Freeze Frame Archiv

The 2001 movie “The Fast and the Furious” was based on a true story about LA street racers. Over the years, the films in the franchise have evolved into action fantasies so preposterous that they make James Bond flicks look like documentaries by comparison. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham star in the ninth film in the franchise, “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” They play rival rogue lawmen who try to save the world from a cyborg-human hybrid, played by Idris Elba. It’s utterly absurd, but the Johnson/Statham team-up is amusing. The way to enjoy this movie is to forget the laws of physics, throw logic out the window and just go with the action flow.   “The Farewell” is a sweet-natured and sentimental comedy about an Asian-American woman, played by Awkwafina, who travels to China when she learns her beloved grandmother is terminally ill. Problem is, the family has decided to hide the truth from the elderly lady and to stage a sham marriage to make her feel better. Alternately funny and poignant, “The Farewell” is a wistful crowd-pleaser.   Comic Marc Maron leads the cast of “Sword of Trust,” a wacky comedy about two women who try…

For his ninth feature film, writer/director Quentin Tarantino presents a very dark Valentine to the town and the art form he grew up loving and copying. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is about the movie business and the folks who attempt to survive the dramatic changes Tinseltown underwent in the late 1960s.   Leonardo DiCaprio hits all the right notes as Rick, loosely based on Steve McQueen, a TV actor who once starred in a popular Western. Overly sensitive and self-absorbed, Rick battles booze and insecurities. His best pal is his stunt double Cliff, played by Brad Pitt, a character inspired by Burt Reynolds’ buddy, Hal Needham. Tarantino’s story is purely fictional, imagining a relationship that these men might have had with actress Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie, and the notorious Manson family.   The who’s-who cast also includes Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell. Bruce Dern and Al Pacino, who has a brief but impressive turn as DiCaprio’s agent.   As always, Tarantino’s dialogue is terrific and he certainly knows this era like the back of his hand. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” does a great job of capturing the feel of the time and place,…

Disney’s stampede to create so-called ‘live-action’ remakes of its animated classics continues with “The Lion King.” The super-realistic computer-generated imagery that replaces the classic hand-drawn animation is nothing short of spectacular. But for some reason, the cinematic magic of the 1994 version doesn’t make the transition quite as smoothly. Much of the film is a shot-for-shot recreation, but many of the scenes are more drawn out, adding unnecessarily to the film’s length. While there’s still much to like in “The Lion King,” it won’t go down as the pride of the remakes.   The so-called comedy “Supervized” will be a bona fide contender for the worst film of 2019. A sad embarrassment to all involved, “Supervized” stars Tom Berenger, Beau Bridges and Louis Gossett, Jr. as foul-mouthed former superheroes living out their difficult elder years in an Irish retirement community. Nefarious foes try to sap the former caped crusaders of what’s left of their superpowers. “Supervized” represents the nadir of these actors’ storied careers.   Andrew Garfield stars in the wacky neo-noir mystery, “Under the Silver Lake.” Filmmaker David Robert Mitchell has a lot on his mind with this ambitious mind bender about a man whose beautiful neighbor goes missing.…

The violent action farce “Stuber” plays a bit like a comic reworking of the Tom Cruise/Jamie Foxx action flick, “Collateral.” Kumail Nanjiani plays an Uber driver named Stu, hence the jokey title. Dave Bautista is an LA cop who commandeers the ride, forcing Stu to take him on a series of trips to capture a homicidal drug lord. Nanjiani and Bautista are an appealingly odd couple and their repartee earns some laughs, but we’ve seen all of this before. The best rating that I can give this Stuber ride is three stars.   China’s premier filmmaker Zhang Yimou returns with another sumptuously filmed wuxia entry. “Shadow.” In ancient China, an ailing military commander finds his doppelganger and trains him to fight in his place in order to fulfill an intricate plan to bring down the king. The story is a bit confusing and the acting melodramatic, but “Shadow” is still an involving and stylish action epic.   The Canadian coming-of-age drama “Firecrackers” is rude, foul-mouthed and irreverent. It’s also beautifully acted, painfully realistic and heartbreaking. Michaela Kurimsky and Karena Evans play two teenage friends who long to escape their poverty-stricken small town lives but are seemingly thwarted at every turn.…

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man just wants to enjoy a quiet European vacation with his high school pals. Is that too much to ask? Of course, it is. Tom Holland returns as the socially artless Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” During his summer holiday on the continent, Peter is recruited by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury to don an advanced Spider-Man suit and join forces with new superhero Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. It seems that strange creatures have taken over the elemental forces of earth, water, air and fire and started destroying European cities. Whew.   The writing and directing team behind 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” reunite for a surprisingly successful action adventure laced with plenty of lighthearted and self-deprecating humor. Holland is appealingly awkward, and Gyllenhaal provides some needed gravitas. As usual, the special effects are spectacular even though the action scenes sometimes become a colorful blur.   The real appeal of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” comes from the comic coming-of-age elements. ‘Will Spider-Man get the girl?’ becomes more interesting than, ‘Will Spider-Man get the bad guy?’ Cheeky fun, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is yet another winner in the Marvel Universe.   Last year’s startling horror entry “Hereditary”…

What if the Beatles never existed but you knew all of their songs? That’s the high-concept behind the comic romantic fantasy, “Yesterday.” Himesh Patel plays a wannabe singer who, mystically, […]

The post Freeze Frame: “Yesterday” (PG-13), “Ophelia” (PG-13), “Annabelle Comes Home” (PG-13), “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (R) appeared first on KKFI.

It’s nothing less than a cinematic miracle. The folks at Pixar have gone back to an old mine and found more gold. “Toy Story 4” is a brilliantly conceived and […]

The post Freeze Frame: “Toy Story 4” (G), “Child’s Play (R) appeared first on KKFI.

Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson last co-starred in the hit “Thor: Ragnarok,” They re-team to reboot the “Men in Black” franchise with “Men in Black International.” While this wacky sci-fi […]

The post Freeze Frame: “Men in Black International” (PG-13), “Shaft” (R), “Late Night” (PG-13), “The Dead Don’t Die” (R) appeared first on KKFI.

Ever wonder if it’s possible for excellent actors to save stilted dialogue? A game cast gives it their all but there’s only so much they can do with the latest […]

The post Freeze Frame: “Dark Phoenix” (PG-13), “The Secret Life of Pets 2” (PG), “All is True” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.

With the rise of Netflix, I’ve been asked to occasionally depart from our usual Freeze Frame format of reviewing movies in local theaters to cover some of the newest releases […]

The post Freeze Frame: New on Netflix Edition-“When They See Us” (R), “The Perfection” (R), “I Am Mother” (NR) appeared first on KKFI.

Disney's ongoing effort to create live-action versions of its animated classics continues with "Aladdin." Will Smith steps into Robin Williams' genie shoes for this eye-popping musical extravaganza.   Director Guy Ritchie is best known for his frenetic action movies and he brings that sensibility to this busy enterprise. It doesn't capture the magic of the original, but this "Aladdin" is a likable family flick.   The teen comedy "Booksmart" is shamelessly raunchy but lives up to its lofty title. In this sharply written farce, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein play two well-behaved high school seniors who are at the top of their class. On the night before graduation, however, they decide to cut loose just once and enjoy a night of outrageous debauchery.   "Booksmart" plays like a female version of "Superbad." The dialogue is clever, the performances are fresh and Olivia Wild shows real finesse in her directorial debut. You may feel guilty for laughing at this brazen entry, but laugh you will.     Also opening this week, “Brightburn” is a something of a bizarro upending of the Superman myth. Elizabeth Banks and David Denman star in the story of a boy from outer space whose ship lands…

If great stunt sequences were are all a movie needed, then “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” would definitely fill the bill. Uber-talented professional hit man Keanu Reeves returns in yet another decadent explosion of violent mayhem. The script and plot are ludicrous, and the action sometimes becomes mind-numbing. But the fight choreography is first rate, making it an R-rated guilty pleasure.   Likable leads are the main attraction of the teen romance, “The Sun is Also a Star,” based on a popular YA novel. Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton play young New Yorkers who are thrown together, not by coincidence, but by the unshakable power of fate. It’s sweet and innocuous but tends to unravel toward the end.   KC native David Dastmalchian stars in and wrote the very dark and harrowing drama “Are Creatures Here Below,” shot mostly in the Kansas City area. Dastmalchian and Karen Gillan play young lovers who flee their hard, poverty-stricken lives in LA and head back to KC. They return home but can’t escape the ghosts of their past. It’s hard to watch but beautifully acted.   The acting also carries the day in “Trial By Fire,” the true story of Texas man…

The early years of author J.R.R. Tolkien are the focus of the lethargic biopic, “Tolkien.” Nicholas Hoult plays the “Lord of the Rings” scribe who suffered multiple losses in his youth. Lily Collins portrays his lover and muse, Edith Bratt. Although it’s sincere, “Tolkien” never provides much insight into the novelist’s imagination.   The vocal wisecracks of Ryan Reynolds provide most of the entertainment value in “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu,” a beautifully produced comic mystery featuring the popular video game characters. The visuals are impressive and the cast is likable, but the storyline gets overly complex for young kids who are, ostensively, the movie’s main audience. “Detective Pikachu” is amiable enough, but no “Zootopia,” which may have been its inspiration.   Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in “The Hustle,” a gender flip remake of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” which was, in turn, also a remake. Hathaway plays a sophisticated con-woman whose territory is invaded by a brash, uncouth Australian upstart, played by Wilson. While it certainly has its funny moments, this broad and goofy comedy is merely the third-best big screen version of this story.   Dame Judi Dench has a supporting role in the drama, “Red Joan,” loosely based on…

Dennis Quaid may be best-known for his good-guy roles in movies like “The Rookie” and “The Right Stuff.” But he takes a successful turn to the dark side in the new thriller, “The Intruder.” Meagan Goode and Michael Ealy play a nice couple who buy Quaid’s lovely Napa Valley home. Problem is, the strange senior citizen refuses to leave. At first, he just pesters them. As time goes on, he becomes a terrifying menace.   “The Intruder” is a throwback to the horror movies of the 80s, replete with growing tension and collective jump scares. Writer/director Deon Taylor pulls out all of the stops with moments that serve as homage to other classic creepfests. It doesn’t plow any new ground, but “The Intruder” a modestly effective suspense flick.   Charlize Theron and Seth Rogan star in “The Long Shot,” a raunchy R-rated comedy about the unlikely romance between a stoner journalist and the Secretary of State of the United States. The premise stretches credibility to the limit, but Theron is always watchable and Rogen handles the bawdy material with his usual free-and-easy timing. It’s predictably silly, but “The Long Shot” is good for a few off-color laughs.   “UglyDolls” is…