Doctor Strange - Review

PG-13  |  115 min  |  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters 11.04.16*

Synopsis: A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.

Review: If you read the synopsis for DOCTOR STRANGE with no history of the character or origin it sounds like a serious drama. Another Seven Years in Tibet if you will. Adding the fact that it stars one of the best dramatic actors of our day, Benedict Cumberbatch, only strengthens this assumption. But this is actually a new addition to the Marvel Universe family of super hero films. Though not as prominent a name around households as Iron Man or Captain America, Strange is solid character and his movies effects totally kick The Avenger's butts. 

The only thing Dr. Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) excels in more than neurosurgery is egotism. He is the best at what he does and will be the first to tell you. When a horrific accident robs him of his surgical ability he turns to a mysterious, Eastern sect for help. The group is led by The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and they are in a current battle with a subordinate named Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) for Earth's protection .Strange will have to decide if he wants to take the selfish approach or stay and help the cause. 

This film does not stray far from the Marvel backyard. The humor, character interaction, and story line is pretty familiar. Even if you have no idea who Strange is you will immediately catch the rhythms of the plot and begin to second guess its trajectory. There are few "I didn't see that coming" moments but that does not mean that what you do get is boring or stale. Strange is an intriguing guy which is amplified greatly by Benedict. Having someone with his acting abilities can elevate your familiar story to new heights. 

Swinton too is exceptional in the role of the mystic arts master. Her androgynous look and calm demeanor solidify the character and aid in the selling of the story. It also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong; so you know you are getting a stellar supporting cast. The weakest role sadly is given to McAdams. Every super hero needs a pining damsel I guess. Rachel is far better than the cliche drivel they give her to spew but again this is based on a comic book and not a NY Times best seller.

What sets this film apart from the rest of the universe is the special effects and imagery.  The seamless mastery of the created worlds is second to none. Fans of movies like Inception will stare in awe at the movement and fluid transformation taking place on the screen. If ever a film begged to be seen on the biggest screen you can find it is this one. It is impossible to fully describe the backdrop these characters get to move around in. IMAX was invented for this moment in time.

Like other hero movies Strange goes through a transformation of mind and body and comes around to a different way of thinking. It is an origin story and there is not a lot of meat on the bone when it comes to depth and dialogue. The overall feel is nothing more than an introduction to a new character. But they fool you by how amazing it looks. You forget all the repetition and short leash the film was given. You are too transfixed to what is happening before your eyes to hand out fault.

DOCTOR STRANGE is rated  PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence. Again it plays well in its own yard and the content is nothing above and beyond any of the other myriad of super hero action films. It gets 3.5 out of 5 MRI's. 3 of which is for Swinton, Cumberbatch, and the amazing effects team. The point 5 is for originality and use of the other characters. if you are going to see it do it now. Don't wait for the small screen or you will forfeit all the tasty goodness. 

Inferno - review

PG-13 | 2h 1min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters 10.28.16*

Synopsis: When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.

Review: The good news is that INFERNO doesn't suck. The studio should take that as a positive review. The third installment in the Langdon trilogy would have dove head first into the fiery pits of hell had it not been for a few key elements So let's celebrate some mediocrity and call it a day. 

Professor Langdon (Tom Hanks) has awaken in a hospital with a head trauma that makes the last several days a blur. He has no idea how he has ended up where he is and can barely remember his name. But there is no time to recuperate as he and his attending physician Dr Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) are immediately on the run. They can't trust anyone and must rely solely on specific clues - all revolving around Dante's Inferno - to help them survive. If they fail to figure it all out the entire world's population will be at risk. That much is easy to understand. 

The rest of the script is a convoluted mish-mash of random characters, organizations, and spy games. Luckily the action is intense and the adventure never lulls. This keeps the audience from having to spend too much time figuring things out. By the time you conjure up what question you want to ask a new set of vague plots are introduced; so you move on. Once the smoke clears you sort of understand what happened and who was zooming who but it doesn't help with the questions gathered along the way. You shrug your shoulders, say "ok, and agree that all in all it didn't suck.

The before mentioned action is one key to why the film isn't horrible. It picks up the pace early and never slows down. It feels like a Jason Bourne or Bond film in the way it offers up the chase scenes and fighting. Ron Howard directs these moments expertly and the film looks fantastic. Like the films before it (and a little taste of movies like National Treasure) you get to see a lot of art and learn some historic trivia about Europe. The architecture and old world elements add depth to the shots. 

Another benefit is the character of Langdon. He is a smart dude and it is fun to watch him figure things out. Hanks reprises the role and most will admit that it is hard not to like old Tom. Felicity Jones has just as much screen time and is a solid co-star for Hanks. You like her character and the two of them move well together. 

What fails is the story. Would reading the book first help? Maybe. It might aid in understanding organizational motives better. That said the script may not follow the book as closely as fans would like. The franchise has a reputation of making up stuff along the way and totally changing the endings. I doubt this one is faithful to the written word completely. 

If you want wall to wall action and a strong dose of Hanks' character then you will be happy. If you can overlook a lot of convenient scenarios and unresolved conflict that will help too. If you want a movie that simply doesn't suck; then bingo. This is it. INFERNO is rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, disturbing images, some language, thematic elements and brief sensuality. It is best suited for those over 16 and actually only adults will gravitate to the themes and characters. There is little to hold the interest of younger viewers. Also the imagery and depictions of Dante's hell are quite scary and intense. The imagery will stick with you for sure. I give it 3 out of 5 head wounds. I didn't hate it but found little to reminisce about afterwards. 

SING | Cast & Characters

The lead cast of SING shares the stage with the characters they portray

in the holiday event of the year from Illumination Entertainment.

TORI KELLY and Meena

REESE WITHERSPOON and Rosita 

SCARLETT JOHANSSON and Ash

SETH MACFARLANE and Mike

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY and Buster Moon 

TARON EGERTON and Johnny

NICK KROLL and Gunter

The Whole Truth - Review

R | 1h 33min | Drama, Thriller
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters and VOD 10.21.16*

Synopsis: A defense attorney works to get his teenage client acquitted of murdering his wealthy father.

Review: Though not a perfect film THE WHOLE TRUTH does have elements of a John Grisham thriller or high end made for TV movie. It doesn't boast or brag but moves subtly through a simple script. And although you may figure some things out early it will keep a few mysteries under wrap until the end. 

The film jumps right into the story line as Ramsey (Keanu Reeves) enters the court room to defend his teenaged client Mike (Gabriel Basso). Though only 16 Mike is being tried as an adult for the brutal stabbing of his father Boone (Jim Belushi). As witnesses take the stand we get the back story on Boone and the type of husband and father he was. The script does a decent job of keeping the audience guessing because you aren't sure who is telling the truth. Ramsey's job is made even harder by the fact that Mike has refused to speak since the killing. 

One good point is that this legal thriller spends the majority of time in the courtroom. Getting the story in testament form is actually better than seeing it in real time. Reeves has matured his acting skills and seems comfortable in the role. Again this is not a deep rooted script and it allows Keanu to handle the dialogue proficiently. He is supported at the table by Janelle played nicely by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Belushi we see only in flashbacks but he nails the domineering parent. He is the guy in the neighborhood that you walk on egg shells around; hoping not to get on his bad side. 

Mike's mother is played by Renée Zellweger who, if you haven't seen current pics online, will be hard to recognize. The mannerisms and voice is hers but the face is a stranger. That is just a trivial point and of course doesn't hinder her performance. Zellweger is a fantastic dramatic actress and like Reeves has no problem with this script. 

The Whole Truth is a decent big screen option but a wonderful renter/vod option. The cast is well known and masters of their craft. As mentioned the script doesn't try too hard and some might find it too simplistic. But honestly the simplicity of it works here. Normally I am harsh on this type of narrative but the fact it kept me engaged and intrigued says a lot. 

It is rated R for language and some violence including a sexual assault. It is an adult film but nothing is vile or offensive. With a few edits it could be as tame as any Sunday night TV movie. If you are looking for a date night on the couch I would recommend it more than big box office ticket prices. But even with that option you won't walk away angry. I give it 3 out of 5 gavels. The higher rating as a renter. 

Certain Women - Review

R | 1h 47min | Drama
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters *

Synopsis: The lives of three women intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail.

Review: There  should be a golden rule in Hollywood that no matter how fantastic your movie looks it must must must have an engaging story or at least invested characters . CERTAIN WOMEN is a how-to of framing and capture but nothing else. Possibly the thinnest and most pointless script this year. 

The movie boasts of these three intersecting tales of American women blazing a trail. There is no trail blazing going on here and  the women seem more on the verge of immobility. The only weaving of story lines and characters are random people who scene drop one or twice. The individual stories are invisible tapestries of awkward silence and beat down personalities. These are women who seem ready to throw in the towel and are no where near the point of forging new fires. 

In act one we meet attorney Laura Wells (Laura Dern) who has a difficult client (Jared Harris) she can't convince to move on. I assume her "women" is the one whose voice is lost in a male dominant vocation. Maybe. Not really sure since the story gives us nothing about her to build on. She mopes from scene to scene until an anti climactic moment ends her part of the story. 

We then move on to a husband (James Le Gros) and wife (Michelle Williams) who may or may not be having marital problems. They may or may not be commune gypsies. They may or may not even be human. No one really knows. We watch them argue then try and negotiate a deal for sandstone from some random guy. The movie makes you think he is significant but if he is we never know why. This story is connected to the first one in a brief scene between the husband and Laura Wells. It could be pivotal but is never revisited. 

The final (thank god) story has even less impact than the first two. It is about a young law student (Kristen Stewart) who takes a job in a small town teaching a class. She misunderstood what town the class was in before accepting the job only to find out it was a four hour drive each way. She is befriended by one of the students (Lily Gladstone) who only showed up because she saw people going in the building, and they have some awkward meals together. 

Director Kelly Reichardt is fantastic and framing shots and capturing small town America through a camera lens. I applaud her sense of vision and eye for realness. But the script she wrote is so bad that you don't even care about the visuals. It really is  mess of nothing. 

What is worse is the caliber of female actors she had to work with. These women are tops in their field. And in a movie about trail blazing women it should have been ground breaking earth shattering performances. But instead it is an embarrassing waste of ability and talent. All because they were given nothing to work with. In fact the best performance and the one with any sort of depth or feeling is that of Gladstone. She is the only one you will engage with or feel for at all. 

CERTAIN WOMEN is rated R for some language. It truly is a boring snooze-fest. I give it 1 out of 5 milkshakes. I have not been so underwhelmed by potential in many a year. American women deserved better.