Movie Review: "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018)

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Movie: "Solo: A Star Wars Story"

Director: Ron Howard
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Han Solo escapes the slums of Corellia and joins a crew of smugglers for a dangerous mission in the hopes that he can earn enough money to buy his own ship and no longer have to take orders from anyone.

"Joining the cause, Han Solo?" (Image Source)

Much of the outcry leading up to the release of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" reminded us a lot of how young children don't want to eat their vegetables. They complain to high heaven about how terrible they are until they finally suck it up and try them. As long as kids try them with an open mind, they may discover they aren't half bad. The veggies may not be their most favorite thing in the world to eat, but they certainly aren't terrible. That has been our experience with "Solo: A Star Wars Story." It is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, who has directed films like "Willow," "Apollo 13," and "Frost Nixon." The film is written by Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan. Lawrence has been a writer on numerous "Star Wars" installments, including "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi," and "The Force Awakens." The film focuses on the origin of a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and how he became a smuggler. As a youngling, he grew up in the slums of Corellia doing everything he could to get by, often stealing things and getting mixed up with an unsavory crowd. His dream is to get enough money to buy him and his lover Qi'ra's (Emilia Clarke) way off of the totalitarian system he calls home. After Han makes it off the planet and Qi'ra doesn't, he vows to come back for her. All he needs is enough money to buy himself a ship so he can finally be free, rescue Qi'ra, and live life the way he wants to. As is par for the course for Han Solo, things don't work out like he planned.

"Sometimes you put your faith in the wrong people." (Image Source)

As lifelong "Star Wars" fans, we will admit that it's hard to see anyone fill the role of Han Solo besides Harrison Ford. Ford and the other actors in the original trilogy had a rough quality that this standalone film lacks in its more polished, "GQ" presentation. While we were watching "Solo," it took quite some time for us to adjust to seeing Alden Ehrenreich playing Han. Luckily, there are moments (albeit fleeting) when Ehrenreich is able to sell the familiar swagger and cockiness that Han Solo is known for as a character. He does a decent job here, and we appreciate the fact that he is not entirely copying Ford's portrayal. On the flip side, it did not take a long time for us to see Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. From the first words he utters, we only ever saw him as Lando. Glover picks up on the charm and self-serving nature that Lando has always possessed, and he is absolutely magnificent as the best part of this movie. We also liked newcomer robot L3-37. She has a quick and brazen attitude and a penchant and quickness for speaking her mind when it comes to equal right for robots. We wish we had gotten a better read on Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra, though we have a feeling she will show up in more films in the future. Because she's not playing a beloved "Star Wars" character, Clarke gets the freedom to be who she wants and do what she needs in the role, but we feel like we still don't know her whole story yet.

"I admire anyone who can crawl their way out of a sewer." (Image Source)

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" offers audiences a heavy dose of nostalgia and fan service. We see a lot of familiar things, from characters to quotes, from prized objects to specific places, that have been quintessential in the original trilogy and other parts of the franchise. These "member-berries" come frequently and must be taken in stride to really focus on the meat of the story. At its core, this tale is about thieves trying to steal at the behest of a gangster. There aren't many emotional stakes since we know what is going to happen to the characters we are most connected to like Han, Chewbacca, and Lando. As for the characters we aren't as connected to (mostly because they have never appeared in the franchise before), some of them feel a little too disposable. Only a couple of them get developed enough to make us care what happens to them.

"Wherever we go, it can't be worse than where we've been." (Image Source)

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" might not be the epic battle between fascism and freedom that has themed the other entries in the "Star Wars" franchise, but this movie is still a fun, enjoyable ride. It is worth checking out for those who are willing to approach it without any preconceived notions about what it should or shouldn't be. At the end of the day, and call us corporate whores if you want to, but we will take a mid-level "Star Wars" movie over most other films any day of the week.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.2/10
RT Rating: ~70%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "Cocoon" (1985)

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Movie: "Cocoon"

Director: Ron Howard
Year: 1985
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes

A group of senior citizens finds themselves revitalized after sneaking onto private property and swimming in a pool where visiting aliens have stored mysterious cocoons that they retrieved from the bottom of the ocean.

"The way nature's cheating us, I don't mind cheating her a little." (Image Source)

Hollywood has a penchant for making movies featuring older people acting young. They seem to be good for a giggle. "Cocoon" is directed by Ron Howard. He had directed movies like "Splash," "Gung Ho," and "Grand Theft Auto" previous to this sci-fi drama. It is written by Tom Benedek and David Saperstein. This film was their first time writing credit, and neither would go on to do much else. The story here revolves around a group of aliens disguised as humans who commission a boat captained by a man named Jack Bonner (Steve Guttenberg, because it was a legal requirement for him to be in all 80's comedies). Jack takes them to a remote part of the ocean where they retrieve several objects that looks like giant rocks. These aliens store these rock looking objects in a swimming pool at an estate they have recently leased. What they don't know is that a group of senior citizens from the neighboring retirement home have been sneaking onto the estate to swim in the pool. Once the cocoon-like objects are added to the water, the elderly folks start to feel the vim and vigor of their youth as their bodies magically heal and all of their health ailments begin to fade away. They strike a deal with the aliens to use the pool, but when other members of their community start to see their improvement, they want the same magic-cocoon-cure-all and threaten to ruin it for everyone.

"Age isn't everything." (Image Source)

This film starred quite the ensemble cast of veteran actors including Wilford Brimley, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Maureen Stapleton, Jack Gilford, Gwen Verdon, and Don Ameche. Shockingly, Ameche took home a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance in this film back during when lighthearted family films could still gain consideration from Oscars voters.

Very early on in his career and before becoming an Oscar-winning director, many of Ron Howard's films were simple comedies. Such is the case with "Cocoon." It is a dramedy with a sci-fi fantasy twist that revolves around a group of senior citizens as its protagonists. You might compare this to how "Splash" was a simple rom-com, but with a fantasy twist. Most of this movie is about older people discovering a real-life fountain of youth, not one that makes them look younger on the outside, but one that makes them healthy and disease-free on the inside. With lots of newfound energy, these old folks hit the town and have fun in a lot of different ways. Don Ameche, or should we say his stunt double, even gets to have a break-dancing scene because, you know, the 80's. Suddenly, all of these old men feel more virile and want to have sex again. Stuff like that. As with most movies about mature adults acting youthful, "Cocoon" is very charming and fun, but has a hefty dose of 80's cheese as well. It also has some heart, though the narrative is as simple as it comes. This film also has Academy Award-winning visual effects that may be dated a little but still get the job done.

"I can't really remember the last time I took a risk." (Image Source)

Though "Cocoon" is not Ron Howard's best film, we still appreciate this simple, sweet tale and think it mostly holds up well over time.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.7/10
RT Rating: 77%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Movie Review: "Frost/Nixon" (2008)

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Movie: "Frost/Nixon"

Year Nominated: 2009
Director: Ron Howard
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 5
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Flashy talk show host David Frost arranges a series of interviews with former President Nixon shortly after his resignation from the presidency. Frost has set up this interview at a great personal expense, though many think he is the wrong man for the job.

A movie about a series of interviews? Sounds boring as hell. Luckily, "Frost/Nixon" is anything but a snoozefest. This film is made by seasoned director Ron Howard, who has directed numerous award-winning and nominated films like "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Cinderella Man." It is written Peter Morgan and is based on his own stage play. It stars Michael Sheen and Frank Langella as the unlikely titular duo of David Frost and Richard Nixon. The film is about the lead-up and execution of David Frost's now historic interview with former president Nixon. At the time, Frost was considered a bit of a clown. Everyone said he was the wrong man for the monumental job of taking Richard Nixon to task and putting him in the hot seat post-Watergate, post-resignation, and post-pardon from Gerald Ford. Most people thought Frost would never be able to conduct the hard-hitting interview the people of the United States deserved to see, but he was determined to prove everybody wrong...while also getting huge ratings in the process.

On the surface, "Frost/Nixon" looks very obvious, like it will simply be a not-too-riveting average movie about a news interview. The actual meeting between Frost and Nixon was one of major historical significance, so when you combine a recreation of this moment with some really fantastic performances, it becomes something greater, something both compelling and timeless. In many ways, this is a classic underdog story. David Frost, a man wildly unqualified for such a lofty task, must silence the critics who say he is in over his head and must prove wrong the people who told him he should have left the interview to a "real journalist." Frost must overcome insurmountable odds and attempt to get the facts about the once most powerful man in the world and hold his feet to the fire about subjects of the utmost importance to the American people.

Michael Sheen has a tremendous charisma on screen and is amazing as David Frost. He does a wonderful job exploring a man who puts on a devil-may-care facade but deep down is struggling with the task in front of him that could ruin his career if he fails. On the other side of the coin, we have the titan, the undisputed champ, a former president who has decades of experience doing interviews and giving speeches. For such an occasion, it's Nixon's job to prepare, deny, and stall Frost's onslaught, and prepare, deny and stall he shall. Frank Langella is brilliant as Richard Nixon and captures the essence of the man without hamming it up too much (which would have been easy to do considering he was playing Richard freakin' Nixon). Langella earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in this film and it was much deserved. We honestly think his portrayal should have earned him the win. These two powerhouse performances are fantastic, but we must not forget the great supporting cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt, and Rebecca Hall. All of these actors add their own style to this fascinating true-life event. Couple the acting with Ron Howard's expert directing and the biting, important screenplay and you've got one hell of a compelling story. We love "Frost/Nixon" and think it has aged well in a decade, especially considering our current political climate.

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My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.7/10
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review #511: "Inferno" (2016)

Movie: "Inferno"
Director: Ron Howard
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 1 minutes

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Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) tries to solve a series of clues that will help prevent a virus from being unleashed that will wipe out 90% of the earth's population. 

"Inferno" is the third installment in the Robert Langdon series of book-to-film adaptations. This latest movie is once again directed by Ron Howard and is based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name, though "Inferno" is actually the fourth book in Brown's Langdon series. Tom Hanks returns to reprise his role as symbologist Robert Langdon, who begins this film by waking up in a hospital with an apparent head trauma. He has no memory of the last few days, but has been getting terrifying visions and foggy, jagged flashbacks. An Italian police officer suddenly shows up looking to kill Robert, and he is aided by his attending physician Dr. Brooks, played by Felicity Jones. Langdon must unravel a puzzle surrounding Dante's Inferno that leads to the location of a plague developed by billionaire Bertrand Zorbist, played by Ben Foster, which he hopes to use to wipe out 90% of the earth's population. Zorbist, like many maniacal movie villains, believes what he is doing is for the betterment of mankind. He thinks the only way to save the earth is to kill almost everyone on it in order to cause it pain. We have seen other villains in other films use this exact same reasoning, such as Ultron in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and Valentine in "Kingsman: The Secret Service."

This is a pretty typical, by-the-book Dan Brown adaptation, no pun intended. These films have a formula and they always follow it down to the tee. If you have seen the two previous films in the series and enjoyed them, chances are you will glean some sort of enjoyment from this picture as well. Furthermore, if you are a fan, there is also a chance you'll know what to expect, whether it be puzzles that are conveniently solved as needed by the plot, the arbitrary mistake that heads the protagonists to the wrong location, or the final twist and reveal of who the real villain is. All of this happens in the two previous films, and it happens again here. Brown and subsequently Howard don't mess with this formula, but it may be to their detriment. That being said, Ron Howard has made a concerted effort to increase the pacing of this installment. He also shortened its run time and added more action, which we appreciate, but I still found myself a little bored in the middle portion of the film, though BigJ says he personally never felt this way. The acting is serviceable overall, though the one standout is Irrfan Khan, who is given the most interesting character to work with and does an excellent job bringing his seedy character to life with an occasional moment of dark, comedic relief.

Overall, "Inferno" is another middle of the road mystery in a series full of middle of the road mysteries. All you'll find is more of the same here, but we hope this is the last time we have to expect more the same from Ron Howard and Dan Brown.

My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: ~6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~20%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Angels & Demons" (2009)

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Movie: "Angels & Demons"

Director: Ron Howard

Year: 2009

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 2 hours, 18 minutes

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is contacted by the Vatican to aid in the investigation of four kidnapped Preferiti and a stolen container of antimatter that will be used to blow up Vatican city.

See? The Illuminati ARE real!

"Angels & Demons" is the sequel to the 2006 film "The Da Vinci Code." This installment is once again directed by Ron Howard and is based on a Dan Brown novel of the same name, though with the books, "The Da Vinci Code" is the sequel to "Angels & Demons." Tom Hanks returns as symbologist Robert Langdon, who has been tapped by the Vatican to help in the investigation to locate the recently kidnapped Preferiti, the leading candidates to become the new Pope. Also stolen was a small fragment of antimatter created by the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, something a physicist has recently died for. This antimatter will be used to blow up Vatican city if the puzzle of the kidnappers is not unraveled. Joining Hanks are Ewan McGregor as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, Stellan Skarsgård as Commander Richter, a member of the Swiss guard, Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria Vetra, Langdon's attractive foreign scientist sidekick, and Pierfrancsco Favino as Inspector Olivetti, who helps Langdon and Vetra in their quest.

Much like the first film, "Angles & Demons" is loaded with jargon and exposition, though to a slightly lesser degree than its predecessor. The action and excitement is also revved up a bit as the pacing is slightly faster and the story involves a lot more intrigue. In the tradition of Dan Brown, the story is steeped in conspiracy theories about secret societies, or in this case, the Illuminati. We watch Langdon unravel the all-too convenient clues trying to decode the mystery of who is actually behind the threat and the kidnappings. He must discover if it is actually the Illuminati, or if someone with a more personal vendetta is pulling the strings. Tom Hanks does a fine job as always and the supporting cast is also very solid here. The cast and acting have never really been a problem for us, it's simply in the execution where things fall apart. The story is too implausible, and the ending also does feel a bit dragged out with a few false finishes. Again, this film is not as dragged out as its predecessor, it's just our own symbolic pattern we've uncovered while watching this series.

"Angels & Demons" remains on par with "The Da Vinci Code," if not just slightly better. It still can't rise above the same problems Howard faced in 2006 when adapting Brown's other novel: the very convenient exposition that makes the story all too easy, the difficulties adapting certain elements from page to screen, and the lack of any real mystery.

My Rating: 6/10

BigJ's Rating: 6/10

IMDB's Rating: 6.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 37%

Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "The Da Vinci Code" (2006)

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Movie: "The Da Vinci Code"

Director: Ron Howard

Year: 2006

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 2 hours, 29 minutes

Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) becomes the main suspect in the murder of his friend and colleague. Meanwhile, with the help of the victim's granddaughter Sophie (Audrey Tautou), Robert investigates clues that unravel the mystery of the Priory of Sion and discovers the secret that led to the death of his friend. 

"The Da Vinci Code" is directed by famed director Ron Howard, who has graced the cinematic world with such films as "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Frost/Nixon," as well as several others. This film is based on the best selling novel of the same name, which is written by Dan Brown. It stars Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon, an expert in historical symbols. When his friend Jacques Saunière, played by Jean-Pierre Marielle, is murdered in the Lourve, the lead investigating officer Captain Bezu Fache, played by Jean Reno, is sure Langdon is the culprit thanks to a tip from a Bishop of the Opis Dei, a strictly devout sect of the Catholic Church. Saunière, however, left some clues behind that shed a light of why he was killed. Now, with the help of Saunière's granddaughter Sophie, played by Audrey Tautou, Langdon must uncover the secret that got her grandfather killed. Joining them are the likes of Paul Bettany, Ian McKellen, and Alfred Molina.

With Ron Howard directing this film, Tom Hanks starring in it, with such a strong supporting cast, and with source material like Dan Brown's acclaimed novel "The Da Vinci Code," one would expect this adaptation to be fantastic. Unfortunately, it winds up being a very middle of the road dramatic mystery crime thriller. Tom Hanks walks around Europe while Audrey Tautou discovers random clues and spouts lines of exposition to the audience. McKellen eventually comes into the picture and offers some more exposition as far as the uncovering of clues goes, and he also gives detailed explanations of the theories that will unravel this mystery. There is a lot of jargon and talk about the Priory of Sion, the knights Templar, and supposed members of the Priory like Isaac Newton and Leonardo Da Vinci, and of course, constant talk about murder victim Jacques Saunière. Meanwhile, they are being pursued by religious zealot and the actual murderer Silas, played by Bettany, who is trying to protect a secret that could destroy the Catholic church and shatter religion as we know it. While we enjoy this notion, the execution and explanations are too convenient to the plot.

Don't mistake us, "The Da Vinci Code" isn't a bad movie, but it could be a lot more compelling than it is. It also feels a bit overly long and unnecessarily convoluted, as if there are moments that could have been shaved of to make the pacing a bit faster and the plot a bit less chaotic. Much of the dialogue is convenient to the plot, which never really makes this a guessing game so much as a "wait and be told my Hanks and Tautou" game. The acting is solid enough. Come on, is Tom Hanks ever bad? Even in a mediocre movie, he acts circles around sub-par plots. Audrey Tautou is also great, though it sounds like she's never 100% comfortable within the context of this story, or with speaking English. Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, and Ian McKellan are excellent as well, as it should be with a cast of this caliber. We just don't find the story as engaging and enthralling as we would have liked. The film overall hasn't completely stood the test of time, and we remember liking this film a bit more when it first came out.

My Rating: 6/10

BigJ's Rating: 6/10

IMDB's Rating: 6.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 25%

Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Parenthood" (1989)

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Movie: "Parenthood"
Director: Ron Howard
Year: 1989
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes

A look into the life of the Buckman family. Each of the four siblings in the Buckman clan lead very different lives and deal with parenthood in their own way based on their own unique situation.  

"Parenthood" stars an ensemble cast and focuses on the lives of the extended Buckman family. They all live in a suburb of St. Louis, and each have their own unique situation within the context of this story. Gil Buckman, played by the incomparable Steve Martin, grew up resenting his neglectful father Frank, played by Jason Robards. Gil swore things would be different when he had kids and now wants to be the perfect dad. He is willing to sacrifice everything for them just to make them happy, be it giving up time at work to coach little league or dressing up as a cowboy and performing at his kid's birthday. Despite this, his oldest son Kevin, played by Jasen Fisher, has emotional problems, and Gil and his wife Karen, played by Mary Steenburgen, are having trouble figuring out how to handle it. Gil's sister Helen, played by Dianne Wiest, is a single mother dealing with her own parenting issues. Her intelligent yet rebellious daughter Julie, played by Martha Plimpton, seems to be throwing her future away for a not-too-bright boy named Tod, played by Keanu Reeves. Helen is also having trouble with her son Garry, played by Joaquin "Leaf" Phoenix, who is closed off emotionally and distant from almost everything due to a lack of a strong male influences in his life. Gil's other sister Susan, played by Harley Jane Kozak, seems happily married to her husband Nathan, played by Rick Moranis, but behind closed doors, Nathan's obsession with raising their preschool aged daughter Patty, played by Ivyan Schwann, as a child genius ready to conquer the Ivy league system, drives a huge wedge in their relationship as their ideas about child rearing start to differ more and more over time. Finally, Gil's youngest brother Larry, played by Tom Hulce, despite being their father's clear favorite child, is the biggest screw up of the family. He is often involved with bad crowds and shady individuals and has a gambling addiction that gets him in constant trouble. Larry has just had a son he didn't know about dumped into his lap, but seems ill equipped to actually raise him. What a tangled web we weave!

First off, "Parenthood" is a tremendous yet emotional film filled with some of our favorite actors ever. It handles the drama of raising a family and intertwines it with some really great and often iconic comedic moments. The movie is able to take the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions from laughter and sadness to everything in between. Steve Martin is as funny as he has ever been here, and when thrown into a film with so many other fantastic actors, even though it can get sad, it's still a treat to watch time and time again. We believe the situations taking place here could and do happen in real life, and this believability makes it that much better and a cohesive, realistic story. Even Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, and Joaquin Phoenix, who were all practically just kids at the time, are fantastic here. These separate stories intertwine together to make for one helluvah film. Directed by Ron Howard, a name you will see quite a bit in the coming weeks on this blog, you can tell he took the time to craft what he felt was the perfect, genuine parenting movie, and to us, he succeeded. Written well, too, "Parenthood" has managed to stand the test of time and is every bit as effective now as it was in the 80's, minus all the pesky smartphones.

My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!