Cindy Prascik’s Reviews of The Midnight Sky, Wonder Woman 1984, Soul, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom & The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

 Four Movies That Aren't What They Could Have Been...and One That Is Perfect

My dear reader(s): December has finally slowed to a pace that allows for catching up on movies. Sadly, that does not mean the cinema for me right now, but there are some promising titles available for home viewing. Herein I shall offer brief (for me) opinions on a few.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or if you're familiar with actual events and/or the source material where applicable.

First on my Holiday Catch-Up Docket: The Midnight Sky.

Resigned to riding out the end of the world at his arctic outpost, Scientist!Clooney tries to keep a crew of astronauts from returning to a planet that's beyond saving.

The Midnight Sky is one of those movies that passes muster in 2020, but that might have been a more epic product in a normal year. With George Clooney at the helm (both starring and directing), and featuring decorated co-stars like Felicity Jones and David Oyelowo, I have to think somewhere along the line it was meant to be more than it is. What it is, is...fine, I guess? Clooney et al. are more than up to the challenges of their somewhat thinly painted roles. The story has been told before and undoubtedly will be told again and again as panic about the state of our planet sets firmly at the front of people's minds. It's not a new or different tale, but it's respectably told and not as dull as I expected from things I'd seen online before watching it. Neither is the movie's message as overtly heavy-handed as I anticipated, but sketchy effects, too many wasted minutes, and hokey ending make this a slow film without much impact.

The Midnight Sky clocks in at 118 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some bloody images and brief strong language."

If the daily news isn't satisfying your appetite for apocalyptic stories, and you like George Clooney, the Midnight Sky makes a decent bit of holiday viewing. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Midnight Sky gets five and a half.

The Midnight Sky is now streaming on Netflix.

Next up, the week's big release: Wonder Woman 1984.

Diana Prince battles 80's fashion and a dangerous megalomaniac.

Regular reader(s) will know, I'm a DC girl. Wonder Woman gave us DC folks real hope that DC was getting back on track after a disastrous skid. Wonder Woman 1984 derails that hope almost entirely. A boring, repetitive opening sequence sets the tone by eating up far more time than it earns. The subsequent story is pointless, goofy, and all over the place. Most performances are cringe-worthy. There's even a full-on Macavity moment towards the end that channels last year's Christmas tragedy, Cats. The Wonder Woman brand is well-loved enough that many fans will find something to like here. For those people, I am happy. Me, I was more annoyed with each minute I wasted on this. Only the combined charm of Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, a rousing score by Hans Zimmer, and a delightful mid-credits scene keep Wonder Woman 1984 from being a total loss.

Wonder Woman 1984 runs a bloated 151 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of action and violence."

Wonder Woman 1984 represents yet another missed opportunity for DC. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Wonder Woman 1984 gets four.

Wonder Woman 1984 is now playing in cinemas, and streaming through mid-January on HBO Max.

The middle slot on my holiday catch-up is occupied by the Disney/Pixar offering Soul.

During a near-death experience, a man obsessed with jazz music tries to find his way back, and ends up helping a young soul along the way.

Soul is a solid movie that (lightly) ticks all the Disney/Pixar boxes, though it's missing the qualities that distinguish their truly special pictures. The diverse cast, led by Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, is terrific. The focus on music is welcome. The art and animation are gorgeous. The story is engaging enough to teach its lessons organically. Still...I had a hard time figuring out exactly where Soul was aiming. Its premise seems too scary for kids, especially younger ones, but it never seems quite enough for anyone older. It's not as pretty as Finding Nemo. It's not as smart as WALL-E. It doesn't tug the heartstrings nearly as effectively as Coco. Ultimately, it's a good movie that just suffers by comparison to its predecessors.

Soul runs 100 minutes and is rated PG for "thematic elements and some language."

Soul is a heartwarming bit of family entertainment that deserves a spot in your 2020 holiday planner, even if it never quite finds its spark. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Soul gets six and a half.

Fangirl points: Graham Norton and Richard Ayoade!

Soul is now playing in theaters and streaming on Disney+.

My penultimate picture this weekend was the Netflix Original Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

In the sweltering Chicago summer of 1927, tensions run high during a recording session with the "Mother of the Blues," Ma Rainey.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom features exceptional performances by Viola Davis and (in his final role) Chadwick Boseman. When I say Davis is exactly as good as you'd expect, know that I mean you'd always expect her to be the best, and she is nothing less. Boseman, posthumously, is sure to earn some of the awards he's deserved since starring in 42. For a year that specialized in kicks to the gut, 2020 has given none more devastating than the loss of Chadwick Boseman. The story packs an emotional wallop — mostly due to the characters' efforts to buck a system designed to confine them — but the movie never really takes off, due, in my opinion, to its failure to focus on Ma Rainey's music. We're told Ma Rainey is the "Mother of the Blues." We're told many legends found their influence in her. Yet we don't hear much of the music that earned her this lofty status. What that leaves is an hour and a half of sweaty people yelling at each other. Good acting, though. Very good acting.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom clocks in at 94 minutes and is rated R for "language, some sexual content, and brief violence."

While Ma Rainey's Black Bottom isn't the movie it could have been, two of the year's best performances make it worth a look. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom gets six and a half.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is now streaming on Netflix.

With no small bit of personal bias, I saved the best for last in my Holiday Picture Show: the Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.

This documentary from director Frank Marshall serves not only to tell the story of the Brothers Gibb, but to justify and underscore their status in the pop music stratosphere. 

The film starts reflectively, with a pensive Barry Gibb noting that he is the only one left, the last surviving Gibb brother. It doesn't take long to shake off the melancholy mood with fantastic pictures and video clips of the very young brothers, and relies on such photos, film snippets, and interviews with the Gibbs and assorted spouses and associates to tell a mostly linear story of the trio's early days, rise to fame, meteoric success in the Saturday Night Fever era, fall from popular favor during the disco backlash of the early 80s, and subsequent success as songwriters and collaborators with other artists. It touches on difficulties with drink and drugs, but never wallows in misery or self-pity. The movie succeeds, not chiefly because this is a great story (though it is), but because it focuses on music, music, and more music. The genesis of songs. The backstory of songs. The creative process used in fashioning songs. So. Many. Great. Songs. Testimonials from artists — all kinds of artists, from every era in the Gibb brothers' musical lifetime — who felt and feel their influence to this day. The movie notes the passing of, and pays tribute to, Andy, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, coming full circle with Barry musing that he would "rather have them all back here and no hits at all." In between a somber start and finish, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart offers a joyful celebration of one of the greatest catalogues in music history, a special trip down memory lane for fans, and a timely reminder that being against anything will never matter as much as being for something. Oh, and To Love Somebody is legitimately one of the greatest songs ever written by anyone, anywhere. Don't forget that.

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart runs 111 minutes and is rated TVMA.

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart tells the story of the Brothers Gibb, focusing on their extraordinary musical legacy and unbreakable brotherly bond. Current Bee Gees fans and not-yet Bee Gees fans should consider it the year's must-watch documentary. Of a possible nine Weasleys, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart gets all nine.

Fangirl points: the Beatles and Ed Sheeran both turn up in this. Yay!

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is now streaming on HBO Max.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood & 21 Bridges

This weekend I threw my hard-earned cash at two unfortunate films offered as sacrifices to the Frozen gods: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and 21 Bridges.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

A jaded investigative journalist is assigned to write a profile of Mr. Rogers.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about Mr. Rogers, but it isn't really *about* Mr. Rogers. So close on the heels of the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? maybe it doesn't need to be. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about Mr. Rogers' uncanny gift for teaching healthy coping mechanisms, and the exceptional kindness that always allowed him to see things from another person's point of view. In this "based on actual events" tale, Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) forms an unlikely friendship with Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a world-weary writer assigned to profile him for Esquire magazine. Struggling with changes in his home dynamic and estranged from his ill father, Vogel cynically wonders if the saintly Rogers could possibly be for real. The story is framed within a fictional episode of Rogers' legendary television show, which sounds interesting in concept but plays somewhat awkwardly in practice. Pacing is dicey enough that the film, which isn't all that long, sometimes feels very slow and very, very long. It's also heavy-handed with its lessons of kindness and understanding, which isn't unwarranted in these unkind times, but being beaten over the head with a movie's message never helps me enjoy it much. Negatives aside, where the film really shines is in its leading performances. Hanks and Rhys are brilliant individually and together, even if I did catch a bit of Forrest Gump peeking through Hanks' Fred Rogers here and there. Given that he's the world's most-loved actor, playing the world's most-loved person, best actor nods across the board seem a given for Hanks. (At risk of sounding like a broken record: Ceding nominations only. He may not have Taron's Oscar, either, even if he is Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers.) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood pulls at the heartstrings, but, ultimately, it still feels like the great Fred Rogers hasn't yet gotten the film he deserves.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood runs 108 minutes and is rated PG for "some strong thematic material, a brief fight, and some mild language."

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood features great performances and some touching moments, but overall it's pretty forgettable. Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood gets six.

Fangirl points: An audible twitter rolled through my theater when the Incline turned up!

Next on my agenda: 21 Bridges.

A detective known for taking down cop killers catches a case where eight officers were killed...but can he peel back the layers to get to the heart of the crime?

21 Bridges is a 2019 movie with the gritty feel of a 1970s cop drama. The underlying story of police corruption in the dirty Big City further adds to the old-school vibe. Chadwick Boseman carries the picture with ease, and--while this doesn't require anything on par with his stunning work in 42 and Get On Up--he is eminently watchable. The supporting cast is as good as it needs to be in fairly limited use, with Taylor Kitsch and Stephan James being particularly noteworthy. Characters are broadly drawn and leave little to the imagination, which makes plot twists pretty easy to spot. The movie is fairly intense throughout, though first half does seem to drag a bit. The second half is more solidly paced, playing to a predictable but not unsatisfying finale.

21 Bridges clocks in at a tight 99 minutes and is rated R for "violence and language throughout."

21 Bridges is a serviceable cop drama that offers a nice respite from awards bait and sappy seasonal fare.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, 21 Bridges gets seven.

Until next time...

Cindy Prasick's Reviews of Early Man & Black Panther

Dearest Blog: After a two-week hiatus, yesterday it was back to Marquee Cinemas for what I thought was a promising pair: Early Man and Black Panther.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: Early Man.

The fate of a pre-historic tribe rests on a soccer game. Yes, you read that right.

Well, dear reader(s), it hurts me to say it, but Early Man just plain stinks. I wanted the wacky premise to be as funny as it sounds. I wanted the voice cast to be as amazing as it looks on paper. I wanted to love this movie, and I had every reason to believe I would, but it didn’t give me a chance.

Early Man is populated with forgettable characters who lack any charm.  The premise is improbable enough that it could have been hilarious, but instead it's just idiotic. The film doesn't even run a full hour and a half, but I lost count of the number of times I nearly nodded off. I can't imagine Early Man holding anyone's attention, nevermind the young audience at which it is directed. The few good laughs don't half make it worth your time.

Early Man clocks in at 89 minutes and is rated PG for "rude humor and some action."

If you were thinking of seeing Early Man, I'd suggest you save your money and watch Wallace & Gromit again instead. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Early Man gets three, including one bonus Weasley for having an actual Weasley (Mark Williams) among the cast.

Fangirl points: Richard Ayoade!

Next on my agenda, Black Panther.

Following the death of his father, new challenges face T'Challa both as king of Wakanda and as the Black Panther.

My usual disclaimer: I'm a DC girl through and through, so generally I find Marvel product enjoyable but forgettable. My notable exception has been Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but now I have two exceptions.

You. Guys. Black Panther is SO good. Other than being just a hair too long, it gets everything right. Chadwick Boseman carries the mammoth blockbuster with all the ease of the best A-lister. He's been so good so often it shouldn't be a surprise, but this is a very, VERY large stage and he owns it. His supporting cast is extraordinary to a person, with special mention to Danai Gurira--often the only watchable thing about the Walking Dead--and the always-remarkable Andy Serkis. The film boasts striking visuals with nifty tech, solid effects, majestic costumes, and glorious scenery. The humor is spot-on, never Iron Man-forced; in fact, one of the best things about Black Panther is the lack of intrusion by the other Avengers. The film reflects and respects African culture without so much as a hint of patronizing, and does an incredible job of planting everyone on equal footing. Characters in Black Panther aren't written to do things just because they're black or white, male or female; they're complicated people with complicated feelings and motives. The film bears important messages about our obligations to one another and those commitments that don't change with circumstances or our feelings. Black Panther has plenty of action, smart performances, layered interpersonal connections, and even a touch of romance, a little something for everyone.

Black Panther runs 134 minutes and is rated PG13 for "prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture."

Black Panther is that rare Marvel offering that is truly something special. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Black Panther gets nine.

Fangirl points: Don't wanna spoil anything but STICK AROUND FOR THE SECOND POST-CREDITS SCENE!

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK PANTHER

After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis

Release Date: Feb 16, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture

Runtime: 2h 14 min

Review:

Black Panther is a bit of a watershed moment for Marvel films for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, the cast and director are primarily people of color and it carries over on screen.  The film has a decidedly strong theme of African Heritage running throughout all within the trapping of a superhero story.  Ryan Coogler does an impressive job of giving his film a visual distinctiveness that’s missing from most of Marvel entries.  As such, Black Panther has a strong identity and it uses it to its advantage by telling an emotionally engaging and thoughtful story.  Chadwich Boseman leads the film with an easy charisma that’s hard to resist.  Boseman has an effortless way about himself all the while maintaining a sense of nobility in T’Challa.  The supporting cast is probably one of the best assembled for any of the Marvel movies.  Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright and Martin Freeman all leave lasting impressions on the film.  Their characters aren’t simply throwaway supporting players but instead feel like well rounded characters equal to the lead.  Michael B. Jordan makes for a fine villain.  He’s a strong counterpart to Boseman’s T’Challa in every manner of speaking.  The character’s motivations actually make sense and pose some interesting questions.  Unfortunately, the film doesn’t spend nearly the amount of time it should fleshing him out which could have made him iconic.  It’s a minor issue compared to the whole.  Black Panther, much like last year’s Wonder Woman, elevates the super hero genre and forces future entries to raise their game.   

A

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Get On Up & Guardians of the Galaxy

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures for Guardians of the Galaxy and some afterthought that dared turn up the same weekend as Guardians of the Galaxy.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on the docket was the afterthought, Get On Up.

Get On Up tells the story of James Brown's self-made rise from dirt-poor childhood to the Godfather of Soul.

Okey-dokey, readers: confession time...and this is an embarrassing one. I don't particularly care for James Brown. There, I said it. I respect the influence of his music on all the music I love, but I've never been a fan of the man himself. As such, my expectations for a movie full of music I don't like were middling at best.

If there's one thing Get On Up does have going for it, it's Chadwick Boseman, who follows up his stunning turn in 42 with an even more amazing performance...and some pretty terrific dance moves.

True Blood's Nelsan Ellis is especially noteworthy as Brown's best friend and longtime professional collaborator, Bobby Byrd, but, truly, the entire cast is well above average. The story is kind of a mess, but never dull. It's not told in linear fashion--beginning to middle to end--but rather jumps among various periods of Brown's life. The order is seemingly random, but the segueways are so flawless that, while I wouldn't say I precisely liked it, I will say it was effective.

I don't imagine it ever felt like there was much order in Brown's life for himself or those around him.

The movie also does a fair job of not painting Brown a saint just because he's: a.) talented, and b.) no longer with us. Then of course there's the music, LOTS of it. My understanding is Boseman lip-synched to actual James Brown recordings, and there were a couple times I felt it was a little obvious, especially having recently seen Jersey Boys, where numbers were performed live on set. If you like the music, you'll be a World Champion Chair Dancer by the end, but for me some of the numbers seemed to drag.

Get On Up clocks in at 138 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sexual content, drug use, some strong language, and violent situations." It was far more enjoyable than I anticipated, but still not the spiritual experience I expect from movies about music legends.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Get On Up gets six.

Next up was the movie the about which I (and the rest of the Internet) have been frantically abuzz for months now, Guardians of the Galaxy.

A ragtag bunch of villains-turned-heroes faces a foe set on mass destruction.

Admit it, reader(s), even if you aren't usually into superhero movies, you took one look at this trailer and were completely sold. The self-deprecating hero. The gun-toting raccoon. The green hottie. The humor. The tunes...oh, the TUNES!! The buzz has been so overwhelmingly positive for so long that, by the time showtime finally rolled around, I was a little nervous about a letdown. I needn't have worried.

There's a joke going around the Internet, something along the lines of DC Comics being all worried the world isn't ready for a solo female super-hero movie, but Marvel says, "Here's a talking raccoon."

I'm a DC girl myself, but Guardians of the Galaxy, to me, is everything Marvel does right.

The overall tone of Guardians is humorous. The movie never bogs down with backstory, yet it tells enough about each character that he's more than just the sum of his actions in this particular film.

Everyone is sympathetic to some degree...yes, even the raccoon. There's plenty of big, explosive action, yet none of those seemingly-endless scenes of run-on destruction. (Lookin' at you, Avengers and Man of Steel.)

The art and effects are beautiful and realistic. I'll happily be the latest in a long line to mention the soundtrack that's about to become the most-played thing on your iPod, filled with great 70s nuggets like 10CC's I'm Not in Love and The Runaways' Cherry Bomb.

Finally, each and every Guardian deserves credit for a solid performance full of heart and wit...though I still wonder who thought it was a good idea to give Bradley Cooper a role where we don't see his magnificent face.

Guardians of the Galaxy runs 121 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language." It is that very rare item that actually lives up to the hype.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Guardians of the Galaxy gets eight and a half.

Until next time...

 Karen Gillan + Zoe Saldana? Yes, please.