MOVIE REVIEW: Minions: The Rise of Gru

Minions: The Rise of Gru is another entry in the Despicable Me films that has now become a cash cow for Universal Pictures. Like the Ice Age series from 20th Century Fox, you can't distinguish one film from another anymore. Fortunately, there are saving graces from this new entry.

First, it's a big improvement from the first Minions film. Steve Carell's Gru was left out in the first movie and it felt not right at all. The Minions and Gru have excellent chemistry and the lovable characters simply can't stand alone on their own. 

Second, the setting. The Rise of Gru brings us back in the 70s when Gru was embracing his bad side. He's a big fan of the Vicious 6, a group of villains. He hatches a plan to join them and this is where the fun part begins.

Third, the voice actors. Aside from Carell, Taraji P. Henson is a welcome treat in the film. She's perfection as the villainess Bell Bottom. It was awesome of Illumination Production to hire 80's icons Lucy Lawless, Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren to voice Bell Bottom's henchmen. Too bad, they were  underutilized in the film. 

Fourth, the music.

Overall, despite it's shortcomings, Minions: The Rise of Gru is an entertaining film with some funny moments. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Top Gun: Maverick

 36 years is worth the wait for the sequel of one of the most defining summer movies of the 80s. It made Tom Cruise a global household name. I couldn't believe that the sequel flawlessly connects itself from the original and ends up being one of the most entertaining films that I saw on the big screen after a long time.

In the past years, cinemas were filled with superhero comic book movies that eventually saturated and most of them had the same look and feel. Top Gun: Maverick brought us the years before Marvel in which people were actually entertained with storylines about regular people with extraordinary skills and talent. Maverick delivers the goods anchored by Tom Cruise's charismatic performance in one of his most iconic roles.

Refused to get promoted because he loves what he's doing best: flying, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell has to face the reality of aging as he's assigned to train new pilots of Top Gun. They're set out on a dangerous mission to prevent global disaster in an unnamed country.

I won't spoil the rest but the film is highly unpredictable and edge of your seat action and suspense is well served.

Miles Teller, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Connelly and provide excellent support and their characters are excellently integrated into the film. Maverick's BFF Iceman (Val Kilmer once again) gives the film it's heart.

Too Gun: Maverick is best seen on the big screen. If you liked the first one, this is better!! 

MOVIE REVIEW: Onward

Just like in 2009's Up!, Disney/Pixar has made grief once again easy to digest in Onward. In the film which bears a resemblance to Disney's 2016 Oscar winning Zootopia, instead of animals the world's population is made up of mythical and magical creatures such as elves, centaurs, Manticores and fairies among others. The story of two teenage elf brothers: Barley (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) Lightfoot who lost their father at a young age and their relationship with their mother Laurel (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her centaur cop boyfriend Colt Bronco (voiced by Mel Rodriguez). 

On his 16th birthday Ian receives a gift from his deceased Dad thru his Mom. It was a chance for them to be reunited with him but only for a day. They immediately seized the opportunity but when the spell felt short, they embark on a quest that would change their lives forever.

Onward is a growing up movie about two young elves, discovering themselves on their path to adulthood. It also is a love letter to the past which we should always remember to protect and uphold so that future generations can learn what shaped us now. The film is also a good way to teacher younger kids about mythical creatures that had enchanted generations over time. I actually learned what a Manticore (voiced by Octavia Spencer) is thanks to Onward. Both Holland and Pratt have excellent chemistry playing brothers. They deserve another live action movie that's not in any comic cinematic universe. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Yesterday

The collaboration of two of my favorite people in the film world: writer Richard Curtis, who penned some of the best comedies in our lifetime among them Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill and Danny Boyle, who continues to astound us with films as diverse as the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire to the trippy Trainspotting resulted in arguably  2019's best comedy Yesterday.

A struggling musician Jack Malik (Himesh Patel in a breakout role) can't seem to have a big break in his musical career. Ironically, an accident resulting from a cosmic glitch made him an overnight sensation. He woke up in a world in which the Beatles didn't exist. Jack sang some songs to his friends and family and they were impressed by his "songwriting" skills. It even caught the attention of real life pop superstar Ed Sheeran playing himself and Jack Malik never had better.

Curtis' touches are evident in the film: wonderful yet quirky friends of the lead. As well as Boyle's sginature one man's struggle in the world scenario. Yesterday is such a feel-good film anchored by the well-loved songs of the Beatles and great performances from the cast. Yesterday is the 3rd straight entertaining film about British music starting from Bohemian Rhapsody to Rocketman.

MOVIE REVIEW: Toy Story 4

Just when we all thought that the Toy Story franchise would conclude in the 3rd movie released 9 years ago, Disney/Pixar released a 4th one. It doesn't have the grandeur of the last installment but just like the other 2 movies after the 1st film, you can see the growth of the characters, animation and the story. 

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the toy gang are now with their owner Bonnie (voiced by Madeleine McGraw), a shy, timid girl who finds happiness with her toys. When she's about to start kindergarten, Woody tags along and in her first class project, the teachers asks the students to make a pencil holder. With his help, Bonnie was able to make one from a spork, pipe cleaner and some googly eyes Woody got from the trash bin. It had a life of his own when Bonnie wrote her name on the popsicle stick feet. She named it Forky (voiced by Tony Hale) and Woody had to watch it's every move since Forky considers himself as "trash" and always finds a way to go back into the garbage bin. 

Aside from Forky, there are other new characters introduced in the film that will endear to moviegoers. Most notable is the guy of the moment Keanu Reeves voicing Duke Kaboom, a Canadian daredevil motorcycle stuntman who yearns for his owner who neglected him. The sensational comic duo of Key and Peele: Keegan-Michael Key and Oscar winner Jordan Peele bring their toned-down humor as carnival prizes Ducky and Bunny respectively. 

Toy Story 4 is also a love story anchoring on Woody's accidental reunion with his  longtime love Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who used to be his former owner Andy's younger sister's old toy who was disposed off early in the film. 

The Toy Story franchise keeps getting better and better. The ending might feel like a conclusion but I wouldn't mind a 5th installment of it.

MOVIE REVIEW: Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel rises above most superhero origin stories primarily because of its casting. With Oscar winner Brie Larson playing the titular lead with four nominees led by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury as well as Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou and the regal Annette Bening in supporting roles, it's indeed a marvel to see the acting greats of our era don costumes, do a comic book film and have fun.

Told in flashbacks, it builds a great structure as to who she is and/or was before. It doesn't have the flashiness and pomp of Black Panther, the mythical grandeur of Thor and the new age charm of Doctor Strange but it evokes nostalgia of the nineties. Just like the recent Transformer film Bumblebee, both films have a strong female lead and a soundtrack defining its era. The Transformers reboot was all about the eighties, Captain Marvel is the period of songs ranging to Garbage to Nirvana. 

As in any other film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel is connected to an upcoming one. You can easily guess what that is and yes the excitement over it is still there. There's also a heartfelt tribute to Marvel's main man Stan Lee done in a unique way.

MOVIE REVIEW: Glass

Exactly two years, Director M. Night Shyamalan rebounded from his misfires (After Earth, The Happening and Lady in the Water among others) with Split. The film starred James McAvoy playing Kevin Wendell Crumb who's wrestling with multiple personalities among them, a mutant like persona with cannibalistic tendencies known as "The Beast". The beauty in Split aside from a tour de force performance from it's lead actor is that it's actually connected to another Shyamalan movie 2000's Unbreakable starring Bruce Willis as David Dunn aka the movie title, a reluctant superhero and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price - the complete opposite of Dunn. His bones are brittle giving him the name of Mr. Glass. He is a comic book obsessed catalyst on the lookout for other people like him resulting in bringing in together Dunn and Crumb. This is a great setup on what could have been a brilliant film on the genre now dominated by films starring Marvel and DC characters.

Shyamalan though, took the wrong route and made Glass into an anti superhero film loaded with unnecessary lecture on the connection of comic book heroes, villains and psychology. It would have a treat if McAvoy, Willis and Jackson's characters were let loose outside on the streets of Philadelphia instead of being confined in a mental institution 90% of the film. It is headed by a sleepy and underutilized Sarah Paulson who plays a doctor that downplays the leads capabilities and strengths. 

 Movie buffs who loved Unbreakable and Split will surely be entertained by it. Those who didn't saw the two previous films prior to this will surely be confused. Better watch Unbreakable and Split first.

Glass isn't that bad. It could have been better.