FREAKY TALES (2025)

April 4, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. While I’m unsure whether this qualifies as a tetraology, this oddball and zany film consists of four separate yet interrelated stories with crossover characters.  Previous collaborations from the film’s co-writers and co-directors, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, include CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019), the underrated IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY (2010), and SUGAR (2008).

It’s 1987 and the audience for a just-ended movie is making its way outside the Grand Lake Theater in “hella wild” Oakland, California. A truck full of neo-Nazis spew vile at the patrons as they cruise by. Best friends Lucid (Jack Champion, RETRIBUTION) and Tina (Ji-young Yoo, “ExPats”) make their way to The Gilman for some live music. There is an unrequited love connection between the two friends as the jam, but things turn violent when the neo-Nazis show up. Punks vs Nazi bullies goes full bore.

In Chapter Two, Dominique Thorne and Nomani make up the group Danger Zone, and as they leave the previously mentioned movie, they are verbally abused by the Nazis and recognized by someone who invites them to Rap Battle the great Too $hort. It’s in this segment where Ben Mendelsohn identifies himself as a cop … and the Rap Battle features some blistering lyrics.

The next chapter finds Pedro Pascal’s Clint as the collections muscle behind a crime lord, and as his pregnant wife waits in the car, Clint has a hilarious interaction with Hank, a video store manager played by Oscar winner Tom Hanks. Hank peppers Clint with movie trivia questions, despite Pascal being there for a completely different reason.

Throughout the story, there are references to the local NBA team, the Warriors, and their playoff series against the hated Lakers. Local legend “Sleepy” Floyd is mentioned, and the final chapter pretty much belongs to Sleepy (played by Jay Ellis) and Ben Mendelsohn. Angus Cloud (“Euphoria”) passed away in 2023 and he excels in his scenes with Mendelsohn. Sleepy Floyd goes off on a mystical rampage of revenge and it’s a visually volent treat.

If you are the type of movie goer seeking nuance … this ain’t the place. The filmmakers play homage to 1980’s genre films like REPO MAN (replete with neon green eye glow), while PULP FICTION is another obvious influence (Chapter 4 resembles KILL BILL a few times). Raphael Saddiq’s score is a nice complement, and you’ll note cameos from Keir Gilchrist, Marshawn Lynch (driving a bus), Too $hort, and the real Sleepy Floyd. Unfortunately we are never given instructions on how to register for “Sleepy’s Mind Wide Awake” seminar. A grain of salt is included.

Opens April 4, 2025

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Posted by David Ferguson

RETRIBUTION (2023)

August 24, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. Fully deserving of a tip of the cap is Liam Neeson, who used the popularity of TAKEN (18 years ago) to create a new sub-genre: the annual Liam Neeson action film where he gets to be the hero. This latest is from director Nimrod Antal (PREDATORS, 2010) with Christopher Salmanpour adapting the screenplay from Alberto Marini’s 2015 original, EL DESCONOCIDO (Spain). This is actually the third remake of that film, including those from Germany and South Korea.

An artful assembling of a bomb takes place over the opening credits, and then we cut to Matt Turner (Neeson) getting his morning workout on the boxing bag hanging in his loft. Other than fast-driving, that’s the biggest action-hero moment Liam gets in the film, although he is in the middle of plenty of other explosive moments. We quickly recognize Matt Turner as a successful Financial executive living in Berlin who is too consumed with work to be an attentive husband to his wife (an underused Embeth Davidtz) or involved father to his kids, Zack (Jack Champion, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER) and Emily (Lilly Aspell, played young Diana in the two Wonder Woman movies). Of course, everyone recognizes his there-not-there approach except him.

Guilted into the rare task of taking the kids to school one morning, Matt takes a call from an “unknown caller” on an unrecognized cell phone located in the console of his car. The disguised voice informs Matt that there is a bomb in his car that will detonate if he gets out, and there is a remote device that will allow the bomb to be set off if Matt doesn’t do exactly what the caller says. The plan revolves around big money, and Matt’s kids begin to question if their father has cheated people. Matt’s awkward behavior doesn’t put them at ease. This ordeal involves other people as well, and soon a Europol detective (Noma Dumezweni, THE LITTLE MERMAID, 2023) is involved and assuming Matt is the real threat.

With no apologies, the film borrows heavily from SPEED (1994) and PHONE BOOTH (2002), as time becomes a crucial element, along with following precise instructions. As viewers, we are right there with the kids – trying to figure out what’s happening, why it’s happening, and who is behind it. Most of the time is spent in Matt’s Mercedes, and we see two other luxury vehicles (Maserati, Tesla) on the wrong end of bombs. There are some holes in how the story progresses, as well as some inconsistencies in the look of the vehicle – clean, dirty, damaged, undamaged – although the weakest point is Matt’s absurd call with a client early on. This was obviously written by someone with very little business acumen. Matthew Modine has a supporting role and one of the film’s producers is Jaume Collet-Serra, a frequent collaborator on the many Liam action-movies. This one should work for those who enjoy the thrill of the moment before moving on to the next one.

Opening in theaters on August 25, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER (2022)

December 13, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. I’ll admit that I’m not easily dazzled, and I’m very happy to admit that the thirteen years since James Cameron’s AVATAR was not just worth the wait – this latest one truly dazzled me. While the 2009 film was impressive from a technical standpoint, the new one is awe-inspiring, especially in the underwater sequences. I should disclose that I saw this on a huge screen in a theater with a spectacular sound system, and even the 3D glasses didn’t bother me at all (a first). The usually annoying muted color tones of 3D were minimal here, and the colors still popped as the 3D effects became a part of the presentation rather than the typical gimmickry.

Heading back to Pandora is either something you look forward to or could care less about. For those who have been anxiously awaiting the release, prepare to be amazed and stunned at just how far the CGI has come since Cameron set the standard years ago. On the other hand, one should be prepared for a middling, cliché-driven story with a script by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, with story credits to Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. And since there will be at least one more film in the franchise (filmed simultaneously with this one), and possibly as many as three more, be prepared for unresolved and dangling story lines (that you may or may not care about). The reality is that the magic of the Avatar movies is in the visuals – escapism and fantasy creatures – not in the plot.

A lot has happened since the previous film. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), the human-turned-Na’vi (via genetic engineering) is now a tribal leader on Pandora. He and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) now have two teenage sons and a young daughter, as well as an adopted teenage girl Kiri (played via stop-motion by Sigourney Weaver, one of the scientists in the original), and a quasi-adopted human son named Spider (Jack Champion). Family bliss in paradise is a pretty darn good life … at least until the evil humans return, scorching the land with their machinery. Since humans have pretty much ruined Earth, the mission is to find a new homeland, and what better place than Pandora. A miscast Edie Falco is the General leading the mission, and her advanced exoskeleton is a nod to Ripley in Cameron’s ALIENS. Her elite squadron of Na’vi Avatars is led Quaritch (Stephen Lang), a human character who died in the first film, but his memories are now implanted in a physically superior Na’vi body and he has revenge on the mind … specifically hunting Sully and Neytiri.

As beautiful as Pandora is (and it is), the island that Sully and family escape to takes beauty to another level. This tribe of Na’vi has evolved to live at one with the ocean. The water people aren’t overly excited about taking in the forest people, especially since bad guys are chasing the newcomers, and what follows is a stream of predictable interactions – though the predictability is quickly forgiven once Cameron takes us beneath the surface. It’s truly breathtaking to see this underwater world filled with wildlife, plants, and coral. The creatures are unique, colorful and exciting, none more so than the mega-whales considered spirit animals by the water people.

The stop-motion technology means we see only a few actual humans, though the cast is often recognizable, and in addition to Worthington, Saldana, Weaver, Lang, and Champion, it includes Oscar winner Kate Winslet, Jemaine Clement, Cliff Curtis, and CCH Pounder. But this isn’t a showcase for actors. Instead, it’s a showcase for Cameron to blend his love of technology with his love of the ocean and commitment to environmental protection. He succeeds in wowing us and reminding us what a true cinematic spectacle can be. Another warning I’ll offer is that at least one-third (maybe closer to half) of the film is either the hour-long battle in the final act, or some other action sequence sprinkled in. Just don’t think this is a relaxing getaway to Pandora! Lastly, for those interested in seeing this, I encourage you to seek out a local theater that is decked out with the latest technology, and don’t shy away from 3D showings unless you are one of those who get nauseous or experience motion-sickness.

Opens nationwide in theaters on December 16, 2022

WATCH THE TRAILER

1 Comment | Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson