Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Jurassic World Dominion

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Let me start out be saying DO NOT listen to the critics (except for me, but I am more of a reviewer anyway And besides, I know better!).  Critics are panning this movie big time and I just don’t get it.  I was very entertained throughout the whole movie.  The plot, in a nutshell, has dinosaurs loose all over the world.  People are trying to learn how to live with them, but mankind, no surprise, is not being kind.  Some are being hunted and used as sport in giant fight pits, some are turned into side show carnival food, while some are being protected in dino sanctuaries.  But overwhelming all of that is a worse problem. A certain evil biotech company has made genetically altered dino-grasshoppers that are threatening the entire food crop producers of the world (except in areas they control).  This is where the original Jurassic Park crew meets the Jurassic World actors.  I loved this whole part of the movie.  It was so cool to see Ellie Satler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) reunited along with Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm.  Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt are back too.  Not only do these five band together to save the earth, they are out to rescue a young girl whose genetics hold a key to the future for us all.  One of the best things I like about this movie was the little tributes to the original.  There are allusions to electric fences, a shaving cream can, the original Jurassic Park logo, Samuel L. Jackson’s “hold on to your butts” line and Ian Malcolm’s many wives and kids.  I am not saying this is the best movie of the year (I think I would give Top Gun that distinction) but for fans of the Jurassic movies this is definitely a must see.  On a side note, if you have never read the original novel by Michael Crichton, I highly recommend you put this book at the top of your summer reading list.

Top Gun: Maverick

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No matter what you think of Tom Cruise as a person, he consistently makes interesting, action-packed movies.  “Top Gun: Maverick” is no exception.  The first one came out in 1986, so the sequel was over 35 years in the making!  I saw the original back in the day, but to be honest, didn’t remember what it had been about.  It doesn’t matter because any questions you might have are probably answered in this movie!  Anyway, “Top Gun: Maverick” is top-notch entertainment and is a definite sign that movies are bouncing back.  Tom Cruise reprises his role as the unconventional pilot Pete Mitchell, nicknamed Maverick,  who this time around is being tasked to train other top guns to undertake a very dangerous mission.  Jennifer Connolly is Penny Benjamin,  the woman that he never seems to quite be able to commit to.  Miles Teller is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), who died in an accident in the original.  He has a grudge against Maverick, because of that.  The issues will become clear as the movie unfolds.  There is a poignant appearance by Val Kilmer, whose real life health problems mirror those of his character.  This is a very fast paced, high energy action packed movie from beginning to end.  I enjoyed every minute even when I knew exactly what was going to happen, it didn’t matter.  I think you will enjoy this movie whether you are a fan of the first movie or have never even heard of Tom Cruise!  DO NOT wait until this is on television.  You will not  want to miss the breath taking action and sweeping cinematography on the big screen.  And having Hans Zimmer and Lady Gaga involved with the music isn’t bad either.  If I could do it, this movie would rate two gold apples!

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

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Dr. Strange is my favorite Marvel character, and I have waited for six years to see this sequel.  Benedict Cumberbatch is compelling as the titular Doctor, who must travel to different “multiverses” in order to help a teenage girl (Xochitl Gomez) save not only our world but others as well from Elizabeth Olson’s Scarlet Witch.  (And, an alternative universe Dr. Strange turns out to have initiated all the multiverse problems due to his own ego and over confidence!) This is an entertaining, action-packed movie, which is to be expected from Marvel.  The special effects dazzle, incredibly so.    There are some cool surprise appearances by old favorites and new super heroes that I won’t spoil, but I am hoping that they will be seen in future Marvel movies.  Other people featured are Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, the Doctor’s lost love in several different universes and, of course, Benedict Wong as the Sorcerer Supreme.  Also, look for a short sequence involving a fight with music that I loved. However, this was not a completely satisfying movie.  It was extremely hard to follow the plot.  It is confusing to meet multiple characters in different universes.  And for a Marvel movie there was not a lot of the humor I have come to expect.  However, I do think this is a worthy entry into the Dr. Strange canon and I can’t wait to see the next one.  Obviously – stay to the end of the credits. All of the credits! There are two, but the one at the very end will make you laugh.

The Northman

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The Northman is about a young Viking heir, Prince Amieth, who witnesses the murder of his father, King Aurandil War-Raven at the hands of his brother, Fjolnir (a la the Lion King).  Ethan Hawke plays the ill-fated king who I honestly did not recognize – as was the case with other characters like Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool and Bjork as Seeress the blind prophetess.  Prince Amieth (Alexander Skarsgard) vows to avenge his father’s death and rescue his kidnapped mother played by Nicole Kidman.  Unfortunately for Fjolnir (Claes Bang), the kingdom he steals from his brother is stolen from him and he flees to Iceland with  Prince Amieth’s mother.  The Prince pretends to be a slave in order to get to Iceland for his revenge.  In the process, he meets a slave girl on his journey played by Ana Taylor-Joy and she becomes his love and his support in his quest.  But the road to vengeance is bumpy for them both.  There is a lot of fighting, torture, murder and pain. This is an extremely violent movie, but then Vikings were violent people.  A common Christian prayer at the time was “a furore normanorum, libera nos Domine! (from the fury of the Norsemen, deliver us O Lord). Animal lovers take care as there are two gruesome beheadings of horses.  I also did not enjoy the very realistic Viking funeral.  The Viking lore interspersed throughout the movie was fascinating to me and it appears they did a lot of research into the lifestyle.  The setting (especially when they get to Iceland) and cinematography were exquisite.  The plot has a few surprises, and I love it when I do not anticipate events in a movie.  All in all, if you like realistic violence, Viking mythology and breathtaking scenery, and people with unusual names ( Finnr the Nose-Stub, I’m talking about you) you just might enjoy the Northman.

The Batman

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One thing I have always liked about Batman is that he is not a true superhero.  He has no superpowers and must rely on his wits, gadgets and his loyal factotum Alfred to help him in his role as a reluctant crime fighter.  One thing I hate about Batman movies is there are just too many of them.  Every movie seems to rehash The Joker or The Penguin, and you always know that Batman is conflicted, brooding and will be doomed to live a lonely life.  Even so, I did like The Batman.  In this iteration, Robert Pattison expertly plays Batman in his early stages; he has barely been Batman for two years.  Most people do not even know who he is yet, and those who do regard him merely as a vigilante.  There is no Robin mentioned throughout the movie. The only person who knows the identity of the mysterious crusader is Lieutenant James Gordon, who is played by one of my favorite actors, Jeffrey Wright.  (Yes, not-yet-commissioner Gordon). This is indeed a brooding, film-noir type Batman movie.  There is no time or place for humor or lightness.  There is a really disturbed serial killer on the loose, The Riddler (Paul Dano), who leaves twisted clues among grotesque corpses all around the city. Yet there is method to his madness, as the saying goes.  Batman teams up with Cat Woman (Zoe Kravitz) to explore the seedy individuals of the underbelly of Gotham and expose their rampant corruption.  Some of these despicable characters include Colin Farrell as The Penguin (completely unrecognisable in amazing prostheses) and John Turturro as crime boss Carmine Falcone.  Even though there is a running time of three hours, the movie didn’t drag and there were a lot of surprises or familiar Batman tropes spun in a different way.  I have two minor negatives.  First of all, the wonderful Andy Serkis played Alfred, but had very little screen time.  I would have loved to see more of him and I imagine part of his role ended up on the cutting room floor. If so, I hope some of those scenes will be included as deleted scenes in DVD releases.  The other thing I didn’t like was how dark this movie was.  I get it.  Batman lives in the shadows and roams the city at night,  BUT it makes it really hard to see everything that is going on. I mean, they are even investigating crime scenes with flashlights!  For Pete’s sake, turn on a light or two!  I would imagine if this is the first in a series (the end does set up at least one sequel), future movies may include Robin and the return of The Joker.  I am not sure I would take younger kids to this one, but the rest of you will probable enjoy Robert Pattinson’s  performance and the dark atmosphere of The Batman.