Normally, a movie with a title that mentions a character not actually in the movie is a bad sign, but I liked this more than Fury Road. There’s still a ton of over the top action, but it felt like there was more story in there to hold it together. Also, it has a guy named Scrotus, which made me (and no one else in the theater) laugh.
Call it a crazy hunch, but I think Francis Galluppi (who directed this) is a fan of the early work of the Coen Brothers. It’s clear from the very beginning that things are not going to go well for pretty much anyone.
Raimi Marvel Movies from best to worst:
The fingerprints of Marvel executives are way too visible on this one. Lots of good stuff- the Zombie Strange with Soul Cloak Action is pretty darn cool- but I wish I could see a version of this where Raimi wasn’t forced to shoehorn in cameos and irrelevant fan service.
All I knew about this movie before I saw it was that it was in black and white. It turns out it’s a modern (well, 35 years ago “modern”) retelling of Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid.” It’s the kind of movie where a homeless artist witnesses a murder, takes home the toddler daughter of the victim and raises it while looking for the mom, and everyone’s cool with it. It works better if you pretend it was made in 1939 instead of 1989.
Also: there’s a brief bit with a couple making out in a horse drawn carriage. It’s Edie Falco’s third acting credit.
Two movies in a day!
You know how old low-budget R-rated sex comedies like to show boobs really early so you’ll spend the rest of the movie anticipating more? Babes does the same thing with raunchy language. Sure, it’s never puritanical, but it sure felt like the bulk of the naughty talk happens in the first fifteen minutes. The Required Meaningful Moments fall a little flat, but the funny stuff is strong enough to support the weak bits.
I was going to try and write a bunch of monkey puns, but it’s late and I should be asleep so you get two or three flat sentences that will do the required job without being offensive, but also without much to make them interesting. Which it turns out is a pretty good way to describe this film; no monkey business in this monkey business.
This movie was creepy, but it would have been much creepier if I knew nothing about it going in. Too many surprises are given away in the trailer. Not all of them, but too many. Even with the spoilers I was unnerved enough that I walked a little faster than normal through the silent parking garage and locked my door as soon as I got in my car.
And an entirely different creepy thing: the last two times I’ve gone to the movies by myself, I bought my ticket ahead of time and went out of my way to sit with space on either side. Then, right before the movie started, with a hundred empty seats to choose from, some random dude picks the seat right next to me. Come on, dude- let me have some space!
Do you like sweaty people? Thumping music? Different points in time marked by Zendaya’s haircuts? Balls (type: tennis)? Then I’ve got a movie for you!
Also: I’m not a fan of exposition dump scenes, but I really needed someone to tell my non-sports brain the rules of tennis.
I had a hard time slowing down enough to appreciate this movie. I’m also having a hard time figuring out how to describe it without making it sound like a horror film. It’s a meditation on humanity’s connection with and responsibility to nature seen through a small village and a proposed glamping site. Go when you’re in a more contemplative mood and ready to bask in long quiet scenes of of passing trees and chopping wood- but also be ready for some unexpected turns.
Also: It’s in Japanese with subtitles, but it isn’t exactly dialogue-heavy.