Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

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I watched the very first Star Wars movie in 1977 when it first came out.  Then it was a completely fresh and new  kind of movie.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that the original Star Wars usuhered in an era of acceptance for serious SciFi that has flourished ever since.  Through it all, I have followed the highs (Luke, I am your father) and lows (Jar-Jar Binks) of the series, including the off-shoot movies like ‘Rogue One’.    So you can imagine my disappointment at the terrible reviews some people have been giving this one.  DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE REVIEWERS!  This was a great and fitting ending for true Star Wars fans.  I loved it!  Yes, some of the action seems simple and innocent, but this is true to the original and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  In this episode, an enemy from the past resurfaces and is, of course, bent on dominating and ruling the galaxy.  The old gang, introduced two episodes ago, are all back.  Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and of course, Rey (Daisy Ridley) must work together to help the small but hopeful resistance fight back.  Daisy will find out her bloodline in a surprising revelation, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) will come to terms with his destiny, and many old favorites will be featured including Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.  There will be some deaths, expected and unexpected, as well as a few pleasant surprises including a new droid named D-O.  I thought this movie ties everything up and it is a fitting conclusion to 40 years of being happily and fully entertained.  An era has come to en end, but in a great way.

Zombieland : Double Tap

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Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin are back in fine form as our favorite zombie killers (Yes, I love Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead, and even Night of the Living Dead, so no disrespect).  This time our intrepid companions face some new versions of old threats.  There are still the slow-moving, dumb zombies – the Homers. But there are mutated quicker and smarter zombies – the Hawkings and even worse, the Ninjas, nicknamed the T-800, who are smart and relentless.  If that weren’t enough, Columbus (Eisenberg) has caused Wichita (Stone) to leave when he professes his love for her.  Then Little Rock (Breslin) runs away with a peace-loving hippy named Berkley (Avan Jogia).  This causes Wichita to come back and with Tallahassee (Harrelson) they drive off on an expedition that takes them from their comfy home in the White House to Graceland to the hippy paradise of Babylon.  On their way, they meet some new characters. One is played by Zoey Deutch as Madison, the blonde (of course) dim bulb who has survived the apocalypse by living in a freezer. Rosario Dawson is Nevada, and runs the Hound Dog Hotel near Graceland which holds all the Elvis memorabilia from his old homestead. But Abuquerque and Flagstaff ( Luke Wilson and Michael Middleditch) earn a New Character award from me as two partners at the hotel who have an uncanny resemblance to Tallahassee and Columbus. And they haven’t even gotten to Babylon yet! Are you a little confused? Don’t worry. There is so much action, you just have to see it to get it. Once you get into the flow, it will all be clear. This movie is everything that made the first Zombieland so endearing.  If you loved the first one, you will not be disappointed. Stay for one of the best post-credit scenes ever and you will be pleasantly surprised by a great cameo.  Not only that, but there is a very short after all the credits scene that is just fun.  Zombies might be gross, disgusting and undead, but Zombieland is anything but.  A real treat!!

Joker

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Joaquin Phoenix  gives a tour-de-force performance as one of the most interesting and tragic villians from the comparatively lackluster DC Universe.  Joaquin immerses himself so far into the role of Arthur Fleck that you completely forget you are watching an actor.  Arthur is a little weird,at first, with a plethora of strange habits and quirks that put him firmly outside the mainstream.  He means well, but due to a series of catastrophies in his life, that build on a history of poor socialization from an addict mother and mistreatment since childhood; the mild mannered, well meaning man slowly evolves into the sociopathic killer who declares himself THE Joker.  This is definitely not a happy movie.   “Joker” is unrelenting in giving us depressing  scene after depressing scene, each more heart breaking than the last.  There is never any let up and it all drives him over the edge.  There is no happy ending here, or even a shred of hope.  Even more depressing, he strikes a deep chord with a large number of the city’s other losers and failures, who are more than ready to explode into mayhem and violence.  Despite the mesmerizing performance by Joaquin Phonex, I can’t bring myself to give this movie a top rating.   I really would not care to see it again.  However, when award season gets started, I would be surprised if Joaquin did not see his share of acting nominations.  He has been nominated three previous times for an Oscar – I predict this will be his year.

Once Upon a Time…..In Hollywood

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Wow! Another great movie from quirky writer/director Quentin Tarantino.  ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ takes place in 1969 Los Angles, which is changing from the apple pie, Ozzie and Harriet world of the 1950’s to the era of Woodstock and hippies.  In the middle of this wave of change is TV cowboy star Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in one of the best performances of his career.  Dalton is confused by these changes, which see his appeal and marketability shrink.  But even though he is reduced to starring in Spaghetti Westerns, he is still committed to his career and gives each performance his all, including all the booze he can manage.  He is helped out by his stunt double/gofer/friend Cliff Booth, played of course by Brad Pitt in another career highlight performance.  The writing for these two characters is so crisp and Tarantino really fleshes them out in such a way that by the end of the movie, you not only like them, but feel like you really know them.  Since the Sharon Tate murder plays a big part of the story, it is helpful to read a little bit about if you are not familiar with Charles Manson or his followers.  Everything that you love about Quentin Tarantino movies can be found here:  witty dialogue, character development, multiple story lines, revisionist history, and a plethora of supporting/cameo appearances.  The one big hallmark of Tarantino that you won’t find though is excessive, gory violence.  Don’t get me wrong, there is violence in this movie, but it is more restrained than in any of his past movies.  I also loved how 1969 was recreated.  The small details are spot on, even down to the way Taco Bell looked when I got my first job there selling tacos and burritos.  If you are looking for a quirky, thought-provoking movie with Oscar caliber writing and performances, this is the movie for you!! Just remember, it’s “once upon a time…in Hollywood.”

Spiderman: Far From Home

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The Avengers Universe movies set the bar really high for Super Hero movies.  The newest Spiderman (played again by the likable Tom Holland) movie doesn’t reach the bar; but it is amiable enough to be a good, but not great, summer action movie.  First of all, this movie does a good job in capturing teenage angst and the ups and downs of high school life.  However, the stereotypical terrible teacher roles ( played by J.B. Smoove and Martin Starr) made me cringe.  No teacher would do the irresponsible things on a field trip that these educators did!  I also wasn’t impressed with the villain in this one.  Jake Gyllenhaal plays Mysterio almost as a kindly mentor so his menace, once finally revealed, is not that believable to me.  There is a lot of humor though, and beautiful scenery from several European cities, including Venice.  I loved some of the supporting cast performances especially those of Zendaya and Jon Favreau.  There is a lot of action and a little romance to go along with the humor – so I guess it all adds up to a fun, popcorn movie that the whole family can find something to enjoy.