daddymojo Reviews

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Good popcorn fare that serves fans and casual movie folks

[7/10 · 21 March 2024]

It is a very good film. There are some nice action sequences and lots of humor.

The slow parts in the movie happen when Murray is on screen. Frozen Empire goes out of the way to set him up for one liners that seem intended just to make the trailers. His jokes are forced and didn't add to its enjoyment. The new cast is great, Aykroyd is great also.

From the trailer you'd expect it to have more horror elements. While the big bad is very good, it's not as evil as it it could've been, which would've made the film even better.

Fans will dig the film, casual moviegoers will enjoy it too, but if there's another one they are OK to ghost the classic members of the team.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, we expected worse

[4/10 · 21 July 2023]

If you've read any reviews of spoilers about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny they're all true. It kind of falls under the idiom of, whether you think you can or you can't, you're right. There are some great moments in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. There are some pointless moments, instances of human physical impossibility, a case study of why de-aging characters is a horrible choice, and examples of why adding more cooks to the kitchen never results in a better quality film. However, thanks to Mads Mikkelsen, the score by John Williams and, to an extent, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny isn't the train wreck that resembled Crystal Skull.

As I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy, let's examine the more enjoyable aspects of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Mads Mikkelsen as Nazi agent Jurgen Voller deliciously chews up every scene he's in. His character is shown in the twilight days of WWII, as well as, the late 1960s. While I do enjoy movie scores by Danny Elfman, Indiana Jones is synonymous with the distinctive sound of John Williams. Williams' classic sounds are here and also include some new compositions during the requisite chase scenes. When those three elements are combined, as they are in the chase sequence that happens in the first 20 minutes, then Dial of Destiny is effortless to enjoy and gives you hope that the film will be in the same league as Last Crusade.

That chase sequence is where the de-aging has been put upon Harrison Ford and Mads Mikkelsen. If you ignore it, then their de-aging won't bother you. However, even our 11-year-old, who knew nothing about the process, said that there was something funny about that action sequence. I tried explaining to him that it was a cinematic trick that was done to make an 80-year-old actor appear to be his 40-year-old self, but that fell on deaf ears. I noticed that the de-aging actually didn't look that horrible, but it was distracting and very strange when paired with Ford's current voice, which is unable to be de-aged. The voice of an 80-year-old in the body of a 40-year-old is very different and looked as if it was an audio dubbing gone sideways.

Speaking of bad audio dubbing, let's talk for a moment about undercranking or speed ramping. Those techniques I associate with older karate movies where they film the action at a slower rate, and then speed it up during normal playback. There's a tuk-tuk rickshaw chase in 'Tangier'. I say 'Tangier' because it's supposed to be in Tangier, Morocco, but large elements of the sequence are obviously green-screened. In several instances when Indiana was driving the tuk-tuk the wind, crowd, vehicle's wheels or his body movements were out of sync with real time. The crowd reacted too fast, relative to the passing vehicle or the plants in the scene were blowing too quickly. It was the first time that I'd seen an undercranked or speed-ramped scene that probably had green screen elements, thankfully no de-aging was used during these sequences.

The new characters in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, aside from Jurgen Voller, aren't memorable or likable. That's saying something because I do not want my favorite new character from Dial of Destiny to be the Nazi. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Ford's goddaughter and doesn't sell the character's ability to do action. She's only in the treasure game for the money and doesn't have feelings for those around her. When Indiana's Spanish boat captain friend gets unceremoniously killed a scant ten minutes after being introduced, she's glib and focuses on the money. Indiana is going through a divorce with Marion and he goes through the first half of the movie being a grumpy old man.

And then the final act of the movie happens that will leave your jaw on the movie theater floor. It's a twist with more in common with Army of Darkness than Indiana Jones. It's also a bold choice that will divide some audiences just as clearly as the UFO reveal in Crystal Skull. When Indiana Jones found the Grail Knight, who had been waiting millennia for someone to replace him it was tender, sweet, and unbelievable. When Indiana Jones finds his unbelievable instance in Dial of Destiny, it's also a bit tender, a little sweet, but has a caustic exit that wasn't necessary.

With all of this said, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is still a movie that will reel in fans based on the goodwill and memories of the franchise. Ironically, Mads Mikkelsen's dialogue in the film sets the pace and attitude early on. His character says something along the lines of "America didn't lose the war, Hitler lost it." It's not that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny isn't a bad movie, it's just that it doesn't follow the template that made the great ones in the series so timeless. This is a legacy band that still has a couple of the original players in the lineup but has added elements to replace some of the ones that left. The end result is still entertaining, but it requires grading it on a curve and relying on the memories that the original provided back in the day.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Oppenheimer sits alongside the best films ever made

[10/10 · 21 July 2023]

Oppenheimer, the film from Christopher Nolan has usurped Russians from Dream of the Blue Turtles as the leading edge of cultural awareness for "father of the atomic bomb". In that song, Sting flippantly introduced the subject as "Oppenheimer's deadly toy". In reality his relationship was much more complex with nuclear weapons than that; but kudos to Sting for introducing a name to millions of folks who otherwise wouldn't have heard it until now. Oppenheimer is a big film in the most Christopher Nolan manner possible. It's a three-hour dramatic tour de force that grabs viewers by their shirt collars and maintains its grip for the vast majority of its run time.

Unlike Nolan's other works, Oppenheimer is driven by dramatic sequences, tight dialogue, and acting that's top-notch. There aren't any big action sequences, but viewers who want a breathtaking overview of the Atomic Bomb, its creation and after-effects will be mesmerized. That's all the more amazing because there are about two dozen characters as the film jumps between a 20-year era in history. Those characters are all memorable and their role in Oppenheimer's life and work are always clear, unless they aren't.

This is a Christopher Nolan film after all, and some scenes are truncated or have certain lines of dialogue not audible. Those lines or scenes will be seen later in the film, but only when they need to be shown in order to crystallize plot threads. Nolan also uses black and white film to contrast the setting, tone, timing and perspective of the story in a near-perfect manner. There's a reason why some scenes are in color and others aren't. Some characters are shown in a flashback in black and white, then immediately shown in the current story in color, or vice versa. When you see the film, this effect is akin to a chess match that the characters are having.

As a film, Oppenheimer is very difficult not to look at. There are dozens of scenes that were filmed close-up, with the minute details of the actor's faces or bodies filling up the screen. And because this is a character-driven film, there are many more opportunities for people to fill the scenes than Nolan's other works.

The first act of the film is more of an artistic painter's approach to Oppenheimer as a person, than a traditional movie. There are short, chaotic cuts and close-ups of Cillian Murphy interspersed with micro close-ups of the stages of explosions, reactions and wires that are reacting to electrical charges. This part of Oppenheimer focuses on his early educational life as the background, but it's being presented in hindsight because he is currently being questioned by a Congressional panel.

He's a very gifted student who is well-networked, but also mischievous, too direct at times and keenly aware that he's usually the smartest person in the room. As a teacher, he wants to engage in theoretical physics and the concept of energy relating to collapsing stars and the blackness of space. He is also very open-minded, even to those with radical ideas on campus. Because of this, he makes numerous friends in a school communist organization, which unfortunately comes back to haunt him.

The classroom next to his is working on a machine that will research, and hopefully split, atoms. As the world's drumbeats to WWII get louder his classes get bigger and his knowledge of physics gets more useful.

The world's top physicists have been captured or are working with the Nazis. When they make a key breakthrough in nuclear power Oppenheimer realizes that the world is racing towards weaponizing this new technology. The lab next to his classroom is able to replicate what the Germans did and he's given the chance to form his own team.

Oppenheimer teams up with a U. S. General and they create their own research facility in Los Alamos. It's a city where they all live with their families and can conduct testing and research with minimal delay. The film does a great job of making the potentially incomprehensible process of nuclear reactions, bombs, and the science behind them something that non-tech folks can understand. When you see Benny Safdie as Edward Teller talking about a different delivery method for the bomb that could prove more efficient you're able to follow the logic.

The success of the bomb's testing starts Oppenheimer's concerns about responsibly using that power. The end of WWII brings even more issues as he runs afoul of certain politicians, which results in his inquiry that started the movie.

Oppenheimer is a powerful film that ranks alongside Schindler's List in terms of a war or combat film that will stand the test of time. It's impossible not to compare the two films in terms of quality and deftly telling a story to audiences that aren't familiar with its titular character. The final act of the film focuses on McCarthyism and communist hearing, where his past history, as well as that of his wife and peers, will resonate with folks today.

Could you really be held accountable for one meeting that you had with someone a decade and a half ago? Your actions have always been solid, but those who seek you harm are focusing on that meeting or perhaps the beliefs of a second-tier associate. Could you really be held accountable just for RT something on social media? Your actions are solid, but those who don't think like you do will do anything to cause you harm. McCarthyism and the public's zeal to believe or jump on the bandwagon of those who said something on social media that runs counter to what they believe have much in common.

Oppenheimer was an independent thinker who wasn't afraid to surround himself with people who question his work or beliefs. While the movie, Oppenheimer was indeed a fantastic piece of cinema, I hope that the irony of those who persecuted him isn't lost on all of audiences and the similarities that they might share.

Dumbo (2019)

I hope this doesn't bode poorly for The Lion King....

[4/10 · 24 April 2019]

I hope this doesn't bode poorly for Dumbo, I said after I saw the trailer.

Alas, Dumbo is a utter disappointment jammed with subtle PC references and historical guilt. Skip this and cross your fingers that Disney gets it right with their next live-action film.

Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018)

Master Z, Ip Man Legacy succeeds as a film, not just a martial arts movie

[7/10 · 24 April 2019]

The first Ip Man was good, but after that they went downhill quickly.

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy seems like a cheap rip off from its title, but for us it's the best one since its namesake.

Martial arts film, even when they're bad, have entertainment potential for me. It's some of those films, as well as, James Bond films that require them to be graded on a curve with a caveat. Master Z stems from the Ip Man films, which are entering their fourth incarnation, but have required the "good for a martial arts movie" caveat since the second one. Master Z has a title that belies its quality. This is a grade A martial arts movie that entertains martial arts fans, action movie audiences and might just convince casual movie goers to give these films a chance.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame sticks the landing

[9/10 · 24 April 2019]

Go ahead and watch the trailers for Avengers: Endgame, they won't give anything major away. It's amazing for a huge movie to be so self-aware of itself, as well as, the movie genres that they're overtly borrowing from. The minor characters or those not even in Avengers: Infinity War, step up and help set up huge sequences that are highly entertaining and actually answer questions. Avengers: Endgame acknowledges every aspect of the characters emotions in their previous MCU film's and succeeds in the most Meta way possible.

Ant-Man is a major reason for this. It's no spoiler to say that he's in the film as he produces some of the biggest laughs from the trailer of him ringing the bell at the Avenger's front gate. It's Paul Rudd's wry jokes, quick timing and fish out of water facial expressions that really assist things.

The pacing of Avengers: Endgame is amazing and not for the reasons you might think. It's brilliantly paced, but it throws the entire formula and how MCU films are done on their head. Battle, loss, battle, loss, humor and then victory, take those ingredients, shake well and you've got a loose description of some average superhero films.

If Avengers: Infinity War left you feeling betrayed and bummed out, I feel you. Avengers: Endgame more than makes up for any ill feelings that it caused. I see why they played it the way they did, and doing so any other way would've cheapened the film, watered down the MCU and made it all disposable. It is also worth noting that the film balance lots of humor with the drama, all the while putting it in a nice bow with stones.

What we're left with is a 10 year opus that spans more arcs than Lord of the Rings and encapsulates it all in a perfect manner. Granted, they will still make many MCU films, this is not their swan song. However, there is a victory lap feeling about Avengers: Endgame. It respects the fans, adds to the dramatic elements, answers questions that fans have wondered about and plants a couple new seeds to grow on.

Is Avengers: Endgame OK for children? If your child has seen any MCU film then they'll be OK with this. The film has fair number of bad words, but the violence is on par with what younger fans are accustomed to. For example, there isn't any one instance that's as graphic as when the monster ate the businessman in Shazam!, but there are sustained action sequences that might test those 8 years old who haven't seen an MCU movie before.