Spanner-2 Reviews

Army of Thieves (2021)

Kinda dull and unnecessary prequel

[3/10 · 15 November 2021]

Prequel to Zack Snyder's much better "Army of the Dead".. this is a fairly standard heist thriller directed by and starring the guy who plays the safe cracker in Dead... While it isn't terrible by any means, it didn't really grab me and he gets kinda annoying by the end of the film.

Spencer (2021)

Good performances enliven slow film

[5/10 · 14 November 2021]

Kristen Stewart stars as Diana in this story which covers one weekend at the end of her marriage where she has to deal with Christmas with the royal family.. The film is slowly paced, which makes it at times kinda dull but the production values are very good and Stewart is terrific in the role... you never really get to know the other royals, and most of her interactions are with the household staff... other than a few fun scenes where she is with her sons.

Eternals (2021)

Disappointing MCU film

[4/10 · 6 November 2021]

The new MCU film introduces us to the Eternals, a group I knew absolutely nothing about going in... as well as a few other characters that pop up.. one of whom I was more familiar with. This is an interesting film, that opens up a bunch of new storylines for future films.. but the film itself... I feel like it was a bit of a misfire.. which is very rare for Marvel... the film contains a lot of world building stuff to set up the Eternals storyline which requires an awful lot of flashbacks and back story... which hampers the forward momentum of the main story... The cast is decent, Gemma Chan does most of the heavy lifting.. but they really waste Angelina Jolie and especially Salma Hayek in the film. It gets better in the last act but sadly this might be the weakest Marvel film since the MCU started.

Captain Marvel (2019)

Fun entertaining Marvel film

[8/10 · 11 March 2019]

I rather enjoyed the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Brie Larson is a welcome addition to the roster and she does a good job with this character. The film has some standard origin movie motifs but the winning cast, which also includes Samuel L. Jackson's venerable Nick Fury and Jude Law, helps a lot. The film is set in the 90s and the vfx work to make Sam Jackson look younger are truly terrific. While the ending becomes a bit of a CGI mess like many of these films do, the character work and story keep the story involving. Looking forward to the continuation in the next Avengers film.

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Interesting and informative

[9/10 · 10 January 2019]

This film kept my attention due to an interesting subject matter and a good cast.. I'm not particularly a fan of Spike Lee's work but this one was rather good. I don't think it needed the ending tag that ties it to Trump and Charlottesville but I understand why it was done that way.

Escape Room (I) (2019)

suspenseful with a fun cast

[6/10 · 4 January 2019]

This is a suspenseful puzzle film as a group of seemingly unrelated people try to escape the "escape room" (really more like a building) without being killed.. Has some seriously inventive traps (like "Saw" only with a PG-13 rating and a bit more smarts). A decent cast, some of which are more familiar than others, helps make it worthwhile viewing.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Energetic performances enliven sequel

[8/10 · 20 December 2018]

Energetic performances by Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda and some fun production numbers carry this film. While not nearly as good as the original, it's still a fun film that the whole family can enjoy over the holidays.

The Front Runner (2018)

Compelling political drama

[8/10 · 22 November 2018]

Compelling film with Hugh Jackman pulling off a credible version of Gary Hart in this look at the fatal three weeks of his 1988 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Vera Farmiga is also good as his wife and J.K. Simmons plays his campaign manager. The film is split between covering his campaign and the reporters from the Washington Post and the Miami Herald who debated among themselves if the questions of Hart's alleged womanizing were important enough to pursue. It's a look back to a time when a story like this would sink a campaign and it did... The film has some unexpectedly strong moments when it focuses briefly on the idealistic young campaign workers and also when during a scene with Donna Rice and a young female staffer thats assigned to "manage" her... The film, after a brief prologue in 1984, spends all the time in those three weeks and it's very good for the most part.. A scene among Post staffers that tries to tie this into the #Metoo movement feels tacked on and unrealistic as having occurred in 1987 and the ending could have been a bit stronger but it's an effective film on its own merits.

Outlaw King (2018)

Braveheart 2 is bloody but good

[7/10 · 22 November 2018]

This film is essentially a sequel to "Braveheart" .. picking up after William Wallace's crusade and following Robert the Bruce and his battles with the English for Scottish independence. Chris Pine is actually pretty good in the role and this film, which is a Netflix original that is playing in a couple of theaters... has plenty of extremely bloodly battle scenes that are rather well done. The English characters, especially Edward II, are a bit too one note in their villainy but its a pretty good film anyway.

In a Relationship (2018)

Neither couple is worth rooting for

[2/10 · 22 November 2018]

Emma Roberts is the lead in this relationship comedy... which has its moments.. but in the end neither of the two couples in this movie is particularly worth rooting for.

The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)

Foy is good.. movie is just ok

[6/10 · 22 November 2018]

Claire Foy does a good job in the lead role in this new film in the Lisbeth Salander series. The rest of the cast isn't quite as good though and the storyline is kindof a low rent James Bond.. still there are some impressive sequences, the production design is good and Foy is good.

Overlord (2018)

Really fun genre film

[8/10 · 22 November 2018]

This film is a lot of fun... You have what starts out as a "typical" world war II film and then become a zombie / mad scientist gore fest... the mixing of genres works well here and the cast of relative unknowns works well.. Has it's surprises and it's scares and is just a fun "b-movie" horror/action flick.

Instant Family (2018)

Effective film

[6/10 · 22 November 2018]

Surprisingly effective film about a couple adopting three children. Isabela Moner as the teenage girl is the highlight here though Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne are both effective.. Good bits by the supporting cast as well.

The Grinch (2018)

Competent but lacking in originality

[3/10 · 22 November 2018]

Competent re-telling of the familiar story but it doesn't add anything new or original to the telling and gets a little slow and dull as they try to pad it out to feature length.

Creed II (2018)

Solid franchise effort

[8/10 · 22 November 2018]

While not as good as the previous film, this one is still worth a viewing. Picking up the threads left by Creed this one is basically a sequel to Rocky IV... bringing back Dolph Lundgren, who looks terrific, as Ivan Drago who has trained his son for a shot at Creed's title. This one hits all the right beats. Stallone is still terrific in a role he has now played EIGHT (!) times, Michael B. Jordan is good as Creed and Lundgren provides more depth than he did in the original as the disgraced former boxer who is living a second chance through his son. Brigitte Nielsen even pops up in a couple of scenes, reprising her role as Drago's now ex-wife. The film hits all the predictable franchise notes but they still work.. and when the iconic Rocky theme pops up during the climatic fight scene it still stirs the heart strings. Tessa Thompson is under utilized in this one and some of the mid section drags but I liked the movie anyway.

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Fun family film

[7/10 · 22 November 2018]

This is just a fun film with a lot of pop culture in jokes and some heartwarming character moments.. The last act goes a bit off tract but it's still a fun family film to watch over the holidays.

Halloween (I) (2018)

2nd best in the series easily

[8/10 · 20 October 2018]

This newest "Halloween" film is actually the 11th film in the series.. of those I have seen 10 of them (skipping the sequel to Rob Zombie's travesty of a remake).. and this film (which erases all of the continuity after the original) is a fine follow up to John Carpenter's original film. It captures the tone of Carpenter's film and Jamie Lee Curtis is quite good in her best role of the series. The only thing that blemishes it is that a couple of characters kindof disappear without storyline resolution and the ending feels a bit rushed.. but other than that I quite liked the movie..

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Stylist thriller

[7/10 · 14 October 2018]

This is a stylish production with good actors and is certainly a well put together thriller... it's probably a bit too long but certainly worth a viewing as it's different than most of what is out there these days.

First Man (2018)

Impressive historical film

[9/10 · 8 October 2018]

A very effective film, recreating the events leading up to the first moon landing. Using some refreshingly old school vfx techniques and some creative production design the film really puts you in the cockpit of the capsule and onto the lunar surface with Ryan Gosling. Gosling is terrific in this role, as Neil Armstrong as well.

A Star Is Born (2018)

Good acting and production

[8/10 · 8 October 2018]

This one benefits from some strong central acting performances, solid direction and some good original songs. While the overall storyline is very familiar and the story beats expected, the performers do a very good job of hitting the right notes and they have a good chemistry with each other that makes it work.

Venom (2018)

Fun but not very good

[2/10 · 7 October 2018]

One of the weaker films based on Marvel comics characters. Michelle Williams is wasted in a rather poorly written character and the bad guy is weak... Tom Hardy does his best with a rather unlikable lead character as well.. However, the film is still entertaining and has some fun action sequences (particularly a chase through San Francisco) and some amusing moments. Wish they had done this as a film more connected to the greater MCU instead of having it stand aside.... but it is what it is.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

A complete mess of a movie.

[4/10 · 29 May 2007]

This film, the third in the trilogy, is definitely the weakest. Now I was not a huge fan of it's predecessors, but part 3 is just such a mess that I was often left completely bewildered by the storyline. Characters come and go with no explanation for who they are or what their connection to other characters are... the whole storyline with the woman that has to be released or whatever made no sense and had no big payoff at the end since she basicaly just disappears! The sudden decision by Orlando Bloom that he needs to get married during the big fight seemed to be just to create some comic moments because there was no chemistry at all between him and the girl in the film.. they really seemed to dislike each other for much of the film... Really I could not even figure out why the pirate group didn't kill Bloom since he kept double crossing them repeatedly during the film, his motivations remained unclear the entire time and the "ending" didn't do anything to help with that.

The only thing at all good about this film were the effects, which of course were excellent.. so if you want to sit through a 2 1/2 hour film for the chance to exclaim "wow... cool effects" then go right ahead.. but after half an hour of that.. it just gets dull and repetitive...

I'm giving it a 4 out of 10... for the effects and sound design mostly... everything else is terrible.

The Dream (2001 Video)

Good film with heart

[8/10 · 29 November 2004]

A touching little film with Big Dave Jacobs giving one of his more nuanced performances as the father with a love of motorcycles. The "free extras" in the motorcycle gang are great characters as well. Little Sam Everitt as the wide eyed little boy is also perfect for the role. The editing and camera angles add much to the film as does a perfectly chosen musical score. An exceptionaly well done short film. Tim Everitt displays a mastery of the medium of the short film. All involved should be comended for their work. I saw this movie at the 48 Hour Film Festival, but you can still view it on a few different websites. Be sure not to miss it. You won't regret it. Honest. GRADE: A-

Too Fast Too Young (1996)

action and art together

[10 November 2004]

This film could be described as a lot of action with a little bit of art. It rightfully won the Bronze Award at the Houston International Film Festival (Worldfest Houston 1996). Some of the thoughtful comments by the lead actress push the picture into more interesting territory than the average action film.

The action sequences are uniformly good, some even cool and inventive. The cast is OK, with a strong centering performance by Michael Ironside, along with his cop sidekicks Marshall Bell and Richard Reilly.

But my favorite is just watching Kashia Figura, the Polish bombshell ("Pret a Porte", "The Pianist")... one dress she wears becomes a character in the film, which you have to see for yourself.

A good, cool independent actioner.

Collateral (2004)

Good except for the ending

[8/10 · 31 August 2004]

Michael Mann's latest thriller has Tom Cruise cast as a hitman who rides along in Jamie Foxx's cab on his way to comit his murders. The film relies primarily on the personalities of its two leads and their interaction. And in the scenes between Cruise and Foxx the film is very good. The two of them play their parts well and have a nice dynamic that makes their conversations interesting. The film is also shot very stylishly, making good use of digital video... The film is very good up until the ending, which takes several wrong turns into "Die Hard" territory with a silly cat and mouse bit in a highrise. Until then I was completly in the film. Jada Pinkett Smith shows up in a completly unbelievable performance as well, the films other weak point. Still, on the whole a fairly effective thriller featuring two solid lead performances. GRADE: B+