QUICK TAKES: Logan Lucky, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Blu-ray

Courtesy of Bleeker Street

Logan Lucky
(Rated PG-13 for language and some crude comments.)

The cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig and Katie Holmes.

What it’s about: After getting laid off from his mining job, Jimmy Logan (Tatum) begins to believe his brother Clyde’s (Driver) theory about an old family curse. Hoping to reverse their luck, they plan an elaborate scheme to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600. Lots of NASCAR fans equals lots of concession stand cash, and all that money has to be stored somewhere during the race.

The good: I’ve been jokingly referring to this clever, subversive heist film as Redneck Ocean’s Eleven, but Steven Soderbergh – one of my favorite filmmakers – beat me to the punch. He knew everyone would make the easiest joke, so he works it into the actual movie. It’s that level of thinking ahead that makes Logan Lucky a joy to experience.

A lesser director would’ve just ripped off the Ocean’s flicks while also mocking Southerners with lazy stereotypes. But that’s not how Soderbergh rolls; the director takes his characters too seriously for that (not to mention he grew up in Georgia, Virginia and Louisiana). These are actual people, whose lives are affected by realistic problems, and they’re far more intelligent than society gives them credit for.

Casting Tatum as the lead is a master stroke, and proves once again that Soderbergh is the director who best understands how to utilize the actor’s talents. He’s perfect as a quiet, down-on-his-luck everyman – the kind of guy who just keeps getting kicked around by life. The rest of the cast is equally strong (well, aside from their terrible southern accents), but Craig gets the showiest role. You can tell he’s relishing the chance to go crazy after years of playing the quiet, brooding James Bond. He’s about as far from 007 as you can get here, but much more fun.

The screenplay (credited to Rebecca Bloom, although some suspect that’s a pseudonym) is much more complex than it initially appears, full of subtext and clever reversals. Like its more sophisticated Ocean’s cousins, Logan Lucky requires multiple viewings to catch all the little details.

The not-so-good: Judging from my viewing experience, this one – like most of Soderbergh’s films – will be divisive. I missed the press screening, so I saw it in a local theater last weekend just like everyone else. Several times during the movie, I found myself in the awkward position of being the only person laughing out loud.

I really wanted to ask people what they thought as we were leaving the theater, but I was afraid I’d look like a weirdo. Nevertheless, even though it had a disappointing box office debut, I expect this one to eventually find a bigger audience over the years. I could easily see it turning into another O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Grade: A-

Courtesy of Kino Lorber

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

(Not rated, but contains strong language, brief nudity and thematic elements. Now playing at Midtown Art in Atlanta.)

The cast: Martin Scorsese, Quincy Jones, Iggy Pop, Slash, Steven Van Zandt, and a host of musical journalists and historians.

What it’s about: This fascinating documentary shines a light on the immense, sadly overlooked influence of Native Americans on modern music. Focusing on both famous and unknown musicians, the film shows how they shaped the soundtrack of our lives.

The good: Most importantly, Rumble brings attention to important, often forgotten musicians who deserve far more credit and acclaim. Plus, co-directors Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana present the history and interviews in a way that’s consistently entertaining rather than preachy and didactic.

There’s a wealth of information, so that just as viewers are processing the emotional weight of one segment, another one comes along that’s just as powerful. I loved learning about people like Link Wray, whose song “Rumble” contains one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock history and gives the movie its title. Then there’s Jesse Ed Davis, who performed the amazing guitar solo in Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes” but also fought a losing battle with drug addiction.

I became familiar with the groundbreaking sound of Charley Patton, considered by many to be the “Father of the Delta blues,” as well as the golden voice of Mildred Bailey, a jazz singer who inspired greats like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Then there’s the band Redbone, whose biggest hit, “Come and Get Your Love,” recently gained new life when it was featured in Guardians of the Galaxy.

All of these stories, not to mention segments on less famous artists and activists like Buffy Sainte-Marie and John Trudell, contextualize history in ways a more straightforward documentary can’t. Plus, it ties the past to Native Americans’ current struggle to protect their land and drinking water at Standing Rock in the Dakotas.

The not-so-good: Rumble is an embarrassment of riches, which leads to an intriguing problem. The subject matter is so compelling and revelatory that the film doesn’t have enough time to dive deep on the individual musicians, each of whom is worthy of his or her own documentary. I would love to see a multi-part television series (something on PBS or the History Channel, perhaps?) devoted to the same material.

Grade: A

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Blu-ray Review: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

(Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive content.)

The cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Kurt Russell.

What it’s about: Picking up a few months after the events of the first film, the Guardians are functioning as more of a team than ever before. However, a godlike being name Ego (Russell), claiming to be Peter Quill’s (Pratt) long-lost father, appears and asks for their help on his home planet. Quill, Gamora (Saldana) and Drax (Bautista) go along, while Rocket (Cooper) and Baby Groot (Diesel) stay behind for another mission. Soon, their adventures intersect and they must uncover Ego’s true motives.

The good: Every frame of this fun – and surprisingly heartwarming movie – is basically a ’70s black light poster. The visual effects are dazzling, the performances are top-notch (especially Russell and Rooker, who delivers some of the best work of his career), and the dialogue is equally hilarious and bizarre.

However, what I love best about GOTG, Vol. 2 is that writer-director James Gunn loves this world as much as the audience does. He’s content to spend large chunks of the film’s 136-minute running time just hanging out with the characters instead of rushing through to get to the big action sequences.

The not-so-good: I’m sure hardcore nerds will love the reason why Sylvester Stallone shows up in a couple of scenes. However, his subplot is seemingly designed to regular viewers go, “Wait, what?” Still, it’s ultimately worth it for the huge emotional payoff at the end.

Special features: Audio commentary (with director James Gunn), deleted scenes, gag reel, “Guardians Inferno” music video (with David Hasselhoff and special guests), and a four-part look at the making of the film.

Grade: A-