"Dead or alive, you're coming with me." I have vivid memories of seeing Paul Verhoeven's first big American film ROBOCOP in a packed theater on opening day, 1987. It was one of the most violent, over-the-top mainstream films to hit screens in the 80's. Packed with graphic carnage, mayhem and profanity, it carved a new path by being hilariously satirical at the same time. Verhoeven had no interest in taming his European in-your-face style for USA tastes. Brave audiences ate it up, ensuring the director's amazing decade ahead, including his next two blockbusters "Total Recall" and "Basic Instinct". As ROBOCOP opens, we see a prescient look at a TV news show that seems as much like Entertainment Tonight (I'm looking at you Leeza Gibbons!) as it does the nightly news. We learn that Detroit has pretty much gone to seed and the huge conglomerate OCP is going to level it and build a brand new, shiny city in its place. They've won a contract to privatize the police force and when their first giant robot attack machine goes horribly (hilariously) wrong in the board room, their old man in charge (Dan O'Herlihy from "Halloween III") looks for a brash,young, new idea. In a star making turn as that a-hole one man wrecking crew, Miguel Ferrer (Twin Peaks) plays Bob Martin, whose idea to create a half human/half robot police super cyborg takes point. He suddenly has his first subject when new OCP cop Alex Murphy is destroyed in a hail of gunfire by Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) and his repulsive gang of murdering misfits. As Murphy, Peter Weller is perfectly cast. A deeply rooted family man with an old fashioned take on right & wrong, he's gunned down his first day on the job. Martin's competition for the old man's seat at the head of the table is Dick Jones, played with mustache twirling relish by Ronny Cox (Beverly Hills Cop). He conspires in the shadows waiting for Martin's project to fail, but damned if Murphy's resurrection as Robocop isn't a big hit. It's a blast watching Verhoeven play with our American patriotic sensibilities. He tees up Robocop's debut across the crumbling city of Detroit as a near replica of Christopher Reeve's first night in Metropolis from Richard Donner's brilliant "Superman" (1978). Of course in Verhoeven's version, the caped crusader isn't flying in to rescue kitties from trees. Robocop unleashes thousands of explosive rounds, blowing away giggling rapists chasing women in alleyways and armed robbers in mid-felony. It's bloody, graphic and hilarious when it isn't pushing the boundaries of mainstream movies. When our machine/patrolman suddenly begins to have flashes of his former life, his programming glitches. He begins to see Boddicker and his gang as they blew his former self, Murphy away. The remainder of the film then soars off into a satisfying blend of revenge flick and self discovery, along with a healthy dose of comeuppance for bad guys on both sides of the law. Weller is excellent, as is Cox. Those two could spar all day for my tastes. Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill, Carrie, 1941) has one of her best serious roles as Anne, Murphy's old partner who suddenly realizes that OCPs new prototype looks a lot like her old partner. Again, we have to apply the Superman/Lois Lane rule here, as its the same leap of faith that she cant see Murphy even though everything below his eyes is exposed. I guess that metal visor is like Supe's glasses. Boddicker's gang is made up of some great, quirky actors, including Ray Wise (Twin Peaks), Felton Perry (Dirty Harry's partner in "Magnum Force") and the cackling Paul McCrane, whose death by toxic waste in the finale is one of Verhoeven's funniest action punch lines. The audience opening night laughed out loud and I did again, nearly 40 years later! Rob Bottin (Se7en, Total Recall) delivers excellent makeup effects, including a scene when RoboCop's helmet comes off that's so intricate and horrifying looking that he avoids the "Darth Vader taking his helmet off an looking like Humpty Dumpty" issue that plagued "Return of the Jedi". Bottin also designed the RoboCop suit, said to have cost up to $1 million. That's a LOT of 1987 ca$h. The final film was submitted to the ratings board 12 times before it was awarded an R. Verhoeven would test the MPAA board even more with "Basic Instinct" several years later. Long before "The Boys", ROBOCOP brought a grown up hero to blood soaked life, a Frankenstein with a badge that's coming for justice. It plays well today, spilling accurate predictions about urban decay, and the blurring of news & entertainment. That stupid "I'll buy that for a dollar!" sexy comedy everyone is watching on TV the entire movie was also pretty dead on, it just turned out to be TikTok on everyone's phones instead of the TV sets that fill every corner of Verhoeven's 1987 version of the future. Lower the lights, power up the sound and let Basil Poledouris's big orchestra pound you into submission. Ignore the sequels and the remakes and revisit Verhoeven's original blockbuster. ROBOCOP still gets an A. "Nice shootin, son. What's your name?"

When I first saw the 2007 sequel 28 WEEKS LATER , I blew it off a bit as an inferior second chapter. I missed Danny Boyle as director and disregarded it as second rate. Watching it again nearly 20 years later, and in the afterglow of Boyle's recent return to the series with "28 Years Later", this is a much better film that I thought. The premise is solid. It's six months after the events of the first film. All of Great Britain has seen the last of the rage infected zombies die off of starvation. I guess once they raced after and ate the human survivors, there was no good flesh left to eat. United Stated Military forces have landed to assist Britain in a massive clean up. After an opening scene in which government official Don (Robert Carlyle of "Trainspotting" and "The World Is Not Enough") faces impossible choices trying to survive in a countryside riddled with the infected, we flash forward to him running one of the new resident towers in an isolated corner of London. His children Tammy (Imogen Poots) and Andy (the brilliantly named Mackintosh Muggleton) are arriving in London to reunite with their Father and deal with the death of their mother Alice (Catherine McCormack from "Braveheart"). The Military force surrounding the first citizens to return to London is not only massive and incredibly well armed, it's also stacked with actors who would go on to be huge stars in the two decades since. Idris Elba is Stone, the immovable commander of the encampment dealing with an impossible situation that feels like it can fall apart at any moment. Rose Byrne (Insidious, Bridesmaids) is the chief medical officer looking for any potential signs of the virus returning. She's not happy that children as young as 12 year old Andy are coming back. Jeremy Renner (The Avengers) is Doyle, an American sniper guarding the skyscraper rooftops of our resettled London. His best friend is helicopTer pilot Flynn, played by Harold Perrineau from "Lost". As with the original film, you get to know these survivors just enough to really care about them when ALL hell breaks loose. I'm not going to spoil any surprises by saying what happens. There are several key sequences that compare not only with Boyle's original, but also reminded me of the balls-to-the-wall intensity of George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead". Fans of that classic will recognize a great helicopter zombie sequence when they see one. The decisions made by some of the characters and the military are logical but emotionally devastating to watch. The scale of destruction and explosive military action inside London are still thrilling to watch and well executed. Renner is great as a man torn between duty and his protective nature when Tammy and Andy fall under his wing. The man was a hero well before he picked up the Marvel arrows. The whole damn thing pretty much falls apart with about 15 minutes to go. It feels like Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is grasping for an ending that's artistic and horrifying and he achieves neither, but damned if everything that comes before that isn't a whole lot better than I remembered from my initial viewing. I'll give it a bloody B-.

Who knew Idris Elba was this funny? He's hilarious as UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke in the rip roaring new action comedy HEADS OF STATE . Of course it helps that he's paired against John Cena as the newly appointed President of the United States, Will Derringer. The film feels like a classic buddy comedy in the spirit of "Lethal Weapon" but it sports a huge budget and even bigger action scenes. Elba's Clarke is 7 years into his tenure, defeated by the political process and he's dreading meeting Derringer, a former movie star whose enthusiasm and positivity leaves the veteran exhausted. Just before an important NATO meeting in London, terrorist Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine from "Mobland") pulls off a massive attack on Air Force One, with both Clarke and Derringer aboard. This sequence is an explosive blast, well staged as a clever mix of thrills and laughs. It's the kind of fun action that was common in the 80's and 90's but I hadn't realized I've missed. Elba and Cena have a relaxed banter that surprised me. I expected Cena to play the President as a goofy buffoon, leaning into the physical comedy that he's so good at playing. He does, but he also surprised me by painting a President with a bit more depth than expected. But comedy rules the day and laughs are plentiful. Priyanka Chopra Jones is a modern day action hero Noel, a lethal MI:6 agent with past ties to Clarke. The always great Carla Gugino is Vice President Elizabeth Kirk, appointed President when Clarke and Derringer are assumed dead in the Air Force One attack. Jack Quaid (Novocaine) is very funny as Marty Comer, an overly enthusiastic safe house operative who's got a lot of pent up desire for diving into his arsenal. The film gets a lot of things right. By setting Clarke and Derringer up as a couple of world leaders on the run the the heart of Europe's countryside, the film becomes a road trip buddy comedy, until Gradov's team track them down and send hit squad after hit squad to take them out. A buddy comedy whose characters are two of the most powerful men on the globe shouldn't work, but it sings. Elba proves again why he was a great candidate for James Bond about a decade ago, believable in every action scene and tossing off great one liners while oozing class. Cena is the most likable I've ever seen him on screen. He's funny as hell, especially in the scenes where his President Clarke starts to realize that being a Schwarzenegger-like movie star is a far cry from facing off against real bad guys with real guns. So often, these type of films don't know how to wrap up without disappointment, but Director Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) delivers a fun, satisfying final 20 minutes that will make action fans happy and comedy fans ecstatic. HEADS OF STATE is a blast. I'd love to see these two paired up again for another adventure, or maybe we'll see the continuation based on those........okay, you see for yourself. Enjoy the big laughs and the even bigger explosions, this old fashioned buddy flick gets a B+.

(July 2025) Can you believe it's been 44 years this week since this one hit theaters! Writer/Director John Carpenter was on a great streak in the late 70's and 80's at the movies. In 1981, he brought us one of his best, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK . Kurt Russell is bad-ass former good guy Snake Plissken (come on, that's a great name!) who is just about to be delivered onto the island of Manhattan in 1997. The bad news for Snake is that the entire island has been turned into a maximum security prison where good guys go in, but they dont come out. As the film opens, Air Force One is hijacked by some stereotypical bad guys who decide to crash the plane into NYC with the President aboard. The President (Donald Pleasance) manages to eject at the last minute in his little PresBubble, but he lands in the middle of the world's biggest prison yard. Special Forces leader Hauk (the terrific Lee Van Cleef) recruits Snake to drop into Manhattan, grab the President and get back out in 24 hours for a complete pardon. It's 99 minutes of sheet action movie fun and mayhem. Ernest Borgnine is a cabby that's still up and running, Harry Dean Stanton is Brain, the guy that can connect you with anything and Issac Hayes is the baddest dude in the Big Apple, The Duke. Adrienne Barbeau is in full tilt 1980's glory as Maggie. Between this and her great role in Carpenter's "The Fog" she became legendary for me in the early eighties. Carpenter fills the whole movie with non-stop action, plenty of danger and great one-liners for Russell, who has one of his best roles and makes every minute of it count. As the 24 hour clock clicks down and finding The President gets tougher, Carpenter just keeps picking up the pace with some clever special effects and great staging. The concept of the film is brilliant. The ending defines Snake perfectly and is one of the best final minutes of any film of the 80's. Snake and company get an A. Followed 15 years later by a far inferior sequel, 'Escape from L.A" which I barely remember beyond how much I shook my head..... I revisit the original every couple years to marvel at how much Carpenter was able to achieve on such a small budget. Great filmmaking!

The creators of MEGAN 2.0 apparently decided early on to forget about horror and just go for something near "Batshit Crazy" territory for this unhinged sequel. Giving them credit, I did laugh a lot more than I thought I would, but if you're coming in expecting Blumhouse scares, unplug those thoughts. While you're at it, just unplug your brain. It's the only way you'll survive this goofy, overlong opus. In what will be a surprise to no one who has ever seen a movie, the film opens with the military using a knockoff of Megan's android in the original film as a new super soldier named Amelia. Do you think she'll follow orders? Things go awry in a fun battle/action scene and then we're subjected to about 40 boring and repetitive minutes with Megan's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) dealing with the past two years of press and scrutiny since the events of the first film, when Gemma's android creation Megan went on a murdering rampage. In a dull twist that's hammered into oblivion, Gemma is now a staunch anti-tech crusader. Williams is so annoying in the role that she begins to sound like your great grandmother who won't use an ATM because "those newfangled doo-hickeys will steal my money!". It's a thankless role and a really dumb character. You can see her final act decisions and questionable character arc coming about 90 minutes ahead of time. McGraw is much better in her role as the slightly older and much-wiser-than-her-aunt kid. Even worse than Williams, in the role of a mortally dull tech wizard, is Aristole Athari, who has the screen presence of a shopping bag. I kept waiting for him to be revealed as a cyborg, since human emotions seem to be beyond his pale. Thankfully we have the Jemaine Clement (Avatar: The Way of Water) in his usual hilarious form as a wheelchair bound genius who offers Gemma big money to reinvent Megan for his own purposes. For the half hour that he's in the film, zipping around clumsily in a wheelchair that would put Professor Charles Xavier's to shame and seducing mystery women with Austin Powers moves, the whole thing works. Clement's comic timing is perfect. It's like Peter Sellers dropping in for a half hour from a MUCH better movie. But as soon as he's gone, you're left with about an hour to go. Why in the hell is this movie so long? If you'd cut 75% of Williams and Athari out of the film, it would be as shiny as Megan's exoskeleton. There's no doubt that Megan's dialogue and violent gymnastics (by Aimee Donald) are crisp, sarcastic and pretty funny. Her android adversary Amelia, played by Ivanna Sakhno (Pacific Rim: Uprising) brings the fun too. But every time the action starts to move, we're off on another dull subplot. Writer/Director Gerard Johnstone manages to shoehorn in references to many other films, including some obvious but enjoyable homages to T2, the holy grail of killer robot movies. Megan looks like she's cosplaying Tron in the sequence below. The film's tagline is Everybody deserves a second chance . In the words of Adam Sandler, " You BLEW IT! MEGAN 2.0 is an overstuffed, action spy comedy masquerading as a killer cyborg B movie. I'll unplug it from future viewing with a C-.

For the first time on George At The Movies, I'm featuring a guest review. It's from our great friend and fellow movie fan Ronnie at Screen Gems in Australia. His site is packed with current & vintage movie knowledge, reviews and daily industry news. We love his take and know you will too! Not perfect, but wonderfully surreal. The real DC Universe has returned, the torch is passed to a new Man of Steel (for a new generation) and all feels right again with the World. As predicted, Krypto steals the show! A Personal Reflection … Decades ago, a 10-year-old boy in Australia, an only child, happily solitary and proudly “different”, found a “friend” in Superman. That boy was me. Superman wasn’t just a superhero. He was a symbol of kindness, humility, compassion and unwavering goodness. I devoured the comics, eventually discovered George Reeves in the 50’s tv series and (on DVD) witnessed the cinematic magic of Superman (1978) and its sequel. For me, they became iconic benchmarks. Even Superman Returns (2006) had its charm, but nothing truly recaptured that original spark … until now. James Gunn’s Vision … With Superman (2025), James Gunn doesn’t just reboot, he resurrects. The film is heartfelt, bold and visually striking. Gunn pays tribute to Donner’s 1978 masterpiece while crafting something fresh and electric. Gone is Snyder’s brooding gloom; Gunn skips the origin tale and plunges us straight into present-day Metropolis, where geopolitical tensions, metahuman drama and Lex Luthor loom large. Yes, it’s another Supe vs. Luthor showdown, but Gunn infuses it with fresh fire. A colourful ensemble of heroes and villains supercharges the action, which is as thrilling as it is emotionally resonant. David Corenswet’s Superman is vulnerable, bruised, battered … and beautifully human. His portrayal makes the Man of Steel relatable, fallible and real. The Cast: Hits and Misses … Corenswet nails both personas: the confident hero and the awkward reporter. He channels the essence of Christopher Reeve with warmth and sincerity, carving out his own legacy. Routh pulled that off, Reeve embodied it, and let’s just say … Cavill never quite got there. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor? Sensational. A chilling, tech-savvy sociopath with a vile streak that’s unforgettable, especially for dog lovers. His treatment of Krypto guarantees him cinematic infamy. Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane is confident, sharp and assertive. But while she’s undeniably strong, I miss the subtle magnetism and sass that Margot Kidder brought in the 1978 OG. Brosnahan’s chemistry with Supe is fine but it doesn’t crackle. Krypto: Cape, Chaos, Heart … Yes, a flying dog in a cape. Yes, it works. Krypto brings mischief, magic and soul, stealing scenes and hearts alike. Two of my favourite shots in the entire film feature him. He’s not just comic relief, he’s emotional gold. Structure, Style and Storytelling … Not everything lands perfectly. The structure is a bit uneven and some scenes, like the extended Lois-Clark interview, slow the momentum. But Gunn’s comic-book-inspired visuals shine: each frame feels lifted from a paneled page. It’s vibrant, sweeping and often breathtaking. Final Thoughts … This isn’t just a new chapter for Superman, it’s a heartfelt revival. Gunn reminds us why the character matters and dares us to believe again. Whether you grew up with Supe or are discovering him for the first time, Superman (2025) asks us all to look up. And now? My mission is clear: visit every dog shelter I can until I find a rescue that looks just like Krypto. The cape is ready and I’m hopeful! https://www.facebook.com/screengemsbyronnie #superman #Superman2025 #lexluthor #LoisLane #JamesGunn #dccomics #dcuniverse #superheroes #superheromovies

The powerful creative duo, Danny Boyle & Alex Garland, have returned with 28 YEARS LATER , a solid sequel to their original film of nearly three decades ago. It's not often that we get filmmakers creating real time sequels 28 years after their original, clever undead thriller posed the first challenge to George Romero's zombie film legacy. They waste no time pulling us back into their world. The film opens with young children watching the Teletubbies as the sounds of their parents in distress begin to intrude. Boyle stages it perfectly, with the older children beginning to cry and the younger ones watching them in horror. It's the beginning of the rage virus depicted in the first film and cleverly sets up pieces of this brand new envisioned trilogy from Boyle & Garland. We then move forward the title 28 years. Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and young Spike (Alfie Williams) are part of a small island of quarantined survivors. Their island is only reachable during low tide, when a thin sliver of walkway connects it to the mainland. The remainder of Europe has beat back the rage virus and life goes on, but our island exists in a world of no technology, cell phones of computers. They work the land by hand and guard the massive gates around their community like that ragtag bunch in Mad Max that always surrounded the gas reserves. Boyle & Garland deftly set up every day life in the community, immersing us in their very solitary world. Jamie and Spike set out on the young man's first journey into life beyond the island, in quest of his "first kill". Alfie Williams is a find, delivering a great performance as a young man in awe of what he finds outside his village. But this isn't a trip to Disneyland. It's a raw, tense hunting trip filled with graphic deaths, mutated creatures of every sort and life threatening danger. Over the past three decades, the infected have morphed into very distinct categories. Two are the most fascinating, including a huge, slimy, slithering fat infected breed that moves very slowly, sucking at the ground or your shoe laces for worms. Not too hard to escape from unless you doze off. The second is wild. The Alphas are rage infected beings in which the virus has acted like some sort of steroid on steroids. They are tall, incredibly fast and, shall we say, dis-proportionally gifted in the well endowed category. Raw, naked and savage, the Alphas have the same energy of the zombies in "World War Z', but with a more primal desire for blood. And they are smart, starting to show signs of community, of tribalism and patience. They are the raptors of the infected. To say too much more would be to reveal too much of what lies ahead. Jodie Comer (The Bikeriders) is terrific as Spike's ailing mother Isla. Ralph Fiennes steals the film as Dr. Kelson, a former physician who has carved out his own territory on the island. Fiennes delivers one of the most complex characters I've seen recently. His world seems to exist on another planet from Spike's village, even though they are mere miles apart. Fiennes' Doctor had been on screen for twenty minutes and I found myself tensing up, terrified of what he's capable of at any moment. He is not what I expected from the very clever trailers. Boyle & Garland's original " 28 Days Later" was a very different film. A non-stop, terrifying roller coaster ride with a spare moment to take a breath once in awhile. Their new entry is a very different creature. There are terrific and taut escapes, especially Jamie and Spike's first encounter with the Alphas in that beautiful, idyllic green countryside. But at least half of this new chapter is a reflective drama, immersing us into life on the island and the family drama within. Taylor-Johnson is so different in every film he makes and his conflicted Dad here shows great range. He's terrific in the action sequences, offering up even more evidence of why he should be the next OO7. The final act with Comer, Fiennes & Williams is haunting and powerful, but will it satisfy fans of the action packed original? It worked for me as a fascinating and unpredictable experience dropping back into this universe. As a side note, it was primarily shot using an iPhone 15 Pro Max, which makes this film the biggest feature length movie to be shot on a smartphone. That is incredible. The mad final five minutes sets up part two of the trilogy, which is already done filming and will hit theaters in January 2026. While 28 YEARS LATER doesn't hit the manic heights or resonance of the original, it's a fascinating film, loaded with Boyle's very distinct visual style. Hell, that alone gets it a solid B. There are many kinds of deaths...some are better than others....

Celine Song's second film, MATERIALISTS turns the classic American Rom-Com on its head, delivering an intelligent, heart-filled story that's unpredictable at every turn. Song's debut film "Past Lives" was in my Top 4 films of 2023, a near perfect story of childhood romance rekindled and life's choices. It seems almost impossible, but Song's even more confident in her storytelling in her sophomore film. I'm going to tell you very little about the film and let her brilliant writing tell the tale fresh. Here's a very top line view that reveals nothing of the true story within. First, the opening scene of the film is shocking. A revelation, a bold stroke that made me smile with its soft, surprising tale that echoes in later years. Much later years. We meet modern day Manhattan Matchmaker Lucy, played by Dakota Johnson in, by far, her best screen performance to date. We watch Lucy gather new clients and speak carefully to her current ones, whom she appears to genuinely care about. She's more therapist than matchmaker and Song's clever story structure drops in "direct-facing the camera" interviews with potential suitors describing their requirements for a mate that are hilarious, sad and often deeply telling. At an incredibly lavish wedding (the 9th of her clients to tie the knot). Lucy meets Harry, the brother of the groom. Embodied by the perfectly cast Pedro Pascal (Eddington, Gladiator II), Harry is suave, seductive and very, very rich. He overhears Lucy making her pitch to some women at the reception and a salesman himself, he's impressed. Also at the wedding, waiting on the singles table where Lucy and Harry are seated, is John, Lucy's former longtime boyfriend. A struggling actor, there is clearly history between them. Chris Evans (Captain America) is a long way from Steve Rogers here and he's all the better for it. It's a very different side of Evans. That's all I'm saying. The film constantly caught me by surprise with its intelligence. I have seen "Past Lives" four times, it's that good, so I don't know why I was surprised by the depths of Song's writing here, but I was. She has created a complicated story that's as messy as real life. I found myself two thirds of the way through the film, hoping that two characters would get together and almost thinking I'd be angry if they didn't. But then Song takes a hard right and nails the turn. It's a pivot that I think very few Writer/Directors could manage without throwing me from my emotionally invested seat. Then...she does it again. The supporting players are flawlessly cast, offering up a gourmet banquet of characters and some surprisingly impactful drama of real consequence. One of my favorite scenes is a long dinner sequence with Harry and Lucy each taking turns expressing their view of the mathematics of love and marriage. It's jaw dropping dialogue, some of the best I've heard in a very long time. The music score by Daniel Pemberton (All the Money in the World, Yesterday) is the perfect NYC mood setter, from the back alleys where John loads catering trucks, to Harry's elegant $12 million Tribeca penthouse. The photography by Shabier Kirchner (returning from Past Lives) is stunning in capturing major events to the film's quietest moments. His camera loves the city. Song has said that her first notion of the film began around 10 years ago, when she worked for a professional matchmaking service for about six months. The story that she's woven from that experience is startling in its emotional complexity. One character's monologue near the end of the film is as good as film writing gets. I am not going to say who or what, but trust me, you'll know it when you experience it. Song's dialogue and stories really do speak to me on a much deeper level than most films.Based on her film's reception and success, they have the same impact on many others. I would never have thought she could equal her first film this time out, but for me, MATERIALISTS is every bit "Past Lives" equal. There are moments of this story, particularly one client twist, that seemed an ill fit, but the final act more that gained back any lost ground for me. Song's talent in bringing out the best in her actors is remarkable. These are the best performances on film for all three of her leads and Johnson is particularly good, bringing so many levels to Lucy that she becomes an enigma at the film's heart. MATERIALISTS is a beautiful film that I can't wait to see again with my wife, then again with some discerning fellow film fans. There is far too much to see here for it to be captured at first glance. An A+ and one of the best films of the year.

Great friends told me this weekend that I had to see HOLY MAN . They were surprised that I had never seen Eddie Murphy's 1998 comedy. To be fair, very few people did when it hit theaters, selling $12 million in tickets against a $60 million budget. I really enjoy Eddie and I'm convinced that Jeff Goldblum can elevate ANY movie, so we loaded it up and watched it this holiday weekend. What a pleasant surprise. HOLY MAN is sweet, funny and if you give into its story, moving. The reliably high energy Goldblum stars as QVC-like Good Buy Home Shopping Network executive Ricky Hayman, who seems to be pretty bad at his job. The ratings and the cash register at the network are sinking faster than "Beverly Hills Cop III" at the box office. His loud, raging boss McBainbridge is fed up with the lack of results and has hired consultant Kate (Kelly Preston) to come in and work with Ricky. It's hate at first sight between the two. By the way, if you're going to cast a loud, raging boss, you can't do better than Robert Loggia (Prizzi's Honor, S.O.B.) who more than delivers as the Boss from Hell. Heading to a meeting in Ricky's sports car, Kate and Ricky have a blowout. As they change the tire, they meet a friendly man in a white robe named G. Eddie Murphy plays G with a fascinating blend of styles. Innocent, quick witted, patient and wise, G is a dollar store version of Peter Sellers Chance in "Being There". But G's words of advice, unlike Chance's, aren't misinterpreted. He seems to see through people and deliver just the WRONG or right words at the right time. Some lessons take longer than others. Through a series of events, contrived but funny, Murphy's inspirational guru ends up in Ricky and Katie's lives like a guest that won't leave. Writer Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society, What About Bob?) squeezes in plenty of satire and romance along with the laughs. Setting the story in the world of a fast paced TV studio that pops 24/7 from one set and product to another, serves up plenty of opportunities for humor. Everyone from Florence Henderson, James Brown, Soupy Sales and Dan Marino show up to sell their goods. Betty White is hilarious and Morgan Fairchild is even funnier playing it straight. G ends up on TV and the world falls in love with him. The last half of the film is predictable at a surface level, but Goldblum and Murphy, and occasionally Preston, nail the delivery so often that it feels unexpectedly fresh. The glaring weakness of the film is that there is so little chemistry between Goldblum and Preston. The story wants us to see how much they want each other, but there are zero sparks on screen. Goldblum's character seems a lot more developed than Preston's Kate. Her purpose in the tale seems to wander and shift throughout. This is the Eddie that we would see much more of in later dramatic roles like James Early in "Dreamgirls", but the serious side was brand new for fans. While I think he's got some terrific moments, Murphy himself hated the film and his performance, calling it "horrendous". His fans clearly agreed based on the box office, but seeing it nearly three decades later, it lands very well. There's a sincerity and kindness in G that feels pretty rare these days. I think they missed a golden opportunity in the last scene of the film to not have G slowly disappear like a wisp of smoke. See if you agree. I was so sure it was going to happen, but it simply faded to black as the end credits rolled. What or who is G? It's an enjoyable, funny and mysterious quest to find that answer. While I may not have been satisfied with a conclusion, I enjoyed the hell out of the journey. G's entire speech about 75 years landed squarely in my heart in a way it wouldn't have 30 years ago. Like most of G's simple but elegant sayings, the closer you listen, the more you hear. HOLY MAN gets a surprising B.

Disney/Pixar's latest family film ELIO is beautiful to look at, kinda sweet and kinda fun. Is that the new standard for Pixar films these days? There's no doubt that lots of plush toys and robot figures will be sold at Disney Parks around the new alien characters, but I'm not sure I'll remember any of them in a few days. Let's lean in on the good first. The production design by Harley Jessup (Coco, Ratatouille) is stunning. Every scene on Earth looks photo realistic. The intergalactic worlds are even better, loaded with trippy settings and eye popping sets. The music score by Ron Simonsen (Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Deadpool & Wolverine) is fun & emotional in all the tones needed for this colorful world. 14-year-old Yonas Kibreab (Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series) brings a lot of presence to young Elio, our recently orphaned young star gazer, now living with his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana, rather blah). Brad Garrett has a blast as Lord Grigon, the hawkish alien military leader who's picking an intergalactic fight with anyone that will listen. Garrett puts his enormous voice talents to great work here. Lord Grigon meets Elio when he is abducted by aliens after many, many nights of trying. Elio spends most of his days on Earth hiding from bullies and most nights on his roof or at the beach, at the center of giant signs asking for aliens to come get him. When it finally does happen, the film picks up considerably. There are aliens of every variety waiting for the leader of Earth to arrive and Elio manages to pull off that role, finding a bit of himself while doing so. Elio meets Lord Grigon's giant, slimy, worm like son Glordon, joyfully voiced by young Remy Edgerly. Glordon is having by far the most fun in this movie and it feels more like a Pixar film when the character is on screen. Edgerly is a treat in the role. The final act back on Earth is quite a bit of fun. The action at the army base looks fantastic in Real 3D and sounds great in Dolby. However, the entire movie just kind of evaporates like the misty trails behind the alien spacecraft. The entire thing is nice, but rather forgettable. Pixar's last film, "Elemental" was a bit of a slow burn with audiences, opening small and eventually earning over a half a billion at the box office. It had an ingenious concept though, echoing "Inside Out" with its clever dive into emotions and a universe below the surface. This weekend's totals for ELIO are the lowest ever for a Pixar release and it's not surprising. I don't see it growing in the weeks ahead, as families return to the live action "How To Train Your Dragon", or one last taste of "Lilo & Stitch" on the big screen. HTTYD is ten times as entertaining & fun, clipping Elio's wings. Pixar films used to feel more compelling, more impactful. The irony is that the entire film feels just like young Elio does before his journey: inconsequential. While ELIO may soar off across the galaxy, the film around him never quite escapes the gravity of high Pixar expectations, barely earning a B-.

I'm not sure there are enough Thanksgiving day praises to heap on Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN. With the Civil War nearing an end, Abraham Lincoln seizes the moment to pass the 13th Amendment banning slavery, before the southern states can rejoin the union and block him. The film is a terrific history lesson and made me want to grab Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on which its based to learn more (downloaded this morning on my iPad!). The film features one of the best casts of 2012, with Tommy Lee Jones leading the way as Thaddeus Stevens, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn & Jospeh Gordon-Levitt all providing great performances as historical figures. The center of the film is Daniel Day- Lewis as Abraham Lincoln and I wouldn't be exaggerating to say it's the best performance by an actor I've seen in a decade. Tamara and I just kept turning to each other in the movie and shaking our heads at how good he is. It's amazing. Day-Lewis conveys the humor, the power and the passion of Lincoln with such weight, you can't take your eyes of him. He will win best actor this year. When you realize that the film is 150 minutes long and is basically 99% dialogue, Spielberg's genius is apparent, as the film never drags.Long time Spielberg collaborators John WIlliams (music) and Janusz Kaminski (photography) are terrific. This is one of the best films of 2012. Day-Lewis is a genius. Prepare to be inspired. A+

If history class had been half this interesting, my life could have had an entirely different path. Lin-Manuel Miranda's HAMILTON arrived on Disney+ this 4th of July weekend and its a massive gift for every American. Filmed over the course of three days on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers theatre, it sits you in the front row, the front of the mezzanine, tenth row center, wherever you need to be to experience the story in all its power. From the start, the energy explodes off the stage with Miranda and his original cast telling you the story of Alexander Hamilton, the founding fathers and a life that created much of our American history. Tamara and I saw Miranda on Broadway in his first huge hit "In The Heights". I wasn't excited about the show, knowing it wasn't my favorite genre of music, but it blew the roof off and we left believers. Who knew that his next musical would be inspired by Ron Chernow's densely packed historical novel "Alexander Hamilton". Miranda and his cast spew forth lyrics at a sometimes impossible pace, mixing humor and exposition into some magic, intoxicating brew that the world clearly loved en masse. It's musical styles range from hip-hop, classic show tunes, R&B and jazz, all blending perfectly into something wholly original. The entire cast is flawless. Leslie Odom is Hamilton's life-long nemesis Aaron Burr (Tony Winner), Daveed Diggs is excellent as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson (Tony Winner), Renee Elise Goldsberry kills as Angelica Schuyler (Tony Winner) and Jonathan Groff brings down the house as King George, commenting on America's youth from afar. There are so many great songs that will bounce around your head for weeks and some that rise to the all-time best of American Musical theatre. "Say No To This", "The Room Where It Happened", "My Shot", "Ten Duel Commandments" "Hurricane", "Cabinet Battle #1", "You'll Be Back".....just try picking a favorite. HAMILTON is a brilliant capture of the original cast, preserving the moment for future generations. Like Rodgers & Hammerstein tacking racism in 1949 with "South Pacific", Miranda's master work is destined to live for centuries. We saw the touring company at Gammage and were blown away by the staging as well as the music and it's really been captured perfectly here. By filming two live performances of the show as well as additional camera angles and intimate closeups at the right moments, its a deeper look than you could ever achieve live. If anything though, this should inspire millions more to witness a live production. There's nothing like the energy and intimacy of live theatre, but this is as close as I've ever seen it to be captured on film. The winner of 11 Tony's and a cultural phenomenon, HAMILTON is the definition of an A+. Now I think I'll go watch it again.....I'm not giving away my...shot!