Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to do a high five! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the thrills of “Black Bag,” the speculative “Can I Get A Witness?” and the psychological satire of “Opus.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Opus,” a new psychological satire starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich and now playing in theatres, a rookie journalist gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s invited to a junket, with a group of experienced reporters and influencers, to visit the remote compound of a legendary pop star, known as “The Wizard of Wiggle,” to listen to his first music in thirty years. Once there, however, she discovers there’s more to the weekend than music.
CAST: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Young Mazino, Stephanie Suganami and Tatanka Means. Directed by Mark Anthony Green.
REVIEW: “Opus” has a lot on its mind. Writer/director Mark Anthony Green attempts a satire of celebrity culture and the press’s complicity in spreading ideology, personal and political, but as well intentioned as the film may be, Green hits many wrong notes.
To really sell the story of a reclusive pop star, one able to make people worldwide bend to his will, you need an iconic, alluring actor and songs that feel like they could have lit up the charts and the imaginations of millions of people. In John Malkovich you have the star power and the off-kilter charisma to make the pop star Alfred Moretti really pop on screen. From his laconic, vaguely menacing dialogue delivery to his ornate Michel Jackson-esque costumes, he blends Jim Jones and Marc Bolan to create an image of a celebrity as a borderline fascist figure.
It’s a shame then that the music, a key part of the character’s legacy, falls flat. Written by the legendary songwriter/producer/performer Nile Rodgers and The-Dream, the songs have a dreamy house music vibe, but in no way live up to the hype the movie gives them in its first twenty minutes or so.
It’s one of the things that makes “Opus” feel half baked.
A mix of dark comedy, horror and coming-of-age story, it lightly touches on each, culminating in its final moments (NO SPOILERS HERRE) with a talky reveal of Alfred Moretti’s grand plan. Again, no spoilers here, but within the film’s final few moments is a chilling look at celebrity culture and the press’s response to it. It’s a fascinating coda but feels like it could have done without all the window dressing that came before.
“The Bear’s” Ayo Edebiri, as the neophyte journalist, is the “final girl,” the audience proxy and we experience the bizarre goings on through her perspective. Skeptical of Moretti and his motives, she is the only rational person on-screen, and while her performance is grounded, it’s not enough to keep this indulgent and scattershot satire on track.
Seven movies in, the “Predator” franchise takes extraterrestrial terror back 300 years to the Comanche Nation in a new film now streaming on Disney+.
The action centers around Comanche warriors Naru (Amber Midthunder) and her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). Raised on the Great Plains, Naru is a skilled hunter but isn’t allowed to participate with the men. Her expertise is put to the test when strange things happen in her camp.
“There’s something out there,” Naru says. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I’m not frightened by a bear,” snorts Taabe.
“It’s not a bear,” she replies.
Turns out it’s a Predator, a highly evolved alien hunter who resembles an outer-space crustacean and announces his presence with a series of unnerving clicks and throaty gurgles. Equipped with the power of invisibility and technically advanced weapons, the Predator attacks a group of colonizing French fur trappers and then Naru’s family.
The odds seem stacked against Naru in the resulting showdown, but, as she says, “It knows how to hunt. But I know how to survive.”
It’s been tough to be a Predator fan in recent years. The alien bullies have featured in several not-so-great flicks, including 2018’s suburban terror entry, “The Predator.” That one included lines like, “They’re large, they’re fast and ‘bleeping’ you up is their idea of tourism.” It’s a really bad movie that makes “Sharknado” look like “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
I’m happy to report “Prey” is a return to form. Directed by Dan “10 Cloverfield Lane“ Trachtenberg from a script by Patrick Aison, this is a stripped-down sci fi action movie with a strong hero and tension to spare. The story is a bare-bones tale of survival, but given an interesting twist.
As an Indigenous woman Naru is a determined central figure, one battling for her place in the tribe as well as for the survival of the only way of life she has ever known. Midthunder is terrific, making Naru jump off the screen with a minimum of dialogue. It’s a performance that delivers the required action, while still allowing a fully-formed character to emerge.
“Prey” takes the “Predator” franchise in a different direction while still maintaining the bloodthirsty scenes that fans crave. The image of an invisible Predator made visible by bear blood and guts is a standout.
“Prey” is a period piece, that delivers solid action, but just as importantly, doesn’t treat its Indigenous characters as secondary to the story. A primarily Indigenous cast transcends stereotypes to create varied, interesting and complex characters in a genre that has not always been inclusive or respectful.
In recent years we’ve seen Liam Neeson morph from dramatic actor to action star. He’s battled everything from human traffickers and Mexican cartels to hijackers and murderous drug dealers. His latest, “The Ice Road” sees him up against his most daunting adversary yet—a long stretch of frozen ocean.
Neeson is Mike, a grizzled big rig driver who cares for his Iraq war veteran brother Gurty (Marcus Thomas). Gurty is a master mechanic but his PTSD has made it difficult for the brothers to stay employment. When a diamond mine in Northern Canada collapses, they accept a job offer from Goldenrod (Laurence Fishburne) to be part of a convoy delivering lifesaving equipment to the remote mine location.
The brothers team with Goldenrod and Tantoo (Amber Midthunder), a fearless young woman whose brother is trapped in the mine, to navigate three 65,000 pound vehicles over “ice roads,” frozen lakes, rivers and oceans to deliver life-saving equipment.
There’s more but I can’t describe the plot’s main thrust without a major spoiler. Suffice to say, there is a villain so dastardly all that’s missing is a giant moustache to twirl.
The drama in “The Ice Road” quickly melts away like ice before a fire, leaving behind a residue of clichés, long, drawn out action and fight scenes and dialogue borrowed from a hundred other, better action movies.
Director Jonathan Hensleigh, writer of the screenplays for “Jumanji,” “Armageddon” and “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” struggles to bring the popcorn thrills of his best-known work to this movie.
Even the death of one of the major players (NO SPOILERS HERE) is so abrupt and undramatic, it’s as if the actor had a doctor’s appointment and had to leave the set suddenly.
It’s too bad because there’s lots to work with. Start with Man-against-nature. Move along to a pantomime villain and throw in some of Neeson’s trademarked grimaces and growls and you could have an enjoyable b-movie but the hackneyed relationships and threadbare special effects sink the whole thing.
“The Ice Road” is a long (why did this have to be 103 minutes long?) winding road to nowhere; all build up and no pay off.
