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Film reviews

Venom: The Last Dance Review

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The third installment of The Venom franchise has its quirks and giggles. In the final film, it is the most joyful experience. Directed by Kelly Marcel, she co-wrote the movie with Tom Hardy (who plays Eddie Brock). Venom: The Last Dance has dynamics that collide with laughter and full-throttle action.

The film picks up with Eddie. The power of Venom is connected to Eddie’s body. The voices of Venom keep coming around in his head. They have had many missions (from the previous two films), and their final one is unforgettable. With a journey through deserts, Vegas, and (hopefully) New York, there is still a lot to accomplish. There are evil forces. Eddie finds himself in peril. Dr. Payne (played by Juno Temple) and Rex Strickland (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) follow Eddie. The enemy is unknown, but there are clues.

With the voices having their moments, they Eddie up the rails. The humor makes the layout feel predictable. What does Eddie want most? Does he want normalcy? Does he want to feel power? Does he want to start over? The tracks to a clean slate thrive where Venom: The Last Dance stands.

The Venom voice keeps pushing Eddie out of his element. This final installment is petal to the metal. Venom insists that Eddie is involved with a horse for transportation. The joy in that makes Venom: The Last Dance feel like Venom is on hyper drugs. Like the film Cocaine Bear, that moment can be defined as Cocaine Venom. It is a blistering journey where the norms of crazy are times ten.

The dynamics tend to feel off base sporadically. This aspect fits well though, because this is a franchise for humor. There are ounces of “humor” mended with a superhero direction. The twist though, is its main character is not a hero of any kind (he has not been since the beginning).

There is an appreciation for the film’s clever misdirection, embodied by the character Mrs. Chen (played by Peggy Lu). Eddie crosses paths with her, and that moment is the key to the craziness galore of Venom: The Last Dance. It is the thriving aspect where awkwardness is written genuinely well. It is audacious and fueling of entertainment all around.

The writing in Venom: The Last Dance effectively conveys confusion, rage, and annoyance, aiming to be top-notch in addressing all relevant issues. Its atmosphere of grueling humor (from the voice of Venom) is the sitcom noises throughout the entirety of the film. Will Eddie dismiss this power he has inside of him? If so, how bonkers of the journey will they (Eddie and Venom) endure? It is the many surprises that do not hold Venom: The Last Dance back from having surreal aspects (despite its goofiness).

The force intended for evil is portrayed as finding good in Venom: The Last Dance. It will take a lot of patience for Eddie to handle his final descent with Venom connected to him. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I give Venom: The Last Dance three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Saturday Night Review

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There is always organized chaos surrounding any production whether it’s a play, a musical, a sketch show or a movie set, but the show must go on. Writer and director Jason Reitman shines the light on the creative process in Saturday Night which is a satirical gem of historic value. It is a true story filled with many moving parts. As a fan of Saturday Night Live, all the history came back to me during Saturday Night even though some of it happened before my time. This movie took me to back to memories of old skits involving George Carlin, Chevy Chase, and others. The story highlights how since the early days of the show the essential direction of Saturday Night was fueled by the pressure for laughs.

The film takes place in October of 1975. Many writers and comedians are together to put on a live performance a half-an-hour before midnight. The man running the show is Lorne Michaels (played by Gabriel LaBelle), and his co-workers are Dick Ebersol (played by Cooper Hoffman) and Neil Levy (played by Andrew Barth Feldman). The studio is in chaos. The show has loads of potential with many running skit ideas. The ultimate question is, “Will it work?” The budget and structure are still all over the place, and time is of the essence. 

As the chaos behind the scenes move swiftly, a unique array of writers and comedians come into the mix. From Jim Henson (played by Nicholas Braun), Gilda Radner (played by Ella Hunt), Chevy Chase (played by Cory Michael Smith), Dan Aykroyd (played by Dylan O’Brien), John Belushi (played by Matt Wood), Garrett Morris (played by Lamorne Morris), and so many more. An image is painted of where many of these artists were standing before they took the stage on Saturday Night Live. The picture that emerges makes it clear that this show was not easy, but the energy and the political atmosphere made Saturday Night a masterpiece.

As these characters evolve, the show does a stellar job managing egos and personalities. This is particularly true with big characterizations of Belushi, Aykroyd, and Chase. They give off a vibe that they feel the show they are about to do has the potential of being below them. Show business is a tough business today and Saturday Night showcases how it was much more complicated back then.

At times, Lorne is practically losing his mind. He keeps thinking about everything that could go wrong and what will be said. There are many layers of real and potential complications. Saturday Night is bonkers! The quirkiness of the actors adds to the craziness. Braun as Henson brings creativity to the character as well as a dose of well-written absurdity. The recurring question is, “Which sketches fit best for the upcoming show?”The big dogs of the business are Dave Tebet (played by Willem Dafoe) and Milton Berle (played by J.K. Simmons). They know the business and how ugly it gets. Their desire for success is portrayed vividly in Saturday Night. It’s a mad world of trying to “nail it” from the beginning.

Reitman’s direction makes the audience feel the sense of urgency in Saturday Night. The lighting is perfect for the nostalgia of the era and the studio in Radio City Music Hall shines with 70s jams that are mesmerizing. The night is young, but can Lorne and Dick pull this off as they hit plateaus with writers, business people, and comedians? The writing offers athought-provoking look back at the early days of Saturday Night Live that is not to be missed. Four out of four stars.

Film reviews

Afraid Review

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Today, there is a reality where AI is convenient. AI helps people stay organized with navigating tasks. Can AI be advanced on a personal level? Afraid loops in the context of questioning an AI innovation. Written and directed by Chris Weitz, his approach is on family dynamics (with AI). Screen time, technological addiction, and behavioral patterns are the discerning factors in Afraid. The approach is up-and-coming in the film. Its AI moving parts are resourceful. How real does AI grow to be in Afraid?

The film follows Curtis (played by John Chou). Curtis is a father working for a company that aims on AI technologies. At his home, his children rely on staring at their screens consistently. His oldest daughter, Iris (played by Lukita Maxwell), is obsessed with social media. His two sons, Preston (played by Wyatt Lindner) and Cal (played by Isaac Bae), play games on their tablets too much. Curtis and his wife Meredith (played by Katherine Waterston) feel changes need prioritization in their home. They got this new device called AIA. AIA is like Alexa. AIA is double the amount of intelligence over an Alexa. She thinks in advance. She makes sure there are no conflicts between Curtis and his family.

It begins to shift in the eerie path. Iris finds herself in a social media conflict. This situation links back to AIA. Preston makes wrong choices with friends. Finally, Cal listens to what AIA says more than his parents. It is only a matter of time before AIA’s words and mind games rain down with a terror of turmoil.

Where the film finds its haunting factor is its presence in its characterization. The personalities and facial expressions look blurred (because they look at screens so frequently). For improvements, Curtis is looking at new technology for his family. Is this a great idea? The personality of drained minds (due to overuse of devices) feeds the technology addiction in Afraid. It does before it gets more unpleasant.

When Afraid begins to see the red flags of AIA, the suspense is vast on a level of anxiety. That is because the advanced side of AIA is programmed to get ahead of moving parts more than its audiences anticipate. Some may think AIA is evil. Some may think AIA is convenient. Regardless, the influence of AIA is highly concerning. Weitz uses a direction that loops in mental stressors of the dangers of reliance. “Dangers of reliance” is among Curtis and Meredith for putting forth trust in AIA for their children. The high levels of stressors dig deep in Afraid. What will AIA do? What will Curtis do to protect his family? How enabled will his children be with their fascination with AIA?

Once the questioning factors of detrimental suspense come around, Afraid begins to feel the predictable vibes. It does well with keeping AIA as the focus of the potential threat. With the continued concern about how AI is bound to have red flags, Afraid is an average example of those “red flags.” The screen time takes a (minor and inviting) turn for the worst in Afraid. Two out of four stars for Afraid.