by Josh Sewell
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| Courtesy of Disney |
(Rated PG for action/peril and some mild thematic elements.)
The cast: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer and Mel Rodriguez.
What it’s about: Pixar’s latest is set in a suburban fantasy world where mythological creatures have given up magic for the convenience of modern technology. Two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (Holland and Pratt), rediscover some of this magic when they discover a gift from their long-dead father that will allow them to spend one last day with him.
The good: After 25 years of quality filmmaking, audiences consider greatness to be the norm with Pixar. The studio has created a near-impossible standard for itself, but they somehow pull it off most of the time. What’s more, in a marketplace beginning to feel the effects of franchise fatigue, they’ve perfectly timed their newest original project.
Onward isn’t going to blow people away with an innovative narrative – it’s essentially another spin on the hero’s journey, where lessons characters learn along the way are more important than the destination. But it’s a familiar story well-told, with dazzling animation, lots of fun visual gags, and two outstanding vocal performances to anchor the movie. Marvel fans already know how charismatic Holland and Pratt can be in the right roles, and there’s further evidence here with their work as squabbling, yet fiercely loyal siblings.
As is usually the case with Pixar flicks, it’s probably a good idea to bring tissues with you into the theater. There’s a good chance you’ll shed a few tears in the poignant third act. We’re not talking Coco or Toy Story 3-level sobbing, but my daughter and I were wiping our eyes on our sleeves.
The not-so-good: Onward gets bogged down for a while in the second act, but it recovers nicely when the climax kicks in. Also, some viewers might express frustration at where the brothers’ journey leads them; however, I thought that destination added symbolic weight to the story.
Grade: A-
Birds of Prey
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| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
(Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material.)
The cast: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Ewan McGregor.
What it’s about: Following the events of the godawful Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn (Robbie) and the Joker have called it quits. As she begins to heal from that toxic relationship, she realizes a lot of Gotham City bad guys with grudges are now free to come after her, including the twisted, narcissistic Roman Sionis (McGregor). Now she must form an unlikely alliance with other women facing Sionis’ wrath, including Huntress (Winstead), Black Canary (Smollett-Bell) and troubled cop Renee Montoya (Perez), to protect themselves and take him down.
The good: Robbie is a terrific actress, but Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (whew… that’s the only time I’m typing the full title) proves she’s also got a promising future as an executive producer. Bringing on director Cathy Yan and screenwriter Christina Hodson to salvage the damage done to Harley in Suicide Squad demonstrates Robbie’s strong storytelling instincts and her loyalty to the character that helped make her a star.
It's clear Robbie is excited to play a liberated, more confident Harley. She’s funny and tough, like an only slightly less cartoonish Bugs Bunny. However, she’s surrounded by equally interesting characters portrayed by actors having a blast. I love McGregor’s choices lately, from the melancholy, affecting Doctor Sleep to his weird, bonkers villainous turn here. Any time he and Robbie are on screen together, the movie rockets to another level.
The same goes for the delightful third act when Harley finally teams up with the titular Birds of Prey to take down Sionis. Robbie’s interactions with Winstead, Smollett-Bell and Perez are so much fun that I’m hoping we get to see them together again. Considering the film overcame a sluggish start at the box office (it has made almost $190 million worldwide since opening in early February), perhaps we’ll get a sequel down the road. It’s the most promising evidence yet that DC is figuring out how to recover from the dreadfully dour Zack Snyder years.
The not-so-good: The film’s hard-R rating (seriously, leave the kids at home) likely played a part in keeping it from becoming a blockbuster. If we’re being honest, so did the toxic stink of Suicide Squad that it could never quite shake. However, now that word-of-mouth has mostly gone from “surprisingly decent” to “no, it’s pretty good” to “it’s great, actually,” we’ll see if it can pick up steam or gain a second life once it hits Blu-ray and various streaming platforms.
Grade: B+
Blu-ray Review: Bombshell
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| Courtesy of Lionsgate |
The cast: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and John Lithgow.
What it’s about: Based on the scandal that brought down Fox News chairman Roger Ailes (Lithgow), this drama offers a revealing look inside the network and the explosive story of the women (Theron, Kidman and Robbie) who defeated a once-unstoppable media titan.
The good: Thanks to an incredibly talented team of makeup artists (who won an Oscar for the film last month), most of the actors look remarkably like the characters they portray, especially Theron as Megyn Kelly and Lithgow as Ailes. Performances are also solid – good enough to earn nominations for Best Actress (Theron) and Best Supporting Actress (Robbie). Despite the vile subject matter, director Jay Roach keeps the film from feeling too morose (there’s a surprising amount of humor) while still treating those affected in real life with respect.
The not-so-good: While the actors look and sound great, the screenplay (credited to Charles Randolph, who tackled similarly complex material with The Big Short) doesn’t give them much to work with. They’re all mouthpieces for talking points rather than believable human beings.
Furthermore, I’m not sure who Bombshell appeals to. Roach attempts to walk the “both sides” tightrope by trying to please conservative and liberal viewers alike, but it seems to be a wasted effort. Fans of Fox News probably don’t want to see media personalities they admire put through the ringer.
Conversely, the network’s detractors likely aren’t looking to feel empathy for people they don’t like or buy a ticket for a story they already followed closely in real life. Finally, in Roach and Randolph’s attempt to make everyone happy, the screenplay barely touches on the characters’ flaws in a gamble to make them more likable (aside from Ailes, of course). Instead, it just makes everyone boring.
Special features: “No Easy Truths: The Making of Bombshell” 7-part documentary, including segments on the film’s origin; casting; visual design; makeup and costume design; and director Jay Roach.
Grade: C
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