VIDEO: Watch Tim review “A Star is Born” and “Venom” with Ellery McCardle on KARE 11.
“Venom” (PG-13)
Tom Hardy takes his career to dizzying new heights with “Venom,” his second comic book movie role after playing the ominous Bane in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” In “Venom” he plays Eddie Brock, an investigative reporter who gets a bit too close to the story of a corrupt scientist (Riz Ahmed) and encounters an alien substance that bonds with him and creates this monstrous alter-ego.
Directed by Reuben Fleischer (“Zombieland”), “Venom” marks the second time we’ve encountered the Marvel Comics creation on the big screen, 11 years after critics and fans blasted Topher Grace’s version in “Spider-Man 3.” Here, though, there’s no Spider-Man to be found and instead of being a villain, Venom is more of an anti-hero that audiences can get behind, mainly because the bad guy is battling an even-worse guy.
There’s no question that “Venom” is trying to capitalize on the irreverent tone of Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool” movies with its humor, and for the most part it works thanks to the brilliance of Hardy, who delivers yet another strikingly original performance opposite the always great Michelle Williams.
And while the film isn’t nearly as polished as his eccentric Marvel cousin and plays it safe with a PG-13 rating, “Venom” is still very entertaining and leaves the door open for more, as teased by the film’s end credits scene.
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
VIDEO: Watch Tim review “A Star is Born” and “Venom” with Ellery McCardle on KARE 11.
“A Star is Born” (R)
A big screen star truly is born in the new remake of the classic romantic tragedy “A Star is Born,” featuring the electrifying feature film debut of pop superstar Lady Gaga under the expert filmmaking sensibilities of first time director Bradley Cooper. Even though you know the story inside and out from its previous film incarnations, “A Star is Born” still feels incredibly fresh; and by the time it is all said and done, it will leave you feeling energized and an emotional wreck at the same time.
The story of “A Star is Born,” of course, is almost as old as Hollywood itself. The tale involving the meteoric rise of an ingenue juxtaposed by the fall of a matinee idol amid their romance debuted in 1937 with Janet Gaynor and Frederic March with “A Star is Born,” and was remade as musical in 1954 starring Judy Garland and James Mason. The last time “A Star is Born” was made for the big screen was in 1976, where the setting was changed from the world of film to music, starring Barbra Streisand as a singing star-in-the-making and Kris Kristofferson as a fading musician.
Cooper keeps the musical background intact for the new version of “A Star is Born” as Jackson Maine (an ode to the original film’s male lead, Norman Maine), a country rock superstar who finds solace in the bottle as he enters the twilight of his career. Looking for liquor after one of his gigs, Jackson happens upon a burlesque bar, where he is taken by the singing talents of Ally (Lady Gaga), who earns most of her keep as a restaurant server. After spending the rest of the night together talking about the pitfalls of Jackson’s fame and Ally’s hopes and dreams, Jackson invites Ally to his concert the next night.
Reluctant at first, Ally is whisked away in a private jet to Jackson’s concert destination, where she finds the musician has not only provided her with a backstage pass, but a full arrangement of the song she composed the night before. Inviting her on stage to sing it for the crowd, Ally becomes an instant smash with limitless opportunities, while Jackson’s career and personal life, beset with family-related demons, quickly spirals downward, challenging their love and life together.
The key to the success of Gaga’s performance is her subtlety and simplicity. She’s not playing one of the many characters, effectively, that she’s appeared as in public in recent years – and ultra-glam wardrobe she wore early on would definitely qualify her as characters. Here, she’s the T-shirt and jeans Gaga with a natural beauty and talent, which explains why her performance in the film feels relatable. Gaga’s Ally is destined to be a star, but at her heart she’s like every person who has dared to dream big and is awestruck by the highs – and lows – of it all.
Even though it’s the fourth rendition of the time-honored “A Star is Born,” Cooper and Gaga’s version obviously feels fresh because of its contemporary setting, but brilliantly infuses Gaga’s immense talents as a singer and musician, and showcases Cooper’s ability to not only direct, but sing and write both dialogue and songs. We already knew Cooper could act, and after the film you can’t help but ask yourself, “Where’s the rest of him been all these years?”
Flanked by the talents of Sam Elliott as Jackson’s brother, Dave Chappelle in a semi-dramatic turn as Jackson’s longtime friend and Andrew Dice Clay as Ally’s doting father, Cooper and Gaga – and their undeniable chemistry – create a deep impact with “A Star is Born.” While ultimately heartbreaking as a film, “A Star is Born” leaves the viewer with tremendous hope over the rebirth of two already well-established performers who are destined to be a major film star and director.
Lammometer: 9.5 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
Director Karey Kirkpatrick and actor Channing Tatum fill some very big shoes with the animated family adventure “Smallfoot,” a clever film that flips the script on Bigfoot/Yeti lore and as a result, instantly puts itself for the Best Animated Feature running during this year’s awards season.
For generations, of course, tall tales have bee spun by humans about the mythical creature Bigfoot and the questioning of its existence, and as it turns out, in the world of the Yeti, similar tales have been going on, but that creatures with small feet – aka humans – exist.
AUDIO: Click to hear Tim’s review of “Smallfoot” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”
The problem is, when a Yeti named Migo (Tatum) who sees a “smallfoot” and tells his village about it, no one believes him, so he’s banished for not telling the truth. To right the ship, Migo treks to the base of the Himalayas to get evidence that the Smallfoot exists so he can be accepted back into society. But even if does, there are more unanticipated roadblocks in the big, fuzzy creature’s way.
The entire voice cast excels in “Smallfoot,” from Tatum, James Corden and Zendaya to Danny DeVito, Common and yes, even NBA star LeBron James in a supporting role. Naturally, with Zendaya and Common involved, the film even boasts a few tunes, including some with the participation of Tatum.
Not surprisingly animation animation veteran Kirkpatrick deliver gorgeous animation, and housed without is a film loaded with fast action is fast, fun setups and an heartfelt narrative that will play for both kids and adults. For a film with the word small as part of the title, “Smallfoot” leaves big impressions.
Lammometer: 8.5 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
VIDEO: See Tim’s review of “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” with Adrienne Broaddus on KARE 11.
“The House with a Clock in Its Walls” (PG)
While its title is one of the clunkiest movie titles in recent memory, “The House with a Clock in its Walls,” is exactly what the movie is about — a doomsday clock hidden within a haunted house that must be discovered before it starts ticking down to an end of days plan concocted by an evil warlock. Even though the film has all the talent it needs to succeed, however, the film plods along until the third act to fulfill its promise.
Relative newcomer Owen Vaccaro stars as Lewis Barnavelt, an orphaned 10-year-old in the 1950s who goes to live with his eccentric uncle, Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black), in a spooky neighborhood haunted house. Blank soon discovers that his uncle has magical powers as a warlock as does his quirky neighbor, the witch Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), and begins to learn about the dark arts himself. But once Lewis begins to learn too much about and his curiosity gets him into trouble by carrying out a spell in a forbidden book, he, Jonathan and Florence must work together by preventing the doomsday clock from clicking ahead and its warlock creator (Kyle McLachlan) from fulfilling his deadly destiny.
AUDIO: Click to hear Tim’s review of “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”
“The House with a Clock in Its Walls” feels like a combination of “Goosebumps” and “Fantastic Beasts,” and with a PG rating, it’s definitely aimed at the kids’ set. However, feels like it’s trying too hard to be a kids movie with its zaniness and doesn’t have anything remotely scary until the third act. On one hand, it’s great that kids have a rare opportunity to see a light-hearted, spooky PG movie in today’s marketplace, but on the flip side, an opportunity was missed to engage any prospective adults (re: parents of said kids they are brining to the movie). As movies like “Incredibles 2” have shown, movies can definitely be made to appeal to families as a whole.
The most interesting thing about “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” is that it was directed by Eli Roth, who has made some brutally sadistic movies in the past with such horror flicks as “Hostel” and its sequel, and “The Green Inferno.” And while Roth oddly showed signs of easing up on the violence and showing restraint on, of all films, the Bruce Willis remake of Death Wish, the fact that he is suddenly helming a PG film is a real head-scratcher.
Presumably Roth (who has a cameo in the film) did “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” to work with Jack Black, who is entertaining as usual, and Cate Blanchett, who brings class to every film she’s in. Perhaps Roth directed the film because he couldn’t convince her to star in “Hostel, Part III” … now that would have been truly scary.
Lammometer 6 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
