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December 28, 2019

Cats (2019) --- “You Will Believe”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
     One night, a naive young cat named Victoria (Francesca Hayward) is abandoned in a back-alley where she soon comes face-to-face with members of the local cat tribe known as the Jellicle Cats. Tonight is the night of Jellicle Ball, an event where the wise and elderly Old Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench) will make "the Jellicle choice" and decide which gets to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and return to a new Jellicle life. But as the various Jellicle Cats prepare for the night’s festivities and take turns auditioning for their chance at a new life, the cunning and mysterious Macavity (Idris Elba) conspires to take out his competition.
     Directed by Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) and co-written alongside Lee Hall (Billy Elliott, War Horse), Cats (2019) is the unexpected film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved fantasy Broadway musical Cats which is based off of T.S. Eliot’s poem book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. As one of the longest-running shows in theater history, Cats has played a record-breaking 9,000 performances over the span of 21 years since its world premiere in 1981.In 1998, Webber produced a Cats video special in which a live performance of the Broadway show was filmed because few thought that the material would hold up in a film and fortunately, it was successful. Now the latest adaptation of the musical attempts to make a cinematic masterpiece out of an inherently stagebound show primarily made up of a collection of catchy melodies and witty poems. And while Cats is soon-to-be known as one of 2019’s most legendary misfires, there are quality aspects that made it worthwhile.
     One such aspect is the choreography by Andy Blankenbuehle. Not since films like Cabaret (1972), Chicago (1975), and All That Jazz (1979) has a musical focused so much on the language of movement. In Cats, Blankenbuehle puts emphasis on the dancer’s bodies and, to his credit, director Hooper placed a ballerina from the Royal Ballet in the lead role. I’m not saying that the dancing saves the film but it does provide a good show and when Victoria takes center stage to dance, she is riveting and captivating.
     As one of the weirdest and slightly garish films of 2019, Cats is a fascinating film that follows a safe and familiar path towards a predictable ending. The Broadway show was a random series of stories that centered around an annual ball and the plight of the  lonely, fallen, and formerly glamorous cat, Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson), whose story gives the show a melancholy heart. It was this type of narrative that always made Cats appear as if it were unfilmable, with the exception of the 1998 video special, but that didn’t stop director Hopper and co-writer Hall from delivering an updated story that tries to connect the cats with the audience in a way that only film can do. Victoria is the film’s protagonist, and serves as the audience's eyes and ears as we, through her, meet all the different Jellicle Cats, Macavity is a more present threat in the story, even Mr. Mistoffelees gets a stronger storyline which adds more meaning to his solo song.
     Another aspect that not even the critics could argue with is the sheer brilliance of the music. Every song was delivered with excellence by some of the most well-known artist in the world. The fun songs like “Gumbie Cat” with Rebel Wilson, Bustopher Jones” with James Corden, and “Rum Tum Tugger” with Jason Derulo are more fun and comical than in the Broadway version, while other songs made a more profound than in the Broadway version. Taylor Swift’s version of Macavity, while not as good as the Broadway version, explores the original version and introduces another side to the song, and the song Mr. Mistoffeleese acts as a deeper dive into an otherwise unknown and mysterious character. However, out of all these songs two stood out the most for me. First, Francesca Hayward sings the film’s new song Beautiful Ghost and despite the fact that she is not a trained singer, I found her voice conveyed exactly what was needed for the song. She sings about her journey of coming from nothing and being abandoned to discovering this new and interesting life with an incredible group of people who opened their home and hearts for her. And second, Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of Memory is moving, impactful, and tells the story of her pain, grief, regret, and heartache at being ostracized for naive choices she made in her past. She encourages us to connect with the character and experience what she has gone through, and it is simply beautiful.
     The cast performances were good and most of the actors fit in with the character that they were given. Francesca Hayward as Victoria and Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella were perfect. Hayward’s Victoria is a combination of Victoria and Jemma from the Broadway production, which Webber split into two roles when he was unable to find the actress needed to play such a strong role. Victoria and Jemma are two of the youngest kittens and are described as being young, inhibited, playful, innocent, and compassionate. She is one of the only cats who feels and expresses empathy with Grizabella, and this is demonstrated throughout the film. Hudson’s performance as Grizabella was outstanding. I cannot think of anyone else that could have portrayed the character better than her. Judi Dench was great as Old Deuteronomy, Laurie Davidson shows a more natural side to the magical Mr. Mistoffelees, Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and James Corden as Bustopher Jones were a comical pair, and Idris Elba did a pretty good job as the film’s antagonist Macavity. My least favorite those was Taylor Swift. She is not my overly favorite singer to begin with and her attempt at being the generous, voluptuous, and frank cat Bombalurina was not very successful. In fact, it seemed as if she were trying to hard. The rest of the characters - Robbie Fairchild as Munkustrap, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Ian McKellen as Gus the Theatre Cat, Steven McRae as Skimbleshanks, Danny Collins as Mungojerrie, Naoimh Morgan as Rumpleteazer, Mette Towley as Cassandra, and Ray Winstone as Captain Growltiger, and more -  were spot on.

      Overall, Cats (2019) is not the masterpiece of the year, far from it actually. But with the prospect of getting a special effects update to the film and the fact that the story is just simply fun, entertaining, and heartfelt, I am sure that despite the negative response it will manage to charm a few hearts or so. The filmmakers had big shoes to fill and were tasked with an enormous undertaking of taking a 21 year long legacy and putting on the big screen. In doing so they presented audiences with a new and updated story as well as used new digital fur tech to bring the characters to life without having to rely on costumes and effects makeup. The songs are even bigger than before and are sure to make you smile, laugh, and even cry during most of its songs. I highly recommend that you see this film simply to be entertained and not because you wish to compare it to the Broadway show because both have certain elements that make it unique. Give it a chance and keep an open mind.


Final Vote --- 8 of 10 stars


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Movies Similar
Beauty and the Beast (2018)
Cats (1998)
Call the Wild (2020)
Evita (1996)
Les Miserables (2012)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
The Sound of Music (1965)

December 25, 2019

Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) --- “The Saga Concludes, But No One's Ever Really Gone.”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
     Rey (Daisy Ridley) is continuing her Jedi training while Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) learn a terrible secret from a mole in the evil First Order: Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), through the use of "unnatural" powers from the Dark Side of the Force, has returned. Now it is up to our heroes to thwart Palpatine once and for all before he raises the Final Order and crushes what's left of the Resistance. All the while Rey grapples with her intense connection to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the truth about who she really is.
     Directed, produced, and co-written by  J. J. Abrams (Star Trek Into the Darkness) alongside writer Chris Terrio (Justice League: Part 2), Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) is an epic space-opera film and the final episode in the nine-part Skywalker saga. Abrams and his team had a lot riding on their shoulders to ensure that this film surpassed and made up for some of the disappointment surrounding The Last Jedi (2017). They had to wrap up a nine-part film saga that spanned four decades, bring closure to billions of fans whose lives have been forever impacted by the series, and reward scores of beloved characters with a satisfying ending. And despite all the challenges it faced, Rise of the Skywalker succeeded in what it set out to achieve.
     The story takes off immediately but there is an obvious inconsistency with the film’s tone in comparison to the last film. If you view The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker you find that is a three-part act that jumps from the classical storytelling of Abrams in The Force Awakens to the meandering subversiveness of Rian Johnson in The Last Jedi and then back to the classical approach of The Rise of Skywalker. When I say classical approach I mean that Abrams and his team appreciate the film’s roots and have chosen to build upon what has been established and what the fans love, rather than create something entirely new. The film and the filmmakers understand that there has to be a larger version for an already established story and it has to make sense. 
     In The Last Jedi, the story presented the challenging concept of Jedi and Sith but then never went through with it and instead abandoned it at the end. Also, it made Luke Skywalker abandon his mission in a way that was uncharacteristic of him because it failed to explain the events that led to his decision to live a self-imposed solitary life. There were flashbacks that don’t even deserve to call themselves flashbacks and plot holes that didn’t add to the film but were instead a complete waste of time and resources. 
     In contrast, The Rise of Skywalker, while insanely predictable, served its purpose and made sense overall. When the audience finally learns the story of Rey’s parents it is a concept that completely logical given what we already know about her origins and the magnitude of her power. It also makes another plot idea seem more plausible, especially since it is hinted at extensively throughout the film. The deviations from Star Wars’ traditionally mythology is inspiring because it uses Rey's origin and her relationship to Luke and Leia to teach the audience the lesson that states: a Jedi’s (or perhaps a person’s) worth comes from their actions and character, rather than whose blood runs in their veins. 
     Now, this does not mean that this film is without its flaws. The editing in the first half of the film seemed rushed but it is quick to smooth things over so that the heart of the story can show through. Also, there were some subplots that were started and then completely abandoned before the film ends. Lastly, there were some underutilized characters such as Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico. Nevertheless, this was still an impressive story despite its flaws and lack of surprise.
     Almost all of the actors - Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, and Billy Dee Williams - from the last film return to reprise their characters. The story offers satisfying conclusions to character arcs of Rey, Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, Chewbacca, C3-PO, R2-D2, and even Palpatine, General Leia (Carrie Fisher). Thanks to Abrams' creative and respectful way of using existing archival footage, CGI technology, and body-doubles, Fisher, who passed away in 2016, managed to be in this film and received the conclusion fans never thought she would get due to her quick and untimely death. While Isaac and Boyega’s characters go head to head throughout the story but the main focal point is the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren and shows their tortured relationship-building coming to a climactic point.  Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine / Darth Sidious, the dark lord of the Sith and former emperor of the galaxy was even better than the last time we saw him. In addition, there were both new and old faces/voices to the film. The new characters - Keri Russell as Poe’s old friend Zorrie Bliss; Dominic Monaghan as Beaumont Kin, a Resistance trooper;  Shirley Henderson as a Resistance member; Martin Wilde, Anton Simpson-Tidy, Lukaz Leong, Tom Rodgers, Joe Kennard, and Ashley Beck appear as the Knights of Ren; Jodie Comer and Billy Howle as Rey's mother and father; Composer John Williams cameos as a Kijimi bartender and Lin-Manuel Miranda cameos as a Resistance trooper. - were a great addition to the film’s story. While the vocal cameos of past characters - Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, and the voices of Jedi Past with Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Olivia d'Abo as Luminara Unduli, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura, Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Ewan McGregor, and Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Frank Oz as Yoda, Angelique Perrin as Adi Gallia, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn - were an unexpected surprise.

     Overall, The Rise of Skywalker (2019) is a satisfying conclusion to a nine-part film saga that spans over 4 decades. Regardless of its 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes, this film far exceeds its predecessor The Last Jedi (2017) which stands at a surprising 91%. The film and reward scores of beloved characters with a satisfying ending and bring closure to billions of fans whose lives have been forever impacted by the series. The action sequences are large scale, the music score is purely nostalgic, and the cast performances are incredible and there are some surprising voice cameos from past characters. Despite a few minor story flaws and abandoned subplots, as well as some rushed editing in the first few minutes, Rise of the Skywalker is still an incredible film that delivers a satisfying conclusion to a beloved saga. I highly recommend that you watch this and if you have the chance to see this in theaters then I highly recommend that you see it in IMAX if possible, I doubt you will be disappointed.

STAR WARS ORDER TO WATCH

Rogue One: A Star Wars Film (2016)
Solo: A Star Wars Film (2018)
Star Wars Episode IV: New Hope (1977)
Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars Episode II: Clone Wars (2002)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Final Vote --- 9 of 10 stars


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Movies Similar
Rogue One: A Star Wars Film (2016)
Solo: A Star Wars Film (2018)
Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars Episode II: Clone Wars (2002)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars Episode IV: New Hope (1977)
Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

December 23, 2019

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019) --- “History Isn't Made By Those Who Follow Rules.”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
     It’s Christmas time again in Aldovia and this time Queen Amber (Rose McIver) and King Richard (Ben Lamb) are preparing for their first child. Before they can take some much needed time off from their royal duties, they must first host King Tai (Kevin Shen) and Queen Ming (Momo Yeung) of Penglia in order to renew a 600-year-old sacred truce. But when the priceless treaty goes missing, continued peace between Aldovia and Penglia is put into jeopardy and an ancient curse looms of the royal family. In order to ensure the safety of their family and kingdom, Amber and Richard must uncover the motive and the thief before the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve and the two kingdoms are thrust into an unnecessary war.
     Directed by John Schultz (A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding) and written by Karen Schaler (A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding) and Nathan Atkins (A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding), Netflix’s A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019) is the third film in the series that started in 2017 with A Christmas Prince and this time follows the next chapter in Queen Amber and King Richard’s life: starting a family. Unlike the last film The Royal Wedding, this film is much more engaging and entertaining story-wise. There is the added element of mystery the elevates the story to a level that the last film did not achieve. The only issue that I found to be quite noticeable was the size of Amber’s belly, which is better associated with someone who is only halfway through their pregnancy rather than in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Other than that, I found this to be a quite enjoyable and entertaining film that succeeded in rectifying the disappointment associated with the last film. On a side note, I would like to encourage you to pay close attention to the dialogue between Amber and Queen Ming as well as a number of easter eggs throughout the film. Because if I am not mistaken, the dialogue and the little hints suggest that the A Christmas Prince series resides in the same universe as another Netflix film, A Princess Switch (2018). 
     Once again the cast performances were good with the same cast - Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Alice Krige, Honor Kneafsey, Sarah Douglas, Theo Devaney, Tahirah Sharif, Richard Ashton, Joel McVeagh, John Guerrasio, and MJ Lee - returning to reprise their previous roles and new cast members - Crystal Yu as Penglia advisor Lynn, Kevin Shen as King Tai, Momo Yeung as Queen Ming, and Madra Ihegborow as Dr. Magoro - providing new characters to the story. One aspect of the characters that I found to be quite amusing was that the biggest scene-stealer of the film was Amber’s bump. Particularly the fact that she relied solely on bump cradling to get her through all manner of scenes, which is an obvious nod to the excessive bump cradling Meghan Markle did throughout her pregnancy with Archie.     Overall, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019) is a successful installment in the series and another notch of Netflix’s Christmas belt. The story is generic and simple but it adds an element of mystery that most films of its kind do not possess. Expect to roll your eyes at Amber’s bump, both because it fails to be the appropriate size for someone nearing the end of their pregnancy and because the excessive bump cradling pokes fun at another famous royal who did the same thing in overabundance. The cast performances were good and the new characters add to the story and even a little bit of its mystery. I highly recommend that you check out this film and make sure that you keep an eye out for some easter eggs that hint of a Netflix-Christmas-movie-universe.

Final Vote --- 6.8 of 10 stars

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Movies Similar
Christmas Inheritance (2017)
A Christmas Prince (2017)
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)
Christmas Wedding Planner (2017)
A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019)
Holiday Calendar (2018)
Holiday Wild (2019)
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
The Princess Switch (2018)