Jumanji: The Next Level

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Jumanji: The Next Level!

Original image located here. Accessed 31th January 2020

Considering how Welcome to the Jungle ended, I didn't think that there would be room for a sequel but, as is often the case, the money one makes can have incredible persuasive power.

But who are they kidding? It's pretty much the same movie as the predecessor. However that's not necessarily a bad thing: Sure this movie is running off the same blueprint and certain jokes are repeated but at the same time there is enough new stuff added, like any good sequel. and the established is expanded upon, like any good sequel.
Plus the whole 'Ruby Roundhouse = Socially awkward Lara Croft' gag will never not be funny

Ultimately however, the strength of this movie, much like it's predecessor, lies in the acting and the chemistry of the cast. After all, the principles/avatars are acting like other members of the cast, same inflections and personalities all the way. The newcomers, Danny Devito and Danny Glover, both add a lot and even the actor playing the baddie is unrecognizable.
And, as surprising as it sounds, these movies prove an excellent showcase as to just how a talented actor Dwayne Johnson is. Who would've thunk it?

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th January 2020

Of all the 90's IP, I never would've guessed that this would be given the resurrection / breath of life, let alone it being any good.

But somehow, against the odds, this movie succeeds. It's a superb action/adventure film movie on it's own but what really makes it shine is a) a delightful cast who are committed to their roles and have an excellent chemistry; b) some hilarious jokes and c) a commentary on video games and taking jabs at the various tropes associated with them (which, being the massive nerd that I am, found endlessly amusing).

So ultimately, this is movie that is way better than it should be.

That and I doubt I would never hear 'Baby I Love Your Way' the same way again.

Little Women

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Little Women!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th January 2020

This may seem like a curveball - but then again I have thrown many a curveball over the course of this series. But my reasoning for seeing this movie is that a) I have heard some good things about it and b) I have something of an attachment to this story.
When I was in high school, I saw the nineties version in class (the one that starred Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis and Claire Danes). The movie must have made quite an impression because I do recall having an emotional response to it - only for my classmates, both male and female alike, deem me a wimp for it.
The swines.

As for this latest incarnation, it would appear the praise lauded on it is more than justified. Okay sure the jumps back and forth through time were indeed jarring and took some getting used to, but beyond that? The directing is superb, the photography is staggeringly beautiful and the cast give it their all. This may be an odd choice on paper but I am more than glad that I saw it.
Better than the 1994 movie? I think it might be.

All in all, a winner on all fronts
Here's hoping it wins best Picture at the Oscars....

Frozen 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been...Frozen 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th January 2020

Or, as my niece calls it, Elsa 2

No way around it: i have a lot to say about this movie so I may as well resort to bullet points.
- Given the monumental success of the original, perhaps it should come to as no surprise that this will lead to a franchise. We have a sequel and it would be anything but surprising if more Frozen movies are on the way.
- A lot of world building in this one, no doubt for laying down groundwork for afore-mentioned sequels.
- When i heard a sequel to Frozen was in development I was skeptical - to a point where the only way such a sequel would work would be if these characters took what they learned in the first movie and put it into practice. Now i won't give too much away but I did kinda get that vibe here - even if it was at odds with the impression that this movie seemed quite intent to undo the ending of it's predecessor.
- I've heard people complain that Kristoph didn't have much to do in the movie beyond being reduced to a joke sub-plot. True this isn't his movie, but personally, I'll let the matter slide as he does turn out to be quite supportive of Anna and Elsa when they need it.
- People want Elsa to have a girlfriend - personally I think that would go against a lot of character development she has been through and undermine the themes of this series. Thus it may be a better choice for Elsa to be asexual ( and I think my asexual friends would agree with me on that one)
- Grumbling aside, I did enjoy this movie. I like the autumn vibe going throughout and the use of colors. There are some strong ideas and, despite my cynicism over the potential franchising, I have some interest as to what these characters do next.
- I think I prefer Show Yourself over Let it Go.

Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd January 2020

It would appear that assessing a Star Wars movie carries a degree of risk: It may be enjoyable in the moment but take a step back and you realize 'Hey, wait a minute...". Indeed it would appear that the Phantom Menace has a lot to answer for.

If I could describe this movie in a single word it would be breakneck: Everything is moving so quickly that it is difficult to keep up. Sure there's some great action pieces and some interesting character moments but I can't help but think if this movie would've benefited from being two movies. Or being a three hour epic. Like Avengers Endgame.

Speaking of which, the plan of this movie wrapping up all eight movies preceding does indeed draw similarities to Endgame. But whereas Endgame showed how to properly wrap up a movie serial, Rise of Skywalker seemed limp by comparison. I mean it was all right and, being the geek that I am, i did pick up various nods to the other movies scattered throughout, but this is not quite the 'sticking the landing' this movie was supposed to be.

This may sound kind of strange but I'm drawing a comparison with this movie to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. You see, the latter, i thought the movie was unremarkable UNTIL to awe-inspiring final quarter that completely vindicated the preceding three quarters. And that's the same vibe I'm getting with Rise of Skywalker: The last quarter was superb but somehow the journey there seemed somewhat underwhelming.

So in conclusion, I did gleam some enjoyment of this movie and I did pick up numerous nods to fans, but, much like a lot of the Disney-helmed Star Wars, the thought of what could've been is indeed a lingering one.

A Christmas Story

And this week's Friday night movie has been.... A Christmas Story!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th December 2019

Apparently this is a beloved Christmas movie. And yet somehow, it;s one that has gone unseen by me. Maybe I was too busy watching Die Hard Joyeux Noel to notice? No matter, looks like 2019 is the year that situation is rectified.

At first I had no idea what to make of this movie. But, within time, it showed it's hand: It was really making a mockery of tropes associated with Christmas: A scary Santa, a kid who gets his dream present of a rifle, Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant among others.
Yet at the same time, this movie still has another trick up it;s sleeve: it is indeed a look at childhood and does so successfully. It indeed definitely resonates with sincerity, even for a grumpy curmudgeon like myself. And despite this movie taking a swing at Christmas tropes, it is still capable for some genuine heart (the final scene with Mr and Mrs Parker comes to mind).
It would appear that this is a beloved Christmas movie for a good reason.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Miracle on 34th Street (1947)!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th December 2019

Well it's that time of year....
I think we all know this one: An elderly gentleman is hired as a store Santa and shows signs he genuinely believes he is the man himself - all of which leads to a court case.
For a movie over seventy years old this certainly holds up well. Sure there's some interest value in seeing a young Natalie Wood but really the movie itself rests on the shoulders of Edmund Gwenn.
Much like the character he plays, he shows Santa the way we expect him to: Kindly, empathetic towards children, multilingual, knowledgeable of toys and trying to see the best in everyone.
Indeed, there is a reason why this has been a beloved Christmas classic for many years. And now I know

Kung Fu Panda 3

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Kung Fu Panda 3!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th December 2019

Last week i watched the second Kung Fu Panda movie on the basis that it is part of that rare thing: A rare trilogy that isn't rubbish. So now that my viewing of this trilogy is complete, how do such claims hold up?

I do believe it does. Much like's it older siblings, this movie succeeds on it's action, it's art design and the themes of self-acceptance. Po's character development continues to progress and his character arc reaches it's conclusion. And never once do the makers of this movie fumble.
But the real highlight is the panda village itself - bursting at the seams with color and personality. In fact I am reminded of Mists of Pandaria - which in turn raises of the question of who, out of Blizzard ad Dreamnworks, was copying who....

Kung Fu Panda 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Kung Fu Panda 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th November 2019

Man when did I first see the original Kung Fu Panda? Over a decade ago I think. In fact, I never knew it had spawned a pair of sequels. But I've heard some people hold this up as an example of a trilogy done right so that was enough top pique my interest. After all, this was done by Dreamworks and, if the superb How to Train Your Dragon movies are anything to go by, they know how to do a trilogy, right?

So I found this movie to be one of two halves: The first half seems more aligned with it;s predecessor, with Po being both a sarcastic jerk and bumbling incompetent (so much so it makes me wonder how much of a difference there is between Jack Black's real life persona and the roles he keeps playing). Okay sure we've got some world building, some excellent art direction and some amazing fight scenes, but in all honestly i found this part of the movie dull. And it left me wondering if I should be watching a movie that appeared to be solely aimed at a much, MUCH younger audience.....

.....That was until we get to the second half. Here Po is confronted with his heritage. And suddenly the movie shifts gears completely: It gets solemn and quiet and honestly? Its all the better for it. It reveals a depth one wouldn't expect from a serial such as this. Po gets some crucial character development and it's proof that self-realization is a powerful theme.
So yeah, this movie was dull at first, but when it kicked into high gear it did so with flair. It's a prime example of how anyone can put up with anything just as long as there's a substantial pay-off at the end.
Of course it's frustrating that this movie ends on a cliffhanger but there's always next week, right?

Joker

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Joker!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd November 2019

This is a difficult one to discuss as much has said about it already: The disturbing nature of the movie, the aesthetic of the movie, Joaquin Phoenix's performance, the Martin Scorsese connection (not least having Robert de Niro present), a vital step froward for DC and superhero movies in general, and much being said about this movie potentially being a touchstone of the incel culture (if it isn't already). Such observations are indeed correct so it's hard for me to say something that doesn't sound like I'm repeating something previously said like a parrot.

So in the end, Joker is far from an easy watch and deeply unsettling but I can't say it was boring

Jodorowsky's Dune

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Jodorowsky's Dune!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th November 2019

I have little to no attachment to Dune. I've never seen the reviled movie and I read the book in University but it went over my head. However I have played Dune 2: Building of a Dynasty (fore-father to the mighty Command and Conquer series) and found it fun.
So why would I watch this documentary? Well, I am interested in movies that never get made. The kind that have a tonne of potential but come undone due to studio meddling or by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And this is one such movie: In the mid-seventies, Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky wanted to adapt Dune into a grandiose movie but it never went anywhere.

As is often the case in these types of documentary, the man behind it, Alejandro Jodorowsky, is the driving force of the narrative. And what a person he is: In talking about his unmade movie, he is passionate, enthusiastic and, at times, a complete lunatic. He said he wanted to present an ultimate head-trip of a movie and deliver something that, let;s face it, would've been very much divorced from the source material. Indeed, it is never made clear whether or not Jodorowsky HAS read Dune.

The other key element in the movie is a colossal bible ('the Dune book') that Jodorowsky produced containing every scrap of information about the movie. It has a script and a complete storyboard. It contains designs form the likes of HR Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Moebius and Chris Foss. It even promised starring roles from Mick Jagger, Orson Welles and Salvador Dali as well as music from Pink Floyd!

It may sound grandiose indeed but at the same time, completely bonkers. So in a way, perhaps it is best it never got made. But, as this documentary proved, it certainly left behind an amazing story to tell.

The Dressmaker

And this week's Friday night movie has been...The Dressmaker!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th November 2019

Well this was an odd movie. It's funny one moment but solemn the next, thus creating some serious mood whiplash. Still I did enjoy this, largely due to the cast: Kate Winslet is great in the central role, Hugo Weaving gets to relish in the opportunity to play a non-serious role, and it's interesting to see some familiar actors made into unrecognizable roles (seriously, I had to double-check the cast list at the end and was surprised to see some names I recognized but didn't pick up).
But in the end, Judy Davies ends up stealing every scene she's in and is a delight to watch.

Visually there are some great location shots and some nice use of colour. But at the end of the day, the real star is the costume design. Colorful, inventive, elaborate and enough to make any cosplay maker (or at least the ones I know) envious.
So yeah, good movie

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

And this week's Friday night movie has been...The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st November 2019

Halloween may have been last night but I can still end this October run in style.

Well, I've put this off long enough. This movie still commands an audience forty-four years later and many people I've met talk it up. Indeed, i have lost count how many women I've spoken over the years who have seen this movie. Personally I know little of this movie beyond a) The Time Warp (apparently it's just a jump to the left.....) - but even then it's more from a Kodak commercial; b) a few of the other songs (kind of...); c) it's reputation as an audience-participation movie and d) it's popularity with the LBGT crowd.

Mind you, it's this movie's afore-mentioned reputation that bothers me. Clearly this is a movie that is best enjoyed with a group of people. I think it's safe to say that being with a group of people who are getting into The Rocky Horror Picture Show may make for a different experience than someone watching it by themselves.
Other than that, this movie was a lot of fun. Considering how unconventional this movie is as a musical, it makes me wonder if it was a fore-runner to a lot of unconventional musicals that has followed in it's wake (ie the South Park movie, Avenue Q, and Book of Mormon). But ultimately it's bizarre natural is my cup of silliness. And considering that this film has the message of being comfortable in one's own skin, even to the point of defying normality, that may go a long way why it still has an enraptured audience.

At least I now know, when I go to a party and the Time Warp gets played, why the song ends with everyone falling to the floor.