Not a great week for new releases for home viewing but here are the three to note:\
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Screenplay by Robert Carlock
Based On The Book by Kim Barker
Starring Tina Fey; Martin Freeman; Margot Robbie; Alfred Molina; Christopher Abbot; Billy Bob Thornton; and Evan Jonigkeit
Journalist Kim Baker (Tina Fey) time in Afganistan and Pakistan is covered in this film.
Well there is a lot here.
Kim's life is changing as her relationship with her boyfriend is taking a downturn.
Kim is starting a new job as a female foreign correspondent.
Kim is starting a new relationship, kind of, with a photographer played by Martin Freeman.
The film is sold as a war correspondent film but in reality it comes across as a work place drama with her new friend Margo Robbie.
Kim has this odd relationship with General Hollaneck played by Billy Bob Thornton.
Kim has an odd relationship with leader Ali Massaud Sadiq played by Alfred Molina.
Then there is what they call the forgotten Afghanistan war.
Again....there is a lot here. Which makes the film very choppy. I do not think it is a bad film, I just think if we would have just followed Kim Baker navigating through work as a female war correspondent it would have been an interesting film and still with a little humor. I found the parts of the film when Kim is trying to get around the politics of Afghanistan and the politics of the old boys club of the army interesting enough. Plus dealing with her job showing the relevance of this forgotten war would have made this film cleaner.
Casting...
Molina soooo miscast and almost insulting. His character was not needed.
Martin Freeman miscast. No chemistry at all with Tina Fey. To be honest I really don't like Martin Freeman as an actor, so I come in to the film with that preconceived thought process that I just do not like him so I will not like his character. I know, not fair but I am being honest.
Some hidden gems?
A wonderful performance by Christopher Abbott playing Fahim Ahmadzai a kind of handler for Kim. He almost steals this whole film away, he is that good as Kim's handler.
Evan Jonigkeit as Specialist Coughlin is amazing in just maybe 10 minutes on the screen. His character stays with you long after the film is over.
Last note is that Tina Fey is very good here as Kim. This film is her best performance in a dramatic role.
It is funny I look at this review and I realize it is as choppy as the film. That just shows how much is crammed into this film and it is hard to even review. The film is in pieces and slightly boring in many parts.
3 stars out of 5 for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. For home viewing you may struggle to stay awake.
KUNG FU PANDA 3
Directed by Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh
Screenplay by Jonathon Aibel and Glen Berger
Starring Jack Black
Living large and loving life, Po (Jack Black) realizes that he has a lot to learn if he's going to fulfill the next challenge.
Well I was not a fan of the last two films. This one is the best of the three.
It follows a nice story line of how to teach your talents to others and also the importance of family.
Jack black is fantastic as Po as he has been in the last two. I just felt the last two they lacked a good story line and relied on slapstick and cheap jokes. I also thought the animation looked ....flat and never really popped. Well, here in the third film, the story line is strong and the animation is just a little bit better.
This story really flows along nicely and then we get to the last 15 minutes. No Spoilers here but it could not close. It was out there in left field and just turned Saturday Morning Cartoonish. I really think they must of had meetings after meetings about how to close this because it just was a disconnect, they could not come up with a clean ending.
I would say 3 stars out of 5 for adults maybe 4 out of 5 for kids. Just an awful silly ending.
EYE IN THE SKY
Directed by Gavin Hood
Screenplay by Guy Hibbert
Starring Helen Mirren; Alan Rickman; Barkhad Abdi; and Aaron Paul
This is a very tense film. The odd thing is you are watching a film of people watching a screen. It works. It takes that one scene in Sniper when the little boy picks up the weapon, and it expands it into a movie.
The question in this film is basically: Does killing a little girl selling bread have to be a cost of war, if it possibly means saving thousands?
No spoilers here. This film is so tense. The most tense film I have seen since maybe Ex Machina. The difference between the two movies is this is real, and it probably happens more than we know.
Aaron Paul with a fantastic performance. Helen Mirran in maybe her most meatiest role in years. Alan Rickman, tears, his last role and a fine performance. Also a really good performance by Abdi (Captain Phillips), he is the only one not staring at a screen with tension. He is running around being a hero.
A lot of credit has to go to Director Hood and Screenwriter Hibbert. This film should be boring. I mean people are just watching a screen trying to decide what to do. Often not wanting to decide what to do. Hood and Hibbert do a wonderful job making this film work.
A well done film that is tense and heavy. No spoilers here as always but I wanted to stand up and scream at the girl to MOVE!!!
It may be too real to want to see it again. Edge of your seat excitement, I feel bad for those people who have to make the decision like this day in and day out. 4 out of 5 stars for Eye In The Sky. Did I mention this is tense enough?
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
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