Book To Film

‘Paddington in Peru’ is a Wonderful Adventure Not Just for Kids, But the Whole Family

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

I initially avoided the “Paddington” movies upon their initial release. Watching the trailer for the first one had me under the belief that the filmmakers were determined to dumb down the classic works of Michael Bond as I watched the beloved bear clean out his ears with toothbrushes and almost eating what was on them. Yuck! Plus, Colin Firth, who was originally supposed to voice Paddington, dropped out of the original film during post production, and this did not give me a lot of hope for the final version which was eventually going to be unveiled before a worldwide audience.

Alas, I was proven wrong with not only “Paddington,” but also with “Paddington 2” which proved to be an even better film than the original. “Paddington 2” also earned a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for a time before some bastard critic made the blasphemous decision to give it that one negative review. I would shudder to call them kid movies as that would simply mean they were meant for a certain age group and only that one group. Truth is, these are movies for the whole family, just like the best Pixar films are, and they have something for every age group to enjoy. Hollywood does not make enough movies like them these days, and they threaten to become a rarity now more than ever before.

The same goes with “Paddington in Peru,” the third movie in this beloved franchise which arrives to us seven years after “Paddington 2.” After watching this marmalade loving bear and the only creature, animal or human, who can make a red hat look cool these days, brave the adventures London has thrust upon him, he now returns to Darkest Peru where he once grew up. This time, it’s personal! Granted, that last sentence was the tagline for “Jaws: The Revenge,” one of the worst films, let alone sequels, ever made, but it seems inescapably appropriate to use here.

His sudden exodus from London comes when he is told that his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears, and no one can find her. Joining him on this expedition is the Brown family: Henry (Hugh Bonneville), Mary (Emily Mortimer), Judy (Madeleine Harris), Jonathan (Samuel Joslin), and Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters). Through thick and thin, the Browns have had Paddington’s back even as this bear’s adventures have proven to be as exasperating as they have been thrilling.

What I really love about the “Paddington” movies is how wonderfully realized the human characters are. Just when I expected they would be rendered as one-dimensional doofuses, they prove to be more complex than the average family movie would allow them to be. I also love how the kids have evolved from then to now as this is not always the case in movies, let alone sequels.

And like any good sequel, “Paddington in Peru” does take the time to introduce new characters into the mix. Among them is Hunter Cabot, a tour guide and treasure hunter played by Antonio Banderas, who is clearly having the time of his life in this role. In addition, he gets to play many members of Hunter’s family from generations before him, and it results in one memorably hilarious moment after another.

But even better is the ever so brilliant Olivia Colman who steals every scene she has here as the Reverend Mother who oversees the Home for Retired Bears. She makes a grand entrance singing a song which almost turns “Paddington in Peru” a musical along the lines of “The Sound of Music,” and when she finished, the need to applaud her efforts was quite justified. Also, I love how her voice says one thing, but her eyes are quick to say something else. Seriously, watching Colman’s eyes dart back and forth is a wonderful delight throughout.

Hugh Bonneville remains an entertaining presence as Henry Brown who always goes from being an uptight dad to a loving and risk taking individual even when a tarantula presents an unwelcome presence in his life. I also love how Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin continue to grow into their roles as Judy and Jonathan, and watching them traverse the perils of adolescence into adulthood is a welcome sight for me. As for then lovely Emily Mortimer, she does a lovely job of stepping into the role once inhabited by Sally Hawkins of Mary Brown to where calling her a replacement would be insulting and unfair to both her and Hawkins.

And at the center of it all is Ben Whishaw who once again voices Paddington to where it would be unthinkable to consider anyone else in this role. Right from the start, Whishaw has given this bear we all want to look after a solid dignity and politeness which might seem far too easily manipulative in the hands of any other actor. Some will be quick to say that the computer did all the work for Whishaw here, but he adds to the visual effects in an immeasurably way to where when Paddington gives an adversary that hard stare, he makes that stare even harder than it already is, and we should all be expecting that at some point here.

Of all the “Paddington” movies to date, “Paddington in Peru” is the least of the three. I don’t say this to degrade it in any way as saying the least does it more justice than calling it the worst as doing so would be a grave insult. Granted, this one threatens to be a more formulaic adventure movie as we watch Paddington go from unfamiliar surroundings to more familiar ones, but this sequel still proves to be a wonderful adventure for all ages, and that is saying quite a bit in this day and age.

And, as always, I leave you with the immortal words of Michael Bond which continue to speak volumes:

“Please look after this bear. Thank you.”

Also, when it comes to the online attacks Tony Farinella and I continue to get, I feel the need to add this:

“Please look after this film critic. Thank you.”

* * * ½ out of * * * *

Spike Jonze’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Deserves Another Look

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Back when I saw it in 2009, Spike Jonze’s take on Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” proved to be one of the few movies which I felt really dealt with real kids instead of the cliched ones which inhabit far too many motion pictures. Here, we get a young boy who has quite a vivid imagination which he retreats to when the real world becomes too scary to deal with, and who comes from a broken family where the father is not present. It was nice to see kids, one in particular, treated as intelligent and capable of learning more than they knew, and it combines them with things which are real, imaginary and, of course, wild.

The kid here is Max, and he is played by Max Records in one of the best performances I have seen from a child actor. Seeing him build an igloo out of a snow pile or making a spaceship in his bedroom with his stuffed animals as willing passengers brought back great memories from when I was a kid. But reality rears its ugly head when other kids thoughtlessly destroy his igloo, not thinking of what it meant to him. Then we see him in elementary school as his teacher explains how the sun will die one day. This is one of the funnier moments as the teacher just can’t stop talking about all the different ways our planet will die. Granted, this won’t happen for another billion years, but when you’re a kid, this can feel like it is just around the corner.

Everything comes to a head as Max becomes very resentful of his mother (the always terrific Catherine Keener) when she brings home a new boyfriend (played by Mark Ruffalo). The bond Max shares with his mother is very strong, but when he is no longer the center of her attention, he rebels and ends up biting her on the shoulder. Horrified at what he did, Max runs away from home and sails to a distant island where he does indeed come across the Wild Things of the title, and this is where the rumpus truly begins…

The Wild Things are a combination of puppetry and CGI effects, and it makes them all the more real as a result. The visual effects are used to give them facial expressions which vividly captures their happiness and sadness. As a result, it never ever felt like I was just watching a whole bunch of special effects. It really felt like I was watching creatures I could actually interact with.

Of all the monsters, the one with the most recognizable voice is the late great James Gandolfini who plays the most prominent Wild Thing, Carol. We first see Carol destroying some dwellings he had just built. For Max, breaking things has a wonderment to it, and Carol links on to this with the upmost enthusiasm. Gandolfini is wonderful, and at times truly heartbreaking as he takes Carol from utterly enthusiastic highs to downright angry lows. This is not him doing Tony Soprano as if he was all covered with fur. Also, Carol’s last scene is one which really choked me up, and Gandolfini sells it for all it is worth.

Among the other voices are Catherine O’Hara’s, and she plays Judith, the one monster who is very mistrusting of Max. Paul Dano plays the ever so sensitive Alexander, and he captures the painfully shy nature of this monster in a very truthful way. Forest Whitaker portrays Ira, and I barely recognized his voice here which is pretty impressive. Lauren Ambrose voices KW, and the moments she shares with Max form some of the movie’s best moments.

You know the saying of how we have met the monster, and the monster is us? Well, that is very much the case here. The Wild Things clearly represent the different parts of Max’s personality, and he soon comes to see himself in all of them. As a result, Max manages to see things a little more clearly in relation to his own family, and especially his mother. By becoming the monsters’ king, he realizes he has become much like his mother.

I really mean it when I say Records gives one of the best child actor performances I have ever seen. The whole movie really rests on his shoulders, and that is a lot to put an 11-year-old through. Jonze really lucked out getting him to play this part as the young actor makes his character’s transition from being just a kid to someone who is more mature and understanding very believable, and this really shows in the movie’s last half.

Jonze shot a good portion of the action with handheld cameras to give the proceedings more of an immediacy, and he thankfully does not overdo it. Some filmmakers fail to reign this camerawork in a lot of times to where it is hard not to feel sea sick. This was only his third movie as a director, following the creative triumphs of “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation,” and his directorial vision remains a very original one.

“Where The Wild Things Are” was originally supposed to be released in 2008, but Warner Brothers had considered reshooting the whole thing. It turned out Jonze’s vision was a lot darker than they expected it to be for something they thought would be an average family movie. The fact that Jonze’s take on this classic children’s book did make it to the silver screen and was not buried in a deep dark dungeon like “Batgirl” feels like a miracle. While it was not the box office hit the studio hoped it would be, it continues to have a long shelf life.

It also has a wonderful soundtrack done by Karen O and the Kids. It’s one of those soundtracks which has really great songs which are never easily forgotten, and it adds vividly to the strong emotions generated throughout.

Is this movie appropriate for kids? Well, it depends. If they are 6 years or younger, you may want to see it before they do. I was sitting near a boy and his mother, and the boy did get a little freaked out at times. Still, it is nowhere as traumatic as “Watership Down” or “The Neverending Story” was. If your kid can handle “Bambi,” they can handle this one as well.

One of my favorite scenes comes when Max and the monsters are jumping all over the forest, and Carol was creating big dust clouds when he landed. This all leads to a wonderfully heartwarming moment where the wild things pile on top of each other and fall asleep. Seeing Max befriend the somewhat alienated KW is especially great because their individual differences just evaporate at that point. These are two who can relate and sympathize with one another as they both come from worlds where they feel like outcasts.

If there is one weakness to be found here, it is that the plot does not always hold together. There are some moments which drag, and it takes a bit for the pace to recover. Then again, this movie is based upon a book that is only ten sentences long. The fact Jonze and co-writer Dave Eggers were able to craft a story for a feature length movie out of it is pretty amazing. But when you read or re-read the book, I think you will find that there is more to it than its simplicity of story might imply.

There was a bookstore next to the theater I saw the film at, and I dashed in there to read the book. I can’t even remember the last time I read this Caldecott award winner, and there is a lot of different ways you can look at it. You can see it as a story of how kids do not easily separate from their parents, and of how the further away from home they get, the more they realize the importance of a home. Or maybe you will see it as a story of the one person who becomes king and gets what he wants, but then finds it deeply unfulfilling and bereft of love and family which we largely thrive upon.

I think Jonze saw “Where the Wild Things Are” as a story which clearly take in a child’s point of view. Just about everything in this movie made me feel like I a child again, and of how we become shaped by the things which make us happy and sad. It is not meant to break down the imaginary worlds we create for ourselves, but of how they can make us understand the world around us and the people who figure most prominently in our lives better. Max comes to see why his mother treated him the way he did, and he grows up a lot quicker than most others his age do in the process.

For me, this film was something of a godsend when I first watched it. We see kids treated like real kids, and there is a wealth of genuine imagination and emotions throughout. While it doesn’t always hold together, it is a much more accomplished film than many others which get passed off as “family entertainment.” Too many movies then and now are dumbed down for audiences, and they often don’t treat children like the intelligent creatures they can be,

Indeed, no one could have brought this classic book to the silver screen the way Jonze did. And after all these years, it is definitely worth another look.

* * * ½ out of * * * *

Edward Burns on Portraying a Dedicated Cop in ‘Alex Cross’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Actor and filmmaker Edward Burns comes from a family of cops, and he always relishes the opportunity to play one in a movie. In “Alex Cross,” he got to portray Detective Tommy Kane who is partner and childhood friend to Dr. Cross (played here by Tyler Perry), and the boyfriend of Detective Monica Ashe (Rachel Nichols). While at the movie’s press conference which took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills back in 2012, he talked about what drew him to the role.

Burns said he was aware of James Patterson’s Alex Cross books and that he had read a few of them. The character he plays, however, is not actually in any of Patterson’s books and was an original creation for this movie. He ended up getting a call from the movie’s director, Rob Cohen, who was determined to make this particular Cross film more of an action picture than a police procedural.

Edward Burns: Rob told me that he wanted to develop this new character opposite Alex that’s sort of a best friend. He said we’ll be working on this script up until we shoot and that he’d love to have some input from me. Anytime a filmmaker says they want you to collaborate with them that gets an actor excited, so I jumped in.

When it came to establishing the relationship between Tommy and Alex, Burns said there are two scenes in the movie that give viewers insight as to when these two met and how their relationship has evolved over the years.

Edward Burns: The thinking was we became friends as kids, and when we were little, I was a little more of the protector of him. When we got older, bigger and smarter, he then became the guy that looked after me. That’s what the tone of the relationship is between these characters in the film, and in our last scene together in the car we reminisce about how our roles have changed over time.

For Burns the one fun thing about playing cops in movies is that there’s always that period of when you have to do tactical police training.

Edward Burns: We had a great time working with the guys from the Detroit SWAT team and police department, and that’s always a lot of fun. It’s amazing because you always have to keep relearning that stuff (sweeping a room and proper weapons procedure).

Some actors hate being typecast as cops, but Edward Burns appears to be happy to play as many of them as he can. We look forward to him playing as many more cops in the future, and we applaud him on his continued dedication to the realm of independent film.

“Alex Cross” is now available to own and rent on physical media and digital.

WRITER’S NOTE: This interview took place back in 2012 and may contain outdated information.

Click here to check out my exclusive interview with Edward Burns on “Alex Cross” which I did for We Got This Covered.

All-Time Favorite Trailers: ‘The Silence of the Lambs’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

This teaser trailer for “The Silence of the Lambs” was my introduction to this film, and it immediately grabbed me in a way few trailers do. Back then, the internet had yet to be discovered by me, I only knew Jodie Foster from “The Accused” which she won an Oscar for, and I had no idea who Anthony Hopkins was in the slightest. I should also add that not once in this trailer is there any mention that this adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel was directed by Jonathan Demme. Had Demme’s name been included here, it would have made me all the more eager to check this film out as “Married to the Mob” and “Something Wild” were still very fresh in my mind.

What I love about this particular trailer is how it gives this film a look which makes it feel like no other cinematic experience that was coming soon to a theater near you. Everything about it was full of darkness, but it was a darkness like no other. With its striking images and shrieking noises, and also Anthony Hopkins staring directly into the camera in a way few other actors could, I felt I was being promised an experience which not be average or cliched in any conceivable way. I also very much prefer it to the main theatrical trailer which, quite frankly, gave far too much of the story away to where I am so very thankful I didn’t see it before I saw this brilliant motion picture on the silver screen at Crow Canyon Cinemas.

For the record, “The Silence of the Lambs” is one of my favorite movies ever, and one which I am happy to revisit quite often. This teaser trailer is also one of my favorites as those who put it together made it clear to audiences that this was a motion picture you would be foolish to miss out on. While the darkness it presented could have frightened many audience members off, not once did it feel like your average slasher flick.

‘The Watchers’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

“The Watchers” is the feature film debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night Shyamalan. M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most polarizing directors of the past twenty-five years.  He caught lightning in a bottle early on in his career, and for the most part, he hasn’t been able to recapture that magic with most of his current offerings. I recently discussed his movies with a friend of mine, and I said, “While I don’t always enjoy his films, they rarely, if ever, bore me.”  He relies on a third act twist in his films to keep the audience guessing.  However, after a while, it starts to feel like a gimmick.  After all, if you are waiting to be surprised, is it really a surprise?

Upon viewing “The Watchers,” it’s clear Ishana was heavily influenced by her father and his directorial style. As a matter of fact, if you didn’t tell me beforehand who directed the film, I could believe the film was directed by her father.  It very much feels like an M. Night Shyamalan flick, as he serves as a producer on this project.  I can see how she would want to follow her father’s footsteps, but at the same time, I would have liked it if she had a style all her own. It’s only natural she is going to be influenced by his work, but she would have been better suited making a film unique to her own singular vision.

“The Watchers” stars Dakota Fanning as Mina, an American woman living and working in Galway, Ireland to avoid dealing with the pain and trauma of her mother’s death.  It has been fifteen years since her mother died, but she’s still holding onto that sadness and unable to move forward.  She works at a pet store, where she vapes and is going through the motions. Her twin sister tries to keep in touch with her, but Mina finds it challenging and painful to talk to her.  One day, Mina is put in charge of delivering a golden conure near Belfast, Ireland when her car breaks down in a mysterious forest. She runs into an older woman named Madeline, played by Olwen Fouéré, who takes her into The Coop, a secure structure where they can stay safe.

The other individuals in The Coop are Ciara and Daniel, played by Georgina Campbell and Oliver Finnegan.  Mina learns they are being observed every night by a group called The Watchers.  There are also rules in the forest they must follow in order to avoid angering The Watchers. They can’t go out at night, and they also can’t enter The Burrows. Mina is very suspicious of these rules and doesn’t understand why she just can’t leave. Madeline is a grizzled veteran of this forest and acts as a motherly figure to the younger occupations of The Coop.  After months of being in The Coop, things start to get very tense and uncomfortable for all four of them. Can they survive and last without killing each other or losing their minds?

“The Watchers” is an example of a film that sounded interesting and intriguing on paper. However, even though scripts are written on paper (or a keyboard for that matter), they need to come alive on screen. I never felt like the film came alive on screen. As someone who has seen a number of M. Night films, you know there is more than meets the eye here. There is going to be a big moment in the film where certain aspects of the plot are revealed and you go, “Ah ha! Now I get it.”  Before that, everything else just feels like filler, and the film kind of meanders on screen.  There is nothing about this film which is boring, awful or unwatchable, but there is also nothing that is truly captivating, exciting or pulse-pounding.

I’ve often had a big issue with PG-13 for horror films or thrillers.  Yes, I do love a good kill in a horror flick, and I do enjoy gore.  It’s more than that, though, as I feel like the PG-13 rating also doesn’t allow for the kind of freedom a film like this needs.  It needs to be more intense and brutal.  It feels like they are playing it safe here.  Yes, the final thirty minutes are when the stakes are turned up a notch, but by that point, I didn’t feel as though it really mattered all that much.  A good or great movie needs to be built up properly from the start all the way to the conclusion. It’s like conducting an orchestra.  We have an OK beginning, a below-average middle, and a pretty good third act.  “The Watchers” is an OK movie once you find out what it all means and what it’s about, but the journey there has too many bumps in the road.

* * out of * * * *

4K Info: “The Watchers” is released on a single disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, which also comes with a digital copy of the film. The film has a running time of 102 minutes and is rated PG-13 for violence, terror and some thematic elements.

4K Video Info:  The Dolby Vision transfer here is a crisp looking transfer.  This is a very dark and moody film, so don’t expect a ton of colors or anything to really pop on screen. However, the 4K does a good job of setting the mood for the film with its deep blacks and shadowy background.

4K Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos audio track is also a great home-theater experience for viewers.  The sound is exceptional, as I was able to keep it on the same volume throughout the entire movie without it being too high or too low. It was perfect. Subtitles are also included in English, Spanish and French.

Special Features:

Welcome to the Show: The Making of The Watchers

Creating The Watchers

Constructing the Coop

Ainriochtán and the Irish Fairy Folklore

Deleted Scene – Lair of Love

Should You Buy It?

I liked “The Watchers” a little more after I understood the mythology behind The Watchers and their backstory. It’s still a film that is a one and done viewing experience.  As I stated in my review, there is nothing here that is truly terrible in terms of the acting, the production or the story.  There is also nothing which really stood out or made a big impression on me. I wouldn’t mind seeing another film in the future from Ishana Night Shyamalan, but I’d like to see more of what she brings to the table as a director as opposed to just following a similar formula to what her father has done in his career.  There are some interesting special features here, and the audio and visual aspects of the 4K are very impressive.  Overall, “The Watchers” is worth checking out on a rainy day as it has a short running time, but I don’t think it’s a film that needs to be added to your movie collection.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘American Fiction’ Movie and Blu-ray Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

“American Fiction” is the kind of adult drama which has been sorely missing from Hollywood over the past decade and a half.  Hollywood has become obsessed with the big screen blockbuster and superhero films. Now, of course, there is nothing wrong with those films, but the adult drama along with R-rated comedies are becoming harder and harder to find these days.  It is why a film like “American Fiction” is such a delightful treat for moviegoers who enjoy complex characters and well-rounded stories, and who like to be challenged when they sit down and watch a movie.

The film stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, an author and teacher who is grumpy, defeated and incredibly unhappy with his life.  Thelonious is a difficult person to be around as he’s critical of not only himself but everyone else around him.  It doesn’t help that he isn’t as successful as he used to be with his writing.  He’s finding it harder and harder to connect with audiences as he sees a shift in the literary landscape. The books which are making money and selling are those which profit off the stereotypes that exist in black entertainment.

Thelonius is told to write a “black book,” which is something he wants nothing to do with at all as it goes against his principles and his beliefs. It makes him angry to see a writer like Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) selling books left and right while his own work is financially unsuccessful.  He returns home to spend time with his family, which is another source of stress in his life. His sister, Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross), is a hard-working physician who is doing her best to get back on her feet after a painful and costly divorce. He also discovers that his mother, Agnes (Leslie Uggams), is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

This is not the pick-me-up visit Thelonius needed, as he’s not exactly close with his brother, Cliff, played by Sterling K. Brown.  Cliff and Lisa have trouble getting along with him because he’s too much like their deceased father who was withdrawn, judgmental and often pushed people away.  With his mother’s health suffering, it is up to Thelonius to take care of her finances and figure out what to do with her care.  He finds a solution when he ends up writing a book under a pseudonym, which gives the public what they are looking for: a stereotypical black book which relies on the offensive and cliché-ridden tropes audiences love. As the old expression goes, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”

Thelonius has also developed a relationship with a neighbor, Coraline, played by Erika Alexander. She likes him, but can he love himself enough to work it out with her? Can he get along with his brother? He’s also discovering through his agent, played by John Ortiz, that his book might even be turned into a movie. This is all happening very fast for him as he’s wrestling with his need to produce substantial material and also his need for money.  In many cases, the two do not go hand-in-hand. He doesn’t want to sell his soul for the almighty dollar, but he also has bills to pay in the meantime. Can his moral compass allow him to “sell out?”

“American Fiction” was my favorite film of 2023. It starts with the screenplay, which won Best Adapted Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards.  The film has great dialogue in it along with rich and funny characters that really sizzle on screen. It’s a witty, timely and sharp script.  The film reminded me a lot of Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled,” but it’s a more upbeat film and not as bleak. It is hard to overlook how little has changed since “Bamboozled” came out back in 2000, though. The big thing that has changed is there are more platforms and outlets for this kind of material to be digested by audiences.

This film also has a tremendous cast from top-to-bottom. Everyone has effortless chemistry with one another on screen, and they are all likable, interesting and well-developed.  Even though Thelonius is a curmudgeon, he’s never boring.  There is something very quirky and funny about him, and it is because he was written with a lot of different layers to him.  As an audience, we understand his frustration and we know why he feels the way he does about his family and how African Americans are presented in mainstream media. He’s not wrong, even if he goes about it in a way that tends to grate on those closest to him.  He can be preachy and self-righteous, but it’s hard to argue with his points.  This is a man who is learning to love himself, love someone else, and reconnect with his family.  He’s a work-in-progress.

If you are like me and enjoy a film with heart, humor and a bit of edge to it, you will love “American Fiction.”  This is the kind of movie Hollywood used to make but seem to shy away from these days.  I enjoyed every single minute of this hilarious, heartfelt and intelligent piece of moviemaking.  This film allows the audience to spend time with these characters, get to know, care about, and become emotionally invested in them. The ending, without giving anything away, is also perfect. I loved “American Fiction,” and I’m confident you will love it too.

* * * * out of * * * *

Blu-ray Info: “American Fiction” is being released on a single-disc Blu-ray from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It has a running time of 117 minutes and is rated R for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references, and brief violence. It also comes with a digital copy of the film as well.

Video/Audio Info: The 1080p high-definition transfer is very colorful, clear, and bright. Would I have loved a 4K transfer of my favorite film of last year? Of course! However, this is a very good-looking Blu-ray, and I can hold out hope it gets a 4K upgrade at some point as I think this film is only going to grow in popularity as more people see it on physical media. The audio on this Blu-ray is also top-of-the-line. All of the dialogue can be heard very clearly, which is important, because this is a very dialogue-driven film. Subtitles are included in English, French and Spanish.

Special Features:

None

Should You Buy It?

If you are strictly buying “American Fiction” for the movie itself, you should definitely buy it right away. However, this is only available on Blu-ray and DVD, and there are also no special features. This is a supremely bare bones Blu-ray from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment which is pretty disappointing. It does come with a slipcover, though. I’d say buy the Blu-ray with the slipcover as, from an audio and visual standpoint, it still looks and sounds really good. I always like to err on the side of caution, and I’d rather have a great movie on Blu-ray with the slipcover while I can before they stop releasing it with a slipcover. That being said, this film deserved a much better physical media release than it got,

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘The Garfield Movie’ – This is Not the Cat I Was Looking For

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

I grew up on Jim Davis’ “Garfield.” I loved this lazy cat whose affection for lasagna and reveling in his own laziness and selfishness often had me laughing quite uncontrollably. I even got my first-grade teacher to initiate a celebration which I proudly called “National Number One Garfield Day” which my classmates were eager to participate in. And yes, I reveled in those animated classic television episodes in which the orange tabby cat was voiced by the late great Lorenzo Music who perfectly captured Garfield’s sarcasm, gluttony and eventual self-awareness without missing a beat.

Years later, Hollywood brought Garfield to the silver screen, but with limited, if any, critical success. While the 2004 live action “Garfield” movie had the brilliant Bill Murray voicing the infamous cat, the story felt more like a “Toy Story” clone instead of representing the feline we all grew to love in our youth. And seriously, when we see Jon Arbuckle get lucky with someone of the opposite sex, I have to believe something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Now we have “The Garfield Movie” which brings the infamous cat back to the animation realm with Chris Pratt voicing him. It starts off introducing Garfield into the age of the internet and apps as he proceeds to order an obscene amount of Italian food which he scarfs down in record time. Following this, we jump back in time to when he seemingly gets abandoned by his father and ends up wandering into an Italian restaurant across the street where he meets Jon Arbuckle who is all by his lonesome eating a pepperoni pizza. They quickly form an unbreakable bond as Jon, like us, cannot resist this cat’s infinite cuteness in the slightest.

At the start, it looks like “Garfield The Movie” is going to respect the comic strip’s history perfectly as it acknowledges this feline’s love of lasagna among other things, and it was a kick to see him land flat on Jon’s face while he is in bed as if to tell this human, “Get up asshole, make me breakfast!” But from there, Garfield and everyone else is thrown into a story which is generic at best.

While doing a raid on the refrigerator for midnight snacks, Garfield and Odie get kidnapped by a Shar Pei and a Whippet who take them to an abandoned mall where they meet Jinx, a Persian cat who is bent on revenge against Garfield’s father, Vic, who abandoned Jinx at a very inopportune moment. While Garfield wants nothing to Vic after all they have been through, the both of them quickly realize they need one another in order to secure their freedoms and obtain an obscene volume of milk for just one cat.

From there, this movie goes into the usual tug and pull of a father trying to make amends to a child he wasn’t there for, and a child who wants nothing to do with a parent they feel abandoned by. I think you have a good idea of where the story goes from there as it goes through the usual tropes and cliches father-son motion pictures have to offer, and it quickly became apparent to me that this was no “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

On top of that, there is a lot of retconning going on here. Those who kept up with the comic strip know Garfield reunited with his mother at one point, and this gave the orange cat more dimension than he had previously. Here, he reunites with his father, and it doesn’t have the same dramatic heft. Also, Odie is made to look like some super genius whom Garfield can only dream of being as smart as. But one of the delights of the comic strip is how Odie is as dumb as a post, so this dog’s genius behavior feels completely out of place.

And when it comes to Garfield’s relationship with Jon Arbuckle, it is much too loving to where there is no drama between owner and cat found here. Garfield revels in his selfish endeavors to where Jon is constantly infuriated beyond repair, and none of this animosity is found here. I kept waiting for Jon to admonish Garfield for playing with the power seat in his car or for eating a fern plant he just bought. But no, they just get along all too well here. Even a trip to the vet feels routine, and I remember just how terrified Garfield was about going to the vet.

As much as I wanted to appreciate what director Mark Dindal and company did here, and there’s no doubt kids will enjoy this movie, I really came out of this cinematic endeavor feeling like this wasn’t the Garfield I grew up on in the slightest. Moreover, as we watch Garfield traverse a critical portion of Lactose Farms where every conceivable form of security was put in place, it only reminded of infinitely superior scenes in Pixar films like “Monsters Inc.” That the “Mission Impossible” theme plays at one point is no surprise, and it made my eyes roll as this addition feels much too obvious.

The voice cast is clearly having a lot fun here. Chris Pratt clearly revels in voicing Garfield, and he does a good job even though he still can’t hold a candle to Lorenzo Music. Samuel L. Jackson is an inspired choice to play Garfield’s father, Vic, and I say this even though I kept waiting for the bad ass motherfucker within Jackson to erupt. Yes, this is a family movie, but still…

If there is one cast member to single out above all others, it is Ving Rhames who voices Otto, a bull and former mascot for Lactose Farms who is pining to be reunited with his long-lost love. While he could have played this lovelorn bull as if he was in on the joke, Rhames instead plays this animated character ever so straight to where his dramatic pauses provide the biggest laughs this film has to offer.

For what it’s worth, “Garfield The Movie” is bound to delight the kids, and their parents are bound to watch it with them hundreds of times once it arrives on physical and digital media. Still, I came out of it frustrated as this really didn’t feel like the Garfield I know and love. Instead, you have an orange tabby cat stuck in a movie with a story unbefitting to his legacy and easily pales in comparison to the average animated classic.

Perhaps Garfield as a character has long since outlived his usefulness in popular culture. Jim Davis’ creation is nowhere as popular today as it was back in the 1980’s, and perhaps studio executives are afraid of making this orange tabby cat look as lazy in this age of Me Too, Times Up and an intense desire for true representation in Hollywood.

All of this reminds me of a scene in “Here Comes Garfield” in which Garfield attempts to explain to Jon, without words, why Odie didn’t come home with him after they both went outside to play. Jon, of course, doesn’t understand what Garfield is describing to him in the slightest, and Garfield ends up telling him ever so dryly:

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

When it comes to Garfield and Hollywood, this still remains the case.

* * out of * * * *

‘American Sniper’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Out of all the films I watched in 2014, “American Sniper” was the one which hit me the hardest.  I had never seen a film like it before, and I was surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, considering I’m not a huge fan of war films. This is much more than a war film, though.  It’s a personal story, and this part of the film resonated with me much more than any shootings. Although there is one particular shooting that made me wince, Chris Kyle was only doing what he was trained to do as a Navy Seal.

Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in one of the best performances of his career.  Not only did he put on the weight to play Kyle, but he completely became him.  On the special features, they talked about how they would have moments on set that would cause goosebumps because his performance was so true to life.  It’s always a thing of beauty when you see an actor completely devote themselves to a role and a film.  It helps that the film was directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood.  There’s also a quality screenplay by Jason Hall, adapted from Kyle’s book of the same name.

Kyle believes strongly in America and goes through some intense training that would make most men run for the hills, but he eventually becomes a sniper for the Navy Seals. Before he even attempts to do this, someone informs him that most men quit.  Kyle says he is no quitter.  Meanwhile, he meets his wife, Taya, played by Sienna Miller, and they eventually have a child together, adding even more pressure to Kyle’s life.  He ends up taking part in four tours, which puts a strain on their relationship and his well-being.  He knows he is doing a service to his country and protecting his fellow men, but that doesn’t make things any easier.

Bradley Cooper gained 40 pounds of muscle to play Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in the film American Sniper. “It wasn’t at all like a costume,” he said. “It was like … this sort of transformative experience to me because there was no going home from it.”

One of the things I admired the most about this film was the patience in which it was filmed.  Kyle ends up doing four tours, and we get to see the tours along with him spending time with his family.  For me, the “at home” scenes were far more effective than his time as a sniper.  This is not to take anything away from his time on tour and how it’s filmed.  The scenes are jarring and extremely well shot.  I’m just always more engrossed in the human side of the story, and that truly adds more to what’s happening during his time becoming “The Legend”, a nickname he seems proud of at times, but also a little uneasy about as well.  He is known as the U.S.’s deadliest sniper.

A lot of attention and praise was put on Cooper upon the film’s release, but credit also goes out to Miller as she has an extremely tough role to portray as well as Taya.  She has to be supportive of her husband while also looking out for the best interests of her family.  One thing is certain: her love for Kyle never waivers.  She just worries about feeling disconnected from him.  It’s clear he’s not the same when everything is over.  How can he be?  As he tells his psychiatrist, he thinks more about the men he couldn’t save as opposed to the ones he did.  However, Taya wants her husband back, and she wants the man she married.  The ability to disconnect from the war is a hard one, and that is explored in great detail in this magnificent film.

“American Sniper” made my list of the top ten films of 2014, and it is also one of the best films Eastwood has ever directed.  Everyone watches movies for various reasons. I watch movies to be moved and engrossed by great stories and fascinating people.  On my third viewing, I’m happy to report “American Sniper” holds up incredibly well.  It’s also enhanced by the 4K transfer Warner Brothers has added to the film as well.  It was released a few years before 4K discs became a reality, and with this being the ten-year anniversary of the film, it’s a great time to add it to your collection and upgrade the Blu-ray if you already own it.

* * * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “American Sniper” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It also comes with a digital copy of the film as well. The film runs at 132 minutes and is rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references.

Video Info: “American Sniper” on 4K really takes you into the heat of battle.  I did mention that the war scenes didn’t hit me as emotionally as the sequences between Chris and Taya, but they still had their impact nonetheless.  You would have to be a rock to not be moved and affected by what’s happening on screen.  All of it is shot with just the right number of colors and texture.  It’s sort of a dreary looking film, but that is to be expected with war.

Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is also an improvement over the inconsistent audio on the previously released Blu-ray of the film, which was a bit too loud at times.  This time, it’s right on cue throughout the entire film. It was also fairly consistent during the quieter moments as well.

Special Features:

One Soldier’s Story: The Journey of American Sniper

Chris Kyle: The Man Behind the Legend

Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – The Heart of a Hero

Navy SEALs: In War and Peace

Bringing the War Home: The Cost of Heroism

The Making of American Sniper

Guardian

Should You Buy It?

“American Sniper” is finally on 4K, and it was well worth the wait.  The technical aspects are amazing, as they usually are with a Clint Eastwood film, especially on 4K.  Bradley Cooper turns in an astounding performance and one which really hit me like a ton of bricks. Sienna Miller also turns in an underrated and potent performance as well.  This is a film firing on all cylinders, and it will make a great addition to your physical media collection.  This is top-notch filmmaking and a film that comes from a labor of love from everyone involved.  When you have films like this one, the audience is the ultimate winner.  The special features are also ported over the Blu-ray release as well, and they add a lot of context and information on the making of the film and Chris Kyle’s backstory.  This is a day-one purchase, especially with the impressive slipcover which is included with this release.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Moneyball’ – One of the Best Baseball Movies Ever

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

WRITER’S NOTE: This movie review was written in 2012. I present it now as the latest baseball season has now begun.

“Moneyball” is, for my money, the best baseball movie since “Bull Durham” as, like Ron Shelton’s 1988 classic, it takes a very unique look at this American pastime and the players who inhabit it. Whereas most baseball movies are about rising to the occasion and winning the big game, this one is more interested in the mechanics and statistics as the characters, all based on real life people, work to see if the current state of this sport can be improved. This is not about winning mind you, but of recapturing a love for the game which has long since passed so many people by.

Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics (a.k.a. the Oakland A’s) who has just witnessed his team’s tough postseason lost to the New York Yankees. In its aftermath, he watches as the team’s key players of Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi and Jason Isringhausen leave for more lucrative deals with other more desirable franchises. From there, the team’s management becomes obsessed about finding the best players to fill their spots. What stands in their way, however, is they have a budget of $40 million to work with which, in any other case, would sound like a lot, but it’s pitiful compared to the Yankees’ overall budget of $100 million.

While visiting a coach from a rival team, Beane comes across Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a Yale economics graduate who has new and radical ideas of how to assess a baseball player’s value. After hearing Brand’s theories, Beane hires him to join the Oakland A’s, and they both put his unusual theories to the test. This quickly upsets the team’s scouts who cannot, and do not, want to see the validity of these chances being taken. Regardless of the objections, Beane is insistent everyone go in this new direction. But as “Moneyball” goes on, it becomes clear that Beane is not just doing this because of a lack of money, but to find a new way to fall in love with baseball as it ended up betrayed him years before he became a manager.

There are a number of things at work in this film; the need to change the game, the disadvantage some teams have compared to others, and the demons that keep fighting certain baseball players who continue playing this game even when they are long past their prime. In flashbacks, we discover how Beane was an exceptional baseball player in high school, and that scouts for the big teams were serious about signing him up for the major leagues before he could even consider college. His baseball playing career, however, turned out to be a stunning disappointment, and it is this failure which haunts him to this day.

Brad Pitt gives one of his best performances ever as Billy Beane, and he finds a balance to where he inhabits the character more than acts. He draws us emotionally into this movie even more than some might expect, and he brings a realism to Beane which makes his acting never less than compelling.

Jonah Hill, best known for “Superbad,” “Funny People” and “Get Him to The Greek” among other films, gets to go against type here with this dramatic role. He does an excellent job of playing Brand as so fresh-faced to this job and becomes our eyes to the realities of baseball which many people may not be aware of. Seeing Hill imbue Brand with a strong intelligence and a big heart proves he has a lot more to offer than just hilarious performances in comedy movies, and it marks an important change of pace for him as a result.

Another great performance comes from Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe. You never catch Hoffman acting as he portrays Howe as an individual being worn down by endless contract negotiations and is constantly questioning the control he has over his own team. Howe is adamant that he is the one to manage the players above everyone else, but he eventually finds he does not have the energy for a prolonged argument with Beane or Brand as they have their own plans. It is the weariness of Howe which Hoffman so perfectly captures, and he remains one of the best actors working today.

“Moneyball” is based on Michael Lewis’ non-fiction novel of the same name, and it has been adapted by two of Hollywood’s best screenwriters: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Neither of them ever tries to spell out everything for the audience because they are smart enough to give them enough information to where we can all come to very understandable conclusions. And on top of everything, their dialogue remains as brilliant as ever.

In a year which has seen more remakes or recycled ideas as opposed to anything resembling originality, “Moneyball” succeeds in giving us a story which feels so fresh and highly innovative. In dramatizing real-life events, the movie makes you want to see people go against the grain because it does not help to keep things the same as they have always been. It also makes us remember what is so great about the game of baseball in a time where headlines about steroids and other performance enhancing drugs and the constant abuse of them make it all seem like a sick joke. Surely there is plenty of innocence left to this American pastime, right?

* * * * out of * * * *

‘The Color Purple’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

This was my first time having the pleasure of sitting down to watch “The Color Purple,” directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. This is a director who has never been afraid to tackle any type of film project.  When watching this film, his trademark heart is clearly on display.  What makes it stand out and be as memorable as it is, though, is the terrific acting, especially from Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.  “The Color Purple” is based on the novel by Alice Walker, which I have not read, so my film review will be solely based on the film itself. I have no frame of reference to compare it to, and I think that is more than OK. Too often, people get caught up in comparing films to books, and in the end, they are two totally different mediums.  You will never be able to cover everything from the book because you are limited by the running time of the film.

The film takes place from 1909 to 1943 in Georgia where we are introduced to Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg), a young teenager who already has two children, a boy and a girl, because she was raped by her father. Her father took the children from her and has essentially sold them off for profit.  Celie wonders where her children are and worries about them constantly, as any mother would when they are abruptly taken.  She was also married off, thanks to her father, to Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), an abusive man who makes her do anything and everything for him.  He beats her, forces her to have sex with him, and controls every aspect of her life. In his eyes, this woman serves one purpose and one purpose only, which is to take care of him. She even has to call him “Mister.”

During this time, she was separated from her sister, Nettie, played by Akosua Busia. When Albert came looking for a wife, he was initially interested in Nettie, but their father would not part with her and insisted on Celie going with Albert.  Celie is often told she is too skinny and ugly.  She sees inspiration in the strong-willed Sofia, played by Oprah Winfrey.  Sofia is not one to take guff from anyone in her life, but you wonder how long this will last before she is beaten down by the rampant racism she experiences.  We get to know another woman named Shug Avery, played by Margaret Avery, a flamboyant performer who has Albert Johnson’s full attention. Even though Shug comes with some baggage, she seems to know how to hold her own and capture the attention of men while remaining independent and tough. Celie is hoping to receive some letters from her sister Nettie, but she starts to wonder why they never show up and if her sister is even alive after they were separated.

“The Color Purple” covers a great deal of time and because of the amount of time it covers, four decades, it makes sense that the film is 153 minutes. This was one of those films where I rarely noticed the running time because it was a prime example of good old-fashioned Hollywood craftsmanship. When film critics and fans say things like, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” in my eyes, they are talking about films like this one, which was released in 1985.  It’s a drama made by adults for adults.  This is a serious subject matter, but it’s handled with Spielberg’s trademark warmth, tenderness and care. Because we spend so much time with Celie on her journey, we can’t help but root for her to overcome her circumstances.  We get to know her and the women close to her as they have made an impact on her life.

The film is incredibly patient in allowing things to slowly build up to its climax without ever feeling like it’s taking too long to get there. Goldberg is tremendous here.  She expresses a plethora of emotions on her face without ever overacting or doing too much. You can look in her eyes and see the pain and heartache of her character.  It’s a terrific performance, and I think people forget what a great actress she is when given the chance to show off her range of emotions. Of course, she won an Oscar for “Ghost” in 1991.  However, this is clearly the film she should have won an Oscar for, with all due respect to Geraldine Page.

“The Color Purple” does sometimes go off the beaten path with its narrative plot and, at times, it can spend too much time with one character in a specific time and place instead of sticking with Goldberg and her character’s story.  I was very, very close to giving this film four stars, especially because of the emotional weight which was incredibly powerful.  It earns the tears of the audience here by allowing things to build up and develop.  Winfrey is also really, really good here and earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in this film along with Avery.

One of the biggest criticisms of this film is that it was directed by a white director in Steven Spielberg. This is a film populated with a cast which is 95% Black.  I can see why audiences would take issue with that, but Spielberg is wise to stay out of the way of the material and the actors.  Even though some of his familiar touches are here, as mentioned earlier, it doesn’t feel like a typical Spielberg film.  He is sensitive to the story, and he does a terrific job of allowing the performances of his cast and the story itself to take center stage.  He’s more in the background here and, for once, it isn’t a bad thing.

* * * ½ out of * * * *

4K Info: “The Color Purple” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It also comes with a digital copy of the film.  The film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 153 minutes.

4K Video/Audio Info:  This is another top-notch transfer from the folks over at Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. The HDR here really shines in some of the outdoor scenes which are lively and colorful.  It has a cinematic feel to it while also cleaning up the picture as well.  The audio track is also really solid, as this is a dialogue heavy film, and it’s easy to understand everything that is being said with a clean and crisp audio track here. Subtitles are included in English, Spanish and French.

Special Features:

Conversations with the Ancestors: The Color Purple from Book to Screen

A Collaboration of Spirits: Casting and Acting The Color Purple

Cultivating a Classic: The Making of The Color Purple

The Color Purple: The Musical

Teaser #1

Teaser #2

Trailer

Should You Buy It?

If you read my 4K reviews (and thank you if you do), you know what a big proponent I am of film history and preservation. In the year 2023, Warner Brothers has done their job in going through their extensive catalogue of films and bringing them to 4K and making them look bigger and better than ever.  There are a ton of important films in the Warner Brothers library that have received their day in court this year. In order for them to continue doing their job, we need to support their restorations of classic cinema, especially when they are done in such a magnificent manner, leaving no stone unturned. “The Color Purple” pops off the TV here and looks better than it ever has, thanks to this 4K transfer.  It sounds great as well. The film itself is an important piece of cinematic history that shows off great acting and tells a vital story with a great cast of actors and one of the best directors of all-time. At its current price point, which is around $23, this is a day one purchase on its December 5th release date.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.