Quick takes on 5 films

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is all right I guess. It is more dinosaur hijinks. Unfortunately it relies more on showing the dinosaurs run amok than any cohesive story. What it does though, it does well. The backstory is the island from the first Jurassic World is in danger of its volcano going off, killing all the remaining dinosaurs. Animal rights activists are demanding action, and a rich entrepreneur uses the relocation as an excuse to sell dinosaurs to collectors and hunters. Of course it all goes wrong, and the dinosaurs get out and start wreaking havoc. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return to reprise their roles. The actions sequences are good as always, but the whole film is a little silly and unnecessary, and there are numerous plot elements that are introduced by never explored. Not as good as the original Jurassic Park or first Jurassic World, but on par with the other sequels.

Sicario was a surprise hit a couple years ago, and like all blockbuster smashes, it got a sequel. Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado isn’t quite as good as the original, but it is still a lot of fun. Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro return as a couple CIA operatives doing the dirty work for our government. The Mexican cartel is still the target, but for a different reason this time. Terrorists have been working in the USA, terrorists smuggled across the border by members of various cartels. To disrupt their actions, a plot is hatched to start a war between the cartels, by kidnapping the daughter of one and blaming it on another. This sequel passes on some of the intrigue from the first film in favor of a more straight forward narrative, but it works. Still lots of action, and while maybe not as explosive as the first, I still really enjoyed it.

Like the Ghostbusters remake, Ocean’s 8 is a new take with an all female cast, and an unofficial sequel (Sandra Bullock plays Danny Ocean’s sister Debbie Ocean). Led by Bullock and Cate Blanchett, unfortunately it is neither as funny nor as intriguing as the first movie, though maybe better than Ocean’s Thirteen, the finale in the last trilogy. Ocean and her team are set to steal a priceless Cartier necklace during the annual Met Gala. What made the George Clooney version so brilliant was its combination of comical banter between the team, the fantastic twists and turns, and the edge-of-your-seat thrills during the heist. This films lacks nearly all of that. The jokes between the ladies fall flat, they outline the entire plan before it begins so we know exactly how it is going to go down, and the robbery itself isn’t as exciting. No offense to Bullock, who I like, but she doesn’t have Clooney’s charm or charisma. There is one good twist in the final 12 minutes that redeems itself slightly, but even that is ruined by a member “recap” that slows down the rush. Nearly a total bust.

The Rider is a tremendous film, made more so when you read that it is based on a true story (which I did not know going in). The movie opens focusing on Brady, a horse trainer and cowboy who has just sustained a devastating head injury during a rodeo. Told by the doctors that he shouldn’t ride anymore for fear of losing his quality of life, he struggles with what to do now, as the life of a cowboy is all he knows and all he has ever wanted. He is surrounded by his family (alcoholic father, autistic sister, and friends, one of which is also severely paralyzed from his own rodeo accident). We see Brady’s trials throughout the film and the director, young Chloé Zhao, does a masterful job of putting us in his shoes. As I learned afterwards, this film is very factual. Brady, his sister Lilly, and their father are playing themselves (their last name was changed, as were some elements of the film). Many in the film (no professional actors among them) are playing versions of themselves, including Brady’s paralyzed friend Lane. Zhao was on a ranch in South Dakota filming a different movie when she met Brady. She wanted to do some kind of movie featuring him, but didn’t know what kind of film to make, before Brady suffered his accident. After he was healed up, they made this film about love and perseverance. One of the most touching films I’ve seen this year.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the newest Jumanji remake. If you can tell from my blog, my tastes don’t often stray to comedy. I enjoy a good one, but I tend to like dramas best. This one is ok though. It takes the classic Robin Williams film and modernizes it, with the players sucked into a video game now instead of a board game. A quartet of unlikely friends find themselves having to beat “the game” in order to make it back to their real lives, and must do so without dying in the game, which would lead to their very real deaths. I didn’t laugh at all in the first half of the film, the jokes felt contrived and bland, but whether I warmed up to, or they just got better, I enjoyed the second half better. As an action film, it isn’t half bad either. All in all a decently fun film.