Movie/TV Reviews

Susan Granger’s review of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (Paramount+)

What’s extraordinary about “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which has launched its 10-episode sophomore season, is how boldly this newest sci-fi franchise entry evokes the original “Star Trek” series that I fell in love with back in 1966,

It’s basically the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23^rd century, delving into the origins, backstories and personal challenges facing familiar characters.

Ten years before rakish, risk-taking James T. Kirk commanded the starship, there was charming, confident Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), who realizes that life-as-he-knows-it is limited; a grim fate awaits him in the future.

(Pike’s injury is detailed in a two-episode pilot called “The Menagerie” in the original series’ first season. Back then, Pike was played by Jeffrey Hunter and his Number One was Majel Barrett, who married producer Gene Roddenberry.)

At Pike’s side is young Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck), struggling with reconciling his half-Vulcan/half-human heritage. Pike’s Number One is steely Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), whose genetically enhanced Illyrian ancestry has been kept secret from the United Federation of Planets.

The rest of Pike’s crew includes no-nonsense Security Officer La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), troubled Doctor Joseph M’Benga  (Babs Olusanmokun), flirtatious Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), intrepid pilot Lt. Erica Ortega (Melissa Navia), and fresh-out-of-Starfleet-Academy Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), a linguistic specialist.

Credit Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and Henry Alonso Myers for stand-alone weekly episodes that follow idealistic Roddenberry’s classic “Star Trek” format as the crew seek out new civilizations with their cultural differences, utilizing diplomacy and adhering – as best they can – to Federation guidelines.

Season Two also introduces Pike’s eventual successor, cocky Capt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), along with Spock’s skeptical Vulcan fiancé T’Pring (Gia Sandhu), Pike’s long-distance love interest JAG-corps Capt. Batel (Melanie Scrofano), and enigmatic engineering expert Pelia (Carol Kane).

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” warps in with an addictive, adventurous 8, streaming on Paramount+.

Susan Granger’s review of “No One Will Save You” (20^th Century Studios/Disney/Hulu)

‘Tis the time for horror movies – and the best of 2023, so far, is Brian Duffield’s “No One Will Save You,” released directly to Hulu.

What makes this sci-fi thriller unique is its lack of dialogue.  There are only five words spoken during its suspenseful 93-minute running time.

Still mourning the death of her mother, Sarah, and best-friend, Maude, a guilt-riddled, traumatized young woman named Brynn Adams (Kaitlyn Dever) lives alone ‘way out in the country and is seemingly shunned by everyone in Mill River, the nearest town.

One night, she awakens to discover an unearthly intruder in her home. Terrified, resourceful Brynn defends herself against the chittering creature’s ability to utilize telekinesis, resulting in its demise.  But soon she’s pursued by its alien cohorts who place a parasite in her mouth, causing her to hallucinate. To tell you more would ruin its effect.

Written, directed and produced by Brian Duffield (“Spontaneous,” “Love and Monsters”), revolving around the theme of self-forgiveness, it was filmed by Aaron Morton in Slidell, Louisiana, in a house that was built in the late 19^th century which production designer Ramsey Avery filled with clues about Brynn’s backstory, like her intricate, idyllic dioramas.

Visual effects producer Sarah Miesen noted that the depictions of alien invaders are based on archetypal drawings done in the 1950s by people who either claimed to have had close encounters with flying saucers or to have been abducted and psychically probed by extraterrestrials.

And sound designer/mixer Chris Terhune collaborated with composer Joseph Trapanese on the complementary audio elements.

Just three days after its release, novelist Stephen King posted this Twitter endorsement:  “NONE ONE WILL SAVE YOU – Brilliant, daring, involving, scary. You have to go back over 60 years to a TWILIGHT ZONE episode called ‘The Invaders’ (1961) to find anything remotely like it.”

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro posted: “I couldn’t think of a more perfect movie for your weekend.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “No One Will Save You” is an intense, ambiguous 8, streaming on Hulu.

Susan Granger’s review of “Fair Play” (Netflix)

In “Fair Play,” first-time feature filmmaker Chloe Domont introduces a workplace/erotic melodrama that exemplifies a contemporary dilemma facing many ambitious, highly competitive couples.

The first scene introduces Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), who are into carnal lust, if not love. And when an engagement ring drops out of Luke’s pocket, Emily realizes that he’s serious about marriage.

Excited, she texts her mother, even though both Emily and Luke realize their steamy relationship must be kept secret since they’re both analysts for One Crest Capital, a high-powered Wall Street hedge fund, and it violates company policy.

Emily is a top-tier Harvard-graduate whose gut-instincts, coupled with her capacity for extensive research, have impressed Campbell (Eddie Marsan), her gruffly demanding boss.  In contrast, while Luke dutifully delves for deals, he’s developed a reputation for coming up with duds.

When a coveted PM (portfolio manager) promotion opens up, there are rumors that Luke is next-in-line, but Emily gets the post, along with an impressive office.

While Luke is deeply disappointed, he’s not a misogynist. He’s supportive of Emily yet determined to better his own future chances by becoming absorbed in a self-help book about entitlement strategy. Nevertheless, his simmering jealousy and resentment surface in caustic ‘digs,’ targeting Emily’s appearance/demeanor.

Given the power dynamics and their private vs. public perceptions, romance inevitably hits the rocks, along with their once-hyperactive sex life, turning their respective existences into an escalating nightmare – in and out of the office.

Screenwriter/director Chloe Domont (“Billions,” Clarice”), working with Dutch cinematographer Menno Mans, astutely concocts a compelling psychological thriller for the post-#MeToo era, imbuing the ensuing histrionics with a veil of validity, as both Phoebe Dynevor  (“Bridgerton”) and Alden Ehrenreich (“Oppenheimer”) deliver electrifying, combative performances,

What’s fascinating about “Fair Play” is how its gender dynamics court controversy. Viewers will react in varying ways, often reflecting their own sexism-in-the-workplace experiences, I suspect.

FYI: Netflix acquired this film for $20 million and at a press conference Chloe Domont revealed that her hazing as a novice television writer on male-dominated “Balls” inspired Emily’s toxic cocktail interludes and visit to a strip club.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fair Play” is an insightful, adult-entangling 8, streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Creator” (20^th Century Studios)

British filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ ambitious “The Creator” abounds with extraordinary visuals, utilizing the very best technology available today – which is why it’s a shame that he neglects to supply an intriguing plot to support his timely spectacle.

It’s all about Hollywood’s current obsession with artificial intelligence, exploring AI’s utopian and dystopian possibilities.

Set in the 2060s, when humans and robots are able to reproduce, it begins as Joshua (John David Washington, Denzel’s son), an undercover special forces agent, sees his very pregnant ‘simulant’ wife Maya (Gemma Chan) killed just as they’re being extracted from an explosive attack.

Years later, still-grieving Joshua is summarily recruited for a new mission. In the interim, AI seems to have gone rogue, igniting a nuclear attack on Los Angeles. For self-preservation, humans now rely on an immense airship – the USS Nomad – to seek out and eliminate all AI facilities around the world.

But when a brilliant scientist named ‘Nimrata’ in New Asia perfects an AI superweapon that could destroy Nomad, Joshua is dispatched, having been told that Maya may, perhaps, still be alive.

Operating under orders from ruthless Colonel Howell (Allison Janney), Joshua discovers the so-called superweapon is actually a synthetic child whom he calls Alphie  (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Somehow, she possesses a telekinetic power to control electronics.

While there’s supposed to be a surrogate father-daughter dynamic, it’s woefully under- developed – which works to the detriment of audience involvement. Instead, there’s an overload of gritty man vs. machine fighting that sends views into a superficial stupor – as style overwhelms substance.

Co-writing with Chris Weitz, director Gareth Edwards gingerly lifts ideas and iconography from “Blade Runner,”  “A.I.,” “Baraka,” “Akira,” “Apocalypse Now” and his own “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”  Yet filming in Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal and other exotic locations with cinematographers Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer, Edwards manages to make his $80 million budget look like twice that.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Creator” is a stunning sci-fi 6, playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “Red, White and Royal Blue” (Amazon Studios)

 

Romantic comedies are always popular – yet, in recent years, they’ve been hard to find. Now, “Red, White and Royal Blue” gives a charming contemporary twist to the classic ‘flirty meet-cute, quarrel and happily-ever-after’ formula.

This time, the traditional ‘special diplomatic relationship’ between England and America is challenged when Alex Clarmont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), son of U.S. President Ellen Clarmont (Uma Thurman) and Texas Congressman Oscar Diaz (Clifton Collins Jr.), is dispatched to escort Nora (Rachel Hilson), the U.S. Vice-President’s granddaughter, to the Prince of Wales’ (Thomas Flynn) wedding in London.

What particularly irks ambitious Alex is the attitude of pompous superiority assumed by the groom’s younger brother, Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine). Inevitably- and predictably – they get into a scandalous scuffle at the nuptial reception, causing a very embarrassing confectionary incident, a photo-op that’s dubbed Cakegate.

So America’s political heir and England’s ‘spare’ must find a way to settle their differences. As it turns out, Alex is bisexual and Henry is gay, although neither of their famous families is aware of this. Not surprisingly, their romantic relationship romp leads to the kind of palatial tryst that the public is not often privy to.

Adapting Casey McQuiston’s 2019 best-seller, writer/ director Matthew Lopez – sharing screenwriting credit with Ted Malawer – tackles the LGBTQ+ issue with cheeky sensitivity and light-hearted amusement, despite the film’s R rating.

And within the antagonistic jests, there’s something meaningful and touching about this wish-fulfillment fantasy: “I hope this film helps anybody who is struggling with figuring out who they are,” Nicholas Galitzine told People magazine.

FYI: Novelist Casey McQuinton does a cameo as a speechwriter typing on a laptop in the scene where President Ellen Claremont is preparing her election-night remarks with her assistant Zahra Blankston (Sarah Shahi). And, ironically, the homophobic King is played by openly gay actor Stephen Fry.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Red, White and Royal Blue” is a snappy slapstick yet sweetly sappy 7, streaming on Prime.

Susan Granger’s review of “Elemental” (Disney/Pixar)

After opening in theaters this summer, Pixar’s animated, family-friendly “Elemental” is now available on Disney+. Posing the question: what happens when a woman made of fire falls in love with a man made of water?

In Element City, where anthropomorphic fire, water, land and air residents live in different neighborhoods, fiery Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis) is a spunky, clever young woman whose friendship with laid-back, aqueous building-inspector Wade Ripple (voiced by Mamoudou Athie) challenges what she’s been taught: namely, “elements don’t mix.”

As the story goes, Ember immigrant parents – Bernie & Cinder (voiced by Ronnie del Carmen & Shila Omi) – came by ship from Fire Land and, when they arrived in the huge “wets only” metropolis, they were turned away by prejudiced landlords.

Indeed, in front of Dry Leaves’ home, there was even a “No Fire” sign, impelling resolute Bernie to proclaim he will never let the “world water us down,”

But when Ember meets preppy Wade, she learns that he comes from a wealthy family of suspended liquids. At first, they spar – but – then a forbidden romance ignites between heat and H20.

Directed by Peter Sohn, the cross-cultural, high-concept “Romeo and Juliet” romantic comedy, inspired by the periodic chart of elements recalled from science class, the generational conflict script was written by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh.

But the pun-filled dialogue is a bit clunky – which seems inevitable when the villain turns out to be urban civic engineering, as a wall threatens to break and cause devastating flooding.

The distinctive, detailed animation is visually splendid – which is what one might expect from Pixar’s first theatrical feature since the Covid-19 pandemic. Pixar’s longtime chief creative officer, John Lasseter, departed in 2018 (he’s now at Skydance Animation), leaving veteran director Pete Docter (“Up,” “Inside Out”) as the studio’s top executive.

Even the closing credits are inventive, accented by Lighterfinger candy and Sizzlemint gum.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Elemental” sparks a stunning 7, streaming exclusively on Disney+ or available to buy as a Blue-ray/DVD on Amazon.

Susan Granger’s review of  “Spy Kids: Armageddon” (Netflix)

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) celebrates Hispanic and Latino history and culture, so it’s the perfect time to introduce children to Robert Rodriguez’ beloved franchise’s newest entry “Spy Kids: Armageddon.”

Directed by Texas-based Rodriguez from a script he wrote with his now-grown son Racer Max – and another son, Rebel, composing the music – it begins with OSS (Organization of Super Spies) secret agents Nora Torrez (Gina Rodriguez) and Terrence Tango (Zachary Levi) whose precocious children – Patty (Everly Cargailla) and Tony (Connor Esterson) – have already tapped into their genetic sleuthing genes.

Sneaking around in their device-laden, sleekly contemporary glass-and-steel home to try to snag extra computer time, Tony is so obsessed with the popular video game Hyskor that he will even resort to cheating to win. On the other hand, his sister Patty insists on total honesty.

But when Tony accidentally helps unscrupulous game developer Rey “The King” Kingston (Billy Magnussen) unleash a potentially deadly computer virus that will allow him to control all technology around the globe, he and Patty must dive into the Hyskor video-game-world, battling robotic adversaries, to retrieve what’s been stolen from their parents.

Their PG-rated action-adventure includes some attention-catching visual challenges, like a super-tech car, loaded with gadgets, building blocks that emerge and disappear, giant fly swatters, along with the need to balance on wobbling platforms in order to reach an underwater safe house.  

Robert Rodriguez’s original “Spy Kids” was released in 2001, starring Carla Gugino & Antonio Bandaras with Daryl Sabara &Alexa PenaVega as their kids. Since then, there have been four additional “Spy Kids” installments, including this.

FYI: Hispanic and Latino are often interchangeable terms used to describe Americans with diverse Latin American and Caribbean ancestry. The month-long celebration honors their resilience and determination for independence.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Spy Kids: Armageddon” is a fun, fantastical, family-centric 6, streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “A Haunting in Venice”(20^th Century Studios)

Released on September 15, Dame Agatha Christie’s 133^rd birthday, Kenneth Branagh’s “A Haunting in Venice” is adapted from her novel “Halloween Party.”

In post-World War II Venice, ostensibly retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) is urged to attend a séance by mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), who has used him as a character in her crime-riddled novels.

It’s All Hallow’ Eve in 1947 when celebrated psychic Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) plans to communicate with Alicia Drake (Rowan Robinson), the dead daughter of bereft opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly).

Alicia apparently plunged off a balcony at the family’s gloomy, reportedly haunted palazzo that once housed an orphanage; the spirits of abused children are said to still wreak revenge upon the living, especially nurses and doctors.

Always skeptical Poirot views Reynolds as a treacherous opportunist who preys on the vulnerable until she, too, meets a ghastly demise.

Suspects include PTSD-afflicted field surgeon Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan), his precocious son Leopold (Jude Hill), Alicia’s former fiancé Maxime Gerard (Kyle Allen), Rowena’s housekeeper Olga Seminoff  (Camille Cottin), and the late medium’s assistants, Desdemona and Nicholas Holland (Emma Laird, Ali Khan).

FYI: Back then, PTSD was called “shell-shock” and/or “battle fatigue.”

Taking considerable liberties with Agatha Christie’s original 1969 whodunit, screenwriter Michael Green (“Death on the Nile”) and actor/director Kenneth Branagh have transplanted the murder mystery to picturesque Venice, where gothic ghosts seemingly waft among the rain-shrouded canals.

Branagh’s inventive casting creates an intriguing ensemble, as comedienne Tina Fey exudes arrogant authenticity, along with sharp-tongued Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, while Kelly Reilly is barely recognizable as “Yellowstone’s” Beth Dutton. If young Jude Hill looks familiar, he previously starred with Jamie Dornan in Branagh’s “Belfast.”

And when the embittered Poirot’s verbose disillusionment with humanity becomes too tedious, Branagh relies on production designer John Paul Kelly and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos to provide shadowy, sinister distractions, amplified by Hildur Gudnadottir’s nostalgic score.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “A Haunting in Venice” conjures a spooky, supernatural 7, currently playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” (Focus Features/Universal)

Credit cinematographer Barry Peterson for making “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” one of the most enticing Aegean travelogues I’ve seen in years. But – as a feature film – it’s a bit of a disappointing addition to the popular franchise.

Set one year after “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” (2016), the familiar, cliché-riddled story finds Toula – now married to Ian Miller (John Corbett) – mourning the death of her father Gus and determined to carry out his final request: giving his photo-filled journal to his childhood friends.

That involves the entire eccentric Portokalos clan flying from Chicago to Athens. then journeying to Gus’s tiny, rural hometown on Corfu, only to discover that few residents remain in that mountainous hamlet, turning the intended ancestral reunion into a logistical challenge as the family, literally, unearths its roots.

(FYI: veteran character actor Michael Constantine, who played Gus, died at age 94 in 2021, a year after Nia Vardalos’ own father passed.)

Light-hearted ethnic humor sustains colorful characters like Toula’ aging mother Maria (Lainie Kazan), her preening brother Nick (Louis Mandylor), and Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) , who insists “I’m not a gossip. I’m a tattletale.”

Youthful romance surfaces between Toula’s hard-partying daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) and her college suitor Aristotle (Elias Kacavas). Along with a few Syrian refugees, including lovely Quamar (Stephanie Nur), the quaint village even has a young, non-binary Mayor named Victory (Melina Kotselou).

The original “Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002) introduced writer/director Nia Vardalos and – costing only $5 million – it quickly became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, garnering an original screenplay Oscar nomination.

This time, Vardalos, who also directs, becomes mired down in myriad storylines and subplots. And those in charge of continuity should have noted that, as an Orthodox Greek Christian – if Gus were cremated (which is rare) – his ashes would need to be buried, not scattered.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” is a bittersweet 6.  Wait for this to stream.

Susan Granger’s review of “Dark Winds” (AMC)

Starting its second season, AMC’s Western series “Dark Winds” is a pulpy procedural drama set in New Mexico’s Navajo Nation during the early 1970s.

Based on two of Tony Hillerman’s best-selling novels – “Listening Woman” and “People of Darkness” – it revolves around laconic tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn, played by veteran character actor Zahn McClaron (“Reservation Dogs”), who is actually Lakota on his mother’s side.

Lt. Joe Leaphorn runs the only police station on the 27,000-square-mile Navajo reservation so he’s in charge when there’s a double homicide at a local motel. Racist FBI Agent Whitover (Noah Emmerich) suggests that the murders might draw more attention if Leaphorn would help with an off-reservation armored-car robbery, so it’s all about the power-dynamics of law enforcement.

Joe is assigned an ambitious new Deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), who is determined to expand his horizons as a private investigator. Chee’s first client turns out to be a mysterious blonde (Jeri Ryan) who wants him to retrieve a box of personal effects stolen from her home.

Joe’s empathetic wife Emma (Deanna Allison) is still grieving over the death of their young adult son in a mine explosion when she takes in a pregnant teen (Elva Guerra).  Meanwhile, Sergeant Bernadette ‘Bern’ Manuelito (Jessica Matten) may join the Border Patrol to expand her career opportunities.

Produced by Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin and series creator Graham Roland (“Jack Ryan”), it’s filmed in and around Monument Valley, having been adapted by and primarily directed by Native Americans, who have amplified the women’s roles and depicted the supernatural Navajo culture as a spiritual experience.

The Navajo refer to themselves as the Dine or Dineh, literally meaning “The People.” Tony Hillerman was named Special Friend of the Dineh by the Navajo Nation in 1987 – the only non-Native to receive that award.

FYI: Years ago, PBS made a trio of TV-movies adapted from Tony Hillerman’s books, starring Wes Studi as Joe Leaphorn and Adam Beach as Jim Chee; Fred Ward and Lou Diamond Phillips have also embodied the archetypal characters.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Dark Winds” is an authentically indigenous, engrossing 8, streaming on AMC.