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Film reviews

She Rides Shotgun Review

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For Taron Egerton, he has taken on roles that are diverse with accomplishments from playing a boy to being a young spy in The Kingsman. He played as a rookie athlete with the hopes of doing high jumps at the Olympics in Eddie the Eagle as well assinging his heart out in Rocketman. Take all those blockbusters and throw them out the window. She Rides Shotgun is by far one of the best films he has starred in! Directed by Nick Rowland(director of Calm Horses and Floodlights), this is a low-budget feature that gives its all with a rare tenderness in what is all bound to be lost. The film revolves around a struggling father in the center of conflict, and a riveting direction that has many heart pumping moments for its audiences. This is a story where criminality carries consequences through the hurdles of agony. On top of it all, it maintains a consistency of thriving to stay alive. An auteur’s force of direction that is bound to receive attention for its realism.

The setting of the film is around Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film’s plot revolves around a father and his daughter. The father is Nate, and he is played by Taron Egerton. The daughter is Polly, and she is played by Ana Sophia Heger. Nate is in all kinds of trouble with the law with many legalities surrounding a drug lord. So much to the point that his problems chase him until he is dead. With time of the essence, Nate is repeatedly scrambling and running. He puts Polly in the car and takes heron his fleeing journey. Polly begins to realize that the many conflicts around her are due to her father’s errors. At the same time though, she wants to protect him, especially with her age playing a factor. She does not understand the very grown-up problems of what is put in front of her. The young mind seeing all kinds of dangers sparks a new adventure of vengeance in She Rides Shotgun.

The film keeps its politics and criminality to be a cat-and-mouse game with the vulnerable side of Polly as the driving force of the film’s wonders. It is hard to predict her outcome. Around the running from all the dangers, there is clarity to making it out alive. Rowland’s usage of sabotage has an eloquent approach tomoving parts that are damaged and looking to be reconciled. This aspect is truly expressed when it comes to the law enforcement party of, She Rides Shotgun. With a detective assigned to hunting down Nate and the danger to his daughter Polly, there is the tone of truth finding light. The detective is John, and he is played by Rob Yang (Succession and The Menu). John is put in the middle of all the moving parts but also knows the corruption of the landscape. Where Nate chooses to run his problems will continue to follow him.

The juxtapositions of livelihood, fatherhood, and criminality all tango intrepidly. Nate teaches his daughter Polly how to defend herself, as she is in the front seat throughout the many crimes of this odyssey. The film’s exploration of the criminal underworld loops into a landscape of fear that is relentlessly aching. The pain of fear stands for a sacrifice of purpose in She Rides Shotgun. The biggest factor and enemy though, is the criminal boss Dave, and he is played by John Carroll Lynch (The Founder and Lucky). Lynch is an actor that can play any type of happy, negative or empowering character. With this one, he goes off the edge of the deep end to make evil swirl under his hands.

All of the characters play a role in getting themselves to a place where they feel safe and stable. The setup of there being laws and ways around them is where Rowland’s directing is a knockout. He knows how to have the troubled characters test the waters of tolerance and the law. But also, he does so with those who are the law enforcement. The masterful talent of Egerton, Heger, Yang, and Lynch are all superb in playing those wanting to find their heroism. Much of my appreciation shouts out to Heger, because for a young girl her seriousness dives into the realistic feeling portrayed in She Rides Shotgun. How did riding that seat truly make her feel though? Find out for yourself with She Rides Shotgun. Four out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

The Naked Gun Review

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A cop movie with some of the most unadulterated humor I have seen in ages, The Naked Gun is full of slapstick fun mixed with heavy tones of seriousness and many disastrous moments that come through in genius writing. Silly to the max, but it works…because it is all from the voices, performances, and attitudes of Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Based on the television series Police Squad and written by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Akiva Schaffer. Schaffer is also the director of the film. The writing and characteristics are all combined to make this a cop movie that had me laughing really hard. Neeson has thatcharacteristic voice of his that does not fit the context in serious moments. That is why he is perfect in The Naked Gun.  Neeson has played in many films as a detective and Anderson has her past role as that cool girl with attitude from her many years with Baywatch. It is these two roles in past projects that create a strong duo to keep the slapstick moments rolling vigorously throughout. So funny… I could not get enough of The Naked Gun.

In The Naked Gun, Neeson plays Frank Deblin Jr. A long-time detective bound for retirement and making all kinds of foolish choices and witty mistakes. Some of these include hit and run, causing more damage to do less paperwork, and his very inappropriate cop humor through it all. He has, “A secret set of skills,” as is said in his role in the Taken franchise, but this is one where he lollygags it all to the full-throttle mode. He finds himself up against the world at risk from AI weapons run by a man by the name of Richard Crane (played by Danny Huston). There are a lot of incidents occurring with Tesla vehicles and all other kinds of devices. Regardless, Frank is distracted by making his errors but somehow pulls off the job as a detective. With his lacking capabilities love may be his chance for a strong revival.

Dim-wittedness thrives in the fun of The Naked Gun. Neeson and Anderson are like two characters in an Austin Powers universe, because they are two people in a mixed-up relationship where one has a goal to save the world. The question is can he do so without his nonsense getting in the way? “Nonsense” of champions is what I call The Naked Gun. That is because Neeson can pull it off as a detective that is absent-minded but still goes bananas when in savior mode.

Anderson truly stands out in The Naked Gun. She dazzles the film with her goofiness and wonderful gem of caring personality. She also has a high level of tolerance. Neeson’s performance brings a lot to the table when they go into a relationship mode. Throwing together a couple, the world being at risk, and a detective who keeps making messes and trying to cover them up makes for a joyful ride that I could not get enough of. Neeson still jumps and talks like a master of suspense. Quirky, but well written and clever with many puns, tangents, and a whirlwind of punchlines that will just make audiences heads go crazy. A masterpiece of comedy that may present itself as looking absurd, but I found it to be genius. While some moments over fuel its ridiculousness, the voice and ego of Neeson is the magic touch to it all. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for The Naked Gun.

 

 

Film reviews

Fantastic Four: First Steps Review

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This is one of the best new installments I have seen with The Fantastic Four franchise. It feels nostalgic and historic with that comic book side swerving inside and outside of the premise. It also has some classiness with 60’s and 70’s aspects thrown into it. Especially around settings that include Panam airlines and box TVs. The biggest accomplishment though, is that it iswritten for the film to be set up with its heroes already in place. Directed by Matt Shakman, he puts his best efforts into creating The Fantastic Four: First Steps to have invigorating components and joyfulness to be adapted to what is to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If there is anything that is essential, it is the importance for its audience to remember is that the whole film matters. This is a new direction to help the moviegoer dismiss the previous franchises of The Fantastic Four. This one has grasped the idea of writing to fit into what is bound to come ahead and even bounce back. “Bounce back” if audiences need a refresher. Many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies are always looped in together—some work to correlate and some do not. The Fantastic Four: First Steps does.

The heroes all have their place. They are Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). They are “The Fantastic Four.” A group of individuals with a strong media following who do good and protect their world. A solid foundation of humor and friendship exists among them being heroes, but also one where their media presence presents a bigger risk. The film is valid with making public performances and superheroes not finding political common ground. That is where the genius side is in the directing of Shakman—he creates more moving parts besides good guys and bad guys to make invigorating suspense that has mental components.

The enemy, Shalla-Ball/Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), is the aspect of the film that brings in the haunting and fueling angles of the film. She is a threat to society and many of the scientific backgrounds that the team has created. Reed and Sue are the couple and captains of the team and they have a child on the way. They ultimate question is…can all be safe? But also, can all be heroes? The uncharted territory of The Fantastic Four: The First Steps blew me out of the water. The writing foundation had me in awe, especially in the matter of its timing. The pitches of when to get political or action-packed are all thrown in at the right times. 

A success that has been bound to happen for ages. A wonderful superhero flick bound to create more new heights to fly to more exciting places. The Fantastic Four: The First Steps is one of the best films I have seen this summer. It is one that has found its way to create meaning on its way to future endeavors. The Marvel Cinematic Universe lives on positively for all of its fans. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.