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alexbabcock
Reviews
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Went in expecting a flop, came out with a smile on my face
This being the likely final chapter in the Indiana Jones saga makes for some expectations going in, but top on my list was a hope that it would save the adventure hero's reputation by besting Crystal Skull. I was pleasantly surprised to find it leaps-and-bounds better.
This is a story that takes off like a roller coaster, thrilling the audience with the sort of classic action sequence that we've come to expect of Indiana Jones, of course motivated by an archeological relic of priceless value. That it would have sinister uses in the wrong hands goes without saying at this point in the pentalogy. From a thrilling beginning we find ourselves on a journey with deft character development, witting dialogue, plenty of Easter eggs and homages to past films, and cameos to make you smile. There were points when the pacing suffered a bit in this story, giving it a slight feeling of being overlong, but they're thankfully brief respites between more action as this intriguing new cast of characters makes their way toward a climax well worth the wait, both within the film itself and the series as a whole. I found myself smiling from ear to ear at points throughout the film, and then clapping as the credits rolled along with many others in a packed theater, now nearly two months after its opening weekend. This is a film that will endure in the annals of the great Hollywood adventure stories. That it lacked Steven Spielberg at the helm was hardly lacking at all, with just a few moments where I felt the acting fell flat or didn't quite match the emotions of the scene. Overall the performances were consistent and compelling. Even the CGI used mostly to take age off of Harrison Ford, felt realistic, a testament to how good the technology is these days. It was a relief to find the filmmakers apparently learned their lessons from the mistakes of Crystal Skull, giving audiences a film that truly earned its place in the lore of one of cinema's greatest characters. It's easily the third-best film in the franchise behind the superb Raiders of the Lost Ark and the equally captivating Last Crusade. If you've not yet had an opportunity to see this film in the theater, do it while you still can, before your next chance at what will surely be many anniversary re-releases to come. And if this is the final installment (and thanks to this film's quality, I hope it's not), farewell, Indy, and thanks.
Lost Ollie (2022)
A category-transcending masterpiece
I saw this because I walked into the living room and my 10-year-old was watching it, and I simply couldn't look away. Normally he watches pretty kid-and-tween-friendly material, which is to say it's a bit immature for an adult, but I was just astounded by how well this production packed a mature theme into a story about stuffed animals. It's filmed and directed as a drama for adults who have experienced the extreme highs and lows of yearning and heartbreak, but it's written in a way that even my 10-year-old would both understand and enjoy. To call this series a masterpiece really undersells what's been done here, as it's combined art forms in a way I honestly wasn't prepared to accept as compatible, that of live action and computer animation in such a serious, dramatic story. It's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" but the mystery is about finding a lost friend, and there's no slapstick element or cartoonish villainy.
If this does not stir your soul, either pulling you into a past romance or childhood daydreams and make-believe, I'm not sure anything could. I fully expect to see this receive Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and likely wins. Tim Blake Nelson's portrayal of Zozo, in particular, was so heart-wrenchingly authentic, so brilliantly emoted, it's hard to believe he's voicing effectively a cartoon character. That it may be one of the best voice-acting, if not simply acting, performances I've ever witnessed is icing on a gourmet cake.
The Ring Two (2005)
I was laughing when I left the theater. This is a horror movie.
This movie is a ball of confusing plot twists, twists that appear to have been placed in the movie in the same order they came to mind for the screenwriter.
Much like so many bad sketch comedy routines, there are good ideas here, but the execution is so poor you wish the ideas had been given to somebody else. The main characters, Rachel and Aidan, are battling the forces of darkness again, in the form of an angry little girl who was supposed to be dead.
This film, as you likely figured out from the posters and trailer, is about that little girl again. She's not finished. The whole "unfinished business" idea is of course what drives most horror movie sequels, and the use of that concept here is what kills the movie. Why? Because that's all there is - she's not finished. It's not really clear why. It's not clear what you can do to make her stop, either. No strange rule is created along the way to help the main characters get their normal lives back.
In absence of that, the viewer is taken on a bewildering journey through cinematic mistakes. You're left wondering all the while what you just saw, and how it could possibly relate to what's happening next. There are a few good scenes in this film, and those are what kept me from walking out of the theater for the first time in my life. Unfortunately, the director, writers, whoever helped bring this story together, toy with the viewer by giving them these few joyous moments when you think the movie is about to turn into something interesting, and they dash those hopes through dozens of minutes of confusing, meaningless emotion, and dialog that seems like the remnants of the first film.
Then there are the technical problems: Did anyone notice the well they used was completely different at the bottom from the one in the original? Did they do that to make it scarier by being smaller, or because they didn't want to rebuild the original set? Why would a house that recently had its contents put in the basement have a basement stairwell covered in cobwebs? Did the movers slide the furniture down the laundry chute? When things inevitably went wrong in the town the main characters now live in, why did the police only seem to care the first time? For that matter, why would a vehicle that appeared to have been in a series of serious collisions, having only one headlight, be allowed to cruise around town without being stopped by any police? Bear in mind these examples are being given because they won't spoil the film for you. There are pages of ones that would.
If you want to be horrified that a movie like this is being released across the country, this is the movie for you. If you want to be horrified by a well done story about fear, watch The Ring again, and stop the tape right when Rachel tells Aidan that it's over. That's the peak of this story line. Everything else is a disappointment.
I saw this film at a preview screening March 15. I was so glad to have left the theater at the end, and so amused by how stupid the story was, that I started laughing as I walked to my car. I haven't ever given something a 1 rating before, on my mental scale. This movie worked very hard to get it.
To be clear, I didn't see the original Oriental version of this film. I don't know what the original story was. My judgment is based on what I saw in the American adaptation, The Ring, and this terrible sequel.