THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2

Voices of:  Oscar Isaac     Charlize Theron     Chloe Grace Moretz     Nick Kroll

Snoop Dogg     Bette Midler     Bill Hader     Javon ‘Wanna’  Walton

            Silly; as it’s meant to be.  This version’s entertainment focuses on Dr. Strange (Hader) who is claiming that there was a mix-up at Wednesday’s (Moretz) birth and that she is actually his daughter.  “Isn’t it obvious?”, he says; she clearly has inherited his scientific talents.  This seems to play into Wednesday’s recent plans where—she being a teenager—is feeling ashamed of her parents and disgusted with her brother and wanting to get away.  The Addams parents try to hide the identity of Strange’s lawyer from Wednesday after the lawyer pays them a visit, but of course it’s only a matter of time before she figures out who he is.

            Sensing his beloved daughter’s distancing, Gomez (Isaac) decides it’s time for a family vacation, a trip across the United States.  His wife Morticia (Theron) agrees, saying, “Of course; we have some of the best dark secrets, as countries go.”  As part of the family, brother Pugsley (Walton), Uncle Fester (Kroll), and Lurch (Carel Struycken) will all board a contraption to be driven by Fester, discovering the wonders of America, all while being tailed by the lawyer and his thug.  

            A trip to Salem gets cancelled because Fester sees a sign to Niagara Falls and immediately veers in that direction.  From there, they will make their way to The Alamo in San Antonio, the Grand Canyon, and finally to Death Valley, which was to be their final destination, except…they must do a detour to Sausalito and the home of Dr. Strange, because Gomez and Morticia are not about to cede their daughter to Strange.

            The story and animations in the 2-version are entertaining, although I imagine that those who have seen previous versions of the Addams Family may find it repetitious.  My favorite character is Wednesday who shows a delightful mixture of insight and acerbity and is almost unerringly logical.  When she wins a science contest along with all the other participants, she declares with a harumph, “How can I be a winner when there are no losers?”  After she gives her father the one hug he has been longing for and is ready for another, she refuses, saying, “I’ve been socially distancing since birth.”  These are subtle comments about our current time that I found amusing.

            I find the cruelty of Wednesday toward her brother hard to take, although I realize that’s the kind of “pratfall humor” many enjoy.  I find the rationalizing of the parents endearing and refreshing, as they use every means they have at their disposal to bring her back to their fold.  I like the movie’s message of tolerance—even admiration—for strangeness; that’s probably a hallmark of the Addams stories.

            

Although Addams Family 2 is not something of a new sensation or profound in its insights, I can easily see how many people will find it enjoyable, endearing, and funny.

 

Grade:  C+                            by Donna R. Copeland 

BOMBSHELL

Charlize Theron     Nicole Kidman     Margot Robbie     John Lithgow     Connie Britton

Kate McKinnon     Allison Janney     Mark Duplass     Malcolm McDowell

     For years now, Fox News, created by Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes has been a driving force in American politics.  Ailes had been a Republican activist before affiliating with Fox News, facilitating the elections of Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush to the Presidency of the United States.  As a side note, he was instrumental in getting Rudy Guiliani elected mayor of New York City, and of significant note, he was an adviser to the 2016 Trump campaign for President.  Bombshell takes up the Ailes story toward the end of an impressive/infamous career when he appears to be the most powerful (and feared) executive at the Fox media network.

     It’s easy to see how powerful men become so secure in their place, they imagine they’re invulnerable.  Ailes is not the first (and perhaps not the last) to go down that road.  

     In the film, we are taken on a tour by Megyn Kelly (Theron), news anchor, of the Fox News administration and broadcasters, noting that Ailes and Murdoch are signified by the floors of their offices.  “Floor 2 wants to see you.”  “You’re asked to come to the 8^thfloor.”  The next person we meet is Gretchen Carlson (Kidman) of the popular show, “Fox and Friends.”  We see her attempting to counter Fox’s “legs” image of women and help them achieve more respect for themselves and other women.  But not only does she get in Ailes’ crosshairs, she takes on Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican debates by baiting him on his treatment of women.  This is anathema to Ailes, a Trump supporter, and he fires Carlson.

     After that, we witness Carlson’s decision to file a suit against Ailes, her attempts to get women in the Fox organization to come forward, all of this putting Megyn Kelly in a dilemma.  Does she step up with her own story, or maintain her cushy place in broadcast television where she is adored?

     Charles Randolph’s script and Jay Roach’s direction seem to be an even-handed approach to a combustible issue, because facts are on their side.  Ailes’ telling quotes (recorded by Carlson) are sprinkled throughout, giving full evidence to the suit against him. For example:  “To get ahead, you’ve got to give a little head.” “I’m discreet, though unforgiving (when you betray me).”  “You have to prove your loyalty to me.”  But Ailes’ most awesome and ironic exclamation is, “These women are trying to f--- me!”

     It would have been more informative for Bombshell to have elucidated the backstory of Ailes in his activist roles before becoming a Fox News executive and his relationship with Murdoch and his sons, who clearly disapprove of him.  Is that next for a whole new production?

     Noteworthy for their performances in this film are Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes.  These are all powerful performances at their best. Giving staccato emphases are Connie Britton as Ailes’ loyal wife, Allison Janney as his lawyer, and Mark Duplass as Megyn’s supportive husband, Douglas.  

If you want to see beautiful women in effective, provocative roles, this is a movie to see.

Grade:  B+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

LONG SHOT

Charlize Theron     Seth Rogen     Bob Odenkirk     Andy Serkis

O’Shea Jackson, Jr.     June Diane Raphael    Alexander Skarsgard

     Do you ever wish you would have gone home after the first half of a movie?  That’s how I ended up feeling after seeing Long Shot.  The first part is really, really funny and clever with so many apt political aspersions (e.g., a President who is not going to run again because he aspires to a career in film) and the all-so-real character Fred Flarsky (Rogen), an intelligent nerd (ahem…journalist—but one with principles).  His emptying his pockets at a government security gate is priceless.  And check out that last name!

     Playing a regal Secretary of State with charismatic elegance, Theron as Charlotte Field delightfully out-plays all her rivals.  She is so astute a politician, one has to admire her skill in diplomacy, cloaked in a gorgeous appearance, as she plugs a project that she has been invested in since a budding activist in high school.

     An unlikely couple?  Well, yeah! This is what gives the comedy depth—a real-life situation.  She used to babysit him, and he has had a crush on her ever since.  It’s gratifying that, despite her charisma and political know-how, Charlotte is shown to have a solid grounding in principles of social concerns.  This is the making of what could be a gripping comedy with truth and heart.

     Unfortunately, the filmmakers are playing to what they perceive is the money-making audience, so drugs are introduced.  Ha-ha!  So funny!  But lo and behold!  These drugs are shown to be an aid in a high-level diplomatic negotiation.  (It’s only ever going to happen in a movie.)  

     From there, the filmmakers once again take the crowd-pleasing way out, and concoct an ending that—once again—could only happen in the movies.

     This production has so much talent in its filmmaking and acting components (director Jonathan Levine, Theron, Rogen, Odenkirk, Serkis, Skarsgard, e.g.), and not many would have expected that Theron and Rogen could have achieved such a convincing connection.  But it’s a shame the easy way out was chosen, rather than a riskier, bold, and insightful approach that would shine a light on our current world.

     In the end—such potential squandered on crowd-pleasing turns is very sad.

A fine comedy with potential to make a bold statement chooses the soft way out.

Grade:  C-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TULLY

Charlize Theron     Mackenzie Davis     Mark Duplass     Ron Livingston

            Watching this movie is difficult first of all because we’re made to experience what a depressed mother goes through, but also, it’s so hard to see Charlize Theron’s gorgeous body gone to pot.  Her character Marlo is pregnant, but she is also huge, and sits slouched down with breasts hanging and feet splayed out in front of her.  I understand Theron gained 50 pounds to look like the character, but also felt she needed to eat poorly as well to get within the character’s mind.  Her intentions are entirely successful.

            Beyond simple depression, Marlo has developed cynicism and a defeated attitude that makes her feel and act incompetent. Her relationship with her husband Drew (Livingston) is indifferent, with not one spark of emotion.  Marlo has a testy relationship with her brother Craig (Duplass) and his wife who seem to have everything together, which only makes Marlo feel worse.  But her brother does care about her and offers to provide her with a “night nanny” after her baby is born.  She is negative about this, as she is in general, and vacillates back and forth before finally giving the woman a call.

            Tully (Davis) appears on the scene like Mary Poppins, getting the household organized (even though she only works in the evening) and functioning as it should ideally.  But she does much more than that; she’s almost like a live-in therapist, providing the mothering that Marlo clearly had missed as a child. She counters Marlo’s cynicism and self put-downs with positive statements about her abilities and accomplishments.  This has a profound effect on Marlo.  We see her gradually begin to enjoy life, relate to her family with warmth and ease, and give some attention to her health and appearance.

            What about these changes?  Will they last?  What happens when the nanny’s service is ended?  Director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody give us some inkling, but major drama will take place in the meantime, with an unbelievable twist at the end.  The twist is the most implausible  aspect of the film, serving more as a gimmick than contributing to the quality of the film.

            Reitman seems to possess an unusually perceptive awareness of women, as shown by his previous films like Juno, Labor Day,and Young Adult, as well as this one.  He seems to have an understanding of their basic psychology and links that to how they confront problems and manage them.  This time, he demonstrates how invaluable an experience of being mothered is to being a good mother. Although I deeply appreciate that aspect of his work, this story bogs down in places, although, granted, the subject matter pulls it down too.  Rob Simonsen’s music counteracts this to a great extent, contributing significantly to the drama, and enlivening the emotionality of every scene.

            I admire Theron’s ability to transform herself into so many diverse characters, as in Mad Max:  Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, and Monster, and wonder if perhaps this role was more difficult for her to enact than the others, in that the character is more everyday and depressed, as opposed to a fiery femme fatale.  It certainly demonstrates with the others, the phenomenal range of her abilities.  Ron Livingston and Mackenzie Davis convincingly support the main character, each showing a significant transformation in the course of the story.  

            The import of Tullymay not be immediately obvious, or may seem mundane or banal.  But given further contemplation, it can be regarded as a film that highlights the dilemma of many American mothers who are completely unprepared for motherhood and its challenges in today’s world. 

Ask yourself how well you might handle the situations presented in this film.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

GRINGO

Joel Edgerton     Charlize Theron     David Oyelowo     Thandie Newton     Amanda Seyfried     Sharlto Copley

     Ugly Americans and Mexican cartels go head to head in this crime story that also wants to be a comedy.  Richard Rusk (Edgerton) and Elaine Markinson (Theron) co-lead a company that is not averse to doing extra-curricular deals.  They have a product being sold in Mexico for them, but when it looks like U.S. states are going to legalize marijuana, they want to market Cannabax (ha-ha--Get it?) in the U.S. and hugely increase their profits.  That will leave no product for the Mexican trade.  Their middle manager Harold (Oyelowo) has been working with the Mexicans for a long time, establishing confidence and gaining their trust, but suddenly Richard and Elaine want to accompany him on the trip to explain to the Mexicans why they are going to stop selling to them.  Harold is left out of all these plans—and many others as the plot proceeds, all while Richard keeps calling him his best friend and making promises of untold wealth.  Call him a dupe.  Go ahead.

     The plot by writers Anthony Tambakis and Matthew Stone gets heavily convoluted by incorporating multiple betrayals, Mexican cartels, an amateur American trying to smuggle dope into the US from Mexico (no connection to the other operation), and the DEA into the story.  Oh, yes, and at one point, Richard’s brother Mitch (Copley), is called upon to abandon his altruistic activities in Haiti to help his brother reclaim the kidnapped Harold.  (This is not the only kidnapping that will take place.)

     The movie, directed by Nash Edgerton (Joel’s brother), attempts to be slick, funny, and entertaining.  And I think it does achieve the latter, but I was not impressed with the intricacies of plans and subterfuges; and the “funny” is successful in drawing chuckles at times, but it borders on stereotypical portrayal of blacks.  This is Oyelowo really trying to show his comedic chops, and he is funny until you stop and think…

     The acting is top-notch by Edgerton, Theron, and Oyelowo, with Edgerton being the profligate with a swagger, Theron with a cold, hard perspective using her sexuality and attractiveness to get what she wants, and Oyelowo with high ideals passed down from his father trying to be noble.  The supporting cast is noteworthy, particularly Amanda Seyfried (Les Miserables) and Sharlto Copley (Chappie), who are two of the only genuine figures in this production. 

     It’s puzzling why the amateurish drama of a reluctant, naïve drug carrier (Harry Treadaway) and his girlfriend (Seyfried) were included in the mix.  Their paths cross with Harold’s in a sometimes touching way, but they don’t really fit into this story.

For a lightly entertaining romp, Gringo might be your movie choice—just don’t plan to take it too seriously.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

ATOMIC BLONDE

Charlize Theron     James McAvoy     Sofia Boutella      John Goodman     Toby Jones     Eddie Marsan

            Atomic Blonde—an intentional play on the name James Bond—is a spy thriller that takes place toward the end of the Cold War, just before the Berlin Wall is torn down.  But British MI6, with Gray (Jones) in charge has one last puzzle to solve.  One of the MI6 officers had obtained a vital list of double agents who were being smuggled into the west, but he is killed, and no list is found on his body or his belongings.  The CIA (Goodman) is called in to help evaluate the situation by questioning British agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) who was sent in to locate the list.  The Berlin contact she is to collaborate with is David Percival (McAvoy), the established, well-respected British ambassador in West Berlin.  The film is her account of what happened.  She comes in with black eyes and bruises and scrapes all over her body.

            Lorraine is irritated from the get-go, when she is not met at the airport by Percival.  Instead, she is whisked off by some Russians pretending to be British.  The Bond-like blonde immediately grasps what is transpiring and makes quick work of the thugs that involves harrowing combat in a speeding car.  This is just the opening.  Many more astounding feats will follow.

            The bottom line of the movie is the advice Lorraine is given by the experienced Percival at the beginning of her sojourn in Berlin:  Trust no one.  She begins to investigate, starting with the dead agent’s apartment and sleuthing out what the Russians knew of her assignment.  In the process, she encounters a mysterious female French agent (Boutella) whose role is only determined across time.

            David Leitch (stunts for V for Vendetta, 300, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith; producer, John Wick) has directed a thrilling story written by Kurt Johnstad, which was based on a graphic novel series written by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart.  The story is suspenseful, thrilling, and even a little humorous, and the fight scenes are well choreographed—presumably reflecting Leitch’s stunt experience.              

           Theron kicks a--, clearly matching her male predecessors’ acumen and sex appeal.  Women will cheer her role as a major breakthrough for female actors.  I found her fighting skills shown to be far beyond that of even well trained women athletes, but that is often true of male actors in this genre as well.  Most audiences seem to like that fantasy, despite its hyperbole.  McAvoy and Goodman show their fine talent in playing ambiguous characters who must be discovered across time.  Sultry Algerian born French actress Sofia Boutella (Kingsman:  The Secret Service, Star Trek Beyond) is becoming known to American audiences, and clearly displays her talent in this film, where her character is thought to be “beyond her depth”, but ends up providing critical information.

            Audiences who are drawn to action spy thrillers are likely to relish Atomic Blonde and cheer on the move toward making more women action heroes.

If you’re wishing for a female James Bond, you will love this film.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

Voices of:  Charlize Theron   Art Parkinson   Ralph Fiennes   George Takei   Rooney Mara   Matthew McConaughey

            What a perfect blend of visual beauty, creativity, magical stories, and delightful lessons for life!  The American stop-motion animation studio Laika is well known for its quality work (Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls), and Kubo and the two Strings represents their best in my opinion.  The visual beauty lies mostly in the sheets of paper that float or spin around and then are instantly formed by origami into magical figures.  But they are not just magical, their identities are revealed in time, and provide a way for a young child to come to terms with the loss of his parents.  The stop-motion animation could be entertaining and appreciated even without the drama, but that’s the icing on the cake.

            The film opens with an undulating sea and a tiny figure in a boat saying mantras to herself to keep her boat on course.  She ends up being tossed on shore and asleep or unconscious.  A baby’s cry awakens her and she runs over to find her infant son wrapped in a blanket.  He has a patch over his left eye.  The full story about them and how they got there unfolds during the course of the film, but in the interim, we see mother and son residing in a remote cave carved in a huge rock formation.  The mother appears older and frail, and her devoted son, Kubo (Parkinson), feeds her and comforts her when she has nightmares.  She tells him wonderful stories, his favorites being about his father.  He has many questions about him, but is always left hanging when his mother forgets.

            During the day, Kubo runs down to the village and tells the same stories in the city square which are illustrated with his magical papers and origami figures.  Plain sheets of colored paper are magically transformed into figures as he relates a tale.  Now, Kubo has been warned many times by his mother not to stay out after dark, but when he hears that during a certain festival people light lanterns and talk to their departed loved ones in the cemetery, he makes his own lantern and tries to talk to his father, not noticing that the sun has set and it’s dark.

            From there, the story becomes an adventure in which Kubo is visited by his ferocious aunts (Mara), witchlike figures out to capture him; thrown with a monkey (Theron), a beetle (McConaughey), and his origami action figures and their weapons, all while being actively pursued.  There are close calls, harrowing battles on land and sea, and a quest.  Kubo eventually learns who the witches are, why he has only one eye, and the full story about his parents.  In the process, it becomes a hero’s journey toward enlightenment and manhood.

            Themes include the value of stories, magic, family, and overcoming evil, mixed in with plenty of humor and adventure.  The interchanges between the monkey and the beetle are wonderfully entertaining in the midst of real threats.  Of deeper import are the observations about death and how memory (the “most powerful magic there is”) in the form of stories keeps loved ones alive forever.  And finally, there is a poignant sequence where an evil man is transformed by making him forget his meanness and defining him as someone charitable and good, giving credence to the idea that the attributions of others influence who we are.

            In addition to the wonders of Laika and Travis Knight’s animation, the voices of Theron, Parkinson, Fiennes, Takei, Mara, McConnaughey, and the Japanese actors provide additional color and meaning to the story.

Animation and story at their best, a film for all ages.

Grade:  A                        By Donna R. Copeland

THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR

Chris Hemsworth     Emily Blunt     Jessica Chastain     Charlize Theron

            The film, loosely based on the Snow White fairy tale, is a prequel/sequel to the 2012 Snow White and the Huntsman.  It opens with a brief flashback showing Ravenna (Theron) killing her husband, the king (Robert Portal), who is also Snow White’s father.   And it gives a picture of the relationship between the two sisters Ravenna, older and dominant, and Freya (Blunt) submissive and emotionally positive.  After Ravenna destroys Freya’s chance for happiness, Freya, feeling betrayed and cynical, takes off to the north to set up her own kingdom.  Her new ability to magically create ice gives her the reputation of the “Ice Queen” and serves as a special power (Yup; think Frozen, 2013).  Her castle containing an enormous ice tower juts up into the high mountains covered with ice and snow.

            To build her army, Freya kidnaps hundreds of children and brings them to her castle to be trained for warfare by her huntsmen.  Two children are standouts for their superior combat skills:  Eric (Hemsworth) and Sara (Chastain).  Unfortunately, these two eventually fall in love, which is against Freya’s law prohibiting it.  Love is a sin, the Ice Queen has decided.  What happens to them is the major action of the ensuing story.

            With such a talented cast, excellent cinematography (Phedon Papamichael), production design (Dominic Watkins), and costumes (Colleen Atwood), it’s a shame that the story lacks substance.  It’s as if the writers (Evan Spiliotopoulos and Craig Mazin) put the few elements of the Grimm brothers’ Snow White into a bottle with whatever came to mind, shook it up and threw the contents out on the table, putting them back together in such a way the plot comes out rather jumbled and marked by unfortunate stereotypes of women.  Give them power and they become controlling and mean (Ravenna).  If they start out being loving, they become controlling and icy and/or they get duped (Freya).  They’re unmerciful if they’ve felt betrayed or were misled into believing it to be so (Sara).  Out of all this mishmash, the gist of the tale is “Love conquers all”, which is stated sarcastically in the beginning, but expressed genuinely by the end, as if that is the conclusion the audience is supposed to draw.  However, what transpires in between is not convincing. 

            Light moments in the film that are intended as jokes seem out of place and out of context.  When one character gets proof that her betrayer actually loves her—a tender moment she shows with tears in her eyes—the mood is broken by the question, “Are you crying?”  And we’re supposed to chuckle at this misplaced joke.  There are numerous jolts like this which are intended to be funny, but that take the focus away from a fairy tale atmosphere to present day culture.

           

A story more a jumble than a fairy tale.

Grade:  C-                        By Donna R. Copeland

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Tom Hardy     Charlize Theron     Nicholas Hoult     Hugh Keays-Byrne

In a post apocalyptic world, Max (Hardy)—the silent type—guiltily broods about not having saved his loved ones.  He is so “haunted by the living and the dead”, he doesn’t know whether he is mad or everyone else is.  The hallucinations plague him so much they distract him at critical times, causing him to slip up and allow someone else to take advantage of him.  As he’s a loner, these images are his most constant companions amidst repeated life-threatening attacks by war parties cruising the land, intent on bringing everyone under the power of Immortan Joe (Keays-Byrne).  Not only does Joe hog almost all the available water for himself and dole it out to the public in the scantiest way he can think of, he keeps a number of wives who are “breed cows” making children that will resemble him. 

           After Max manages to escape from being an attachment at the front of a fierce warrior’s vehicle, his path crosses that of Furioso (Theron) and they each grab their weapons and guardedly become acquainted, but it will be some time before a modicum of trust is built up.  She is driving a wondrous junk heap of a truck that spews and sputters, but is equipped with all kinds of tools and weapons for defense.  Secretly, she is driving five of Joe’s wives to the “green place” where there will be hope for them to establish satisfying lives.  All the women are heroically skillful in adapting tools and fighting their way out of a jam.  In fact, a strong point of the film for me is that there is little difference between the male and female roles when the women get a chance to fend for themselves and go beyond simple breeding.  Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are perfectly cast, with alarming tugs of war, then oh-so-gradual softening and respect for one another.

           Much of the film is this small motley group fleeing Joe, with his war parties nipping at their heels—or their back bumper.  There is one kind of loud violence after another, with pyrotechnics bursting in the air, sloshing mud underneath them, gunfire going in all directions, and hair-raising deaths.  Yet, George Miller, the director and co-writer with Brendan McCarthy and Nick Lathouris, manage to weave an allegory about finding/creating one’s authentic self in the desert through much suffering and effort, so characters develop and change across time (shout-out to Nicholas Hoult).  Unlike with many action films, I wasn't waiting just for it all to be over.

           In fact, this is one of the most unusual action films I’ve seen.  Not only is there an interesting, suspenseful story, there are creative special effects that allow for elaborate stunt work (Guy Norris et al.) and contraptions to use as props, breathtaking scenery that shows a natural but ruined world, spectacular camera work (John Seale), and a soaring musical score (Junkie XL) with a red-suited, screaming electric guitarist stuck in the middle and playing for all he’s worth.

More than your usual action movie.

Grade:  A By Donna R. Copeland