Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The junior league version of the DC universe gets another outing--and as with many a minor-leaguer, it follows up a great game with a few errors. The humor in this episode doesn’t come across quite as fresh or clever. The impact of a solid cast of characters, all back from the original, is diluted here, And the plot pulls some of its punches, enough to make the stakes less terrifying and more tepid. (Also, what gods? The trio of presumed Olympians is decidedly second-rate. I guess it would have required a Superman flick to get Zeus involved.) So is this one a bad movie? No, that’s a bit too harsh. You don’t have to feel ashamed if you spend a couple of hours with it. And, again, with minor-leaguers, most of the reason you  sign them up is for potential. There’s still some possibilities in this corner of the extended franchise--but the producers had better make sure the next entry is spot on, or audiences will be only too ready to designate this player for assignment to the cinematic version of retirement.

RED 2

Significant? Hell no. Enjoyable? Hell yes, especially given that it’s a sequel, and not necessarily one that follows an original that really cried out for a continuation. As it turns out, this crew made the best of what they had, and for a fun, breezy, somewhat dopey time, the result is certifiably good enough. I wouldn’t say, in the end, that this is a flick of any real consequence, and you might not remember much about it after the credits have finished their roll, but you won’t feel bad about having spent these two hours watching this movie. Sometimes, that’s about all you can ask, and all you really need.

RED

An enjoyable romp through mayhem with old people. The film is hardly perfect—a-few of the confrontations feature notably absurd actions on the part of the characters involved, which supplements an amount of general, all-purpose absurdity throughout--but the action is well done and makes a certain amount of warped sense in its own context. It is also worth noting that the story deftly plays both sides of the matter of "black ops," celebrating the concept and its enactors while holding a rather jaundiced view of the thing at the same time. If you’re fairly indulgent of flaws, and are OK with not thinking too much, this flick is worth a couple of your idle, mindless entertainment hours.

The Good Liar

The pleasure to had here derives mainly from watching two veteran--out of respect I won't say "old"--pros do a remarkable job of crafting a couple of rich (in more ways than one) characters. The problem comes from that effort being made in the service of a story that is not merely improbable but, in certain aspects, downright preposterous. Tales like this tend to rely upon a certain amount of coincidence--and audience good will in overcoming skepticism--but this one commits a serious level of overreaching to weave its tangled web. It takes the viewer out of the moment when he is left to ponder just how far this story had to go to bring itself to its ultimate destination. Not bad but overly ambitious, and thus it ultimately rings false.

The Queen

How accurate is the version of events depicted in this film? That’s impossible to know, of course, given the character of the personages who stand--or genteelly sit--at the center of this drama. Helen Mirren’s take on Elizabeth II is good, one supposes, though again how could you really tell? The surprising thing is, despite the title, how much this is Tony Blair’s movie, too--and it’s difficult at this remove to accept Blair in the almost entirely good light that shines on him here. (There is, after all, that whole Iraq War thing, which does actually get a slight nod towards the end here.) It does help that Michael Sheen does a terrific job of not just capturing Blair’s persona very well, but imparting him with much of the positive sheen (couldn’t resist) that appears on him here. Aside from those conundrums, viewing the movie strictly on its terms as a story, it’s much easier to say that it delivers an enjoyable, effective, and at times even moving drama. It’s certainly a film worth seeing--just don’t mistake it for a documentary.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

This one seems to have been overlooked by the movie-going public, and I'm not sure why. Its Indian-family focus? One would hope not. It's somewhat standard storyline? Maybe, although when even a clichéd plot is done this well true cinema enthusiasts should appreciate the effort. There's much to like here: Manish Dayal stands front and center as a very appealing underdog hero; Helen Mirren plays her part to a tee, keeping her frosty restaurateur icily cool right up to the moment when she needs to let the ice break and become a sympathetic character; and most impressive, perhaps, is DP Linus Sandgren's work in making this a truly beautiful movie to watch (rarely has cuisine been so belle on screen). Do yourself a favor and sample this platter's delights.

Monsters University

I watched this flick with little enthusiasm at first--I have an established bias against these later Pixar movies, for various reasons--but gradually I warmed up to this one. The story hit every college movie cliche imaginable, but the movie eventually comes out on top despite its deficiencies, mostly because of plenty of good gags and jokes, and one fairly unexpected twist towards the end that redeems a lot of the triteness.

The Long Good Friday

Boy does this flick look dated. It seems even older than it actually is (circa 1980). This film made a name for Bob Hoskins, and he certainly delivers the goods. But, while it does hold the interest, becoming more engrossing as it progresses, the story takes too long to develop, and it's tough to get past the movie's age. A tough call, but you can probably miss it.