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| Courtesy of Sony |
(Rated R for bloody violence, language throughout, some drug and sexual content.)
The cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson and Emma Stone.
What it’s about: A decade later, the characters from the original film (Harrelson, Eisenberg, Breslin and Stone) return to see how things have changed in this postapocalyptic world ravaged by zombies. The plot stretches from the White House to the heartland, features a few new faces (including Deutch and Dawson), and offers a look at how zombies have evolved over the years.
The good: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Zombieland: Double Tap considering the first film didn’t exactly scream for a sequel and 10 years is a long time to wait for one. (Granted, returning screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were busy during that time with another little franchise called Deadpool.)
Reese and Wernick (with an assist from Dave Callaham), along with director Ruben Fleischer, make sure the latest installment maintains a similar tone and sticks with a successful combo of ribald humor and graphic violence. Fortunately, the returning cast still has terrific chemistry with each other as well as newcomers. Harrelson and Eisenberg are clearly having a blast.
Considering the stratospheric trajectory of Stone’s career since the 2009 original (including an Oscar for Best Actress), I was shocked at how much screen time she has. I was expecting an extended cameo as a favor to the filmmakers who helped make her a star. Instead, she’s a full-blown lead who appears in almost every scene, reminding viewers what a skilled comedian she is while making it seem effortless.
As fun as it is to see these performers again, Deutch steals the movie as Madison, a Valley girl who tags along with the crew. I’ve been a fan of the actress since Everybody Wants Some!, but she’s on another level here, taking what could’ve been a tired dumb blonde stereotype and turning her into the film’s most entertaining character. She’s so great in her scenes with Stone that I want to see them in a buddy comedy together as soon as possible.
The not-so-good: Unfortunately, Breslin doesn’t get much to do. I get that it’s tough for the screenwriters to give four leads equal time in such a short movie, but she’s stuck in a lame subplot in which her character drops everything to follow a boy.
Also, Zombieland: Double Tap is yet another horror/action film that relies on fake, distracting CGI blood rather than utilizing practical effects. I’m assuming it’s cheaper, but it ends up taking viewers out of the movie because it feels like watching someone else play a video game.
Grade: B
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
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| Courtesy of Netflix |
(Rated TV-MA for violence, language, and thematic elements. Now streaming on Netflix.)
The cast: Aaron Paul, Matt Jones, Charles Baker, Scott MacArthur and Scott Shepherd.
What it’s about: The last time we saw Jesse Pinkman (Paul) in the Breaking Bad finale, he escaped from the neo-Nazis compound where he’d been a captive. This film picks up immediately, with Jesse fleeing in a stolen El Camino to an uncertain future. He hopes to start fresh in a new place, but first he must evade the manhunt searching for him in Albuquerque.
The good: Fans thought we’d said goodbye to Jesse (and several other familiar faces) back in 2013, so El Camino, which was shot in almost total secrecy, is a delightful surprise. Fittingly, it doesn’t dramatically alter anything we know about the show’s narrative. Instead, it’s a mostly low-key epilogue focused on a character who got sidelined for many of the series’ final episodes.
The best thing about the film is that Paul gets his well-deserved time alone in the spotlight after sharing it with Bryan Cranston for so long. Instead of playing the dopey sidekick he was in the first couple of seasons, we get to see just how much Jesse evolved into the show’s unexpected moral center. It’s an incredible performance.
That’s why it’s so fulfilling to see what happens to him after he drives away from the nightmare he experienced for so long. Granted, Jesse has done terrible things, often at the behest of Walter White (Cranston); however, being held captive in a pit and tortured by neo-Nazis who made him watch as they murdered his girlfriend is probably worse than a prison sentence. Now we want to see him try to find a normal life that was stolen from him by psychopaths.
Series creator Vince Gilligan, once again writing and directing, makes sure El Camino fits tonally with its predecessors (including the phenomenal prequel series Better Call Saul) thanks to his usual collaborators – including composer Dave Porter and cinematographer Marshall Adams. He also gets terrific performances from the supporting cast, including Jones and Baker as Jesse’s best friends, Badger and Skinny Pete.
There are other actors I’d like to compliment as well, but I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the fun of seeing them pop up. (Although I will spoil one: Robert Forster once again plays a vacuum salesman-turned-“disappearer” and he’s phenomenal. Sadly, the 78-year-old actor died the same day El Camino hit Netflix.)
The not-so-good: I don’t know that El Camino was narratively essential, but I’m so glad it exists to provide a coda for a beloved character. Fans who watched Breaking Bad for the action might be disappointed (there’s only one quick gun battle and Paul’s performance is largely silent), but those who preferred the show’s quiet moments and focus on character will be in heaven.
Grade: B+
Blu-ray Review: The Lion King (2019)
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| Courtesy of Disney |
The cast: Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner and James Earl Jones.
What it’s about: Simba (JD McCrary) leads a privileged life as the only cub of King Mufasa (Jones), but when his evil uncle Scar (Ejiofor) makes a play for the throne, the young prince finds himself exiled and heartbroken. Years later, when Simba (now played by Glover) reunites with former friend Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph as a cub, Knowles-Carter as a lioness), he realizes he must return home and fight for his rightful place as king of Pride Rock.
The good: Those looking for a visual extravaganza that pushes their nostalgia buttons will be in heaven. Director Jon Favreau transforms adorable animated critters into stunningly lifelike animals who still talk and sing songs we remember from the original. It’s like watching a trippy version of Planet Earth.
The not-so-good: Narratively, this new adaptation of The Lion King is almost the exact same film, down to the dialogue. There are even close approximations of specific camera angles. For the first hour, I actually started to get bored when the initial wonder of the visual spectacle wore off. Thankfully, the new version of Pumbaa and Timon (Rogen and Eichner) – the only characters who are allowed to deviate from the original film – showed up to add some spontaneity.
Special features: Audio commentary with director Jon Favreau; behind-the scenes documentary; musical moments featurette; “Spirit” music video; song selection option; and more.
Grade: B-
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