THE LITTLE MERMAID Is Now Bigger Not Better

 

Rob Marshall (Chicago, Mary Poppins Returns) has become the ‘go to’ director for movie musical adaptations, and he does a solid job with the live action version of the animated classic, The Little Mermaid.

Eric (Jonah Hauer-King), the seafaring son of a local queen, yearns for adventure and discovery when his ship sinks, and he is saved by a mermaid named Ariel (Halle Bailey) who becomes enamored with him much to the disapproval of her father, King Triton (Javier Bardem), who rules the undersea kingdom. When Triton’s jealous relative, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), offers Ariel a proposition to be with Eric, it comes with an enormous price and threatens to upend both the surface and undersea worlds.

Bailey, a delight, is impressive as the title character and possesses a remarkable singing voice while McCarthy is perfectly cast in a juicy, villainess role as the scheming Ursula. The diverse cast is enhanced by computer generated, talking sea creatures like Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle who are endearing, funny, and wonderfully realized. (Please give these critters their own movie.)

This won’t supplant the original animated classic and could have benefitted from a leaner running time than its 135 minutes. The film works with a broad canvas of a colorful, lavish production enhanced by underwater visual effects (which nearly overwhelm the climax).  With additional, new songs, it inherits the previous film’s proven score and most of its songs including an impressive version of the classic, Under the Sea, all of which are well integrated into the narrative, never feeling forced. 

There is a lot to like here as it is engaging throughout. (It would also be interesting to see Marshall do an original, animated musical.)  Bigger is not necessarily better but good enough.

*** of **** stars (add ½* for Disney fans)

The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll

 

Legendary singer Tina Turner has passed at 83. Starting out in the late 1950s with Ike Turner led to hits like their 1970s smash cover Proud Mary and eventually, decades later, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. However, she escaped the abuse of her former husband in the 1970s and struggled to reinvent herself.

The result was a triumphant comeback led by MTV and the blockbuster solo album Private Dancer with hit singles like What's Love Got to Do With It? She has sold a staggering 200 million records in her career and garnered 8 Grammy Awards. Her concerts amassed as many as 180,000. She sang the title tune for the Bond film Goldeneye and even acted in the classic Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. She was one of the We Are the World singers and was a highlight of Live Aid with Mick Jagger. 

I saw her perform in the 1980s at the old Capital Centre with Glenn Frey as her opener. She was dynamic and a force of nature. Like her song, she was Simply the Best.

An All Time Football Great

 

Football legend Jim Brown has passed at 87. This civil rights advocate was a standout in several sports. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame and later the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a three time MVP and won a championship with the 1964 Cleveland Browns and was a Pro Bowl selection eight of his nine years. When he switched to a successful movie career, he was at the top of his game owning most rushing records. His per game lifetime average of 100 yards or more per game has never been matched.

He made over 50 films including the classic, The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra, 100 Rifles ( with Raquel Welch), and later Mars Attacks!, and Any Given Sunday. An all time great.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 and a Grand Finish

 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 concludes a trilogy of a ragtag bunch of heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is writer/director James Gunn’s poignant end to an adventure that has this team assembled one last time.

Peter (Chris Pratt) still mourns the loss of his Gamora (Zoe Saldana) as the Guardians have built a community in Knowhere which comes under attack leaving Rocket Raccoon mortally wounded.  Desperate to save him, the Guardians (including an alternate Gamora, Mantis, Drax, Nebula, and lovable Groot) must find a mysterious adversary, the High Evolutionary, (a villain whose horrible, genocidal experiments give the film a dark, grim tone), who holds the key to Rocket’s past and his survival.  It also means the Guardians must band together and risk everything to save their friend.   

The Guardians, a group of misfits, have become a family who squabbles and loves one another, but this is Rocket’s story which serves as the film’s core as it reveals his traumatic past.  The film, which stands apart from recent Marvel titles without the constraints of a multiverse plot, encompasses several story arcs as each major character evolves significantly and has an opportunity to shine; (we would follow these beloved Guardians anywhere.)  Defying expectations, new characters are introduced and beloved ones depart. 

The film has moments of bravery, sacrifice, and loss, and benefits from imaginative, otherworldly visuals and creature designs right out of a Tim Burton nightmare.  There are better Marvel films but few that touch the soul like this one, and no one taps into sentiment like Gunn who balances action (especially a stunning, continuous shot of a hallway battle accompanied by one of many pop tunes), drama, and humor and sets up his audience for several memorable, emotional payoffs. (There are two end credit scenes.)

**** of **** stars (for Guardians fans)

BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER Brings the Gang Back

 

The women are back in Book Club: The Next Chapter, a sequel to Book Club with virtually all major cast members (Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen), director Bill Holderman, and cowriter Erin Simms returning. The result is an entertaining adventure that breezes into the summer movie season.

A quartet of friends, bonding over their love of books, have stayed in touch and shared their personal lives amid quarantine and in person.   This sisterhood plans an impulsive trip to Italy to celebrate an impending wedding.  Guided by their reverence to the book, The Alchemist, their travels take unexpected twists and turns from Rome to Venice and finally Tuscany where new friends are made and old faces make surprise appearances as their journey leads to a momentous event.  Through setbacks and challenges, joy and sorrow, nothing will keep them down.  The thing that keeps them going is their love for one another and a bond that is ultimately unshakable and unbreakable.

This film is one of a growing subgenre in recent years focusing on older women (80 for Brady, Mamma Mia!) or older men (Space Cowboys).  At times it feels like a travelogue, and indeed, the gorgeous sights of the Italian landmarks and countryside are grand settings for a story laced with sentiment and humor.  Although saddled with dialogue that wreaks of a TV sitcom, it is overcome by the sheer star power and chemistry of these legendary actresses.

Saving the best moments for the end, the story does end on a sweet note.  This lighthearted fare is an excuse to see some classy veterans in fine form, and it would not be surprising to see how this easily leads to a third film in a satisfying series.

*** of **** stars