The Next Karate Kid (1994)

 Genre: Drama
Directed by: Christopher Cain
Cast: Hilary Swank, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Michael Ironside
Running Time: 107 minutes

 

Mr. Myagi becomes the temporary caretaker of the teenage granddaughter of his late commanding officer, after attending a commemoration for Japanese-American soldiers in Boston. Julie Pierce is an angry teenage orphan being raised by her grandmother. Myagi helps channel that anger through karate.

While this fourth installment in the Karate Kid franchise was really not necessary, this film is saved by good acting from Pat Morita and Hilary Swank. I remember having a little crush on Swank after first seeing this film, in the 90’s. The story does not lead to much, with an anti-climactic predictable end, but, as I said, the acting made this sufferable.

Rating: «««

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Genre: Action / Comedy
Directed by: Martin Brest
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton 

Running Time: 105 minutes

 

Axel Foley is young and brash detective from Detroit who travels to Beverly Hills, on his own time, to solve the mysterious murder of his best friend.

I have been on an Eddie Murphy trip as of late, and it is amazing to see how good he once was at comedy. It is also sad to see how far he has fallen as of late.

In Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy is young and hip, and he is in top comedic form. He radiates off the screen and carries this film by himself. This is a fun action-comedy flick. Sure, it contains a good dose of clichés of the era, but it is still so enjoyable.

Rating: ««««

Cosmopolis (2012)

Genre: Drama / Thriller
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton 

Running Time: 109 minutes

 

Based on the Don DeLillo novel of the same name, Cosmopolis is the story of young billionaire Eric Packer, who is stuck in Manhattan traffic in the back of his limo/office trying to get to his favorite barber for a haircut. As he is personal and professional life is falling apart, Packer meets up with various people to discuss business and trivial nonsense.

While this film is not without its artistic merits, thanks especially to the good work done by Cronenberg and Pattinson, I found it overly difficult to get emotionally invested in this film. It was very dry, with a lot of nonsensical gibberish for dialogue. Thankfully, there were a few glimpses of brilliance that made me thankful for making the effort to keep ploughing through.

Rating: «««

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Martin Kove
Running Time: 113 minutes

 

Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Myagi are back from Okinawa and they must now contend with an old foe: namely the former sensei of Cobra Kai, John Kreese. Kreese is backed up by wealthy entrepreneur Terry Silver, who intends to make Daniel San’s life a nightmare to force him to compete again in the karate competition to defend his title.

While the first two installments in the Karate Kid movie franchise were really solid, this second sequel is quite weak. The story lacks focus, with lots of rehashing, and some of the acting is quite bad. One scene where Terry Silver shares his plan on the phone with John Kreese and starts laughing maniacally was cringeworthy and very cheesy. There were a few rare glimpses of hope here and there, but they were all swashed with the lame duck ending.

Rating: ««

Coming 2 America (2021)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler 

Running Time: 134 minutes

 

Upon his father King Jaffe Joffer’s death, Prince Akeem is crowned king of Zamunda. The nation now needs a new prince, but Akeem and his wife only have daughters, and crowning a woman is against the rules. Akeem finds out he has a bastard son in America, from back when he went to New York the first time, so he travels back to the US to find his future prince.

The film is so bad, it should have never come to life. They tried to sail on nostalgia, but that boat sank fast. The attempts at humor in the script were lame and the acting was so uninspired, it is painful to watch. A few bright lights were Wesley Snipes and Leslie Jones. Snipes was a cool surprise, and Jones basically played her usual character well enough in a dose just small enough to not become too much.

The preachiness of the film was also annoying. I get wanting to be a product of your time, but there are ways to convey a message without being so blatant and unimaginative. The overdose of wokeness almost put me to sleep.

Rating: ««

Black Panther (2018)

 Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o 

Running Time: 134 minutes

 

Following his father’s death, T’Challa is crowned king of Wakanda and given the role of Black Panther. But, a long lost cousin N’Jadaka, arrives with the goal of overthrowing the king and starting a global revolution.

The beginning of this film almost completely lost me. It felt like I was coming in halfway through, with no idea who were these characters and what was going on. Maybe it was a lack of nerdiness on my part, but I had a hard time getting emotionally involved. Eventually, things got better and actions picked up.

The acting was fine. Visually-speaking, this film was amazing. The story was a little complex and overloaded for me. Overall, this maybe just was not my thing.

Rating: ««

Framing Britney Spears (2021)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Samantha Stark
Cast: Britney Spears, Dave Holmes, Wesley Morris
Running Time: 74 minutes

 

This New York Times documentary looks at the situation of pop star Britney Spears, who was legally put under a conservatorship managed by her father in 2008 following a very publicized breakdown. Now over 12 years later, Spears is trying to get the courts to remove her father from the conservatorship and the singer’s fans are clamoring for the same thing to happen.

This is an interesting film, though it is quite short and incomplete. It gives a general idea of the situation, but none of the people closely involved in the situation were involved enough in the film to give any pertinent information. Still, the movie brought more attention to the case and got a lot of people to apologize publicly for their treatment of Britney Spears over the years. If that was part of the goal, well that was accomplished.

Rating: «««

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Tamlyn Tomita 

Running Time: 113 minutes

 

Daniel LaRusso is set to spend the summer with Mr. Myagi while his mom is away in Fresno for a work opportunity. Mr. Myagi received an unexpected letter saying that his father is on his deathbed back in Okinawa. Myagi travels to his homeland, with Daniel San in tow, where he reconnects with an old flame and a former foe.

This is a fun sequel to the first film. The filmmakers manage to keep the story fresh while not straying too far from what made the first one work. It is a compelling tale of love, friendship and honor. Sure, there is some cheesiness, typical of the 80’s, but good acting and a good story made for an entertaining flick.

Rating: ««««

 

Coming to America (1988)

 Genre: Romantic Comedy
Directed by: John Landis
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones
Running Time: 127 minutes

 

Crown prince Akeem Joffer, of Zamunda, Africa, is set to marry in an arranged marriage after his 21^st birthday. Unwilling to marry a woman he does not know or love, Akeem travels to America, with his best friend and personal aide Semmi, to find a bride of his choice. He ends up in New York working for Cleo McDowell, in a fast-food restaurant. There, he falls in love with Lisa McDowell, his boss’ daughter.

Here, we have Eddie Murphy in top comedic form. Murphy’s comic mojo even manages to raise Arsenio Hall’s performance to a point I can appreciate it. The rest of the cast is also quite solid. The story is fun, and it is delivered on screen with much talent. This film makes laugh, it makes me smile. It is feel good through and through.

Rating: «««««

Stick It (2006)

 Genre: Drama / Comedy
Directed by: Jessica Bendinger
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Missy Peregrym, Vanessa Lengies 

Running Time: 103 minutes

 

After getting in trouble with the law for damaging a construction site with her group of friends on bikes, teenager Haley Graham is forced by her father, through the courts, to choose between military school and gymnastics training. She had abruptly left the regimented world of gymnastics years prior, but she begrudgingly chooses that option nonetheless, determined to do as little work as she has to.

This is a cute film. Missy Peregrym is quite good in the role of Haley Graham, and seeing Jeff Bridges in any movie is always a treat. Sure, this teen flick contains clichés and shortcuts that are less than believable, but it is still entertaining. It also offers a compelling look on the world of gymnastics. The film has a strong point, though it feels a little preachy at times. Overall, a decent piece of cinematic entertainment.

Rating: «««

The Karate Kid (1984)

 Genre: Drama
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Elizabeth Shue 

Running Time: 127 minutes

 

Daniel LaRusso is a teenage boy moving from New Jersey to California with his mom. Soon after starting a friendship with cheerleader Ali Mills, he becomes the target of Johnny Lawrence and his gang, who are all into karate. In Mr. Myagi, the handyman of his apartment complex, Daniel finds a friend who will teach him karate with the goal of protecting himself and taking part in a big tournament.

It was really nice to see this film again so many years later. Sure, there is a bit of cheesiness and some unrealistic elements. But this film remains an important part of my youth. The acting is pretty good and the story is something most people relate to. I mean who hasn’t bullied or been bullied? It is a fun film with lots of fighting and some humor. It does not take itself seriously, which is part of the charm.

Rating: ««««

Another 48 Hrs. (1990)

Genre: Action
Directed by: Walter Hill
Cast: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy 

Running Time: 95 minutes

 

On the trail to find the mysterious drug dealer nicknamed the Iceman, Inspector Jack Gates ends up charged with Manslaughter after shooting a man. Gates goes back to Reggie Hammond, who is still in jail, to help him clear himself of that charge.

This buddy cop film was clearly a vehicle to let Eddie Murphy shine as an action star. The acting from the two leads is pretty good, but the story becomes a convoluted mess after a while. So many twists and turns, so many faceless people getting shot without being clearly defined and a mystery head bad guy that does not offer much of a payoff.

While this film contains its entertaining moments, that entertainment is not enough to overcome all of the flaws.

Rating: ««

Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (2007)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisateur: Julian Schnabel
Distribution: Mathieu Amalric, Emanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze 

Running time: 112 minutes

 

Inspiré du livre du même nom écrit par Jean-Dominique Bauby, ce film raconte l’histoire de Bauby, qui, alors rédacteur en chef du magazine Elle, est victime d’un grave AVC qui le plonge dans le coma pendant un court moment. À son réveil, il se voit atteint d’un locked-in syndrome. Il a toutes ses facultés intellectuelles, mais il est paralysé et incapable de parler. Après le choc initial, il décide d’écrire un livre avec l’aide d’une assistante.

Ce film m’a demandé un grand effort initial. Une bonne partie de ce film est tournée à travers du regard du personnage principal, alors immobilisé par la maladie. Moi qui n’aime pas tellement les petits espaces, je me sentais quelque peu claustrophobe comme spectateur. Mais, finalement, je crois que c’était nécessaire pour l’histoire.

Le jeu des acteurs est solide ici, et ce film est comme un long poème. C’est une ode au désir d’accomplissement et à la vie que j’ai trouvée fort inspirante. J’ai beaucoup aimé ce film.

Rating: «««««

Ralphie May: Unruly (2015)

 
Genre: Comedy
Directed by: John Asher
Cast: Ralphie May 

Running Time: 83 minutes

 

In this first Netflix comedy special of late comedian Ralphie May, the comic delivered a long raunchy set in front of a crowd that was up for his brand of shenanigans. Here, May talks about sex, about racism, about having kids and about many other topics.

I had heard about Ralphie May from a podcast, where another comedian was praising May’s work. So when I saw that special on Netflix, I decided to check it out. It took me a while to get into it, but, by the end, I enjoyed a good portion of it. There were a lot of good jokes, but a lot of weaker ones too. Since I am overweight myself, I would be allowed to make a trimming the fat joke regarding the material in this special, but, since May passed a few years later, I will refrain.

About that, it was bittersweet to see Ralphie May being joined on stage at the end by his wife and kids, since he would pass away a couple of years later, leaving them behind.

 

Rating: «««