Film Review: "Jungle Cruise" (2021).

From the studio that brought you The Pirates of the Caribbean series comes Jungle Cruise. This period fantasy adventure film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, written by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requa, and based on Walt Disney's theme park attraction of the same name. Intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff's questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila - his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities - possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate - and mankind’s - hangs in the balance.

In September 2004, it was announced that a film loosely based on the Walt Disney theme park attraction would be developed for Mandeville Films, penned Josh Goldstein & John Norville. In February 2011, it was announced that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would star in the long-gestating film from a new script penned by Roger S. H. Schulman. However, the film never progressed and entered into. development hell. In August 2015, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures was redeveloping the film, with Dwayne Johnson attached to star and with Requa and Ficarra penning a new script. In April 2017, Johnson expressed his interest in having Patty Jenkins helm the project, but in July 2017, Collet-Serra was hired to direct. In January 2018, Emily Blunt was cast and Green was hired to rewrite the script, previously rewritten by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne. By mid May 2018, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid September. Filming took place in Kaua'i, Hawaii and Atalanta, Georgia, USA. In late January 2019, it was announced that James Newton Howard was hired to compose the film's score. The film was initially slated for an October 11, 2019 release date before being moved to July 24, 2020, and was delayed to July 30, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early May 2021, Disney announced that the film would be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access, with Deadline Hollywood reporting that after being given multiple options by Disney, the filmmakers made the decision to go with the simultaneous release due to the continued closure of theaters in markets like Brazil and Europe due to surges in COVID-19 cases.

It's Johnson and Blunt who both steal the show, creating swashbuckling personas so outrageously regaling it would single-handedly guarantee sequels.

Were it not for Johnson and Blunt's reassured character creations of a wisecracking skipper and an intrepid researcher, there would be nothing to relish in this overlong and witless waste of celluloid based on a Disneyland ride.

Simon says Jungle Cruise receives:

Also, see my review for The Commuter.

Film Review: "Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans" (2021).

"This Summer, they will rise" in Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. This computer-animated science fantasy directed by Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz-Velasco and Andrew L. Schmidt, written by Marc Guggenheim and Dan & Kevin Hageman and based on the characters created by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus. Heroes from Trollhunters, 3Below and Wizards join forces to fight a shadowy enemy threatening to take over their worlds — and reset Earth itself.

In 2019, while planning the ending of the Arcadia saga, del Toro and Guggenheim wanted it to finish with an Avengers-style crossover, debated on whether to conclude it with additional Wizards episodes or a feature film, and eventually choose to do it as a film due to a cinematic format allowing them to "tell this story on the scope that [they] wanted and have the story be as big as [they] aspired it to be". Aware that audiences watching the film would not necessarily be familiar with the rest of the saga, a recap prologue was written for the start of the film. The film was also influenced by Marvel Studios' Avengers films, the filmmakers having taken a similar approach so audiences unfamiliar with the franchise could nevertheless enjoy the film's story. According to Guggenheim, early production on the film happened while the studio was working on Wizards, which he felt gave the producers time to determine how to finish the saga's story. The Guggenheim and Dan & Kevin Hageman included references to del Toro's Pacific Rim (2013), througth they were careful to not to overload the film with Pacific Rim easter eggs. In early August 2020, it was revealed that Netflix and DreamWorks Animation were developing a finale film titled Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans with Matte, Velasco, and Schmidt as directors, del Toro, Guggenheim and Dan and Kevin Hageman as co-writers and producers, and set to be released to Netflix on July 21, 2021.

The film stars the voice talents of Nick Offerman, Tatiana Maslany, Emile Hirsch, Steven Yeun, Diego Luna, Nick Frost, Alfred Molina, Kelsey Grammer, Cheryl Hines, Jonathan Hyde and Brian Blessed, reprising their roles, with Grey Griffin, Tom Kenny and James Hong as newcomers. Like the shows, the film, thanks largely to its spectacular cast, has managed to do what so few children shows even today have: assemble a cast of characters that depicts the world as it is, with a range of identities and experiences. Which brings depth and believability.

The film doesn't come any bigger than this: the closing chapter to a five-year saga in the Arcadia Universe, told across three series. And by the end of its a hundred and six minute runtime, there will definitely be tears. The film is everything Arcadia fans could want and more. It is interesting to see how the franchise concludes with this film, but woe be upon anyone who doubts their ability to conclude and succeed mightily. As fun as the movie is, there's a somewhat undeniable hollowness at its core induced by its unwillingness to follow through on certain ideas and symbols.

Simon says Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans receives:

Also, see my review for Wizards: Tales of Arcadia.

Film Review: "Old" (2021).

"A new trip from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan" comes Old. This supernatural mystery thriller written and directed by Shyamalan and inspired by the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. This chilling, mysterious new thriller is about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly - reducing their entire lives into a single day.

In October 2019, it was announced that Shyamalan was partnering with Universal Studios to release two new thriller films which he would write, produce and direct, including this film. By late September 2020, Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Abbey Lee, Alex Wolff, Embeth Davidtz, Eliza Scanlen and Thomasin McKenzie were cast. Additionally, it was announced that the film's title was Old. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid November. Filming took place in Playa El Valle, Samana, the Dominican Republic and will be the first Shyamalan film to be shot on 35mm film stock since The Last Airbender (2010). All his projects since have been shot digitally. This marks the first time Shyamalan has filmed entirely outside Greater Philadelphia since his first film Praying with Anger (1992). The film was shot during the height of the global Coronavirus pandemic. Cast and crew had to be tested daily for potential infections. Before production, Shyamalan screened Walkabout (1971) and Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) for his cast and crew, which were said to be big influences on the style and tone that he wanted for the film. The film was initially set for a February 26 2021 release date, but was delayed to July 23, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film stars Bernal, Krieps, Sewell, Leung, Lee, Wolff, Davidtz, Scanlen and McKenzie. Thanks to the top-flight acting, the film is not a bad film, despite its goofy plot.

Old is among Shyamalan's salvageable films, in which he uses ignorance and superstition to keep a group of people in the woods away from evil creatures. Shyamalan keeps the story vague enough to work up to his plot twist, and while I won't reveal it here, I will say that I don't think the payoff is worth it. Shyamalan remains ever the master of mood and of unseen, inchoate menace; he can give depth and gravity to scenes that in other hands would be either boring or ridiculous. If you're willing to follow Shyamalan wherever he goes in his inquiry into how ageing terrifies us, he leads you into provocative, if uneven, territory. The film's biggest disservice is Shyamalan's uneven, confusing script that concludes with a surprise, but a dismal one. In a time when Hollywood is more interested in remakes and sequels than in original movies, Shyamalan continues to tell new stories. And he's really good at it. Just as The Sixth Sense meditated on those stuck in endless cycles of grief. This film shines light on another basic human truth: our lifelong fear of ageing.

Simon says Old receives:

Also, see my review for Glass.

Film Review: "Blood Red Sky" (2021).

"To protect her son, a dark secret will be unleashed" in Blood Red Sky. This German action horror thriller film directed by Peter Thorwarth, and written by Thorwarth and Stefan Holtz. Nadja and her ten-year-old son are on an overnight flight from Germany to New York when a group of terrorists violently take control of the plane and threaten the lives of the passengers. Suddenly Nadja faces an impossible choice - should she reveal her dark side and the inner monster she has kept hidden from her son for years in order to save him?

By early November 2017, Peri Baumeister, Alexander Scheer, Kais Setti, Gordon Brown, Dominic Purcell, Graham McTavish, Kai Ivo Baulitz, Roland Møller, and Chidi Ajufo were cast in a new German action horror thriller penned by Thorwarth and Holtz, with Thorwarth as director. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early April 2018. Filming took place at the Düsseldorf Airport in Flughafenstraße, Düsseldorf, Germany, as well as Prague, Czech Republic, then known as Transatlantic 473. Filming was temporarily closed after an extra tested positive for COVID-19.

The film stars Baumeister, Scheer, Setti, Brown, Purcell, McTavish, Baulitz, Møller, and Ajufo. Let's call this one 'Vampire Movies for Dummies', complete with our hero (Baumeister) having the job of killing the bad guys in a typically violent fashion as a pseudo slasher movie villain.

Here is one of those rare movies that penetrates the membrane separating all those disposable "gotcha" scarefests from genuinely engrossing supernatural thrillers. A sadly missed opportunity, a waste of talent on senseless dreck that made even the always welcome Baumeister as a vampire look silly. The film has a terrific premise and an intriguing setting, but it's badly let down by poor direction, dismal acting and an appalling script. The film has a striking action thriller aesthetic and macabre sense of fun - if your sense of fun includes watching a vampire turned into pâté in the gnashing metal jaws of a rubbish processor. A refreshing variation on the vampire movie formula, with a strong premise and a fair bit of splatter, but insufficient verve to last out its nearly two hour running time. This has more bite than we've come to expect from Netflix outfit. Some of the action misses the jugular, but Baumeister makes for a sensational protagonist. The vampire's attacks are nicely manic - think of an over-zealous contestant at a pie eating contest -- but they get repetitive after the first few kills. A somewhat shrug-inducing vessel of unfulfilled potential, consisting of solidly executed attack passages followed by great stretches of relative tedium. The film is gory, graphic, suspenseful and occasionally nonsensical. But it's a vampire movie and if you're into that genre you'll probably be into this. Now if you dig vampire flicks that will gross you out and are filled with gory set pieces, then maybe the high number of blood splatters will catch your fancy. Overall, the film is freaky and gruesome enough to keep horror fans thrilled, especially as the monster get stronger, faster, and nuttier.

Simon says Blood Red Sky receives:

Special Review: "IMAX Presents: An Exclusive Look At Dune" (2021).

"Beyond fear, destiny awaits" in Dune (or Dune: Part One). This upcoming epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve, adapted by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, based on the 1965 seminal science-fiction literary classic by Frank Herbert, and stars an ensemble cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. It is the first of a planned two-part adaptation, which will cover roughly the first half of the book. A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The exclusive IMAX look consisted of Behind-the-Scenes with the cast & crew, including Villeneuve and Chalamet. Adapting Dune for the big screen has been a lifelong dream of Villeneuve, ever since he read Herbert's novel when he was around twelve years old. He wanted to make a faithful adaptation, so he waited until he'd done sci-fi films Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) first so that he would have sufficient experience in the genre before starting work on Dune. In fact, scenes from his prior films are strongly influenced by his interpretations of scenes from the novel. Villeneuve confirmed in a Vanity Fair article that his adaptation of Dune (2021) will be split into two films in order to ensure that the original story would be "preserved and not cut into a million pieces." Also, Villeneuve's plans for the film are quite ambitious, as he hopes to make it the Star Wars he never saw. In an interview, he explained that most of the main ideas of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) came from Dune so it will be a challenge to tackle this project. Villeneuve even said, "In a way, it's Star Wars for adults." Like Villeneuve, composer Hans Zimmer is a big fan of the novel Dune, and turned down working with frequent collaborator Christopher Nolan on Tenet (2020) to score this film. To musicalise the different worlds of Dune, Zimmer utilised female vocals in addition to his usual musical palette of percussion and brass instruments. The look also included surprise presentation of the first ten minutes of the film, as well as Villeneuve's favourite scene. The film is Villeneuve 's first film to be shot with large format Arri Alexa LF IMAX digital cameras with Panavision H-Series and Ultra Vista Lenses. The footage switches between 1.43 : 1, 1.90 : 1 and 2.39 : 1 aspect ratios. Finally, the look concluded with premiere of the new trailer. 

I'm sure you can sense the excitement of the nerdy fan-boy coming from this review of an exclusive look but it showed a film I have genuinely fallen in love with and was thrilled and assured to see that impossible has now been made possible and it is definitely in the most perfect hands possible. It showed an excellent well-made science fiction epic especially when compared with mediocre output of current superhero movies. Grand old fashioned spectacle. It was well balanced and stimulating, it alternated between intense action, light comedy, and sincere drama. Villeneuve's epic adaptation is an phenomenally impressive beast of a film that will capture and surpass your imagination with every single frame. It grabbed me with its meticulous world-building as well as its enormous scale and scope. It will be the beginning to one of the best movie series of all time. Villeneuve does the impossible: he makes a faithful, magical, thrilling, and-most importantly-compelling film version of Herbert's literary science fiction masterpiece. Most ambitiously, this stunning spectacle is an adaptation that's closer in spirit to an art-house film than a popcorn holiday romp. An enthusiastic visionary set loose on one of the biggest playgrounds ever constructed, Villeneuve brings more personality to the series' first installment, the film, than typically seeps into a franchise of this magnitude. Against all odds in an era of machine-made spectaculars, Monsieur Villeneuve and his collaborators have created a film epic that lives and breathes, that's swept by almost palpable weather. Villeneuve has not only attempted the most ambitious film project in modern cinema history, he's pulled it off with a breathtaking mixture of nerve and verve, too. The preview bearer well the burden of exposition and character introduction, and also featured two of the film's best action setpieces -not just visual-effects reels, but trials by fire of the camaraderie among this ragamuffin band of brothers. Putting formula blockbusters to shame, the film is impeccably cast and constructed with both care and passion. In unveiling the Holy Grail for science-fiction aficionados, Villeneuve has begun a series to rival Star Wars in the pantheon. It's finally here. The adaptation of the first installment from Herbert's Dune saga, and all I have to say is, "Wow." The filmmakers have shown great respect for their source material. I was moved by Villeneuve's passionate, caring, and human portrayals of these characters and dramas. Villeneuve's awesome (supposedly) two and a half hour film, seeming not enough time, is the most stunning science fiction film ever made. Once you've got your breath back one thought will prove hard to escape: Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch might have a few sleepless nights from now onwards. After seeing the preview, it's hard to imagine any but the most nit-picky and dogmatic being disappointed by this epic, lovingly crafted movie. Only someone with a pathological aversion to science-fiction could fail to be absorbed and transported by this stunning, sincere and frequently visceral adaptation.

Simon says IMAX Presents: An Exclusive Look At Dune receives:

Also, see my review for Blade Runner 2049.

Series Review: "Lisey's Story" (2021).

From the director of Jackie and Ema comes Lisey's Story. This horror drama miniseries directed by Pablo Larraín, adapted by Stephen King and based on King's 2006 novel of the same name. This terrifying thriller follows widow Lisey Landon as a series of disturbing events revives memories of her marriage to author Scott Landon and the darkness that plagued him.

In August 2017, King expressed an interest in seeing his novel adapted as a television series. In April 2019, it was announced that Apple Inc. had acquired the rights to the novel and gave it an eight-episode straight-to-series order to air on Apple TV+, with all episodes scripted by King, to be produced by J. J. Abrams and Bad Robot Productions. In August, Larraín was hired to direct. By October, Julianne Moore was cast in the title role, with Clive Owen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan, Joan Allen, Ron Cephas Jones, Michael Pitt, Omar Metwally, Sung Kang and Peter Scolari rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place in Somerset County, New Jersey and Westchester County, New York. In mid-March 2020, filming was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately resumed. In April 2021, in a first look with Vanity Fair, it was announced that the series will premiere on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes for a June 4, 2021 release date, and new episodes each Friday after.

The series stars Moore, Owen, Leigh, DeHaan, Allen, Jones, Pitt, Metwally, Kang and Scolari. With a cast that also includes Moore, Owen Leigh, DeHaan and Allen, there's plenty of reasons to keep watching. Leigh is a little iffy as Darla Debusher, and the magnificent Joan Allen needs no introduction, but Moore's Lisey Landon is an engaging female hero and Owen's Scott Landon is compelling in every way.

In 2021, when there's more content out there than any but the shut-in or chronically unemployed can hope to consume, being ignored - as the series deserves to be - is perhaps the unkindest fate of all. Stripping this story of pretty much every shred of dramatic weight and emotional engagement is no easy task, but Apple has accomplished it. This adaptation of Lisey's Story is content to scratch the surface of these individuals. It's an oddly revealing failure of nerve. The source material itself keeps it from being great. But it does keep you interested, and that is the power of King's storytelling. With its many subplots, some more compelling than others, it's an uneven series that's not so much a must-watch as a can-watch. While it may sound as if this would be particularly frightening to watch right now, the truth is that this much-awaited series is a bit of an anti-climax. The first episode of the series shows potential, but chooses a not so easy to follow way of telling the story. It may alienate those not familiar with Stephen King's work.

Simon says Lisey's Story receives:

Also, see my review for Ema.

Series Review: "Biohackers" (2020-21).

"Find out what you are made of" in Biohackers. This German techno-thriller television series created by Christian Ditter. From THC chips to genetic enhancements, welcome to the world of Biohacking. When "Mia" begins her medical degree, she seems like any other student. But when she gains the trust of the brilliant Professor Lorenz, it becomes apparent that she’s hiding a secret so big it could change the fate of humanity. From the director of Girlboss comes a thriller that will make you question the makeup of life itself.

By May 2019, Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Caro Cult, Benno Fürmann, and Thomas Kretschmann were cast in a German techno-thriller series with Ditter as creator, showrunner and co-director. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in September. Filming took place in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg; Munich, Bavaria; and at the Bavaria Studios, Bavariafilmplatz 7, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany. The series originally scheduled for a 30th April 2020 release date. However, Netflix decided to postpone the launch due to the public's focus on the COVID pandemic, as some scenes from the show could be misconstrued as references to the pandemic. 20th August 2020 was selected as the new release date. A week after its release, the series was renewed for a second season, which was released on 9th July 2021.

The series stars Wedler, Schwarz, Cult, Fürmann, and Kretschmann. It was one of those dramas with characters and performances where Everyone. Spoke. Very. Fast. In. The. Hope. Of. Appearing. Intelligent. When. What. They. Really. Were. Was. Lethally. stupid. Beneath the high concepts lie the rawest, most basic of human emotions. Wedler, warily composed one minute, vacantly confused the next.

A series that does what all the very best sci-fi stories do: tackle big existential questions and intimate everyday emotions in tandem, all while asking 'what if?'. While the show is a vision of malevolent tech genius and power turned up to a preposterous degree, the sentiment is relevant. Humanity can go as far as technological advance can take it, for better or worse. Lorenz's scientific and philosophical theories keep us glued to the screen and entertained; the show's futuristic and mysterious aesthetic keeps us hooked. The show is a near-perfect companion piece to Devs, being a parable about the power of reason and imagination, and how the line into madness is easily crossed. Essential, if not easy, viewing. The show successfully allocates all of its storytelling devices to communicate the deeper questions of humanity and its place in the universe. The show deserves credit for throwing Big Themes up in the air and seeing where they land. But, and I'm misquoting the Marx Brothers here, deep down, the show feels strangely superficial. The mysteries of the show don't unspool so much as eke out in a torturously slow drip. And the show's aesthetic details feel so detached from the story that they're often insufferable. It's interesting but wordy and perhaps better suited to film than TV considering the verbiage and slow pace.

Simon says Biohackers receives:

Film Review: "Black Widow" (2021).

From the studio the brought you Avengers: Endgame comes Black Widow. This superhero film directed by Cate Shortland, written by Eric Pearson, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down. Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

In September 2010, while promoting the home media release of Iron Man 2, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige stated that discussions with Scarlett Johansson had already taken place regarding a Black Widow standalone film, but that Marvel's focus was on The Avengers (2012). Johansson reprised her role in that film, as well as five other MCU films. In February 2014, Feige said that after exploring Black Widow's past in Age of Ultron, he would like to see it explored further in a solo film, which already had development work done for it. In April 2015, Johansson expressed interest in starring in a Black Widow film. Due to the development work already done, and the public support for a Black Widow film, Marvel ultimately decided that the best time to move forward with the project would be at the beginning of the "latest phase" of the MCU in 2020. In December, Jac Schaeffer was hired to the script. Several female directors such as Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Chloé Zhao, Amma Asante, Lynn Shelton, Lucrecia Martel, Maggie Betts were considered before Shortland was ultimately hired to direct in July. In February 2019, Ned Benson was hired to rewrite the script. By late May 2019, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, William Hurt, Ray Winstone and Olga Kurylenko rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, with a budget of $200 million, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early October under the working title Blue Bayou. Filming took place in Budapest and Etyek, Hungary; Møre og Romsdal, Norway; Oxfordshire and Surrey, England, UK; and Atlanta, Georgia and Los Angeles, California, USA. The film was originally scheduled for a May 1, 2020 release date. However, in mid-March, Disney removed the film from its release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early April, Disney announced that the film would be set for a November 6, 2020 release date, and the rest of their Phase Four slate of films were shifted to accommodate this change. In September 2020, Disney pushed the release back again to May 7, 2021, followed by a third shift in March 2021 to July 9, 2021.

The film stars Johansson, Pugh, Harbour, Weisz, Hurt, Winstone and Kurylenko. The cast, led by Johansson, play their characters with dignity and have a lot of charisma.

Good Marvel formula, with some genuinely interesting twists and strong action, but a familiar and woke groove nonetheless.

Simon says Black Widow receives:

Also, see my reviews for Berlin Syndrome and Avengers: Endgame.

Film Review: "The Tomorrow War" (2021).

From the director of The Lego Batman Movie comes The Tomorrow War. This military science fiction film directed by Chris McKay and written by Zach Dean. Time travelers arrive from 2051 to deliver an urgent message: 30 years in the future mankind is losing a war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians to be transported to the future and join the fight. Determined to save the world for his daughter, Dan Forester teams up with a brilliant scientist and his estranged father to rewrite the planet’s fate.

In February 2019, it was announced that Chris Pratt was in negotiations to star in a military science fiction film titled Ghost Draft (later retitled as The Tomorrow War) and with McKay hired to direct. By early September, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, and Betty Gilpin rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early January 2020. Filming took place in Georgia, Atlanta and Miami, Florida, USA, as well as Iceland. The film was initially scheduled for a December 25, 2020 release date by Paramount Pictures, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was rescheduled to July 23, 2021, taking the release date of Mission: Impossible 7, then later pulled from the schedule again. In January 2021, Amazon Studios was in final talks to acquire the film for around $200 million. In April 2021, it was announced that Amazon had officially acquired the film, and set it to be released on Amazon Prime Video on July 2, 2021.

The film stars Pratt, Strahovski, Simmons, and Gilpin. The strength of the lead performances and the inventive use of sci-fi conventions make this better than the usual mainstream fare. This is the best we've seen from Pratt in years, and Strahovski wears her heroism well.

The first two reels are packed with energy and invention it's only when the conventions that made the story enticing are put aside in the last reel that the movie becomes a standard science fiction action flick. Unexpectedly clever surprises keep the anticipation and mystification rolling, while the action sequences are plentiful and intense. On face value, the film deals with familiar tropes - of a war for the planet and time loops and alien invasions - but it's brilliantly executed with some fantastic combat sequences. McKay deftly orchestrates the destruction, ensuring it doesn't sink into mind-numbing Transformers fare. Pratt and Strahovski invest a great deal of heart in their action heroics. The film is a fun, rip-roaring sci-fi actioner. It has explosions and gunfire and aliens, yet it's also very smart with a wicked sense of humor. Though the film threatens to become a repetitive bore, yet at each plausible juncture, its formula veers inextricably into new facets of intrigue, at least enough to keep wandering attention spans at bay. The film deserves praise and viewers. It is proof that calculated cynicism and recycled content aren't the only ways to deliver big-budget, mainstream entertainment.

Simon says The Tomorrow War receives:

Also, see my review for The Lego Batman Movie.

Series Review: "Sophie: A Murder in West Cork" (2021).

"From the Oscar-winning producer of Man on Wire and Emmy-winning producer of LA 92" comes Sophie: A Murder in West Cork. This docuseries directed by John Dower. This three-part series examines one of Ireland’s most famous murder cases, the death of French producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier in the town of Schull, West Cork in 1996. The brutal murder, which shocked the country, triggered one of the biggest murder investigations Ireland had ever seen and became a national obsession. The documentary will chart the circumstances of her death, unravelling the extraordinary story from its beginning, twenty-four years ago to the present day. With exclusive access to Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s family, the series will bring together, for the first time, the views of her family with Ian Bailey, the man at the centre of the investigation.

On the night of 23 December 1996, thirty-nine year old French television producer, Sophie Toscan du Plantier, was killed outside her holiday home near Toormore, Goleen, County Cork, Ireland. British journalist Ian Bailey was arrested twice by the Garda Síochána, yet no charges were laid as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) found there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial. In 2003, Bailey lost a libel case against six newspapers. In 2015, he also lost a wrongful arrest case against the Gardaí, minister for Justice, and Attorney General. In 2019, Bailey was convicted of murder by the Cour d'Assises de Paris and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. He was tried in absentia in France after winning a legal battle against extradition. In 2020, Ireland's High Court ruled that Bailey could not be extradited.

A fascinating true-crime documentary that is as perplexing in its mystery as it is entertaining in its execution. Dower wisely knows that he's not going to solve this case that even the Irish authorities couldn't crack, and instead broadens his perspective into what the case means to people and why this unsolved mystery has such enduring power. This story from Dower picks apart what became a murder story and hears from retired Irish policemen involved the in case, and the friends and family members of a handful of suspects. I was left with two thoughts: evidence, without any additional motive or context, is not as it says; and all people want to be, briefly, acknowledged for their life, preferably on screen. Puts the known facts and a collection of the best theories through their paces over a somewhat overdrawn three-hours. Dower's documentary is simply content to revel in the unknowability of its story. To that end, it's a tantalizing look at a case that stymies conclusions at every turn. A fascinating look at the people who still, so many years later, insist on sharing their truth. Maybe the best part of the whole thing is this: Only one of them (if any) can be right, but it's easy to believe them all. However, with so much material, it's hard to steer the narrative. The series skillfully sketches out the details of the crime without fully capturing what makes the case so appealing to obsessives.

Simon says Sophie: A Murder in West Cork receives:

Also, see my review for The Mystery of D.B. Cooper.

Film Review: "No Sudden Move" (2021).

"Trust is a Setup" in No Sudden Move. This period crime thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon. In 1954 Detroit, small-time criminals are hired to steal a document. When their heist goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them - and for what purpose - sends them wending through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.

In November 2019, it was announced that Soderbergh would direct a film, then titled Kill Switch, with Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan and John Cena attached to star. However, by late September 2020, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Amy Seimetz, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Noah Jupe, Julia Fox, Ray Liotta, Bill Duke and Matt Damon rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid November. Filming took place in Detroit, Michigan and was originally scheduled to commence in early April, but was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stan, Cena, Cage, and Clooney were originally cast but were forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts after the movie's shoot was delayed from spring 2020 to autumn 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it hasn't been disclosed which roles all of them were set to play, Steven Soderbergh has mentioned in interviews that Clooney was originally cast in the role eventually played by David Harbour. The noticeably distorted shots throughout the film are the results of Soderbergh placing wider Kowa Anamorphic lenses, which already have considerable barrel distortion on their own, on a large Vista Vision-sized digital sensor that's 1.5x the size of the format they were initially designed for, as he wanted to replicate the imperfect lens characteristics and look of the early anamorphic lenses from the era the film takes place in. In fact, the film has the unusual aspect ratio of 2.16:1 because it was initially planned to be framed in the more traditional 2.40:1 anamorphic ratio, but the barrel distortion on some of those shots ended up being so distracting that he re-framed the entire movie to the taller frame to make it less noticeable.

The film stars Cheadle, del Toro, Harbour, Hamm, Seimetz, Fraser, Culkin, Jupe, Fox, Liotta, Duke and Damon. The film is a brisk and relentless story thanks to a killer cast and an inevitability that you feel in every twist and turn.

Soderbergh returns to the crime genre, but the film couldn't be more different than The Limey and Out of Sight, except for the fact that it's just as good. A first-rate crime thriller and further proof that director Stephen Soderbergh is one of our great contemporary film stylists. The film does suffers from a slim, somewhat underdeveloped script by Soloman, but benefits from Soderbergh's astute direction that posits Cheadle and del Toro as two small-time criminals. It's an interesting quest but there's no escaping that this is an overly familiar plot dressed up with some fabulous cinematography by Soderbergh.

Simon says No Sudden Move receives:

Also, see my review for Let Them All Talk.