Jackpot

Movie Name: Jackpot
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Awkwafina, John Cena, Simu Liu, Ayden Mayeri, Donald Elise Watkins, Sam Ashgari, Monique Ganderton, Steven Shelby, John Santiago, Murray Hill, Becky Ann Baker, Colson Baker, Imani Love
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
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Synopsis and Review

Since the release of his take on "Ghostbusters" in 2016, writer/producer/director Paul Feig has directed various films, without managing to create the connection and celebration that his prior endeavors garnered, namely "The Heat" and "Spy". "Jackpot", which is written by Rob Yescombe (who has made a name for himself as a writer of video games), takes place in 2030 in Los Angeles and follows the story of Katie, who is recently arrived in the city, following the passing of her mother. Katie was a child actress, and had to change the gears of her life when her mom became ill and she became the primary caregiver for her (her father stole Katie's earnings from her child acting days and disappeared). Katie is giving acting another shot, but soon realizes that competition has gotten fiercer, and people have also gotten worse (she's robbed on a bus by an elderly woman). Following a series of misadventures, which includes a shoddy Air BNB and a particularly harsh audition, she inadvertently enters and wins the Lottery, which currently has a Jackpot of 3.6 billion dollars. What she doesn't realize is that the government of California has changed the rules of the game on the lottery: namely, anyone with a losing ticket can kill the winner and claim the prize, with the exception being the use of guns. Katie becomes a target for everyone in the city. She gets rescued by Noel Cassidy, a freelance protection agent who offers his services and his protection against 10% of her winnings. Literally everyone wants to kill her, including police officers, her host at the rotten Air BNB, the lady from the bus, everyone. Initially reticent to trust Noel, she decides to accept his deal, and they both try to escape the murderous mobs, until LPA, a high tech protection agency comes into the game, with an agenda of their own. 

"Jackpot" looks and feels like a Netflix release, or I should say, what has become a straight to streaming release, only in this case, straight to Amazon Prime release. A few years back there were the straight to video releases, and now we have this upgraded version of that type of feature (well upgraded in terms of platform, not in terms of quality). Suffice to say, this is a film that feels crudely developed and very light on jokes and comedic settings, even if it features two of the most naturally iconic and funny performers currently working, Awkwafina and John Cena. The film is basically populated with crudely outlined characters, none of which have a semblance of real existence or authenticity. Even Shawn Levy's "Free Guy" which took place inside an actual video game had characters that actually felt more like genuine individuals than any of these do. What we have here is an interesting concept: "win the lottery, possibly get killed", which is poorly developed, and fails to have actual characters to carry through the threadbare narrative that is built out around that concept. Chase films can be hilarious and anarchic (who can forget Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"), but this film fails to have that kind of energy, and it also fails as a criticism of the consumerism, rampant capitalism, or complete disregard about people's lives that exist these days. The film mostly stays afloat since Awkwafina and John Cena have good chemistry and they make most of this collection of scenes watchable. The supporting cast is quite forgettable, and the production team employed on this film seems to have had literally no budget for anything (this is possibly one of the worst looking films I've seen in a while). This film is both avoidable and unnecessary, though at least not offensively bad. 

Alien: Romulus

Movie Name: Alien: Romulus
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Ian Holm, Daniel Betts
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Fede Alvarez is back, following the critical and audience misfire that was "The Girl in the Spider's Web" (the hint seems to be, don't do sequels to David Fincher films). He and his writing partner, Rodo Sayagues, have tackled the "Alien" franchise, creating a narrative that takes place the events of the original "Alien" from Ridley Scott, and prior to the ones that occurred with James Cameron's "Aliens": essentially the time period (57 years) in which Ripley was in the cryogenic tube. "Romulus" focuses its narrative on Rain, who alongside her adoptive brother Andy (in reality an android her father modeled to be a protector to Rain), are trying to get out of a mining colony owned and run by Weyland-Yutani, a colony where the sun never rises. They're denied exit, even though Rain has work the number of hours that qualifies her for that exit. She is unexpectedly contacted by her ex-boyfriend Tyler, who wants to explore a derelict spacecraft, in order to retrieve the cryostasis units it holds. He needs Andy's ability to interface with the spacecrafts operating system to move around. Upon reaching the vessel, they realize it's in reality the Renaissance, a Weyland-Yutani research station, divided into two parts, Romulus and Remus, much like the ancient Roman legend. Tyler, Andy, and Bjorn go inside the ship, and accidentally revive frozen facehuggers who are all over the place, alongside a lockdown in the ship. In order to escape the situation, Rain replaces Andy's chip with one from a destroyed droid that was on the Renaissance. While they manage to rescue Bjorn, Tyler and Andy, one of their friends gets impregnated by a facehugger, while Andy's directives are also reset as a result of the new chip. Things slowly get out of hand, with Rain trying to salvage Andy from everything that is taking place.

"Alien: Romulus" stronger aspects can be summarized in a few aspects: its embrace of the B-movie quality the original film always had, the impeccable production design and attention to detail that permeates the entire feature, and the little involvement that Ridley Scott had on this film. Whereas both "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" were undone by the mix of pretension and attempt to replicate a formula (alien + female heroine = money in the bank), Fede Alvarez goes back to the origins of the series, and basically constructs a claustrophobic thriller, where an apparently unbeatable monster, decimates a crew who is unaware of what they're up against. There isn't much dimension to these characters, however the scrappiness of their set up and the bonds they have, is sufficiently illustrated where they don't necessarily feel as simple fodder for the mayhem ahead. Alvarez takes some creative decisions, some of which are successful homages to the original film, such as bringing back Ash in the shape of the droid Rook, whereas others such as some lines uttered by Andy aren't quite as successful. There are nods to some work from David Fincher on "Alien 3" (when the alien gets dangerously close to Rain) and even to Jean Pierre Jeunet's "Alien: Resurrection" (the offspring creature), but these are details that don't feel gratuitous and cannibalization of the property, but more like a tie-in with the dna of the series. The cast is solid, though the particular highlight goes to David Jonsson's portrayal of Andy, both endearing and childlike, and equally menacing and exacting. The production team on this film is bold and fantastic, with the production design paying close attention to what was done on "Alien" and bringing a version of that with adjustments that feel logical to the series itself. The work of Naaman Marshall (production designer), and set decoration by Zsuzsanna Sipos is impeccable, as is the cinematography from Galo Olivares and score from Benjamin Wallfisch. It's an entertaining and worthy addition to the series, respecting its principles, without adding a layer of irascible pretension to it. Worth watching.

Monster Hunter

Movie Name: Monster Hunter
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Ron Perlman, Tip "T.I." Harris, Diego Boneta, Megan Good, Josh Helman, Jin Au-Yeung, Hirona Yamazaki, Jannik Schumann, Nanda Costa, Nic Rasenti
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Following the wrap up of the "Resident Evil" franchise, writer/producer/director Paul W. S. Anderson and his star, the underrated Milla Jovovich, have reunited for another video game adaptation, this time around "Monster Hunter", a game franchise that started in 2004. The narrative focuses on the story of Army Ranger Captain Natalie Artemis, whom we first encounter with her team searching for missing solders in the desert. An unexpected storm appears and they all get pulled into this other world, where they find what is left of those soldiers and their vehicles. Artemis' group is immediately attacked by a monster, where a few members get killed. The ones who manage to escape hide in a nearby cave. They're attacked by a different creature while in the cave, one that uses a paralyzing venom. Artemis finds herself in the creature's lair, and quickly realizes her team is either dead or infected with the creature's spawn. She escapes and runs into a hunter who has tried to warn her before (someone whose origin she does not know). After battling each other, and though they can't understand each other, they eventually decide to join forces. While they do manage to defeat one of the main creatures in the desert, the hunter is hurt in the process, with Artemis carrying him on a stretcher to what seems to be an Oasis. While in the Oasis, they are about to be attacked, when they're saved by another group of humans who finally explain to Artemis what is happening and the connection between both worlds.

Paul W. S. Anderson is or at least has become a de-facto king of the big budget B-movie arena. His films are always a well rendered or fairly well polished endeavor, all of which don't hide the fact that his narratives are populated with threadbare character storylines where their main focus is showcasing action driven plots with various degrees of elaborate stunt work, mixed with visual effects. And for the most part he has been quite successful in his career with these selling points. He has single-handedly carried the "Resident Evil" franchise to considerable success, and with "Monster Hunter" he is once again attempting to do the same. Sadly, and unlike "Resident Evil", "Monster Hunter" doesn't quite hit the same spots, since it also functions as an introductory narrative to a whole new world, one that Anderson doesn't quite solve the best way possible. The writer/director has always found ways of being somewhat elliptical in his prior scripts, but in this one in particular, the characters fail to both be substantial, but also fail to provide the context into this different world, and why exactly the dynamics that are in place are justifiable. The creative team just assumes the gears for whatever is happening on screen will be self evident, and the basic premise of people hunting and killing monsters should suffice to keep the engagement active. It does not. The typical mechanisms of any B-movie, namely succinctly described characters and motivations, pretty recognizable plot mechanics, and slick and violent set pieces, don't all hit the right marks with "Monster Hunter". This other world is never truly brought to life beyond the digital monsters, and for all it's visual wizardry, this gimmick eventually starts to run out of steam. Milla Jovovich who is always game for anything, and continues to always be so engaged, can't salvage enough of what's happening, while Ron Perlman's role turns out to be too small, and also on a very different level (he almost feels like he's on an adult rendition of "The Goonies"). Visually the film has its strong points, and the production team does manage to bring this world to life, with highlights going to Glen MacPherson's cinematography, Edward Thomas' production design, and Danielle Knox's costume design. It's a less successful endeavor for this director and for his muse. 

Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf

Movie Name: Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Christophe Gans
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Monica Bellucci, Jérémie Renier, Vincent Cassel, Émilie Dequenne, Jacques Perrin, Christian Marc, Philippe Nahon, Karin Kristrom, Virginie Darmon, Eric Prat, Pierre Lavit, Edith Scob
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Christophe Gans made a name for himself in the 1990s with his directorial debut, "Crying Freeman". Since then he hasn't had a very prolific output as a director, but "Le Pacte des Loups" which premiered in 2001 was a huge hit in France. The film focuses on the character of Grégoire de Fronsac, a knight and the royal naturalist of King Louis XV, who alongside his Iroquois companion, get involved in the investigation of a series of killings that are taking place in the area of Gévaudan. The population there seems to think the killings are being done by a wolf, but Fronsac disagrees as he collects evidence that indicates otherwise. A witness who escapes an attack also states that the beast that is doing the killings is controlled by someone. Fronsac eventually realizes that the creature is an instrument of a secret society who has sinister goals of their own. As he and his companion Mani and their local supporter, a young Marquis, decide to tackle the creature on their own terms, they manage to injure it, but are unsuccessful in its capture. Mani eventually sets off alone in its pursuit, but is ambushed, and eventually killed by the brotherhood. While Fronsac attempts to get his revenge, he is outnumbered, and is imprisoned. Help comes in the shape of the courtesan Sylvia, who as it turns out, is a lot more than she appears to be. With her own agenda in mind, she orchestrates something that not even Fronsac could have foreseen. 

"Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf" is an interesting mix of genres, one that could have benefitted from a tighter story editing. The film introduces an eclectic array of characters, all of whom have just enough detail to fit into recognizable archetypes, very much similar to the typical B-movie structure. However Christophe Gans, both as co-writer/director, manages to bring some additional nuance to this narrative, with some allusions to Jean Cocteau's "La Belle et La Bête", though he prefers to focus more on the inclusion of his action/b-movie stylings, namely through some nicely choreographed fighting scenes. This rather modern stance does seem to imply a rather brisk pacing to the storytelling, something that turns out not to be the case. The film has several issues in terms of pacing, as if the director knows where he wants to take the narrative, but makes the path in getting there tortuous and filled with superfluous set pieces that add nothing to the feature itself. All these elements end up making the film feel like a rather patch of different stylings that don't necessarily all fit together very coherently. And for all its blown up duration, the film never provides additional detail on the characters, even those who end being the most interesting ones, such as Sylvia, or even Mani. The cast is solid and brings these characters to life, particularly Jérémie Renier, Monica Bellucci, and Émilie Dequenne, whereas Vincent Cassel goes into overacting mode quite frequently. The production team is effective, particularly Dan Laustsen's cinematography, Guy-Claude François' production design, and Dominique Borg's costumes. It's a film that is ultimately undone by its lack of focus, but is still watchable (and forgettable). 

Timeline

Movie Name: Timeline
Year of Release: 2003
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Paul Walker, Gerard Butler, Frances O'Connor, Michael Sheen, Lambert Wilson, Billy Connolly, Ethan Embry, Anna Friel, David Thewlis, Matt Craven, Marton Csokas, Neal McDonough, Rossif Sutherland, Steve Kahan, David La Haye
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review

Director Richard Donner started the new millennium with "Timeline", following the successful fourth installment of his "Lethal Weapon" franchise. The film is an adaption of the novel with the same name by famed author/filmmaker Michael Crichton, with the script coming from Jeff Maguire (known for "In the Line of Fire" directed by Wolfgang Petersen) and George Nolfi (who went on to co-write "The Bourne Ultimatum" directed by Paul Greengrass). The film follows a series of characters who are involved in an archeological study in France. Those characters include Professor Edward Johnston, Scottish archeologist André Marek, Kate Erickson, Josh Sten, François Dontelle, and Johnston's son, Chris. When they unearth an unusual finding, Professor Johnston travels to the American headquarters of his sponsor in order to enquire if the site has been tampered. The remaining team also uncovers at the same site, bifocals lens belonging to the Professor, and a note asking for help, all this from centuries ago. They also go back to the headquarters of their financier where they're introduced to a project they've been working on regarding teleportation. Turns out they've managed to create a wormhole to 1357, and the Professor alongside a small group went through it to investigate the past. That group, including the Professor, did not return. The archeologists volunteer to go back in order to rescue the professor, alongside a few security professionals employed by the organization. However the minute they get there things quickly go awry, since they're in the middle of an hostilities field, with the French battling the British. One of the team members trying to escape an attack, goes back through the wormhole, and detonates a grenade, which shatters most of the teleportation device. The group that is stuck in the past has to quickly figure out where the Professor is located, and leave without disrupting the timeline any further.

Unlike the H.G. Wells classic "The Time Machine", "Timeline" chooses to focus its attention on a very specific set of events taking place in the 14th century, particularly a battle between the French and the British. Also and unlike Mr. Wells' classic, it centers its narrative around a series of characters, all of whom are united by their love and devotion to the Professor/Father figure of the group. While the initial group dynamics is quickly set in motion to showcase the camaraderie that exists between the characters, it also becomes quite apparent that in terms of character motivation, the whole time travel aspect is going to be their sole purpose/goal in terms of the entire breadth of the feature. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, once the group goes into the past, that's when everything goes downhill. Both the French and British characters who are at the core of the conflict, have absolutely no dimension, being for all intended purposes, just clichés/poorly defined sketches, of what those characters are supposed to be. And all this without the sense of humor that the Monty Python performed when tackling similar medieval material. Some of the characters' accents are also a bit all over the place (Anna Friel's French accent is mediocre at best), while the production design is downright underwhelming, making the film look amateurish and poorly developed. The script simply doesn't know how to balance enough character substance with what's happening onscreen, rendering in the process the villainous characters as almost footnotes of this convoluted narrative. The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with Gerard Butler, Frances O'Connor, David Thewlis, Michael Sheen, and Billy Connolly, escaping relatively unscathed from it, while Anna Friel and Paul Walker feel miscast and out of place (and maybe that was the goal). The production team also under-delivers, including Caleb Deschanel's cinematography, with the day scenes looking washed out and overly lit (the daylight scenes reminded of John Woo's "Paycheck", also released in 2003, lensed by Jeffrey L. Kimball), and the mediocre production design from Daniel T. Torrance (in what was his first job as Production Designer). It was a big stumble for Mr. Donner, and it is a minor film for a director who was always a competent storyteller. 

Swan Song

Movie Name: Swan Song
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Todd Stephens
Starring: Udo Kier, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie, Stephanie McVay, Tom Bloom, Justin Lonesome, Ira Hawkins, Thom Hilton, Shanessa Sweeney, Bryant Carroll, Shelby Garrett, Catherine L. Albers, Dave Sorboro
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Todd Stephens who made a name for himself with the films "Another Gay Movie" and its sequel "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!", made a solid return to filmmaking with "Swan Song", which premiered in 2021 to fairly solid reviews. The film follows the story of Pat, a retired stylist/cosmetologist who is currently living in a retirement home. He is visited by the attorney of a former client, who has since passed away, and asked for Pat to do her hair one final time. Pat debates with himself doing so, since he and that client had a rather serious fall out. He decides to go for it, and on his way to the funeral home, he goes by a series of places that held some significance for him. He goes by the cemetery where his late partner is buried, he gets a makeover and a new suit, courtesy of a lady whom he helped and styled many years ago, and also visits the gay bar of the small town, where he also used to perform, and that is closing down its doors. Along the way he also reconnects with a former employee/protégé, with whom he has a love/disdainful relationship, and who took over most of his clients when his business started to die down. Pat gets to revisit a bit of his former life, as he nears the funeral home and has to reflect on his relationship with that client whom he feels wronged him. 

It's easy to attest that "Swan Song" had a very meager budget. However, that does not take away from the fact that Todd Stephens manages to create an ode to an actor who has been a film chameleon for decades, and who has worked with so many world renowned film makers (Udo Kier has worked with directors as Paul Morrissey, Dario Argento, Robert Van Ackeren, Werner Schroeter, Miklos Jancso, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars Von Trier, Gus Van Sant, and the list goes on). Udo Kier manages to create a sensitive portrayal of a man who finds himself pushed out of a life he once had, and almost forgotten by everyone (and even himself). The Odyssey that he goes on, to battle the remnants of a client whom he thought was a friend, but who revealed herself to be flight and fearful, is also a way for him to say goodbye to a past and a life that no longer exists, and possibly bid farewell to the life he currently has. It's a tender look at someone's life choices, which eventually reveals more layers as to whom the character actually is, without ever being maudlin or overly manipulative. The film could have benefited from providing some more dimension to the supporting characters, particularly Jennifer Coolidge's Dee Dee, and even Linda Evans' Rita, but the central attention is without question Pat, and his opportunity to also witness how much the world has changed while he was secluded waiting for the death to come by. The cast supports the narrative solidly, with the wonderful Udo Kier getting good support from Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie and Stephanie McVay. The production team is not necessarily the most memorable, but the film is nonetheless fairly well executed. It is a solid character study for an actor who has been always widely underrated.  

Deadpool & Wolverine

Movie Name: Deadpool & Wolverine
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden, Dafne Keen, Jon Favreau, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, Wunmi Mosaku, Aaron Stanford, Tyler Mane, Karan Soni
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds' collaboration path continues on this installment of the "Deadpool" franchise. They previously collaborated on "Free Guy" and "The Adam Project". The film once again focuses on Wade Wilson/Deadpool's adventures. After messing with time in the last feature, he finds himself retired from his Deadpool persona, selling cars with his friend Peter. However during his birthday celebration, the Time Variance Authority, captures him and brings him to Mr. Paradox, who explains his timeline is coming to an end due to the death of an "anchor being", namely Logan (or Wolverine). He also explains he plans on using a device called "Time Ripper" to speed up the process, while offering Wilson a role in what is called "The Sacred Timeline". Wilson however wanting to save his own timeline, steals Paradox's TempPad and tries to locate other versions of Logan that can replace the one that perished on his own. As it turns out, Paradox is acting outside the boundaries of his agency and when Wilson and Logan find out, he sends them to the Void, where everything gets consumed by a strange creature. What they find in the void is however much more than they could have anticipated. 

What has always been so successful about the "Deadpool" films, even when they fall prey to some of the superhero formula, has been both the irreverence Ryan Reynolds brings to the character, but also the B-movie aspect those films patently put on display (and I'm not referring to the extreme violence or even profanity, but the fact that the characters are briefly introduced, with their motivations and arc illustrated very evidently). This edginess is lost almost completely with a new array of writers, mixed with Shawn Levy's take on the material. All that made the prior films slightly off-kilter, has been almost sanitized into a tolerable and cartoon-based version of violence, in a way blurring all that made the prior films that much more enticing. Ryan Reynolds' energy is still there, but it now goes in so many different directions, trying to tie so many of the narrative threads that are on display, that at some point it loses all the freshness that was demonstrated on the prior films. Additional issues appear in the choice of antagonists, which ranges from the well cast Matthew Mcfayden as the corporate villain, to the not so well chosen Emma Corrin as Cassandra, the menacing mutant (whose motivation for doing anything is a bit dubious at most). Overall it's a visible change in tone, one that takes away from the irreverence the prior films displayed, in exchange for a more formulaic and almost reverential (and referential) to the Marvel cannon that has been construed throughout the years. The cast is solid, with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman having great chemistry and partnership, with solid support from Matthew Mcfayden, Jon Favreau, and Rob Delaney. The production team is solid, including George Richmond's cinematography, Ray Chan's retro inspired production design, and costume design by Graham Churchyard and Mayes C. Rubeo. It's watchable (and it's a huge hit from an audience perspective), but it's also somewhat forgettable.