The Playfulness of THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

 

Thor: Love and Thunder carries on the creative wit of director Taika Waititi in a fun-filled adventure that begins as a loose, often silly romp and matures into solid action with a heartfelt conclusion. It should appeal to Marvel fans.   

While Thor (Chris Hemsworth) voyages with The Guardians of the Galaxy, his lost love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), ventures to New Asgard on a personal mission.  When Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale is excellent), kidnaps the children of New Asgard, Thor and his team including Jane, his buddy Korg (Waititi is a hoot), and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), go on a rescue mission which leads them to other Gods including Zeus (Russell Crowe hams it up).  The final confrontation becomes a life and death scenario as key figures comes full circle.

The story introduces a new character, Gorr, a powerful destroyer of Gods, but whose motivation has real pain and makes him more than a cardboard villain.  In addition, numerous cameos and familiar faces from past Thor installments make welcome appearances.  

The film does a good job of catching up with past narratives, while retaining the tongue-in-cheek, comedic touches from Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, which revitalized the franchise. Ironically, when it settles down with a degree of seriousness, the story gets interesting with real stakes.  The final sequence resonates with well earned, emotional moments.

Ultimately about sacrifice and selflessness, this is about resolving Thor and Jane’s story and Thor finding his purpose again. (It also reaffirms female empowerment through strong characters ranging from Jane and Valkyrie to a young girl). Laced with humor and an enthusiastic cast and director, this is an entertaining ride and sets up a new chapter in the Marvel universe.  There are two post credit scenes.

***1/2 of **** stars (for Waititi fans)

A Star Regardless

 Actor James Caan has passed at 82. This rugged veteran of Hollywood transitioned from the golden age to modern era.  He was the tragic star on the classic TV movie Brian's Song and hit superstar status as Sonny in The Godfather. (He was a college classmate of director Francis Ford Coppola.) He starred in many films in various genres including El Dorado, Cinderella Liberty, Rollerball, Thief, The Killer Elite, Misery, Eraser, and the holiday favorite, Elf. He was notable for deliberately turning down roles in such hits as Superman, French Connection, Love Story, Star Wars and Kramer vs Kramer among others. He was a star regardless.

A Sublime Bridges

 

FX and Hulu are showing a limited series, The Old Man, a suspense thriller with Jeff Bridges as a long retired CIA operative who is now hunted for a past transgression. John Lithgow is a figure from his past who must hunt his former colleague. Amy Brenneman is a bystander who gets caught up in Bridges' sphere. Adapted from a novel by cowriter Jonathan E. Steinberg (Human Target) and codirected by Jon Watts (Spiderman No Way Home), this is a thoroughly entertaining story that has echoes of a Jason Bourne 30 years later. I've only seen the first couple episodes, but I am hooked. All the actors are wonderful, but Bridges, (who had endured life threatening illnesses during filming,) is well on his way to an Emmy Award. 

Always in My Dreams

 

Singer Julee Cruise has passed at 65. Her ethereal voice was perfect for the world of David Lynch beginning with Blue Velvet and throughout the glory of Twin Peaks. I saw her in DC decades ago and she was magnificent. Her songs with that voice were hypnotic. She will always be in my dreams.

From Bad Guys to Good Guys

 

Actor Bo Hopkins has passed at 80. William Holden recommended him for his first film, The Wild Bunch, and he worked steadily in films most recently in Hillbilly Elegy and TV shows like Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, and Dynasty. He worked with Sam Peckinpah in three films and in memorable roles in Amerrican Graffiti, Midnight Express, and many others. First cast in villainous roles including a turn as Pretty Boy Floyd in the TV movie The Kansas City Massacre, he gradually became the good guy and even worked with Quentin Tarantino. Whether bad or good guy or in support, with over 130 roles, he was a prolific actor.

Triumphant Sequel in TOP GUN: MAVERICK

 

Nearly unprecedented for a direct film sequel after 36 years, Top Gun: Maverick is an excellent, rousing follow-up to Top Gun and features Tom Cruise in top form.

Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is now a test pilot when he is ordered to train a new group of ‘top gun’ pilots for an extremely dangerous mission (against an unspecified enemy). Maverick represents an obsolescent breed of jet pilot, and yet indispensable for this particular call of duty.  Untested in actual air combat, these talented, overconfident flyers are pushed to the limit to prepare for a nearly impossible task. Among them is the embittered son (Miles Teller) of Maverick’s deceased buddy, Goose. As time runs short and the group being a work in progress, Maverick must make a daring, unorthodox decision that risks not only his career, but the lives of his team. 

Vividly recalling previous storylines, the film centers on past trauma and loyalty and never loses sight of the human drama or relationships. Methodically building its narrative and conflicts early on, it soars magnificently in a final, pulse-pounding climax that is truly breathtaking (even if some last minute heroics seem improbable.)  Utilizing actual Navy jets and relying on practical effects rather than computer generated ones, this sequence has probably the best aerial action you will see with its outstanding camerawork. 

Tom Cruise once again proves he is a movie star in the best sense. The cast is excellent; Jennifer Connelly shines as a figure from the past while Val Kilmer is a welcome sight in a key role that will elicit emotions.  With a touch of nostalgia (including signature musical themes) and hitting all the right notes, Cruise and company have produced a real crowd pleaser.

**** of **** stars (for Top Gun fans)

A Screen Force is Gone

 

Actor Ray Liotta has passed at 67 while shooting a new film. He made an indelible impression as a psychotic in Something Wild and became a breakout in the classic mob film Goodfellas. He had a key role in another classic, Field of Dreams. He worked steadily on TV and film including the recent The Many Saints of Newark. A force on screen gone too soon.

The Distinct Sound of Vangelis

Musician/composer Vangelis has passed at 79. This master of electronic and orchestral music created some memorable soundtracks for films such as The Bounty, Missing, Blade Runner, and his Oscar winning, breakthrough score for Chariots of Fire. He did TV scores like Cosmos and studio albums, but his themes like Opera Sauvage used in The Year of Living Dangerously will endure.

The End and Beginning in DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA

 

The splendor of the Downton Abbey series and film continues in Downton Abbey: A New Era, a thoroughly entertaining continuation of manners, mores, tradition, and family bonds. It’s a feast for fans.

The late 1920s in England sees the Crawley family continue to thrive amid adversity and change. The matriarch Violet (Maggie Smith) finds that she has inherited a French villa under mysterious circumstances. This leads one group of Crawleys to visit the villa while Downton’s staff is coping with an on location, Hollywood silent film production beset with trouble amid the advent of talkies. Facing challenges away and at home, the Downton family must endure significant events that will forever change the course of their future.   

Well-paced, the film marks the end of significant story arcs and new beginnings as it balances parallel storylines while also exploring its other characters, each with a unique narrative. This heartfelt drama has a delightful sense of humor and that strong sense of time and place audiences have grown to love. There are conflicts and obstacles that are resolved through civility and conversation (with nary any violence), and the story is still engaging and satisfying.  How refreshing!

Beautifully scored, the fluid camerawork displays the visual splendors of scenery and period recreations. Downton itself looms large and majestic like a standalone character. The tightknit cast (featuring Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern et al) functions like a well-seasoned ensemble. Smith, with her verbal barbs, is priceless as always.

Guided by screenwriter Julian Fellowes (The Gilded Age), the film (despite an obvious subplot used in Singin’ in the Rain) brings to life a time that has fascinated filmgoers since Cavalcade. Fans (and newbies) will appreciate revisiting these familiar faces.  Well done!

***1/2 of **** stars (for Downton aficionados)

Tough Everyman Ward

 

Actor Fred Ward has passed at 79. He never achieved super-stardom but was in many noteworthy films over the decades. He was an author in the first NC-17 film Henry and June, an astronaut in The Right Stuff, a repairman fighting giant worms in Tremors, and a hero in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. He co-starred in other films like Silkwood, Uncommon Valor, and The Player.  He's been described as a no-nonsense man of action.  I couldn't agree more.

The Dark Spectacle of DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

 

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is an ambitious, spectacular dive into the multiverse explored in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As directed by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-Man) fans will find this a harrowing adventure with a dark tone and stunning visuals. 

A girl named America (Xochitl Gomez) is pursued for her ability to cross into different multiverses when she finds Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).  He seeks help from Wanda (Olsen is a standout), who yearns for her two sons (in WandaVision).  This sets in motion an elaborate chase and series of battles featuring magic that involve alternate versions of familiar characters past and present. With such powerful, mystical forces in play, can good triumph over a corrupt, formidable evil that threatens to destroy everything it its path?  

Who’s the most powerful Marvel character? The film answers definitively as it pushes Marvel films into mainstream horror with ghastly images courtesy of Raimi.  Fans of Marvel films/shows will have an advantage picking up relevant backstory and references.  While some characters get minimal development and not every subplot works, the film encompasses moments of regret, sacrifice, and betrayal as it maintains a constant threat of danger.  There are impressive, imaginative depictions of otherworldly settings where every possible manifestation is realized.

Cumberbatch owns the title role, but it is Olsen who gives a wonderful, fully realized performance here.  Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Chiwetel Ejiofor return and do solid work in support. (Raimi regular, Bruce Campbell, has an amusing cameo.)

It would be best to temper expectations for innumerable cameos, but there are surprise appearances particularly in one sequence that features a grand faceoff in this frenetically paced smorgasbord of wizardry and witchcraft and a horror veteran’s triumphant return to Marvel films.  (There are two post credit scenes.)

*** ½ of **** stars (for Olsen and Raimi fans)

May the 4th Be With You!

 

I saw the original Star Wars in the first couple weeks after it opened as a phenomenon. (I even bought a few shares in 20th Century Fox because of it.) From then on, I was there opening day for every sequel and prequel film afterwards. I saw The Empire Strikes Back again with my dad in a theater and it is still one of the greatest films I ever saw even though it ended on a cliffhanger. But my heart always goes back to the subsequently title A New Hope. 

May the 4th Be With You!

The Great Rascal

 

Actor Robert Morse had passed at 90. This Tony and Emmy Award winning actor was a force on Broadway, TV, and films. He famously portrayed Truman Capote on stage and TV, and more recently he had a major supporting role on the TV series Mad Men. His most famous role and my favorite was his portrayal of J. Pierrepont Finch, the rising young executive in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  Morse succeeded indeed.

A Multiverse of Possibilities in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

 

Written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a dazzling, touching adventure that embraces the meaning of life and family as seen through the eyes of its star, Michelle Yeoh, in the role of a lifetime.

Evelyn (Yeoh), owner of a struggling laundromat being examined by a tax auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), has a failing marriage and strained relationship with her daughter.  Longing to escape life’s chaos, she is visited by an avatar who calls upon her to take a leap of faith and become a hero to save the world.  As she begins her wild journey in an upside down multiverse of different outcomes where every action has possible consequences, an emerging threat comes from within her family. With the fate of the world in the balance, can Evelyn be the ‘chosen one’?

The film’s plot engenders virtually every genre, shifting between reality and science fiction amid a world with endless possibilities.  Though it spontaneously shifts into a myriad of subplots, the film never loses sight of its emotional center. 

The Daniels are clearly having a ball with Yeoh, who makes the most of this dream role, the culmination of her career and talent including her martial arts skills in some over-the-top fight scenes.  The film recalls elements of The Matrix and even Marvel’s ‘What If’’ concept of multiverses.

At once unorthodox and irreverent, and at times convoluted yet never boring, it’s a visual overload through the prism of life.  Ultimately about new beginnings, its timely message of love, sacrifice, acceptance, and connection will resonate emotionally, and the Daniels’ ambitious imagination carries an imperfect film to euphoric, affecting heights. One thing’s for sure, you’ll never look at a bagel the same way again.

**** of **** stars (for Yeoh fans)