Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Movie review: ‘The Meg’ is outrageous but entertaining shark tale

August 10, 2018 Tim Lammers Leave a comment

“The Meg” (PG-13)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, “The Meg” has surfaced, a whale of a shark movie tale that’s outrageously entertaining from start to finish. Is it over-the-top ridiculous? Absolutely – it is a giant shark movie after all. The good thing is, star Jason Statham and director Jon Turtletaub know it, and because the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, “The Meg” makes, for the lack of better words, a huge splash.

“The Meg” is short for the Megladon, a prehistoric shark that’s 75 feet long that inhabits the bottom of the ocean. The film follows a deep-sea expedition that encounters the Meg, which following a rescue mission by Jonas Taylor (Statham) finds a way to swim to the ocean’s surface to devour everything living thing in sight with it sights set on a popular beach.

Listen to Tim’s review of “The Meg” and more on the “Paul and Jordana Show” on WCCO-AM Radio. Segment begins 6:30 minutes in.

With playful homages to Steven Spielberg’s classic “Jaws” woven throughout, “The Meg” is driven by intensity and occasional gore, which for queasy members of the audience is limited by the film’s PG-13 rating. And while the film has scary scenes, no doubt, it hardly could be considered a horror film, and in fact, it has a surprisingly light tone despite an escalating body count. “The Meg” can chalk its lighter tone up to its fine dose of humor – some of it is intentional and some of it because of its self-aware ridiculous action scenes – which Statham is obviously familiar with because of his prior “Fast and Furious” movies.

While the monster shark is clearly the star of “The Meg,” the film has a great supporting cast, from Rainn Wilson (who mostly plays it straight) as a billionaire who funds the expedition to Robert Taylor (the star of “Longmire”) as the expedition’s doctor who has a contentious past with Jonas; and the always dependable Cliff Curtis as one of the expedition’s crew to Ruby Rose as a computer techie. The Chinese co-production also features the stunning Bingbing Li as one of the expedition’s scientists and Winston Chau has the leader of the crew.

A movie that’s bound to be roasted by highbrow moviegoers and critics, the best way to enjoy “The Meg” is to simply sit back and enjoy the summer movie popcorn action since the film is not brain surgery, and it knows it. Inadvertently, “The Meg” is the sort of crowd-pleasing movie the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apparently had in mind before it jumped the shark this week and announced its new “Best Popular Film” Oscars category … a move that’s already come back to (shark) bite the AMPAS governing body in the arse.

Lammometer: 8 (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.

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Film, Movie Reviews

Movie review: New Pooh story ‘Christopher Robin’ filled with humor, heart

August 2, 2018 Tim Lammers Leave a comment

“Christopher Robin” (PG)

The bear of very little brain indeed shows his big heart in “Christopher Robin,” a magical family tale about Winnie the Pooh and his grown-up human friend Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor). As Disney’s latest original live-action adaptation from its stable of animated classics, “Christopher Robin” works on every level with its perfect blend of humor and heart.

“Christopher Robin” begins in the familiar setting of the Hundred Acre Wood, where the young Christopher (Orton O’Brien) says goodbye to his friends Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, possibly forever when he leaves for boarding school. While Christopher has a hard time at first adjusting to his new setting and absence of old friends, his memory eventually fades as he gets married to Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and goes off to serve in World War II. When Christopher finally returns home, he is greeted by Evelyn and his toddler daughter, Madeline, who was born when he was serving in the military, and he’s having a hard time bonding with her and readjusting to time with Evelyn because of the overbearing pressures of his job at a luggage company, which faces huge cutbacks.

AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Christopher Robin” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.” Segment begins 2 minutes in.

Meanwhile, 30 years have passed in the Hundred Acre Wood, and Pooh awakens one day and he can’t find his friends. In hopes Christopher will help him, Pooh leaves the Hundred Acre Wood for London, where he surprises his old friend. The problem is, Christopher is on a tight deadline to come up with a plan to save his co-workers’ jobs, he overcomes his reluctance to help and discovers that, thanks to stuffed friend, he’s missing out the innocent joys of life that he once had as a child.

Interview: Hayley Atwell talks ‘Christopher Robin’

A family-friendly film with a PG rating, “Christopher Robin” works both for children familiar and new to the adventures of Winnie the Pooh with its simple yet engaging storyline, and adults, not only for the nostalgia factor, but the carefully layered-in messages of priorities and the importance of family.

Set the 1940s, “Christopher Robin” perfectly captures the nostalgic era with its look and feel, which of course enhanced by the magical tone of the film realized by director Marc Forster. A courtyard park bench setting is particularly poignant, since it marks the reunion of Christopher and Pooh, and harkens the emotional ending to his 2004 classic “Finding Neverland,” which chronicled the creation of “Peter Pan” by playwright J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp).

The great thing is, that magical atmosphere is present throughout “Christopher Robin,” which is made complete by the voicework of long-time Pooh voice actor Jim Cummings (he voices Tigger as well), and the whimsical baritone of Brad Garrett as Eeyore, among others. Their presence helps to match the tone of the Winnie the Pooh animated films and features, which, despite their stuffed animal looks, feel like real characters with real emotions. All told, “Christopher Robin” is one of the best films of the summer, if not of 2018 to date.

Lammometer: 9.5 (out of 10)

Listen to Tim’s review of “Christopher Robin” and “Goodbye Christopher Robin” on the “Paul and Jordana Show” on WCCO-AM Radio. Segement begins 9 minutes in.

Film, Movie Reviews

Movie review: ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ is exhilarating assignment

July 25, 2018 Tim Lammers Leave a comment

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (PG-13)

Tom Cruise raises the stakes to even more dizzying heights in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” the sixth film in the actor’s thrilling “Mission: Impossible” franchise. Featuring Cruise’s usual brand of marquee stunts, intense action sequences and a sprawling story line loaded with twists and turns, the film ranks among the series’ best, and is only hampered by its nearly 2 1/2 hour run time.

Unlike previous installments in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, “Fallout” has direct ties to its previous installment (“Rogue Nation”), where the chief villain, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) and undercover MI: 6 Agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) remain a core part of the narrative. The film begins with a thwarted attempt by IMF (Impossible Mission Force) Agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) to recover three plutonium cores which could annihilate three major cities, leading him on a dangerous mission to unearth the mysterious identity of the person behind the planned attacks.

AUDIO: Click to hear Tim’s review of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”

However, due to the botched recovery of the plutonium in the first place, CIA Director Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett) requires Hunt to add CIA operative August Walker (Henry Cavill) to the team, which still includes computer hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and tech expert Benji Dunn (the always amusing Simon Pegg). Complicating matters, though, is Walker’s differences in philosophy, as well as the reemergence of Faust, whose identity and purpose in the matter remains ambiguous. Pivotal to the recovery of the plutonium, though, is the now-imprisoned Lane — who still very much remains a vital part of the crime organization The Syndicate — and he’s hell-bent on making Ethan witness the destruction he’s planning on causing with the nuclear material.

Interview: Rebecca Ferguson Talks “M:I – Rogue Nation”
Interview: Christopher McQuarrie Talks “M:I – Rogue Nation”

While Cruise continues to push the envelope with mind-blowing stunt work throughout the film (he trained for a year to do a 25,000-foot HALO jump out of a plane — and did a reported 109 takes to get it just right — and put a year and a half in learning to fly a helicopter), equally as impressive is the thrills that emerge from tried-and-true devices like foot pursuits and motorcycle chases throughout Paris and London. It’s great to see that Cruise and his frequent collaborator, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie, still find ways to not only make these sequences exciting, but have them rival the all-time great chase sequences like Gene Hackman’s frantic romp through New York City in “The French Connection.”

Better yet, despite the gloriously-staged action, “Fallout” never loses track of the story, even if its stretched to the point of ridiculousness (a 15-minute timer that’s running on a bomb that needs to be diffused seems to go on forever, hence the film’s overlong run-time). Thanks to some well-plotted twists, perhaps the greatest feat of “Fallout” is that it staves off any hint of predictability, apart, maybe from its ultimate outcome.

VIDEO: Click to see Tim’s review of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” with Adrienne Broaddus on KARE-TV.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is how it continues to improve as the it grows. True, “Fallout” probably falls short of the greatness of the fourth film, “Ghost Protocol” and last one, “Rogue Nation,” but it’s still a top-notch thriller. Even though Cruise broke his ankle leaping from one building to the next during filming (the footage of which remains in the film), there’s clearly no sign of the actor slowing down. And with the perfect team of McQuarrie and the film’s supporting players in place, it will be interesting what impossible mission the adrenaline-fueled actor takes on next.

Lammometer: 8 (out of 10)

AUDIO: Click to hear Tim’s review of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO’s Radio’s “Paul and Joranda.”

Film, Movie Reviews

Movie review: ‘Mamma Mia 2’ fun, but misses high notes of original

July 18, 2018 Tim Lammers Leave a comment

“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” (PG-13)

Ten years after the hit movie based on the blockbuster stage musical, a questionable sequel to the ABBA-inspired “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” has finally arrived with mixed results. Loaded with a new set of lesser-known ABBA tunes and the return of some of the original film’s hit favorites, “Here We Go Again” has its share of highs and lows for the first two-thirds of the film until it recaptures the full glory of the 2008 film in a strong third act.

“Here We Go Again” begins with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who apparently after her honeymoon with Sky (Dominic Cooper) decided to settle in Greece (And why not? The setting is gorgeous) and is struggling to open her mom Donna’s (Meryl Streep) original abode as a premiere hotel destination.

AUDIO: Hear Tim’s reviews of “The Equalizer 2” and “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”

There’s trouble in paradise, though, as Sky has found his dream in the hotel business a half-world away in New York City; and complicating matters is that she discovers she is pregnant with their first child. Effectively, Sophie’s dilemmas mirror that of her free-spirited mom in her younger years (Lily James), and the scenes of which are juxtaposed throughout the film in a series of flashbacks.

Part sequel and part prequel, “Here We Go Again” works best when the original cast appears, including Christine Baranski and Julie Walters as Tanya and Rosie – Donna’s best friends/Donna and the Dynamos back-up singers – as well as Sophie’s three dads: Sam, Harry and Bill, played again by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard, respectively.

Naturally, Donna’s back story includes the younger versions of Tanya and Rosie (Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies), and chronicles her brief romances with Sam (Jeremy Irvine), Harry (Hugh Skinner) and Bill (Josh Dylan), leading to her pregnancy with Sophie – which, of course, drove the story line of who the dad was in the original “Mamma Mia!”

While the younger cast members are admirable additions to the large ensemble, they just can’t live up to the memorable performances put in by the veteran stars of the original. Sure, they’re at the heart of the musical numbers that are mostly, but not always, delightful, but the minute the narrative gets back to the storytelling in-between, it feels like all the air has been sucked out of the movie.

VIDEO: See Tim’s reviews of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and “The Equalizer 2” with Adrienne Broaddus of KARE-TV.

There are a couple new additions to the “Mamma Mia” sequel that are particularly noteworthy: Andy Garcia as the handsome caretaker of Sophie’s new hotel, and Cher as Donna’s/Sophie’s estranged entertainer mother/grandmother who turns up uninvited to the grand opening of the new business. Cher’s appearance in the film, while brief, is naturally one of the big highlights of “Here We Go Again,” merely because her powerhouse voice reminds you just how less-musically inclined her co-stars are. Cher also has a statuesque presence, which makes up for almost the complete lack of Streep in the film, save for one emotionally powerful scene at the end.

Whether a follow-up chapter was even necessary is something fans of the original will surely debate after seeing the sequel, including a crucial plot point involving the main character, Donna (Meryl Streep), that dampens the mood almost from the get-go. A daring, if not welcome move from a storytelling standpoint? Probably, but it also casts a dark cloud over the sunny disposition that made the original production – both on stage and film – such a joy.

Luckily, “Here We Go Again” ends on a high note, as writer-director Ol Parker assembles the entire cast for an entertaining curtain call number that rivals the end credit tunes of the original “Mamma Mia!” True, the second go-round of the story of Donna and the Dynamos won’t knock you off your feet, but thanks to some lovable tunes, it will surely want to make you get up, dance and naturally, sing.

Lammometer: 6.5 (out of 10)

“The Equalizer 2” (R)

Denzel Washington is back as Robert McCall – and this is a pretty big deal for Washington – since this is his first sequel in his career. McCall is a retired CIA Agent who still has knack for kicking the bad guys’ asses when they’re preying on the defenseless. Despite that, he’s still trying to lead a low-profile existence by being a driver for a ride-sharing service – but he’s pulled back into the spy game full-time when his colleagues are being assassinated – and he’s on the list.

Washington is great as usual, even when the story gets predictable with the reveal of who is behind the killings. The final showdown gets out of hand, too, when McCall takes on the bad guy as a hurricane begins to bear down on East Coast. Fans of revenge thrillers won’t care, though, especially when it Washington is the guy pulling the trigger.

Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)

AUDIO: Hear Tim’s reviews of “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” and more with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio (segment begins 9:30 in)

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Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Movie review: ‘The Meg’ is outrageous but entertaining shark tale

Movie review: New Pooh story ‘Christopher Robin’ filled with humor, heart

Movie review: ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ is exhilarating assignment

Movie review: ‘Mamma Mia 2’ fun, but misses high notes of original

Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers