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| Courtesy of 20th Century Fox |
Kingsman: The Secret Service
(Rated
R for sequences of strong violence, language and some sexual content.)
The
cast: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong and Michael
Caine.
What
it’s about: A troubled, yet promising street kid (Egerton) attracts the
attention of an ultra-covert spy operation. The head of the Kingsmen (Caine)
doesn’t think he has what it takes to join their ranks, but one of their most
respected members (Firth) believes otherwise. At the same time, an evil tech
billionaire (Jackson) initiates his plan to decimate the world’s population.
The
good: I’m automatically on board for any project writer-director Matthew Vaughn
is a part of. He and writing partner Jane Goldman are terrific storytellers and
he’s got a keen eye for visuals and action sequences. The duo’s latest
collaboration with Mark Millar does for old-school James Bond movies what the
team’s Kick-Ass did for superhero flicks: puts a winking, modern spin on a
formula that became cliché long ago.
But Kingsman is the far superior work thanks to the phenomenal actors involved in
the project, all of whom are clearly having a blast. Firth gets to play a
dapper, far more lethal version of 007, showcasing his ability to master some impressive
fight choreography. Strong, who has played his share of villains, does good
work as a good guy for a change. And the less I say about Jackson’s character,
the better; discovering the entertaining elements of his personality is part of
the fun.
However,
the film’s most pleasant surprise is Egerton. I hadn’t seen him in anything
before this, but anybody who can hold his own against Firth, Caine, Strong and
Jackson is someone to pay attention to. The guy’s going places.
The
not-so-good: Not much, aside from language and violence that some viewers might
find unnecessary. If you’re a fan of retro spy films or modern action flicks,
this one’s a must-see. I had a big, goofy grin on my face for two hours
straight.
Grade:
B+
 |
| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
Jupiter Ascending
(Rated
PG-13 for some violence, sequences of sci-fi action, some suggestive content
and partial nudity.)
The
cast: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Douglas Booth and
Tuppence Middleton.
What
it’s about: Jupiter Jones (Kunis) is a Russian immigrant who spends her days
cleaning rich people’s houses. Her loftiest goal is earning enough money to buy
a telescope, which she believes will help her better understand her long-dead father.
Life changes dramatically when Caine (Tatum), a scientifically-engineered
soldier, shows up and explains she’s actually the perfect genetic reincarnation
of the queen of the universe. That puts her in line for a vast inheritance that
includes ownership of Earth. The big problem? The recently murdered queen’s
greedy children (Redmayne, Booth and Middleton) will do anything in their power
to claim Earth as their own.
The
good: It’s important to stress that Jupiter Ascending has some impressive,
entertaining elements. You might not have gathered that from the film’s
scathing reviews or its Rotten Tomatoes score (a dreadful 22 percent). It’s a
visual delight, which is a given with any film from the Wachowskis. From the
streets of Chicago to the vast reaches of outer space, every scene pops with
vivid color, sleek costumes and intricate detail.
The
siblings’ projects also reflect another rarity in mainstream filmmaking:
diverse casting that doesn’t draw attention to race or gender, instead just
making it a natural part of the narrative. The best part of that cast, far and
away, is Tatum. If there was ever any doubt that he’s a bona fide movie star,
his work here should put it to rest. For crying out loud, the guy wears fake
wolf ears and a bleach-blond goatee through the entire movie and he still
possesses more charisma than anyone else on screen. The dude is bulletproof.
The
not-so-good: I heard someone call the film a decent fairy tale wrapped in bad
sci-fi, which beats any description I could come up with. The plot is a rehash
of the Wachowskis’ far superior The Matrix, blended with elements of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, it’s not a successful
combo. Most of the actors – aside from Tatum and Bean – seem to struggle with
how to approach the material. Kunis tries to play it totally straight, which comes
off as dull.
Redmayne
– who will probably win an Oscar next week – goes the opposite route and shoots
for campy, over-the-top territory. And, good lord, he’s terrible. By all
accounts, he’s a perfectly nice guy and The Theory of Everything proves he’s
an amazing actor. But his choices don’t work here at all. Plus, any film that
wastes Gugu Mbatha-Raw is making a big mistake. She has less than five minutes
of screen time and gets absolutely nothing to do.
Grade:
C+
 |
| Courtesy of Sony |
The Interview
(Rated
R for pervasive language, crude and sexual humor, nudity, some drug use and
bloody violence.)
The
cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Randall Park, Lizzy Caplan and Diana Bang.
What
it’s about: Dave Skylark (Franco) hosts a popular talk show that focuses on
celebrity guests and trashy gossip. His best friend and producer, Aaron
Rapoport (Rogen), is happy for the show’s success, but wishes for more
journalistic cred. The pair gets their chance when they learn North Korean
dictator Kim Jong-un (Park) is a fan and nab an interview with him. That’s when
they’re approached by a CIA operative (Caplan) who asks them to assassinate the
leader during their trip.
The
good: Honestly, the best part about the movie was watching it on Netflix weeks after
all the hype and controversy died down. The Interview was never supposed to
be a capital-F “film” full of satire so biting that it sparked an international
incident. It was conceived as a dumb Rogen/Franco comedy and that’s exactly
what it is, although there are some occasionally sharp political barbs along
the way.
The
performances are decent, with Rogen delivering another solid straight-man turn
and Franco putting a fresh coat of paint on the vain, shallow talk show host
cliché. But the flick’s standout is Park, who makes Jong-un an actual
character. He’s not a cartoonish villain; he’s a shrewd, albeit reprehensible,
leader who understands the roles that ego, media and good PR play when it comes
to staying in power. It’s a smart performance that got overlooked amid the
furor the movie caused.
The
not-so-good: Co-directors Rogen and Evan Goldberg could’ve easily trimmed a
half-hour from the 112-minute running time. Once the titular interview occurs
in the final third, the narrative speeds up and gets far more interesting.
However, the beginning and middle sections are shaggy and improv-heavy, which
slows the pace considerably. The flick also contains a lot of homoerotic,
butt-related humor that Rogen and Goldberg relentlessly mocked in their last
effort, This is the End. I was disappointed to find them attempting to play
it for real laughs this time around, rather than winking at the audience about
it.
Grade:
B-
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