My Worst Films Of 2021

Have patience as you wait for my top 10 films of 2021 and the ever popular annual Shadow Awards, I am waiting on one or two more screening to see. So, it looks like early March. To hold you over, here is my top 5 films to avoid from 2021!!!!!

5     LAST CALL

Mick(Jeremy Piven) ,who works as a real estate developer in Philadelphia, has to go back to his suburban roots to talk people in his old neighborhood to sell their properties to make room for a new casino.

-For me, on a personal level, I wanted to see this because I grew up in Delaware County. It is definitely "Deep Delco", so they got that right. The behavior of the residents in the neighborhood is pretty much spot on.

This films biggest problem was, I did not care. The trailer makes the film seem like it is fun...NOPE. I did not care about the story and kinda did not care about the people. I mean, when you watch a movie, you need to be vested. I never felt vested in any of the characters. I mean Mick I felt for him, but in reality he was just a sleazy salesman, whom near the end grew a heart. I wanted to grasp on to Ali but Director/Writer Pilladi would not give us much about her. 

The story has too much going on. There is a death of a mom. There is Piven and Ali. There is a battle of brothers. There is a bar going under. There is a boating trip. There is a crooked real estate company. There is just too much and it all gets muddled down. 

I think it had some good performances, hey there is Bruce Dern, hey Jamie Kennedy where have you been...lol. The portrayal of that area is true to form. Other than that....it is just not good, earning LAST CALL Number 5 of my worst films of the year.

4

C'MON C'MON

When Johnny's sister,Viv, asks him to look after her son Jesse, they embark on a trip showing Jesse life outside of LA.

I am not getting it. Many people are calling this film one of the best of the year. I call it one of the worst.

Mainly because it has one of the most annoying characters of the year in film ....Jesse played by Woody Norman. Now I am not saying it was a bad performance by Norman I am saying his character was over the top annoying so I blame writer and director Mike Mills.

I wanted to walk out of this movie but I had to see where it was going.

I just was irritated watching a misbehaved kid...especially with a kind person like Johnny who is trying, and is doing the right thing. Again people loved this film!! I always say...I will not follow the artsy, look how smart I am crowd, I will let you know if a film was entertaining. This film annoyed me. It should have been called C'mon C'mon Put The kid In Timeout.

C'Mon C'mon earns my number 4 worst film of the year.

3

HALLOWEEN KILLS

Michael ...again..is back and killing. In this film the townspeople, including the townspeople who dealt with Michael Myers in the very first film rise up and fight together as they are sick of cowering.

The idea of the townspeople rising up, was a cool idea. I mean they even had Tommy (not the original) fighting back.

Well....it was a good idea...and then I watched this crappy pointless film.

It is the same old same old. There is nothing new here. Jamie Lee Curtis is barely in the film. She just sits in a hospital and counts the money she got for making an appearance here. Judy Greer is the same, barely in the film.

This is a bad movie. Violent. Pointless. Adds nothing, nada, to this series. You end up where you started.

End this series please.

Halloween Kills (It killed my time I will never get back) is my 3rd worst film of the year.

2

MALIGNANT

Madison is paralyzed with fear with shocking visions  of grisly murders.

Well acted by Annabelle Wallis...This is the only good thing I can say about this James Wan film.

Now if you follow my blog you know I do not do horror films. However this film was getting good reviews so off I went. Big mistake. I hated this film. The blood. The gore. The torture. I hated the story, to me it made no sense. This is one of these horror "Artist" James Wan's films. No...just NO!!!

Well that's all I have to say...it is stupid and pointless and bad, earning Malignant my number 2 worst film of the year.

NUMBER 1

The worst film of 2021 is..............................

DON'T BREATHE 2

NO TRAILER...YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE IT!!

This is a follow up to Don't Breathe from 2016. Which was a pleasant surprise, Don't Breathe was well written and exciting. It starred the wonderful Jane Levy and Stephen Lang.

The plot has something to do with an orphan and Langs character.

As for this one...Jane Levy has not returned..she must have seen the script. Stephen Lang has returned as The Blind Man. Yes he still has no name. They now throw in a young child Madelyn Grace as Phoenix. Madelyn is just here to add feeling and tension to this film.

This film is a mess. Violent unnecessarily. The script by Fede Alvarez is just stupid. I cannot find any other words except stupid. I will never get the time back..I wanted to walk out of this movie, I hated every second. This film was unwatchable, shocking if you start thinking about how good the first one was.

Director Rodo Sayagues should be ashamed for this violent mess.

So taking the title from last years worst DOWNHILL is DON'T BREATHE 2 my worst film of 2021!!

By the way this is post 1000 for my blog. Thanks as always for your time and the many looks. I don't do this for money...but I do get screenings and passes..soooo yeaaaaaa me. Still the anti snotty reviewer in the shadows says thanks...from the shadows.

Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love

Angel was sold into prostitution at a young age, and she knows noithing but betrayal. WhenMichael comes into her life, things become to change or maybe unravel.

Well, this film, is well acted:

Abigail Cowen as Angel is the highlight of this movie. She is really good in this role. I mean she is not pleasant that is for sure, still...she has us the viewer, liking her and pulling for her. 

Tom Lewis is Michael. It is not a stretch of a role but he plays off Cowen nicely.

This Christian based film is not an easy watch. I mean women are getting beaten; raped; and taken advantage of. Then you have the angry Angel who for most of the movie is kind of a jerk. A couple times I thought...Michael RUN AWAY!!! It is billed as a love story that really does not pan out until the last minute, and that reward for watching the bad stuff for so long is not long enough.

So sadly, I would give Redeeming Love 2 out of 5 stars.

Thanks for your time as always, from the shadows.

The Rescue

THE RESCUE

This documentary follows the attempted rescue of 12 boys and their coach stuck in flooded caves in Thailand.

The secret to watching this film is to not look up any information and just turn it on Disney+ or pay to stream it.

Put together by Directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth ChaiVasarhelyi (Free Solo), they keep the tension very high. The video often is edge of your seat frightening. I often thought, this is more exciting then 90 percent of the action films I see, and this is real!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As the saying goes, real heroes don't wear capes. When the Thai Navy Seals, realize they do not have the skills in these dark caves, they have to call on some cave divers from outside the country:

Rick Stanton 60

John Volanthen 50

Dr Richard "Harry" Harris 57

Look at those ages. So when they show up in Thailand, there is this confusion by the Seals, they are going to have to rely on these old men, who are amateur divers. They usually do this for fun and excitement and here they are with the world watching.

This is a cannot miss film. I am not telling you what happens but the final idea of how to rescue these kids and the coach is batshit crazy.

Negatives:

I wanted more on the backend..follow ups. I felt there was not enough closure, I mean we took the long trip follow up with everyone!!

4 1/2 stars out of 5 for The Rescue. This should win the Oscar for best documentary.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

Encanto

ENCANTO

A young Columbian girl, Mirabel, has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family that does not have special powers. So when things start to change in her magical house, and her relatives start to lose their special powers, she feels it is up to her to solve this mystery.

A very strange film..but it kinda works.

Why?

-The songs are very catchy and upbeat and wonderful

-Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz,is very likable and relatable. We care about her, and her story.

-The lesson of caring and being kind sometimes is bigger than any special talent. Also, a home is not just a structure it is the people in it.

-Oh and there is Bruno...no spoiler..we DO NOT SPEAK OF BRUNO!!

Still I struggled with the film. The story is enjoyable, but is odd, and I felt like it went a long way to get our ending. A long way, by saying, there really is not a mystery to solve, it is just a, I guess way of life to remember. I mean we learn the history of the family. The Bruno stuff, is funny but kind of nonsensical. So it left me thinking ...just okay.

I give Encanto 3 1/2 out of 5 stars for the lovely lead Mirabel: Bruno; and catchy fun songs.

From the shadows as always thanks for your fun.

Scream 2022

 SCREAM 2022

25 years after the original murders in Woodsboro, a new Ghostface has arrived; and Sydney Prescott must return to uncover the truth.

Let me get this out of the way first: Courtney Cox; David Arquette; and Neve Campbell are barely in this film, maybe 20 minutes total. So they cashed in took the checks and showed up for a bit. In fact if you think about it...they were not even a big part of the script until the end....and that part could have been another character.

I found this movie, Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, very violent, however I was in it to the end. It plays like a mystery. Who is GHOSTFACE???!! I was entertained. It delivered exactly what it was suppose to. 

If you can ignore the holes:

-Where is everyone working at the hospital???!!

-No one in the house calls 911...I mean it has been 15 minutes??!!

-Wait a minute she was stabbed 20 minutes a go...and now we and her ignore that fact?

It kind of makes this film silly but like i noted I was all in.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 for Scream 2022. I was all in and it was close to 2 hours long.  If you do not mind the violence and the holes..it is entertaining.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

The 355

355

A top secret weapon falls into the hands of some bad guys. A CIA agent goes a bit rogue and combined with three other agents from other agencies from around the world, along with a Psychologist (You read that right), try to get said weapon back.

Positives:

The actors:

All the leads are spot on wonderful and most important believable..

Jessica Chastain as Mace the FBI agent

Bing Bing Fan as Lin Mi Sheng

Diane Kruger as Marie Schmidt

Lupita Nyongo as Khadijah Adiyeme

Penelope Cruz as Graciela Rivera

The action is nonstop fun (With a twist I saw coming a mile away). This is what you show up for and it delivers.

Negatives:

-So many plot holes we are asked to overlook. Per example"

If they are rogue? Where are all the change of perfectly fitted outfits coming from? How are they getting from point A to B on the other side of the world and so quickly? Where are the weapons coming from?

- I wish there was more humor written into the script. The leads seem so cold with no personality. It is hard for the viewer to latch on and care. That's what makes Bond so appealing,,,his one liners and such.

I think it is a good film and delivers what you want, excitement and action. Still it is forgettable, sadly because the acting is really good. 

3 stars out of 5 for 355. Oh, the 355 stands for the codename given to an unidentified female spy who fought for the patriots during the American Revolution.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

These leads are all b

Being The Ricardos

BEING THE RICARDOS

We follow Lucy and Desi for one week during the filming of their show. This week changes the future.

First of all, for the people who criticized the hiring of Nicole Kidman as Lucy...well where are they now??!!

This is a wonderful performance by Nicole Kidman, she has the voice and mannerisms of Lucy down.

While we are on the subject of performances we have fantastic performances from:

J.K. Simmons as William Frawley

Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance

Tony Hale as Jess Oppenheimer

Ali Shawkat as Madelyn Pugh a writer a female writer on the show. She should be thought of at Oscar time. She says so much with a look.

Adam Sorkin directed this and wrote this very interesting story about this one week (Which all did not happen in one week it was just consolidated into one week for storytelling purposes):

We see how Lucy, a female in that time period, is pretty much running the show.

We see how the Networks control the actors.

We see how a story line of pregnancy is forbidden during these times.

We flashback to how Lucy met Desi and how we see now the start of the well known chip in the structure of their relationship.

We see the control Desi has on Lucy, but this week we see Lucy starting to rise in the relationship.

We also see an investigation into Lucy being part of the Communist party.

It is a very interesting look into one week of time and place.

Negatives:

-I think Javier Bardem was miscast as Desi. He just doesn't seem believable, even kind of stiff.

-You may not know what I am talking about here until after you watch it...but..nothing really is accomplished here in the storyline. We have the setup of how this week changes so much but we don't see end results of anything. Which kind of leaves this movie feeling flat at the end. It is still very enjoyable, but we are left hanging having to use the Google Machine.

Still I did not know I would like this little well acted film so much. What fun...4 out of 5 stars for Being The Ricardos

 From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

Tick, Tick ... BOOm

Tick, Tick...BOOM

On the edge of his 30th Birthday a young theater composer Jonathan Larson navigates the theater world and family and love in NYC.

An outstanding performance by Andrew Garfield as Larson!! He is better than the film.

Sadly I disagree with many, I found this film slow; choppyt; and tedious. 

I came in hoping to learn about the writing of Rent and what lead to that. Larson's missteps and successes. It just stops with his missteps and his support system cheering him on.

This film by Lin-Manuel Miranda is a miss. I hear people think this should be up for best picture. I disagree I think people love Miranda and want to show respect for the talents of Larson. This is not the movie.

2 stars out of 5 for Tick, Tick...Boom. Andrew Garfield is wonderful..so..there is that.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time

Dont look Up

DONT LOOK UP

A story brought to the screen by Adam McKay, about a couple astronomers who discover an approaching comet that will destroy earth.

Positives:

Performances!!:

Leonardo DiCaprio as Dr Randall Mindy. It is funny to see him in the uncool role. He is just a scientist trying to get his point across and failing. Still the government wants to use him as the face of the fight against the comet and it kind of goes to his head.

Jennifer Lawrence as Kate Dibiasky. She is kind of like Mindy's assistant. However she is constantly pissed about how the government is ignoring it. Or more worried about how they spin the crises to the media and the public. This pisses her off and she has no filter.

Jonah Hill as Jason Orlean the president's son. Who is great as a complete asshole. Most of his comments are hilarious and clueless at the same time.

Those three are the highlights of this very dry and funny story.

Still lets not forget that the film also has Cate Blanchett; Mark Rylance; Timothee Chalamet; and Tyler Perry, all giving very good performances.

Adam McKay brings the dry humor, making fun of society. In such a disaster...people will be top busy on their phones or too self absorbed to care. The ending is being criticized but, I think it had to end this way with people being so self involved, or figuring out how I can make this problem work for me, or make money for me they forget to deal with the problem!!

Negative:

My problem with the film is it is way to long. 2:30 hours!! It really needed editing. I kind of phased out on the back end because the film was going nowhere. A movie of this type, has to stay tight and focused and short. Editing Editing!!

3 1/2 stars out of 5 for this funny and dry, sadly waaaay over long film.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

Lost Daughter

THE LOST DAUGHTER

A woman's beach vacation starts to take a strange turn when the present brings up memories of the past.

Olivia Colman brings a Oscar worthy performance to the screen as writer Leda.

This trip she is on brings up memories of the past, she really starts to spiral.

This is strange to say but her flashbacks as the younger Leda played by Jessie Buckley I found more interesting, and I think Buckley gives a better performance. Buckley had more of a juicy role (No Spoilers).

I really lost interest in Olivia Colman half way through. I was more interested in her flashbacks. I think I was suppose to feel sorry for her. I really did not, I just had more anxiety watching her.

I wanted to know what happen to the people from her past and that was not explored.

This film is directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal based on a book by Elena Ferrante. Gyllenhaal stretches the comparison between present and Leda's past. Then there are things in present time that happen that I found annoying and went nowhere including a missing doll story. 

As strange as this is...nothing happened here...

2 stars out of 5 for the forgettable Lost Daughter. 2 stars because the 2 Leda's were wonderful.

I would skip this film sadly.

From the shadows thanks for your time.

Luca

LUCA

Taking place on the Italian Reveriara, a human and a sea monster disguised as a human build a strong friendship.

I will start with the positives:

-I love the characters!! 

Giulia voiced by Emma Berman, reminded me a lot of the young Ellie in UP. Her actions; mannerisms; and life is definitely Ellie. Loved her.

Alberto voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer, is the fearless leader of the three. Who puts into Luca's head they need money for a Vespa so they can go places and see the world.

Luca is voiced by Jacob Tremblay is our star. Who is constantly frightened because the storyline here is clealy stolen from The Little Mermaid, where the Sea Monsters change when wet and when dry. He is afraid he will be caught. At the same time there is guilt for liking being a human more than being a sea monster.

-The colors in this PIXAR film are so bright they pop. Love it.

Negatives:

-There are many holes and the writing seems lazy for a PIXAR film. The characters I will remember. The stolen story idea not so much.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 for Luca. It is a sweet story of bravery and finding your path. Plus...friendship.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

The Power Of The Dog

THE POWER OF THE DOG

Rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a rancher which brings fear to all around him. When his brother George( Jesse Plemons) brings home a wife, Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), the dynamic changes on the ranch.

Oh boy. A very slow burn here by Director Jane Campion, based on the book by Thomas Savage. The tension just builds and builds and builds. It is a very uncomfortable watch. Phil just psychologily harrasses Rose and then you try to figure out his play here with Peter. Slow difficult watch with an ending with a twist you did not see coming. We see glimpses of the ending but we kind of ignored it. 

The performances by all four leads are fantastic:

Cumberbatch gives an Oscar worthy performance as the bully Phil. The nasty brother. As the story goes on you wonder how many secrets he has in his past and maybe that is why he has so much anger in him.

Plemons and Dunst as Rose and George,  life couple by the way, are the exact opposite of Cumberbatch. They play their part wonderfully. Plemons plays George as the calm understanding brother. While Dunst as Rose has a slow breakdown...it's almost like Phil is whispering in her ear, and it seems like George does not notice it. Just a well performed interesting dynamic.

Then there is McPhee as Peter. An Oscar nod will be coming for this. No spoilers here. 

It is not a pleasant watch. Which is saved by a haunting ending. Was the ending done in anger? Or to give peace? Or is there issues there we did not see? 3 1/2 stars out of 5 for the front runner for the Oscar at this point. it is a tough watch.

From the shadows as always thanks fior your time.

Sing 2

SING 2

Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) has to persuade reclusive rock star Clay Calloway (Bono) to come out of retirement to save his show.

I liked the first one. I really liked this one. Sing 2 pretty much is an old school let's put on a show movie, with the tension of will they be ready for show time or will they not.

It has great voice work again which often involves singing by Scarlett Johansson; Reese Witherspoon; Tori Kelly to name just a few stars.

The film has lessons of loyalty and being truthful for kids.

For the parents...there is the music.

I mean it is better than a standard animated film and yes the whole lets put on a show was done in the first film...yet it works for 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. it is good entertainment.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley 

Based on a 1947 film. An Ambitious Carny, Stanton (Bradley Cooper),with a talent for manipulating people, hooks up with a female psychiatrist Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) who wants in on the scam. She may be more dangerous than he is.

I have to note, and I know it is unpopular to note, I am not a big fan of Guillermo Del Toro directed films. I know!! I get easily confused. I feel he is more into a look than a concise storyline. That being noted this is my favorite film he has directed, with The Shape Of Water next.

This script reminded me of There Will Be Blood with the mood and time period. There is definitely a full circle story, No Spoilers. 

Positives:

-Cast

Them Bradley Cooper for the 2nd time this year playing against type (usually he is the good guy), here giving an Oscar Nod worthy performance as Stan.  Very sinister at the same time trying to justify his actions constantly.

Rooney Mara as Stan's partner and love Molly. Again playing against type here. Rooney usually plays the outsider...the one who watches..the smart one in the room. Here she plays the follower. I have to say, I had to look up halfway through to see who this was. I really did not recognize her. She is really good in a quiet way.

Toni Collette as Zeena who takes Stan under her wings in the beginning ..but then is forgotten..because Stan needs to get out quick.

Cate Blanchett as Dr Lilith Ritter...another good performance!! I remember in The Greatest Showman, Zendaya said "Everybody has an Angle", what is hers?

Oh lets not forget: William Dafoe; Richard Jenkins; David Strathairn; Ron Perlman are all in this!!!

What a cast.

-The look. Wonderful. Dirty and dark. Symbolic of the storyline.

Negatives:

-2 hours and 30 minutes was waaaaaay too long to get where we ended up. Editor where were you??!!

-This is just personal. I find during these times I look for upbeat endings. I know I gave West Side Story 4 .5 stars, yet West has hope. Lesson learned. Here...ugh..no spoiler.

4 stars out of 5 for Nightmare Alley. Intriguing story. With a fantastic cast.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

American Underdog

American Underdog

This the true story of Super Bowl Champion and Hall Of Famer Kurt Warner, who went from stocking shelves in a supermarket to becoming an NFL superstar.

What a great story. And its true!!

How can you not like this film??!!

Great performances by Zachary Levi as Warner and Anna Paquin as his wife Brenda.

Not going to be long here but this story is directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin and they do a great job of showing the struggles and personal victories of Warner without feeling like the film did not overstay its welcome. In fact it flew by.

This is a Christian based film on a low budget. Since it is Christian based many critics will give this movie a thumbs down. Do not listen to them...they just hate religion.  In fact I hate it when a Christian based movie stops the story line, and preaches. In this film the Erwin brothers have the Christian beliefs glide into the film smoothly because it is a natural part of the Warner family.

If I had any negatives it would be the heavy weight on the negatives and not enough on the positives. We see Kurt struggle but we seem to fast forward through the good moments at the end. I wanted to see more of the rewards and not just read about them at the end.  Maybe more editing in the front end and seeing more from the backend.

One final note....Hayden Zaller.  He plays Zack and he steals your heart. Hayden is blind in real life.

4 out of 5 stars for American Underdog...It delivers exactly as it promised.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time

Licorice Pizza

LICORICE PIZZA

A film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, takes us to the 70's .

We follow the story of Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) as they grow up and maybe fall in love in a very strange time period.

Two people meeting each other and not knowing their lives..in that moment will change for the better and sometimes the worst. Gary is over confident almost annoyingly so. While Alana is unstable and lost. Together they strangely work. They are kindred spirits.

This film reminded me a bit of The French Dispatch. Where it takes little vignettes/stories and pieces them together using one base. In the French Dispatch it was glued together by the magazine itself. In Licorice Pizza all these stories are glued together by Alana and Gary. The difference here is Alana and Gary are walking into true or based on true Hollywood stories that Paul Thomas Anderson have heard about.

The acting here is spot on...

Sean Penn playing Jack Holden (William Holden)

Bradley Cooper playing Jon Peters

Tom Waits playing Rex Blau

John C Reilly as Fred Gwynn

Christine Eberrsol as Lucy Doolittle (Well Lucille Ball)

Lets not forget the leads...

Cooper Hoffman with his first acting role. He did not want to follow in his dads footsteps at being an actor. Anderson was so persistent with him, he gave it a shot and he is wonderful in his first role.

Alana Haim in her first role. She is part of the singing group Haim, with her sisters. In fact her sisters in the movie, are played by the Haim sisters!! In fact her father and mother are her Mom and Dad!! Alana is in almost every scene, and she plays her role on a tightrope, awkward; confident; and slightly embarrassed she is hanging with this 15 year old.She is a marvel.

The look, and it is what Anderson does great, he works time periods real well:

Gas shortages

Waterbeds

Polyester suits

Pinball machines

Smoke filled restaurants

Its the 70's

There are some negatives:

 The age difference bothered me, I mean he is 15. Still you have to tell yourself this is the 70's. As the story goes on he is 16 and...that was okay in California. Still odd, but they are just friends, but are minds are meant to go somewhere else. It all seems somehow real.

The ending. I hated it. It was just there. Maybe, these characters did their job taking us through these other stories and they were done. Still Alana and Gary's story was, it just..it ended flat!

This is one of these films you either hate or love. I kinda loved it. I have seen it twice and the 2nd time..I loved even more. It is a "Talkie" ,it is a story. No special effects no green screen..its a story and its kind of nice.

The elephant in the room is Jerry Frick played by  the very funny John Michael Higgins. Well Asian groups are saying ignore this movie because he is insulting to Asians. That is bullshit. Jerry Frick has an asian wife, he cant speak asian and later on he has another asian wife. The humor is him!!! He is an idiot!! He is an embarrassment!!That is what is funny, not the asian women. It is him. People don't get dry humor. 

Well anyway 4 out of 5 stars for the sweet and wonderful Licorice Pizza. It's an acquired taste. Barbra Streisand. Sand. Sand Like the SAND

From the shadows thanks for your time.

Spider-Man No Way Home

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME

After Spider-man Far From Home. the world now knows his identity. Now Peter wants help from Dr Strange to reverse time so the world will forget he is Spider-Man. This opens up p;ortals and shatters the multiverse.

Oh boy. This movie relies heavily on nostalgia to win the crowd over. SPOILERS HERE!!! I figured you have seen it already if not...you will not care about the spoilers at this point.

Positives:

- The performances here are really well played:

Tom Holland is a talent and he is really good as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man for sure. He is better as the befuddled Parker they he is Spiderman for sure.

Zendaya as MJ almost steals the movie. Her character is more interesting and more likable than Peter. She has grown into the role, and owns the screen with her acting ability.

- It was nice to see...Jamie Fox; William Dafoe (Who gives a lesson in acting); Alfred Molina; Andrew Garfield; and Toby Maguire again. Thats is it...nostalgia.

Negatives:

-The film is too long and it falls into that Marvel last fight scene habit of...Lets make it go on forever viewers will love it. And let's use nothing but CGI as a backdrop!! It is getting old.

-A convoluted story line involving 3 Spider-Men. Multiverse. DR Strange. Portals. Ned somehow being able to open portals.A death of a main character. Oh yes three high schoolers trying to get into a college. Waaay too much going on here. I blame Director John Watts and Writers Chris Mckenna and Erik Sommers..

-Again the story. Peter Parker is an idiot. Most of the problems here were caused by him. Changing the spell and reacting too slow at putting things back after things go wrong. I cannot feel bad for him in at least that part of the storyline.

-One more thing...hidden in all this...and it may hurt fans to say, as he has gotten older Jacob Batalon is not a very good actor. Stiff. I feel like he is just reading lines. Maybe he thought.."this story is stupid I give up" lol.

Well I liked the ending, it was sad, yet sweet. It just took forever to get there. 3 stars out of 5 for No Way Home. Mainly for again the nostalgia.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

West Side Story

WEST SIDE STORY

Another adaption of the 1957 musical exploring the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks.

I will not get into the plot because well you know the plot. 

Let me start with the amazing cast...

Ariana DeBose as Anita. An Oscar worthy performance!! The back half of this movie she owns. Her acting; her dancing; her singing; she is a triple threat here. Fantastic!!

Rita Moreno returns!! This time as Valentina who owns maybe the last store in that neighborhood. She is also fantastic. Her last song...well more on that later.

Matt Faist as Riff. Another Oscar worthy performance!! Another triple threat with Dance; acting; singing.

Ansel Elgort as Tony. Hey...Baby Driver can sing.

The best for last: Rachel Zegler as Maria!!! Oh my. Her first movie!! Really?! Her acting is spot on with sometimes just a look. Her singing voice outshines everyone else. While watching this in the theater, you literally can hear an audible gasp the first time she sings. She is that wonderful!!

The story. What Spielberg does right:

-Seperating Tony and Maria at the dance making their first meeting more intimate.

-The neighborhood being knocked down. Which highlight the stupidity of both the Sharks and Jets. They are fighting over turf that barely exists. That will not be there a year from this date obviously.

- America scene..is now a dance in the street. This makes it a bigger show stopper. Which brings me to the costumes in this scene and through out. While dancing the costumes are so bright and sharp, from Paul Tazewell. In fact look at the costumes throughout, just perfect.

-Having Rita Moreno sing Somewhere instead of Tony and Maria.What a great decision. Having her sing this is a reflection almost of our times. Almost a wish of adults that the youth find a way to stop killing each other in the streets. It is so true, those words, just cuts through time.

Negatives?

-Yes Elgort can sing. However he seems very stiff in the role. Not sure if it nerves being with these Broadway vets. Or maybe it's his 6'3 height, he seems to tower over everyone else which could make him come across as stiff.

- I think Spielberg should have kept the 5 minute intermission. Yes there are longer movies out there without intermission. However this is a communal film, it would be nice to take 5 minutes, catch your breath and maybe discuss. Just a thought.

Well anyway if you get a chance see this film on the big screen it looks great...4 1/2 out of 5 stars for West Side Story. Yes it is a remake but with the Spielberg magic it is fresh and wonderful. 

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

C'mon C'mon

C'MON C'MON

When Johnny's sister,Viv, asks him to look after her son Jesse, they embark on a trip showing Jesse life outside of LA.

I am not getting it. Many people are calling this film one of the best of the year. I call it one of the worst.

Mainly because it has one of the most annoying characters of the year in film ....Jesse played by Woody Norman. Now I am not saying it was a bad performance by Norman I am saying his character was over the top annoying so I blame writer and director Mike Mills.

I wanted to walk out of this movie but I had to see where it was going.

The positives were all the performances by all three leads: Norman; Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny); and Gaby Hoffman (Viv). They all have good chemistry. So...there is that.

I just was irritated watching a misbehaved kid...especially with a kind person like Johnny who is trying, and is doing the right thing.

1 out of 5 stars for C'mon C'mon. It should have been called C'mon C'mon Put The kid In Timeout.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

BELFAST

BELFAST

It is the late 60's in Belfast Ireland. We see the uprising between Catholics and Protestants, mostly through the eyes of a young boy.

This the a semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. At first glance you think the story just lays there, however there is something more. It is an interesting story about family and property. As a neighborhood changes, do you stay with your piece of land you purchased or give in and move to brighter days somewhere else.

Branagh gives us a wonderful little script highlighted by really good performances:

Jude Hill as Buddy. Jude is a new comer that is a wonderful find. He becomes the eyes of the innocent in Belfast. Plus...he has a crush on a young girl which distracts him lol.

Caroline Balfe as Ma. Yes no name just Ma. She gives an Oscar worthy performance here. With her husband away she is trying to keep the house standing and family together.

Ciaran Hinds as Pop. Please Please give him an Oscar for this!!! So soft. So loving and funny.

Jamie Dornan as Pa. Yes that Jamie Dornan. Oh my, a small role, yet very rememberable, as a good father and husband with...some faults.

Throw in Judi Dench; some Van Morrison music; and filmed in black and white with a grey scale...you got yourself a lovely film.

Only fault I find is the movie is almost too quiet and the ending is kinda flat..almost sad.

4 stars out of 5 for Belfast. Is it a reflection of our society today. As violence increases in the cities in America, people who love their home have to make the same decision sadly.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

House Of Gucci

HOUSE OF GUCCI

When Patrizia Regiani (Lady Gaga) marries into the Gucci family, we then see a story of betrayal; decadence; revenge; and murder.

People criticize this film because it was so over the top, but maybe this whole story based on the book by Sara Gay Forden is over the top. Maybe Ridley Scott who directed this, was spot on.

I did not know the story going in. I do have to say, it is a bat shit crazy fun ride.

No spoilers here but it feels like I am watching I'Tonya again, where you question, is this real. It is real.

What makes it over the top?

Adam Driver, who plays Maurizio Gucci, is over the top as the Gucci heir who lets everything go to his head. He is over the top.

Al Pacino as Uncle Aldo Gucci is just a bit crazy and a bit cold and yes over the top.

Jared Leto unrecognizable as Paolo Gucci the forgotten son....well they try to forget him but he keeps popping up..He is over the top.

Salma Hayek as Pina Auriemma a fortune teller. Yes a fortune teller has a big say in this. I told you OVER THE TOP. She almost becomes the puppet master over Patrizia.

No spoilers here...but if you are looking for a happy ending do not come here. This is a shit show of family power like Dynasty. Who gets majority control over Gucci!! You cannot take your eyes off of it..it is trashy yet enjoyable.

3 out of 5 stars for House Of Gucci. A bit long, could have been edited for sure. Still Lady Gaga may get an Oscar Nod here.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

King Richard

KING RICHARD

This film follows the story Venus and Serena Williams and how their father Richard Williams trained and shaped them to become who they are.

Positives: 

-The best performance in years by Will Smith in years. He walks so heavy, his body motions of a worn out man, he is spot on Richard Williams.

-The performances by newcomers Demi Singleton (Serena) and Saniyya Sidney (Venus) are really good and hold their own vs Will Smith. Now Saniyya never played tennis before and is left handed. So she had a grueling training program to learn tennis and then learn to play right handed. 

Negatives:

- There is a really good story here. Underdogs rising above those who do not believe in them and/or have prejudice against them. However, I wish the story would also show the other side...in other words, I feel a lot of this story is fiction. I mean it bothers me they do not show that Richard, in eyes of people in the tennis world found him abusive to his daughters and others. He was a loose cannon. That is the true story. Now I am not saying he was not a good father and what he did for his girls was amazing. Still tell the story.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 for King Richard. An entertaining film that was Hollywoodized.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

Ghostbusters Afterlife

GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE

When a single mom, Callie (Carrie Coon), and her two kids Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (McKenna Grace) arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connections to the Ghostbusters and the secrets their Grandfather/Father left behind.

This film leans real heavy on nostalgia. It brings nothing new to the table except the age of the leads.

Still it works..

It is the nostalgia (No Spoilers) and the lead McKenna Grace. We have seen her steal films from bigger stars in I'Tonya; Troop Zero; and Gifted. Here in Ghostbusters Afterlife she plays a teenager for the first time. She is perfectly awkward and brilliant. You cannot take your eyes off her. You care about her and that is what makes this story work. Then she teams up with the fantastic Paul Rudd as the teacher Grooberson I was all in.

As for the plot, lets face it, we have seen it before, and it works. Here Director Jason Reitman sets us in a very small town, and for some reason away from all fault lines earthquake tremors keep happening. I wonder why??!! And we are off.

4 stars out of 5 for Ghostbuster Afterlife, it does not take many chances but it does entertain.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

Clifford The Big Red Dog

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG

A young girls love for her dog Clifford makes her dog grow, thanks to a little magic by Mr Bridwell (John Cleese)

Well if you do not know anything about the books you have been living under a rock. How does it transfer to film? I think it works better than I thought it would.

I am well aware it is for children and it delivered. It has a lot of slapstick comedy. It is silly. It has parts that gives you the feels which you would expect from the books. 

Well acted by the two leads.  Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise) as Casey the overwhelmed caretaker of his niece. The adorable Emily played by Darby Camp (Big Little Lies), is spot on believable and does not play the part over the top.

The story crashes and burns in the back half ...for adults at least, kids may not care.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 for CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG. Director Walt Becker delivered a sweet story here. NOTE: I just gave the same score for Clifford as I did for The Eternals...which is sad considering the budgets.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

The Eternals

THE ETERNALS

The story of The Eternals, a group of immortal beings who have lived here on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.

Okay let me get right to it:

Negatives:

-Too many characters period. What Marvel did right was the slow build. Each member of the Avengers we knew very well before they became, well, The Avengers. , they had their own spotlight before the Avengers. Here in The Eternals, we did not know all these characters and there was no time for us to be attached to any of them. There are to many characters for there to be any character development. That is a huuuuuge problem. I mean one character dies and we are suppose to cry I think. There was not enough   character development.

-The story by Director Chloe Zhao; and writer Patrick Burleighis long and muddled. There is a story about ancient aliens living on earth that will rise and...well do something. It is so convoluted that often the characters have to stop and explain what is going to happen. Even with the explanation I had trouble caring and kept thinking..I will keep watching maybe then I will understand.

Positives:

-There are some really good performances.....

Gemma Shan as Sersi

Bryab Tyree Henry as Phastos

Kit Harrington as Dane

Kumail Nanjiani as Kinjo pretty much steals this movie with his humor and has the best lines.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 for The Eternals. 2 1/2 for the performances (Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek what were you thinking) and and some action. It is almost on the level of Flash Gordon from 1980. Its sorta confusing but you cannot stop watching.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.