Cruella

Still in pandemic mode, Disney+ releases what was obviously meant to be a big, theatrical release as an on-demand video. All the visuals are spectacular and it’s too bad a lot of people (like us) weren’t able to see this on the big screen. I’m still grateful to have seen it. I wonder if Disney should re-release some of these Disney+ movies in theaters at some point? They deserve the big theater experience.

Shoplifters of the World Unite

Fun, partially true story about an emo, new wave kid who forces a Denver DJ at gunpoint to play nothing but The Smiths for hours. But watching a movie that depicts Denver in 1987, but was filmed in New York, can be frustrating. Details that a local would love to see were missing. Still, an excellent soundtrack.

Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw

It’s a contrast of ass-kickers. Hobbs, who is big, kicks ass one way, while Shaw, who is more compact, kicks ass a different way. Every single scene in the movie works overtime to point out that Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson are physically different, and therefore have juxtaposed ass-kicking styles. So, replace the car racing with straight-forward ass-kicking and it’s a whole new enchilada. Also, it’s kind of Britishy. Some British ass-kickyness is featured to class-up the place.

Gemini Man

Ang Lee can’t seem to make a movie without diving into some technologically impossible boondoggle. He loves to bite off more than he can chew, whether it’s a visual effect, a stunt, a period costume, or some kind of new high-tech camera. When he’s successful, it’s often amazing and it doesn’t distract. And he’s willing to take those risks. This one distracts. While the effect is still pretty amazing, young Will Smith’s mouth still looks weird when he talks. And when he fights himself, it goes on WAY too long. So, it’s hard to concentrate and get into the story. It’s hard to care about the characters. You’re always trying to bridge the uncanny valley. Otherwise, it’s a perfectly entertaining, action-packed, sci-fi yarn – as long as nobody talks.

Mulan

Tropes and conventions, probably used for hundreds of years in the Beijing Opera, garner a reverent new spin thanks to director Niki Caro and the many thousands of technicians and millions of dollars behind this movie. Moments of this are sensational; pristine shots of breathtaking landscape, impeccable costumes, and meticulous make-up design. The pro-empire script is nothing to write home about and the acting is par for an epic like this. But there’s TECHNIQUE galore in this that’s so impressive. Did Disney give them more time? Did Disney give them more money? What was it that made this different? Unless you're an 8-year-old girl, it’s not a very emotional film, but that doesn’t really matter if you’re marveling at the compositions. 

Also: Because of Covid, this came out on video, which is an understandable business decision.  But Disney should think about re-releasing this on the big screen. It deserves a movie theater treatment.

Wrath of Man

In the first few minutes of this Jason Statham/Guy Richie reunion, you’ll notice things sound a little different. There are efforts all around to affect a modern-day version of a film-noir, crime drama, tough-guy dialogue delivery -- a vernacular trying too hard to be Shane Black or Tarantino. It sounds weird and it’s distracting. Thankfully, most of the movie unfolds in flashbacks, so those characters and that style disappears and the editor takes over the storytelling. If it were told in a linear fashion, there would be nothing new about this at all. But the gerrymandered story structure manages to build some suspense until the inevitable Heat-inspired, bullet-riddled conclusion. It’s always a kick to see Jason Statham doing his whispery, soccer-hooligan thing. But for the most part this is old hat. 

It’s notable that this is the first movie I’ve seen in a movie theater since the pandemic started, so about a year and a half. I’m glad to be back.