Reel Reviews

Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens -- Those of a cynical mind might view the derivative nature of this outing--it is an almost blow by blow remake of the original 1977 story--as purposeful exploitation of a) an older, captive fanbase audience, and b) a new, younger generation of potential audience members who don't know from the original anyway, and won't be able to recognize the recycling. It is very likely that that cynical view is 100% true, but that does not necessarily toss this film onto the trash heap. The characters old and new are engaging (the newcomers acquit themselves very well), the movie looks beautiful, and at no point did I find my attention wavering during its relatively long running time. Ultimately, one should probably take this installment for what it is: a decent "soft" reboot of the franchise that, perhaps, raises a new hope for better things to come.

Reel Reviews

Taken 3 -- It would be too much to ask for a second sequel to be as close to as good as the original. This copy of a copy is, of course, nothing close to the first entry, and by the end the threads start to feel very frayed, and the plot twists border on the absurd. But for the most part, this is a fairly entertaining outing, another chance to see Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills do his lethal and chaotic thing, which is still a hoot. I wouldn't go out on a limb and call this flick necessary, but it's not as awful as it could have been. That may be grading on a very forgiving curve, but that's the benefit you get when you've previously built up audience goodwill (Avengers producers, take note).

Reel Revews

Avengers: Age of Ultron -- Oh, boy. I warned in the review of the previous Avengers movie that the property was dangerously close to being little more than empty--and not very intelligent--spectacle. It's hard to argue that this entry in the series (there will be a third, per the promise in the credits) doesn't tip over that edge and descend into utter schlock. This is really a baffling outcome; these characters somehow work far better on their own, and the humor that should be a big part of such a "fun" franchise is again largely missing here. Given the inputs--including the very sharp Joss Whedon directing again--it makes no sense that this movie should be the fairly joyless exercise that it is. I suppose, if you're into the genre, you must watch these Avengers flicks, just to keep pace with developments that affect the rest of the individual storylines. But please, don't pay for any more of this nonsense; check it out from the library if you need to get your fix.

Reel Reviews

The Martian -- This movie has its weaknesses; a large dose of predictability mixed with plenty of moviemaking and story clichés come immediately to mind. But its strengths are very strong, including an excellent cast in top form and an inherently interesting premise. And the film's greatest strength of all may be its most important trait: its high level of intelligence, particularly in its depiction of science not just as an airy concept, but as a practical way to solve problems. If enough people watch this movie, and absorb its scientific frame of mind, it might nudge this world towards being a place that's a little bit better than the ignorant, superstitious madhouse where we currently live.

Reel Reviews

Mad Max: Fury Road -- Talk about not taking the path of least resistance. This hyperextended action sequence--it strains the language to call it a story--can at least be said to be honest: it delivers exactly what you expect of a movie about everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic, insane Australian, without any other promises. The delivery in this case is an almost indescribable orgy of mayhem--a breathtaking spectacle of violence that does provide a rush of visceral fun. On the other hand, there's a bit too much predictability here, not to mention a sense, when all is said and done, that there really wasn't much point to the whole proceedings. The same thing could have been accomplished, apparently, with a simple assassination. If you're the type who gets his jollies from this sort of craziness, then sure, this is the film for you. But if you expect a little more from your mayhem than just, well, mayhem...then there may be better things you can do with your time.

Reel Reviews

Run All Night -- And a grim time was had by all. This is some pretty dark stuff here, which perhaps should be a point in this film's merit. This violence has consequences, and there's a strong message here that says a life of crime comes back to get you, even if you skirt the law in the process--an interesting deviation from most flicks in the genre. On the other hand, there's a certain lack of originality here; the plot, including the "flash ahead" device, is fairly well-worn, and you can tell pretty much what's going to happen all the way through. Overall, it's a tough call; I can see recommending this movie, but I can also see its demerits, too. If you really dig these Liam Neeson shoot 'em ups, the go for it; otherwise, maybe you can find a better film to give your two hours to.

Wordsmith

Another term for Stephen's Dictionary:

Generation AA
[Proper noun]
Pronounced "Generation Double A" -- Term for any member of the vaguely under 30 years-of-age cohort; derives from the fact that whenever I have to deal with any of their ilk, I wind up wanting to beat them with a sock filled with batteries. ("Double A" refers to the common small cell batteries.)

Reel Reviews

A Most Violent Year -- Watching this movie is an extraordinary experience, not just because the story and performances are good (they are, very much so), but because the world it depicts (a gang war between heating oil companies in New York City in 1981) seems so alien to those of us living today--even if you're old enough to remember that year. The story is compelling, but what really drives this film is the performances of the leads; Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain skillfully rebut any arguments that the best actors these days only come from England (or maybe Australia). Both of them are riveting in their roles, particularly Isaac (who continues to demonstrate that he may now be the premier American actor of today). And Albert Brooks is brilliant (and almost unrecognizeable) as Abel's lawyer/consigliere. Overall, this is a mesmerizing study of a time and a place long gone but brought back to life by exceptional talents.

Reel Reviews

The Imitation Game -- Much of what you see here is actually very standard, boilerplate "outsider" drama, set in the equally standard venue of a World War II movie. The loser who ultimately wins, the challenge to authority, the competition won--it's all there, as it is in a hundred other films. So why is this movie different? Different enough to be really, really good? Two things. One, the true story goes beyond the win to show the outsider ultimately losing (though with a winning legacy); and two (and this is the thing that really makes the movie worth watching), the expert execution of the presentation, particularly in the job the actors do in inhabiting their roles. Special performances by the leads (and, for that matter, the supporting cast) elevate this pic from the standard to a truly special viewing experience.

Reel Reviews

Ex Machina -- This is a good movie...just not as good a movie as the breathless hype that surrounded it made it out to be. It does make you think, mostly about how you would react--and interact--in just such a situation. The film also makes a point of keeping things ambivalent enough that you don't really know if Oscar Isaac's inventor is a villain, or not...or, for that matter, if the AI is a villain or not, a murkiness about the subject that mirrors the real life debate on the seemingly inevitable rise of the robot world. I guess we'll find out that answer eventually, but you're not going to get it here. Still, I'd say this one's worth a look, as a change of pace if nothing else.

Reel Reviews

Whiplash -- Again with the jazz. If jazz is as wonderful as everyone who likes it says it is, why does it only feature in films like this? Seriously, try to find a real jazz station on the radio these days. But I digress; the more pertinent question raised by this movie may be, what’s up with these people? The film actually undercuts its own argument; since precious few viewers will be able to tell the good playing from the bad while watching this one, one wonders if the obsessive attention to perfection is in any way valid. Whom are you trying to impress? Five other people in the room?...or in the city? If that’s all there is, just your own little knowing circle, and you act like this...aren’t you just being a dick? Do movie viewers care about dicks? Perhaps I’m just being contrarian, because this film is in fact entertaining, interesting, and worth watching. Just don’t expect to find any new heroes here.

Reel Reviews

Wild -- Talk about a tough row to hoe. Or is it a tough road to ho? You can go either way with this flick. That’s not the only question raised by this film. For instance: why exactly does hiking the PCT redeem you when you’ve sunk so low? Maybe, if the whole thing really was life-changing and all that...but there’s enough evidence in this story to make the case that Cheryl Strayed--at least as portrayed in the movie--didn’t exactly go through a St. Augustine-style conversion after all was said and done. At least the visuals are appealing. Ultimate judgement: not a bad movie, but maybe not as impressive as the filmmakers (and critics) thought it was.

Reel Reviews

Into The Woods -- My hearing must be going. Once again I've watched a movie where I couldn't hear a lot of the dialogue--in this case, in musical form--over all the background noise and orchestration. Alas, the burden of getting old. The fact that that is my concern when thinking about this film is a warning sign; it's a movie that promises much but delivers not nearly enough. I'm not sure the "wisdom" of the fairy tale rewrites is all that wise; folk wisdom gets to be folk wisdom for a reason, and you coming along with your jaded worldview does not necessarily change everything. Oh well; at least you get to spend a chunk of a couple of hours with the awesomeness that is Anna Kendrick, so that's something.

Reel Reviews

Non-Stop -- Liam Neeson sure does have this ass-kicking thing rolling along these days. In fact, Neeson has grown so comfortable with this formula that by now it may be starting to show some wear and tear. This iteration of the model comes across as somewhat lacking; the action sequences don't feel all that active, probably thanks to the limited staging options of an airplane cabin. There's little of the joyful mayhem of the Taken series here; mostly it's just Neeson looking confused as he tries to figure out who the villain is. The star isn't alone in that; the recursiveness of the film's whodunit plot means that suspects previously dismissed wind up coming back again--unfortunately, without a particularly good reason for their plotting. This is hardly the sort of movie from which you should expect greatness, but a better effort than this shouldn't be too much to ask.

Clever That Way

Recently, my car started having a little problem with its radiator. That little problem being a crack along the top of the casing, which is allowing water/steam and coolant to escape the system and putting my car in danger of overheating if I run it too long without refilling the reservoir.

Unfortunately, I've been way too busy to actually go and get my radiator replaced (nor do I want to spend that money at this moment), so refilling it every other day is the current jury-rig maintenance option. But I found myself with a problem the first time I tried to refill the coolant reservoir: the jug containing the coolant was big and heavy, and the fluid came out in an inconsistent, glugging gush, causing me to spill almost as much coolant as I put into the reservoir.

Obviously, I needed a funnel--but, again, no time to go get one at the auto parts store. (Plus I'm not at home right now, so don't have access to anything in my kitchen I could use, just someone else's stuff which I mustn't ruin on maintaining my car.) What to do?

As was long ago observed, necessity is the mother of invention. I used to keep a very clean car, at least on the interior, but those days are long gone; my car's interior is usually home to a cornucopia of trash these days. And among that trash: a cardboard french fry container from one of my too frequent trips to the drive thru. As you've no doubt observed, those fry boxes are collapsible, and to that end they have cuts and holes in them in order to make them fold flat, particularly holes in the bottom corners. They also tend to have a tapered shape.

You see what I'm getting at? A french fry sleeve, sitting on the floor of my car, became an improvised funnel for pouring the coolant into the reservoir. It worked quite well, and cut down on the spillage enormously--though the width of the sleeve still left something to be desired for total efficiency, since some of the pour would inevitably spill through the other openings.

Fortunately, my car's trash collection also contained a plastic water bottle--one with a nice long tapered neck and a top opening that was just the right size to fit the reservoir's mouth. Once that bottle met with the razor scraper (kept in the car for cleaning sticky stuff off the windshield), I was able to cut the bottle in half and Macgyver a great little improvised funnel that does the trick perfectly.

It would have been nice to have come up with my solution from the start and not spilled any of the coolant in the first place. But it's important to recognize that, if you don't come up with a solution right away, it's still important to keep trying to solve the problem, because maybe you will get it right on the second or third try. And, of course, it's also nice to crow a little bit about being "clever that way," if you know what I mean.