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| Courtesy of Disney |
Tomorrowland
(Rated
PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and peril, thematic elements, and
language.)
The
cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy and Hugh Laurie.
What
it’s about: A jaded inventor (Clooney) and an optimistic, science-loving
teenager (Robertson) team up to locate a hidden utopia known as Tomorrowland so
they can save the world. That’s literally the entire movie.
The
good: The film boasts solid performances, particularly from Robertson (but at
25 she’s tough to buy as a teenager). Although Clooney and Laurie are fine, they
can do these kinds of roles in their sleep by now. There are some solid action
sequences, accompanied by impressive visual effects – especially a crazy fight in
a nostalgia shop featuring the always enjoyable Kathryn Hahn and Keegan-Michael
Key.
I
also appreciated the movie’s big message: that the world would be a better
place if we focus on optimism rather than feeding our current pessimistic obsession
with dystopian entertainment.
The
not-so-good: That message is the entire reason Tomorrowland exists, as
evidenced by the lecture Laurie’s character delivers in the problematic third
act. It seems like director Brad Bird, along with his co-creators Damon Lindelof
and Jeff Jensen, came up with the sermon first and crafted a movie around it,
rather than allowing that point to emerge naturally from the narrative. The
result is a secular version of evangelical movies like Facing the Giants or God’s Not Dead. From an artistic perspective, the results are just as awkward.
The
third act is also home to the film’s most unsettling scene, a borderline-romantic
conversation between Clooney’s character and a childlike robot named Athena
(Cassidy). I get what the filmmakers were going for, but it comes off as incredibly
creepy. I honestly thought the scene was going to end with the characters
kissing. Thankfully, the movie doesn’t go there.
Unfortunately,
for all the story’s talk of Robertson’s character being the one who can stop
the end of the world, nothing comes of it. Instead, the climax boils down to
Clooney, a jetpack and an unintentionally comedic makeshift bomb. She gets
sidelined in her own story.
The
film also comes off as hypocritical. It rails for two hours against audiences’
love of dystopian entertainment and pleads for optimism and originality, so how
does it end? With the villain giving a lengthy monologue and the heroes forced
to blow something up to save the world. In another modern filmmaking cliché,
the entire movie feels like a setup for Tomorrowland 2, which I genuinely
doubt we’ll ever get.
Grade:
C+
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| Courtesy of Universal |
Pitch Perfect 2
(Rated
PG-13 for innuendo and language.)
The
cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Skylar
Astin and Adam Devine.
What
it’s about: After a humiliating performance in front of the President of the
United States, the award-winning Barden Bellas are banned from taking part in
their usual a cappella competitions. However, a loophole means that if they can
somehow win the upcoming World Championship, their group will be reinstated.
The
good: As with the 2012 original – a surprise hit that spawned a mega-selling
soundtrack – the energetic musical performances are the biggest reason to buy a
ticket. Especially since Das Sound Machine, an imposing German group that
proves to be the Bellas’ toughest competition, is so fantastic. Honestly, I’d
like to see an entire movie about the odd, intimidating Pieter (Flula Borg) and
Kommissar (Birgitte Hjort Sorensen).
Also
like the original, the big riff-off sequence is the film’s highlight – that’s
where Borg and Sorensen really get to show off their comedic chops. But the
biggest laughs in that scene come from David Cross, hamming it up as the
eccentric, wealthy Southerner in charge of the contest. Most of the returning
cast is solid – Kendrick and Snow in particular – but the franchise has a
bright future thanks to Steinfeld.
The
Oscar-nominee convincingly portrays her character’s evolution from insecure new
recruit to confident, vital member of the team. There’s no way she doesn’t come
back for Pitch Perfect 3, considering the movie made $69.2 million in its
first three days and the other characters graduate at the end. Universal isn’t
going to leave that much money on the table.
Most
importantly, on the business side, it’s great to see Elizabeth Banks’ confident
directorial debut hit so big with audiences, especially since the first film
was her pet project. I look forward to seeing more of her behind-the-camera work
in the future.
The
not-so-good: Pitch Perfect 2 suffers from a severe case of sequel-itis. Every
element feels like it has to be bigger and louder than the original, when
that’s not necessary at all. The most glaring example is Wilson’s over-the-top
theatrics. She was fun in the first one because the script used her as seasoning.
This time around, she’s like a 12-course meal – meaning the character is a lot
tougher to endure.
But
my biggest problem, without getting into spoilers, is that the wrong team wins.
There’s an unmistakable difference in the Bellas’ and Das Sound Machine’s performances.
When the winner is announced, it feels like a decision made for storytelling
reasons rather than quality.
Grade:
B
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| Courtesy of A24 |
Slow West
(Rated
R for violence and brief language. Playing at Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre and on
VOD.)
The
cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn and Caren Pistorius.
What
it’s about: In the 1870s, a young Scottish aristocrat (Smit-McPhee) journeys
across the American frontier in search of the woman (Pistorius) he loves. Soon,
he’s joined by a mysterious traveler (Fassbender) who offers to serve as his
protection in an unforgiving land – for a price, of course.
The
good: First of all, the movie is gorgeous. John Maclean (making his
feature-length debut) shot in New Zealand and Scotland, giving the proceedings
a look that Western fans probably aren’t used to. It’s an interesting choice,
one that highlights how the real version of the American west has been
mythologized out of existence.
The
performances are compelling as well. How has no one cast Fassbender in a
Western before now? He’s fantastic as archetypical cowboy Silas, channeling
Clint Eastwood more than John Wayne, and it’s moving to watch his character shift
from seeing rash, inexperienced Jay as an easy mark to a good kid who needs
protection. Smit-McPhee successfully makes the jump from child actor to adult
roles, allowing viewers to root for him in his journey while simultaneously
acknowledging how foolhardy it is.
Maclean’s
propensity for swift, unexpected violence is a good representation of the
unforgiving environment, although he undercuts the bleakness with jet-black
humor. The big shootout at the end escalates to practically cartoonish levels
(especially a bold, “did that seriously just happen?” narrative choice), but it
works because you’re invested in the characters.
The
not-so-good: Even with a slight 83-minute running time, Slow West lives up to
its title. The deliberate pacing allows viewers to experience the characters’
lives in the harsh landscape, but it may prove a tough obstacle for viewers
with nonexistent attention spans.
Grade:
B+
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