Review: Prey (2022)

Prey  (2022)
R ‧ Scifi/Action – 1 hour 39 Minutes


Written by Patrick Aison

Directed by ‎Dan Trachtenberg

THE CAST

  • Amber Midthunder as Naru, a young Comanche warrior who protects her tribe against a Predator
  • Dakota Beavers as Taabe
  • Dane DiLiegro as the Predator
  • Stormee Kipp
  • Michelle Thrush
  • Julian Black Antelope

THE STORY

(In their own words) In the Comanche Nation in 1717, a fierce and highly skilled warrior named Naru learns the prey she is stalking is a highly evolved alien with a technologically advanced arsenal

(L-R): Amber Midthunder as Naru and Dane DeLiegro as the Predator in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. It’s a really cool addition to the franchise. Love the setting in the Native American world. 
  2. They are releasing the film in a full Comanche language dubbing. This is the first time ever for a feature film. 
  3. Love seeing an action film with a really strong female lead. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The special effects of a bear are really bad. For a movie with this kind of budget….come on. Really?
  2. The lack of consistency with using Native American language and “English” and accent or no accent.  
  3. Unlike the original, there doesn’t seem to be much of a deeper underlying message to the film. It’s just there for fun. 
Amber Midthunder as Naru in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

THE REVIEW

I will admit, I rolled my eyes when I heard they were coming out with a fifth installment of the Predator franchise called Prey. Like, haven’t we mined this franchise for enough material yet? However, once I learned about the premise I became intrigued.  This installment is technically a prequel to the others, set long ago in Native American land in 1717. From the trailer it was unclear if the Predator was the one hunting the members of the Comanche Nation or if it was the other way around. Which actually is kind of an accurate question even during the film. 

The story centers around a young female warrior, Naru (Amber Midthunder)  who’s trying to earn the respect of her fellow tribemates, when suddenly The Predator shows up.  Seemingly, the Predator seems like he’s just there to find prey to hunt. To her, it’s a sign from the gods that she’s ready to be a hunter and she’s ready to capture him. But things don’t go as easily as she hoped. 

Midhunter does a wonderful job in the lead role, showing herself to be a formidable opponent of the predator and someone who deserves the respect of it and her peers. 

At this point, the success of the film and to an extent. really comes down to whether the story they tell with the Predator is a good one. We aren’t expecting surprises, we know what the Predator’s people can do…so it is really about did they come up with a good story and execute it well. I feel like they did on both counts.

The film was full of captivating drama and action, it gave us enough of a sense to not really know how it would end throughout. We didn’t know how these folks with less technology would stand a chance against the predator. 

Dane DiLiegro as the Predator in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

I enjoyed this film a lot. I’m not entirely in love with it, but it is probably the best entry into the Predator franchise since the original. I really enjoyed seeing the intersection of scifi/fantasy and the old technology living of the Comanche Nation. 

This is a great popcorn film. 

THE LESSON

Never underestimate your opponent. 

If you won’t fight back, you may not be worth it.

THE FINAL WORD

The fifth installment of the Predator franchise is probably the best one in decades. Intense, action packed, and a creative 1717 Comanche Nation setting.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Prey gets a Like It

WHERE TO WATCH

Prey will be streaming on Hulu in the U.S. on Friday, August 5.

THE TRAILER

Review: Gone In The Night

Gone In The Night (2022)
Rating ‧ Thriller/Mystery‧ 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Written by Matthew Derby and Eli Horowitz

Directed by ‎Eli Horowitz

THE CAST

Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney, Dustin Ingram, John Gallagher Jr., And Brianne Tju

THE STORY

(In their own words) Upon arriving at a remote cabin for a getaway, a woman and her boyfriend discover another couple already staying there. They decide to share the rental for the night, but the boyfriend’s disappearance sparks a race for answers.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Winona Ryder – I will really watch anything she does. She definitely delivers and carries the film. Her performance is so nuanced, like early on in the film she does little things in the rearview mirror, subtle looks that later end up being very important.
  2. Editing – The way they edited the film in a non-linear framework really made the mystery compelling. They also really tightly edited the film, it was nice and short and didn’t have extra fluff in the film. Kept the story direct and focused.
  3. The suspense – The film is certainly suspenseful. Director Eli Horowitz definitely hit the tone of the film well. The first half of the film is especially intriguing.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The main premise, the inciting incident of Kath (Winona Ryder) agreeing to stay overnight with a couple strangers was just kind of preposterous. I had a hard time getting over the fact that I didn’t believe she would be willing to stay. And then so easily accept the explanation for why her boyfriend disappears…fundamental foundation problems.
  2. Predictability – The mystery didn’t take too long to start figuring out that something else happened than initially presented and we get a good guess on where it’s going. I can’t say I had a prediction for the end of the film, but with a smaller cast you know too quick who all the players will be.
  3. The third act – The third act of the film is a bit of a head scratcher. Bizarre and possibly unearned. The film deserved better than the ending that we get. 

THE REVIEW

The film feels like a late night movie you catch repeating on HBO a bunch so you finally watch it and wonder…”I thought Winona was doing pretty well at this point in her career, I wonder why she did this film. “ Winona Ryder is certainly the draw to the film and her acting is quite wonderful and nuanced…she didn’t need to do this film, but the film definitely needed her.  She really does a wonderful job in the film. She is the source of making every seen engaging, mysterious, and you want her to solve the mystery. The film simply wouldn’t have worked without her cast in the film. 

That being said, the rest of the cast does a really good job in their respective roles. Brianne Tju has a really interesting quality to her that brings an air of mystery. You always get the sense that there’s something she isn’t saying. She certainly has that “it” factor. 

What the film does well is tone. It does a really good job of creating an intriguing atmosphere that while watching, you can somewhat go along with the story. But it’s one of those films that the more you think about it, the film starts to unravel. 

THE LESSON

Learn to be okay within your own skin.

THE FINAL WORD

Winona Ryder is outstanding in this mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat for the first half of the film and then scratching your head for the last third. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Gone In The Night gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER

Review: Bullet Train

Bullet Train  (2022)
R  ‧  Action Comedy Thriller ‧ 2  Hour 6 Minutes

Directed by ‎David Leitch

Screenplay by Zak Olkewicz. Based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle (published in English as Bullet Train) by Kōtarō Isaka.

THE CAST

Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Five assassins find themselves on a fast moving bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with only a few stops in between. They discover their missions are not unrelated to each other.

THE BEST
Three BEST things about the film

  1. The story – Very compelling story and I really like the way it was presented. 
  2. The comedy – really funny film. Impeccable comedy and funny characters. 
  3. Brad Pitt – Such an enjoyable performance. You could tell he was having fun with the role so it was fun for us to watch. He plays an  “Assassin” who is trying to change himself and not kill people anymore. He’s been doing a lot of therapy and  he just wants to do “grab and go” jobs now. He also thinks he is bad luck now, because people around him tend to die, even if they aren’t connected to the job he’s doing. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Honestly, I don’t have many complaints about this film. My major issue is probably that we somehow filled this Japanese story set in Japan with a bunch of people who aren’t Japanese. I’m nearly positive that in the original book, they weren’t a bunch of American and British people in the story. However, there is also something to be said that this film likely wouldn’t have gotten viewed by many if it didn’t have a big star attached to it like Brad Pitt. Further, to a degree the race of the people doesn’t matter. It’s not like they cast white people in roles that really relied on being part of Japanese culture.
  2. Violence. There’s a lot of violence in the film. If you are shy to violence, this may not be for you. Much of it is done in a comical way, but it’s still there. Is it gorey? Not exactly, but there is a level of exaggeration. Not as bad as The Kingsmen or Kill Bill, but there is a level of it that you have to be able to deal with. 
  3. I love Sandra Bullock and was looking forward to some Sandra Bullock physical comedy, however that’s not the role she has for this. She serves mostly as a voice actor for this film.

THE REVIEW

Bullet Train is a high speed adventure with surprisingly well rounded characters. In this kind of

action film, you don’t expect the arch of the film to take you through so much character building. We end up with some really fleshed out characters that make you root for them throughout. 

The film is an exaggeration. That’s the “world of the play.” When looking and examining a film like this you can’t judge the action sequences by the terms of a realistic drama, you have to look at the world that is created for the audience. Does the movie stay within the laws and world framework that they establish early on. While Bullet Train is in an absurd world.
It is in a world of exaggerated violence, characters, and therefore it is not a stretch when the world of physics get pushed to their max, and beyond. There are people who will judge this film based on how realistic it is and that simply isn’t fair.  If the film breaks its rules it has established, it is jarring and the audience can feel it, that never happens in the film. 

Bullet Train is my kind of action film. It is smartly written, full of comedy, suspenseful all the way until the end, and has some hidden lessons. In this film it comes from Brad Pitt’s character, Ladybug, who is  about teaching yourself to have a good mindset. 

To me, the film is less of a “who dunnit, and more of a “who DIDN’T do it.” It is full of twists and callbacks to earlier actions, people, and items, so you really have to pay attention during the film. 

Bullet Train is easily one of my favorite action films of the year. 

THE LESSON

Thomas The Train can really teach you to know people.

THE FINAL WORD

Bullet Train is funny, suspenseful, and full of exaggerated displays of violence. One of Brad Pitt’s most entertaining roles in quite a while. Bullet Train is a fun ride that doesn’t disappoint.  One of my favorite action films of the year. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Bullet Train gets a Love It. 

THE TRAILER

Review: DC League of Super-pets

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
PG ‧ Animated Action Adventure ‧ 106 minutes


Written by John Whittington

Directed by ‎Jared Stern

THE CAST

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. Humor, lots of animated physical comedy. I watched it with two of my kids, one six and one four, and they both laughed a lot during it.  Especially in the first 20 minutes. 
  2. There are some touching moments such as when Krpyto (Dwayne Johnson) and Ace (Kevin Hart) connect over Ace’s traumatic moment that led to him being sent to a rescue.
  3. Really nice family friendly superhero story you can bring kids to so they can enjoy super-heroes in the theater.  
  4. Fun characters. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. As much as it’s being advertised as a buddy comedy between Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, We know since it is an animated film, we know that they record their voices separately. You aren’t going to feel this chemistry between them.  That is marketing. For some reason, this film more than others you don’t get a sense of chemistry between characters. And I’m honestly not sure why I get that feeling. 
  2. There’s not a lot memorable about the film.  
  3. I find animated films a bit hard to connect with overall, but this one truly didn’t spend the time in making a strong connection and relatability with the audience.

THE REVIEW

I wanted to like this. I really did. I’m a big DC fanboy. I like a lot of the films in the DC universe that most people don’t. It was lighthearted, but unmemorable. It had some fun characters like the evil bald guinea pig hellbent on world domination, but we really don’t care enough about them to emotionally invest. The main protagonist Krypto, played by the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, somehow wasn’t very likable. And I love Dwayne John. Too bad dogs can’t do the People’s Eyebrow. 

I did laugh out loud a few times with my kids. I will admit that. But 90% of my enjoyment of the film was based on their reaction. It’s a kid’s cartoon. Which is okay. I get a lot of enjoyment watching my kid’s enjoy movies. I hope this spurns a love of movies for them. 

THE LESSON

Love isn’t about spending every moment together, but rather what you would do for the person you love. 

THE FINAL WORD

A less than memorable animated film that may be better suited for a night out with kids. Yet, still better than Justice League. Maybe the grown up superhero films need more pets. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I give this a Lose It for Adults but A Like It for children. 

THE TRAILER

Review: Thor: Love And Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder  (2022)
PG-13 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2 Hours 5 Minutes


Written by Taika Waititi(story by) Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Directed by ‎ Taika Waititi

THE CAST

Chris Hemsworth; Christian Bale; Tessa Thompson; Jaimie Alexander; Taika Waititi; Russell Crowe; Natalie Portman.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Thor embarks on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced — a quest for inner peace. However, his retirement gets interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods.

THE BEST

(L-R): Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.


BEST things about the film

  1. The Direction- It is probably the first Marvel movie with such a distinct voice of the director. This is no doubt a taika Waititi film. It is quirky and funny and takes unexpected approaches to the situation.
  2. Special Effects – Excellent special effects that’s becoming par for the course for Marvel films.
  3. The comedy – This is a very fun film. It really leans into comedy, which director Taika Waititi.
  4. Story – The story has a huge level of magnitude and will have huge impact on the future MCU. I think I now know what the direction of Phase 4 is, especially after the two post-credit scenes.
  5. Christian Bale – Holy moly. I totally forgot he was in the film and I didn’t realize that was him until the film ended and I saw the credits. Incredible transformation as an actor

THE WORST

WORST things about the Film

  1. Lack of relatability – This film deals with a lot of “Gods.” Similar to The Eternals, we are starting to deal with less “grounded” characters that we can relate to. Which makes it tough to really feel relatable.
  2. Jane -You know from the previews that Jane somehow gets the power of Thor in this film. I was super excited about this, but it kind of hurt the film by making everyone super powered. Suddenly, we don’t have our relatable character to side with. Jane needed John, someone to look after that would be more vulnerable.
  3. Villain – We hear a lot about the villain, but don’t get to see a lot.  I don’t feel like they properly built up the big bad for this film. He was there, present, but I didn’t have a strong feeling of caring. Without a good villain, we just don’t care if the hero wins. The origin of him they showed was fantastic, but we needed to see him as the villain longer before we intro’d the heroes to fight him. 
Christian Bale as Gorr in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

THE REVIEW

This will probably be the most polarizing marvels film we’ve had yet.  In fact, I could see this movie being as polarizing as the Star Wars film The Last Jedi.  Some people will love Thor Love & Thunder for its quirky, offbeat filmmaking style, it’s continuous use of comedy throughout, the stretching of the established characters’ personalities, and the unexpected direction this film goes with its story.  Others will hate the film for the exact same reasons. 

My daughter watched the press screening with me and she said it didn’t feel like a Marvel movie to her.  And I get that.  It is the first Marvel film I can remember that feels distinctly different because of the director & writer’s style. Most of Disney’s Marvel movies director’s point of view gets generalized by the powers that be.  They don’t want anything to be too unpredictable, that’s why so many Marvel movies feel the same. For this one they clearly let director Taika Waititi have free reign.  

THE LESSON

Love, above all else.

(L-R): Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

THE FINAL WORD

Thor: Love and Thunder is a mixed bag. It’s got a lot of elements I really, really liked. It had big shoes to fill after Thor: Ragnorok, and I think it might fall short of expectations in that regard. However, it is still a quirky, fun Marvel film. You haven’t seen anything like this yet. Don’t think too hard and enjoy the action and story. This film is setting up the next big phase of the MCU, so don’t miss out on it. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Thor: Love and Thunder gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review: Cha Cha Real Smooth

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
R ‧ Comedy/Drama ‧1 Hour 47 Minutes


Written by Cooper Raiff

Directed by ‎Cooper Raiff

THE CAST

Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett, and Leslie Mann

THE STORY

(In their own words) A man who works as a bar mitzvah party host strikes up a unique friendship with a young woman and her teenage daughter.

THE REAL STORY

A young man who can’t help falling in too quickly gets caught up being a nice guy to a (slightly) older woman and tests his own boundaries and hers in this “coming of love” story. 

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

  1. The Direction – this is really hard to describe to people who haven’t worked on making a film, if the film isn’t stylized toward a particular director like Wes Anderson or unless the director is really known for things like making giant explosion films like Michael Bay.  Sometimes excellent directing is just because the director really knows how to work with a wonderful script and knows how to create the gorgeous moments between actors. That’s what this film does. Some of the best moments in the film happen between the lines. The silences in this film are incredibly rewarding. This film’s moments are handled with incredible care. There’s a delicate touch to the film as it is guided.  The director, who was also the star, really understands how to craft a story and how to draw the viewer into the scene without visually trickery.  
  1. The writing – It’s just so damn well written.  It’s the kind of film that I watch as a filmmaker and go “why can’t I do this.” I’m simultaneously jealous and inspired and in awe. It’s not a complex story but it tells a lot.  I almost would calling it a coming of age story, but the lead is too old for that. So I call it a “coming of love” story.  This film reminds me of the saying “do a simple story, really well.” Accomplished.   Also, it has so many great lines that I’ll be quoting for years. 
  2. The pacing – I know the film is paced really well and incredibly tight because I was shocked to discover the runtime was an hour forty-five. It flew by.
  3. Dakota Johnson – Her performance was so nuanced, subtle and strong in this film. Mark my words, she is going to get a bunch of nominations at the end of the year for best actress at awards shows. As a testament to her acting, her character was crossing some lines that I really felt she shouldn’t and would normally upset me,  but she managed to drum up so much empathy, I could let it go. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Acting – I don’t have a lot of bad things to say about. the film, there are few weeks spots. I will say that when I found out the star of it, Cooper Raiff was also the director, I wasn’t surprised. I did unfortunately feel like he had the weakest performance in the film. He relied too much on constantly smiling as a reaction to everything.  Maybe this was a choice, but I kept thinking “that’s an odd choice. Why is he still smiling like that?”  I don’t think choices should be distracting.
  2. Apple Streaming – This isn’t really a fault of the film but rather of Apple TV+. They list the film as a comedy, in reality it is definitely more of a drama/comedy. Calling this a comedy was a little misleading for what I was expecting, though perhaps it did get me ready to laugh, which it did at times, but it is at very least a mixed genre film.

THE LESSON

Love is hard. 

Finding your soulmate doesn’t mean it will be easy. 

THE FINAL WORD

Cha Cha Smooth is funny, charming, and exceptionally directed film. It’s the kind of film that I love; one that focuses on a good story and acting. It examines flawed characters and gives us a better insight into what it is to be human. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I give Cha Cha Real Smooth a Love It. 

WHERE TO WATCH

Cha Cha Real Smooth is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review: Elvis

Elvis  (2022)
PG-13 ‧ Musical/Drama ‧ 2 hours 39 Minutes

Written by Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner

Directed by ‎Baz Luhrmann

THE CAST

 Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Olivia DeJonge, Luke Bracey, Natasha Bassett, David Wenham, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Samuel, and Kodi Smit-McPhee

THE STORY

(In their own words) Elvis Presley rises to fame in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. Loved that this is one of the first films to really show how much Black music influenced Elvis by him growing up in the culture. 
  2. This first ½ of the film is filmmaking at its best.
  3. Tom Hanks is brilliant in his role as Colonel Tom Parker. Hanks has this amazing ability to draw us in to watch him in a film and then let us forget that it is him. 
  4. Cinematography is fantastic in this, the editing is wonderful. It really does a great job telling this story.
  5. Despite having seen a lot of films about Elvis, I feel like this film actually showed us a new story. 
  6. The pacing is great. It’s a long film but it  didn’t feel like it. 
  7. The music. You have to like the Elvis music style a little bit to enjoy this. But even outside of his singing there is a lot of rhythm and blues music, showing us what Elvis was influenced by. 
  8. It actually made me care about Elvis again, which I didn’t think would happen since I was twelve years old. 
  9. Austin Butler’s performance is an amazing impersonation of Elvis.
  10. This film finally got me to understand why girls went crazy for Elvis. The cinematography really created this understanding. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. It really glosses over some really bad stuff about Elvis – like how old Priscilla was when he married her, and his cheating on her while on the road.
  2. Some of the music choices, like including rap during his walking around the Black neighborhoods, didn’t work for me because they didn’t continue throughout.
  3. It suffers a typical problem of biopics, this film struggles in the third act trying to include his whole life. It would work better to just be a section of his life. 
  4. At no point did the film seem relevant to today. I kept asking, why this film? Why now? I really didn’t need this. 
  5. The music wasn’t that memorable and I would expect the Moulin Rouge director to do better with a piece like this.

THE LESSON

It doesn’t matter what you accomplish, if you are unhappy with yourself, you’ll never feel like you’ve done anything.

THE FINAL WORD

The first ½ of the film is worth the ticket price. This is an interesting take on Elvis but not one that feels especially poignant for today. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Elvis gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER



THE REVIEWER

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

REVIEW: GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE
R, Comedy/Drama, 1h 37m

Written by Katy Brand
Directed by Sophie Brand

THE CAST

Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack

THE STORY

(In their own words) Nancy Stokes, a 55-year-old widow, is yearning for some adventure, human connection, and some sex–some good sex.

Daryl McCormack and Emma Thompson in the film GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

THE BEST
Three BEST things about the film

  1. The writing – Excellent dialogue. Usually when it is this good it started off as a play or something. But it wasn’t. Also the setting is very minimal, most of it just being two people in a room. Felt so much like a play, that’s good writing. 
  2. The bravery – Emma Thompson commits some huge acts of bravery in this film for what she’s willing to bare for the part. Hollywood is not kind to women over 50. She is raw, and brave and takes some huge chances she didn’t have to in order to  make this film happen. Fearless. I wish I could be as brave as her. 
  3. The acting – The acting in this film is delightful. Both actors. It’s everything that I love about acting and watching actors worth. The back and forth, the pinches and ouches, action and reaction. This is a master’s class in acting. Just delightful. 

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Film

  1. For a film it isn’t super dynamic. It’s almost all in one location. Is this the best medium for the story?
  2. The film may have limited appeal for audiences. Not sure how many young people are able to connect to Emma Thompson’s character. 
  3. By nature of the way it was done, subplots that were created can’t really get resolved. 

THE REVIEW

After recently seeing film after film of huge casts in giant Hollywood blockbusters,Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a breath of fresh air. Getting the opportunity to watch two exquisite acting performances by Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack is a welcome palette cleanser. 

This film is very honest, raw, brave, and pretty sexy. It’s a film about exploring sexuality and sensuality. It’s about coming to terms with parts of life you missed and deciding it isn’t too late to explore them. 

Nancy Stokes hires an escort so that she can enjoy sex with a younger man. Mostly so she can experience something she never experienced in her life long marriage; sexual pleasure. Her deceased husband was the only lover she ever had in her life, and sex was a bit utilitarian. 

Her escort, the dashing Leo Grande, teaches her to open up, both sexually and about her life. 

The film is broken into four different acts with three of them being in the same location, with just the two of them on screen. This gives us a rare treat in film these days; the exploration of characters through dialogue. Emma and Daryl both have wonderful chemistry with each other. The dialogue runs smooth and unforced, the scenes make sense from beat to beat, and we get to see monologues. Monologues in modern cinema are so rare when the film is not based off of a play or novel, it was so great to see that there are still screenwriters who know how to write them. I was just really impressed by the writing of the film. 

And with that, you really have to give huge props to the director, Sophie Hyde. Making an interesting feature length film with mostly two actors is not an easy task. She hit all the moments nicely, created really nice builds, and kept the pacing perfect. This might be the best direction I’ve seen in a film this year. 

This film is going to be streaming on Hulu and I really do feel like this will be a trophy piece film for them. If they can find more films like this, it could get known as a place to watch films with terrific performances. 

Daryl McCormack and Emma Thompson in the film GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

THE LESSON

It’s never too late to learn to enjoy yourself. 

Pleasure isn’t something to be ashamed of.

THE FINAL WORD

An acting triumph. Excellent writing and wonderful performances make this a much watch for people who love acting. Be prepared to take a cold shower after. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande gets a strong Like It

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review: Lightyear

Lightyear  (2022)
PG ‧ Animated Adventure ‧ 1 hour 45 minutes


Written by Jason Headley, Angus MacLane

Directed by ‎Angus MacLane

THE CAST

Chris Evans, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Keke Palmer, Efren Ramirez, Peter Sohn, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

THE STORY

(In their own words) From Disney and Pixar comes an animated sci-fi action-adventure — the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy. “Lightyear” follows the legendary space ranger on an intergalactic adventure alongside ambitious recruits, Izzy, Mo and Darby, and his robot companion Sox. As this motley crew embark on their toughest mission yet, they must learn to work as a team to escape the evil Zurg and his dutiful robot army who are never far behind.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Comedy – It’s a pretty funny film.
  2. The Premise – We are watching the movie that the Buzzlight year action figure was based off of. This is a brilliant rounding out of Toy Story Universe.
  3. The Easter Eggs – The film is absolutely filled with little easter egg nods to past scifi films. 
  4. The inclusiveness of the film. Wonderful amount of diversity and representation and I believe this contains Pixar’s first openly LGBTQ+ character that is human. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Time travel stories always have problems. You have to just nod and go along with it. 
  2. Buzz DID NOTHING WRONG – The premise of the story is built on the idea that Buzz made a mistake. But he doesn’t really. He feels guilt but not for a good reason and nobody tries to counter him. 
  3. Dropped plot of the third new Ranger. I wanted some resolution to that. 

THE REVIEW

I’m going to be honest, I was a skeptic. I almost didn’t even go to see this screening because I thought, “Why on Earth do I need to see a Lightyear spin off? The Buzz Lightyear origin story? What is that supposed to be? But I thought if I could find a friend I hadn’t seen in a while to go watch with me, it would be a good excuse to see them and I’ll give it a chance.

THANK GOODNESS I WENT!

I am shocked how much I enjoyed this film. I said it before and I’ll say it again – This is the Toy Story tale that I didn’t know I needed.

The premise is this: In 1996 Andy (from the Toy Story film) is given a Buzz Lightyear action figure based on a character from a movie. This is that movie.

Wait…What? It’s a movie?! It’s not some weird origin story, we get to see the movie that excited Andy so much that he neglected his longtime favorite toy Woody.

The film we see is basically the story of the Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear who is traveling with a group of scientists to a new colony when the discovery of an uncharted planet makes them go off course to investigate. While Buzz and his fellow Rangers are checking out the planet, they discover it’s a hostile planet and attempt to leave, during their emergency exit, an accident happens and they are trapped on the planet. They begin to colonize the planet while building a new “hyperspeed” engine, which Buzz is the test pilot for. The problem is, everytime he takes it out for a test, four of his minutes pass by while on the planet, 4 years pass by. All of Buzz’s friends are growing older while he keeps trying to get the new engine working correctly. The question becomes, will Buzz be able to find them a way off the planet before everyone he knows is still alive?

While the role of Buzz Lightyear has been played in the past by Tim Allen, this version is voiced by Chris Evans. Though while writing this review, it’s really hard to get Tim Allen’s voice out of my head. Evan does a fine job taking the voice over.

Lightyear is a delightful and funny story. Sold animation again by the folks at Pixar. They did a great job with this film. They managed to make the character of Buzz more likable than he ever has been in the past.  We get a new adorable side kick in the robot cat, Sox. This is a cat that will be talked about for a long, long time. Cause unlike a lot of side kicks, this one is original and acts in surprising manners. 

They also present a same-sex relationship and marriage, between two human characters, which is a great advancement since last time they did that directly was in Pixar and they weren’t human. 

I was really drawn to the messages about how important teamwork is to the success of any goal. But ultimately Lightyear is about coming to terms with past mistakes. It reminds us that the past should be left in the past because dwelling on it makes us lose sight of what’s important and straight up miss the life that is happening. 

This is definitely a rewatchable film. Sprinkled throughout the film are obvious nods to past scifi films and television, from Star Trek to Aliens, you will find lot of visual nods.   This is a film made with love and care not just to Buzz Lightyear, but to scifi in general. It may not advance the genre but it has an amazing time playing in the sandbox. 

To infinity and beyond!

THE LESSON

Living with regret will make you miss out on life.

THE FINAL WORD

This is the Toy Story film I didn’t know I needed. And I did, I absolutely did. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Lightyear gets a Love It. 

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review: Jurassic World Dominion

Jurassic World Dominion
PG-13 ‧ Adventure/Sci-fi ‧ 2h 26m

Screenplay by Emily Carmichael and Colin Trevorrow
Story by Derek Connolly

Directed by ‎Colin Trevorrow

THE CAST

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Omar Sy

THE STORY

(In their own words) Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live–and hunt–alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures in a new Era. 

(from left) Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) and Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

THE REVIEW

If this movie was a dinosaur, it would be a Funasaurus Rex. 

This is the sixth film in the Jurassic park/world franchise. The original was a masterpiece, in part because it was the first time we saw dinosaurs on screen at that quality of animatronics with touches of CGI, and it was the first time exploring this universe. Not to mention it being directed by Steven Spielberg who is a master storyteller. At this point in the franchise, there are just naturally going to be less mystery and less surprises about this universe. One of the biggest mistakes sequels make is trying to recapture the former glory by repeating the same tricks, by following the exact same formula. Also, with CGI becoming so much cheaper and studios wanting to utilize it, I think it hurts franchises like this. The limitations of CGI actually help in creating mystery and with story telling. I am of the strong opinion that limitations are great for storytelling. 

Where this film exceeds is in its special effects  and the storytelling.

The special effects; at times it’s hard to tell which is a practical animatronic dinosaur and when it’s CGI, the biggest give away is when it does “too much.” But also, the CGI itself is pretty incredible. There are times I had to tell myself “dinosaurs aren’t real, this is just a story, breath, Silas. In through the nose, out through your mouth.” 

Storytelling; I liked  that it managed to tell a somewhat new story within this established universe. Are they stories I’ve never seen? Not really, but I loved the way it was told and that they put them in this world. The story is split in the first two-thirds between two narratives – one following the original Jurassic Park stars and the second by the Jurassic World stars, until they inevitably meet up. This isn’t a spoiler because you know this is something that has to happen. 

(from left) Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

Let me say this though, if you are coming to a film about dinosaurs walking modern day earth as a result of cloning technology and the complete breakdown of the amusement park they were built for, you need to be watching this film with a very open mind. You need to be watching this for the fun of it, for the wild entertainment, to enjoy it like an amusement park ride. This is not meant to be Shakespeare, we know we are not watching a serious academy award contender. This is not going to be a Million Dollar Baby with dinosaurs.  

Do I wanna see crap? No. Do I expect crap? No. Not at these ticket prices.  What I want is to be swept away into a fun story that doesn’t make me think too much, and plays within its own defined laws of physics, science, and stretched believability. I think Jurassic World Dominion does that. 

Two people behind me thought it was hard to follow the story because it jumped around so much. I think maybe they are idiots and I guess they don’t like subplots. It followed the story telling technique  of something like Empire Strikes Back, which while I love it, isn’t exactly rocket science. 

THE BEST
Three BEST things about the film

  1. Special effects.  The animation is really incredible. The use of “practical dinosaurs was great. Hard to distinguish which were CGI and which were animatronic. 
  2. They actually found an original story to tell within this Jurassic Park world setting. This wasn’t just a rehash of old plots, it had definite nods to the past, but those were mostly pretty subtle. 
  3. Pacing and surprises. The film went by really fast.  There are definitely a fair number of twists and turns in the film to keep suspense up throughout the film.

THE WORST

A Mosasaurus in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

The three WORST things about the Film

  1. There’s a lot of movies to watch before this to get the full emotional depth the film would provide. 
  2. There’s only so many ways to get eaten by dinosaurs, so there are limits to what the film can do with action scenes. 
  3. Even if you suspend your belief for the dinosaurs, you have to really not have your thinking cap on as far as physics and laws of science would work.  Don’t think too hard for this film. 

THE LESSON
There are actually many lessons from this film.

1. Biotech companies that alter food are nearly always questionable

2. Our desire to mess with natural law  will lead to our deaths. 

3.  Humans tend to fail to learn from their mistakes when there’s money to be made. 

THE FINAL WORD

This movie is a thrill ride for your soul, not for your brain. Grab some popcorn but not a big drink because the runtime is so long. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I give Jurassic World Dominion a Love it, because it is something I definitely want to see again. 

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

ABOUT SILAS LINDENSTEIN

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.