The Time Machine (2002)

This movie starts off highly unpromising. The immediate impression is one of TV movie production value, if not even lower depths of cheesiness. And the initial setup scenes—including a hastily arranged romantic subplot that ends with an inciting incident—have little in the way of entertainment value. But then, once the plot really kicks into gear, with Guy Pearce making ever further forays along the timeline, the whole story really starts to hum and grows quite engaging, if perhaps not truly engrossing. The future world is actually well conceived, with appropriately stepped up production values and effects to go with. I can’t speak to the physics of the thing—the story’s justifications may ultimately be full of holes—and there’s at least one piece of the future puzzle that comes across as unaddressed, at the very least, if not actually impossible, but as a light work of movie making, this one does its job to an adequate degree. And it clocks in at under two hours, so you won’t feel oppressed by the passage of time as you view. That makes it time mostly well spent. 

The Beekeeper

It seems, at first glance, like this flick is going to end after about 15 minutes. After all, the instigating plot point happens almost before there’s been ten lines of dialogue, and the title character enacts his revenge shortly thereafter—so what’s left to dwell on? Turns out, there’s a whole infestation that needs to be rooted out, and Jason Statham's beekeeper-cum-killing machine is more than ready to serve as the exterminator, for another 90 minutes or so. This is another one of those movies where some person with insanely intensive training goes around doing away with designated scum, all while being able to take apparently limitless abuse without dropping dead. So you’ve seen this all before; the only questions are, how’s the execution (of the film, not the onscreen killings), and, are you already tired of this stuff? The answer to the former: pretty good—not a classic, but competently done, even if some of the movie’s...um...intellectual foundation is a bit fuzzy. As for the second question, well, that really depends on your own personal perspective on these kinds of movies. If you’re looking for your next great watch, this isn’t it. But if you just want to kill a couple of throwaway hours with some on-brand mayhem, you probably won’t mind this one. That’s about as much buzz as I can generate for this product of the action flick hive mind.

The Flash

Hey, that was actually...fun. Who’d have thunk it? Unlike other entries in the DC paradigm, this one doesn’t take itself too seriously, delivers some actual laughs along with the requisite mayhem, and interjects just enough but not too much pathos to give the proceedings a sense of being meaningful without going overboard—this being a comic book movie, after all. Ezra Miller, he of the interesting off-hours amusements, keeps himself in check here just enough pull off playing the titular lead without letting his generation AA persona get overly annoying in the process. It’s close in certain moments, but the kid never entirely goes over the cliff. And he gets just enough help from his co-stars—particularly Michael Keaton, crusading once more—to deliver a story that is lively, enjoyable, and—for a franchise pic—surprisingly self-contained. The film is hardly flawless; the denouement seems to wrap up a bit too quickly and cleanly, and the absence of certain characters/actors looks like a case of special pleading. On the other hand, the story does deliver a rather clever doorway out of the franchise for certain other actors. Maybe, if these DC guys keep hammering away at it, they just might figure out the formula (especially since that other studio seems to be spinning its wheels at the moment). This entry appears to be a quick step in that direction; it remains to be seen if it can truly provide the crucial spark, the—dare we say it—key flash of ingenuity that will finally lift this cinematic project up into truly competitive heights. Either way, there’s enough here to make this one entry worth a look. Give it a bit of your time—and be quick about it.

The Lion King

A re-view review. Animation: gorgeous, with an intense focus on naturalistic appearance (except during some sequences, particularly musical numbers, where something more stylized is more appropriate). Story: it’s Hamlet, for crying out loud. Can’t hardly complain there. Script: clever and funny when it wants to be, elegant and beautiful when it needs to be. Songs: among the best and most memorable in the entire canon. Characters: a set of possibly the best defined characters in all of the studio’s output. Put it all together and it’s no wonder this flick made a billion dollars (and probably continues, through various form, to fill the Disney vaults with lucre). There’s just a sliver of difference in how this particular viewer reacts to this film versus the previous two in the studio's sequence--probably just some personal quirk that leaves me preferring the others as just slightly better. It is certainly not any argument about the objective quality of this work that has me slotting it at number three of the bunch. Regardless, this is a worthy member of the triumvirate--a set of three films, released in sequence, that represent one of the most astounding achievements in the history of movies. They don’t make ‘em like this any more, nor did they make anything close to this before BATB rolled around and Aladdin opened up the whole new world. There is a reason--three of them, actually--why Disney came to rule the cinematic circle of life, and it’s apparent when you watch this movie. The PURR is almost loud enough to be a roar.

Justice League

I've generally been more on board with the DC stuff than Marvel's overwhelming orgy of comic book movies; they've generally been more grown-up in feel and more realistic in presentation (realistic being a relative term). So I'm not one to jump on the bashing boat just for the sake of piling on. Then again, it's clear that this entry in the largely Batman-driven movieverse is not quite up to snuff. The villain seems to have come out of nowhere, and has little anti-appeal. The proceedings follow a template that's well-worn by now, particularly in "get them together" flicks, up to and including the over-the-top violent ending. What saves this movie is the presence of a large number of likeable actors; the female triumvirate of Gadot-Adams-Lane alone builds a lot of goodwill. Besides, it's an Entertainment with a capital 'E'--not really trying to be anything else, and thus you're seriously off-kilter if you don't enjoy this thing at least a little bit. Not great, but nothing to be ashamed of. Mellow out.

Red Sparrow

Spying is hard. That may be the main takeaway from this flick. There are some downsides to this outing: the story gets a little murky with all its convolutions, Jennifer Lawrence is good but not as good as she usually is, and the edges here a quite rough. Indeed, watching this movie is a bit like looking at the cinematic version of Brutalism; there's none of the panache that so many Bond movies have imprinted upon us as a necessary component of the typical espionage thriller--particularly when Russia vs. the West is involved. And note: the violence here is particularly hardcore; no punches are pulled, and it's fair to assume that this film will be tough for some people to watch. Still, all in all, the story stays interesting all the way through, and the whole thing is intriguing enough--and challenging enough--that it earns relatively high marks. Take a look, but proceed with caution.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Again, I find myself liking a movie more than the general population, and more specifically the group--geeks--for whom it is mainly intended. I didn’t expect this film to hew so closely as a sequel to Man of Steel, which it very much is...and that turns out to be a good thing. Like its predecessor, this is darker, moodier, more thoughtful, more grown-up, than the rest of the superhero flick flock. That appeals to me, however much it turns off the adolescent brains who keep bemoaning this storyline. If this group wants to keep going, I’m in for more.