Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; Wild, otherworldly visuals and a stellar cast attempt to overcome the MCU trappings of never ending, never starting, everlasting storyline. Fun, silly spectacle suffers from comic book conveniences & delayed back story yet still entertains; B+

 

Falling Down

Falling Down; An aggressive performance by Douglas makes this racist’s wet dream of a film watchable, even though it would be much more interesting to follow storylines of all the characters he comes across than the sad anti-hero protagonist he plays. Hasn’t aged very well; B-

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp; Thrills big and small. Heart and humour. Replays the hits from the first film with a few new visuals. Always uses the talents of the cast so well. Relationships believable and what makes the subject matter so enjoyable; A-

Ant-Man

Ant-Man; Small scale heist film feels like pre-Marvel superhero tales. Focused, family driven, funny. Truly Douglas' film in his gravitas; A-

The Game

Directed by:  David Fincher
Starring:  Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger
Running Time:  2h 08min

Douglas gives a remarkable performance, not unlike the downward spiral he took in Falling Down.  He is caught up in the "game", a real life adventure that leaves him wondering what is real and what is only a part of the game.  Sometimes the viewer is just as confused as Douglas, which only adds to the viewing pleasure.  The humour occurs realistically, subtle yet hilarious.  The look of the movie is unmistakably Fincher, a director who will surely emerge as the next Coppola or Scorsese.  Every moment is spent guessing between what is real and what is false.  The opening sequence is a special form of storytelling, visually and mentally stimulating.  Fincher makes a movie that appeals to all the senses and exercises the mind, with a sweet aftertaste.

Grade:  A

The Ghost and the Darkness

The Ghost and the Darkness; An interesting tale of two lions in Africa that prove to be unstoppable in their attempt to stop Kilmer's bridge builder from doing his job. Though the movie moves along with very little left to the imagination it still manages to captivate. This movie won an Oscar for sound effects editing, and I can see why, as the suspense and terror is built around the silence and the slaughter, all wrapped in great sound. The visuals don't seem quite as scary, but the set-ups to kill the lions are interesting. The way the Native workers fear the animals shows a White man's stupidity at first but then makes them seem foolish themselves, in the way Western films do. Douglas doesn't seem right for his part and tries to give it more than it calls for. Kilmer seems good; B-