Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Ocean’s 8

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I liked this movie.  It is light hearted and fun.  Sandra Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, sister of the famous Daniel Ocean from three past movies (2 great and 1 terrible), who has recently passed away (although  there  are several jokes about the fact that no one is 100% positive that he actually is in his crypt).  She has been in jail for five years, apparently framed by her former boy friend and partner in crime, Claude Becker (portrayed by Thorin Oaken…er, Richard Armitage).  She’s had a LOT of time to think, and when she gets out, she is ready to pull off a seemingly impossible  (aren’t they all?) heist that involves stealing a necklace – worth an incredible $150,000,000! – from the Met’s Annual Gala and the neck of the self centered Daphne Kugler (Anne Hathaway).  Watching how she pulls this off with partners like Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna is entertaining.  Director Gary Ross even throws in a few cameos from some of the original players of Ocean’s 11-13.  Hathaway makes a really good mark, one with more on the ball than you might think, and Armitage lightly oozes the charm as the boyfriend who may or may not be part of a revenge subplot.  The schemes are not as intricate and developed as the Clooney vehicles, but there are some good twists, some good performances and plenty of eye-catching fashion.  Ocean’s 8 may not be an intense ride like Dead Pool or Infinity War, but for a summer popcorn movie – It definitely fills the bill.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

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The first 20 minutes of this movie is a breathtaking tour-de-force.  Using minimal dialogue, we learn the origin of the Thousand Planets and are introduced to an intriguing race of Avatar-like creatures who live in a shimmery paradise.  Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is quite a let-down.  Where to begin?  First of all, Dane Dehaan might be a very nice person, but he made a terrible Valerian.  I never once believed that he was a seasoned veteran agent (of what?) of nine years.  He didn’t really have any star appeal, and his performance was pretty bland.  He looks to be about fifteen ( I looked up his age and he is actually 31?!?).  The dialogue he and his partner, played by an equally insipid Cara Delevinge,  were given to speak was dull and uninspired, even when engaging in excruciatingly (un)sexy “banter.”  I was especially disappointed in Clive Owen, as I loved his performance in “City of Men.”  But he wasn’t given much to work with either.  In this role, he was reduced to a stock villain who had a lame reason for his actions.  Apparently the comic this is based on began in 1967, and what may have been innovative then, has been used so often in other pictures and media, it really pales for the modern viewer. On the plus side, the special effects are amazing and the world that Beeson has created was fascinating.  Rihanna’s performance was a welcome surprise.  If you are a fan, though, she wasn’t in the movie enough to be a major draw.  So the bottom line is, should you waste your money to see this movie, or should you wait until it is on HBO?  I would say, save your money and go enjoy “Spiderman” or  better yet “Wonder Woman.”