DEADPOOL 2

Josh Brolin     Ryan Reynolds     Morena Baccarin     Bill Skarsgard     T.J. Miller     Zazie Beetz     Julian Dennison

Eddie Marsan     Leslie Uggams     Brianna Hildebrand     Lewis Tan     Stefan Kapicic     Jack Kesy     Terry Crews  

     Deadpool is back, loaded with heroics, physically impossible altercations and gun battles, just as before in the first Deadpool, mixing in even more jokes and references to other movies.  He seems to be living a contented life with his beloved Vanessa (Baccarin), and they are discussing baby-making when his past re-emerges in a way that will make him do something that will plague him for all time to come.  

     Now, he is out for revenge, which lands him in jail (the “icebox” for mutant offenders), where he is paired with a mutant orphan (Russell, aka “Firefist”), who idolizes Deadpool and pleads for friendship, to no avail.  But after Deadpool has repeatedly rejected him, he learns more about him, and at Vanessa’s urging, decides to protect the orphan from two forces out to get him.  One is the abusive head of the reformatory where the child had been living; and the other, the formidable Cable (Brolin), a time-traveling super-hero from the future who is worried about what Firefist might do that could affect him in some way.  He serves as the new villain.

     To go after these foes, Deadpool realizes he needs to form a band of warriors, which he will name X-Force.  Many apply for the job, some of which are Zeitgeist (Skarsgard), Bedlam (Crews), and Domino (Beetz).  The interviews of these characters are fun to see, not the least of which is Peter (Rob Delaney), who has no special talent and just comes along for the ride. Seeing their special powers in action provides additional entertainment.

     The film, directed by David Leitch, a former stuntman who, as in Atomic Blonde, has created well choreographed fight scenes, does not really break new ground, and actually becomes tedious in its endless self-commentary staged battles, and endless references to other films. The fight I enjoyed most was on a hijacked urban train with Deadpool stopping Cable’s bullets with his twirling ninja swords.  Reynolds and Brolin are standouts in their respective roles of two distinctly different characters—one, a motor mouth who goes after bad guys, and the other a true villain without mercy.  The actor from New Zealand who plays Russell, Julian Dennison, first won international fame in Taika Waititi‘s Hunt for the Wilderpeople,  He is just as good here as in the previous film, and manages to steal your heart.

     Tyler Bates’ music is a good part of the entertainment, as is Jonathan Sela’s cinematography.  When X-Force parachutes down into a city, the scene set against a bright blue sky, is humorously reminiscent of Magritte’s painting, “Golconda.”

Deadpool 2—not dead in the water, but a sequel only diehard Marvel fans will appreciate.

Grade:  B                                By Donna R. Copeland

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Josh Brolin   Tom Holland   Chris Pratt   Chris Evans   Chris Hemsworth   Robert Downey, Jr.   Zoe Saldana

Tom Hiddleston   Benedict Cumberbatch   Chadwick Boseman   Letitia Wright   Danai Gurira

Mark Ruffalo   Peter Dinklage   Bradley Cooper   Vin Diesel   Don Cheadle

     Marvel Comics has gone all out in seeing to it that this rendition of the Avengers franchise thrills, chills, and awes. Surprising plot turns and awesome special effects while keeping the well-known players’ characters doing their thing, are sure to seize audience attention and keep it spellbound. It’s always best to be familiar with the comic book stories, but for those who have only a foggy notion about them and haven’t kept up, there is still much to entertain.

     The essential conflict in this story is Thanos’ (Brolin) attempt to collect all the Infinity Stones so he can rule the world.  He has an agenda; and it’s another case of someone thinking they know what’s best for all mankind.  Thanos has decided that there are too many people in the world relative to the number of resources, so his simple solution is to destroy half of them. That way, the world’s limited resources won’t be depleted.  Keep in mind that he is utterly convinced that this is the only solution.

     It’s rather fun to see all the Marvel superheroes uniting together in their commitment to save the universe from a seemingly invincible monster.  And Brolin plays Thanos with just the right mix of power-hungry deluded, admiration of strength and bravery, and slight vulnerability to love and affection.  He is an ideologue who has supreme confidence in his belief of what is good for all mankind.  One of the creative twists of the writers (Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely), is in showing his deep emotional attachment to Gamora (Saldana), his adoptive daughter, whom he rescued from poverty when he was destroying her world. His love for her and subsequent disillusionment is one of the few emotional pulls in the film, which is mainly concerned with the battles among super-heroes. 

     Disillusionment is shown once again when Thanos’ forces are attacking Wakanda, the pristine realm of Black Panther (Boseman).  At one point, the Panthers’ warrior in command, Okoye (Gurira),  states, “When we opened up Wakanda, this is not what I imagined”, to which Panther asks, “What did you imagine?”  Her reply: “The Olympics, maybe a Starbucks…” illustrating the movie’s subtle references to practical and more lofty ideals.

     This is a film for action movie aficionados, and it delivers all to be expected in that sense.  The story, special effects, and cinematography meet these expectations.  But for those who prefer a more subtle, nuanced plot and refreshing character development, it will come up short.  

Action?  Adventure?  Exciting fantasy? You got it with this film. There are other choices if action and extended battle scenes are not for you.

Grade:  B                                                 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

SICARIO

Emily Blunt     Josh Brolin     Benicio Del Toro

          Sicario will make you question many of your beliefs about right and wrong.  A rather naïve FBI agent Kate Macer (Blunt) is voluntarily sent to work in an operation that is completely outside her familiar element.  She has done a good job recently and is considered a sharp agent, street-wise, who is consequential in her work.  We’re shown that right away, although she is seen to vomit after a successful operation she has led.  After that, she is considered for a bigger operation in which the goal is to identify and take out a major cartel leader.

         Enter Matt Graver (Brolin) and Alejandro (Del Toro) who are engaged in a plan to go across the Mexican border and reel in the Big Fish, the head of a major drug cartel.  The tension of the film centers on Macer’s ethical pull between what she knows is right and the sensibilities of Matt and Alejandro.  They rescue her any number of times when she makes errors in judgment, yet she still questions their means to an end.  And so will the viewer, which is what I presume Villaneuve (director) and Taylor Sheridan (writer) had in mind as the essence of the film.  They want us to put ourselves in Macer’s shoes and question what we would do in similar circumstances.

       The three main actors are in their element, at their best, in their roles.  Blunt is a complex mix of strength and naïveté; Brolin is enigmatic and playful; and Del Toro is typically shiver-producing in his intricate mix of the humane and brutal.  Blunt is at her best, but I think the screenwriter did her a disservice by making her impulsive and less thoughtful than she should be at times. 

         A highlight for me was the cinematography of the master Roger Deakins.  Over and over again, his perspective artistically guides the picture, as when we see armed men in uniforms and night goggles stealthily crossing a landscape scene toward an underground tunnel within the background of a gorgeous sunset, presumably expressing the hope that aggression (war) is justifiable and humane in the end.

          All of that is left up to the viewer to decide in this finely drawn picture of the good trying to overcome evil.  It provokes good discussions about the role of someone in Macer’s position, the efficacy of torture in obtaining information, and how closely we need to adhere to Constitutional rights when apprehending criminals.

Altogether a thoughtful, evocative film.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland