‘The Wild Robot’ Asks if a Machine Can Access Its Parental Instinct for a Goose

September 25, 2024

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Does she have the programming to be a mother? Let’s find out! (CREDIT: DreamWorks)

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames

Director: Chris Sanders

Running Time: 102 Minutes

Rating: PG for Fiery Action and Mild Animal Mortality

Release Date: September 27, 2024 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: A service robot washes ashore on an island dense with all sorts of animal residents. But this metal creature is supposed to serve humans! But not to worry, as ROZZUM Unit 7134, aka Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) can learn new languages with no trouble at all, so soon enough she’s able to communicate with all the local wildlife in their native tongues. That certainly comes in handy, because in her tireless efforts to offer assistance, she accidentally destroys a goose nest, save for one egg. And when it hatches, the little gosling (voiced by Boone Storme as a baby and Kit Connor when he grows up) imprints on Roz as if she’s his mother. She calls him Brightbill, and she must then prepare him for the upcoming winter migration, which may just require some emotional bonding that isn’t exactly in her programming, though a sojourn in the wilderness might just change that.

What Made an Impression?: What is Love?: Early in The Wild Robot, Roz matter-of-factly admits, “I do not have the programming to be a mother.” Plenty of human mothers have said some variation on this statement, but their kids turned out okay. And maybe non-human animal mothers have also said this in their own animal languages. An opossum voiced by Catherine O’Hara with a bunch of babies hanging onto her fur certainly admits as much to Roz. But are emotions and genuine affection only the domain of the living? Certainly not on the big screen, as Roz is just the latest in a long line of fictional synthetic creatures to transcend their programming in the name of love. But really, she is just following her prime directive of dedicated service to its most logical and satisfying conclusion.
Keeping It Foxy: I kind of want to leave this review rather succinct and just end on that note of love. But I also feel compelled to at least mention the #2 critter on the call sheet, as Roz strikes up an unlikely friendship with an otherwise defiantly independent fox named Fink. His mischievous vibe is similar to that of a certain blue hedgehog, which is why I spent the whole movie thinking that he was voiced by Ben Schwartz, when in actuality he was voiced by Mr. Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal. So good job embodying the impish spirit of Mr. Schwartz, Pedro! Whether on purpose or by total coincidence, it was absolutely the right choice.

The Wild Robot is Recommended If You Like: A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Babe, Homeward Bound

Grade: 4 out of 5 Universal Dynamics

‘The Fall Guy’ is a Love Letter to Stunt Performers (Emphasis on the Love)

April 30, 2024

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Fall in May (CREDIT: Universal Pictures)

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu

Director: David Leitch

Running Time: 126 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Blank Gunfire, Real Gunfire, Prop Swords, Real Falls

Release Date: May 3, 2024 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: At the beginning of The Fall Guy, stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) takes a great fall. But unlike Humpty Dumpty, the folks around him are ultimately able to put him back together again. Although he’s certainly not without his scars, both physical and emotional. A serious on-set injury has prompted him to disappear from his Hollywood career and his girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). But just when he thinks he’s out for good, his old producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) pulls him back in with an offer he can’t refuse: head Down Under to Sydney to become the stunt double once again for major star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in Metalstorm, Jody’s epic sci-fi romance directorial debut. But there’s also a side mission in the offing, as Gail tells Colt that the real reason he’s here is to track down the missing Tom and bring him back to set. So Colt straps in his mouthguard and turns into a special agent as various versions of Kiss’ “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” keeps playing during all of the most pivotal moments.

What Made an Impression?: A Feature-Length Campaign: The Fall Guy is based on a 1980s TV show starring Lee Majors about stunt performers who are bounty hunters on the side, and it’s directed by David Leitch, a former stuntman and stunt coordinator himself. It’s no surprise then that Leitch has honored his brethren by what is essentially a two-hour video editorial arguing in favor of a stunt category at the Academy Awards. The stunt community and plenty of film lovers have been pushing that idea for years, and with the recent announcement of the addition of a Casting Oscar, can stunts be far behind? After watching The Fall Guy, it’s impossible not to appreciate the contributions of stunt workers on both a technical and an artistic level. It’s also impossible not to recognize them as whole human beings with fascinating interior lives who deserve to be recognized as much as anybody else.
A Mature Series of Conversations: Emily Blunt is one of Earth’s most captivating actors, and Ryan Gosling is endlessly charming, so it’s no surprise that Colt and Jody’s love story is filled with wit, honest longing, and karaoke. Furthermore, I was pleased that it reminded me of Blunt and Matt Damon in 2011’s The Adjustment Bureau, but whereas that earlier romance pulled off the sublime feelings of a fateful first encounter, The Fall Guy sparks with the maturity of a shared history. Colt and Jody are thoughtful and caring towards each other, and despite the pain of their separation, neither of them can quite fathom why they spent so much time apart. And neither can we, as they slip so easily into their natural roles of each other’s inspirations. Metalstorm and Tom’s absence are making everything much more stressful than they surely wanted their reunion to be, but it’s often the high-stress episodes that deepen our relationships for the better.

The Fall Guy is Recommended If You Like: Self-aware split-screen, Cars on fire, Hearts on fire

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Stunts

‘Joy Ride’ Puts the Pedal to the Metal, But Does It Also Deliver the Laughs?

July 6, 2023

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , Leave a comment

They love to ride. (CREDIT: Ed Araquel/Lionsgate)

Starring: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu

Director: Adele Lim

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Rating: R for Some Quick Outrageous Nudity and Non-Stop Outrageous Dialogue

Release Date: July 7, 2023 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) have been inseparable besties since they met on the playground as kiddos. But now that they’re young adults, their lives have turned out a little differently. Audrey is a high-powered attorney, while Lolo is a struggling artist, and proud of it. When Audrey’s job sends her off to China to land a big new client (Ronny Chieng), it’s also an opportunity for her and Lolo to get in touch with their roots. Audrey was born in China and adopted by white American parents, while Lolo is a second-generation Asian American. The dynamics get a little bumpy along the way when they’re joined by Lolo’s awkward cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) and rather snippy when they’re accompanied by Audrey’s college friend Kat (Stephanie Hsu). But these ladies are so horny and outrageous that shenanigans were always going to be part of the agenda. Amidst this whirlwind, will they somehow also have time to meet Audrey’s birth mother?

What Made an Impression?: Asians Represent: Joy Ride is at its strongest when interrogating what it means to these characters to be Asian American and exist within the wider Asian cultural world in general. The endearing opening scene features Audrey’s parents (David Denman, Annie Mumolo) asking Lolo’s mom and dad if their little girl is Chinese. It’s obviously an uncomfortable question to field from random white people, until they see the little Asian girl hiding behind them. Similar fun is had when the girls land in China, and Lolo runs through a taxonomy of various Asian people, along with a harried warning not to confuse the visiting Koreans with the home citizens.
Coming in Hot: The Joy Ride crew aims for a “girls can just be as gross as the guys!” ethos, which is a valiant enough goal. But I fear that the outrageous-to-funny ratio might have been zapped up way too far in one direction. Your mileage may vary, but I found myself exhausted much more often than I was laughing. Maybe it was just a weird day for me, and perhaps the chuckles could come on a more receptive moment. Nevertheless, I appreciate the effort, and the uniqueness therein. After all, what other movie in this genre would have retired NBA All-Star Baron Davis show up as himself to save the day?
Tattoo You: While the outrageousness wasn’t always working for me in the humor department, I couldn’t help but be struck by a recurring gag about a tattoo on a very sensitive area of Kat’s anatomy. There’s constant speculation from the others about the ink’s design, and the eventual reveal certainly doesn’t flinch. How much it makes you laugh will depend on your sensibilities, but no matter what, it delivers plenty of cosmic energy.
A Sight for Sore Eyes: Joy Ride and I are on the same wavelength when it settles down and lets its character truly take stock of their situations. And in one of those moments, a familiar actor shows up in a surprise role and really brings the emotion home. I won’t spoil who exactly that is (though you can certainly look it up online if you’re happy to be teased), though I will say that this person delivers exactly what is needed with wisdom and grace.

Joy Ride is Recommended If You Like: Mining quarter-life crises for comedy, K-pop, Getting sloppy 24/7

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Tattoos

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’: Accurate

March 31, 2022

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Everything Everywhere All at Once (CREDIT: Allyson Riggs/A24)

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr.

Directors: Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Running Time: 139 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: March 25, 2022 (Theaters)

Everything Everywhere All at Once captures how I feel all the time. I’m not always an outwardly emotional person, but inside I’m perpetually cooking in much the same way that the multiverse is constantly bumping up against itself in the Daniels’ vision. (Damn, Daniels.) Basically, so many of my daily thoughts are something along the lines of, “What do I have to do to make my life a recreation/mashup of The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Rick and Morty, In the Mood for Love, 2001, Kill Bill, Ratatouille, and that SNL sketch about googly eyes with Christopher Walken?” And now some folks actually went ahead and did it!

Grade: Everything out of Everything!