Movie review: The Old Guard

 Fighting for good, a covert group of immortal mercenaries must now fight for their lives after being exposed. Targeted for experimentation, the group struggles to remain hidden just as an unexpected new member is revealed.

Charlize Theron (Andy), KiKi Layne (Nile), Matthias Schoenaerts (Booker), Marwan Kenzari (Joe), Luca Marinelli (Nicky), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Copley), Harry Melling (Merrick), Veronica Ngo (Quynh), Natacha Karam (Dizzy).

The Old Guard begins nicely jumping straight to a scene that brings us up to speed on Andy and her team. From there the story dives deeper into each character while bringing in a nemesis and a surprise character just to keep things interesting. The story evolves well on a couple of fronts, and develops nice depth. There is a good mix of drama and action that keeps things moving with variety up through the obviously-a-sequel-setup ending.

Acting was good with Theron almost delivering more emotion than usual, which isn't much. Layne was enjoyable and quite solid with her delivery. Schoenaerts, Kenzari, and Marinelli all did well and seemed to work well together. Ejiofor was good in a smaller role while Melling was a fitting antagonist.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are pretty good with a realistic feel. Action was good and also felt fairly realistic. CGI was well done and fit the film very well. Dialogue was a bit dry but not what the film was about anyway. Sound and soundtrack are enjoyable.

Overall The Old Guard is a well done action adventure flick with a solid sci-fi base. The characters and story are enjoyable, as is acting and technical work. Fans of well rounded action films should enjoy this one.

With some mild sexuality, plenty of violence, gore, and foul language, reserve this one for older teens and above.

Released: 2020
Reviewed: 12.29.20
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Community

 

Suspended lawyer, Jeff Winger, is forced to return to school when the legitimacy of his law degree is challenged. There he meets and eventually befriends a group of outcast misfit students leading to surprising adventures.

Joel McHale (Jeff), Gillian Jacobs (Britta), Danny Pudi (Abed), Alison Brie (Annie), Ken Jeong (Chang), Yvette Brown (Shirley), Jim Rash (Dean), Donald Glover (Troy), Chevy Chase (Pierce), John Oliver (Duncan), Jonathan Banks (Hickey).

Though a bit dated, Community is a fun and fairly fast moving sitcom that doesn't bog itself down with long-term plots. Running 6 seasons from 2009 to 2015, the show focuses on suspended lawyer, Jeff, who has enrolled in community college to maintain his law degree. He joins a study group where he meets ditzy Britta, robotic Abed, megalomaniac Troy, and many other interesting characters. From there the series is a series of interesting escapades and entertaining drama.

Acting in this one was top notch all around. McHale, Jacobs, Pudi, Brie, and Brown were good on their own but add in Jeong, Chase, Oliver and Banks and things got even better with some experience at the table. Even small slips actually fit the series well. The only disappointments were Glover and Chase leaving the series.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were all good with solid feel and fit. Physical stunt work however was very good for a sitcom. Mild CGI was silly and enjoyable. Dialogue was very well done with plenty of subtle sarcasm, political and social satire. Sound and soundtrack are good.

Overall Community should leave you with a smile and a few chuckles if you enjoy a nice sitcom. I call this brain candy as it diverts your attention with humor and does little else.

 With some mild sexuality, mild violence, and some foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 12.29.20
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Sitcom, Comedy, TV Comedy

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel

Movie review: The Nun

 The death of a young nun in Romania prompts the Vatican to investigate. Sending a troubled priest and a young nun preparing to take her vows, the two uncover secrets and the same demonic nun that first terrified audiences in "The Conjuring 2".

Demian Bichir (Father Burke), Taissa Farmiga (Sister Irene), Jonas Bloquet (Frenchie), Bonnie Aarons (Nun), Ingrid Bisu (Sister Oana), Patrick Wilson (Ed), Vera Farmiga (Lorraine), Charlotte Hope (Sister Victoria).

The Nun begins with a brief flashback to remind us of what happened previously with this storyline. Shifting quickly to character introductions, setup for the main plot begins as well, and the film is off and running. When a young nun dies of apparent suicide in Romania, the Vatican sends troubled priest Father Burke, and young Irene who is preparing to take her vows as a nun. From there the film is a blend of horror and mystery as the two try and unravel strange happenings at the convent. What they find is the same demonic nun from The Conjuring 2 who is strangely focused on Irene.

Acting was decent with Bichir and Farmiga both delivering well and appearing to work well together. Taissa Farmiga, being the younger sister of Vera Farmiga, did well and fit the film perfectly. Bloquet brought some depth and was entertaining, as was Bisu and the remainder of the supporting cast.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were all fairly well done in this one though the film was frustratingly dark at times. Effects were good for the most part, though the blank faced nuns scene was ridiculous. Dialogue was decent and moved things along. A bit more connection to previous films would be nice. Sound and soundtrack are both good.

Overall The Nun is a solid entry in The Conjuring franchise while also a decent stand-alone story. Those new to the franchise will not be lost, but may find more depth if previous films are viewed. The film moves along well, has a decent storyline, and some nice scares.

With plenty of violence, mild foul language, and plenty of scares, you may want to save this one for older teens to save younger viewers nightmares.

Released: 2018
Reviewed: 12.7.20
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Franchise Films

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Birds Of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

 Harley and the Joker are over and if that isn't enough, announcing their breakup publicly puts a target on Harley's head. Teaming up with The Huntress, Black Canary, and others Harley and her crew try to save a young girl from psychotic mobster Black Mask.

Margot Robbie (Harley), Rosie Perez (Renee), Mary Winstead (Helena/Huntress), Jurnee Smollett (Dinah/Canary), Ewan McGregor (Sionis/Black Mask), Ella Basco (Cassandra), Chris Messina (Zsasz).

Birds Of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn begins with some lead-in to tie this film with the franchise storyline. This film explores Harley's life immediately following her split with Joker as she, in typical Harley style, goes off the rails. With a target on her head, she teams up with The Huntress and Black Canary to battle Black Mask and save a young girl. Unfortunately, all of that sounds much better than it is.

Acting was a bit of a mess in this one. Robbie, who was excellent in Suicide Squad, retained almost none of that luster here. The humor fell flat much of the time, and the physical presence aka hotness was missing as well. Perez and Winstead almost felt like they phoned this one in, whereas Smollett seemed to oversell it to compensate. And she brought the hotness Robbie lost. McGregor fits as a psychotic nemesis of course.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were nicely done and the film retained much of the big screen feel seen in this franchise. CGI and effects, largely centered around action scenes, are nicely done and in keeping with the franchise. Dialogue was mediocre and as mentioned, much of the humor just didn't land. Sound and soundtrack are okay.

Overall, we were anticipating Birds Of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn and Robbie expanding on her character. Instead this felt like a lethargic attempt to exploit a financial opportunity and little more. The film adds very little to the franchise at the end of the day.

With violence, gore, and foul language, save this one for older teens and above.

Released: 2020
Reviewed: 11.26.20
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action, Crime, Adventure, Thrillers, Comic Books and Superheroes

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Terminator: Dark Fate

 Sarah may have prevented Judgment Day, but when a new liquid Terminator is sent to eliminate the future resistance leader, her fight continues. Teaming up with an enhanced super soldier and a most unexpected ally, the three set out to once again save humanity from the machines.

Linda Hamilton (Sarah), Arnold Schwarzenegger (T-800/Carl), Mackenzie Davis (Grace), Natalia Reyes (Dani), Gabriel Luna (Gabriel/Rev-9), Diego Boneta (Diego), Tom Hopper (Hadrell), Alicia Borrachero (Alicia).

Terminator: Dark Fate begins as films often do in this franchise, with the immediate introduction of a new Terminator version rolled into a continuing, but very familiar, storyline. Once again, Terminator's sent from the future are here to kill the future resistance leader thereby ending humanity. What could make this more like previous episodes? Bring back Sarah and the first T-800 as key characters. Which also seems to be where the franchise is starting to fail.

Acting was solid as usual in this franchise. Acting is also feeling old in this franchise. Hamilton and Schwarzenegger both delivered as always and added nicely to the film, and both felt a bit out of place for their age. I've been a fan of this franchise since the beginning, but the series simply feels like it needs to move on. The fight can continue, but the cast is needing an update at this point which of course, we are tease with every time.

Technical work here, as usual, was nicely done. The Rev-9 effects were good, but the only bit of originality felt like the splitting ability which, surprisingly, didn't seem to surprise characters in the film much at all. Camera work, sets, backgrounds, costuming, and effects are all managed and delivered well. Dialogue seemed to dwell on previous episodes and an assumption new characters would be both familiar with it and in agreement. Again, it feels like it is time to move on and update things a bit.

Overall Terminator: Dark Fate is another solid entry in the franchise which fans should enjoy. Those newer to Terminator may feel the need for updating, or not completely catch references and dependencies on previous episodes.

With some nudity, plenty of intense violence, some foul language, and adult situations, teens and above should be fine with this one.

Released: 2019
Reviewed: 11.14.20
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Thrillers, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Action

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel

Movie review: The Last Lovecraft: The Relic of Cthulhu

 When Jeff learns he is the last descendent of horror great H.P. Lovecraft is about the same time he learns Lovecraft's monsters are real and working to destroy humanity. Enlisting the help of his friends, Charlie and Paul, the three set out to protect an ancient alien relic and save the world from demons.

Kyle Davis (Jeff), Devin McGinn (Charlie), Barak Hardley (Paul), Ethan Wilde (Starspawn), Gregg Lawrence (Olaf), Edmund Lupinski (Lake), Edward Flores (Sheldon), Marty Fortney (Mike), Leah McKendrick (Chelsea).

The Last Lovecraft: The Relic of Cthulhu is best described as a Hot Mess. The plot is simple; Jeff is the last Lovecraft descendent and as such responsible for protecting humanity from monsters who want to end humanity. The storyline actually moves along at a decent pace, finds a fair amount of depth, and finishes nicely. That is the Hot part.

Now for the Mess part.
Acting was rough all around. The cast felt rough and inexperienced with emotions frequently not matching the scene. Dialogue delivery often felt dry and lacking energy or fit. Strangely, this almost fit with the B-movie vibe of the film.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds appeared low-budget and lacking detail but fit surprisingly well with the CGI and again, the B-movie vibe. Dialogue was mediocre with some bits of humor and mild depth. Sound and soundtrack are somewhat interesting.

Overall The Last Lovecraft: The Relic of Cthulhu is a mix of low-budget homegrown cinema that actually fits well in the B-movie genre. From that perspective the film is pretty good overall, but those looking for a big screen horror flick may be disappointed.

With some mild sexuality, unrealistic violence and gore, and some foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2011
Reviewed: 11.14.20
Star rating: 2 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi Horror, Adventure, Comedy, B-movies

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Overlord (2018)

 On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers behind enemy lines on a mission to destroy a radio tower and help secure the invasion of Normandy instead find themselves battling supernatural Nazi soldiers.

Jovan Adepo (Boyce), Wyatt Russell (Ford), Mathilde Ollivier (Chloe), Pilou Asbaek (Wafner), John Magaro (Tibbet), Ian De Caestecker (Chase), Jacob Anderson (Dawson), Dominic Applewhite (Rosenfeld).

Overlord begins with some character introductions and setup, looking at first like a military drama with a solid plot. Charged with downing a radio tower to secure the invasion of Normandy, a group of American paratroopers quickly realize there is much more at stake. It is at this point the film smoothly shifts into the horror genre and things get much more interesting with the Americans now battling supernatural Nazi soldiers. The film maintains a good pace and holds attention well through a nicely done ending.

Acting was decent with Adepo and Russell sharing the lead and both delivering fairly well. Asbaek was well cast, fit his role perfectly and managed it nicely. Ollivier, Magaro, Applewhite and the remainder of the supporting cast were okay and seemed to work well together.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were solid with a realistic feel and what appeared to be good use of natural scenery. CGI and effects fit the film well and added nicely. Physical effects were also good throughout. Dialogue added a bit of depth and moved things along at a decent pace. Sound and soundtrack are somewhat bland.

Overlord was a bit of a surprise. Expecting a darker, military film Overlord is actually a decent horror flick with solid emotional buildup rather than simply blood and gore or scary monsters. Yet, there is also a fair amount of violence and gore so, win-win! Those who enjoy unusual horror films should enjoy this one.

With plenty of violence and gore, foul language, more disturbing images with violence and gore, and adult situations, save this one for older teens and above.

Released: 2018
Reviewed: 11.14.20
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Action, Military, Horror, Supernatural Horror

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel