Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Did you know that the human body is home to a whole environment of bacteria and other organisms as a matter of its regular bio processes? I note this here to assure you, reader, that I enter into this review without any particular biases against symbiotic organisms that would affect my judgment of this film and its characters. So, there’s that in its favor. Also in the movie’s favor is a mildly funny script that keeps things moving while delivering just enough solid wisecracks—mostly in the voice of Venom the symbiotic alien—to push the proceedings up just high enough to merit a recommendation, if not a particular rave. Tom Hardy is fine as the much put-upon Eddie, Woody Harrelson performs solid if not spectacular work as the antagonist, while the women and minor supporting cast provide adequate effort in filling out the scenes. Mostly, this flick is about the gooey guys underneath, and the CGI star mostly makes the movie an entertaining experience, if a bit light on any feeling of real consequences. You do get the sense, though, that this story, even with its already jokey and unserious attitude, still missed a lot of opportunities to score some major points with even more outrageous humor and/or visuals. Still, it’s better than it might have been, especially as a sequel to a movie about a relatively minor character in the overarching universe. This one’s hardly a classic, but if you’re in the mood for a decent film with a relatively brief running time—at an hour and a half, it gets in and gets out before it ever has a chance to get tedious—this flick checks the boxes.

Venom

Better than you think, probably, though not particularly profound or anything. What success lives here owes a lot to Tom Hardy, who does excellent work while teamed up with the titular CGI character. It really is pretty convincing that there are two characters at work in his scenes, even when he’s standing there by himself, and that’s something of note. And the action sequences are generally a hoot, so there’s entertainment there. Beyond that, the story seems to be a bit weird and off-kilter. A fairly lengthy diversion, from the start of the movie till about a third of the way through, really doesn’t add much to the tale; something more straightforward would have worked better. More welcome is the message--hardly original but worth repeating--about the potential villainy of certain among tody's tech moguls, a caution that should ring very true to viewers in this otherwise deeply fictional tale. I probably would be remiss if I recommended this flick for a download or anything like that—but if it shows up in your cable listings and you just feel like killing a couple of hours with simple popcorn entertainment…sure, sit back and relax. You may forget it, but you probably won’t regret it.

All the Money in the World

What to say about this movie? Is it a well-executed piece of cinema? Yes, I'd say so. Are the performances good? Sure--nothing standout, but most of the principals are believable in their roles (though Mark Wahlberg comes across a little flat). Does it present an intriguing story? No doubt; kidnappings tend to be interest grabbers. So what's the problem here? The most striking thing about this story about the wealthiest man in the world--in the history of the world, as the narrative points out--is that, at this moment in time, when concentrated wealth is very much a part of the current discussion, this story seems oddly out of any context (other than its timeframe of the early 1970s). There aren't many resonances with current people and events, even though the subject matter seems custom-built for exactly that sort of resonance. The moral may be that all billionaires are just greedy misers with no further redeeming value--but that seems a bit simplistic even for the standard, two-shade, good vs. evil medium that is studio cinema. Overall, this is hardly a bad movie--just nothing near what one might have thought it could be.

Oz the Great and Powerful

The crux of the matter here lies with the source material. To wit: are we seeing a faithful representation of Baum’s work, or is this a Disneyfied version of the extended world of Oz? Having only read one of the Oz works--that one--I can’t say for sure; maybe the weaknesses are Baum’s and not those of the Disney people or director Sam Raimi. Even with a certain obviousness to the story--it’s a tale that practically wallows in stereotypes--you can still get a good, old-fashioned movie-viewing experience out of this film. It all depends on how high your critical threshold is; demanding types, stay away, but those more open will probably have a decent time.

Brokeback Mountain

This movie is totally gay! There, I said it. Of course, it's got lots of gorgeous scenery, beautifully filmed, and you even get to see Anne Hathaway's tits, so what's not to love? Oh, right--the ass pounding. Well, setting aside orientation questions, the film itself has a solid story at its kernel, but feels a little stretched out, possibly an attempt to be "epic." That, plus the slowed down pace, can make this one tough to stay with, though the fine performances of the leads (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) as the conflicted cowboys are themselves worth watching. Probably worth your time, unless you really don't like gay cowboy movies.

The Baxter

A film with a lot of that "little movie that could" feel to it, with plenty of cuteness, charm, and slightly cynical wit sprinkled within the otherwise standard issue romantic comedy storyline. The nonlinear timeline and voice over narration can be grating, but the cast is likeable (a number of familiar faces, with Michelle Williams leading the way) and the heart of the matter remains sincere. It never quite reaches the highest highs, but the film stays near its peak for most of the running time. Good enough.

But I'm A Cheerleader

A subject ripe for satire--homo hysteria--but the treatment here isn't nearly smart or biting enough. Most of the jokes fall flat, and only the presence of numerous familiar faces can flag down the viewer's attention. The message of tolerance barely registers; indeed, the ultimate outcome in many ways seems to validate the targeted hysteria. And it all gets lost in too much blandness. Bottom line: this razor needed a much sharper edge.

Dick

Mostly pointless farce about Watergate. Occasional nice moments, but it suffers from the presence of the odious and unfunny Will Ferrell. It does have a pretty good soundtrack, though.