Recent theatrical viewings

[Rev. Powell]

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3: Aliens careen across the universe from one contrived fight to another while listening to classic rock. The script feels lazy, like they thought they could just roll out these beloved characters, recycle a few well-worn jokes, and score it to nostalgic tunes, and folks would just fork over money for tickets. Of course that's obviously the case, but I foolishly hoped James Gunn might bring a little more A-game to this tent pole finale. 2.5/5.

[Dr. Whom]

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3: Aliens careen across the universe from one contrived fight to another while listening to classic rock. The script feels lazy, like they thought they could just roll out these beloved characters, recycle a few well-worn jokes, and score it to nostalgic tunes, and folks would just fork over money for tickets. Of course that's obviously the case, but I foolishly hoped James Gunn might bring a little more A-game to this tent pole finale. 2.5/5.

It is a question of expectations, I guess. I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

[Rev. Powell]

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3: Aliens careen across the universe from one contrived fight to another while listening to classic rock. The script feels lazy, like they thought they could just roll out these beloved characters, recycle a few well-worn jokes, and score it to nostalgic tunes, and folks would just fork over money for tickets. Of course that's obviously the case, but I foolishly hoped James Gunn might bring a little more A-game to this tent pole finale. 2.5/5.

It is a question of expectations, I guess. I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

I expected it to be a 3 star movie with upside. I see how people would still enjoy it, but I think I'm getting close to being done with Marvel's live action offerings. The animated Spiderman covers a lot of the same ground but is much fresher and more exciting.

[Rev. Powell]

IT AIN'T OVER: The thesis of this Yogi Berra bio-doc is that the catcher's public image as a lovable clown has unfairly overshadowed his enormous contributions to the game of baseball. Well-assembled and as fundamentally decent as it's subject, this is a must for baseball fans, and Berra's magnetic personality (he didn't have an enemy in the world, except George Steinbrenner) is still strong enough to draw in the rest of us for a period of time that is mercifully shorter than an actual baseball game. 3/5.

[Rev. Powell]

ASTEROID CITY: A colorful cast of characters assembled for a science fair in 1955 are trapped in the Mojave hamlet of Asteroid City after an extraterrestrial event causes the military to declare a quarantine. Wes Anderson pushes his trademark artificiality and stageyness to near its breaking point, focusing on space-age desert aesthetics while propping up the pointless main plot with a questionable "behind the scenes" meta element; still, the appealing ensemble cast, led by Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson, the sharp (if restrained) dialogue, and the constant humor and surprises overcome any complaints. 4/5.

[indianasmith]

INDIANA SMITH JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023)

As an historian, it's always amusing to watch films based on real events in history and see how much they get wrong about the events they claim to depict.
But when the movie is based on your own life and exports, it can be downright painful.

  However, unlike RAIDERS and TEMPLE OF DOOM, this movie actually got most of the events correct.  I mean, Archimedes was taller, slimmer, and younger than they portrayed him, and as usual, they got the types of aircraft involved all wrong (of course, I don't think there is a flyable Dornier-117 left in the world today).  Harrison Ford isn't as good-looking as me, but then, he never was.  Still, overall, the events in the movie are pretty close to how I remember them, even down to the crazy car chase during the Apollo-11 crew's ticker tape parade and the scuba diving sequence with all the eels on the ancient Roman shipwreck.  Anyway, if you want to see what I was up to about 50 years ago, check out the movie while it's still in the theaters!  I think it is my third favorite of all the Indiana "Jones" adaptations.  4/5

[M.10rda]

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3: I foolishly hoped James Gunn might bring a little more A-game to this tent pole finale. 2.5/5.

I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

I'm getting close to being done with Marvel's live action offerings.

GOTG3 (2023):
I'm w/ you on the general downslide of the live-action Avengersverse, Rev, but I liked GOTG3 a lot more than (the often-forced) GOTG2 and frankly as much as any other Avengersverse film I can think of besides the first GOTG. I do credit James Gunn for making this one feel like a Film rather than an "entry". Two quick supplemental thoughts:

1.) For my money, the High Evolutionary is the standout antagonist of these (now) 30-some films. Jonathan Majors as Kang gave the best PERFORMANCE but the character is moronically written; Killmonger and the Vulture, well-acted and interesting, if sympathetic (Thanos too, I suppose, if we presume Josh Brolin is really under there somewhere). High Evolutionary, on the other hand... good performance, good writing, but most importantly I f**kING HATED THIS GUY with every fiber of my being and passionately wanted to see him defeated (...and punished. Rocket let him off easy!). I can't remember another occasion from these films where I sincerely cared about seeing the antagonist foiled, rather than just passing the time until the inevitable climax. That counts for... a lot, actually!

2.) I was invested in Rocket's arc, in this one and the series overall... and I cared about Drax, Nebula, and Mantis... again, in a way that I don't recall caring about any of the Avengers. Again again, I chalk that up to Gunn. The only moment in this film that left a bad taste in my mouth was the very last post-credits title: "StarLord will return" or whatever. Who the heck was seeing these movies ONLY for Star Lord? I'm not onboard for a Chris Pratt solo vehicle, and of course neither is James Gunn. 

4.5/5!
I gotta' watch those SPIDER-VERSE flicks.

[M.10rda]

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES: A roguish bard (Chris Pine) gathers a group of adventurers to recover the artifact (and daughter) that was stolen from him in a double-cross.

When I read the bit that says "A roguish bard" my first thought was "No, they've released the official stats for the characters and he wasn't cross-classed". I may have been playing D&D too much.  

I had similar thoughts during DAD:HAT. I suspect you and I were thinking more about D&D rulesets and conventions than the filmmakers did........

[Trevor]

INDIANA SMITH JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023)

But when the movie is based on your own life and exports, it can be downright painful.

[Rev. Powell]

BLACK ICE (2023): Ever wonder why there are so few black players in the NHL? This documentary interviews recent players about the frequent racist abuse they suffer while playing Canada's national sport, and also discusses the history of Canada's Colored Hockey League and current efforts to bring more diversity to the sport. 3/5.

[Rev. Powell]

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART ONE: Searching for a key that could unlock a nearly omnipotent weaponized A.I., Ethan Hunt finds himself hunted by multiple agencies, criminal syndicates, and, most formidably, the newly-self-aware A.I. itself. The most ambitious spy movie ever made (160 minutes only gets you halfway through) is briskly paced, an only occasionally ridiculous parade of fights, escapes, and double-crosses, ending in heart-pounding finale on the classic Orient Express. 4/5.

[Rev. Powell]

TALK TO ME: Teenagers play around with a ceramic hand that allows them to speak to the dead--and allows the dead to briefly possess them. Sounds like a bad idea. Morbidly spooky horror that flirts with greatness--and achieves it, with the final shot, at least. 4/5.

[Trevor]

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART ONE: Searching for a key that could unlock a nearly omnipotent weaponized A.I., Ethan Hunt finds himself hunted by multiple agencies, criminal syndicates, and, most formidably, the newly-self-aware A.I. itself. The most ambitious spy movie ever made (160 minutes only gets you halfway through) is briskly paced, an only occasionally ridiculous parade of fights, escapes, and double-crosses, ending in heart-pounding finale on the classic Orient Express. 4/5.

Part 2 - filmed here - has me as the bad guy 

[Rev. Powell]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM: The title characters decide to become superheroes so they will be accepted rather than feared by humans. Unique animation style, familiar story beats. The other couple in the theater with me (adults) really got into it, though, laughing at the pop culture jokes and actually clapping when the bad guy was defeated, so if you're just looking for a mindless popcorn movie, you may really dig this. 3/5.

[Trevor]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM: The title characters decide to become superheroes so they will be accepted rather than feared by humans. Unique animation style, familiar story beats. The other couple in the theater with me (adults) really got into it, though, laughing at the pop culture jokes and actually clapping when the bad guy was defeated, so if you're just looking for a mindless popcorn movie, you may really dig this. 3/5.

Do you think I would like it? 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢