beautiful and secluded it is. They soon discover they are not alone, another man is at the beach who the kids know as famous rapper Mid-Size Sedan (played by Aaron Pierre). Their tranquility is quickly shattered when one of the kids discovers a dead body on the beach who is revealed to have been Mid-Size's girlfriend. The group tries to deal with this discovery and determine what to do since the Resort simply dropped them off at the beach, promising to pick them up that evening and no one can get a cell phone signal. Soon, Prisca notices something is wrong with the kids and as the hours pass, it becomes clear the kids are aging at an accelerated rate. It quickly dawns on the adults that it's not just the kids...it's everyone. Any attempt to leave the beach the way they came causes the person to black out and awaken back on the beach. The characters find themselves facing a horrifying scenario as they have to try and find a way off the beach before the rapidly passing time has them all dying of old age.    

The film was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and is based on the graphic novel "Sandcastle" by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. I have not read the original novel so I am not sure how closely he follows the original story but I have heard he does make some significant departures. Still, the film does have an intriguing hook to it's story and how the characters react to all the horrors this beach can unleash on the various occupants. The film does come up with some very unique situations the characters have to deal with, such as rapidly accelerating medical conditions, both physical and mental, as well as their kids accelerated travels through puberty that lead to some very real and unique complications. This is all paired well with some stunning cinematography by Mike Gioulakis that manages to make the beach look idyllic and ominous at the same time. I also have to give credit to Make-up designer Tony Gardner for the fantastic work on the old age make-up effects. Often times, old age makeup will be really overdone in movies but there is a nuance to these effects that make them very convincing and natural. 

The film does have some faults though too. The dialogue at times is very clunky and heavy handed, especially at the beginning. There is also the ending to the film which I feel reveals too much about the nature of what exactly is happening on this island and the nature of the resort and in doing so creates some pretty big plot holes if you stop and think about the implications of the ending revelations at all. Shyamalan listed Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock among his influences but I can't help but wish he had taken more inspiration from that film and crafted an ending that was a bit more ambiguous rather than spelling everything out for the audience (although to his credit, the exact nature of the beach and why it is that way remains largely a mystery).  

The cast assembled for the film is great, led by Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps, who give a sense of realism to their characters, two people trying to put on a brave face for their kids, first in the face of their impending separation and then later their impending doom on the beach. Rufus Sewell does well in his role too and it is certainly a trickier one as the film goes on. I won't elaborate because spoilers, but he does do quite well in the role. Alex Wolff does an good job as older Trent and along with Thomasin McKenzie as older Maddox and Eliza Scanlen as older Kara have some tricky parts to play because the characters are only supposed to look older, but functionally still be little kids and all three pull off that delicate balancing act well. 

Overall, Old isn't one of M. Night Shyamalan's best films but it's far from his worst either. It has a solid premise that holds up for much of the film, but just falls apart with some aspects of it's plot and his need to over explain. The more he does the less that held up to scrutiny as I thought back on it. If anything, the morals of this story are always make sure to research your vacation destinations thoroughly and make sure you tell family and friends back home your entire itinerary. 

Snake Eyes

 

I should start off this review by stating I have never been the biggest G.I Joe fan. I vaguely remember the animated show from when I was a kid, but that was about it. So, if you're coming into this review wondering how closely this movie adheres to the source material I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. My interest in seeing this one was more of in spite of it being a G.I Joe film rather than because of. But I saw it with a friend who is a much bigger G.I Joe fan and she certainly seemed satisfied so take that for what you will. I was more just craving a Martial Arts flick and the fact that it had Henry Golding, Iko Uwais, and Samara Weaving amongst it's cast members didn't hurt either. 

Snake Eyes (played by Henry Golding) has been living as a drifter ever since he witnessed his father gunned down by a mysterious assassin who makes his victim roll a pair of dice to see what their fate is. Snake takes his moniker from the pair of ones his father rolled that night. He has been making ends meet fighting in the underground fighting circuit. It's there that he catches the attention of Yakuza boss Kenta (played by Takehiro Hira) who offers Snake a deal. If Snake will work for him, he will help Snake find his father's killer. One day, Kenta asks Snake to prove his loyalty by shooting a traitor. Snake is unable to go through with it and helps him escape instead. It turns of the man in question, Tommy (played by Andrew Koji) is Kenta's cousin and both were in line to run Clan Arashikage, an ancient Ninja order devoted to maintaining preserving order and maintaining peace. Kenta tried and failed to kill his cousin and was subsequently banished. Grateful, Tommy takes Snake back to the Clan compound and having seen his skills as a fighter asks him to join Clan Arashikage. The current leader of the Clan, Tommy's grandmother Sen (played by Eri Ishida), agrees provide Snake can pass three challenges overseen by two masters, Hard Master (played by Iko Uwais) and Blind Master (played by Peter Mensah). The Clan's head of security, Akkio (played by Haruka Abe), doesn't trust Snake and turns out she is right because Kenta set up Snake to make it look like he betrayed him to earn Tommy's trust and infiltrate the Clan. He is to retrieve the Clan's sacred Jewel of the Sun and trade it to Kenata for his father's killer. But as Snake bonds with both Tommy and Akkio as he trains for the three challenges, he finds his allegiances challenged and must choose between his new friends and his overwhelming need for revenge. 

The film was directed by Robert Schwentke from a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse. The screenwriters manage to craft a reasonably entertaining story, even though parts of it do feel very cliche at this point. The whole child witnessing the death of a parent and vowing revenge on the killer is a very well worn trope and the movie only gets away with it barely because they have Snake face his lifelong desire and decide if it's worth betraying the people who have presented him with a potentially better future for it. Far more interesting for me as a viewer was the three challenges Snake must face to join the Arashikage, as well as the two Masters who help train and guide Snake along the way. Even if this too is a familiar trope, the filmmakers do a better job of making it feel a little more fresh and kept it intriguing for me. Schwentke does a reasonably good job staging the action sequences even though he does rely on the damn shaky cam too much and the quick cuts are at times too quick to even really get a good idea of that is going on. Also, he commits the cardinal sin of setting up a really great fight sequence between Iko Uwais and a whole group of Yakuza and then cutting away just as it was about to start and not going back to it until the fight was basically finished. I was so irritated by that narrative choice I wanted to scream. Aside from that though, the filmmakers handle the action reasonably well, even as the film suddenly shifts and takes on a vaguely more fantastical angle once the Jewel of the Sun is unleashed. 

The cast assembled for the film is quite impressive. Henry Golding does well as Snake Eyes both with the more action oriented aspects as well and doing a good job portraying Snake's internal conflicts. Andrew Koji likewise does well as Tommy and plays off Henry Golding quite well so their burgeoning friendship becomes one of the strengths of the film. I've long been a fan of Iko Uwais so seeing him turn up in this was one as Hard Master of the main reasons I wanted to see the film and while he does very much have a supporting role, he has his fair share of memorable moments in the film too. Peter Mensah also impressed me a lot in his role as Blind Master, including a rather cool scene between him and Snake as he administers the second challenge. Takehiro Hira does his best with his villain role as Kenta, even if the role is written as a fairly routine baddie character. Far more entertaining was Úrsula Corberó as Baroness, who is clearly having fun with her Cobra aligned villianous role. Samara Weaving shows up in the second half of the film and has some fun in her role as Scarlett, a G.I Joe agent sent to help assist the Arashikage.  

Overall, Snake Eyes is pretty much exactly what I expected. It's not a perfect film by any means, but it does have it's moments that made it worthwhile viewing to me. Will it be the same for everyone? Well, that depends on if the elements I described above appeal to you as the viewer or not. The action sequences could have been a executed a bit better and the plot at times was a little bit predictable (can we discontinue shaky cam already? I hate that so much. But at least this movie wasn't as bad as some). But it did still have enough talent and surprises to keep me entertained on a hot Summer afternoon and isn't that what movies released this time of the year supposed to do anyway? I will say this though, the film definitely needed more Iko Uwais. But I may just be a little biased in that regard. 

Richard Donner

There are certain filmmakers that looking back have had repeated significant impacts on my appreciation and love of film. One of those filmmakers was without a doubt Richard Donner. I was planning on doing a series of retrospective reviews of his films much like I did a couple years ago with Spielberg because damn if I didn't love just about everything he made. I may still at some point, but I had wanted to do it before he passed. He was a such a fun-loving, big-hearted guy whose personality shone brightly through every movie he made. He also had an enviably eclectic filmography, showing he could transition from frightening horror to superhero fantasy to buddy cop action to intimate drama with ease. 

Richard Donner started his directing career in television, carving out a niche for himself working on a number of popular and iconic series, including a number of well know Twilight Zone episodes with the most popular being Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. He made a few feature films during this time as well, such as the Charles Bronson starring X-15, which also marked the screen debut of Mary Tyler Moore and the Sammy Davis Jr. starring Salt & Pepper. 

His first big break as a cinematic filmmaker came with the Gregory Peck starring horror film The Omen. The film was a box office smash focusing on an American ambassador (played by Peck) and his wife (played by Lee Remick) who unwittingly adopt a child that turns out to be the Anti-Christ. It was a fantastically frightening film punctuated by some genuinely shocking death scenes including an infamous decapitation that Donner took gleeful delight in editing in such a way that audience members who looked away would look back thinking it was over only to find it was still happening.  The film proved to be a box office hit and would go on to spawn three sequels, Damien: Omen II, The Final Conflict, and the T.V movie Omen IV: The Awakening. Of those sequels, Donner was only involved with The Final Conflict in an Executive Producer capacity. 

For his follow-up to The Omen, Donner was brought in by producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind to direct their planned cinematic epic, Superman: The Movie as well as a sequel that would be shot back to back. In what would become one of Donner's most beloved films, he approached the material with a perfect degree of reverence and seriousness, but also was not afraid to have some fun with the material, especially with Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor dealing with his nincompoop henchman Otis (played by Ned Beatty), which provided many of the film's biggest moments of levity. Yet, at the same time he approached the character of Clark Kent and Superman with a balance of reverence and sincerity that really worked for the film, with a fantastic performance by Christopher Reeve. Donner in fact insisted they went with a then unknown actor, rightly fearing that a known star would overshadow the character and the film therefore wouldn't work. Richard Donner was a fan of Superman and his legacy, something that is clear in every frame of the film. His instincts proved right and the film proved to be one of the biggest hits of his career and continues to be a cherished film today. His impact on the Superman mythos continues to reverberate throughout, influencing future incarnations of the character, including Zack Snyder's Man of Steel up to the most recent iteration with the CW's Superman & Lois T.V show. It also set the gold standard for what Superhero movies could be going forward. 

Unfortunately, conflicts with Producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind reached a boiling point and he was fired off the project before he could complete Superman II and was replaced by Richard Lester, who reshot a bunch of Donner's footage. Donner's footage in a stitched together, but still superior, cut of Superman II would not see the light of day until 2006 when a the footage was found while a DVD remastering of the film was being prepped. Still, they were able to remaster the deleted footage and create an all new cut, complete with John Williams score and new effects to create as close as possible what Richard Donner intended his cut of Superman II to be. I go into more detail about this whole thing in my Superman II review on this page, if you're curious. 

After the blow of being fired off Superman II, Donner nonetheless bounced back with a couple of smaller films, the disabled basketball drama Inside Moves and the Richard Pryor comedy The Toy. One of his pet projects was a medieval set fantasy romance picture, Ladyhawke, that would be one of my favorites of his. It would turn out to hold a surprising significance for Donner as well, as he met and fell in love with his future wife, film producer Lauren Shuler, as they made the movie together. They would marry not long after and continue to produce many other movies together. Ultimately, the film would prove to be a box office disappointment but like many other 80's fantasy films it would garner a cult following on home video. It's certainly one that I've always admired. It's a beautifully shot film that was clearly made by a man falling in love. 

Donner would follow-up Ladyhawke with another one of his most beloved films, The Goonies. Collaborating with producer Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Chris Columbus, Donner crafted a fantastic, family friendly adventure about a group of kids who go hunting for Pirate treasure after they find an old treasure map in one of the kid's attics. In hot pursuit of the kids is a trio of robbers who want the treasure for themselves. Filled with impressive action set-pieces and just the right amount of humor, The Goonies continues to live on as timeless family entertainment. It's one that has been frequently re-released to theatres as well as fan gatherings. There was even an online reunion last year with all the cast members, Steven Spielberg and even Richard Donner himself. Out of all of his films, this is probably the one whose popularity has endured the most. It is certainly a film I loved when I was younger as well as one I continue to love today.

As if having Superman and The Goonies as part of his cinematic legacy wasn't enough, Richard Donner also directed all four of the Lethal Weapon movies, carrying a certain level of quality from one entry to another. The films made huge mark in re-vitalizing the buddy cop formula and continued to work largely on the remarkable chemistry between stars Danny Glover and Mel Gibson as Los Angeles Police Detectives Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs. The recurring cast would grow as the series progressed, with Lethal Weapon 2 adding Joe Pesci (as a wiseguy known as Leo Getz, who Donner frequently stated was basically the third Stooge to Riggs and Murtaugh). Lethal Weapon 3 would add Rene Russo as Lorna Cole, a love interest for Riggs and every bit the adept fighter and daredevil he is. Lethal Weapon 4 added Chris Rock as a new detective working with Riggs and Murtaugh. Throughout the entire series, Donner managed to deftly balance large scale, explosive action sequences with genuine and hearty laughs making all four films irresistible entertainment. But further than that, he, along with series screenwriters that included Shane Black, Jeffrey Boam and Channing Gibson, crafted a group of characters that felt real, familiar and relatable. It was a group of characters I couldn't help but want to revisit again and again. I think it was that aspect that, along with the spectacle and the comedy of course, that made those four films one of the most cherished franchises for me.  

In between the first two Lethal Weapon movies, Donner pivoted again to a contemporary, comedic take on A Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray and Karen Allen, Scrooged. Although it perhaps was not as warmly received when it was first released during the Holiday season of 1988, it has grown over the years as a cherished Christmas film for many people, myself included. The film juxtaposes wacky humor with some genuinely dark scenes that may or may not work depending on the person but I always felt like Donner managed to balance the two well throughout the film. Even though Murray and Donner famously did not get along during the making of the film, it still worked quite well and Murray does make for a great contemporary Scrooge as selfish, narcissistic Network Executive Frank Cross.     

Other notable films he directed included the dark family drama Radio Flyer, the thriller Assassins with Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas, the Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson action thriller Conspiracy Theory, the time travel adventure Timeline and the Bruce Willis thriller 16 Blocks as his last film as a director. Yet, he also was a prolific producer both solo and alongside his wife Lauren Shuler-Donner, producing such hits as The Lost Boys, Free Willy, and the original X-Men. He also co-produced the HBO Horror Anthology series Tales from the Crypt, along with it's two big screen spin-offs. 

But even beyond his impressive and varied cinematic accomplishments, Richard Donner had long established himself as being a smart but kind, warm and generous man with an big, boisterous laugh that was unmistakable. Stories abound of his sets, filled with laughter and fun. He remarked in an interview that he always loved making movies because he'd always come out the other end with a new friend. That personality shines through his films too, never passing up the chance to go for a laugh when he could get one. There are also so many stories I've read from people who got their start working for Dick Donner and then moving on to bigger and better things. He was one of those filmmakers who I loved so many of their movies and would have loved to have met. But at least I still have his films to enjoy, which I have been re-visiting lately and I'm sure will re-visit many, many more times to come. If the outpouring of tributes I've seen online to him as both a filmmaker and an individual, I know I won't be alone there either. 

F9: The Fast Saga

 

I still find it hard to believe that we are now on our tenth Fast and the Furious movie, including the Hobbs & Shaw spin-off sequel we got back in 2019. It would be easy for me to look down my nose at these movies, but I really do genuinely and unabashedly love them. They have evolved so much over the years, from the comparatively humble beginnings of the original The Fast and the Furious back in 2001 to the ridiculous, physics defying stunts the film series is now known for and honestly, the series is better for it. 

As the film opens, we discover that Dom (played by Vin Diesel) and Letty (played by Michelle Rodriguez) are living the quiet life on a secluded farm with Dom's young son, Brian. Soon enough though, they are drawn back to action by teammates Roman (played by Tyrese Gibson), Taj (played by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) and Ramsey (played by Nathalie Emmanuel) who show up with an encoded message from Mr. Nobody (played by Kurt Russell) sent specifically to Dom's team. Turns out Mr. Nobody's plane had crashed after he arrested series villain Cypher (Charlize Theron) and carrying one half of a highly classified device called Aries, a device that will allow its user access to any computer system they want - including weapons systems. Of particular interest to Dom is that one of the people behind the attempt to steal it was Dom's heretofore unmentioned brother Jakob (played by John Cena). This device needs a second half as well as a specific code in order to work. So the race is on for Dom's team to retrieve the first half from the wreckage of Mr. Nobody's plane and figure out where the second half is before Jakob and his employer, Otto (played by Thue Ersted Rasmussen), who is also holding cyber terrorist Cypher prisoner after rescuing her from the clutches of Mr. Nobody.  

The film marks director Justin Lin's return to the series, working from a script he wrote with Daniel Casey. They manage to come up with a suitably entertaining globe trotting adventure that fans of these series have come to expect at this point. The troubled relationship between Dom and his brother Jakob forms the film's emotional backbone, while the race to obtain the Ares device feels a bit like a rehash of Furious 7 and the race to get the similarly powerful God's Eye device. Yet, the funny thing is I really didn't mind because everything surrounding the plot is just straight up fun. The filmmakers come up with a new slew of outrageous stunts, including our intrepid heroes trying to drive across a suspension bridge as it falls apart under them followed by Dom and Letty equally improbably using a remaining cable from the same bridge to swing themselves, in their car, from one cliff to the other. It's these sorts of over the top stunts that get me back into the theater for each crazy installment. This one has even more crazy stunts in store that I don't even dare spoil because the surprise is part of the fun. Of course, this all depends on if you are able to go along with the crazy plot twists this series has foisted on it's audience over the various films resulting in an admittingly messy continuity. Villains become heroes and characters thought to have died have a tendency to be resurrected as needed (this has happened on more than one occasion, with Han (played by Sung Kang) the latest member of the Lazarus club.). Still, that's part of the fun with this series as it grows increasingly self aware of itself, with Roman even remarking at one point how they seem to get out of these various massive cataclysms with nary a scratch on any of them and wondering if they are indeed indestructible.     

As this series has grown, it has amassed a large group of characters which the filmmakers do a reasonably good job of juggling. Vin Diesel is still front and center as Dom, who is struggling with whether or not to settle down and get out of the game of globe trotting Special Ops and focus on his family. Of course, he gets pulled back into action but Diesel does a good job portraying Dom's hesitancy. He also handles the emotional conflict Dom encounters with his brother Jakob and their fractured relationship as brothers. Michelle Rodriguez is as ever solid as Letty, Dom's wife and partner in action. Tyrese Gibson continues to steal every scene he is in as the quick witted motor mouth Roman Pierce and much like the previous installments, provides plenty of levity throughout the film, including the aforementioned moment of reflection. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Nathalie Emmanuel play off each other one another as the team's resident hackers Taj and Ramsey and the two share decent chemistry, even as they often feel like the other two stooges with Roman. Jordana Brewster makes a welcome return to the series as Mia after sitting out The Fate of the Furious, and is actually part of the team again and right in the middle of the action with the rest of them after being effectively sidelined for much of Fast and Furious 6 and Furious 7. John Cena makes his debut in the series as Jakob and does well with the very conflicted role and juggles his character's rage and animosity towards Dom quite well. Thue Ersted Rasmussen does his best in the role of Otto, but never quite comes across as the formidable villain he's supposed to be. On the other hand, Charlize Theron makes the most of her screen time, relishing playing the clearly unhinged, just wants to watch the world burn Cypher and feels like a far more intimidating baddie.

Overall, one's mileage with F9 is going to vary (no pun intended) depending on whether or not you're willing to go along with the over the top shenanigans this series has become known for because this movie certainly only goes more over the top and outrageous as it goes along. These movies have struck a curious balance between melodrama and the absurd that despite all logic actually still works. So, one's enjoyment of these movies will depend very much on how much you are willing to go along with it. Personally, much like the other entries in the series, I found F9 to be a lot of fun. I certainly had a blast watching it in theaters. Which is a good thing, since we almost certainly have a planned two-part finale coming our way before we know it. I, for one, can't wait.       

Those Who Wish Me Dead

 

Taylor Sheridan has become a unique voice recent filmmaking with such strong turns with the likes of Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River, and the fantastic Paramount Network series Yellowstone. So, when I heard he was teaming up with Angelina Jolie for the wilderness set thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, I was very intrigued. While the film isn't as strong as some of Taylor's other efforts, it still stands as a intense thriller elevated by the writing and a very capable cast. 

Hannah Faber (played by Angelina Jolie) is a Smokejumper who is still struggling to recover from the trauma of being unable to save three campers and a fellow smokejumper during an intense forest fire. Now, she is posted in a fire watch tower in Park County, Montana. Meanwhile, forensic accountant Owen Casserly (played by Jake Weber) learns of the sudden death of his boss and boss' family in an apparent gas explosion at home. Correctly suspecting foul play, he packs up his son Connor (played by Finn Little) and hits the road looking to take refuge with his brother-in-law Ethan (played by Jon Bernthal), a Sheriff Deputy and Hannah's ex. Hot on Owen and Connor's trail are a pair of assassins, Jack Blackwell (played by Aiden Gillen) and Patrick Blackwell (played by Nicholas Hoult), who are able to quickly figure out where the two are headed and are there waiting when Owen and Connor are driving on a mountain road headed for Ethan's house. The resulting ambush causes Owen to crash the car. Knowing there is no escape, Owen instructs Conner to run before the assassins see him. Staying out of sight, Conner escapes and follows a creek which winds up leading him directly to Hannah, who is out on patrol of the area. It's not long before the two assassins discover Connor was in the car too and move to pursue the kid on the order of their boss, Arthur Phillip (played by Tyler Perry). In an effort to try and keep the police and other emergency services occupied, Jack uses several road flares to start a forest fire. After re-grouping with Connor at her Fire Watch Tower, she decides to take him on a hike back to town to meet with Ethan and the authorities only to discover not only are they cut off by a now massive forest fire but that the assassins are near as well leading to a tense stand off between Hannah, Connor and two trained killers in the midst of a raging forest fire. 

The film was directed by Taylor Sheridan from a script by Sheridan, Charles Leavitt and Michael Koryta and is based on Michael Koryta's novel of the same name. The filmmakers manage to elevate the rather familiar material by focusing on the characters that occupy their story and giving them more dimension. This approach also adds tension to the story as the film makes us care about these characters and by extension want to see them make it out alive as they face threats both human and otherwise (the raging forest fire). The filmmakers do also keep the action of the film grounded, which adds to the tension as we have our main characters having to rely on their wits to survive against two lethal killers. Our intrepid heroes do prove adept at that as well, including an unexpectedly inventive use of bear mace that really impressed me. All of this helps patch over the film's well-worn plot that aside from a couple twists feels pretty well-worn, especially for anyone who has seen films like Cliffhanger or The River Wild. The film also relies on some rather unconvincing CGI for the fire effects that I could not help but find a bit distracting. 

The film has assembled an impressive cast led by Angelina Jolie. Jolie does a great job as Hannah showing her character's struggles overcoming past trauma as well as her more adventurous side that includes some daredevil antics early in the film. Finn Little does well as Connor, portraying his character's inherent vulnerability as well as his resourcefulness. Aiden Gillan and Nicholas Hoult add some more dimension and personality to their characters than is usual for these types of films. They are still nasty villains, but they also feel a bit more fleshed out and real characters too. Medina Senghore, who plays Ethan's wife Allison, easily steals her scenes in a supporting role and is someone who turns out to be far more resourceful and formidable than she may appear to be.  

Overall, Those Who Wish Me Dead is a reasonably satisfying action thriller. The plot is very straightforward and well worn, but the cast certainly elevates things. Since a good thriller lives or dies by it's characters the fact that this one works as well as it does owes a lot to it's cast and giving us characters we can either root for or long to see defeated. So, by that merit the film worked for me. I knew where it was going, but the film still managed to keep me on the edge of my seat throughout nonetheless. It's a fairly routine thriller, but is made with skill and still works well enough for some reasonable Saturday evening entertainment.                       

Twister

There is something about Twister that I can't help but love. It is just so unabashedly entertaining about it and I usually watch it every summer. I can't help it. It may just be that I grew up in the Midwest where what to do in the case of a tornado is drilled into our heads at a young age. It could also be that my uncle Bruce is a Meteorologist, so I come by my interest in extreme weather naturally. Now, 25 years later, I still love this movie as much as I did back in the summer of 1996. Also, it's worth noting this film gave us the single greatest MPAA rating ever: Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of very bad weather.

Bill Harding (played by Bill Paxton) travels out into the field with his new fiancee, Melissa Reeves (played by Jami Gertz) to get divorce papers signed by his soon to be ex-wife Jo (played by Helen Hunt). Upon arriving and reuniting with his former Storm Chaser team, he discovers they had finally created a device he designed named DOROTHY that is created to aid in the study of tornados by releasing dozens of sensors into the tornado and transmit the data back to the team. With a onslaught of storms with the potential for numerous tornadoes, Bill can't resist the urge to re-join the team and try and bring his design to fruition, with Melissa along for the ride. Things get more complicated when another team shows up lead by Bill and Jo's former colleague, Jonas (played by Cary Elwes), who they discover has stolen Bill's design and created his own instrument pack. Now the race is on to see who can launch their pack first   

The film was directed by Jan DeBont from a script written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin (with uncredited re-writes from the likes of Joss Whedon, Steven Zaillian and Jeff Nathanson). They crafted a fun adventure tale that runs tight getting started right away and keeping the action moving at a brisk pace with the love triangle between Bill, Jo and Melissa adding some weight to the story as well. Even 25 years later, the effects from Industrial Light and Magic still hold up for the most part (with a couple notable exceptions that never looked good). The film also makes good use of practical effects to simulate the extreme weather conditions including some inventive but harsh lighting techniques to make the skies behind the characters look darker than they really were. Then to top it off, we get a fantastic score for the film from Mark Mancina that remains one of my favorites. I purchased the expanded score album and I can confirm listening to it while driving across the prairies of North Dakota makes the drive feel a lot more exciting.  

The film assembled quite an impressive cast, led by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt. Paxton and Hunt play off each other quite well as bickering exes that in the midst of the chaos of the film find their love for one another being rekindled. Helen Hunt has a bit more heavy lifting to do from a dramatic standpoint as her character Jo suffers from severe trauma of witnessing her father being killed during a tornado as a young girl and she pulls off those moments quite well. Up until this point, Bill Paxton had primarily been a well-respected character actor so this was a rare leading role for him but he just nails it perfectly. Jami Gertz does well in her role as Melissa and is often the comic relief offering up some of the more memorable ones of the film. The film is populated by a number of great character actors to add a little color to the film as well, including an early notable appearance by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the adrenaline junkie team member Dusty and Lois Smith as Jo's tough and wise Aunt Meg. Cary Elwes makes for a suitably smarmy villain as the rival team leader Jonas, whose personality and ego makes it clear why his former team members hate him so much. 

Twister is a film that I have loved ever since I saw it the theater back on Opening Night in May 1996. It's one of those films I've never gotten tired of watching. It is just straight up enjoyable popcorn entertainment. It also kicked off a whole new disaster movie trend over the latter half of the 90's, curiously with a number of them being duplicates (looking at you Dante's Peak/Volcano and Deep Impact/Armageddon). Still, for me Twister ranks as one of the best but then again I may be biased.