RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
3.5 out of 5 stars
This astonishing animated adventure doesn’t back down in together exemplifying hope while helping heal a world that’s in dire need of it. Co-directors Hall & Estrada give us a Southeast Asian heroine, w/ serious trust issues but a fighting spirit, searching for the pieces of the all-powerful dragon gem to turn stone statues back to life & unite Kumandra as it once was. Despite Disney’s classic though noticeably familiar formula, you’ll be blown away by its heart, humor, & female empowerment. It’s wonderfully imaginative w/ stellar action sequences & tip-top voice work from Tran & Awkwafina. The gorgeous animation alone will have you hypnotized. This well-timed & mystical quest is a gratifying gift for the entire family.
CHERRY
2 out of 5 stars
An extremely bloated & recurrently boring crime drama divided into unnecessary parts where a guy suffering from a broken heart makes one bad decision after another. He enlists in the Army & once he’s out – PTSD follows him home. His treatment for it is drug addiction, which leads to bank robbing so to pay off his debts. And he does all of this while dragging his wife down w/ him. They’re a match made in heaven.
There’s nothing really redeemable about any characters involved, but Holland does deliver a first-rate performance, taking on a role that makes you completely forget he’s Spidey. But he & directors Anthony & Joe Russo joining forces again can only be described as disappointing. It’s an unexceptional venture that goes down some ugly paths w/ nothing major to take away except what we already know: War is fucked up & just say no to drugs.
Earwig and the Witch
1.5 out of 5 stars
Trading out their signature hand-drawn animation for CGI, Studio Ghibli’s latest comes across as one big mistake from beginning to end. From Goro Miyazaki, the son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, an orphan girl is exposed to a world – through her way-out new guardians – where witches, potions, & spells exist. More so, the inclusion of music (a rather significant song) could very well play into her knowing who her mother is, but it’s left largely underdeveloped. Practically everything on-screen suffers the same fate. That special sort of Studio Ghibli magic we’ve come to expect is nowhere in sight. Here’s to hoping we’ll see it once more the next time around.
NIGHT OF THE KINGS
3 out of 5 stars
Koné steals the show in this fantastic fable, set inside a prison way out in the Ivorian forest, that not only demonstrates the power of storytelling, but how it can keep you alive. Writer/director Lacôte’s unique, transportive vision decussates between myth & materiality – constantly capturing the imagination within a gritty, claustrophobic setting. That’s why it’s a shame & sort of surprising when we arrive at the end of story time & it comes across as merely ordinary – consequently weakening the message in the process.
BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY
3.5 out of 5 stars
Fans of Eilish won’t need a single reason to instantly immerse themselves in director Cutler’s stellar musical doc of the amazing artist’s journey through life while making When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? For all others (myself included) who only know one or two songs – you’ll be invested just the same. Her artistry & overall creativeness is screaming to be unbound, & it’s simply a pleasure to watch as her debut album begins to take shape through her & her brother, Finneas, in his bedroom.
Effectively revealing, audiences are right there w/ Eilish in her process, performances, self-doubt & emotional & physical pain. At the same time, Cutler repeatedly reminds us that she’s still a regular teen who’s excited about getting her drivers license & falling head over heels for a boy. Eilish’s super supportive family is a blessing & her interactions w/ Bieber are hilarious/heartfelt. There’s not a false note in this, which is not much of a shock considering the singer-songwriter is unquestionably the real deal.
CHAOS WALKING
2.5 out of 5 stars
Holland & Ridley are on the run in a world where women are gone & men are left w/ their thoughts being seen & loudly heard. Spidey plays a guy whose never seen a girl & Rey plays a girl who crash lands in his backyard whose never seen rain. They’re not exactly a bang-up duo. Anyhow, director Liman exhibits a fascinating concept centering around “the Noise” that’s entertaining & unexpectedly funny at times.
There’s also the basic & predictability side of it that lamentably outweighs the fun stuff. And it’s almost criminal how such a stellar supporting cast that includes Mikkelsen, Oyelowo, Erivo & Bichir is terribly wasted. Potential being trifled away is evident in this dystopian sci-fi adventure, though it’s not unwatchable by any means. Having low expectations does wonders.
THE WORLD TO COME
2 out of 5 stars
There’s beauty to be found in director Fastvold’s lesbian period romancer composed of forbidden love & feminism. Yet, this has been told before & surely in a more compelling way. Let it not take away from Waterston & Kirby’s sterling portrayals of pioneer women who are lonely & long for one another while shackled to their expected role as wives. However, they’re trapped in an inert &, worst of all, dispassionate tale that’s as numb as numb can be.
THE MAURITANIAN
3 out of 5 stars
Director Macdonald’s Gitmo drama is a tad too tame considering its incredibly inhumane material. It still will infuriate like it’s meant to, though the execution leans heavier in to being conventional than compelling, which doesn’t best serve this courageous true story. It’s the stellar performances that’s to savor, especially Rahim’s benevolent portrayal of an inmate keeping his soul intact through the most horrendous of experiences. Foster is also fantastic as a pro bono lawyer who sees this simply as a case until her client opens her eyes to the man he is.
TOM & JERRY
1.5 out of 5 stars
Going along w/ the animation/live-action is doable, but every second spent w/ the human characters is horrible. Director Story needed to let Tom & Jerry do what they do best. It feels like a safe bet since they’ve been around for over 80 years! Though that would be too easy. Their forever tomfoolery is why we watch, so having it just reduced to a backdrop for some stupid & unfunny story about a hotel wedding is unmistakably the wrong move. The return of this classic cat-and-mouse game from our two beloved famous frienemies is a shameful & grubby cash-grab. Plain & simple.
THE VIGIL
3 out of 5 stars
This being writer-director Thomas’ first feature film, he impressively creates a faith based, atmospheric horror that simultaneously serves as a rendering of grief & guilt. Originality isn’t necessarily its strong suit & the ending is somewhat of a letdown; but for the better part of its short runtime – what’s offered is invariably creepy & a little jumpy w/ a strong performance from Davis.
FLORA & ULYSSES
1.5 out of 5 stars
A sad excuse for a family friendly flick about a cynical young girl who finds hope in having her parents back together through a squirrel w/ super powers & a knack for poetry. Adapted from a kids book by DiCamillo, it’s tough to find anything enjoyable through all of its false feelings & dumb humor left flying back & forth in a cruddy plot that no child or adult could possibly care about
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY
2.5 out of 5 stars
In her film debut, Grammy-nominated singer Day’s portrayal of the jazz icon is stunning. The look, the voice, the sass, the anguish, the strength – Day does it all. A star is indisputably born, yet this biopic never feels worthy enough for Holiday or its leading lady. In director Daniels’ telling of Holiday, her influential song “Strange Fruit”, & the FBN’s dirty methods in silencing her, he loses sight of what his film wants to relay. The point trying to be proven of her being a civil-rights pioneer doesn’t take priority over the redundant drug & relationship abuse that plagued Holiday until the day she died. Daniels wants to give her & what she stood for deserving attention, & rightfully so. Though in the end, even w/ a divine Day, he & writer Parks can’t seem to successfully piece it all together on-screen.
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
4.5 out of 5 stars
A galvanizing historical drama of unjustness, politics, change, hostility, & betrayal – demanding its mighty voice to be heard then & now. As the iconic Black Panther leader Hampton, Kaluuya is magnetic & militant. It’s a powerhouse performance that’s charismatic & commanding in every sense of the word. The rest of the cast is phenomenal as well. Fishback is fantastic as Hampton’s love interest & mother of their child, representing what he could lose as his war heightens & becomes more threatening. Stanfield is quietly riveting as the informant, strangled by anxiousness & fear while held hostage by the FBI, who makes the bed for his revolutionary to die in. Complicated yet vital, co-writer/director King presents, in a paranoia thriller, a raw, stirring look at white supremacy & the assassination of a man of the people & how his revolution lives on.
SILK ROAD
2 out of 5 stars
In this fact-based crime thriller, Robinson plays Ulbricht, a young libertarian who creates a dark net website where narcotics are bought, sold, & even reviewed. Meanwhile, a DEA agent, played by Clarke, wants in on the fun, but becomes more obsessed in extorting Ulbricht than catching him. While the performances are solid, what ruins the excitement is writer/director Russell’s decision to tell a mind-blowing story of moral corruption in a facile & routine way. We should be on pins & needles when watching something like this, not looking at our watches wondering how much longer.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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