SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Review

Sonic the Hedgehog is the kind of straight-down-the-middle piece of live-action family entertainment that we just don’t get as often as kids fed on this particular genre in the nineties were once accustomed to. At a certain point in time, it seemed as if audiences on the verge of puberty, but not quite there, were delivered a sports-themed adventure or underdog story featuring kids their own age on an annual basis-whether it was The Sandlot, The Little Giants, The Mighty Ducks, The Big Green, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court or Angel’s in the Outfield-the point is there were plenty of options not only for the youngest of youngsters, but for tweens before people even knew what tweens were. Lately though (and when I say lately I mean the last twenty-five years or so lately) that demographic has been lumped in with the more sophisticated audiences required to digest the lofty animated expectations of studios such as Pixar. That said, having never been a fan or player of Sonic the Hedgehog there was no real emotional or nostalgic connection to the original Sega property or its many animated incarnations over the years. As a live-action adaptation of a popular nineties video game is the closest we get to any of those aforementioned titles these days though, director Jeff Fowler’s feature directorial debut then fills the nostalgic void left by the absence of such titles by default. Fowler and/or Paramount Pictures seems to have known this to be the case thus their main objective becoming to not only entertain the kiddos of today with an updated take on a character they might have seen an episode of or played a game with at one time or another, but also to hone in on the same fan base that threw a fit when the first, original trailer for the film was released and the design of the titular character garnered such backlash that the studio delayed the release of the film and re-designed its CGI star completely. That is to say, not only did Paramount realize there was a large fan base for this property, but a passionate one as well and one that was not only anxious to see a childhood favorite get the live-action treatment, but to re-capture the feelings this character inspired and to re-live this time in their lives that Sonic represents. To this extent, Paramount went the extra mile and hired Jim Carrey to play the role of the antagonist in the evil Dr. Robotnik. This isn’t the Jim Carrey of Mr. Popper's Penguins or even Yes Man though, no, this is the Jim Carrey of The Mask or Ace Ventura as the fifty-eight year-old pulls off his most physically comedic role in what feels like forever to what I can only imagine is the pure joy and delight of thirty year-olds everywhere. It is this combination of Carrey playing the hits combined with the genre re-vamping that leads to Sonic the Hedgehog being as appealing as it ends up being, for despite not having any nostalgic connections to the character itself, these elements make up for this as Fowler’s film more or less accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish and will satisfy any resident of the 16-bit gaming era while still not mustering enough excitement to write home about it…and if I remember anything about The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog from my Saturday morning binges in 1993 that feels about par for the course.

First Trailer for SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

The first trailer for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been released and well...it's actually a movie. The film, based on the video game franchise first released in 1991 and originally conceived by Sega to replace Alex Kidd to compete with Nintendo's Mario as their main mascot, the game went on to become uber-successful spawning many sequels and helping define Sega as one of the leading video game companies during the golden 16-bit era. Like other video games of this heyday, Sonic has crossed many platforms and animated series, comic books, and no doubt countless other media adaptations, but never has the character had its own feature film production...until now. In a move that feels like it's being made twenty or maybe even twenty-five years too late, Paramount has decided to follow suit per Warner Bros. new Pokemon movie and give birth to beloved video game character in the real world where they look like real animals and function as members of our present society. Enough about how everything about this film seems to be working against it though, as the screenplay from Patrick Casey and Josh Miller (a duo with nothing but what seem to National Lampoon knock-offs on their resume) is being directed by Jeff Fowler (making his feature debut after having served in the visual effect dept. on Where the Wild Things Are) with the story following Sonic (voice of Ben Schwartz) as he tries to save the world alongside human pal, Tom (James Marsden), to stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). While the involvement of someone like Carrey in a role that is literally a cartoon come to life is enough to be intriguing the film otherwise doesn't look to be doing anything outside of what that string of "live-action" Alvin and the Chipmunks films did a few years back. I imagine Sonic is about as hot right now as the Chipmunks were in 2007, but at least they had a Christmas special to bank on. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out and if the quality of the film can actually rise above the inherent cynicism that comes with its existence at the moment. Sonic the Hedgehog also stars Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Neal McDonough, Adam Pally, and opens on November 8th, 2019.

SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU Review

Any movie that decides to play Janet Jackson over its opening credits is off to a good start. Especially when it's "Miss You Much," coupled with eighties inspired pink text flashing across the screen. From the opening scene Southside With You sets the tone of a late summer day on the streets of Chicago at the tail end of that decade we've all suddenly become enamored with nostalgia for. It is 1989 and Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) is getting set to accompany the summer associate she is advising at the law firm she works for to a town meeting to address local community issues. As the lone African-American woman working at this law firm Robinson has had to work doubly hard in order to gain the respect she desires and she's not about to let the first charismatic, smooth-talking black guy convince her to undo all that hard work by going on a date with him. Or is she? It just so happens this young, summer associate is a hotshot from Harvard named Barack Obama (Parker Sawyers). And so, yes, Southside With You is the story of the first date between the now President and First Lady of these United States of America via the lens of something akin to director Richard Linklater's Before trilogy. It's a clichéd comparison at this point, but an apt one as the majority of Southside With You is filled by our two main characters walking and talking. If you haven't seen Linklater's trilogy that chronicles a couple meeting and spending a single night together that was little more than that in 1995 it is the epitome of characters walking and talking. Chronicling that magic of how perfect strangers can connect so intimately over a short period of time and analyzing that indescribable feeling that creates a strong, trusting bond between two people-a bond that will inevitably turn to love-Linklater's films provide a nice template for how to both simply and intricately weave together the innocence of falling for someone and the complex emotions that will inevitably come with circumstance. Linklater has returned to his characters in ten year intervals with sequels in 2004 and 2013, but with Southside With You writer/director Richard Tanne takes notes largely from that initial meeting treating his characters not as the future Mr. and Mrs. President, but simply as two people in that awkward phase between true adolescence and true adulthood who are just trying to figure themselves and the world they live in out.

First Trailer for SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU

Premiering to largely positive reviews at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year Southside with You is writer/director Richard Tanne's chronicling of the summer 1989 afternoon where the future President of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago's South Side. No matter your stance on Obama's presidency it is difficult to deny the charm in this first trailer for the film that shows what our current President was like on the precipice of his thirtieth birthday. There are of course hints as to what lies ahead for the couple, but in knowing that eventually the reluctant Michelle (played here by Tika Sumpter) gives into the charms of Obama (Parker Sawyers) the film doesn't seem to be concentrated on the will they/won't they aspect that most romantic comedies do, but rather the facets of the individuals that make them a good match for one another. In many of the reviews out of Sundance the film drew comparisons to Richard Linklater's romantic Before trilogy that uses the events of a single day to define multiple years of the central couples life. If Tanne's film has any of the insight and honesty present in Linklater's series it will certainly be something to be on the lookout for, not to mention the couple at the center of the film being one of intense public interest. Either way, this trailer has me sold on the film as it certainly has a very particular tone and feel to it that serves to separate it from all of the other summer offerings at the multiplex this year. With a great, natural aesthetic (it was shot on location in Chicago) and the two leads seeming to channel their real life characters without doing silly imitations while also having great chemistry I look forward to getting to know the Obama's a little better. Southside with You also stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Phillip Edward Van Lear, Deborah Geffner, Taylar Fondren, Preston Tate Jr., Jerod Haynes, Fred Nance Jr., Donald Paul, Tom McElroy, and opens on August 26th, 2016.

RIDE ALONG 2 Review

The first Ride Along movie came out a little over two years ago. I saw that movie in theaters opening weekend, but admittedly haven't returned to the film and never felt any desire to do so (there are much better Kevin Hart comedies out there if you need to fill your Hart quota). Going into this unnecessary, but inevitable sequel (the first earned $134 million domestically on a $25m budget) I attempted to conjure up some type of memory of that first film, but other than the basic premise I had nothing. I couldn't even recall enough to know where they might go with things in this sequel. As it turns out, and if I remember correctly, not much has changed. Hart is basically still at security guard status in terms of how Ice Cube thinks of him and the whole point of the endeavor this time around is so that Hart's rather ignorant and annoying character might prove himself good enough to be a detective rather than simply a police officer. The effort put into story here is almost insulting as writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (two of the four original screenwriters) essentially throw a bunch of clichés at us while having Hart's character try and comment on how clichéd they are by correlating them to the Grand Theft Auto-like video game that he's obsessed with. If you're wondering, yes, playing video games along with the online persona he's created in "Black Hammer" are the biggest character developments of Hart's character that we get. As for Cube, he sticks with the same, stern attitude that hates to put up with his partner's incessant talking, but is somehow okay with this guy marrying his sister and being a part of his life for the foreseeable future. It is this daunting thought that gives way to the epiphany of allowing Hart's Ben Barber to accompany his James Peyton to Miami for what is supposed to be a quick trip to obtain and question a witness. Of course, things don't go as planned and bigger crimes are connected to even bigger crime bosses and you know what beats this thing is going to hit and where it's going from the beginning.

First Trailer for RIDE ALONG 2 Starring Kevin Hart

In January of 2014 Kevin Hart continued his roll of starring in every comedy imaginable and out of all those attempts hit franchise gold in one of them. Cut to two years later and we will receive the sequel to Ride Along. Director Tim Story (Barbershop, Fantastic Four, Think Like A Man-the guy apparently knows sequels) has reunited Hart with Ice Cube and the first trailer just so happened to drop today, on the eve of the release of Straight Outta Compton. The original was average at best, but this time around Hart and Cube are taking their antics to Miami and some of the bits at play here have some strong potential (though I wish they wouldn't have given away as many). The Tyrese cameo, for instance, seems pointless to have in the trailer given he doesn't say a word, but would serve as a nice surprise when they infiltrate the Miami street racing scene (let's just hope Ludacris is on board too). Maybe with cinematic universes becoming such hip things Hart and Cube's characters could eventually team-up with Will Smith's Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence's Marcus Burnett, but given we're talking different studios that seems unlikely (I would love to see Lawrence and Hart in a comedy together, though). That said, it does feel like this unnecessary but warranted sequel is trying to emulate the Michael Bay production with the Miami police force aspect that introduces characters played by Olivia Munn and Ken Jeong. Regardless of if this turns out to be utter crap or not, I can't help but laugh at Ice Cube getting angry so I'll no doubt end up seeing it for that alone. Ride Along 2 also stars Benjamin Bratt, Glen Powell, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter Sherri Shepherd and opens on January 15, 2016.

GET ON UP Review

When it comes to biopics of famous musicians they are a tough act to pull off these days. The formula is well known by now: the drive as a young artist, the obtaining of fame, the inevitable fall and the career redemption and life reflection in the final act. We can see the beats coming from a mile away and so it was with caution that I approached the story of James Brown in Get On Up from the director of The Help, Tate Taylor. While being cautious though it is difficult for me to not get caught up in these types of films and especially this one as I'm a big fan of funk music and was looking forward to how Taylor might encapsulate the full span of a life as tumultuous as Brown's. There was a manic energy to the entertainer that he seemed to carry with him everywhere that he clearly poured into his stage show, a place where he arguably felt more at home than anywhere else. I draw attention to this characteristic because it is an important quality in any entertainer and yet in the majority of these biopics there seems to be little focus on their passion for the music, but rather on the drama of their personal lives. No, this film is being made about this person because they became significant enough in their field for an entire film to be centered around them and so why don't we focus on what pushed them to such significance? With a nickname like "The Hardest Working Man in Showbiz" though it would have been difficult for a James Brown film to avoid the mans drive and passion which was purely the music and the performance that came along with it. There are scenes wholly dedicated to Brown's interpretation of a rhythm, his thought process on where it could go and his imagining of what he needs to feel in order to get himself and his audience on their feet. It is a testament to screenwriters Jez and John Henry Butterworth as well as director Taylor that they have not delivered a vanilla film in the vein of what we have seen before from this genre, but more something that skips through time highlighting the scope of Brown's varied life in non-linear fashion that culminates in an experience that feels it may actually justify the real man.

First Trailer for GET ON UP

I don't know what affinity Chadwick Boseman has for playing real-life characters, but if his latest turn as James Brown is anything close to what he delivered in his breakout role last year as Jackie Robinson then we could be in for something pretty special. Get On Up is director Tate Taylor's follow-up to his Oscar nominated debut The Help and if the trailer indicates anything it is how epic this film might be. It is hard to gauge how much story to include in films like this as even the most recent examples of these music biopics such as Ray and Walk the Line attempted to cover as much ground as possible and it seems that this will try and do the same, but with plenty of funk to spare. I love films like this as I love music as much as I love movies in general and to see any legend such as Brown's life brought to the screen and realized as gloriously as this trailer hints it has been, has to be a win in some regard no matter how the complete film actually turns out. What is truly exciting about the trailer though, besides the radically different persona Boseman seems to have taken on and embodied, is the supporting cast Taylor has assembled and the layers at which they hint at within the bigger scope of these typical fame stories. The bad part being these kinds of films typically follow the same pattern as in we get the rise, the unavoidable fall and the redeeming conclusion that gives way to a satisfactory life before the unavoidable death. Brown's actual life is so interesting though, coming from South Carolina in extreme poverty to being crowned with the title of "The Godfather of Soul" and essentially revolutionizing certain musical stylings and influencing countless performers that it would almost be impossible to make a non-interesting film. Get On Up also stars Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Lennie James, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott, Dan Aykroyd and opens August 1st.

RIDE ALONG Review

Ride Along is something of a normality in the world of comedy. It is perfectly packaged, with standard jokes ensured to offend no one and completely appealing personas playing two archetypes that are sure to be so familiar to general audiences that they will settle right in and enjoy this brief, hour and a half comedy that keeps the laughs and action well balanced while carving out just enough of a niche for Kevin Hart while demonstrating his ability to play a fully formed character rather than just the comic relief. There is nothing terrific or substantial about the film and in fact it is rather sub par in many areas for despite the fact it is competently directed by veteran Tim Story (Barbershop, Fantastic Four) it displays no sense of style or wit beyond that of the typical Hollywood production with enough cash to back its story but not enough actual story or jokes to sustain the simple quotas we ask for from our most commonplace films. That is what Ride Along is after all: a film put together by a committee to appeal to as many people as possible in hopes of creating a bankable star in Kevin Hart that will allow them to roll out films year after year with thin premises, little to no imagination in the script while trusting that the on-set riffs and improvisations are enough to satisfy our need for laughter. In short, if everything goes according to plan Hart will turn out to be the next Adam Sandler (who is now experiencing a slight downfall) and the studios distributing and financing these slapdash efforts will have someone on hand that is a sure bet. Ride Along will be that solidifying film for Hart and he does fine with what he has to work with here making the most out of the otherwise dry material. There are movies like this, movies so obviously put together by a board room that I can't buy into it and I'm unable to get past the fact I'm not seeing a specific vision of what this story was supposed to be, but rather a combination of several ideas with only the intention of pleasing as many people as possible to get the biggest profit. I typically can't take films like this and while I understand these kinds of films aren't made for critics or true cinema fans, but despite all of that this commonplace comedy that has five writers names attached to its screenplay and a director who seems to be on autopilot I didn't mind what Ride Along had to offer even if it was nothing more than a brief diversion.

SPARKLE Review

Sparkle is a story we have seen time and time again. In many ways its hard to see the film as a legitimate theatrical release because it feels like something tailored more to the VH1/Sunday afternoon type viewing than it does a night out with friends or a date. We have heard the tale before: struggling musicians just trying to make it in the business with obstacles that range from parents to drugs, to significant others. It doesn't help that Sparkle is also set once again in that late-60's era where Motown was everything and the music industry was a completely different monster than it is now.The idea that we have seen the story before though could be argued with pretty much any movie these days so I will not harp on that flaw as its main weakness. In fact, overall Sparkle proves to be just as entertaining as any Jackson's or Temptations biopic, but with much better acting. There will no doubt be added interest around the film due to the fact it is the last performance from Whitney Houston and while I'm sure she might have preferred to go out on a flashier note, there is something humbling about this supporting role that not only sheds a nice light on the singers legacy but also a willingness to confront those very public demons she was constantly facing. Regardless of if your reasoning for going to see the film though you will find no shortage of melodramatic entertainment. Though it sometimes skewed a little too close to Tyler Perry territory for my taste I was nonetheless wrapped up the music aspect of the story and that is where Sparkle will win you over. Whether it be the appropriately cast Jordin Sparks (for whom this movie is really a vehicle for), the breakout star of it all Carmen Ejogo or Ms. Houston herself, its their voices and soulful songs that will be what truly move you in the end.

Dolores (Tika Sumpter), Sister (Carmen Ejogo), and
Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) mix it up on stage.

I haven't seen the original 1976 film this was based on, but I can guess that much of the music is either taken from that movie directly or inspired by hits of the era in which it was made. If the music is what keeps this new Sparkle afloat it is the the overly played melodrama that pulls it down. What the difference is between real, life-like drama and these soapy situations is how the movie chooses to play them. I would have loved to see a more raw approach to Sparks character and her drive and determination to not simply defy her mother but to continue to push forward with what she wants out of life. Their is ripe opportunity here to introduce the youngins of the tech generation not only to the great simplicity of 60's soul music, but to demonstrate a way of life and how times change, but the essence of people will always seemingly remain the same. Sparkle keeps it too squeaky clean to really dig into the complications of real life though. Sure, there is spousal abuse, drug use, and even death sprinkled throughout the script but even in the most serious of situations I found myself laughing at the way in which director Salim Akil (Jumping the Broom) decided to document such events. Whether it be odd use of slow motion or tracking shots, even the aesthetic choices seemed out of place in moments while others felt nothing short of authentic. It was almost as if they couldn't decide to keep it light in the deeper dramatic moments or to really go for it and instead became stuck in the awkward middle somewhere. In the end, it comes back around to that music that again, if anything, will show the kids of today how heavily their pop stars rely on the music of Motown to continue carrying their hits.

Sparkle is comforted by her mother (Whitney Houston)
before going on stage for her first solo show.

Going into the film I wasn't overly familiar with the territory the film would be covering other than what I imagined it would. unfortunately, it pretty much went down exactly as I expected with a few minor curve balls along the way. One of those curve balls was just how engaged I was by the majority of the cast and how well they were able to convey what was no doubt slightly cheesy on paper. The first surprise comes when we meet Sparkle (Sparks) and her sister known simply as Sister (Carmen Ejogo). As the more outgoing, self-centered of the two Sister has no problem strutting her stuff in front of people to get what she wants. She can sing, for sure, but she has the attitude, the presence to carry a show and to hold the audience's attention. Sparkle is clearly the more shy, reserved one and keeps her passions of songwriting and singing to herself. She wants Sister to perform them, to make them her own and Sister has no problem taking the adoration that comes along with doing so. It is Sparkle that catches the eye of the new guy in town Stix (the always reliable Derek Luke) though. He's an aspiring manager staying with his cousin in Detroit because he knows its the place to be for anyone wanting to be anything in music at that time. Stix sees the potential in Sister but he doesn't really understand what he has until he stumbles upon Sparkle composing her own hits at the piano. The two form a stable and understanding pair. he helps her realize what she wants and he gets satisfaction not only out of loving her but achieving his goals through her. Luke is more than capable at handling this type of material, but it was Sparks I was really interested in seeing blossom. She isn't really required to do much here other than act determined and sing her pretty little heart out though.

That is left to Sister who has the most interesting arc in the film as she is easily seduced by the money fame can deliver but unfortunately goes the most clichéd ways possible (drugs, abusive husband, etc.) to slip into the dark side of what she was destined for since her troubled childhood ruined her. Ejogo nearly steals the show every time she is on screen though. Like her counterpart she takes every pair of eyes watching and demands they be on her. I anticipated this being a coming out event for Sparks but it might have just introduced us to a more versatile performer. Then there is the case of Mike Epps. That abusive husband role I've been mentioning is filled by the usually light, comic relief actor that Epps too often turns into. He at least shows some diversity here by swaying back and forth between a light public persona with a monster of a temper when the curtain is pulled shut. The fascinating part about it is how good Epps is at playing the villain, he should try his range more often. Someone needs to give this guy a good, credible, leading role. The remainder of the cast does fine work, but it is the soft spoken but stern mama hen that Houston plays and who is able to wrap it all up nicely in the end that will stay with you the most after the credits have rolled and the last song has been sung.

Stix (Derek Luke) and Sparkle share a night under
the stars together.

While Sparkle drags a little bit in the middle there is enough going on here to get a solid recommendation. Maybe it was the fact I didn't really expect too much going into it, but I rather enjoyed myself in the moment of watching the movie play out. It was a refreshing diversion from what we've seen lately. It plays it safe but the heavily influenced Sunday sermon lessons that run rampant through the whole thing give it a kind of comfy feeling, a kind of spirituality that doesn't feel forced. It is hard to say how much of an impact Sparkle will have, if any, but in many ways I hope that it does considering that if it is indeed a hit the actors that really shine here will not only become bigger stars but be afforded the chance of more opportunities. People will come to see the last performance of Whitney Houston but will leave with an appreciation for the way things used to be and the charismatic turns from Ejogo and Epps. It may or may not add a boost to Sparks career, but she does well enough to earn a hit every couple of years and if she really wants to impress she'll need to find a role that will really challenge her rather than relying on her seasoned vocals to carry her meek persona. For a movie that dips in deep melodrama, delivers feel good, catchy tunes and solid acting it never rises above a certain quality line that I hoped it would. Still, I've clearly had a lot to say about it and in that I can recognize it connected with me on many levels. It may not be the best movie in theaters right now, probably not even the second best, but it well worth your time and you will be nothing if not entertained.

             

SPARKLE Review

Sparkle is a story we have seen time and time again. In many ways its hard to see the film as a legitimate theatrical release because it feels like something tailored more to the VH1/Sunday afternoon type viewing than it does a night out with friends or a date. We have heard the tale before: struggling musicians just trying to make it in the business with obstacles that range from parents to drugs, to significant others. It doesn't help that Sparkle is also set once again in that late-60's era where Motown was everything and the music industry was a completely different monster than it is now.The idea that we have seen the story before though could be argued with pretty much any movie these days so I will not harp on that flaw as its main weakness. In fact, overall Sparkle proves to be just as entertaining as any Jackson's or Temptations biopic, but with much better acting. There will no doubt be added interest around the film due to the fact it is the last performance from Whitney Houston and while I'm sure she might have preferred to go out on a flashier note, there is something humbling about this supporting role that not only sheds a nice light on the singers legacy but also a willingness to confront those very public demons she was constantly facing. Regardless of if your reasoning for going to see the film though you will find no shortage of melodramatic entertainment. Though it sometimes skewed a little too close to Tyler Perry territory for my taste I was nonetheless wrapped up the music aspect of the story and that is where Sparkle will win you over. Whether it be the appropriately cast Jordin Sparks (for whom this movie is really a vehicle for), the breakout star of it all Carmen Ejogo or Ms. Houston herself, its their voices and soulful songs that will be what truly move you in the end.