bankofmarquis
Joined Jun 2006
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Hollywood loves a comeback story and with Demi Moore, they have a doozy on their hands.
A mainstay of 1980's cinema, Moore was a member of the famed "Brat Pack" and starred in such films as ST. ELMO'S FIRE, ABOUT LAST NIGHT, GHOST and A FEW GOOD MEN before fading from fame's spotlight as she began to age.
Always bristling at the derisive term that she was just a "Popcorn Actress", Moore took a swing at a "Body Horror" film that would showcase her acting talents as well as comment on Hollywood's obsession with youth and beauty.
And with THE SUBSTANCE, Moore has scored with a tempered, nuanced performance that is very deserving of every and any award that she is mentioned for - and that includes the Oscar.
Starring as Elisabeth Sparkles - a fading Hollywood celebrity - Moore decides to take "The Substance" to regain youth. What happens next is a clear commentary on the internal struggle that many have regarding their relationship with an aging body and a desire to remain young.
Writer/Director Coralie Fargeat - in her first American film - is unflinching in her view of this and, deftly (if heavy-handily) uses "Body Horror" to drive home her point.
And...drive it home she does...as Fargeat puts a Capital B and H in Body Horror, with the 2nd half of this film giving the audience clear reminders of Dave Croneberg films (like THE FLY) and, especially, John Carpenter's THE THING.
But...she takes it many, many steps further, so don't watch this film while eating dinner.
Margaret Qualley is the equal to Moore as the young Sue who takes Moore's place on the fitness TV show she had starred in while Dennis Quaid eats shrimp - and the scenery - as the Producer of the show with little to no morals.
A surprisingly entertaining and thought provoking Body Horror film that is unflinching in it's body horror (the ending will have you say "what did I just watch"), this film will reward the strong stomached with a stellar central performance and a topic that is one to chew on.
Letter Grade: A- (I'm as suprised as you are)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
A mainstay of 1980's cinema, Moore was a member of the famed "Brat Pack" and starred in such films as ST. ELMO'S FIRE, ABOUT LAST NIGHT, GHOST and A FEW GOOD MEN before fading from fame's spotlight as she began to age.
Always bristling at the derisive term that she was just a "Popcorn Actress", Moore took a swing at a "Body Horror" film that would showcase her acting talents as well as comment on Hollywood's obsession with youth and beauty.
And with THE SUBSTANCE, Moore has scored with a tempered, nuanced performance that is very deserving of every and any award that she is mentioned for - and that includes the Oscar.
Starring as Elisabeth Sparkles - a fading Hollywood celebrity - Moore decides to take "The Substance" to regain youth. What happens next is a clear commentary on the internal struggle that many have regarding their relationship with an aging body and a desire to remain young.
Writer/Director Coralie Fargeat - in her first American film - is unflinching in her view of this and, deftly (if heavy-handily) uses "Body Horror" to drive home her point.
And...drive it home she does...as Fargeat puts a Capital B and H in Body Horror, with the 2nd half of this film giving the audience clear reminders of Dave Croneberg films (like THE FLY) and, especially, John Carpenter's THE THING.
But...she takes it many, many steps further, so don't watch this film while eating dinner.
Margaret Qualley is the equal to Moore as the young Sue who takes Moore's place on the fitness TV show she had starred in while Dennis Quaid eats shrimp - and the scenery - as the Producer of the show with little to no morals.
A surprisingly entertaining and thought provoking Body Horror film that is unflinching in it's body horror (the ending will have you say "what did I just watch"), this film will reward the strong stomached with a stellar central performance and a topic that is one to chew on.
Letter Grade: A- (I'm as suprised as you are)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Is KRAVEN THE HUNTER a Holiday movie?
No, it is not.
Is KRAVEN THE HUNTER a GOOD movie?
No, it is not.
Is KRAVEN THE HUNTER a BAD movie?
Surpisingly, the answer to this question is "No, it is not" as well.
KRAVEN THE HUNTER commits a cardinal sin of movie-making. It isn't good, it isn't bad, it's just "meh". Entertaining enough to have on to pass the time (like on an airplane) but nothing too exciting, either.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson (BULLET TRAIN) in the titular role, KRAVEN THE HUNTER completes Sony's attempt at creating a Comic Book Universe with the only comic book characters they had the rights to - the VILLAINS of Spider-Man (but NOT Spider-Man).
Since I just might be the only person to see the entirety of this "Universe", I can definitively state that the 3 VENOM films that came out as part of this were entertaining...enough (thanks, in large part, to Tom Hardy's lead performance). MADAME WEB and MOBIUS were awful - thanks in large part to the lead performances. Dakota Johnson as Madame Web was bland while Jared Leto was trying something as MOBIUS, I just don't know what that was...and it certainly didn't succeed.
With KRAVEN THE HUNTER, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (BULLET TRAIN) tries hard to make us care about the character, but it falls short of the mark. Is it the fault of Taylor-Johnson? The trio of writers (never a good sign)? The Director (J. C. Chandor - A MOST VIOLENT YEAR)? Probably a combination of all 3. Taylor-Johnson is not given much to do with the script and Chandor directs the lead character blandly and straightforwardly - but not interestingly - so Taylor-Johnson never really rises above.
Russell Crowe stops by for a paycheck as Kraven's Russian Mob Boss father while Ariana DeBose shows that her Oscar winning work in Spielberg's rendition of WEST SIDE STORY was no fluke as she was the only one to seem to attempt to rise above, but was, ultimately pulled down by a flat script and unremarkable action/special effects.
Not the worst SuperHero Movie that you'll ever watch - but far from the best. File this one under..."Oh, what the heck, I have to kill a few hours anyway, I might as well check this out" and it won't be a COMPLETE waste of your time.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
No, it is not.
Is KRAVEN THE HUNTER a GOOD movie?
No, it is not.
Is KRAVEN THE HUNTER a BAD movie?
Surpisingly, the answer to this question is "No, it is not" as well.
KRAVEN THE HUNTER commits a cardinal sin of movie-making. It isn't good, it isn't bad, it's just "meh". Entertaining enough to have on to pass the time (like on an airplane) but nothing too exciting, either.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson (BULLET TRAIN) in the titular role, KRAVEN THE HUNTER completes Sony's attempt at creating a Comic Book Universe with the only comic book characters they had the rights to - the VILLAINS of Spider-Man (but NOT Spider-Man).
Since I just might be the only person to see the entirety of this "Universe", I can definitively state that the 3 VENOM films that came out as part of this were entertaining...enough (thanks, in large part, to Tom Hardy's lead performance). MADAME WEB and MOBIUS were awful - thanks in large part to the lead performances. Dakota Johnson as Madame Web was bland while Jared Leto was trying something as MOBIUS, I just don't know what that was...and it certainly didn't succeed.
With KRAVEN THE HUNTER, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (BULLET TRAIN) tries hard to make us care about the character, but it falls short of the mark. Is it the fault of Taylor-Johnson? The trio of writers (never a good sign)? The Director (J. C. Chandor - A MOST VIOLENT YEAR)? Probably a combination of all 3. Taylor-Johnson is not given much to do with the script and Chandor directs the lead character blandly and straightforwardly - but not interestingly - so Taylor-Johnson never really rises above.
Russell Crowe stops by for a paycheck as Kraven's Russian Mob Boss father while Ariana DeBose shows that her Oscar winning work in Spielberg's rendition of WEST SIDE STORY was no fluke as she was the only one to seem to attempt to rise above, but was, ultimately pulled down by a flat script and unremarkable action/special effects.
Not the worst SuperHero Movie that you'll ever watch - but far from the best. File this one under..."Oh, what the heck, I have to kill a few hours anyway, I might as well check this out" and it won't be a COMPLETE waste of your time.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Did you enjoy the Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones misfit buddy action/comedy flick MEN IN BLACK that was released way back in 1997?
If so, then you are gonna really like the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson/Chris "Captain America" Evans misfit buddy action/comedy flick RED ONE - because it is, basically, the same movie - only this time, instead of Aliens, our misfit pair of heroes are dealing with...Mythical Creatures (you know, like Santa Claus).
Directed by Jake Kasdan (the recent JUMANJI revisits), RED ONE tells the tale of Callum Drift (get it) played by...you guessed it...The Rock, the Head BodyGuard of RED ONE aka Santa Claus (the always great J. K. Simmons). When Red One is kidnapped a few days before his big Christmas Eve ride (why?...movie reasons) it's up to Callum to team up with "non-believer" Jack O'Malley (a fun Chris Evans) to find and retrieve Saint Nick or Christmas will be cancelled.
Okay, it's not the most original premise but the charm, charisma and screen presence that Johnson, Evans and Simmons (who doesn't get nearly enough screen time) exude makes it a very enjoyable Holiday watch for the entire family. They are ably joined by the solid Bonnie Hunt (the original JUMANJI), Comedian Nick Kroll (the voice of Professor Poopypants in CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS) and Lucy Liu (TV's
ELEMENTARY) as "the boss" who has to seriously spout lines like - "Go out and bring Santa back", then add Kristofer Hivju (the bushy red-bearded TORMUND in Game of Thrones) as a mythical character (to tell who it is would be to spoil it) and the performances across the board are very professionally managed.
Only Kiernan Shipka (as a youth she played Sally Draper in MAD MEN) is oddly miscast as the main villain. Why she doesn't detract all that much from the events of the film, she doesn't add much either...and, in this type of film, you kind of want the bad guy to be a presence...or, at least, over the top "good/bad".
Director Kasdan tries, as much as possible based on his budget, to make the effects as practical as he can, but much, much of this film is CGI and it feels more like a cartoon most of the time (rather than a live-action film). You can decide whether that is a good or a bad thing.
The action sequences are fun (enough), the acting is fun (enough) and the movie ends up being fun (enough) for the whole family to enjoy when they are all together this Holiday season.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
If so, then you are gonna really like the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson/Chris "Captain America" Evans misfit buddy action/comedy flick RED ONE - because it is, basically, the same movie - only this time, instead of Aliens, our misfit pair of heroes are dealing with...Mythical Creatures (you know, like Santa Claus).
Directed by Jake Kasdan (the recent JUMANJI revisits), RED ONE tells the tale of Callum Drift (get it) played by...you guessed it...The Rock, the Head BodyGuard of RED ONE aka Santa Claus (the always great J. K. Simmons). When Red One is kidnapped a few days before his big Christmas Eve ride (why?...movie reasons) it's up to Callum to team up with "non-believer" Jack O'Malley (a fun Chris Evans) to find and retrieve Saint Nick or Christmas will be cancelled.
Okay, it's not the most original premise but the charm, charisma and screen presence that Johnson, Evans and Simmons (who doesn't get nearly enough screen time) exude makes it a very enjoyable Holiday watch for the entire family. They are ably joined by the solid Bonnie Hunt (the original JUMANJI), Comedian Nick Kroll (the voice of Professor Poopypants in CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS) and Lucy Liu (TV's
ELEMENTARY) as "the boss" who has to seriously spout lines like - "Go out and bring Santa back", then add Kristofer Hivju (the bushy red-bearded TORMUND in Game of Thrones) as a mythical character (to tell who it is would be to spoil it) and the performances across the board are very professionally managed.
Only Kiernan Shipka (as a youth she played Sally Draper in MAD MEN) is oddly miscast as the main villain. Why she doesn't detract all that much from the events of the film, she doesn't add much either...and, in this type of film, you kind of want the bad guy to be a presence...or, at least, over the top "good/bad".
Director Kasdan tries, as much as possible based on his budget, to make the effects as practical as he can, but much, much of this film is CGI and it feels more like a cartoon most of the time (rather than a live-action film). You can decide whether that is a good or a bad thing.
The action sequences are fun (enough), the acting is fun (enough) and the movie ends up being fun (enough) for the whole family to enjoy when they are all together this Holiday season.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)