Triple Threat Review

 

    My wonderful readers! 

    Allow me to apologize for my extended absence. Quite a lot has happened over the past few weeks that have prevented me from updating my blog, including filming a wedding, editing a series of musical theater performances, painting a room, and generally getting back into the swing of things (or a variation thereof) as they were before the pandemic. All of which has been incredibly exciting so far. I look forward to seeing what else awaits me. 

    In the meantime, I've got a few movies to discuss. To make up for the lost time, I'm making a triple threat: reviewing three films in one blog entry. Once things calm down a bit, you can expect things to return to a more or less normal pace. Speaking of pacing, let's start things off with a movie with more pacing issues than a Michael Bay action scene. 

Stream it on Paramount+. 

    It's often annoying when a movie with a clever and engaging idea is bogged down with boring and wrong-headed execution. Infinite is, in a nutshell, Highlander meets Buddhism but without any proper emotional hook or narrative texture. It's a story about reincarnation and secret societies at odds with each other peppered with flashy action scenes, sexy & sleek future technology, and action scenes ripped right of your typical bland summer blockbuster not produced by Marvel. As entertaining as it was in some areas, especially with Chiwetel Ejidfor's performance, this movie is too hollow and overly flashy to keep your attention for more than twenty minutes. Even with the explosions, car chases, and decent sword fights, it's ultimately dull from the lack of an emotionally resonating narrative reason to care. If you have a Paramount+ subscription, maybe give it a fifteen-minute test drive on a lazy Sunday and see where it goes. Other than that, I'd say skip it. 

Rent it on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Amazon. 

    Guy Ritchie is one of those directors who appears to improve with age but without necessarily growing up. Wrath of Man is exactly the kind of gangster flick you would expect of Guy Ritchie but presented in a more calm and fluid style. It's a standard revenge story with gruff & tough guys showing off their testosterone levels, graphic violence, and a few plot twists that keep the story engaging enough to pique your curiosity. Jason Statham retains his usual charm and charisma along with his genuine acting chops. The biggest issue I have with the film is the music. It sounds fine and uses a lot of deep strings, which I like, but they seem capable of only playing four notes in a repetitive sequence over and over again. It was a bit distracting but not enough to make the film unwatchable. If you need a current gangster heist flick and you don't mind occasional graphic violence, this might be worth a look. 

    The first film releases back in 2018 remains a hallmark of excellent, suspenseful cinema. A fantastic and brilliant original film that took full advantage of cinema's visual power and cemented director, co-writer & star John Krasinski as a force to be reckoned with. His follow-up, A Quiet Place Part II, is an excellent continuation of the story and a wonderful opportunity for Krasinski to further hone his talents behind the camera. The steaks are higher, the world is getting bigger, and all the characters, including the new ones, are growing. The MVP award for this series remains with the young and talented Millicent Simmonds as the family's deaf daughter with a bad-ass streak. Also, it's the first time in a long while since I've seen another one of my favorite actors, Cillian Murphy, on the scene, and he's still got it!

    This movie is significant because it is officially the first movie I have seen in a real theater since the pandemic. Yes, it is also available on Paramount+ (which I didn't realize until recently), but only for a few weeks. Besides, if we're going to start getting back to the bigger things we love about our civilization, it might as well be with something worth the time and money. 

    Wherever you choose to see A Quiet Place Part II, be it at home or in the controlled, well-maintained environment of your local movie theater, I highly recommend you see this movie. It may not be better than the first one, but it is just as awesome! 

    Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.