The Lego Batman Movie - 7 stars out of 10

The Lego Batman Movie - 7 stars out of 10

Nothing was going to live up to “The Lego Movie,” but “Lego Batman” was a logical next step in the series.  Will Arnett’s dimwitted voicing of Batman made it easy to choose his memorable character for an expanded story, especially since superheroes are in vogue.  References to Adam West, obscure DC villains with silly M.O.’s, and a bashing of Robin’s emotions (perfectly written for Michael Cera) keep us laughing from start to finish.  All of the Robin jokes are so much funnier to “Arrested Development” fans because their interactions often parallel Gob and George Michael.  You do need to be prepared for this film to be “silly” instead of “funny,” but I think that this is what makes the movie so entertaining to kids and adults alike.  Unlike the humor, I find the story to have one of the most sophisticated themes that I have ever seen in a Batman film, questioning whether Batman would have any value without a villain to battle.  I like the writers’ treatment of Joker that makes him into a truly dynamic character and he becomes the perfect piece in this thematic puzzle.  The exiling of Joker to The Phantom Zone gives the writers a perfect excuse to incorporate Voldemort, The Wicked Witch, Sauron, Agent Smith, and many other famous bad guys (in Lego form) into the equation.  Naturally, these villains all converge in an anachronistic battle that is unlike anything that we’ve seen in a superhero film (with the exception of “Avengers: Infinity War” which has more characters than the writers knew what to do with…)  Ironically, the cast may actually have more star power than “Infinity War.”  Literally every character is a big name and it becomes a game to try and identify the voice behind the villain.  They even brought in Seth Green to voice King Kong…  All of these actors and story elements are cleverly brought to life through impeccable animation with disjointed Lego movements.  I think that it is easy to forget how impressive the animation is because it intentionally looks choppy, but it is amazing how the crew captures those Lego movements.  “The Lego Batman Movie” subscribes to the philosophy of go big or go home and, despite the small stature of the Legos, this film is HUGE!

[Pictured: The range of emotions on these Lego characters is stunning]

Un Chien Andalou (An Andalusian Dog) - 2 stars out of 10

Un Chien Andalou (An Andalusian Dog) - 2 stars out of 10

“Un Chien Andalou” may be the most uncomfortable 21 minutes of my life.  This Surrealist short film by Luid Buñuel and Salvador Dali refines the term “bizarre.”  If you enjoy shocking imagery along the lines of a razor slicing through a woman’s eye, ants crawling out of a person’s hand, and a man pulling two pianos that contain rotting donkey corpses, The Ten Commandments, and two priests, this is a film for you!  Otherwise, you might prefer not to see a man attaching a woman’s armpit hair to his face as a mustache.  I should also mention that all of these images appear in a non sequitur fashion throughout a nonlinear timeline that makes no sense, all set to a soundtrack of tango music and Wagner.  Then there's the fact that the two lead actors committed suicide later in life, including Simone Mareuil who doused herself in gasoline and set herself on fire in public (we aren't talking about the movie anymore, this is real life).  Everything surrounding and within this film is bizarre.  The “plot” doesn’t make any sense and you have to approach the film as a series of surrealist images.  I certainly would use the words "cohesive" or "sensible" to describe it.  “Un Chien Andalou” is interesting but it would be hard to call it enjoyable.  I understand the historical importance of this film as well its popularity upon release in 1929, but I will stick with George Melies when I want to appreciate early film.

[Pictured: You don't want to see what happens next]

Can't Buy Me Love (1987) - 7 stars out of 10

Can't Buy Me Love (1987) - 7 stars out of 10

When we think of 80’s teen comedies, our minds always jump to “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink,” and “Sixteen Candles.”  But there is one hidden gem that always seems to be left out of the conversation: “Can’t Buy Me Love.”  Long before Patrick Dempsey was “McDreamy,” he was the “McNerdy” Ronald Miller.  The premise of this story is quite clever – a nerd rescues a popular damsel in distress and asks her to repay him by pretending to date so that he can become popular.  In hindsight, the plot seems like it should have been completely predictable but I found myself surprised and intrigued as it developed onscreen.  Amanda Peterson steers the popular Cindy away from clichés and gives her a lot of depth.  She absolutely stole the screen.  Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is completely materialistic and happy to fit into their stereotypes, making the personalities of Ron and Cindy even more interesting to watch.  The film does have most of the aspects of a teen comedy that I find unnecessary – drugs, alcohol, adult themes, excessive profanity, Seth Green – but at least they are portrayed in an unglamorous way (including tween Seth Green).  It goes to show that even 30 years ago, writers incorporated unnecessary crude content to draw in larger audiences.  I wouldn’t call the film a masterpiece but it was extremely entertaining and had a nice moral (particularly the final cafeteria scene).  It isn’t often that the title song of a film can be such a poignant and appropriate punctuation mark at the end of a story.  “Can’t Buy Me Love” isn’t the greatest 80’s teen comedy but it is worth being thrown into the rotation.

[Pictured: Dempsey and Peterson are now one of my favorite onscreen teen couples]

Goodbye Christopher Robin - 3 stars out of 10

Goodbye Christopher Robin - 3 stars out of 10

“Goodbye Christopher Robin” rides the coattails of films like “Finding Neverland” and “Saving Mr. Banks,” but I was unimpressed.  This is one of the few instances where I would have rather not known the story behind a group of beloved childhood characters.  The film focuses on WWI and the unhappiness surrounding the creation of A.A. Milne’s Pooh characters instead of the joy that these characters brought into the lives of Christopher Robin and children around the world.  I can’t help wondering whether this story would have been better told by Disney and whether this intentionally dark tone was necessary.  I was excited when I saw that Domhnall Gleeson and Margot Robbie were attached to the film but their characters were so unlikable that I couldn’t connect with them.  Not to mention that Robbie was basically nonexistent throughout the film.  The saving grace is Kelly Macdonald who provides a nurturing atmosphere for Christopher in spite of the toxic environment created by his parents.  I tend to be an optimist and this film spent its entire runtime trying to destroy the legacy of the Pooh characters.  I cannot wait to see these characters redeemed through Disney’s new family film entitled “Christopher Robin” but I hope that nobody mistakenly sees “Goodbye Christopher Robin” instead.  Pooh’s legacy deserves to live on in a positive light.

[Pictured: It is magical to see the Pooh characters in their original form, but that magic is snuffed out by the negativity that fuels the story]

A Monster in Paris - 7 stars out of 10

A Monster in Paris - 7 stars out of 10

“A Monster in Paris” was one of the more surprising films that I’ve seen this summer.  I’m not typically drawn toward computer animated family films outside of Disney and I honestly only put it on because it was expiring off of Netflix at the end of the month.  What started as background noise quickly turned into a film that demanded every ounce of my attention.  The key to this film is its turn-of-the-century Paris setting, which needs to be used in more films.  It was absolutely magic!  They had me with classic looks at the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur on Montmartre.  This romanticized look at Paris makes it seem like anything is possible and most of the bizarre story elements fit right in.  The setting is complimented by a fantastic musical score, particularly “Just a Little Kiss for You” and both versions of “La Seine and I.”  The voices of Vanessa Paradis and Sean Lennon are perfectly suited for the style of the music.  I was also surprised to see big names like Catherine O’Hara, Danny Huston, and Bob Balaban attached to the film.  The quality of voice acting makes up for some moments where the character animation could have been more realistic; still, I loved the character design and artistry of the backgrounds.  It is as if someone crossed Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” with Disney’s “Frozen” and this was the final artistic result.  The story has its flaws and it certainly can’t compete with Disney’s animated films, but I would recommend “A Monster in Paris” to anyone for its interesting visuals and amazing music.

[Pictured: There is so much classy imagery throughout this film]

A Quiet Place - 9 stars out of 10

A Quiet Place - 9 stars out of 10

The stereotypical bloodbath horror film is out and the psychological, tension-building horror film is in.  “A Quiet Place” follows in the footsteps of last year’s “Get Out” as a new wave of intellectual films that incorporate horror elements to draw in audiences with different tastes.  Set in a world where making the softest sound will get you killed, this story must be told through body language, facial expressions and sign language.  You might not expect to experience a high level of intensity without any dialogue but many of cinema’s most intense moments occur when a character is silently stalked by their adversary.  And that circumstance is this entire film!  There are less than 20 lines of spoken dialogue in the film and yet, we get to know these characters on a deep level.  The characters are developed through context clues that help us to learn of their professions, ailments, and fears.  The execution of the story is as artistic as it is thrilling.  I was particularly impressed with the way that each character’s style of American Sign Language reflects their personality (short/direct father, slow/nurturing mother, aggressive/rebellious daughter).  John Krasinsky is best known for his portrayal of Jim on “The Office” and has done a decent job of transitioning onto the big screen over the past decade, but he took enormous strides into the industry by co-writing, directing, and starring in this film.  The influence of “Alien” and “No Country for Old Men” can be seen in the camerawork and building of tension as he brings this world to life through his specific vision.  There is a story behind every film and the timing of this film in relation to the recent birth of Krasinsky and Emily Blunt’s second child is no accident.  Krasinsky has called this story an allegory for parenthood and their stunning performances reveal every parent’s fear of protecting their children from the world that surrounds us.  On a literal level, the story captures the heartache of losing a child and the sacrifices that a parent is willing to make for their child.  The stars’ real-life relationship adds so much to the raw emotions of the characters on-screen.  I respect and applaud the use of deaf actress Millicent Simmonds to not only bring realism to her character but also to act as a guide to her costars in the use of ASL and the challenges faced by the hearing impaired.  I can see how some might not enjoy the film because it is almost completely subtitled.  This is the disconnect caused by the horror elements and the high-brow, intellectual parts of the film that might not appear to the average moviegoer; however, this may be the first step to creating a better-educated film audience.  To fill in the long periods of silence, composer Marco Beltrami has crafted a score that gives the story a constant sense of forward motion and highlights the visual emotions without overshadowing them.  The creature design is amazing and I love the first third of the film where we get small glances that maintain the mystery, but I had definitely seen too much of the creatures by the end.  A “Jaws”/J.J. Abrams approach of saving the full creature view for later in the film would have worked much better.  That being said, “A Quiet Place” is an incredible film that it worth of its praise and it just might continue the trend of horror films earning recognition at the Oscars.

[Pictured: This movie is intense from start to finish]