One Movie Punch

It’s Marvel Monday and we’re continuing the Road to Infinity War, watching each Marvel Cinematic Universe movie by release date leading up to the big event this May.

Today’s movie is “Iron Man 2” (2010), the intense follow-up to the movie that started it all. Making a sequel so early in the Marvel Cinematic Universe always seemed like an odd move, from a storytelling perspective, although it makes perfect sense from a business perspective. The success of the first film showed the potential for a shared universe, even with the mediocre response to “The Incredible Hulk”, and perhaps the general populace wasn’t quite ready for a hammer wielding Asgardian or a period piece origin story for a shield wielding super soldier.

“Iron Man 2” picks up immediately after “Iron Man”, with Anton Vanko (Eugene Lazarev) and Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) in Russia watching Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) on television declaring that he’s Iron Man. Anton was a former partner of Howard Stark who helped to develop what would become the Arc Reactor, and later the core that powers the Iron Man suit. Anton finally succumbs to his illness, and Ivan begins work on developing a similar core.

Meanwhile, Tony is re-launching the Stark Expo to showcase technological innovations while dodging efforts to acquire the Iron Man suit technology by the U.S. Government and Hammer Industries, a rival weapons manufacturer. Unbeknownst to everyone around him, Tony is slowly dying of palladium poisoning from core which is keeping the shrapnel out of his heart. And eventually, Ivan Vanko directly attacks Tony Stark using his own core, showing the technology can be replicated.

“Iron Man 2” packs in a lot, sometimes too much. The supporting cast grew, including a fleshed out role for Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), a great supporting role in Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), the introduction of Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), not to mention the final unveiling of Rhodey (Don Cheadle) as War Machine.

However, there are so many conflicts at work that some story elements get short shrift, including Tony’s illness, Tony’s ego, Tony’s alcoholism, Tony’s relationship to his father, Tony’s relationship to Pepper, Ivan Vanko’s revenge story, S.H.I.E.L.D., war profiteering, drone warfare, and how science and engineering don’t really belong to anyone. Either more film is needed or fewer themes.

Mostly strong performances and excellent special effects make up for the script’s density, not to mention some exquisite fight sequences, particularly Black Widow’s office takedown. Overall, I found the movie enjoyable and well produced, if a bit too much given Tony’s now frequent inclusion in other films. Still highly recommended!

Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 57

One Movie Punch: 8.0/10

“Iron Man 2” is rated PG-13 and is available for rent or purchase wherever you enjoy movies.

Today’s movie is “Metropolis” (1927), Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking science-fiction epic. In particular, the 2010 restoration which features an extra 25 minutes of footage cut after its initial release, and thought lost forever. The footage was found in Buenos Aires in 2008, then restored in Germany until this particular restoration was viewed at the Berlin International Film Festival, with a modern recording of the original score. If you haven’t seen this version, I highly recommend it.

For those who haven’t seen it, “Metropolis” (1927) is set in a futuristic dystopian society, where society is split between the workers and the wealthy. The wealthy live in giant towers that reach up into the sky. The workers live in underground cities and are unable to visit the surface or afford the luxuries of the wealthy citizens. Totally crazypants, right? Good thing we don’t live in that world.

The wealthy reap the rewards of the efforts of the workers, who keep both cities functioning. The workers endure harsh working conditions and multiple accidents, but are kept from revolting by a prophetess named Maria (Brigitte Helm), who speaks of a mediator who will appear and lead the two societies to peace. However, the wealthy have devised the Machine Man, a humanoid robot that could replace the workers, making them useless and expendable. What a crackpot! I mean, our society hasn’t replaced any of our workers with machines and computers, right?

“Metropolis” (1927) follows the journey of Freder Frederson (Gustav Fröhlich), the son of Joh Frederson (Alfred Abel), the master of Metropolis. Freder is playing in the wealthy gardens when Maria shows up with the children of the workers. The children are swept out of the garden and sent below, causing Freder to become curious about the workers and to go on a trip to understand their dilemma.

This film is saturated in imagery, a key element of German expressionism. Every scene not only moves the plot, but the message forward as well. The performances, the practical effects, the insane film editing, the aesthetic of the various sets, and all accomplished with the tools available in 1927. Many parts of this film would go on to influence not just the science fiction genre, but film making as a whole.

I understand people who don’t like this film, whether it’s not their cup of tea or they disapprove of the themes or they just don’t like expressionist film-making. But I also feel like anyone who doesn’t appreciate the significance of this film probably also thinks Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is just a bunch of swirls.

“Metropolis” (1927) is a perfect film, and this most recent restoration helps recapture as much of Lang’s original vision. I feel like anyone who enjoys films and is willing to give the film an honest viewing will appreciate this film and perhaps even walk away astounded at what Lang accomplished during the decline of the silent movie. If you don’t believe me, well, listen to the critics.

Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 98/100

One Movie Punch: 10/10

“Metropolis” (1927) is not rated and the 2010 extended restoration is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Polka King” (2017), starring Jack Black as Jan Lewan, the infamous Pennsylvania Polka King who used a Ponzi scheme to fund his various ventures. The film was written by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, based in part on the 2009 documentary “The Man Who Would Be Polka King”.

Jan Lewan is a down on his luck Polish immigrant trying to manage his marriage to Marla (Jenny Slate), taking care of her mother, Barb (Jacki Weaver) and a number of questionable business ventures and odd jobs, including a love for polka with his good friend Mickey Pizzazz (Jason Schwartzman). One day, Mickey decides to quit to look for a better paying job, but Jan advises him to wait while he finds investors.

The film follows Jan’s rise and fall, steadily building an uncomfortable tension as he accepts more and more investors, dodges federal inquiries, creates more shaky business ventures, and eventually become embroiled in a scandal surrounding the Mrs. Pennsylvania contest, in which Marla participates.

Jack Black gives a mercurial performance, maintaining an almost over the top character while occasionally dipping into a more serious performance when needed. However, I found the other top billed actors to turn in great supporting roles. Jason Schwartzman plays a great friend. Jenny Slate plays a wonderful Marla. And Jacki Weaver comes alive in the second act, especially with her unexpected lover.

Maya Forbes brought the film to life, which hits the big events in Jan’s life. I loved all the digital effects, the costumes and the direction used to create the time period perfect television commercials and spots, with awkward camera work and all. It is a solid film with a solid cast that doesn’t feel too campy while still keeping a smile on your face.

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%

Metacritic: 64

One Movie Punch: 7.0/10

“The Polka King” is not rated and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Boss Baby” from DreamWorks Animation, the producers behind hits like “Shrek”, “How to Train Your Dragon”, and “Kung Fu Panda”. “The Boss Baby” is the story of Tim Templeton (Miles Bakshi), an imaginative only child coming to grips with the arrival of his new baby brother, The Boss Baby (Alec Baldwin). Unbeknownst to Tim, The Boss Baby arrived from Baby Corp, where all babies come from, on a secret mission to gather intelligence on a new breed of puppy coming from PuppyCo, where Tim’s parents work.

I have a lot of problems with this film, most of which stem from previous attempts to turn picture books into feature-length films. “The Boss Baby” is based on the famous picture book of the same name, an excellent book to help any only child understand their first sibling. The book is also efficient in getting the message across. The film takes the 32-page picture book and expands it into a ninety-minute film, requiring the creation of a major plot and to flesh out the characters, not to mention launch another intellectual property for DreamWorks Animation.

Writer Michael McCullers turns The Boss Baby from a demanding infant into a hybrid of Blake in “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992) and Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”, which, let’s face it, had a little Blake in him as well. It was only natural to cast Alec Baldwin as the lead, but it also makes the character a caricature of both roles. It also feels like the film is a total and utter appropriation of the incredibly dark and socially aware content of “Glengarry Glen Ross”, distilling that masterpiece down to its dark comedic elements, then shoehorning it into a children’s movie. All that was missing was a joke about brass balls.

The script is littered with one-liners, gimmicks, pop culture references, and lots of poop humor. In addition to the character inspirations, I saw references to Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Mouse Trap. IMDB currently lists 21 references. The film also has some tasteless attempts to embed sexually-themed humor, which I wouldn’t believe for a minute that a father would tell their daughter as part of the story.

Hold on, I’m not done yet! I did find the animation to be top quality, as would be expected from DreamWorks Animation, but I felt the film also lacked a consistent aesthetic. Each scene looked great on its own, and the music would fit it well, but side-by-side, it could be distracting. As this property has already been cleared for at least one sequel, I hope they can find the consistency it needs.

Rotten Tomatoes: 52%

Metacritic: 50

One Movie Punch: 5.0/10

“The Boss Baby” (2017) is rated PG and is streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “First They Killed My Father” (2017), based on the memoir of the same name by Luong Ung, a Cambodian survivor of the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge. Angelina Jolie co-wrote the film with Luong Ung, a long-time friend, and produced and directed the film with the help of her Cambodian-born son, Maddox Pitt-Jolie.

The story follows Luong’s family’s departure from Phnom Penh after the Khmer Rouge overthrew the military dictatorship backed by the U.S. government, and in response to the secret bombings of rural areas within Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Seeking to hide their previous privilege and association with the dictatorship, Pa Ung (Kompheak Phoeung) guides their family out of the city, moving from village to village.

The film is told through the eyes of Luong Ung (Sreymoch Sareum), only five years old at the time. Sreymoch’s performance has an eerie stillness that exemplifies the clever, observant child. However, Jolie’s direction and editing compliment Sreymoch’s performance with chaotic montages of Luong’s attempts to understand everything happening around her. The same techniques also establish and reinforce the relationship between Luong and her father.

“First They Killed My Father” (2017) is not only a film about Luong’s life, but serves as a visual gateway into one of the most brutal regimes the world has ever seen. From the exodus to the work camps to the child soldier camps to the Vietnamese invasion, Luong’s unique perspective also contains a commonality with the experiences of other Cambodians. The most difficult part of the film for me were the child soldiers, their training and their actions, but I also found one scene in particular quite breathtaking towards the end, as civilians are fleeing in the middle of a Khmer/Vietnamese shooting conflict, right into a mined area.

Jolie and Luong set out to tell Luong’s story and find immense success. I found myself wanting to find out more about Luong’s life, and to dive deeper into her life prior to the Khmer Rouge. I think the only slight weakness in this film is that in doubling as both a Luong biopic and an overview of the Khmer Rouge occupation that neither gets the viewer’s full attention, and coming in at over two hours, most viewers would lack the patience to do justice to both. All that being said, it is still a marvelous film and worthy of high praise.

Rotten Tomatoes: 89% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 72

One Movie Punch: 8.4/10

Podcast/Review: http://onemoviepunch.com/episode-011-first-they-killed-my-father-2017

“First They Killed My Father” is rated R and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story”, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. This minimalist film follows the story of C (Casey Affleck), who is in disagreement with M (Rooney Mara) about moving out of their home. C is reluctant to leave, feeling a connection to the home.

Near the date of their departure, C is killed in a car accident outside their home. M heads to the hospital where she says her final goodbyes. C then rises as a bed-sheet covered ghost, drawn back to their home where he observes what takes place after his death. M eventually decides to move on with her life, leaving a note in the wall, but also leaving behind the ghost, who remains to wait for her return.

A24 acquired the rights for the film, which fits their mold for audacious independent films. Lowery puts together a profound small cast film, using sparse dialogue and stark sets. It’s not so much of a film as a moving tapestry of symbolism requiring a very patient, willing audience. Some scenes are painfully slow, causing my interest to wane. I can only watch someone grief-eat a pie for so long.

I also felt the film was unbalanced, with a lot of space in the beginning and a lot crammed in towards the end. I did enjoy how Lowery brings everything together at the end. It was clever, but not too clever, allowing for some interesting storytelling.

I will say this about the film: it will haunt you. Lowery loosely embeds a great deal of symbolism that will allow viewers to draw multiple, disparate conclusions. Even after being turned off by the initial slowness, I still find myself reflecting on the film, finding my own connections. Ultimately, I came to like the film, but not love it.

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 84

One Movie Punch: 6.4/10

“A Ghost Story” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Today’s movie is the Netflix Original “Mudbound”, Dee Rees’s epic period piece based on Hillary Jordan’s novel. “Mudbound” is set in Mississippi just before and after World War II, following two families. The McAllans are a white family who have purchased a farm in the Delta. The Jacksons are a black family who work as sharecroppers for the farm. The families are joined together, intertwined economically and socially, struggling to co-exist in the racist South.

“Mudbound” features an amazing ensemble cast. Henry McAllan (Jason Clarke) and his college-educated wife, Laura (Carey Mulligan) move to Mississippi to pursue farming with his virulently racist father, Pappy (Jonathan Banks), and their two daughters. After arriving, they meet the Jacksons, including Pastor/Farmer Hap (Rob Morgan), his wife Florence (Mary J. Blige), and their three children currently living with them. Across the Atlantic, Henry’s brother, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Hap’ son, Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell) are stationed in different theatres.

An ensemble cast can be a strength and a weakness. Each character you add to a story takes away time for other character’s to develop and shine. “Mudbound” avoids this pitfall with smart editing by Mako Kamitsuna, utilizing character voiceovers to dive into each character, as well as the efforts of Dee Rees and co-writer Virgil Williams to develop incredible relationships between the characters. No main character feels underdeveloped and every supporting character is placed well, with particularly strong performances by Mary J. Blige, Jason Mitchell, and Carey Mulligan.

With well developed characters and relationships, “Mudbound” can effectively address both individual and systemic racism, without overusing racial epithets, nor shying away from the more brutal and direct racism of the time. The relationships also help examine the generational differences, from the entrenched racism of the older generation to the first rumblings of the views which would help fuel the civil rights movement.

“Mudbound” treats the source material and the time period with great respect, creating a successful exposition on historic and current themes. The film has great depth and richness, with excellent costumes and makeup, but some scenes may require more lighting, or perhaps a darker room, for home viewing. Fans of historical dramas will appreciate this film very much, but some graphic scenes may put off some viewers.

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 85

One Movie Punch: 8.6/10

“Mudbound” is rated R and is currently streaming on Netflix.

It’s Marvel Monday and we’re continuing the Road to Infinity War. Today’s movie is “The Incredible Hulk” (2008), starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, with Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky. “The Incredible Hulk” has an odd place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the only film produced by Universal, challenged with overcoming a very contemplative “Hulk” (2003) from Ang Lee, and mired afterwards in Hollywood politics and gossip, resulting in rights battles and character changes in future MCU films.

The major challenge in overcoming the 2003 film was not repeating the exact same story while also rebooting the character for the new shared universe. One decision that must have been made was condensing the origin story into the title sequence, insinuating more than re-telling the story, which not only robs us of the experience, but fails to give the characters time to build themselves and their relationships.

Instead, the first action sequence pits Bruce against a government team attempting to capture him for scientific study, which is pretty much the same plot device from the 2003 film. In a rich library of potential Hulk stories, it feels like the film repeats the same conflicts, not just the government attempt, but fighting another gamma radiation nightmare as the final boss fight.

The supporting cast has no time to develop. Liv Tyler’s performance as Betty Ross is almost perfunctory, since we are simply expected to know her back story and the depth of her relationship to Bruce. William Hurt’s performance as Thunderbolt Ross can only be seen as one-dimensional. Tim Roth’s performance as Emil Blonsky feels telegraphed, forced to develop the final conflict that, honestly, falls flat. I mean, who tells Hulk to stop smashing?

While I have a lot of gripes about the choices made for the film, I did find it to be a beautiful film. Louis Leterrier makes beautiful use of green everywhere, creating a consistent mood, and the animation for Hulk was excellent. The film does a great job including the shared MCU elements, weaving in the super soldier program that produced Captain America, multiple logos for Stark Industries, and using characters that would later move to “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, not to mention the obligatory Stan Lee scene and another cameo from Lou Ferrigno. I also loved the humor, when it was present.

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%

Metacritic: 61/100

One Movie Punch: 6.8/10 

“The Incredible Hulk” (2008) is available for rental or purchase wherever you enjoy movies.

Welcome to Oscar Season!

The nominations period opened up last Friday, January 5th. Members of the Academy have one week to submit their nominations, which will be tallied and presented to the public on Tuesday, January 23rd. This past year has had some incredible movies and I hope to review as many as possible prior to the big reveal on Sunday, March 4th.

In that spirit, today’s movie is “The Big Sick” (2017), the amazing romantic comedy based on the lives of Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, brought to life by director Michael Showalter. I can honestly say this is the best romantic comedy I have ever seen, a nearly perfect film in every way.

We start with Kumail Nanjiani, a struggling comedian working to earn a place at the Montreal Comedy Festival. During his set, Kumail gets heckled by Emily Gardner (played by Zoe Kazan). Kumail talks to her after the show and they have an immediate spark, leading to a series of dates and eventually a strong relationship.

Meanwhile, Kumail is fending off multiple attempts by his family to arrange a marriage with a Pakistani woman, in line with the culture they brought to America from Pakistan. Kumail knows that revealing his relationship with Emily would upset his family, so he struggles with keeping the two worlds separate.

Emily learns about Kumail’s family after discovering multiple photos of the attempted arrangements. Once Emily sees that Kumail is struggling to choose between her and his family, she leaves him. And then suddenly... Kumail receives a call from one of Emily’s friends, saying that Emily is in the emergency room, and wondered if he would go see her.

The film ends up having three distinct parts: the relationship prior to “the big sick”, the period during “the big sick”, and the period after “the big sick”. Holly Hunter and Ray Romano enter the second act as Emily’s parents, struggling to get up to speed about their daughter’s condition, and awkwardly interacting with Kumail, since her parents knew they had broken up, and the reasons why. Both give stellar performances. Ray Romano in particular should receive a best supporting actor nomination.

The script packs in so much. Emily and Kumail’s relationship. Kumail’s struggles with his family and their traditions. Emily’s sickness. The awkward relationship with your partner’s parents. Kumail’s experience as a Muslim in America. The terrible realities of the stand-up comedy world. Everything that went into the script was woven together incredibly, punctuated by the most well-timed awkward comedy I’ve seen in a long time, which had me moving between laughter and tears. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 86/100

One Movie Punch: 9.6

I know what you’re saying. 9.6? What happened to the other 0.4? This film was so good that it left me wanting more, and I am unsure if a sequel would work. But I do know that if any writing team could pull it off, it would be Emily and Kumail, and I will amend my review accordingly!

Hats off to both of you for sharing your story.

“The Big Sick” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Today’s film is “Before I Wake”, a 2016 supernatural horror film picked up by Netflix for their first 2018 offering. “Before I Wake” (2016) stars Kate Bosworth as Jesse and Thomas Jane as Mark, a couple recently approved for foster care after losing their son, Sean, in a drowning accident. Jesse and Mark meet Cody (played by Jacob Tremblay), a child who has had a string of bad foster placements with bad endings.

Jesse and Mark welcome Cody into their home, doing their best to work with him while struggling with memories of their lost child. Soon, Jesse discovers multiple stimulants that Cody is hiding and using to keep from falling asleep. After taking away those stimulants, Cody fights to keep himself awake, but eventually falls asleep.

Jesse and Mark begin to notice strange things happening in their home, beginning with beautifully rendered butterflies and moths flying around their living room. They soon realize that Cody’s dreams come to life while he sleeps, when a version of Sean returns, causing trauma for both of them. And eventually, not only his dreams, but his nightmares come true.

Good genre films need to accomplish two things. First, in any genre film, if you mute the genre-related elements, the characters should still hold up. Genre elements certainly can and should affect the characters, but they shouldn’t define the characters, nor make them interchangeable. Kate Bosworth gives a strong, believable performance as Jesse, struggling with the loss of her biological child, the way she is trying to parent Cody, and how Cody’s power affects her and her marriage. Thomas Jane feels relegated to the background, but has his moments. Jacob Tremblay’s performances feels convincing, although without much depth.

The second thing all genre films need to do is bring something new to the table, whether that’s a different perspective or a unique plot twist or whatever will help it stand out from other genre films. Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard put together a rough script with a lot of implausibilities, like how Cody never seemed to cause public havoc in-between foster parents, or how easily Jesse and Mark accept that their new foster child’s dreams really do come true. Implausibility aside, the story is woven very well, making the last fifteen minutes a joy as the various clues come together. Mike Flanagan makes great use of background effects, along with light and shadow to build and maintain suspense.

Ultimately, “Before I Wake” (2016) is a story about how parents and children deal with the loss of one another, and how the emotions they experience can affect us, both psychologically and, especially in the case of the film, physically. While the film doesn’t really break any new ground, a strong performance from Kate Bosworth helps distinguish this film from other child possession/powers horror films.

Rotten Tomatoes: 42%

Metacritic: TBD

One Movie Punch: 6.6/10

“Before I Wake” (2016) is rated PG-13 and is currently streaming on Netflix.