Movie Reviews

The Front Runner

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  • Title: The Front Runner
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The Front Runner movie review30 years later, The Front Runner takes a look back at the fall of Senator Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) who in the space of three weeks went from the presumptive Democratic nominee for the President of the United States to a cautionary tale. After some initial set-up laying the groundwork for the stranglehold Hart had on his party’s nomination in 1988, the script by Matt Bai, Jay Carson, and director Jason Reitman dives into Hart’s relationship with the media covering his campaign and his extra-marital indiscretion which, when brought to light, would be the end of his political career.

The Front Runner plays like a trainwreck in slow motion. It’s somewhat torturous to watch unfold seeing everything the uncompromising Hart worked for fall apart so quickly. Everyone, except Hart can see what’s coming. Unable to fathom how his personal life was the business of either the media or voters, Hart struggled with handling the situation which quickly escalated out of control as it opened the doors to a new form of tabloid journalism in politics (a slippery slope Hart himself commented on during the final speech of his campaign).

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Creed II

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  • Title: Creed II
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Creed II movie reviewPart Rocky III and part Rocky IV, Creed II offers the highs and lows of boxer Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) who wins the title but is then faced with a ghost from the past in the return of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and the introduction of his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu).

Despite the film going full-on-Rocky at times, director Steven Caple Jr. works to stay true to the tone of Creed by focusing as much on what is going on outside the ring with Adonis Creed as what is happening inside the squared circle. Sylvester Stallone returns again as mentor, although one conflicted about the history tied up in a Creed v. Drago match. Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad reprise their roles as Creed’s support system and family whose love will be tested when Creed accepts the challenge from Viktor Drago over their objections, and those of Rocky.

With Munteanu speaking very few lines of dialogue, the script relies on Lundgren to act as the film’s more vocal villain (while also exploring the reasons for Ivan needing this match for his prosperity and a future for his son).

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Ralph Breaks the Internet

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  • Title: Ralph Breaks the Internet
  • IMDb: link

Ralph Breaks the Internet movie review2012’s Wreck-It Ralph introduced movie viewers to old school video game villain Ralph (John C. Reilly) and his journey to become a hero (leading to quite a bit of chaos for everyone involved). The sequel opens in much the same way with Ralph’s attempt to help his best friend leading to disaster and a trip to the Internet for Ralph and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) in search of a steering wheel for her video game which is the only thing that can stop the machine from officially being retired from the arcade.

Screenwriters Phil Johnston and Pamela Ribon have fun introducing the two characters to the wider world of the Internet including E-bay, Internet videos and memes, a Grand Theft Auto style video game called Slaughter Race, and a chance for Vanellope to learn about a special talent of princesses from those who know it best. The later provides some of the film’s best scenes including a musical number I hope gets Oscar consideration. While the story meanders a bit more than the original, there are plenty of big laughs while still delivering a nice message about friendship for a younger audience (and Ralph).

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Free Solo

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  • Title: Free Solo
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Free Solo movie reviewThe documentary from Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi follows climber Alex Honnold and his preparations to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan. While diving into the Honnold’s closest relationships and his makeup, the film focuses primarily on the dangers of the climber’s quest and the ambition and drive which he cannot ignore. Featuring interviews with fellow climbers and Honnold’s mother and girlfriend, we learn a bit of what makes the climber tick as he attempts to accomplish the improbable feat of climbing the sheer granite face of a 3,000-foot mountain without any climbing gear or any kind of safety net.

Because Chin and his cameramen are friends of Honnold, the documentary also adds an unexpected undercurrent to the story of Honnold not wanting to let his friends down while they are equally fearful of the very real possibility they might be enabling the climber to film his death during an outrageously dangerous feat. The result is an engaging documentary ending in Honnold’s historic attempt.

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The Old Man and the Gun

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  • Title: The Old Man and the Gun
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The Old Man and the Gun movie reviewBased on the life of career criminal Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), who in his 60s (after escaping from prison yet again) put together dozens of bank heists across the country until finally being captured by the FBI, writer/director David Lowery‘s film offers a look at the criminal’s “last hurrah” (although he would commit one more crime spree at the ripe old age of 79) and the Dallas Police Detective (Casey Affleck) instrumental in capturing him.

Redford is put to good use here as the gentlemen robber who never fires a shot (in fact, in every bank robbery sequence he alludes to, but never draws, a gun). The actor easily captures the charm of the man who robbed more for the thrill than the money, always with a smile on his face. Over the course of the film we watch Tucker rob several banks, sometimes by himself and sometimes with the help of two other elderly gentlemen (Danny Glover and Tom Waits) who gain notoriety for the four-year bank robbing spree. The movie also includes a subplot involving Tucker’s interest in a widow (Sissy Spacek) who, like the previous loves of Tucker’s life, never knew or believed what Tucker did for a living.

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