Mission Accomplished

 

Composer/musician Lalo Schifrin has passed at 93. Mentored by jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, he combined his jazz and classical background into a unique sound that led to soundtracks for many films including Cool Hand Luke, Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Enter the Dragon, and Rush Hour. He was nominated for four Emmy Awards and six Oscars being awarded an honorary Oscar in 2018. He garnered 23 Grammy nominations and won five.  Among his numerous TV soundtracks were contributing to The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Starsky and Hutch and composing two glorious themes, Mannix and Mission Impossible, the latter of which has become a classic and used in all Mission Impossible films to date.

 

M3GAN 2.0 Grows Up

M3GAN 2.0 Grows Up

The terrifying, robot playmate (M3GAN) returns (as does director Gerard Johnstone) in the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, and the result is an entertaining thriller depicting an expanded world of artificial intelligence run amuck.

An expert in robotics, Gemma (Allison Williams), and her niece, Cady, have moved on from the murderous robot companion, M3GAN, who was apparently destroyed. When the U.S military attempts to demonstrate a new robot operative, AMELIA, on a deadly mission, things go awry in the worst possible way and threatens the country. When Gemma and others are at a loss in stopping the killer robot, M3GAN becomes a possible solution, just maybe. Can a resurrected M3GAN be trusted or even have a chance against the all-powerful AMELIA?   

It’s an interesting take on the potential dangers of AI in the future and who really is in control.  At times recalling the films, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Ex Machina, and Westworld, the plot is at times confusing with red herrings and twists, but the narrative moves along rapidly with escalating action scenes. 

Just when you think the film is losing steam, it gets back into gear and becomes exciting with some surprises.  Can M3GAN change or even be rehabilitated? This film has a different tone from the previous one which had plenty of scares and focused more on the relationship between Cady and M3GAN.  Here, the robot has evolved, and the storyline becomes more about what form and mission M3GAN may inhabit. Despite these changes, the film remains engaging with some unexpected subplots and even humor. (There is an amusing scene involving martial arts and Steven Seagal movies.)

Less horror (from two studios renowned for the genre), this film leans into its science fiction premise, and results are no less entertaining. 

***1/2 of ***** stars (for M3GAN fans)

28 YEARS LATER and a Brave New World

 

The original team (director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland) that brought forth 28 Days Later, one of the best films to update the zombie genre to creative, frightening levels, has followed it up with 28 Years Later.   They have taken the franchise to an intriguing premise with new, horrifying possibilities.

It has been 28 years since the initial outbreak of the infectious rage virus, and the English mainland has been quarantined from the rest of Europe.  A tiny island nearby contains a community of survivors who live a rudimentary existence. Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes his son Spike (Alfie Williams) to the mainland in a right of passage. Spike then makes a bold move to take his ill mom (Jodie Comer) to find a doctor rumored to be on the mainland.  As the pair struggle to survive, they face the constant threat of infected zombies who have evolved into terrifying forms. 

The story updates the original outbreak and its progression in a local setting.  Told from Spike’s point of view, it is through his eyes and heart that the film holds an emotional heft- the love of a son for his mother.  The film maintains a level of tension and suspense that erupts in startling violence at any moment.  At once fascinating and horrific, we also learn some new information about how the infected have evolved after many years.

The film, beautifully shot, is a contrast between the gorgeous countryside and graphic death, and although Boyle and Garland could have explored some subplots more thoroughly resulting in a stronger film, it is well acted with a story that keeps the audience involved and guessing to the end that hints more to come. (There is a sequel coming.)

**** of ***** stars (for fans of the genre)

BALLERINA Explores the World of John Wick

 

Ballerina is a successful redux of the John Wick films with a female lead that retains the thrills and action that characterizes this franchise.

A little girl is protected by her father from a gang of assassins led by a ruthless leader (Gabriel Byrne).  Left orphaned, she is approached by Winston (Ian McShane) who offers her a new life as a ballerina and groomed as an assassin for The Director (Anjelica Huston), Years later, now an adult, Eve (Ana de Armas) vows revenge on the mysterious, lethal organization that killed her father. A trained killer, she reveres the legendary John Wick (Keanu Reeves), whose path she crosses as she pursues clues and fights her way to get to the truth. It leads to an explosive climax that will test all her skills.

The voluminous, action scenes are well done, and there are some interesting variations as Eve must improvise with grenades and a wild battle of flamethrowers. (Her lethal operative contrasts favorably with female counterparts in the films Atomic Blonde, La Femme Nikita, and Black Widow.) It is also interesting to see more of the behind-the-scenes mythology of this expanding John Wick universe. 

The story is not especially original with its one note revenge plot, but de Armas sells it with her acting in a physically demanding role with Reeves putting in more than a cameo appearance. (A little bit of Wick goes a long way.) With the inclusion of McShane, Huston, and the late Lance Reddick, there is a strong continuity in the Wick timeline.  It is a worthy addition to the John Wick franchise and should satisfy fans of this genre. More de Armas in the future is not such a bad thing.

**** of ***** stars (for Wick fans)