Ad Astra Review

Ad Astra Review

     In the not-too-distant future, anti-matter pulses are erupting from Neptune, causing power surges across the galaxy and resulting in the deaths of thousands on Earth. Space Command enlists Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) to communicate with an experiment called "The Lima Project," which was headed up by his father Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) and disappeared into deep space when Roy was sixteen. Now Roy must discover the connection behind The Lima Project and the dangerous pulse waves that threaten the entire galaxy.

     Disappointment layers itself throughout the two hour running time of this sci-fi flick. At least that's something of a theme that I sensed. We hear Roy give monologues about his marriage falling apart due to his distant behavior as well as his tedium with humanity and its inability to escape it flaws (consumerism, piracy, etc;). He later talks about his disappointment in his father never returning (despite emulating him in not just work ethic but in attitude towards others). He is further depressed by the notion that his superiors at Space Command are using him for nefarious purposes. And in the end, Roy's encounter with his father Clifford leads to one more heartbreaking disappointment. 

     It's not without reason that Roy feels so detached from humanity, which is a well-written indication of his characterization. Roy emulates his father, Clifford, a cold, distant man who seemed obsessed with proving the existence of non-human intelligent life to the exclusion of everything else. Roy most likely didn't have any sort of healthier alternative to deal with the trauma that his father's disappearance had had on his young psyche, so he did the only thing he could think of, become his father in just about every way possible; even to the point of becoming an astronaut and working on space stations. 

      It seemed at first that the narrow-minded viewpoints of Roy (and later we discover Clifford) are considered to be validated. Despite technological advances in science and especially space travel, humanity essentially brought all of its problems off-world. There are malls on the Moon, as we see a Subway and other corporate chains enjoying residence on a commercial moonbase that people affluent enough can afford to travel. There's even crime on the moon with scavengers roaming the surface to steal parts and kill any resistance to their goals. But then I think to myself, "that sounds utterly ridiculous." Not the moon mall part, I'd believe that capitalism and consumerism would grow rampant to the point where they'd want corporate chains paying for prime lunar real estate. 

     The film shows us Roy's perspective on the world and I'm not sure if we're supposed to agree with his viewpoint, at least where his less than positive opinions on human progress are concerned. And the world's not a flawless utopia, that's for certain. However the viewpoints of both Roy and Clifford are supposedly framed as both McBride men being either unable or unwilling to connect with other people. Brad Pitt gives a solid turn as a man who is learning how to be human after putting up what his character calls "a performance". He puts on a stoic face for the first half of the movie which begins cracking with each new revelation and he becomes further entrenched in the mission.

     Ad Astra is essentially Brad Pitt's character using isolation therapy to learn how to reconnect with humanity and work through his daddy issues. Honestly, the message of "We're all alone, so we're all we've got" isn't necessarily a bad message. But I think a better message would be "Even if we're not alone in the universe, it's no excuse to leave your loved ones behind." Tommy Lee Jones does not play a sympathetic character in this film. Clifford McBride is an asshole who bluntly tells his son he never gave a damn about him and would rather search for alien lifeforms than be a father to his child and a husband to his wife. 

     While I'm not a fan of the characters and the clunky way it handles the themes and messages, the movie is visually stunning and has some of the best space scenes I've ever witnessed. In the beginning, there's a harrowing scene of Brad Pitt's Roy falling to Earth from the space station he'd been working on. The perspective of falling from such a height was an intense opening sequence. There's even a brief (if entirely contrived) scene of a rescue attempt on a Norwegian space station that was a little bit disturbing despite the jump-scares in the scene. 

     Ad Astra is not a poorly made movie, far from it. It has a stellar (if miniscule) cast, and asks interesting questions about human progress, togetherness, and the virtues and necessity of being part of a community. However, it doesn't quite answer those questions as deftly as it might think, becoming little more than about a forty-year old boy learning how to become a man through deep space isolation and learning that his father is a murderous jackass.

WWE Clash Of Champions (2019)

WWE Clash Of Champions (2019)

     Coming from Charlotte, NC (aka The Queen City), Clash of Champions (The event where every championship title is on the line) has a long line-up to go through so let's bring you the recaps.

Lince Dorado vs Drew Gulak (c) vs Humberto Carillo- Triple Threat Match for The Cruiserweight Championship    

     This match was a nice showcase for all men involved. Drew Gulak showed caginess and guile versus his high-flying opponents. Dorado and Carillo executed excellent aerial acrobatics with Dorado hitting a pop-up dropkick on Carillo and Carillo hitting a moonsault on Dorado while the latter was on Gulak's shoulders. Though it looked like Carillo was about to grab the victory, Gulak's smarts help him win the day. 

Rating: Three "How Did He Not Break His Damn Fool Neck"s out of five.

AJ Styles (c) vs Cedric Alexander- United States Championship Match

     While the previous match was heavily competitive, this bout seemed much less so. It wasn't a squash by any means but AJ Styles had control over the majority of the match and his win over Cedric was pretty decisive and thorough. Cedric had two different flurries of offense but after a Styles Clash on the outside, a phenomenal forearm and a second Styles Clash, it was all she wrote for the young up and comer. Styles's pals the OC (Anderson and Gallows) came out to provide the post-match beating of Alexander, putting the exclamation point on a match that was, in my opinion, way too short. 

Rating: Two and a half Too Sweets out of five.

Seth Rollins and Braun Stroman (c) vs Robert Rood and Dolph Ziggler- RAW Tag Team Championship Match

      While I had my misgivings about this match basically taking four singles wrestlers and making a tag team championship match despite WWE's tag team division needing a desperate overhaul in terms of depth. All four men put in really good efforts, but I couldn't really get into this match. The outcome was predictable and as a set-up for the Universal Title match later tonight, seemed to make the RAW Tag Team Titles a perpetual afterthought. 

Rating: Two Gettings of These Hands out of five.

Bayley (c) vs Charlotte Flair- Smackdown Women's Championship Match

     If there were any doubts about Bayley's turn into full-blown heel-hood (is that a word?), I imagine they're all out the window by now if this match is anything to go by. Charlotte was cheered like a hero awaiting their reward for conquering the hypocritical hugger Bayley. The fans were firmly behind Charlotte despite her supposedly being a heel (though Charlotte is a native of Charlotte, NC so she gets a hometown pop). The match was completely one-sided which puzzled me until the ending where Bayley uses a dirty trick worthy of the Nature Boy himself to retain. It wasn't much of a match but in terms of story, it is interesting to see where it goes from here.

Rating: Two and a half loose turnbuckle pads out of five.

The New Day (Xavier Woods and Big E) (c) vs The Revival- Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match

     The Revival know how to be top heels, that's for certain. The story of the match was Xavier's injured knee and it did end up being a deciding factor with the downfall of the New Day. The in-ring action did its best to make it look exciting but the Revival seemed pretty dominant from beginning to end and especially at the very end with tormenting Xavier into tapping out to award the Smackdown Tag Titles to The Revival. 

Rating: Two Top Guys out of five. 

Alexa Bliis and Nikki Cross (c) vs Fire and Desire Sonya Deville andMandy Rose- Women's Tag Team Championship Match 

     Hearing Renee Young and Corey Graves bickering over each other was almost as distracting as the 24-7 title shenanigans that interrupted this match and were promptly never seen again tonight. Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss's unlikely friendship and winning ways continue in a decent match with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. A couple of close calls made this a good competitive match though nothing really too special. 

Rating: Three Rainbow flags out of five. 

Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Sami Zayn (c) vs The Miz- Intetcontinental Championship Match 

      The build for this match has been on the back burner with Sami Zayn, the motormouthed muse for the wrestler known as The Artist, constantly getting one up on The Miz, who's been having just about the worst run of luck since his last face turn. Sadly for the Cleveland native, that run continues in a valiant but losing effort as Sami Zayn provides the distraction after Miz hit his finisher on Shinsuke. The two have decent chemistry and got good performances out of each other and that's not nothing. 

Rating: Three YEAH-OH's out of five. 

Becky Lynch (c) vs Sasha Banks- RAW Women's Championship Match 

     Dueling "Let's Go Becky" and "Let's Go Sasha" chants flood this match of two of the best women wrestlers in WWE. This was a much better match than Charlotte vs Bayley at least from an in-ring standpoint. The match takes a weird turn when Becky inadvertently decks the ref with a steel chair (which we later learn caused a disqualification). From there, Banks and Lynch battled up through the crowd, into the concourse where Becky poured mustard on Sasha. Fighting back into the arena, Becky took firm control with steel chair shots and a DisArmHer through the steel chair. Match of the Night so far. 

Rating: Three and a half condiments across the spine out of five. 

Kofi Kingston (c) vs Randy Orton- WWE Championship Match 

     While this match was better than their SummerSlam bout, this is one of the slower paced matches on the card and it does drag things down a bit. But in the case of a man trying to battle the odds and beat an age-old demon of his past, it tells a decent enough story. For weeks, The Apex Predator has been harassing and getting into the mind of the inspirational champion. Randy's arrogant posturing, calling Kofi a stupid undeserving champion, giving Kofi more to prove. Kofi manages to put in a good turn as a conquering hero, even if the fans in the audience were a bit lukewarm. Personally, I blame that on it being an Orton match. Overall a decent match but I'm hoping this feud has reached its apex, so to speak.

Rating: Two and a half Troubles In Paradise out of five. 

Roman Reigns vs Erick Rowan- No Disqualification Match

     There's nothing quite like a good old Hoss fight. Two big beefy men slugging it out and wrecking all of the shit along the way. While I wouldn't call this one a barn-burner, it was a pretty good brawl for the only non-title match on the card. Roman fought through a lot, getting hit with steel steps, a kendo stick, a trash can, and being put through at least two tables. Despite all of that, he kept getting back up because that's what he does. Enter Luke Harper; someone whom the dirt sheets had earlier stated the Vince McMahon and WWE didn't want to use. Surprising the entire crowd as well as myself with his his appearance, Harper and Rowan overwhelmed the Big Dog and it was all academic in the end. 

Rating: Three missing massive monstrous mallets out of five. 

Seth Rollins (c) vs Braun Stroman- WWE Universal Championship Match

      Conversely, there's something to be said about a good David vs Goliath match. Closing out the show that they opened, Seth Rollins and Braun Stroman definitely gave it a much better go with this match than in their Tag Title match (which, honestly doesn't speak well of how booking feels about the tag team division, but that's another topic for another time). Braun brutalized Seth with his power while Seth used his quickness to outmaneuver the Monster Among Men when he could. Braun looked like a beast taking Stomp after Stomp after Stomp and kicking out of each one before succumbing to a Pedigree and a fourth Stomp to stay down long enough for Seth to pick up the pin.  Seth didn't celebrate for long, however. Because The Fiend Bray Wyatt has sent out an invitation to Seth for a match at Hell In A Cell. He seals the invite with a Sister Abigail on the steel stage and a Mandible Claw to put Seth out for good as the show closes. 

Rating: Three Stomps That Braun Kicks Out Of...out of five. 

Overall Grade: 

Two And A Half Jib Cameras Used As A Bludgeoning Tool Out Of Five!

     While there were some good matches on the card (Becky and Sasha, Seth and Braun, The Cruiserweight Triple Threat and surprisingly enough Roman vs Rowan) this Pay Per View couldn't really kick it into that next gear. While this was a good enough WWE Event and by no means terrible or even all that bad, it doesn't quite clear the bar into very good or great. 

Match Of The Night Goes To 

     Becky and Sasha kept the fire burning throughout the match, brawling all through the crowd, although this could've done well with the No Disqualification stipulation added to it, it's not surprising they ended it with Becky accidentally beaning the ref with the steel chair, instigating said post-match fracas. The story isn't over with these two and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

IT: Chapter Two Review

IT: Chapter Two

     In the summer of 1989 in the sleepy little town of Derry, Maine, seven children that call themselves The Losers Club came together to battle a horrifying monster that called itself Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) and feeds on the flesh of its terrified victims. They were successful in beating back the beast, but made a promise to return should the eldritch being ever return. Twenty-seven years later, Pennywise hasn't forgotten his defeat and now he sows the seeds for a chilling revenge as The Loser's Club reunites to not just make peace with their past in Derry, but to put an end to It once and for all.

      Having not written a review of It: Chapter One (or simply It 2017), I'll sum up my thoughts thusly: It was intense and creepy as hell. Bill Skarsgard gives a menacing performance as Pennywise that takes its own gleefully evil spin on the role made famous by Tim Curry in the 90's TV miniseries. The child actors did a great job and gave stellar performances all the way around. With It: Chapter Two, we have a terrific cast looking to pick up where the previous ensemble left off and for the most part, the adults were, in my opinion, up to the task.

     James McAvoy once again nails it as Bill Denbrough. He sells the unhappiness and disappointment of seeing his work ridiculed by not just his colleagues but his own wife; the stuttering panic that swallows him up when he learns that Pennywise has returned, and the fevered desperation of wanting the creature dead in revenge for murdering his brother Georgie twenty-eight years prior. McAvoy knocks it out of the park and he is a delight to watch.

     Despite being a famous fashion designer, Bev Marsh would rather return to Derry to fight an eldritch abomination than spend one more second in an abusive marriage and frankly, who could blame her?  Jessica Chastain gives a good turn as a young woman who bears scars both visible and unseen. The unease in which she confronts both her memories of her father in her childhood home as well as the returning memories of battling and being captured by Pennywise is palpable in every scene she's in.

     Isaiah Mustafah disappears into the role of Mike Hanlon, becoming nearly unrecognizable as "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" from the Old Spice commercials. While the others moved away from Derry to have successful careers despite their unhappiness, Mike stayed. He never truly moved on from the events of the summer of '89. Mustafah gives Mike an awkward, unsure confidence in his ability to kill It and it's nice they gave the character at least a little more to do in this movie as opposed to the sparse appearances in the previous film.

     Jay Ryan does a fine job as Ben Hanscom, playing him as still the nervous kid who is especially awkward around Bev. Ben's shyness and isolation despite his success as an architect are given more focus and displayed very well in a scene with him being on a video conference with a group of business associates working on the diagrams of a mall. He still harbors a crush on Bev from childhood. I say a fine job mainly because the script seemed to call for Ben to mainly make awkward conversations with Bev and look longingly at her and Bill when they interact.

     James Ransone perfectly encapsulates how little Eddie Faspback had changed during the decades by channeling his hypochondria into a lucrative position as a risk-assessment analyst for an insurance company. His fearful nature gives him a unique challenge to overcome, given that he, like Bev, married someone who was very much like their parent. Though, in Eddie's case, the actress playing his wife, Molly Atkinson, also plays Eddie's mother, making the point a bit too on-the-nose. His arc is about believing in himself and being able to, once more, overcome his fears and skittishness despite wanting to be anywhere but in Derry.

      The show-stealer though is Bill Hader as Richie Tozer, the jokester of the bunch. He gives some of the best one-liners and has one of the funnier scenes in the movie when he tries to leave Derry immediately after telling Ben that he'd stay. However, reliving a memory of his fellow Loser and late friend Stan reminds Richie of who he really is. Another interesting subplot was the apparent crush that Richie had on Eddie, despite all the insults he slung his way. He even managed to get a laugh out of me when he gets caught in Pennywise's deadlights, giving a goofy trance face that was more funny than scary.
 
      Bill Skarsgard still brings a creepy presence to Pennywise, but this is not the same being that The Loser's Club defeated in 1989. It's been brought low, wounded, made to feel weak and small. It had become the very thing that it feeds upon: afraid. It had decades to sleep, ruminating about the ones that got away. "I dreamt of you, I CRAVED you..." Pennywise mused. These children made It feel less than and It did not like that. Not. One. Bit. But then again, bullies hate to have the tables turned on them. And what is Pennywise if not an transdimensional bully? For all of Pennywise's bluster and boasting of being an "Eater Of Worlds" (insert Bray Wyatt reference here), The otherwise terrifying monstrosity is little more than a petulant, pathetic manipulator who feeds on the suffering and fear of their victims.

     There are plenty of scares to be had in this film, but this time around, it tended to focus on loud, cheap jumpscares and honestly, while there were tense moments like in the first film, I didn't feel the scares were executed as well as they were in the previous movie. There were a few nice touches, like having Pennywise's clownish appearance be part of his "final form" as it were. Also, the way they deal with Pennywise is unique and cathartic, though it's also a bit hilarious when you think about how It taunts its victims and my earlier assertion of how bullies hate their tactics being turned upon them.

     It Chapter Two is a tale of what it means to face the demons of your past and how sometimes it takes facing those fears head-on in order to begin to, if not reconcile yourself with the trauma you suffered, heal the wounds that those events had inflicted upon you. Though your scar may not magically disappear when you conquer your demons, you come out the other side with at least the chance to live your best life without fear holding you back.

The Peanut Butter Falcon Review

The Peanut Butter Falcon Review

     Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a twenty-two year old man with Down Syndrome has a dream: To become a professional wrestler like his hero, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Hayden Church). In order to make this a reality, the young man must escape the retirement home he's been placed in by the state of North Carolina. His caretaker Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) searches for Zak while he meets up with Tyler, a down-on-his luck fisherman (Shia Lebouf). Little do they all know that their adventures will teach them the true meaning of family. 

     There's an authenticity and earnestness to The Peanut Butter Falcon that gives a bit of an edge to what could've been just an overly saccharine theatrically released Hallmark movie. The premise certainly sounds like it could've been just another uplifting feel-good movie with a likable, charming lead who happens to have the same developmental handicap as the character he plays. That being said, we could all use more feel-good movies if they're executed as well as this film was.

     Zack Gottsagen gives a great performance as Zak, drawing from his own personality as well as his real-life love of professional wrestling. He's charming, friendly, and determined to be treated like any other person. The film doesn't shy away from the prejudices of those who don't understand him, such as when a kid yells at him to jump off a dock into a lake, despite being told Zak can't swim and constantly being called "retard" by bigoted jerks. However, the film displays the sometimes patronizing protectiveness of his caregivers, like Eleanor, who sometimes treat Zak like a Faberge egg due to him having Down Syndrome.

     Shia Lebouf turns in a solid, heartwarming portrayal of Tyler, a young man who's had life kick him repeatedly in the groin. We learn through flashbacks about his older brother Mark, played by Jon Berenthal, and how much he meant to him, even when no dialogue is audible. We're showing them out at the bar, fishing, and tragically, in a car that presumably ended up killing Mark and leaving Tyler with a mountain's worth of guilt. His initial abrasiveness towards Zak could've very easily lent itself to a problematic turn in the hands of lesser filmmakers and actors. But showing that Tyler treating Zak as a regular person despite his disability teaches not just the character, but the audience that patience is, indeed a virtue.

     "Friends are the family you choose" Bruce Dern sagely imparts to Zak before the young man's escape from the nursing home. Zak and Tyler's paths intertwine due to complicated circumstances involving two rough-looking fishermen named Duncan and Ratboy. But as they evade both them and the concerned Eleanor, the two men's relationship forms through mutual understanding and respect. They both know what it's like to have no family or anyone who sees you as a person.

     I've been a lifelong wrestling fan ever since I could remember. From Hulkamania's heyday to The Monday Night Wars to today with wrestling perhaps being as good as it's ever been, it's a great time to be a wrestling fan. As a fan, I can appreciate them bringing in Mick Foley and Jake "The Snake" Roberts as a referee for a low-budget wrestling federation and Zak's first in-ring opponent respectively. They both get very brief appearances but make the most of their time.

     Thomas Hayden Church has an underrated performance as Clint, The Salt Water Redneck, Zak's hero and the one under whose tutelage the young man wants to learn wrestling. His character, though he gets about fifteen minutes of screentime, goes through something of a character arc as well, being moved by the courage and tenacity of this young man who had come all this way to be taught pro wrestling.

     Dakota Johnson's Eleanor is a very sweet person who seems to genuinely care about Zak. She wasn't a villain trying to lock up Zak, though her character does sometimes come off as she doesn't give Zak enough credit to be able to grow and develop in his own way. Her chemistry with both Gottsagen and Lebouf is heartwarming in that she finds two kindred souls who have grown to be very close in such a short time. I also appreciate that they didn't go through with the typical second act breakup that usually accompanies stories like this.

     The music and setting of the outer bands of North Carolina give a gritty down-home atmosphere and are almost a character in themselves. Even when Tyler and Zak run into a blind preacher who baptizes Zak and lends them the tools to make a raft to sail across the bands. The compositions are well placed, giving the traveling montages a jubilant southern feel to them.

     Overall, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a heartwarming, sweet almost to the point of saccharine, well acted feel-good film that everyone should watch at least once. It shows that friends truly are the family you make along the way and that even if dreams don't always pan out the way you think they ought to, the adventure is worth the risk and it's better than staying in one place and wondering what else you could be doing with your life.