Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Tags

Action, Animation, Comedy, Dreamworks, Family, Fantasy

Why waste your youth on worry?
Why brood on doubt and death?
When in your prime,
You have the time
To not count every breath.

It’s normal to be stupid,
Or so the stupid say.
The less you heed,
The less you need
To care about each day.

But age, regret, or wisdom
Eventually take hold
To some degree.
Stupidity
Dies out before it’s old.

It’s up to each what value
Upon their life is placed.
But when the fun
And games are done,
Don’t let it be a waste.
_____________________________

MPA rating: PG

I would not have expected one of my favorite films from last year to be a sequel separated from its franchise by eleven years, from a studio I thought I had stopped caring about. In 2022, DreamWorks Animation delivered two of their strongest films in recent years, first with The Bad Guys and then with the long-neglected sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Both clearly took inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in their dynamic, painterly animation style merging 2D and 3D, but Puss in Boots also managed to integrate it with the existing style of Shrek, to masterly effect. You may have heard others singing this film’s praises in recent months, and yep, I’m one of them.

The first Puss in Boots film was a fun standalone adventure, a spin-off of the Shrek universe focusing on Antonio Banderas’ fan-favorite character Puss in Boots, the dashing outlaw/legend of the fairy tale world. Whereas that was an origin story, The Last Wish focuses on the latter days of Puss’s illustrious career, after he’s frittered away eight of his nine lives and has grown complacent laughing in the face of death. When a mysterious wolf proves to be too much for him, the feline swordsman feels he has no choice but to retire. Yet the promise of a wish sends him rushing to find a fallen star, alongside his old flame Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault), an incessantly friendly dog (Harvey Guillén), and a collection of more cutthroat wish-seekers.

Puss in Boots can seem like the kind of character better suited for a sidekick role, his self-aggrandizing personality most appealing in small doses. Yet The Last Wish uses that to its advantage in making the preservation of that façade Puss’s driving goal while simultaneously poking holes in it through the other characters. Kitty is the only returning character from the prior film, and she represents what Puss has given up for the sake of his ego. And Guillén’s nameless mutt, nicknamed Perrito, is the kind of character that promises to be annoying yet is infectiously nice enough to win anyone over, even his begrudging feline comrades who aren’t used to unbridled sincerity.

The villains are a special highlight, an entertaining mix of characters and motivations, from Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney) as the straight evil mastermind to Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo) as a Cockney crime family with more sympathetic edges. And then there’s the Wolf (Wagner Moura), one of the best animated antagonists in recent memory, who has such an effectively chilling presence that it’s no wonder the ever fearless Puss in Boots quakes at his stark whistle. All these characters clashing periodically on the way to a shared goal may seem overly frenetic at times, but their distinct motives and the way they bounce off each other make for a highly enjoyable quest, kept unpredictable by genius creative touches like a map that changes the terrain depending on who holds it open.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a triumphant return for the long-dormant Shrek universe. It excels in that rare balance of light entertainment for kids and subtler serious themes for adults, such as the looming specter of mortality or the easily missed value of a found family. Banderas steps into the role with panache, like he never left it; Mulaney sounds like he’s having a blast hamming it up as a power-hungry villain; and Guillén brings a perfect adorability to Perrito, who is the true heart of the film. And the beautifully rendered action is top notch, using the Spider-Verse similarities to its own stylistic advantage rather than just being a copycat.

I distinctly remember watching Shrek 2 as a kid because my mom surprised me with a visit to the movies after school, and it just happened to be a great one. Somehow, I got the feeling that some kid today is going to look back on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish with the same fondness. As much as Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio deserved its accolades, I really wish that it hadn’t overshadowed DreamWorks’ best film in years. But, as this movie testifies, there are more important things than wishes anyway.

Best line (showing great comedic interactions):
(Goldilocks) “I thought you were on a spiritual retreat.”
(Kitty Softpaws) “Namaste.”
(Goldilocks) “And you’re supposed to be dead!”
(Puss) “I got better.”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

2022 Blindspot Pick #10: The Frighteners (1996)

Tags

Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

If ghosts are really dead and well
And haunting us instead of hell
Or heaven, then it’s fair to ponder
What they’re up to when they wander.

Could it be their lifeless heads
Are in our bathrooms, in our beds,
Next to us when we’re alone
To judge us and what’s on our phone?

Could it be they find their fun
In terrifying everyone?
Just float a chair or whisper “boo,”
And while you scream, they laugh at you.

Or maybe they just do their schtick
Because the dead resent the quick
And all the things they can’t enjoy
And so endeavor to annoy?

Or maybe phantoms leave a trail
Of fear to flout the coffin nail,
To prove to us as well as them
That they exist by their mayhem.

It must be hard to be a ghoul.
To be invisible is cruel.
So next time you are all alone,
Turn to the ghost you might have known
And dare to share a friendly word,
Perhaps their first since being interred.
And if they don’t scare you away,
Just know you might have made their day.
_______________________

MPA rating:  R (for violence, mostly PG-13-level except for one scene)

Yep, I’m still here catching up on my 2022 Blindspots, but I have officially seen them all! So now it’s just getting the reviews out. Though I had intended it for last Halloween, next up is a little horror film with some unlikely bedfellows in director Peter Jackson before he hit the big time with Lord of the Rings and Michael J. Fox in his last starring role, shortly before announcing his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Between Jackson’s penchant for horror comedy (much toned down here) and Fox’s natural charisma, the two proved to be a good mix, finding both humor and pathos in a tale of a con artist who can see dead people and must battle a murderous phantom only he can see.

Fox plays Frank Bannister, a self-proclaimed banisher of ghosts, who gets help in faking the hauntings in a small American town (actually Jackson’s native New Zealand) from his spectral collaborators (Chi McBride, Jim Fyfe, and John Astin). He alone can see ghosts ever since a near-death experience, and after a run-in with a boorish jock (Peter Dobson) and his kinder wife (Trini Alvarado), Frank endeavors to stop a series of sudden random deaths that seem to be caused by the Grim Reaper.

After he’d earned a name through several strictly Kiwi projects of varying taste, The Frighteners was Jackson’s first Hollywood movie, and its mishmash of genres adds to it feeling like a turning-point film, the work of someone still perfecting their talent for mainstream audiences. Despite the twisty plot and colorful performances, it seemed to me that the real intended star was the special effects provided by Weta Digital (now Weta FX) to bring the ghosts to life, particularly the villain whose shape is often seen moving underneath solid surfaces like walls. By today’s standards, those all-CGI moments now have an inescapably dated and unreal look to them, but I can imagine they were a wonder in the mid-1990s.

While Fox’s natural likeability overshadows that of his character, he nails the dramatic moments and the interactions with characters that are not actually there, since all the ghost scenes were shot twice, with and without the ghosts present. As for the antagonists, while the shadowy reaper is a formidable threat, Jeffrey Combs is a scene-stealer as Miles Dammers, the intense FBI agent trying to tie Frank to the killings. Combs was clearly channeling a neurotic Jim Carrey and is a primary source of the film’s humor, which can be hit-and-miss.

Most of the film’s mixed reviews seem to consider it “tonally uneven,” which is true, never going for full-on belly laughs or deep-seated horror. The ending especially forgoes any of the light-hearted campiness in order to make events feel as hopeless as possible for the heroes while also overdoing explanatory flashbacks. Other issues include the rather shallow romance and the fact that the harrowing opening scene doesn’t make much sense in retrospect.

I don’t mean to sound overly negative; I very much enjoyed The Frighteners and actually watched it twice. It’s not high art nor an outright dud, so it’s hard to figure out in which bucket of appreciation to place it. But it’s an entertaining amalgam of influences that deserves its cult following, and I’m grateful that it served as a stepping stone for Jackson and Weta toward The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Besides, you can’t go wrong ending a movie with “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper.”

Best line: (Frank) “You are SUCH an a**hole.”
(Dammers, unhinged) “Yes, I am. I’m an a**hole… with an Uzi.”

Rank:  List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

2022 Blindspot Pick #7: Murder By Death (1976)

Tags

Comedy, Mystery

When someone’s suspiciously murdered (which happens all the time
According to TV and film and cozy books on crime),
We normal people just freak out, too shocked to even try,
But sleuths will quickly get to work deducing who and why.

What makes a sleuth is hard to say. They’re curious and bold,
Perceptive often to a fault, and don’t do as they’re told.
They let the wheels of logic turn before they chance a guess,
And where the experts fail with more, they find success with less.

These traits are hardly out of reach, quite feasible in truth,
So average folks like you and me could well become a sleuth.
But sleuths depend on one external factor to arise:
They need the luck to be nearby when someone up and dies.
_____________________________

MPA rating: PG

Even though good ones like Knives Out and See How They Run are still being made, the murder mystery formula is old hat nowadays, and Murder by Death shows it was old hat back in 1976 too. Yet well-worn genres are ripe for parody, especially when writer Neil Simon and a star-studded cast join forces to poke fun at the most recognizable archetypes.

Having seen Glass Onion recently (review pending), I was struck by how similar the setup of that film is to this one’s premise. All the characters are invited to the home of wealthy eccentric Lionel Twain (Truman Capote in a rare acting role that earned him a Golden Globe nomination) and challenged to solve a murder. All of the main guests are acclaimed crime solvers and represent famous fictional detectives, including stand-ins for Hercule Poirot (James Coco), Sam Spade (Peter Falk), Nick and Nora Charles (David Niven and Maggie Smith), Miss Marple (Elsa Lanchester), and Charlie Chan (Peter Sellers in a yellowface role that would definitely not fly nowadays). Beyond those stars, the cast also features Sir Alec Guinness as a blind butler (which is as ridiculous as it sounds) who makes an amusing pair with a new deaf-mute cook (Nancy Walker), as well as Eileen Brennan, Estelle Winwood, and the very first role for James Cromwell.

On the scale of parody, I’d place Murder by Death somewhere around the silliness level of Mel Brooks’ lesser offerings. For most of the film, it plays as a legitimate mystery with injections of zany absurdity and dubious plot twists, and it’s a unique pleasure to have these familiar-ish detectives bounce off each other and trade one-liners, from the preening Coco to the snobby Niven to the hard-boiled Falk. Unfortunately, Sellers’ very presence with his big teeth and broken English is the picture of retroactive racism, furthered by Falk’s prejudiced interactions with him, but he still does a decent job in representing the analytical wisdom of his inspiration, still played for laughs of course. (On another note, I kind of wish there was a Charlie Chan adaptation with an actual Asian actor, modernized the way Shang-Chi was to avoid stereotypes, maybe even about his real-life inspiration Chang Apana.)

Not everyone has enough to do, with Lanchester’s character standing out the least, but Simon’s clever dialogue keeps things entertaining throughout. As an almost chamber piece, it could have made a good stage play as well. By the end, it leans more on screwball parody with a flurry of plot twists that don’t make any sense for the whodunnit but are certainly worth a chuckle, if not the laugh-out-loud experience the film was marketed to be. Likable and dated in equal measure, Murder by Death can’t compare with the recent renaissance of murder mysteries, but it’s a fun ride for those wanting to poke fun at the genre. I think I preferred Clue, though.

Best line: (Sam Diamond, played by Falk) “Locked, from the inside. That can only mean one thing. And I don’t know what it is.”

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2022 S.G. Liput
783 Followers and Counting

2022 Blindspot Pick #4: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Tags

Comedy, Horror, Musical, Sci-fi

There once was a castle perverse.
Its owner was evil and worse,
He’d break into song
While his friends sang along
Without any time to rehearse.

All visitors finding his lair
Were likely to join the nightmare,
And goody-two-shoes
Who had morals to lose
Would leave, having had an affair.

Beware then the castle debased,
If you’d choose being chaste over chased,
Unless you’re the type
Who exults in the hype
Of intentional absence of taste.
__________________________

MPA rating: R

I know this review is a little late for Halloween (and for only my fourth Blindspot), but I’ve been struggling to figure out how to review The Rocky Horror Picture Show. When a film is this iconic in its cult status, is it basically above criticism? To be clear, I did not enjoy this sex-crazed salute to campy horror, but I can see why others might. It’s the kind of over-the-top cheesefest that knows exactly what it wants to be and is so committed to it that it doesn’t matter whether I like it or not. It is what it is, and I guess it proves that a film can be both classic and atrocious at the same time.

The paper-thin story, narrated periodically by a genteel criminologist (Charles Gray), sees newly engaged couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) being stranded when their car breaks down on a dark and stormy night, leading them to the castle of the eccentric transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a scenery-chewing Tim Curry). The straight-laced couple are soon drawn into a free-for-all of seduction, murder, and musical numbers, complete with a creepy butler named Riff Raff (Richard O’Brian, who also wrote the film and the original stage show), a newly created muscle man named Rocky (Peter Hinwood), and a machine that turns people into statues.

Objectively, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a mess, as reflected by its poor reception by critics upon initial release. Characters come and go randomly, notably Meatloaf as a half-brained motorcyclist who shows up for one chaotic song and is abruptly killed for no reason. And a big stage number near the end is a fever dream of trashy costume glitz that makes zero sense, followed by a swimming pool championing wish fulfillment. In short, once Brad and Janet entered the castle, I just alternated between appreciating the music, feeling uncomfortable, and wondering what the heck I was watching, which I suspect was the intent of the filmmakers all along.

Speaking of the music, the movie does have some catchy songs to its credit (all written by O’Brien), energetic bops like “The Time Warp” and “Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul” to match its tongue-in-cheek silliness. I generally love musicals, and, while I would consider this one of the exceptions, I will grant that the music is pretty much the only thing that makes it watchable, some chuckle-worthy jokes notwithstanding. Perhaps I’d buy into the film’s bizarre brand of fun more if I attended one of the midnight showings known for audience participation, and I’m tempted to. If only I had a better baseline opinion of it….

I’m well aware that The Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t my kind of movie. I’m not a fan of watching two clean-cut kids be corrupted by an alien missionary of the sexual revolution and his motley array of perversions, even if it’s someone as charismatic as Tim Curry. I suppose that makes me a prude, but so be it; I prefer my musicals less hypersexualized. I do find it funny that my first exposure to both Curry and O’Brien was in kid-friendly cartoons where they played likable dads: Curry in The Wild Thornberrys and O’Brien in Phineas and Ferb, which were a far cry from their raucous younger days. I’m glad I’ve seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show at least once, if only to understand its iconic cult reputation, but it’s a cult I’d prefer to avoid.

Best line: (Dr. Frank-N-Furter) “It’s not easy having a good time.”

Rank: Dishonorable Mention

© 2022 S.G. Liput
780 Followers and Counting

2022 Blindspot Pick #3: Better Off Dead (1985)

Tags

Comedy, Romance

I lost my girl, I lost my job,
I lost my status to a mob,
So now I’ll simply sit and sob
The tears that only I shed.

‘Tis better for me to decease.
I guess I won’t renew my lease.
I’m done with living; rest in peace.
I know I’m better off dead.

I’ll tell myself that no one cares.
They shouldn’t be caught unawares
When my life’s clearly worse than theirs.
I bet they’ll party instead.

I see the headlines: “Loser Gone!”
Not much, of course, to write upon.
I’m lucky if I’ll get a yawn,
Assuming it even is read.

Wait, who’s that girl I just now saw?
She smiled at me! I withdraw
My claiming of the final straw.
I may not be better off dead.
___________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

What have I been up to? Because it certainly hasn’t been movie reviews. While I regret the delay, let’s just say I’m trying to expand my skills from poet to lyricist. 😉 Still, it’s past time for me to return to my Blindspot series. Considering I had never heard of it till fairly recently, Better Off Dead clearly doesn’t have the nostalgic reputation that ‘80s films like Ferris Bueller or Say Anything have, but I dare say it deserves to. This droll John Cusack vehicle has a lot to love, just perhaps a bit rough around the edges.

California high schooler Lane Myer (Cusack) is obsessively in love with his popular girlfriend Beth (Amanda Wyss), so he doesn’t take it well when she leaves him for a pompous skiing jock (Aaron Dozier). A proven loser with little reason to live, he makes several attempts to end his heartache permanently, though they thankfully always go absurdly wrong. It isn’t until a French exchange student living across the street (Diane Franklin) encourages him that he starts seeking a way to prove himself as more than a suicidal slacker.

In many ways, this movie is like the anti-Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, with Lane Myer being the perpetual loser in contrast to Matthew Broderick’s born-lucky protagonist, more akin to Ferris’s mopey friend Cameron. Some of the same gags are even inverted, as when an entire math class, minus Lane, eagerly volunteer to answer questions with a comical passion for dull math concepts spouted by the teacher (Vincent Schiavelli). The end of the credits even bears a message saying “the film’s over… you can go now.” Of course, Better Off Dead came out a year before Ferris Bueller, but I doubt there was any actual influence from either, probably.

While the title and description seem to focus on Lane’s suicidal mishaps, that dark humor is actually not as prevalent as you might expect. There are plenty of other recurring gags surrounding his stoner friend (Curtis Armstrong), his ridiculously talented little brother who can follow instructions to accomplish just about anything, the neighborhood’s disturbingly relentless paper boy, and the awkward romantic efforts of the mama’s boy across the street (Dan Schneider), all of which add up into a patchwork of absurdity that gets funnier with time. (Okay, maybe the paper boy gets old after a while.) Not to mention, the most memorable sequences involve surreal injections of animation, as when Lane argues with a drawing of his ex-girlfriend or when he fantasizes about bringing to life a hamburger that sings suspiciously like Eddie Van Halen.

Better Off Dead isn’t always as funny as it tries to be and often lacks cohesion, making it feel like a series of unrelated comedy skits, at least until a plot emerges from the silliness. Still, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and it could easily have been a staple in my house if only it would be shown on TV as often as Ferris Bueller was. While critics and Cusack himself were disappointed with the finished film, I admired its game cast (including Kim Darby and an accentless David Ogden Stiers as Lane’s quirky parents) and a sweet ‘80s soundtrack with the likes of Neil Sedaka and Hall and Oates. And by the end, it delivers a surprisingly encouraging romance and message out of the grim premise, making it an uneven but wholly likable teen comedy.

Best line: (Lane) “Gee, I’m real sorry your mom blew up, Ricky.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2022 S.G. Liput
780 Followers and Counting

Enola Holmes (2020)

Tags

Comedy, Drama, Family, Mystery, Netflix

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a cento, a tricky form made up of lines borrowed from other poems. I probably spent more time on this hodgepodge of feminism than anything else this month. I only changed some punctuation here, and I’ve included annotations for where I found each line at the bottom of this post.)

I have not stood long on the strand of life,
And I’m learning (though it sometimes really hurts me)
The irresponsibility of the male.
Everything was theirs because they thought so;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty,
And you just know he knows he knows
The woman to be nobler than the man.
Meekly we let ourselves be diverted,
And woman in a bitter world must do the best she can.

Mere women, personal and passionate,
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
‘Thou shalt not live by dreams alone.
Go, gird thyself with grace; collect thy store
Of blue midsummer loveliness,
Of love’s austere and lonely offices,
Of lads that wore their honors out,
Of lusting, laughter, passion, pain.’

In Criticks hands, beware thou dost not come.
Why do you show only the dark side?”
It’s the keeping-your-chin-up that’s hard.
For men may come and men may go,
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
I might as well be glad!
I shall not pass this way again.
________________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

While playing Eleven in Stranger Things made an instant star out of Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes let her put that star power to use as not only the titular character but also a producer for this adaptation of Nancy Springer’s YA book series, one of Brown’s favorites as a child. As the previously unknown sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes (here played by Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin, respectively), Enola shares their natural precociousness, thanks in large part to the unconventional homeschooling of her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter). When Eudoria suddenly disappears, leaving only vague clues behind, Enola flees the expectations of her brothers to become a conforming Victorian lady and runs off to London in search of her mum while also stumbling into a murder plot involving a young marquess (Louis Partridge).

Despite some menace and light violence, the film is a light-hearted affair through and through, and I’m glad to see that clean, tween-friendly adventures of this quality are still being made. Brown shows far more charisma than in the role of Eleven and uses it to playful effect as she breaks the fourth wall, conversing freely with the audience like a first-person narrator. Some Sherlock Holmes fans might be disappointed (I understand many were) with Cavill’s restrained and less-than-omniscient portrayal of the famous detective, but he’s more of a side character here and still employs his famed deductive ability on occasion. Claflin’s Mycroft is more of an antagonist, acting as the aggressively traditional authority figure trying to crush Enola’s spirited individuality with corsets and boarding school, which by now have become clichéd forms of Victorian oppression.

The period costumes and locations are top-notch, and Enola’s puzzle-solving and gentle subversions keep the plot engaging, despite it feeling overly complex at times. One element that felt odd was Enola’s mother, who is shown to be her hero and dearest inspiration for thinking outside the box yet also is implied to be involved in some kind of feminist terrorist plot. That storyline is never resolved, and her final scene doesn’t really compensate for how she abandoned her daughter without explanation, leaving her character in a strange position of semi-sympathy. Hopefully, the sequel due later this year will address that further and give Brown another opportunity to bring her appealing character to life.

Best line: (Sherlock, giving sleuthing advice) “Look for what’s there, not what you want to be there.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2022 S.G. Liput
772 Followers and Counting

Annotated poem:

‘I have not stood long on the strand of life, (Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
And I’m learning (though it sometimes really hurts me) (“Learning” by Judith Viorst)
The irresponsibility of the male (“Parturition” by Mina Loy)
Everything was theirs because they thought so. (“The Last One” by W. S. Merwin)
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty (“When I Was One-and-Twenty” by A.E. Housman)
And you just know he knows he knows. (“The Sloth” by Theodore Roethke)
The woman to be nobler than the man, (Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
Meekly we let ourselves be diverted (“Great Infirmities” by Charles Simic)
And woman in a bitter world must do the best she can. (“The Harpy” by Robert Service)

Mere women, personal and passionate, (Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
Somewhere ages and ages hence: (“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost)
‘Thou shalt not live by dreams alone (“Religious Instruction” by Mina Loy)
Go, gird thyself with grace; collect thy store (“The Rights of Women” by Anna Laetitia Barbald)
Of blue midsummer loveliness, (“A Summer Morning” by Rachel Field)
of love’s austere and lonely offices? (“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden)
Of lads that wore their honors out (“To an Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman)
Of lusting, laughter, passion, pain, (“Prelude” from Ballads of a Bohemian by Robert Service)

In Criticks hands, beware thou dost not come; (“The Author to Her Book” by Anne Bradstreet)
Why do you show only the dark side?” (“Käthe Kollwitz” by Muriel Rukeyser)
It’s the keeping-your-chin-up that’s hard. (“The Quitter” by Robert Service)
For men may come and men may go (“The Brook” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson)
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends— (“First Fig” by Edna St. Vincent Millay)
I might as well be glad!” (“The Penitent” by Edna St. Vincent Millay)
I shall not pass this way again. (“I Shall Not Pass This Way Again” by Anonymous)

Stan and Ollie (2018)

Tags

Biopic, Comedy, Drama

(Sadly, I missed another day yesterday, thanks to an unpleasant misadventure that spoiled my creative mood, but I’m back for the home stretch. Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for an epic simile, a more detailed and flowery comparison like those of Homer and Milton.)

As when the soldier staggers home to stay
And greets the eyes of wife and son and daughter
With satisfaction that his time away
Has made them safer from the tides of slaughter,

Or as the shrewd inventor lays his last
Concluding touch upon the work of years
With satisfaction that the future vast
Will see his name alive among his peers,

Or as the farmer tends his fussy field
To balance needs of water, sun, and shade,
With satisfaction seeing labor yield
The fruits that prove his knowledge of his trade,

So did the two comedians on stage
Endure each other’s kicks and pokes and taunts,
Still satisfied as crowds of every age
Would laugh and share what every showman wants.
__________________________

MPA rating: PG

While I consider myself a cinephile, I must admit I have never seen any of the dozens of films in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy starred, though I think everyone recognizes their names as icons of comedy. Yet even with my limited knowledge of the bowler-hatted duo, I can tell that Steve Coogan as Laurel and John C. Reilly as Hardy do a marvelous job replicating their acclaimed slapstick down to their physicality, which is made obvious when the actual Laurel and Hardy are shown during the end credits. While an early scene (with one of those marvelous tracking shots that I love) shows them in their Hollywood prime, most of the film is set in 1953 when the pair were struggling to capitalize on their former fame through a music hall tour of the UK and Ireland. Having had a falling out years before, they attempt to recreate their comedic chemistry on stage, while dealing with sparse opportunities, old resentments, and Hardy’s failing health.

At first, the comedy routines recreated by Coogan and Reilly seemed too simple and quaint, but as we see audiences howling with laughter at their antics, it became clear just how far modern comedy has strayed from its humble roots and how much easier to please and impress audiences were in decades past. Yet their high jinks do have an innocent charm that comes through here, even as the film shows the discord and physical strain that was only visible offstage. Reilly is especially game wearing a fat suit, but both leads are excellent while never showboating; the same is true for Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda as their wives, who have their own odd-couple chemistry while clearly caring for their husbands’ welfare. By the end, there’s a feeling of triumph in something as simple as a vaudeville dance, highlighting how rare and lovable their partnership was. Even if you haven’t seen the original Laurel and Hardy, Stan and Ollie makes clear their understated talent and bond, a small but sweet testament to two comedy legends who shouldn’t be forgotten.

Best line: (Stan Laurel) “You know, when you watch our movies, nobody else in the stories knows us, and we don’t know anybody either. It was just the two of us. All we had was each other.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2022 S.G. Liput
770 Followers and Counting

Palm Springs (2020)

Tags

Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a poem featuring repetition, so what better film to inspire me than one about a time loop?)

I woke up this morning
And jumped out of bed.
I woke up this morning
And lay there instead.

I woke up this morning
To paint the town red.
I woke up this morning
And ended up dead.

I woke up this morning,
My wild oats spread.
I woke up this morning
To tears and bloodshed.

I woke up this morning
And panicked and fled.
I woke up this morning
And just shook my head.

I woke up this morning,
To nothing but dread.
I woke up this morning
With nothing ahead.

I woke up this morning
Again, as I said.
I woke up this morning,
Tomorrow still gone.
So how many mornings
Will this hell go on?
______________________

MPA rating: R (mainly for language)

Time loop movies have gotten a sudden surge of interest recently, from the action of Boss Level to the teen romance of The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (both of which I still need to see), but 2020’s Palm Springs was a pandemic-era hit that brought the subgenre to the fore. I don’t want to sound dismissive, but no time loop movie will ever top the fantastically original Groundhog Day, which every other such film will inevitably be compared to and found lacking. Still, Palm Springs proves there’s room for more than just one ‘90s classic.

Set in the titular California desert resort, Palm Springs mixes up the usual time loop scenario by throwing in two loopers (well, actually three) rather than a single sufferer. The two in question are wedding guest Nyles (Andy Samberg) and the sister of the bride Sarah (Cristin Milioti), both of whom stumble upon a mysterious energy source within a cave at different times and end up endlessly repeating the wedding day, “one of those infinite time loop situations you might have heard about,” as Nyles calls it. Like Bill Murray did before, the reactions of the pair range from hedonism to despair to eventual nihilism as they both decide that nothing matters when time itself won’t let you move forward or even die, though each of them are in the rare position of having someone else sharing the same predicament, someone who may offer them something worth caring about.

I can certainly appreciate an unconventional rom com, and Samberg and Milioti make a likable pair to root for… eventually. Truth be told, I didn’t much enjoy either of them at the beginning, owing to their casual promiscuity and growing cynicism, but they both reach a point where they realize their own failings and strive to be better. And while one finds their way to an actual solution to the time loop problem, the other grows confident enough to give a stirring confession of love reminiscent of the end of When Harry Met Sally…. Plus, there’s J.K. Simmons as a third time looper who naturally steals his few scenes with a different response to eternity than the other two.

I suppose my main complaint is one that few will share, just disappointment that this had to be R-rated when Groundhog Day remained clean enough to be watchable by all. Even so, Palm Springs caters to my fondness for time loop stories and becomes a far more satisfying and endearing rom com than I expected from its first half. Like its predecessor, it cleverly finds ways to keep its potential repetition from getting boring and has more original ideas than its borrowed concept might indicate, so I can give it some respect. But Groundhog Day was still better.

Best line: (Nyles) “You’re my favorite person that I’ve ever met, and, yes, I know that it’s crazy odds that the person I like the most in my entire life would be someone I met while I was stuck in a time loop, but you know what else is crazy odds, getting stuck in a time loop…”

Rank:  List Runner-Up

© 2022 S.G. Liput
767 Followers and Counting

Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

Tags

Comedy, Sci-fi

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to anthropomorphize some food, so I took a glimpse into the inner life of leftovers.)

My leftovers were waiting, ever patient in the fridge.
They watched the inner door with bated breath.
They didn’t have a doubt
That the light (which does go out)
Would return to bring the sweet release of death.

They had their shining hour, hot and fresh upon the stove,
And relished in the sounds of tasty bliss.
But now they lingered, cold,
Fighting off the scourge of mold,
Till their maker came to show them the abyss.

At last, the door reopened, and they felt the microwaves
That brought them (almost) back into their prime.
Though their flavor might have waned,
Their appeal had been maintained,
And they heard my satisfaction one last time.
_______________________

MPA rating: PG-13

One more example of Hollywood resurrecting old beloved franchises for the sake of nostalgia (and money), Bill and Ted Face the Music is a fond rehash that also has the unfortunate feel of death warmed over. Decades after Bill Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted Logan (Keanu Reeves) had their Excellent Adventure through history and Bogus Journey into hell, Bill and Ted are washed-up suburban dads who have yet to write the song that will supposedly save the world. However, the pressure is suddenly cranked up when Rufus’s daughter (Kristen Schaal) arrives to notify them that the deadline is that very night to stave off the destruction of time and reality. While Bill and Ted look for short cuts by visiting their future selves, it’s their daughters Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving) who actually try writing the song and recruiting various musicians across history to help.

It’s best to go into a Bill and Ted movie with zero expectations and just let the goofiness of its title dimwits lead you along. Reeves and Winter never took themselves seriously in the roles, but here they tow the line between phoning it in and just having fun with their mellow performances. Surprisingly, Weaving and Lundy-Paine manage to capture their former amusingly brainless energy better than the returning stars. Bill and Ted Face the Music is made for undemanding fans of the original films, playing like a greatest hits compilation, from revisiting the pale-faced Death (William Sadler) to a hopeful rock-and-roll finale, and while the jokes can’t help but feel tired, it’s a likable epilogue to the Wyld Stallyns’ time-hopping adventures.

Best line: (Bill, after some “success”) “Ted, that totally worked!” (Ted) “Yeah; maybe we should always not know what we’re doing.”

Rank:  Honorable Mention

© 2022 S.G. Liput
767 Followers and Counting

Father Stu (2022)

Tags

Biopic, Comedy, Drama

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was about dogs, but it’s Easter, so I went in a somewhat more religious direction instead.)

There lives a Light, a Whisper in the depths of every heart,
And every one is different in its susurrating art.
We’re welcome to ignore it,
Just as much as to explore it,
Or to drown it out or call it all imagined from the start.

We have no obligation to give credence to its needs,
But everyone in history who’s done praiseworthy deeds,
Who’s sacrificed or died
In a way deserving pride,
Has followed that small Whispering no matter where it leads.
_______________________________

MPA rating:  R (solely for language)

Faith-based films have gotten a bad rap in terms of general quality and appeal, and it’s not entirely undeserved since so many feel designed to convert rather than entertain. Christians like me may agree with the message, but preaching to the choir gets old after a while and is unlikely to sway nonbelievers. That generalization may make non-Christians roll their eyes at a film like Father Stu, Mark Wahlberg’s sincere biopic about boxer-turned-priest Stuart Long. That’s certainly what many critics seem to be doing with their reviews, but I would point out the wide disparity between the 45% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and the 95% from audiences.

In the film, Stuart Long is, to put it bluntly, a low-class loser, the kind of lout who flaunts his charming smile when in a good mood but is quick to throw a punch when annoyed. His boxing career has hit its end, and despite the concerns of his mother (Jacki Weaver) and scorn of his deadbeat father (Mel Gibson), he decides to head out to Hollywood to be an actor. When his courtship of a devout Catholic girl (Teresa Ruiz) exposes him to religiosity, a near-death accident convinces him to unexpectedly seek the priesthood, no matter what doubts and physical limitations stand in his way.

Father Stu is certainly not the typical “faith-based film,” sporting an R rating for the abundant profanity from mainly Stu and his parents. Stu himself is no altar boy, expressing either contempt or flippancy toward the traditions of the Catholic church he wanders into and viewing it as merely a means to win over a pretty girl. His scoffing answers to some of the platitudes tossed his way act as the eye-roll cynical viewers might share, yet that blue-collar frankness becomes a strength when he decides to recognize that God might have a plan for him. One scene with a group of convicts during a prison visit highlights the contrast between Stu and one of his priggish fellow seminarians (Cody Fern), where the latter’s by-the-book moralizing may work well in a church setting but is unlikely to win over those not predisposed to listen. Stu doesn’t have fancy metaphors or perfect English, but he clearly relates to the down and out, which is half the battle in trying to reach an audience.

Father Stu is one of the few faith-based films that I think might actually have a chance at reaching nonbelievers with its message. It clearly hasn’t reached the critics, who seem to be complaining that it doesn’t “resonate” with its “inert” and “clumsy” attempt at inspiration, yet what doesn’t “resonate” with one reviewer very well might with others. I found plenty to admire, from Stu’s effort to control his short temper to his comparing himself with other reformed bad boys, like St. Augustine and St. Francis, to highlight how God can use anyone for His purposes. The gradual change he sparks in his father Bill is also moving, and Gibson manages to fit subtle regret beneath his constant bickering with Stu, especially by the end.

With both physical and spiritual transformations (and despite a mumbling drawl that can make him hard to understand at times), Wahlberg delivers the best performance I’ve seen from him, making me wish he could snag an Oscar nomination, though I know the Academy won’t allow that. It’s hard to say exactly how effective Father Stu is at inspiring since inspiration can obviously vary quite a bit among viewers, but it’s easily one of the best and best-written Christian films I’ve watched and one that even nonbelievers should appreciate to find the value in suffering. The heavy foul language makes me waver on whether it should be List-Worthy or a List Runner-Up, but I try to appraise films without regard to profanity, which in this case serves a purpose in highlighting Stu’s evolution from a crude roughneck to true believer. Whatever you may think of Wahlberg or Gibson or Christian films in general, there’s no denying the film’s sincerity at bringing Father Stu’s story to life.

Best lines: (Bill Long) “A man don’t lose when he gets knocked down, but when he won’t get up.”
and
(Father Stu) “We shouldn’t pray for an easy life, but the strength to endure a difficult one.”

Rank:  List-Worthy

© 2022 S.G. Liput
765 Followers and Counting

Happy Easter to all!