Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

I love the fact that Marvel has highlighted an Asian superhero, the culture and all that it can bring to it's diverse universe.  I love the fact that actor Tony Leung, arguably my favorite Chinese actor, is involved in this film along with Michelle Yeoh and the talented Awkwafina.  However, this admiration I have for Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings falls a bit short after viewing it, despite many reviews to the contrary.  In part because in some ways, it feels like just another great crossover Chinese kungfu fantasy film with crossover appeal (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero).  This is not necessarily a bad thing per se, but it is also easy to forget that it's also supposed to be a Marvel film.  In that regards, I feel it falls a bit short in story originality.  Much of the story, it's arc, and even the set pieces, in fact feels like a subpar copy and paste of elements of Black Panther.  To further exacerbate the point, it feels far too sanitized perhaps with the influence of parent company Disney.  All of these points served only to cheapen my experience in what appeared to be a promising start and admittedly in the aftermath of the Marvel cinematic saga trying to redefine itself in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame.

The Wolf's Call

Amazing that this is French director Antonin Baudry's first film, because it is instantly now one of my favorite submarine films.  I don't think I've seen a submarine film this good since Das Boot and done with a mere 22 million.  Some films make you take notice and some are gems. The Wolf's Call is a standout on both fronts.  The action, pacing, excellent cast, and a smart story all work seamlessly to deliver something amazing and worth watching again.  Through his likeable, idiosyncratic character Chanteraide, played brilliantly by Francois Civil, you are taken into the technical, camaraderie, command infrastructure, and high stakes world of a modern ballistic missile submarine.  It's a hell of a ride.

Gemini Man

I know Will Smith likes doing sci-fi film and all, but he should be doing better shit than this Gemini Man; the premise being about a retired assassin being pursued by a clone of his younger self.  One of the problems here against Smith is that he still looks like his 30 year old younger self.  Not to mention, that this cgi and the stunt effects are just too damn distracting the further along the story goes.  So, all of this gives it this weird kind of confectionery feel under director Ang Lee and writer David Benioff's unique set design.  

Shaft

I must admit that I didn't realize until writing this that it had been 20 years since Samuel Jackson reprised the Shaft role, because I was saying to myself why is he doing another one again (as if it had been like only a decade ago).  However, I still ask myself why.  I like Sam, but this movie just feels like an excuse to hear him cuss out folks and it's funny and entertaining in that sense.  But that's just it, Shaft was never a comedy, at least never leaning into it this much.  Jesse T. Usher is supposed to be the son and grandson here and shit, I'm not feeling it on any level.  So, the Shaft franchise goes from legendary to what can only be approximated to this kind of comedy buddy film that just distracts from what the plot of the film is; because I sure as shit can't tell you what the film is about and nor do I fuckin' care.

Black And Blue

Naomie Harris has been doing some amazing things in film lately and she certainly shines in elevating Black And Blue from what could have been just a mediocre action film.  It also stars Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo, and Mike Colter. What Black And Blue succeeds at is in showcasing a powerful Black actress of Harris in lead role that comes with very controversial and charged subject matter, while also being a winning action thriller that would make a good companion film to Training Day.  This is certainly one film where the generic title doesn't apply to the quality of what's being watched.

Rambo: Last Blood

When will this movie series end?  I thought 2008's Rambo was better on every level and would have been the one to end this, but this Rambo: Last Blood should have been called Rambo: Latest Blood.  In 2008, the character was in Burma and now he's off to Mexico to save his stepdaughter.  The script and character development are so lacking, the plot is tired and pointless, and the action (which is what we're all waiting on) is excessively bloody, predictable, and just laughable in it's unrealism.  The special features are like 50 minutes to the hour and a half film and I'm like for what.  I look at an excerpt or two of that and Stallone's saying the Rambo movies aren't action movies and his job is to tell stories. Wtf, as pretentious as all that was.  But I digress. The film is shit.

Hustlers

This film is a case of just a wee too much ambitious hype.  Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lizo, and Cardi B are an impressive and diverse group of actors and entertainers and this certainly sells the film and bolsters the budget.  Much like Casino and Goodfellas, it's a film that takes you into the seedy life of strippers turned criminals and is told from that voice, most notably and commendably from the real star here in Constance Wu. Oh, but let's not forget about the pole dancing skills of a 50 year old Jay Lo that's displayed at the onset. Unfortunately, this display and her admirable return to some real quality acting, and the nice directing of  Lorene Scafaria aren't quite enough to keep Hustlers from reaching a sustainable heightened interest throughout the film.  It's also a character driven heist film focusing primarily on the relationship between Lopez and Wu, which seems to lose much of its momentum in the midst of everything else going on.  So while it doesn't have all the strengths of cohesion and character development of a Set It Off or a Widows, it is a decent enough film to watch - just once.