DOG

 Channing Tatum.    Kevin Nash.    Jane Adams

Army Ranger Briggs (Tatum) is messed up with head trauma and PTSD after his service in Afghanistan.  He’s begging to re-up, but can’t get permission from his supervisor.  He makes such a pest of himself, the captain sends him on a mission, and if he completes it successfully, Briggs will get what he wants.  How much the officer has insight into the value of his charge is unclear.  At any rate, Briggs is supposed to take the Army Ranger dog named Lulu that belonged to his fallen brother Riley to the man’s funeral down in Arizona, where the dog is to be honored for his exemplary service.

Before Briggs leaves for Arizona with dog in tow and during the trip, we get a picture of the man, as well as the dog.  He knows nothing about dogs or the power of persuasion, so he is in for a sometimes brutal trip, trying to use his bluster and macho personality to get the dog to behave and obey him.  Lulu can attack at any time with her sharp teeth and boxer-like paws.  She protests mightily to being left in the car and will run away the first chance she gets.

On  the road, Briggs decides he needs breaks and tries to use his usual means of entertainment—going to bars, carousing, and hitting up women with little more success than he has with Lulu.  He runs into a heap of trouble, but somehow along the way, he meets people who want to help him. 

And along the way, he begins to realize that he should listen to them, even if some are suspicious of him, practice Kundalini yoga, are psychic and downright kooky.  To his credit he can be personable and make friends easily.  Perhaps the most helpful is when he and Lulu are beginning to develop some rapport, and Briggs rewards her by driving by the house where Lulu’s brother lives.  The dogs recognize one another right away, and the caretaker of Lulu’s brother has many tips for Briggs.

Briggs encounters other obstacles—some really scary, some really comical—on his way and one wonders whether he will ever make it to Arizona and the funeral.  

The beauty of Dog is in witnessing Briggs’ gradual transformation of character and to see some of how Lulu and the helpful people they meet play a part.

Channing Tatum’s gifted acting draws the viewer into the drama, making it a real experience that is instructive as well as touching.  He knows exactly how to make the character he is playing charming, annoying, playful, contemplative, disgusting, and bright enough to get himself out of any scrape.  Strong support is provided by his fellow actors, Kevin Nash who plays a brute, his psychic wife played by Jane Adams, and others.

This is both Reid Carolin’s and Channing Tatum’s directing debuts, but it comes across as being directed by someone more experienced.  The soundtrack by Thomas Newman heightens this film’s value.

 And you thought a car trip with kids was trying!  Get a look at Lulu!  It’s amazing how she and the main character are able to make her therapeutic.

Grade:  B By Donna R. Copeland 

LEGO MOVIE 2

Voices of:  Chris Pratt     Elizabeth Banks     Tiffany Haddish     Will Arnett 

Alison Brie     Channing Tatum     Maya Rudolph     Will Ferrell

     Following upon The Lego Movie (2014), this sequel continues the adventures of the “Master Builders” who started out as resistance fighters against Lord Business and his army of Micro Managers. Emmet (Pratt) and Wyldstyle (Banks) were heroic in the previous story and ended up as best friends in a happy town, Bricksburg, where everyone is special.  It should be noted that Wyldstyle (Lucy as she is now called), is more pessimistic and skeptical, in contrast to Emmet’s sunny outlook. Each would like for the other to change just a bit. 

     Their town now is a darker, chaotic--maybe cooler--Apocalypseburg that is changed significantly from the sunnier Bricksburg. Within the backdrop of an exciting confrontation between their city and some invaders coming in from outer space (who are wrecking everything faster than it can be rebuilt in a city of Master Builders), Emmet and Lucy become significantly changed for the better.  Emmet is both helped and hindered by making the acquaintance of Rex Dangervest (also Pratt, signifying polar opposite traits in the same person), who is brash and confident and easily counteracts Emmet’s diffidence. When Lucy gets kidnapped, Emmet enlists the help of Rex Dangervest in getting her back.  Their struggles increase insight for Emmet and Lucy; however, Rex’s issues are more complex.

     This sequel continues the psychological journeys of the characters that were begun in the first rendition.  And in this sense, the movie seems addressed more to the adult audience than to children.  For example, themes of and questions around romance, marriage, self-actualization, and détente between warring factions make the film more interesting for adults.  The production design and animation are so engaging (almost to the point of overpowering the characters and the story), children are likely to enjoy that aspect of the film; I just don’t know how much of the import of the story actually gets through to them. I suspect little of it.  The beginning scenes are so laden with special effects, it’s often hard to decipher what is going on, especially when the chorus sings, with lyrics that are hard to decipher.

     At any rate, there are exciting scenes showing colorful vignettes of the invaders led by Queen Wa’Nabi (Haddish) and the heroic efforts of the Apocalypseburg trio (Emmet, Rex, and Lucy) to protect themselves.  The invaders are clever in “brainwashing” others to join their ranks, including Batman (Arnett) who is seduced into wedding the queen, despite his fiercely avowed bat-chlerhood.   [The manipulative clichéd means by which Queen Wa’Nabi seduces him are some of the scenes I hope do pass over the heads of children.]  But there is a quick twist toward the end of the story that seems to discount the charge of brainwashing.

     Tiffany Haddish is clearly the star in this production, with her character’s chameleon-like presentation and witty dialog.  Haddish is perfectly cast, managing to be both outrageous and lovable.  Pratt and Banks also capture their roles in a way that makes them as believable as real people. Numerous cameos of the likes of Richard Ayoade, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ralphe Fiennes, Will Forte, Will Arnett, and still others popping up throughout, do their part in increasing the entertainment value of Lego Movie 2.

The continuing adventures and personal development of Lego characters Emmet and Lucy/Wyldstyle.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Taron Egerton     Mark Strong     Julianne Moore     Colin Firth     Halle Berry

Elton John     Michael Gambon     Channing Tatum     Jeff Bridges     Bruce Greenwood     Emily Watson

     Those who really took to the first Kingsman (2014) are likely to be disappointed in the second adaptation of the Mark Millar/David Gibbons comic book (“The Secret Service”), even though the writing/directing team is the same (Matthew Vaughn, director, and co-writer Jane Goldman), as is the cinematographer (George Richmond).  Where the first film went beyond the flashy technological effects to get in social commentary about the environment, social class, compassion, cooperation, and violence, this version seems to be preoccupied with technology, staging one combat scene after another, without much else in between.  And this is two-plus hours of screen time.

     Harry Hart’s (Firth) trainee from the first film, Eggsy (Egerton), is now an agent working with Merlin (Strong) to rein in a mega drug cartel run by the ruthless Poppy (Moore), who has ambitions to addict the whole world to increase her sales, but has ready an antidote against the disastrous effects of her doctored drugs, thereby retaining a continuous client base.  She concocts a plan, essentially putting the President of the United States (Greenwood) into a bind where, no matter what he does after he signs the agreement, Poppy’s plan will go through.

     The action takes Eggsy and Merlin to Kentucky, where they meet with private intelligence operatives and discover Hart—who was thought dead—but is alive in a compromised state.  They join forces to go after Poppy, loyalties switch back and forth, and multiple battles take place.  (It’s a bit ironic that in the first film, private intelligence agencies are shown to be bad; whereas in this film, the Kingsmen have little trouble collaborating with them, although, of course, a number of suspicions are raised and tested.)

     The script seems to be the biggest problem in The Golden Circle.  It has little substance or character development so becomes, to me, like a trade show for special effects, showing unbelievable lassos, hacking capabilities, and other tools that the characters seem to have ready for any situation, and these are inserted into so many combat scenes any interesting or engaging story is submerged.  Eggsy as the fresh-faced new Kingsman agent seems ill-suited to the tasks placed before him; and although Hart is brought “back to life” to back him up, his status seems so compromised in the beginning and through most of the action, his successes veer toward the unbelievable. 

     The filmmakers can boast about the number of A-list actors in the film:  Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Elton John, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Bruce Greenwood, and Emily Watson, and they all perform really well; however, many have little screen time or impactful roles.  Tatum, Bridges, Greenwood, and Watson are only in a few scenes.  Julianne Moore, an outstanding actress, is not quite as formidable as the witch Poppy should be.  She should send chills up your spine, but although Poppy does unbelievably heinous things, it’s hard to imagine these actions coming from the character portrayed by Moore, a fault of the script and/or direction rather than her performance per se.  Elton John is a highlight in all this; he is his character and plays it to the hilt.  His persona and what he does hits the mark, about the only time in the film this happens.

This film is a puzzlement.  Although the original show runners are the same and the actors are top-notch, this version of the Kingsman productions falls far short of the original.

Grade:  C-                                                             By Donna R. Copeland

LOGAN LUCKY

Channing Tatum   Adam Driver   Riley Keogh   Seth MacFarlane   Katherine Waterston

Daniel Craig   Katie Holmes   Farrah Mackenzie   Hilary Swank   Brian Gleeson   Jack Quaid   Dwight Yoakum

            Crime capers are always fun when they’re cleverly worked out, smack of basic human truths, and have colorful characters.  Steven Soderburgh’s Logan Lucky is just such a film, keeping you guessing and chuckling throughout.  He is clearly the director, cinematographer, and editor, but the first-time writer named Rebecca Blunt is a mystery about whom Soderburgh’s lips are sealed.  But it doesn’t really matter, because the film is so playful, warmly human, and so well executed from the writing to the production, we don’t really care.

            In Charlotte, North Carolina, the Logan family has the reputation for being cursed, what with so many things happening to them through the years.  Jimmy Logan is having an especially hard time these days with a football promise coming to nothing, a failed marriage, loss of his job, a bum leg, and he can’t even pay his phone bill.  His brother Clyde seems to be doing reasonably well in his bar, even with part of his arm and hand missing because of a war injury.  They have a sister, Mellie (Keogh), who seems to be able to assist and manage any storm.

            Jimmy is desperate.  His ex-wife (Holmes) is getting ready to move out of town with her husband, taking his cherished daughter Sadie (Mackenzie) with her.  (Sadie is an amusing insertion into the story with her knowledge of tools to hand to her car mechanic daddy and her penchant for all things girly like fashion shows and the “culinary arts.”)

            What follows is Jimmy’s intricate plan to siphon off some of the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s  questionable betting practices, pulling in his brother Clyde (Driver), his sister Mellie (Keogh), prisoner Joe Bang (dynamite expert) (Craig) and Bang’s two brothers (Gleeson and Quaid), and other inmates.  To make matters even more entertaining and clever, some people are used unwittingly (but never exploited without compensation).  That is, no one is really harmed in this caper, making the crime go down as all part of the fun.

            The main characters are all warmly sympathetic—despite the film’s making fun of them in a loving way, absent of cruelty.  The actors should be congratulated on their southern accents, even British Daniel Craig.  The plot is set up to get back at “The Man”, which has a satisfying effect on the viewer and works to excuse the crime.  It roasts common defenses, such as firing a person for “liability issues”, a prison warden (Yoakam) swearing that X (fires, riots, escapes) “just does not happen here”, and a racetrack administrator claiming ignorance about an insurance claim.  I got a kick out of the last scenes showing pairs of characters getting together sometime later after the mysterious disappearance of a considerable amount of money.

            Channing Tatum is a star in evincing a character who is simple on the outside but enormously complex and intelligent on the inside.  Adam Driver is well versed in playing so many different types, and he comes across believably here as a younger brother looking up to his older sibling and really wanting to please everyone.  The actor Daniel Craig is almost unrecognizable as the bleached-blonde, hair-cropped felon he is.  I appreciated seeing the character of Sadie (Mackenzie) presented as a many-sided girl with diversified interests exploring the world. 

            I’m glad Soderburgh is back after a “retirement” from movie making.  He has a way of producing engaging films that have a social message, without detracting from their entertainment value.

           

Hee-haw heroes put one over on the powers that be:  a crime caper that’s an entertaining romp.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

HAIL, CAESAR!

Josh Brolin   George Clooney   Alden Ehrenreich   Ralph Fiennes   Tilda Swinton   Frances McDormand   Scarlett Johansson   Channing Tatum

           When the Coen Brothers are having fun, we’re having fun.  And I can just imagine how the whole crew of Hail Caesar! had loads of good times making this film.  As a matter of fact, Roger Deakins, the DP, mentioned that in an interview.  The Coens let their imaginations run wild here, and managed to successfully throw in all kinds of references to movies (mostly), philosophy, politics, history, and American culture, spoofing all.

          The central figure is the beleaguered “fixer” at Capitol Pictures in Hollywood, Eddie Mannix (Brolin), whose long days are spent putting out fires on the multiple sets of films like Hail Caesar!, On Wings as Eagles, Merrily We Dance, and Lazy Ole Moon (Coens came up with the titles, of course).  In addition, Mannix tries hard to pay attention to his family, consider a lucrative offer, and go to Catholic confession frequently. 

           One of his dilemmas now is that his most famous star, Baird Whitlock (Clooney), has gone missing.  A little sleuthing and a phone call reveals that Baird has been kidnapped and the culprits are asking for $100K ransom money.  This is not much of a problem—demonstrating how cash was like play money in Hollywood in the ‘50s—but who is responsible is a testament to the Coens’ wit and fancy in even dreaming it up, but also in its touching a bit on reality.  It’s a motley crew of disgruntled writers and left-leaning professors in a “study group” (I won’t say more).  When the actor comes to after being drugged and learns of the plot, he asks to have a share of the spoils, but the professors quickly say that that would be unethical; ransom money is not for the victim! 

         I thought Brolin and Clooney would be stand-outs, and Brolin is a perfect fit for his part; however, as good an actor as Clooney is, it was difficult to see his character without seeing the Clooney persona, despite his always being in ancient Roman garb.  A surprising standout is the aw-shucks Southern cowboy played by Alden Ehrenreich as Hobie Doyle.  Hobie can stand on his head while riding a galloping horse, do lasso tricks, and sing.  He has a little trouble with the verbal part of acting, but with a little coaching, his timing in saying, “It’s…complicated” is perfect.  And it turns out that he is much smarter than he sounds, but always sincere and honest.

         The film is more like a revue with little vignettes, always light and entertaining and lovely to look at.  Shining in their parts are Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, and Jonah Hill.

         With the Coens, Cinematographer Roger Deakins and Composer Composer Carter Burwell round out this supremely talented filmmaking team

Sit back, chuckle, wonder, and be entertained in Hail, Caesar!

Grade:  A                                                  By Donna R. Copeland

MAGIC MIKE XXL

Channing Tatum   Joe Manganiello   Matt Bomer   Adam Rodriguez   Gabriel Iglesias 

 

“We’re male entertainers now; not strippers” say the boys in Kings of Tampa, getting ready for their last blow-out performance at the Strippers Convention on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  Magic Mike (Tatum) had left the group to fulfill his dream of making furniture, but when he gets a message out of the blue that causes him great concern, he hooks up with them and is easily persuaded to rejoin them on this last excursion.  It takes them a while to get there with some mishaps along the way, but various women from their past—Rome (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Zoe (Amber Heard), and Paris (Elizabeth Banks)—give them a generous hand, and they make it to their destination with a new show and emcee.

           The aims of this sexy romp of a movie are clearly to entertain—as is claimed.  The men in the Kings of Tampa, as well as those in Rome’s establishment where they stopped along the way, deliver amazing performances in song and dance that even women in the theater screening audience could squeal for heartily.  But the writer (Reid Carolin) and director (Gregory Jacobs) add a little more substance to the brew in empathic looks at male bonding and women’s need for a listening ear and romance. 

           In males, there seems to be a bottom line of trust—although it is repeatedly tested—along with the competition and territorial struggles.  In this group, there is a bit of difficulty reintegrating Mike into the group after three years and a certain amount of resentment about his finding his niche, while most of the others are in some kind of limbo.  But no matter what the conflict, how much hurt is dished out, or how much they argue, the bottom line of love and respect always brings them back together.

           I must confess I have never been in a male strip club and did not see the original Magic Mike; but I was impressed in seeing the performances in Magic Mike XXL show understanding for the things many women are missing in their relationships with men.  Obviously, the focus is on the men and their prowess, but the women they are attending to, however briefly, are not just passive props.  First of all, they ask the women directly what they want.  Then they include them in their act in such a way the two become a unit; it’s not always easy to tell—if you didn’t already know—who is doing what.  (We’ll ignore for the moment that these performances are primarily to show off the men’s acrobatics and gymnastics.)  But there is the illusion of shared control.

           Steven Soderbergh, the director of the previous Magic Mike film, takes the role of cinematographer this time, which is an interesting transition, and he is very good.  He and the director of XXL, Gregory Jacobs, have collaborated on many productions, so the change is seamless.  Reid Carolin, the writer for both productions inserted new plot turns and the choreography was turned up for XXL.  In an interview, Joe Manganiello credits two of the actors, Alison Faulk and Teresa Espinosa, who were in both productions, with dance move assistance.  

           It’s expected that Magic Mike XXL will be just as popular as its predecessor, so there is lots of excitement around the opening of this film.

Woo woo!

Grade:  C+                        By Donna R. Copeland