Now here’s an unusual pairing – cerebral space drama with Adam Sandler. Those aren’t things I ever expected to say in the same breath. Yet that looks to be what we’re getting in “Spaceman”, the upcoming film streaming exclusively on Netflix. The film is based on the 2017 novel “Spaceman of Bohemia” by Jaroslav Kalfař. This good-looking adaptation was written by Colby Day and directed by Johan Renck, the Emmy winner for the acclaimed miniseries “Chernobyl”.
The first trailer is interesting to say the least. Sandler plays an astronaut named Jakub Procházka who is sent on a solo mission to the edge of the solar system. But back home his life has been crumbling. The most exciting piece is Carey Mulligan playing Jakub’s pregnant wife, Lenka who provides glimpses into their troubled marriage. Struggling to cope on his own, Jakub finds help where he least expects it – from a strange creature (voiced by Paul Dano) lurking in his ship. I have no idea how Sandler is going to do in this, but I love the premise and I’m excited to see if he can pull it off.
“Spaceman” streams March 1st on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
There have been countless variations of the A.I./Robot going haywire idea. Just last year we got everything from “M3GAN” to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”. Now you can add the new film “T.I.M.”, a science fiction thriller that actually dropped last year in the UK but is now getting its release here in the States.
“T.I.M.”, the feature film debut for director Spencer Brown, fits more in the “M3GAN” mold than “Mission: Impossible”. Rather than an AI-powered doll for little girls, T.I.M. (which stands for Technologically Integrated Manservant) is a butler, housekeeper, cook, and personal assistant all wrapped into one creepy synthetic body (he’s eerily played by Eamon Farren). As for the story, it drifts into some pretty familiar waters. Yet Brown does a good job tapping into the already existing unease about artificial intelligence.
The film gets a boost from its cast, namely a really good Georgina Campbell. She plays Abi, a prosthetics engineer recently promoted to a department head position at the tech company Integrate Robotics. As part of her promotion she and her husband Paul (Mark Rowley) are provided brand-new fully integrated, state of the art ‘smart home’ complete with its own “T.I.M” unit. T.I.M. isn’t available to buy yet, but her company’s ambitious CEO (Nathaniel Parker) is determined to be first to market. So what better way to test their signature product than to have each department head give it a whirl?
Image Courtesy of Brainstorm Media
T.I.M. immediately connects with the home’s network and even requests Abi and Paul’s passwords to help manage their various accounts. Paul is (understandably) hesitant while Abi quickly consents. “I have nothing to hide”, she asserts, hinting at a tension in their relationship. It turns out that Paul has a track record of infidelity and mending their marriage was a big reason she took the promotion. Perhaps a new setting will them get a fresh start.
But as you can probably guess, things don’t go precisely as planned. Over time T.I.M becomes strangely infatuated with Abi. Paul sees it which makes him more and more uncomfortable. The engineer inside of Abi is quick to dismiss it. “He’s just a computer”, she reasons. From there the film pretty much stays true to formula, following a track laid by similar movies before it. But to Brown’s credit he has a lot of fun with the premise. He develops a growing sense of unease yet adds dashes of dark humor that keep it from taking itself too seriously.
“T.I.M.” is part cautionary tale that taps into the current-day fears of many people who are still trying to fully understand what it is that frightens them. The story is a bit of a slow-burn, but it holds your attention despite not being the slightest bit scary and not delivering a single surprise. But these movies are resonating right now and Brown shows us why. He shapes an undoubtedly silly premise into something fun, entertaining, and weirdly timely.
It seems director David Ayer may have an affection for unapologetically silly, over-the-top, 80’s action throwbacks. That’s precisely what we get with his new feature “The Beekeeper”, a movie that never once attempts to hide what it is or what it’s going for. I doubt that any amount of glaring self-awareness will change things for those who enter the theater with their noses in the air or their minds made up. But for everyone else, there’s some fun to be had here.
That isn’t to say “The Beekeeper” is some new action classic or that it’s free of flaws. The story is a combination of the conventional and outlandish. And the dialogue only gets hokier as the story progresses (“I lost my virginity in that barn” is just one glowing example). Yet the movie gets by in large part thanks to its lead, Jason Statham. He remains one of the more magnetic action movie stars working today. Statham possesses a steely charisma and an ability to wink at the audience without ever breaking character. All of that on top of his amazing physicality.
Here Statham plays Adam Clay, a quiet and content man who tends honey bee hives for a kindly widow named Eloise (Phylicia Rashad). We learn that Eloise took Adam in and lets him rent a space in her barn. To repay her generosity, Adam helped Eloise maintain her farm following the death of her husband.
Image Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
One day Eloise gets a warning on her computer that she has a virus. Not knowing what to do, she calls the phone number on her screen. It turns out to be a phishing scam posing as an anti-virus software company. Eloise is connected to a clown named Garnett (David Witts) who tricks her into using her passwords to open up her bank accounts. Through data mining, his team instantly empties her life savings. They even drain the funds out of a children’s charity she operates. Devastated, Eloise takes her own life.
Her death sets off Adam who turns out to have a pretty interesting background. He’s actually retired from a clandestine program known as Beekeepers. The secret off-the-grid organization sends out its Beekeeper whenever a situation gets too big for law enforcement or the government. Armed with his ‘particular set of skills’, Adam sets out to find and dole out payback on the scammers who took advantage of Eloise. The trail leads him to a state-of-the-art multi-million dollar call center which he promptly destroys.
Adam’s actions get the attention of a rich and privileged twenty-something named Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson) who owns the call center and many others like it. Pampered and protected by his powerful mother (Jemma Redgrave), the snot-nosed Derek doesn’t like Adam interfering with his $9 million a month operation. So he sends Garnett and some heavily armed goons to deal with the problem. But Adam disposes of them and then sets out to cut the head off of the snake.
Image Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
While all of that is going on there’s another side of the story involving Eloise’s semi-estranged daughter Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman), an FBI agent investigating Adam’s warpath. These cliché riddled scenes aren’t at all compelling and often resemble some cheap, stripped-down television crime drama. Screenwriter Kurt Wimmer tries to make Verona and her FBI colleagues resemble a functioning Bureau. But they come across as inept and always ten steps behind.
Some interesting faces pop up along the way, most notably Jeremy Irons (I’m not sure how they got him onboard). He plays a former CIA Director employed by Derek’s mother to cover her son’s tracks. Among his resources is Minnie Driver playing an agent still active in the CIA. Both do good with what they’re given. Hutcherson is less convincing. He nails the obnoxious bratty stuff. But no amount of privilege can make him a believable business mogul.
That leaves Statham who puts the movie on his back and carries it through. The action scenes are electric and lean into the actor’s strengths. They get a little hard to decipher in the final 15 minutes, but Statham is effortlessly entertaining and a natural on-screen tough guy. He can’t fully cover all of the film’s issues. But for the most part Statham helps the movie deliver exactly what it promises. And for his many fans, that’s all they’re looking for. “The Beekeeper” is in theaters now.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze hit its stride after I had gotten older but I knew all about them. How could you not? They had their genesis in comic books but really launched with a popular animated series in the late 1980’s. For several years they had one of the hottest toy lines. They appeared in numerous video games. They even had a trilogy of feature films in the early 1990’s (and several reboots in the years that followed). The Turtles were a pretty big deal.
Like many, I felt the Turtles had had their day in the sun. Well, not so fast. Co-directors Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears along with producer and co-writer Seth Rogen have revived the franchise on the big screen with their computer animated feature “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”.It’s a modern(ish) spin on the classic Turtles although one that doesn’t really distinguish itself outside of its surface-level flourishes. Yet I’m betting there’s enough of that to satisfy the TMNT faithful, young and old.
“Mutant Mayhem” diverts from the original material in several areas and puts much of its emphasis on the teenage side of the titular ‘Heroes in a Half-Shell’. Most notable is the highly stylized, sketchbook inspired animation. It’s a bold choice that’s fresh and innovative but also inconsistent and uneven. The art ranges from cool and inventive to sometimes chintzy and gimmicky. It really stands out in the characters. Some are impressively designed. Others, not so much.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The movie’s biggest issue is in the writing. Sure, there is some fun teen banter, a handful of amusing jokes, and a stray heartfelt moment or two. But the script really doesn’t give us much beyond that. Our four big-hearted pizza-loving Turtles are basically all the same character but with only the slightest distinctions between them. Then we’re given a rather predictable story that channels where it’s going early on. So that leaves us with pop-culture references aplenty, countless needle-drops, and a heaping helping of nostalgia to get by.
After being mutated by a mysterious green ooze 15 years earlier, turtle brothers Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Rafael (Brady Noon), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) live deep in the New York City sewers with their protective father and sensei, a rat named Splinter (Jackie Chan). They sneak around the city undetected, gathering supplies and soaking in the popular culture than the humans enjoy. It creates a longing within them to be accepted by the humans. But Splinter is quick to warn them of the dangers that revealing themselves might bring.
Through a bit of rambunctious goofing around the Turtles meet and befriend April O’Neal (Ayo Edebiri), an aspiring journalist and an outcast at her high school. She agrees to help them with a plan to win the human’s acceptance. Together they will track down a local menace named Superfly (Ice Cube as a literal housefly mutated by the same green ooze). The Turtles will apprehend him and turn him over to the police. April will chronicle their feat and report it, leading the city to love and embrace them.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Of course their plan goes sideways fast and the Turtles quickly find themselves not only battling Superfly and his army of mutants, but also the Techno Cosmic Research Institute and its shady (and woefully underdeveloped) executive Cynthia Utrom (voiced by Maya Rudolph). These conflicts lead to some pretty creative action scenes, highlighted by some eye-popping animation and some clever cinematic effects. Not all of the action works, but when it does it can be thrilling.
It’s not too difficult to figure out where things are heading. But there is fun to be had beyond the predictable plot. The voice cast is mostly excellent, especially Cantu, Abbey, Noon, and Brown Jr. as the Ninja Turtles. Ice Cube is handed some of the film’s more amusing lines and there’s just something inherently funny about him in such an absurd role. His Superfly isn’t a particularly memorable villain, but it’s fun listening to him nail some pretty great lines.
To its credit “Mutant Mayhem” does several things that set it apart from (and in many ways set it above) the past TMNT feature films (you could say that’s a low bar and you wouldn’t be wrong). But once you look past the highly original art style and handful of modern updates, there’s not much new about this latest iteration. That said, it’s solid enough for the Turtle faithful to enjoy and the pure nostalgia of it will probably go a long way with certain audiences.
The latest popular movie from the past to get a modern-day makeover is “Mean Girls”. The 2004 teen comedy was a big hit with audiences and critics, eventually spawning a made-for-television sequel and even a Broadway musical. Now co-directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. have brought us a 2024 big screen update that’s based on the stage adaptation of the original 2004 hit movie. And all of it is based on Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 book “Queen Bees and Wannabes”. Confusing?
“Mean Girls” 2024 sets out to mix its teen comedy roots with snazzy musical numbers but the results aren’t great. The screenplay by Tina Fey taps into a few things that long-time fans might appreciate. But overall it’s a wildly uneven film, hampered by flaccid attempts at humor and songs with no resonance whatsoever. Even worse are the characters – a woeful collection of shallow teens who leave you worried for the future of whatever world they live in.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The film stars Angourie Rice, a good young actress who deserves better than what she gets here. She plays Cady Heron, a smart and formerly homeschooled teenager attending her first day at North Shore High School. The filmmakers go out of their way to make Cady as uncomfortable as possible, immediately overwhelming her through the cult-like stares from the students and the exaggerated cliques that no normal person would fit in with. But two best friends and (kinda) loners, Janis (Chloe Auliʻi Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) take Cady under their wings and show her the ropes.
But Cady’s high school experience takes a dramatic turn after she’s noticed by three rich, snooty, and ultra popular girls dubbed The Plastics. They’re led by the “Queen Bee” of the group and the school, Regina George (Reneé Rapp). Following her around like puppies is the idolizer Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and the ditzy Karen (Avantika). Cady’s “friendship” with Regina leads to a boost in her own popularity and status. But when Regina finds out Cady is crushing on her ex-boyfriend Aaron (Christopher Briney), things get a little nasty.
From there the bulk of the movie follows the friends-turned-enemies as they both dole out various forms of payback. And that’s really the movie in a nutshell. It seems to relish the meanness, to the point of nearly forgetting the more thoughtful themes that deal with bullying, peer pressure, etc. It’s only in the last ten minutes or so that we get an overtly tidy finish reminding everyone to be nice to each other. Hardly what you would call a convincing conviction.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Jayne and Perez Jr. try and capture the spirit of “Mean Girls” but all they can manage is a grating, uninspired pastiche. The music numbers only complicate matters, ranging from mediocre to dreadful. Altogether the movie plays like a current-day ABC Afterschool Special, littered with groan-inducing TikTok reels and second-rate MTV music videos. There are some terrific voices (Rapp can flat-out belt). But the songs tend to be forgettable at best and annoyingly distracting at worst.
“Mean Girls” ends up being a toothless retread that feels custom-made for the January dumping ground. The teen comedy side of it offers little in terms of laughs and gives us nothing to chew on. And rather than energizing this unfortunate reincarnation, the consistently underwhelming song choices and musical numbers weigh the film down. Fey, Tim Meadows, Jon Hamm, and Ashley Park offer some star wattage in their utterly thankless roles. But they can’t save this mess of an adaptation that fumbles pretty much everything it’s trying to remake and recapture. “Mean Girls” is in theaters now.
It didn’t take long for the first ‘action movie of the year’ candidate to emerge. “Mayhem!” (and yes, the exclamation point is included) is a blistering action thriller fueled by ferocious fight choreography yet laced with an unexpected dose of heart. While its American title doesn’t do it any favors (it released as “Farang” elsewhere), director Xavier Gens delivers big where it counts, taking his time getting where he’s going and then rewarding our patience with an explosive payoff.
The movie’s centerpiece is its chiseled French-Algerian star, Nassim Lyes. The 35-year-old former MMA fighter and kickboxer comes packaged with a simmering intensity and remarkable physicality which is exactly what his character demands. The story around him seems to pull from a number of inspirations including Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet”, 2011’s “The Raid”, and even a few dashes of “John Wick”. It may not match up with those heralded films, but it’s plenty strong enough to stand on its own.
Lyes plays Samir Darba, a quiet and solemn young man with a troubled background. We first meet him in a Paris prison where he has worked hard to straighten himself out while learning to resist his urge towards violence. Samir’s good behavior pays off and he is granted a day parole. He immediately looks to stabilize himself by finding a steady job to help him stay out of trouble. But it doesn’t take long before his past comes back to haunt him. An old contact jumps him as he’s on his way back to the penitentiary. Samir kills the thug in an act of self-defense. But knowing how it looks and fearing the consequences, he decides to flee France.
Image Courtesy of IFC Films
Five years later we see Samir working on a boat near Bang Chan in East Thailand. He has seemingly left his old life behind (yea right) and found happiness in the cozy little fishing village. He’s found a wife, Mia (Loryn Nounay) and together they have a young daughter Dara (Chananticha Tang-Kwa) and a baby on the way. To help pay the bills and save some money, Samir also works as a baggage handler and van driver for a luxury hotel. And he does some kickboxing on the side, occasionally throwing a fight for a greedy and crooked local promoter.
Samir and Mia have been eyeing some gorgeous oceanfront property with dreams of opening their own beachside restaurant. But just as they’re ready to purchase, they learn they’ve been outbid by a Frenchman named Narong (played by the great Olivier Gourmet). He turns out to be a powerful crime lord who offers Samir a proposal – successfully deliver a small amount of drugs and the property is theirs. Without telling Mia, Samir accepts the job, seeing it as the only way for him and his family to realize their dream.
Of course the drop goes terribly bad with Samir barely managing to escape. Knowing the consequences of failure, he rushes home to get his family to safety, but Narong’s goons arrive before they can leave. A savagely violent fight ensues that leaves the pregnant Mia stabbed to death, Dara kidnapped, and a severely wounded Samir left for dead. Samir survives after he is found by his trainer and father figure Hansa (the really good Vithaya Pansringarm) who nurses him back to health.
Image Courtesy of IFC Films
As you can probably guess, Samir doesn’t sit idly by. He sets out on a personal mission to save Dara and dole out punishment on those who killed his wife and unborn child. In some ways it plays like a conventional revenge story. But Samir does a good job selling us a tortured father who’s desperate to get back his young daughter. It adds an extra dramatic layer to the story and helps to earn our empathy for his plight.
But the movie’s meat and potatoes is the action. Gens keeps things surprisingly subdued for much of the way, content to feed us morsels and leaving us hungry for the main course. You could make a case that he waits a little too long, leaving us wondering when the movie is going to finally let Samir (and Lyes) off his chain. It finally does and it proves to be worth the wait. The fight scenes in the kinetic final act are intensely violent and downright brutal with blood-splattering and bones-cracking galore. Lyes is an absolute force while Gens, DP Gilles Porte, and editor Riwanon Le Beller skillfully frame and shoot the sequences with style and energy.
The final 20 minutes offer up a hard-hitting (literally and figuratively) punctuation mark to a story that has its slow patches but knows how to stick its landing. Gens does a good job unpacking his story while slipping in some not-so-subtle commentary on child abduction and sex trafficking. The film also looks great, shooting on a number of immersive locations. But everything comes back to the action which takes a while to kick into gear. But once it does, Gens puts the pedal down and (again) flexes his prowess as an action filmmaker.
Keith & the Movies 