Meet Me in St. Louis

A sweet and charming vision of an America that disappeared long ago. Calling this film old-fashioned hardly covers it; really, much of these proceedings come across as hopelessly square, and without anything that even resembles real-life drama. Nevertheless, there is much joy to be found in this chronicle of a year in the life of a well-to-do heartland family at the beginning of the last century. Judy Garland is, of course, the main draw here. She looks, sings and acts splendidly throughout, and director Vincente Minnelli puts her lovingly on display in virtually every scene; in retrospect, it seems they were almost fated to be together. There are several memorable musical numbers woven into the narrative, and there’s a terrific sequence set on Halloween featuring the very young and mischievous Margaret O’Brien that is a sheer delight. Even the contrived and somewhat overly saturated technicolor camerawork only serves to deliver a heightened sense of fantasy, fun and dreamy romance. As visions of the past go, this one is radically different from what we experience today—and thus it is, perhaps, that much more appealing. The past is like a country you can never visit again, as someone once said…but it sure would be fine to meet the right people there. This is about as close as you can get.

The Mexican

This movie may be the embodiment of the not so old saying, “it insists upon itself.” There’s plenty in this story to like, but there’s also plenty that comes across as superfluous, too, particularly on the Julia Roberts side of the narrative. The stuff that delves into the inner workings of her and Brad Pitt's relationship, while well meaning and occasionally entertaining, overall comes across as a diversion from the core of the story. A tighter focus on Pitt's side of the action would have made for a sharper, more interesting film. This movie wears its antecedents—particularly Pulp Fiction—on its sleeve, though without quite the same level of accomplishment. You can almost see the movie within this movie that Tarantino would have made, and that flick would have been a riot. As it is, this one comes across as somewhat amusing and entertaining, but definitely not exactly what it could have been. You aim, you shoot…and sometimes you get a misfire.

Mr. Holmes

Ian McKellen makes a pretty good old Sherlock, so much do that this film makes one wonder what he might have done with the role in his younger days. I doubt he could have unseated the legendary Jeremy Brett, but he could have been at least an adequate substitute. Here he plays the consulting detective in his last days, approaching death and loaded with regrets, and the whole package delivers both the keenness we’ve come to expect from the famous man and a vulnerability that reminds us that even the greatest of humankind are not without their flaws (even if the representation is of a fictional character). Laura Linney as the old Holmes’s housekeeper and Milo Parker as the housekeeper's son and the detective's unlikely compatriot provide quality supporting work. The story delivers the kind of logical flourishes one expects from a tale of Sherlock solving—or in this instance, trying to remember—a long ago case, though given the circumstances of Holmes being in his deep twilight, the plot simply could not include the level of action and danger that were hallmarks of the canon. No matter—you just have to be satisfied with a movie that entertains and intrigues on a quieter, subtler level than the usual. There’s reason enough to stay on the trail of this flick. 

Mean Girls (2024)

You hear a lot lately about how high school kids are different these days, how all the cliques and stratification and such are no longer the norm in that milieu. Well, if that’s true, the people who make movies and musicals have not caught up to the current secondary school zeitgeist. There’s a remarkable amount of overlap between this story and that ultimate expression of the teenage dramascape, Heathers—which first came into being way back in 1987. True, this work is the derivative of a musical that was based on a movie of the same name from 2004, so perhaps it has a permission slip for being behind the times socially. Or, maybe just maybe, things have never really changed all that much. Whatever the case, this film offers a distinct and enjoyable take on the familiar story of a new girl who tangles with the local power base, here set to a musical score that mostly works, with several strong songs and only a few minor misses with a couple of numbers. The script offers a generous dose of genuine laughs, while the performances of the young ladies are generally first rate (not to mention that the Plastics are gorgeous, which certainly helps the viewer maintain interest). Ultimately, the tale ends with its heart in the right place, all while presenting just enough divergence from the original story to give the new version a sense of being at least a bit fresh. I don’t know if today’s teens really are more accepting and compassionate than they used to be, or if the meanness still reigns, but at least in cinema the genuine still trumps the plastic. 

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Sic transit gloria cinema. If this really is the end, that is. What was in many ways the most unlikely of top-level movie franchises—in story, in execution, in star power, in sheer quality of execution—has apparently reached its denouement with an outing that is, perhaps, not the best of the series, but one that is representative and certainly full of entertainment value. You don’t really need to fret too much about the story here; this installment is continuing a thread that has been building for around three episodes now (and arguably grew out of the details of the entire series, as the movie makes clear with numerous self-referential flashback montages)--and all that really takes a back seat to the typically audacious stunt sequences anywat. Tom Cruise is very much his usual self here: strong, on-point, and totally in control of his character and environment (and he is deserving of accolades for clearly being a driving force in making this franchise what it became, which is a film series that far exceeded any reasonable expectations). The supporting cast does good work, too, including fine goodbyes to stalwarts Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg in their definitive roles, as well as solid performances from the rest of the crew--including Pom Klementieff in a role where, oddly, she speaks only French but apparently understands English in amazing detail. But hey, we’re not here to quibble; this stuff is all about a fun times at the movies, and this flick mostly pays that off, without ever descending into self-destruction. That’s a good mission to complete successfully—and here’s the proof. 

Mickey 17

Let me say right up front: the best thing about this production might be its visual design, including the promotional materials and packaging artwork. The poster alone, with the cloned Mickeys with Xed out eyes, is both clever in its own right and immediately conveys a crucial aspect of the story, before the movie even starts. So there was obviously a lot of terrific ideation and conceptualization going on here. Does that translate into a great movie? No, not great. Good, I think; "mostly interesting" is a judgment I’m comfortable making. But it takes its time getting to a point where the elements begin to come together and make for a compelling narrative. In fact, it is hard to know what to make of this story in the early part of the film—something about the tone seems hesitant, maybe even a touch indifferent. And there are certain distractions that take the viewers out of the story: the personality of one key character seems to contradict everything we are told about our hero’s (quite literal) process, plus the political satire is so over the top and obvious (even if spot-on) that it draws focus from the core plot. The villain is evil, for sure, but he is not really the author of Mickey’s predicament, so the characterization potshots feel like intrusions, to a certain extent. Finally, though, the big questions that the script has in mind push their way to the fore, and when they do the story becomes more effecting and ultimately satisfying. I don’t know if multiple viewings—pun intended—would help make this flick work better, but at least there’s something original—rather than recycled—on offer here. That’s more than you usually get from movies these days. 

McLintock!

Now I know where Mel Brooks got the idea for Blazing Saddles. This movie isn’t quite the laugh riot that Brooks' ultimate Western comedy is, but it does have moments when it rises above a level of general silliness and achieves some real comedy. The foundation of the humor comes largely from the characters, who are slightly warped versions of the standard Western tropes. John Wayne as the title character is largely the Wayne you always get in any oater; he is in many ways the straight man here. Maureen O’Hara is the major foil as McClintock's estranged harridan of a wife Katie; she’s a real pill throughout the proceedings. Perhaps she is frustrated by being outshone by Yvonne de Carlo in a supporting role. The story also features a surprisingly sympathetic take on the plight of the Comanches. I find this sort of take on the Indian question more frequently than expected when watching old horse operas—perhaps, contra the current fad, it all wasn’t entirely virulent racism back in the day. Mostly, though, this film is all about fights and arguments and wiseacre takes on various setups—a lot of which hit the mark, though not every shot nails the target. The major issue is that the movie runs a bit too long. Otherwise, it’s a fair diversion, nothing important but not a misstep either. Give this one a look when you can rustle up a couple of idle hours. 

Moana 2

Part of the problem is quickly apparent: this story feels rushed, like it was not given any chance to develop organically. Instead, the tale is presented more as a “plot accompli” based on presumed prior knowledge, clumsy explication, and prioritizing cultural instruction. Indeed, a lot of the early part of the movie is like the world’s most highly-produced sensitivity training workshop video. You get the feeling that, unlike with the first movie, where the cultural consultants were there to give input, here they were allowed to go nuts—and not to particularly entertaining effect. So the proceedings begin with something of a deficit. Does the film turn it around? Yes, to an extent, largely through the efforts of Auli’i Cravalho, who still brings great presence and charm as the title character. Among the supporting cast, Dwayne Johnson is still mostly entertaining as Maui, while the rest of Moana’s fellow sailors are a hit or miss bunch. The musical numbers fall within a range, from solid to middling; a few advance the story well enough, though none are really standout pieces. All in all, this is a decent outing, nothing to be ashamed of but not really anything spectacular. Apparently, this will be one in a chain of islands, so to speak, so any review of this flick will hardly be the last word; maybe we’ll have to experience the voyage in total before we really know where it goes. 

Mary Poppins

I dare you to watch this movie, after having seen the Simpsons episode that parodies it, and try to not laugh your ass off. It’s basically impossible. Having said that, the question is, how good is this film on its own merits? The answer is more complicated than you might expect from a movie that is so well known, if not an outright classic. Truth is, there’s a lot of weirdness in this flick: many of the scenes that blur live action and animation have an almost hallucinogenic quality to them (especially visually); the direction is kind of schizophrenic—in some parts the story plays it straight, in others it plays fast and loose with its narrative structure (literally, as when Dick Van Dyke's character breaks the fourth wall, the only character who does so); and the dance sequences either work well, or drag on too long. So where’s the appeal? Mostly in Julie Andrews’ terrific performance; when her Mary does something magical, you believe she’s really capable of it, and her vocal performances are peerless. It’s really her show, and her and some good touches of humor—intended, not secondary laughs—make this one still worth watching, if not exactly worth cherishing. A spoonful of perspective helps an earnest but flawed effort go down well enough.

Monkey Man

As someone once said, if you’re going to steal, steal from the best. The borrowings here are clear and right out on front street: heavy doses of John Wick, plus touches of Kill Bill and The Dark Knight Rises, to say nothing of their antecedents. Director and star Dev Patel uses all of the influences, filtered through a very subcontinental lens, to tell a tale that is interesting for its similarities to and differences from other entries in the action-revenge genre, while still being plainly and accessibly entertaining. And, seemingly just to show off, Patel also slips some pointed commentary about the current state of affairs, social and political, in India into his story. Pretty impressive for a debut work. The only caveat here is the usual warning for the wilting flowers about some scenes of truly gruesome violence. If you can handle that, then this movie is definitely worth a look.

The Marvels

A film that will live in infamy. Not that it really deserves that. Upon first release this movie was declared as the death knell for the MCU, with box office to match that characterization. Imagine, then, my surprise when I sat down to stream this piece and found it to be an eminently watchable action movie. It is hardly perfect, to be sure; the story suffers for being the latest installment in a now sprawling and over cooked fictional setting. It’s near impossible to remember exactly all that has gone before this point in the storylines: what events from earlier episodes are relevant to the current plot; where exactly are we in this timeline; who exactly all of these people are. Indeed, I’m not sure I ever even saw half the events and people that play influential roles in this story. (A few key elements seem to have been retroactively developed in order to fit this plot.) So complete comprehension of the greater storyline is a bit too much to ask of the viewer. Mostly, you just have to accept this thing at face value and enjoy what you can—and then, suddenly, the piece resolves into a fairly good time at the movies. The best revelation here? Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel  She is a delight, completely charming and fun to watch (as can be said for the members of Kamala’s on-screen family). Much of the the joy in these proceedings comes from her. Other highlights include Sam Jackson as Nick Fury—behaving more like his old self versus his presence in other recent outings—and some effective use of cats for both plot advancement and comic relief. There are downsides, too. An uneven tone that sometimes takes everything far too seriously (the movie is a lot better when it is more focused on having fun—though even there the film sometimes falls into the trap of getting too damn silly). And then there's also, frankly, a weak performance by putative star Brie Larson; it turns out Captain Carol could stand to lighten up a bit. So the movie is hardly a classic, but hey, what’s up with you that you’re expecting Oscar-bait from a superhero flick? The reaction seems less about the movie itself and more the product of overdeveloped expectations from hardcore Marvel fans (who might want to watch a grown-up movie once in a while in order to re-calibrate). If you preordered a ticket to see this in a theater, maybe you had cause to be disappointed (though really, in that case you deserved your chagrin). But if you watched this one by paying a fraction of that for a month of the streaming service, then I think you got a bargain. Not especially marvelous, but no real complaints here, either.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part One

A previous review link suggested that, perhaps, this series’ prior outing might be the last of its breed, if only because Tom Cruise has been doing this for so long that the exercise can’t possibly maintain particular interest going forward. Well, I guess here’s the proof that I was, shall we say, dead wrong. Apparently, the man and his crew have an inexhaustible ability to wring entertainment out of this concept. The stunts—in many ways the raison d’etre of this franchise—are up to the usual level of audacity. The plot is relatively clear, and rather timely, even if it drags its concept to a certain outlandish extreme. As for the human elements, I admit that there have been so many personnel twists and turns so far in the series that I’ve forgotten quite a bit about who is whom among the crew, beyond the core members of the team—Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg inhabit characters who are indelibly well-defined—but that really doesn’t matter for enjoying this flick. The experience is about just letting all the hyperkinetic chicanery wash over you, appreciating the awesomeness of those stunts and the cleverness of the setups while relishing the laughs scattered throughout the not-taking-itself-too-seriously script. At that level, it’s no wonder the thing keeps working. MI is pretty much as immortal and unkillable as Ethan Hunt himself—there’s always some escape to be made, some new ledge to leap onto and keep the thing climbing or running or scrambling its way forward. That, the fact of this franchise’s eternally entertaining nature, is a mission—or at least an enticement—that moviegoers have long since learned to accept. The thing couldn’t self-destruct even if it wanted to.

Maleficent

Remarkable thing: in a movie stuffed to the gills with special effects and computer generated characters, it is only in the human moments—or at least almost-human moments—wherein the story’s real charm comes to life. I watched this and it’s sequel in reverse order, so I was at a certain disadvantage where some elements of surprise were missing; hence the story lacked some of what should have been its inherent drama. That said, the aforementioned dichotomy between the human interactions and the fake-play between the real and digital characters stands out here. One might almost believe that a movie such as this, if made the old-fashioned way, might be some untold amount better. Alas, it is unlikely we will see such efforts made any time soon, despite the potential for greater results (and, I daresay, better economics; all those special effects cost a lot of budget-bloating money). As for the story here, the makers almost but not quite pull off this re-imagination of the old tale into something that works. However good Jolie may be in turning Maleficent's character inside out, she still makes a better villain than a hero. And frankly, some of the plot changes make some story elements make no sense. For example: Why are the pixies welcome at the christening, when the introductory material so thoroughly vilifies The Moors and its inhabitants? (Also, they might want to get a grip on what kind of land the term “moors” refers to.) All in all, this is a decent diversion, so long as you didn’t pay money to watch it, but it hardly falls into the category of classic, enchanting entertainment.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Except, not really...Evil, that is. Or so this movie would have you believe. In a way that makes some story sense; in the original Disney Sleeping Beauty, Ms. Horns causes all the trouble because she feels slighted. Perhaps she’s more “mistress of peevishness” than anything else. Anyway, the producer folks at the studio try to make her the hero here, or at least not the biggest problem in this outing. They had enough sense not to go overboard with it; as Old Mal, Angelina Jolie does not exactly gush or strike heroic poses—she just avoids being homicidal and sort of saves the day at the end, though not without a certain amount of destruction. The other characters—including Elle Fanning's Aurora, who is the only particular standout—do their things through various degrees of forgettable-ness, while the bulk of the story lives awash in computer generated visuals, up to and including the now typical of every fantasy movie climactic battle chaos. Really, story-wise it’s something of a muddle; perhaps that’s because I watched the sequel before ever seeing the original. (I blame the current chaotic streaming landscape.) Try this trick and you’re left wondering about the relationships between all these particularly M being A’s godmother (really, more like adoptive mother, but godmother sounds more storybook, I guess). Anyway, there are some decent scenes here, mostly involving Jolie and her work in the title character, and a few instances where the vibe of a real fairy tale does come through. I wouldn’t say this one casts any real spells, but it doesn’t curse you or put you to sleep either.

Men in Black: International

A tired retread of a concept done much better before. The supposedly witty repartee isn’t, much of the scenes are mere excuses for displaying weird-for-the-sake-of-weird CGI characters, and little of the story, such as it is, makes much sense. It’s a movie that has no good reason for existing. Alas that I cannot flash this film from my memory!

Make Mine Music

I had to employ some industrial-strength Internet-fu to watch this, the black sheep of the Disney canon (which remains unavailable on the streaming service as of this writing). I'm not sure why this work continues to live in exile; my viewing did not show anything that should qualify as outrageously offensive...but I'm not young enough any more to be a match for any of today's Generation AA wilting flowers, so make of that what you will. What my viewing of the film did show me was an uneven work, but one that displays mostly positive and at times downright impressive results. The titular music is fine throughout, if a bit dated in style; the jazz/swing pieces show better staying power than most of the vocal pieces. The segments that employ healthy doses of humor ("The Martins and the Coys," "All the Cats Join In," and "Casey at the Bat" in particular) work as well as any of the studio's short pieces ever produced. And the animation, showing a variety of styles in the numerous segments, ranges from mildly interesting and experimental ("Two Silhouettes") to standard cartoony ("The Martins and the Coys," "Casey at the Bat") to downright beautiful and breathtaking in the realistically rendered "Blue Bayou." And then the closing piece, "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met," is a singular work that carves out its own territory, being both musically rich, visually and verbally clever, and both comic and tragic through its story arc. This movie as a whole is the best piece to come out of the studio in the post-Bambi years, until Disney found its post-war footing with the now classic films of the 1950s. It's a shame that audiences have to jump through hoops to actually see this work and appreciate it for what it is--not for what some people may imagine it to be. (Note: I had to watch "The Martins and the Coys" as a separate piece on YouTube, as it was not included in the archive.org version of the film I found available online. It is also worth mentioning that many of the individual segments of the movie have lived on in various venues/compilations/etc. apart from the rest of the original release.)

Moana

There’s a reason why people go on vacations to tropical islands. As represented here, such places are empirically gorgeous, and that fact is brilliantly captured in this movie’s animation, which is a visual feast. Even when the story moves to the ocean the look of everything remains impressive. And that story itself is captivating and well-told, and it puts its cultural concepts to excellent use, giving the viewer a glimpse into a relatively unknown piece of the human experience. The storytelling here gets tremendous help from the presence of Auli'i Cravalho's title heroine, who is lovely and charming and very easy to root for. Her sidekick, Dwayne Johnson's Maui, is fine, providing humor where it works and an entertainingly enigmatic emotional presence in the rest of the tale. The movie isn’t perfect; there are one or two weak points. One issue that pops up early in the story: it's a bit hard to buy the flimsy pretext for part of the plot's main conflict; in reality, no community of islanders in the world would be that reticent about sailing the ocean, regardless of any person's backstory. And the comic relief is somewhat overdone in spots (we could use a little less of the chicken). But those are quibbles. All in all, the film is a delight to watch and upholds the standards of the best of the canon. The girl does indeed know where she’s going, and you’ll be rewarded for finding the way with her.

Meet the Robinsons

Some meetings are better when they don’t happen. Here’s an example. This movie’s hyperkinetic ridiculousness is undoubtedly meant to play as tons of fun, but in reality it simply comes across as messy and tedious. The whole tone of the film makes it difficult for the viewer to feel at all invested in the story or protagonist, even where it presents what should be a sympathetic character. (Reassuring to know, by the way, that Disney’s tradition of dead and or missing parents survived well into the 21st century.) The animation, seen from this point in time, looks crude and plastic, something little better than your average Nickelodeon cartoon and not up to the standard of the studio’s earlier or later works. And then add on top of all that the rank predictability of the tale and it’s downright impossible to find any real appeal in these proceedings. Kids may dig it, given their lack of standards and predilection for enjoying the madcap and meaningless, but any viewer of discernment should not give this family the time of day.

Mulan (1998)

Original review:  Not especially interesting; certainly not up to the usual Disney standard. Eddie Murphy as the dragon was much more successful--playing basically the same role--a few years later in Shrek.
Re-view review: I had forgotten that this is a musical. I had forgotten that this movie is, for the most part, as charming as it is. Honestly, I had forgotten pretty much everything about this film. Apparently it didn’t make much of an impression on me then, but upon re-viewing I find it to be better than I had previously realized. Most of the strength here comes less from what Mulan does and more from who she is. The story’s climactic escapades come across as far-fetched and overwrought, thus dropping the assessment down just a bit. But everything that comes before the climax entertains quite well without ever slipping too deeply into the kinds of silliness that a story such as this--a gender-swapping tale--inevitably seems to invite. I cannot speak to the historicity of the story, or its rendering here, as I know hardly anything significant about Chinese history--but hey, medieval France had Joan of Arc, so why not Fa Mulan creating her own legend? Just as the character herself proved more than worthy, so too does her story fit in to the Disney pantheon. She makes a damn good warrior, and a fine princess, too.

The Marksman

For a Liam Neeson-kicks-some-ass movie, this outing comes across as rather tame. Maybe his age is finally catching up to him. Or perhaps this vehicle is one that has more on its cinematic mind than the usual actioner. Immigration, health care, inequality, crime -- this flick ticks virtually every socioeconomic checkbox in its examination of two people—Neeson's old rancher and Miguel, a Mexican boy in trouble -- on opposite ends of many spectra, who nevertheless share in common a certain amount of victimization at the hands of forces well beyond their ability to control. The kid is mostly a placeholder here, not terrible in the role but nothing special either. It’s in Neeson's character -- the portrait of a man of inherent decency, such as he has portrayed countless times now -- that this movie finds its raison d’etre; the veteran actor reminds us once more what it looks like to have someone to root for, especially in the form of an underdog. You won’t find spectacle here, just a quiet but firm story of just how scary it can get out there, and perhaps what it takes for someone to stand up against the terrors. Fans of the man will dig it, others may or may not like it, depending upon one's idea of what an action movie should be.