Movie Review: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (PG – 122 minutes)

Jingle Jangle is a new Christmas movie that is streaming on Netflix.  It opens on a grandmother reading a story to her granddaughter who believes in magic and can see fairies in their fire, and to her grandson, who seems to be more of a realist.  As she tells the story, we follow along through vivacious live action and engaging animated sequences.

Jeronicus Jangle is a toy inventor living in Cobbleton. He lives with his wife and daughter Jessica and is waiting on a missing piece to make a new toy for all the children for Christmas.  He creates a tiny matador toy that comes to life and has a problem with Jeronicus’s desire to make millions of him. The matador whispers into the ear of Jeronicus’s assistant Gustafson – who is already feeling slighted and ignored – that he should take Jeronicus’s book of ideas and inventions.  Gustafson takes the book and leaves Jeronicus, eventually becoming the best-known toymaker as Jeronicus slowly loses everything: his business, his wife, and his desire to work.  Jessica eventually moves away and has her own daughter, Journey.

Journey is enamored with stories of her grandfather and wants to visit him. Eventually Jessica relents, and Journey goes to spend time with Jeronicus – in the process helping him defeat Gustafson and remember why he invented toys in the first place. 

The story is sweet and the movie is a visual feast. It is written and directed by playwright David E. Talbert (who also did the wonderful Almost Christmas) because he wanted an inclusive and representational family holiday film.  It does feel like a play and I will not be surprised if it gets adapted to a stage musical. The costumes were inspired by Frederick Douglass’s clothes on his visit to Victorian England and are absolutely Oscar-worthy as is the production and set design.  The music is also incredible with assistance from John Legend - and that’s coming from me – someone who does not generally like musicals.  This movie should become annual Christmas classic viewing.  There are a few plot holes here and there, but really it’s more about the visuals and music than story.  It’s good for the whole family, even though it can get very sad when Jeronicus is losing everything. Because it has such a happy ending, it balances out.  The cast is spectacular.

Justin Cornwell plays young Jeronicus and Forest Whitaker plays the older Jeronicus. Both do a wonderful job and each get a big time song moment. 

Miles Barrow plays young Gustafson and Keegan-Michael Key plays the older Gustafson. Key again manages to steal every scene he is in and is working to establish himself as a big-time song and dance man between this and The Prom. 

Anika Noni Rose plays Jessica and yes, gets a big song. Newcomer Madalen Mills plays Journey, a role model worthy of any little girl who prefers their STEM classes to any others. She is bright and inquisitive and clever, orchestrating not only the entire visit with her grandfather, but the escapades to help bring his latest toy to life.  She is fantastic.

Phylicia Rashad plays the grandmother reading the story, and is all at once magical and grounded.  Ricky Martin has some really fun moments as the Matador doll and true villain of the story.  Lisa Davina Phillip plays Ms. Johnston, who has a crush on Jeronicus that she has to be very obvious about in order to get him to notice.

Overall the movie is wonderful and certainly perfect holiday family viewing. Hooray for streaming – get the family in their new Christmas pajamas and watch Jingle Jangle on Netflix with that big tin of tri-flavored popcorn.

8 out of 10.

Movie Review: Ava (R - 96 Minutes)

 

In continuing to check out new streaming options, Ava dropped on Netflix this weekend. 

Ava is a recovering addict who is recently feeling less fulfilled by her job as international assassin.  She’s starting to chitchat with her targets just before offing them, something her bosses are finding annoying.  Her mentor and boss recommends she take some time off so she heads home to Boston to reconnect with her family after not seeing them for eight years.  Family squabbles and attempted assassinations ensue.

Ava had left eight years earlier after her father lied to her mother about an affair and deflected the accusation by shifting the situation to stating Ava had stolen money for drugs from her mother.  Upset that her mother took her father’s side over hers Ava immediately left, joined the army, got clean, and then was recruited by Duke, her mentor, into a high-level collection of assassins. Hearing that her father has passed is the reason she heads home, only to find her sister is now with her former fiancé and is now pregnant.  The former fiancé is back to gambling and her mother has mastered side shade and throws barely veiled insults her way constantly. Unable to explain to any of them exactly why she left, she instead feels guilty.  Of course, her company takes this opportunity to fire her and sends a hitman to ‘cancel’ her.

The movie is directed by Tate Taylor, who also did Ma, The Girl on the Train, Get on Up, and The Help.  The movie promises to be an action thriller but is actually a character study.  It is a tough balance, and I am not entirely sure this movie was successful.  The action sequences that are present are fantastic so I did find myself wanting even more of them.  The story is familiar (Peppermint, Columbiana, all the versions of La Femme Nikita, Alias, Long Kiss Goodnight, etc.) and needed a little something extra to rise above other ‘hitman with a conscious’ movies.

Jessica Chastain is certainly capable as Ava and does great in the hand to hand combat sequences. I also thought she was great in the family scenes as someone who has worked hard to be completely blank but is still affected by these people and their opinions of her. The blankness did make it hard to connect with the character - despite the massive amounts of external character development.  I thought she was good, but I couldn’t help myself from wondering what the movie would have been like with someone else in the role, or if she was less blank and more firey.  

John Malkovich plays Duke, Ava’s mentor, recruiter, and father figure.  He is genuinely only interested in doing what is best for Ava and ensuring she is okay, despite the fact that he is John Malkovich and so you continually wait for him to be the bad guy.

Colin Farrell is the actual bad guy, Duke’s other protégé named Simon.  He has worked his way to the top of the company and is the one who determines that Ava is too much of a loose cannon.  There’s an interesting aspect in his character where he keeps taking business meetings at his house during family gatherings and has recruited his oldest daughter, Camille, into the company as the next hired killer – I wanted a little more from that storyline. Also, I sometimes forget how watchable Farrell is and he’s particularly good as a creepy bad guy. 

Jess Weixler plays Ava’s sister Judy who is good but does not have a ton to do except for be angry at Ava for leaving eight years ago with no explanation and leaving her to deal with their mother’s bitterness and father’s death. Common plays Michael, Judy’s fiancé and Ava’s ex.  Again, not much for him to do but remind Ava of who she used to be and what she gave up. 

Geena Davis plays Bobbi, Ava’s mother and is exceptional as she throws little insults at Ava nearly constantly. She is especially good in the one scene where she and Ava play cards and clear the air.  Of course, because I just re-watched Long Kiss Goodnight last weekend, once I learned Geena Davis was playing her mother, this seemed like a natural setup for a Long Kiss Goodnight sequel. I mean, her daughter is an assassin – clearly the perfect vehicle for Charly Baltimore to step back into the game and eliminate some fools.  Oh well, I guess we have to keep waiting for that.

Ioan Gruffudd shows up as the character-establishing victim in the front of the movie and Joan Chen plays a crime boss to establish previous character for Ava. 

Overall, the movie is certainly entertaining.  Again – this is that weird situation where I was perfectly happy with it watching it at home on Netflix. If I had seen this in the theater, would I have liked it as much?

6 out of 10 – Also, it finishes a bit open-ended, I am curious if they have future plans with Ava.

 

Movie Review: Godmothered (PG – 110 minutes)

 

Godmothered is newly released on Disney+, and certainly worth a stream!

Eleanor is a young woman from the ‘Motherland’, where fairy godmothers are trained to assist young women by granting them ball gowns, kisses from princes, true love, and happily ever afters. Eleanor is loving her studies and assignments and while not excelling, is certainly enthusiastic.  The rest of the students are all older fairy godmothers who inform her that there has not been a request for assistance in years and that the motherland is in danger of shutting down.

Crushed that she may not become a fully-fledged fairy godmother, Eleanor finds one last request in the archive and with the assistance of her roommate Agnes, who is just the local DJ, not a student (what?), heads through to our world to track down young Mackenzie and help her find her prince.

Shortly after arriving and finding Mackenzie, Eleanor realizes that she is now an adult with kids of her own. After losing her husband, she is not warm to the idea of love and happily ever after.  Eleanor seems completely insane to everyone at first – she does turn their dog into a piglet and enlists a local raccoon for help with lights – but after spending time with each of the family members, she slowly gains their trust.  Hijinks ensue including sledding, tailgating, and parties with gowns. Eventually, the family helps Eleanor see that there is more to life than just princes and happily ever afters. 

The movie is directed by Sharon Maguire who did two Bridget Jones movies. It is exactly as charming and fluffy as you would expect from a Disney holiday family flick, but with an added element I did not expect.  After Eleanor’s interference, Mackenzie realizes she has been feeding her fears to her daughters instead of building them up and championing their hopes. It’s a really interesting take. Mackenzie also helps Eleanor realize that true love has many different forms, and that living happily may be better than focusing on happily ever after, and what a perfect message for this year!

Isla Fisher is perfectly cast as Mackenzie and seems mostly irritated with everyone and everything for the front half of the movie. As she slowly starts to realize what she has been doing to her family, she pivots to try to improve. 

Jillian Bell has been so good in so many things for a very long time and she shines here as Eleanor. She genuinely wants to help, but really just for her own ends. Her disappointment in herself as she realizes that fact is very well played.

June Squibb plays Agnes, and while she has very little to do, she is very fun. Jane Curtin plays Moira, the head of the motherland school who is determined to shut everything down. 

Overall the movie is certainly family friendly enough for a streaming evening at home. I did find myself asking questions about the motherland itself – how do those godmothers get there, and how long do they live, and could they just choose to come here and be regular folks? Why is there a school for them to be fairy godmothers if they are born fairy godmothers?  And how can Eleanor have an allergy to shellfish if she is a fairy godmother? It certainly seems like magical folks should not have allergies. None of that is important, so just shut off your brain and enjoy another fun holiday flick.

6 out of 10.  

Movie Review: Happiest Season (PG13 – 102 minutes)

 

Tis the season for charming Holiday rom-coms!  If you missed Last Christmas last year, you can catch that on HBO or as an Amazon Prime rental.  This year, there are literally dozens of rom-com options on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon that vary in quality from painful to watchable to enjoyable.  Happiest Season, currently available on Hulu, is certainly enjoyable.

Harper and Abby are enjoying the early part of their romance and moving steadily into the more serious portion. So serious in fact, that Abby has decided to propose to Harper over the holidays. After a particularly romantic evening involving a holiday light tour, a rooftop escapade, and a fall from said rooftop, Harper asks Abby to come home with her to spend the holidays with her family.  The only issue being that Harper’s family still does not know she is gay. Not only that, but her father is currently running for mayor and the family is looking to maintain a ‘traditionally perfect’ family image over the holidays to impress donors and voters. 

Despite that, Abby agrees to go home with her as her orphan roommate.  The various festivities start to get more complicated as Harper’s parents ensure her ex-boyfriend continues to encounter them at various functions and Abby gets to know Harper’s ex-girlfriend and sisters.  Hijinks ensue, and because it’s a rom-com, there are happy endings for all.

This movie is written and directed by Clea DuVall who wanted a rom-com that reflected her experience. The movie is smart, witty, and often downright hilarious. That is balanced completely with some genuinely touching and heartbreaking moments.  I have said it before and I will say it again, I never mind a rom-com that sticks to the formula and delivers on the happy ending in a satisfying way. The various circumstances while the couple tries to sneak around the house are very funny, and as with other classic rom-coms, it’s the support cast of friends and family that really shine.

Kristen Stewart plays Abby and this is by far the most relaxed and natural I have seen her in a movie. She gives Abby a warmth and genuineness layered with a desire to grow and evolve her relationship.  Mackenzie Davis plays Harper and the conflict in wanting to be her true self with Abby but also not let down her family while trying to meet their expectations is a difficult balance. I did find myself disliking her character at a couple of points, which probably speaks to how well she was doing.

Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber play Tipper and Ted, the parents. Tipper is learning how to manage the social media feeds as her husband courts large donors in his mayoral bid. Both are veterans and know exactly how to play nearly every beat of this story.

Alison Brie plays Harper’s perfect sister Sloane – we know she’s perfect because it is mentioned several times. Brie elevates this type of character and while you suspect there is more to her, it’s still a surprise when it happens. Mary Holland was the true standout to me as the younger sister Jane. Wildly exuberant and joyful while also being confident in her own path despite not really ever being shown any confidence from her family, she manages to be constantly funny and engaging.

Dan Levy plays John, Abby’s best friend, who shows up to rescue her when things start to veer wildly out of control. He is hilarious and gets some of the best scenes and lines, including one about hypothetically replacing a pet fish with an exact copy if something had maybe happened to the first fish.

Aubrey Plaza plays Harper’s ex, Riley.  She also manages to layer warmth and forgiveness in a role that could have been very one-note with a different actor.

Overall, the movie is charming, fun, and touching – exactly what you need in a holiday rom-com. Check it out while you open that holiday tin of the tri-color popcorn.

8 out of 10

Retro Movie Review: The Take (2016 - R – 92 minutes)

 The machine learning algorithms at Netflix suggested I would enjoy this movie, and what do you know – they were right!

The Take was originally meant to be titled Bastille Day and planned to be released in 2016. However, there was a terrorist attack on Bastille Day in Nice in 2016, so StudioCanal pulled the advertising and the movie did not as wide a release as originally planned.  The story revolves around a young pickpocket, Michael, who is scamming his way through Paris.  He picks up the bag of a woman who seems to be having a difficult evening and seeing nothing in the bag but a teddy bear, throws it away.  Unbeknownst to him, that bear was a bomb, and when it goes off in the trash, he becomes the main suspect in a carefully orchestrated scheme. American CIA agent Briar comes in to work with the local authorities to track him down and unravel the threads of the puzzle. 

The movie is directed by James Watkins and while it reveals the plot fairly early, manages to keep the tension intact. It is part heist flick, part chase movie, and part buddy-cop action-comedy.  I found myself wondering how Michael and Briar were going to get out of what seemed to be an ever-deepening hole as they slowly realized exactly what was going on.  The action is pretty good, including a foot chase across Paris rooftops that was shot on location and reminded me that neither of these gentlemen is David Belle from Banlieue 13. If you haven’t seen that, you should – it’s also on Netflix. Belle makes the rooftops look like a playground.  This movie makes them look dangerous.  What gave this movie an extra push of interest for me was the villains ability to manipulate public opinion and turn protesting crowds into weapons to accomplish his goal – scary and believable.

Richard Madden and Idris Elba play the two leads – both of which are American characters. I do not understand why they were not simply adjusted to both be British characters. They certainly did not need to be American, and while both of them do a passing American accent, why not simply let them use their own accents?  Madden did spend some time learning pickpocketing techniques and the practical nature of the action helped the story. Elba is fantastic and charismatic as always.  There does seem to be half a backstory introduced where he is in trouble with his superiors for something or other that is never really cleared up - but hey, it's not important for this story. 

Charlotte Le Bon plays Zoe, a woman caught in the web of the bad guys. She realizes her predicament and shifts to the good guy side, just in time since the bad guys decide she’s a loose end.

Kelly Reilly plays another American CIA agent, Karen Dacre. She’s also British, so why this movie didn’t just use MI6 is beyond me, but in any case, she’s there to try to keep Briar in line.

Overall, the movie is filled with practical action and an interesting, if not original, storyline. The leads are watchable and the entire piece entertaining.  Certainly worth a stream.

7 out of 10

Here’s the trailer for Banlieue 13. David Belle is the man who - if not invented, then certainly perfected - parkour (free-running).  It's from 2004 but set in the futuristic world of 2010.

 

There is also an American version from 2014 with Paul Walker as the cop and Belle reprising his role called Brick Mansions. It's also on Netflix, so you can have yourself a very parkour-heavy evening!

Movie Review: Enola Holmes (PG13 – 123 minutes)

 

My local theater has closed back down due to pandemic issues, so I am back to watching movies on various streaming services.  Enola Holmes was originally a Warner Brothers Theatrical release but sold to Netflix thanks to the ‘rona.

At this point, you’re familiar with Sherlock Holmes, master detective.  There have been several incarnations, most recently with Robert Downey Jr. playing him in a series of Guy Ritchie period pieces and Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller playing various modern-day incarnations. The original Sherlock was a 1887 literary character by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who had various consulting detective adventures over the course of several books. Enola Holmes is Sherlock and his older brother Mycroft’s much younger sister who debuted in a series of young adult books in 2006. 

In this movie, Enola is enjoying her upbringing with her eccentric mother, Eudoria. She is enjoying a very non-traditional Victorian upbringing as Eudoria teachers her everything, chess, jujitsu, drawing, reading, philosophy, etc.  On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Enola finds her mother has disappeared. After her brothers visit, Mycroft wants to send her to a finishing school and Sherlock refrains from an opinion.  Enola, determined to find her mother, escapes and encounters a young runaway lord. Their two capers become intertwined as Enola searches for answers.

The movie was directed by Harry Bradbeer and is very entertaining.  This is another interesting case where I wonder if I would have loved it as much if I saw it in the theater.  Streaming on Netflix, it was incredibly enjoyable.  The story is interesting as Enola tracks her mother through suffragette movements and policy changes in Victorian London. The action set pieces are fun and intense as she dodges hitmen and school headmistresses.  I also appreciate that Enola remains the lead, with Sherlock and Mycroft being supporting characters. 

Millie Bobby Brown feels incredibly natural as Enola Holmes. Charming and plucky, she is more than capable of carrying the movie without being overwhelmed by larger ‘names’ in supporting roles. I enjoyed that Enola was determined to see her quest through, regardless of those trying to stop her. Also, while I wasn’t sure about the fourth-wall breaking when Enola talks directly to the audience, by the end I found it very fun and engaging – it directly invites the audience into the movie.

Henry Cavill plays Sherlock, and while that is not who I would have cast (seriously, why is this not RDJ? There are too many Sherlocks running around now and due to the period piece setting, I do wish this was in the same realm, just wishful thinking…), he does a good job of seeing the potential in Enola as a detective and keeps his performance subtle and encouraging. Sam Claflin as Mycroft gets to play a little bigger as the overbearing and stodgy brother determined to turn Enola into a ‘proper’ lady. Claflin and Cavill seem to have a good time together and I am a little curious about their outtakes.

Helena Bonham Carter is the perfect choice for Eudoria and almost seems to no be acting, simply existing as a progressive Victorian woman working towards equality. I really appreciated the eventual understanding she and Enola come to when Enola realizes her mother is almost more focused on her cause than on her daughter.

Louis Partridge plays the young lord Tewkesbury who literally bumps into Enola when she is on the run and together they set off to each escape their own personal traps. Burn Gorman is the hitman on the trail of one of them or perhaps both of them.

Susan Wokoma plays Edith, a contact of Eudoria and one of Enola’s former teachers.  Fiona Shaw plays Miss Harrison, the leader of the finishing school.

Overall, the movie is a family-friendly entertaining flick that works for an evening in with your popcorn.

8 out of 10 – I would happily watch another one of these.  Now, can we just get Cavill cast as Bond and get that franchise to move on?

Movie Review: Hooking Up (R – 104 minutes)

 

My theater is open, but there are not any new releases that struck my fancy, so I checked out Hooking Up on Hulu. 

Hooking Up is a dramedy that covers the story of Darla and Bailey.  Darla is a sex addict recently justifiably fired from her job as a sex columnist at a magazine and attending required counseling sessions that are held in a local high school.  Bailey is recovering from testicular cancer and has just been diagnosed with a second round of it while attending cancer support counseling at the same high school. He’s recently separated from his high school sweetheart and handling that very poorly – to the point of stalking her.  Darla gets the idea from her sessions to revisit all the locations that she had sex. She convinces Bailey to go with her, and they set off on a road trip from Atlanta to Dallas, screwing in all her previous screwing locations. Hijinks sort of ensue.

The cast is great and they do a wonderful job with the roles they have. The chemistry between the two leads is wonderful and I would love to see some of the outtakes. The story is one of redemption and how these two characters who are at their respective rock bottoms help each other pull up to find new chances.  In a normal year, I may have had more patience for the movie, but I think I am craving lighter fare lately.  Both characters are so completely screwed up, it’s hard to like them. Yes, once we meet Darla’s mother, we understand where some of her issues come from.  However, she was so horrible in the beginning, for me that wasn’t enough to redeem her.  Once we meet Bailey’s family, we see why he felt so unsupported and was clingy with Liz, his ex. I would have preferred this movie either lean hard into the comedy, or completely commit to the drama. Walking the line between both is very difficult.

As I mentioned, the cast is great.  Brittany Snow plays Darla as unhinged and uncaring in the beginning.  She had convinced herself that her lifestyle was necessary for her job without really noticing the affect it was having on that job and her relationships. Through her adventures with Bailey, she learns to acknowledge and get help for her own issues, leading to the ability to heal.

Sam Richardson is a gem of a performer and gives Bailey such layered depression that the comic moments felt uncomfortable.  Eventually, he learns to stand up for himself, become who he wants to be as opposed to the demands of friends and family, and accepts that he can be more than just his cancer.

The rest of the cast is really just elevated cameos, which is good, because they support the story while letting Snow and Richardson earn the spotlight. Anna Akana as Liz gets the most to do, which is oscillate between angry and supportive-smothering. Amy Pietz plays Darla’s mother Betty, and Jordana Brewster plays her boss Tanya.  Vivica A. Fox pops in as Bailey’s mother.

Overall, the movie is well-executed and the performances are good. Again, the chemistry between Richardson and Snow is fantastic - they truly seem to be having fun. I didn’t care for the story, but if you enjoy a good dramedy with earned redemption from some tough-to-love folks, this will be right up your alley.

5 out of 10

Movie Review: Tenet (PG13 -150 minutes)

 

My local theater has reopened with a whole bunch of extra safety precautions in place and so I saw Tenet on the big screen. As much as I hate to admit it, Christopher Nolan was correct: Tenet should be seen in a theater.  I happened to be alone for my viewing and I found myself wishing the theater was more full.  It would have been interesting to watch this with a crowd – not complaining, that’s still not safe – just observing.

Tenet introduces us to The Protagonist as he works as an international spy. The movie begins with him helping stop a terrorist hostage situation in Moscow. While there, he witnesses something odd when being fired upon by the villains.  He doesn’t quite make it out, and just as he thinks he’s been killed, he’s actually rescued (but not before getting some teeth yanked out) and recruited for another top-secret mission with only the word “tenet” as his way in.  He travels from location to location, eventually learning that Russian Andrei Sator has some terrible plans for the world and a mysterious organization is working to stop those plans. 

Honestly, that’s about all I will say about it.  You definitely should see it.  It feels like a throwback to early Christopher Nolan work, most notably Memento, a movie that managed to run forwards and backwards. I don’t believe I am spoiling anything by mentioning that this movie has some forward and backward in it.  Not necessarily time travel, but time inversion. If you want to travel back 10 days, you need to reverse through 10 days.  Confusing, but also fascinating, and apparently based on some real entropy physics.  Nolan loves a non-linear story, and this one is linear with non-linear bits.  There are very few CGI effects for a movie with inverted time sequences. Nolan had the actors shoot scenes moving backwards to do as much practically as possible and I think it made a difference in the final product.  The action set pieces including a massive car chase and plane crashing into a hanger are all done practically.  The cast includes some Nolan regulars and some new additions.

John David Washington is exceptional as the lead of this movie and I am suddenly ready to hand him his own action franchise. He is calm, cool, collected, and manages to let almost nothing rattle him, even inverted bullets. He is absolutely a leading man and I cannot wait to see what he does next. Also – weird observation, I was really intrigued by his talent to hold an espresso cup and saucer in one hand.

Here’s something I never thought I would say, after watching this, I can understand how Robert Pattinson got the new Batman.  Don’t get me wrong, as much as I love Batman, I think the character deserves a bit of a rest, give us a few years to breathe before forcing another one at us (unless of course you make a Batman Beyond with an old Keaton-Wayne and JGL Mcginnis).  Pattinson is a slick assistant spy named Neil in this piece, seemingly prepared for almost any situation.  He is capable in the action sequences and even more with his partnership with the Protagonist.

Elizabeth Debicki and her incredibly long neck provide the female lead as Kat – a woman trapped in a relationship with Kenneth Branagh’s villainous Sator.  I hated her character at first, because the whole ‘trapped in marriage with this horrible man because they have a son’ is really tired. She manages to make it work and steps into her own by the end. 

I did not know that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was in this and it took me a few minutes to recognize him. He’s pretty great as the standard action guy leading a team that has been recruited by whatever mysterious benefactor and organization has recruited the Protagonist. Dimple Kapadia enters her first Western movie to play a arms-dealer/helpful friend who points our team in the right direction. And yes, since it’s a Nolan movie, Michael Caine pops up briefly.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I thought when I left the theater, but the more I think about the movie, the more I like it.  It’s not perfect and certainly uneven, and I figured out the who just before the reveal, which I don’t mind.  But the action is spectacular, the cast is great, and the story interesting.  It may be worth seeing a second time to catch all the little added bits I missed the first time around. For example, the color red indicates regular movement and blue indicates inverted movement.

8 out of 10 – and possible getting higher.

Side note, a Sator Square is a five by five square of different palindromes that when turned various ways, the words still read the same. Each word features in the movie Tenet in different places.  The earliest dated Sator Square was found in the ruins of Pompeii.

Movie Review: Bill & Ted Face the Music (PG13 – 91 minutes)

 

Bill and Ted debuted in 1989 with their Bogus Journey following up in 1991. The story was fairly straightforward: two slackers are visited by a man from the future who tells them they need to pass their history test because in the future their band will write a song that saves the world. If they fail the history test, Ted’s father will send him to military school, breaking up the band, thus depriving the world of the song.  Together, they use a time machine phone booth to travel through time, collecting historical folks to bring them forward to San Dimas, California to participate in their history report.

As insane as that sounds, the movie is plenty of silly fun with some scene-stealing turns from Genghis Khan, Billy the Kid, Socrates, Joan of Arc (who is not Noah’s wife), Sigmund Freud, Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln, and of course, Napoleon. The sequel followed the two as they got killed and had to beat Death at a series of games in order to come back and save their wives and existences. William Sadler’s Death steals every scene he’s in. 

Now, it’s 30 years later, Bill and Ted are middle aged with slacker teenage daughters and have still not written the song.  They are visited again from the future and informed if the song is not written by that evening, space time collapses into itself.  Having spent the last 30 years trying, Bill and Ted instead time hop to the future to check in with their future selves periodically to take the song after they’ve written it. In the meantime, their daughters go back in time to build the ultimate band to perform said song.

The movie is plenty of silly and really is bolstered by the perfect chemistry between Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves. They genuinely love each other, and that certainly comes across. Face the Music is directed by Dean Parisot, who also directed Galaxy Quest and RED 2 along with multiple TV episodes. The writers, Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon came up with this story nearly ten years ago. It has taken this long to get everything aligned perfectly.  It may not work on every level, but if you have a special place in your heart for the first one, this one feels like a warm hug.

Alex and Keanu have remained friends, helping each other out in various projects and in general hanging out.  The idea that Bill and Ted are still together, still struggling as a band, and live next door to one another makes sense – even to the point that they go to couples counseling together with their wives.  They are fun to watch together, and I enjoyed how much fun they are having playing different future versions of themselves.

Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine join as Thea and Billie – the daughters of the pair, they essentially do impressions of Bill and Ted from the first movie, which works just fine here. 

William Sadler again steals some scenes as Death and Kristen Schaal plays the daughter of Rufus who provides the guidelines of this adventure to the guys.

Erinn Hayes and Jayma Mays take over playing the princesses in this version, and while still in love with Bill and Ted, they are beginning to grow tired of the general lack of progress they’ve made.

Hal Landon Jr. returns as Chief Logan, Ted’s still angry dad and Amy Stock returns as Missy a character who started as Bill’s step mom, then became Ted’s stepmom and now in this one is marrying Beck Bennett’s Deacon, Ted’s little brother.  Kid Cudi shows up as Kid Cudi, which is very entertaining. 

The standout for me was Anthony Carrigan as Dennis Caleb McCoy.  At first I feared the character would be very irritating, but the more he said, the more I loved him, and he ended up being one of my favorite parts of the flick.

Overall, the movie is not perfect, but it is plenty of silly fun, which honestly – we all need right now.  I do wish there was a little more of the girls pulling famous musicians from history. They only grab a couple and they don’t get a ton to do. To better parallel the original, I do wish those musicians had at least one scene showing them interacting and getting to know one another. As it is, I do enjoy the bits of Jimi Hendrix and Louis Armstrong and Mozart, I just want more.

6 out of 10 – not totally excellent, but certainly not bogus.