Peter Dinklage

Cyrano

  • Title: Cyrano
  • IMDb: link

While it may not be my favorite adaptation of Edmond Rostand‘s 19th Century play, Cyrano proves to be a perfect vehicle for Peter Dinklage who shines as the title character. Our brave and witty protagonist yearns for the beautiful Roxanne (Haley Bennett) only to see her attentions fall on the gaze of a strapping young soldier (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) instead, who Cyrano agrees to help woo the woman they both love while hiding the depth of his true feelings from them both.

All the basic trappings from the story are here including Ben Mendelsohn as yet another, more villainous, rival for Roxanne’s affections and the humorous balcony sequence in yet another stylish period piece from director Joe Wright. Added to the mix are a number of musical numbers which vacillate between additions or distractions from the main plot at various points in the tale.

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The Croods: A New Age

  • Title: The Croods: A New Age
  • IMDb: link

The Croods: A New Age movie reviewThe sequel to 2013’s The Croods returns the cast of the original for a new adventure. The prehistoric family meet the more evolved Hope (Leslie Mann) an Phil Betterman (Peter Dinklage), friends of Guy’s (Ryan Reynolds) parents, who have created a safe zone that all the Croods except for Grug (Nicolas Cage) immediately fall in love with (although their hosts aren’t all that keen on their guests staying longterm).

The sequels offers much the same humor of the original with its conflict coming from the deepening relationship between Guy and Eep (Emma Stone) which threatens Grug’s pack and the Bettermans’ plan to steal Guy away from Eep for their daughter Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran). Eventually, danger will come to safe oasis and the two families will learn to work together.

There’s some fun here, I did appreciate the choice to make Eep and Dawn friends instead of rivals, but for all its wackiness there’s not much substance. The Croods: A New Age is a so-so sequel to a so-so film. Fans of the original will likely enjoy themselves, but the sequel doesn’t do much to evolve past the limited appeal of the original.

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Game of Thrones – The Iron Throne

  • Title: Game of Thrones – The Iron Throne
  • wiki: link

Game of Thrones - The Iron Throne television review

Closing the show’s controversial final season is a lackluster series finale that acts as epilogue to the events of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) burning Kings Landing to the ground. Dispensing with the two most likely candidates for the thrown by having Jon Snow (Kit Harington) kill Daenerys leaves a gaping hole for the final half of the episode to stumble through and awkwardly come up with a suitable candidate to sit on the (now melted) throne. The writers, who promised a “big surprise” on who would emerge as the new ruler, turn to the blandest choice possible as the survivors come together to crown Bran the Boring (Isaac Hempstead Wright), first of his name.

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Game of Thrones – The Bells

  • Title: Game of Thrones – The Bells
  • wiki: link

Game of Thrones - The Bells television review

While I can concede, and even understand, the logic behind the writers’ plan with “The Bells” it’s hard not to come away conflicted after the penultimate episode of the series. After a 20-minute lead-in during which Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) executes a traitor, mourns her personal loses, and is once again spurned by Jon Snow (Kit Harington) who cannot return her advances, the war with Cersei (Lena Headey begins. Isolated and alone, she chooses fear over the love now absent in her life and embraces the Targaryen name and a thirst for vengeance offering no quarter to Cersei nor any of the subjects taking refuge in her city. Although we’ve seen this level of viciousness in her before (remember Khalar vezhven?), never to this scale have we seen it unleashed. I couldn’t get the words of Ron Burdgandy out of my mind, both in the rapidly-descending mental instability of Daenerys and in the attack on Kings Landing, each of which get out of hand in short order.

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