Star Trek Beyond

Director Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond gets off to a slow start, making me wonder when the drama, if not action, was going to begin.  But, once the action began, I kept wondering what the hell was going on.  Who was doing what to whom and why?

The Enterprise was put through impossible feats and I kept wondering what it could possibly be made of?   But, then, alas, it proved vulnerable.

The respite from all the incomprehensible action was the appearance of Jaylah (Sofia Boutella, the blade runner from Kingsman: The Secret Service).  She brought life to the film and made it worth watching.

When Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) was wasting time by being stupid in talking instead of acting against the nemesis Krall (Idris Elba) in the climactic battle, I began to marvel on the wonderful job the Casting Directors Miranda Davidson, April Webster and Aylssa Weisberg had done in matching the look of the entire Star Trek crew to the original players on the TV show.  

Then, however, Spock (Zachary Quinto) finds a photo of the original players and I was whisked back into incomprehensibility, wondering if  the current crew members were supposed to be clones of the past?  I  could accept that Spock looked like his father, but everyone!?

I can only give this head rush a 3.3 out of 5.

Ghostbusters

Despite all the controversy surrounding Writer/Director Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters, I found it mostly a lot of fun.  Co-Writer Katie Dippold’s contribution to the banter of the female team of ghost hunters and Melissa McCarthy’s exhuberance moved the story along briskly and joyfully.

Surprisingly, however, is the weakness of the climactic battle to save New York.  The turn to cinematic effects and awkward staging of the action actually stalls the energy that had been building rather than enhances it.

 

Instead of a dynamic experience, this was simply a pleasant diversion. And that is not the fault of McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.

I give Ghostbusters a 3.4 out of 5.

Café Society

Erratic is how I describe Writer/Director Woody Allen’s Café Society. It has many wonderful aspects, yet it is not consistently on course.

First the wonderful things…

Kristen Stewart is at her very best to date.  She began to actually show her acting talent Clouds of Sils Maria and, now, really blossoms here.  Allen knows how to bring out the best in his talent.

 

Parker Posey and Corey Stoll are, also, at their very best. 

The incomprable Santo Loquasto’s production design is luscious and wonderful, Suzy Benzinger’s costumes are ultra-fabulous and Stewart Lerman handles the music lovingly.

Blake Lively must also be noted.  In a sense, she’s been miscast.  Why?  Because she’s the most beautiful woman on the screen.  And, probably knowing it, she, brilliantly, plays here character down, allowing Jessie Eisenberg’s character to pine for Stewart’s character,  when he already has the best of the best.  But, I guess that’s why we have horse races. And, perhaps, that’s Woody’s point.  Still, why anyone would choose…. I’ll let it go.

Now, here’s the erratic turn…

Jessie Eisenberg can be brilliant as in the Now You See Me films, but, here, while he is excellent in the Hollywood portion of the film, he seems miscast in the New York portion by staying too boyish. 

 

The two initial problems at the outset are, first, the fact that, while the Hollywood big shot (Steve Carrel) keeps his nephew waiting days for an interview, the audience is kept waiting for the film to begin and, second, though the nephew supposedly falls in love with Stewart’s character at first sight, there is no shot of that first sight and I wasn’t even aware that the big shot’s secretary was Stewart until a few scenes later.  (But, maybe that’s a testament to how good she was.)  Still…

Allen has a particular dark view of human nature to which he is entitled.   However, although this film makes one think, I just wish it could have been a little more uplifting and a little less choppy. 

Nevertheless, I give Café Society a 3.9 out of 5.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Writer/Director Taika Waititi’s Hunt For the Wilderpeople is one of those cinematic treasures that come along, occasionally, and restores one’s faith in life and independent film, as well.

This is the story of Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), who is put into a foster home with a loving Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and her reluctant husband Hector (Sam Neill) near the New Zealand bush country. 

 

This is a “last chance” for the ornery Ricky, who will be sent to juvenile lockup, if this situation doesn’t work out. 

Bella’s kindness wins Ricky over, but, when her untimely death puts Ricky in jeopardy of being cast into lockup, the young boy treks into the bush country to escape.  Hector follows after, but a series of mishaps make the officials suspect the boy may been kidnapped, a chase ensues that develops into a media circus.

If you’ve seen Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom a few years ago, you will love and appreciate this film.  It has the same style and feel of that movie and even when the duo were faced with the most harrowing aspects of their journey, I had a big smile on my face because it is just so damn charming.

I give Hunt For the Wilderpeople a 4.7 out of 5.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Director Jake Szymanski’s Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is a pleasant surprise, considering it has the same writing team of Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O’Brien, who scripted the awful Neighbors 1 & 2.

Here, Zac Efron and Adam Devine play rowdy brothers, who have ruined ever family event for ages and face a demand to bring respectable dates to their sister’s (Sugar Lyn Beard) wedding in Hawaii.

The boys’ effort gets media attention and two “bad” girls played by Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza pretend respectability to get picked for, to them, a needed vacation.  Obviously, mayhem ensues.  And, for the most part, it’s a lot of fun, mainly because Kendrick is playing against type and Beard is so darn sweet that even Devine’s somewhat over-the-top antics and mugging can’t ruin it.

I give Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates a 3.6 out of 5.