Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Why did I watch this? I’m not sure. I heard from a few people that it was “nutty” so I decided to have a look. And it turns out to be a throwback, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? homage made by the Lonely Island guys. It’s weird and mostly entertaining. It’s a barrage of pop culture and Hollywood references, some completely surreal and obscure. I’m not sure if little kids will get this -- it seems to be laser-guided to appeal to a specific generation of 90’s kids who watched too much TV and are currently high. Some gags are laugh-out-loud funny (i.e. “Aunt Man”) and some are more oblique and meta. What’s most noteworthy about the filmmakers is recognizing the legal/clearance team, which must have been massive and incredibly busy. The references are non-stop.

Downton Abbey: A New Era

It’s a big family. An ensemble cast. There’s lots of conflict, but they stick together. Fancy cars are involved. Many of the people are aging. It’s basically Fast and the Furious with tea instead of Red Bull. I don’t really follow the series so I’m not sure why it’s a big deal if Lady Featherbottom clashes with Lord Devonshire. An unfortunate requirement of this is knowing all the backstory (see also: Fast and the Furious). But, man! The cast is top-notch. The crew is varsity elite. The costumes, the hair, the sets, the props, the drone shots. The music. Everything is perfect. Those British made the hell out of this movie, even if I had little idea of what was going on.

The Greatest Showman

I’ve had several people recommend this to me over the years. It was free on the plane, so I decided to take a look. Production value is high and the cast is talented and diverse. Michelle Williams is way more talented than she deserves to be. All told, it’s an energetic and rousing musical biopic about PT Barnum. And HOLY FUCK is it hokey. Like face palm, cringy, hokey. Like… UGH! YIKES! I’m glad I watched it on the plane. I’m glad it was free.

Jungle Cruise

Holy crap this movie had some money. That’s all I could think about. How expensive was this?? It flopped, unfortunately. Mainly due to the pandemic. But it’s a likeable and lighthearted adventure filled with action. Dwayne Johnson is a capable, wise-cracking hero. Emily Blunt is perfect as the plucky scientist wearing pants. And there’s a nice turn from Jack Whitehall as the British ninny who gets to be a little deeper than most comic-relief scaredy-cats. Efforts to make this like Pirates of the Caribbean are transparent, so it’s not like it’s super original. But it’s fun enough. Disney should have re-released some of these pandemic victims when the world started to open up again. They deserve to be experienced on the big screen.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Finally watched this Ben Stiller vehicle, and it’s not bad. It’s all Ben all the time, overcoming obstacles, conquering his fears, and getting the girl. Funny cameos from some colorful characters and a funny bit from Sean Penn goofing on his own intensity keep it light, but also kind of inspiring.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

A sensory blast! An imaginative barn-burner from Sam Raimi et al. It’s great to see Raimi do his Raimi thing for large portions of it, too. Fantastic demons and apparitions and zombies are a welcome addition to the clean super-hero milieu. Also welcome is something that is not quite characteristic of these movies: a villain with a heartbreakingly personal motive; a super-hero-sized level of grief that feels painfully authentic. It’s too bad that you need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the Marvel Universe to figure out what the hell is going on in these movies much of the time. But man, do they give you your money’s worth.

The Northman

Incredible. An ambitious and visionary saga, made with blistering dedication and detail. Yes, it’s violent. But no more than an episode of Game of Thrones. The violence cuts deep because of WHO is involved; family members killing each other, etc. The sound of the cold wind, the “splotch, splotch” of the feet through the mud, and the screams of the enslaved people make this an amazing, visceral experience. Massive kudos to the cast and the filmmakers for this fascinating, solid, and entertaining telling of a revenge parable that really captures a sense of how brutal life was in the olden times. A must-see in the theater.