Ad Astra

RATING: B+

There's always a few unexpected hits in the movie world per year (or maybe less, depending on the year). The "unexpected" factor is especially true in a world of sequels, reboots and spin-offs where most of the originality comes from already-made source material rather than 100% original ideas. Ad Astra is kind of one of those--at least in that it came out of nowhere after multiple release delays and was met with heavy critical acclaim. The audience response--and box office turnout--wasn't so enthusiastic, so at this point it's been probably already almost forgotten by the average person.

Taking place an unclear amount of time in the future, this is a more cerebral sci-fi movie--but still with some degree of adventure to it. While it could be compared to Interstellar, it does seem a little more like a couple of those "action scenes" were tacked on mostly so people wouldn't fall asleep. It does help with that, but the movie doesn't really feel that boring even though it does take on a naturally slow pace.

Anyway, in this more cerebral sci-fi movie, Earth is being threatened by a catastrophe--from millions of miles away in outer space out at Neptune from a space-exploration project gone awry. So Brad Pitt's character, Roy (the heavy focus here), sets out/is sent out into outer space to find the person responsible manning the project--his long-lost father.

There's a couple different major aspects to this movie. First, there's the space travel journey in of itself. This is all done very well, as we are given a mostly-realistic depiction of things out there. And the visuals for much of what we see there are generally excellent. There's an extended sequence on the Moon that has some excellent background shots, and a lot of the exterior scenes at Neptune look terrific as well.

Then there's the character aspect--because besides the sci-fi aspect, this is more of a character study. To a degree, perhaps too much so, because sometimes the narrative itself gets a little lost in the shuffle. Still, it does prove intriguing, as we see Brad Pitt portray what is essentially a cold emotionless robot of a human being (as is pretty much required in space, apparently). We also get a lot of narration/inner dialogue from Roy, and it's here where Pitt seems to shine best in his line readings. He captures quite well the cold and melancholy side of the character.

Actually, melancholy and introspective-ness is something this film captures quite well. The soundtrack helps a lot with that. There's one extended sequence in particular which stands out as the highlight of the movie when Roy has to make the final leg of his journey to Neptune--a 79-day one, completely alone (due to various circumstances). The movie superbly captures the feeling of solitude amidst the vastness of space with the visuals as well as Pitt's performance and dialogue.

Still, amidst the movie's ambition, it does miss the mark in a few regards. As previously stated, it sometimes gets so engrossed in its character study and vision that the narrative itself gets a little lost in the shuffle. Besides Roy and his father, other characters whom are played by some respected actors/actresses (namely Donald Sutherland) are all too one-note and cast aside too quickly.

There's also a couple of wasted opportunities in the narrative that result from tunnel vision on Roy's character. There's his father Clifford, played by Tommy Lee Jones. Despite the presence he has throughout the movie, we hardly see him until the very end. And while he (narrowly) escapes being an afterthought, his character in particular deserved more focus. He plays a big role in the background, but there's not nearly enough light shed on him or what made him the way he is by the film's end. Elsewhere, we get shown a fully established Moon base--which unfortunately has brought the ills of humanity along with it. This should've had some a little more focus as well.

While Ad Astra is ultimately a quite well done thinking man's science fiction movie, it doesn't quite reach the heights of its ambition. That's perhaps in part because it gets a little too narrowly focused at times. Nevertheless, it's still a well made movie and one that's certainly worth the watching. It should particularly appeal to those who appreciate genres like sci-fi or adventure but are franchise-weary. It's not masterpiece-level, but it's probably one of the better original works you'll watch all year.

Abominable

RATING: B+

Dreamworks Animation has seriously fallen apart in recent years. Bizarrely enough, some of their sequels have been their best features, while the original films have been alarmingly below average -- both for them and for the computer-animated genre in general. Whilst getting good installments in the Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon series, we've also been given fodder such as Home, Trolls, and the dumpster fire that was The Boss Baby. This is their first original feature since the latter (also Captain Underpants--yeah, that was a thing).

This one takes place out in China, where a girl named Yi (Chloe Bennet from Agents of SHIELD) discovers a yeti out on her apartment roof. As it turns out, this yeti has escaped from a businessman's compound--and the guy (Eddie Izzard) wants him back. Thus begins a story of what starts out initially as How to Train Your Yeti, but then turns into a plot similar to Home as Yi and her two friends help get the yeti back to his home.

Despite the comparison to Home, this movie is way better. In fact, this is the best Dreamworks Animation non-sequel/spin-off in a long time (since Rise of the Guardians and Megamind). It's far more accessible than the likes of Home or Boss Baby, which felt way too kid-oriented. Yeah, this one's kid-oriented too--but it doesn't feel dumbed down, or feel only accessible to five-year-olds. This one actually has some proper heart to it, and the humor is actually funny and not cringe-worthy (unless you hate slapstick). Not to mention that a lot of the animation is gorgeous.

The characters in this are actually generally likable, and the yeti in question does endear himself fairly quick. And while the plot doesn't really break much new ground, they do pull a little bit of an "unexpected villain" twist on us. Even the soundtrack is fairly good--and that includes the occasional pop numbers they throw in, normally one of the cringe-worthy aspects of modern movies that is actually used decently here (not to mention Coldplay's "Fix You" being thrown in a good spot). So many of the problems that have plagued other Dreamworks movies in recent years or even just other computer-animated films in general are virtually nonexistent here.

Probably the biggest issue here is the yeti's magical powers that he turns out to have -- and the lack of explanation regarding them. Maybe there's some mythology regarding yetis that I'm missing out on, but it wouldn't have hurt them to explain it anyway. The problem is the insane variance these powers have. He can control the weather, but can also create a leaf whirlwind or make a dandelion turn into a makeshift hang glider... or make blueberries spontaneously grow from nothing to dangerous sizes. As you can see, sometimes some of these powers showcased are absurd. And the fact that they don't bother to explain any of it can be frustrating.

What's also notable is how sentient the non-speaking yeti quickly becomes--at first, when he sees humans, he's of course like "What is this?" and doesn't understand them. But by the halfway point of the movie, he seems to understand much of what his new human friends say. Without much explanation as to how he picked up on their language so quickly.

Aside from the occasionally frustrating plot conveniences of the yeti, there's not much to dislike here. Some might wish the plot was more original, but the movie plays the formula just fine. And even if this movie doesn't reach the category of outstanding, it doesn't give you much reason to not like it either. Abominable is an unexpected return to form for Dreamworks. Unfortunately, with sequels on the way like Trolls World Tour and Boss Baby 2, it's unlikely to last.

Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw

RATING: C

Remember when this series was about car racing? I'm not even sure Universal does anymore. We've seen this series evolve from street racing to the most ridiculous, over-the-top action franchise in existence that's been finding crazy ways to use cars or other automobiles in normal action scenes, even when it's totally impractical, as well as utilizing impossible stunts. They've gotten by due to some star power that's only increased over time, and the bits of the action that actually are entertaining. And now... we get the first spin-off in the series. Because Universal is desperate to hop on the "cinematic universe" train, and the "Dark Universe" failed after just one movie.

The concept of this movie isn't inherently bad. It wants to take the best thing of the last F&F movie--the frenemy-ship between The Rock and Jason Statham's characters--and make a buddy cop movie out of it. Not the worst idea, because they're both good action stars (who are unfortunately usually stuck in below-average movies) and they have good chemistry.

The problem is, it takes the high-tech espionage of the last 2-3 movies and ramps it up to eleven, taking the franchise straight into sci-fi territory of all things. Maybe they decided to embrace the fact that these movies are scarcely grounded in reality?

Well anyway, Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw are called in to help stop Idris Elba, who's playing a bio-warfare terrorist--who is also a human-machine hybrid. Yes, seriously. He's bulletproof, and he has some kind of computer network in his brain that allows him to anticipate fight moves before they arrive. He even calls himself "black Superman." So now, despite being completely outmatched, Hobbs and Shaw must somehow defeat this guy with the help of Deckard's sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby)--who we've never met or heard of before because... reasons.

This movie rides a fine line between being silly popcorn action and being all too over-the-top to enjoy. There's definitely some fun action here--a car/motorcycle chase midway through is a standout. And a lot of the fisticuffs scenes are enjoyable as well. The partial problem is the sci-fi plot that doesn't feel like it belongs in this kind of movie. It doesn't help that there's vague allusions to a prior series villain being involved behind the scenes here, which only serves to make the franchise further convoluted.

But the bigger problem is a lot of the ridiculous writing and dialogue. Because that's often just as over-the-top, if not more. There are a lot of forced attempts at humor that fall flat on their faces. There are some funny moments, but several of them aren't directly from the dialogue (a hilarious retinal scan scene comes to mind). There's also the inclusion of Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart; the former's presence here is just annoying, and it feels like David Leitch is trying too hard to cash in on Deadpool there. Hart is okay, but it doesn't really feel like he needs to be here--essentially a pointless cameo.

Besides the occasionally good action and the isolated humorous moments, what does work is the acting--even if a lot of the lines they're saying are ridiculous. Surprisingly, The Rock doesn't seem as invested as usual this time. But Statham is definitely enjoying himself, as is Idris Elba. Vanessa Kirby--who you might recognize from Mission: Impossible 6--is also a great female lead, continuing to show her ability with facial expressions. Eiza Gonzalez also makes the most of her limited screentime. Some will enjoy Helen Mirren in her few minutes of time as well, although it feels like she's mostly there for the paycheck.

Hobbs and Shaw does unfortunately fall short of its potential. Granted, that ceiling wasn't high to begin with, but with a leading duo like this with decent chemistry, it certainly could've been better. But it's brought down by ridiculous writing. And not to mention the direction of the plot, which I imagine isn't a good sign for the franchise. Guess the Fast & Furious franchise going to space is inevitable at this point. Anyway, if you want your fix of The Rock and Statham together, you should probably just stick with Fate of the Furious--that movie's more enjoyable anyway (as far as that goes for a F&F movie, that is).