December Movies: Vice, The Mule, Mary Poppins Returns, Aquaman, & Mortal Engines

[Mark Vader]

The Holiday Season is in full gear and the final helping of Oscar contenders get their big debuts before ballots are sent out. Marvel Superheros & Star Wars Jedi Knights & Sith Lords are sitting it out this final month of the year, but there are other big tent pole popcorn munching films to choose from. There are various categories of movies to choose from to keep everyone interested. Big name actors are aplenty this time of year, looking for both box office success and Oscar consideration. A couple of films look to score in both of those areas.

 

Christian Bale stars in "Vice". The story of Dick Cheney, an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today. Also starring Amy Adams, Steve Carell & Sam Rockwell.

 

Clint Eastwood directs & stars in "The Mule". A 90-year-old horticulturist and WWII veteran is caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan for a Mexican drug cartel. Also starring Bradley Cooper, Taissa Farmiga, Michael Pena, Alison Eastwood, Dianne Wiest, Andy Garcia & Laurence Fishburne.

 

Disney follows up on it's beloved classic 54 years later with, "Mary Poppins Returns". Decades after her original visit, the magical nanny returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives. Starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, David Warner, Angela Lansbury & Dick Van *****.

 

Jason Mamoa is "Aquaman". Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world. Also starring Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abul-Mateen II, Temeura Morrison & Dolph Lundgren.

 

In "Mortal Engines", In a post-apocalyptic world where cities ride on wheels and consume each other to survive, two people meet in London and try to stop a conspiracy. Starring Hera Hilmar, Robert Shehan, Hugo Weaving & Stephen Lang.

 

In the animated "Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse", Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his reality and crosses paths with his counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat to all reality. Starring the voices of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, Nicolas Cage, Liev Schreiber & Chris Pine.

 

Hailee Steinfeld stars in "Bumblebee". On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. Also starring Dylan O'Brien, Justin Theroux & John Cena.

 

Steve Carell stars in "Welcome to Marwen". A victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process. Also starring Eiza Gonzalez, Janelle Monae, Diane Kruger, Leslie Mann, Gwendoline Christie, Leslie Zemeckis, Siobhan Williams & Stefanie von Pfetten. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.

 

Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie star in "Mary Queen of Scots". Mary Stuart's attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.

 

Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly star in "Holmes & Watson". A humorous take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mysteries featuring Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Also starring Ralph Fiennes, Kelly McDonald & Rebecca Hall.

 

Finally, in "Second Act", A big box store worker reinvents her life and her life-story and shows Madison Avenue what street smarts can do. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, Milo Ventimiglia & Leah Remini.

 

Calendar with Trailers.

 

12/7

"Mary Queen of Scots":     http://focusfeatures.com/mary-queen-of-scots

 

12/14

"The Mule":     https://www.warnerbros.com/mule

 

"Mortal Engines":     https://www.mortalengines.com/

 

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse":     http://www.intothespiderverse.movie/

 

12/19

"Mary Poppins Returns":     https://movies.disney.com/mary-poppins-returns

 

12/21

"Aquaman":     https://www.aquamanmovie.com/

 

"Bumblebee":     https://tickets.bumblebeemovie.com/home/

 

"Second Act":    https://www.secondact.movie/home/

 

"Welcome To Marwen":     https://www.welcometomarwen.com/home/

 

12/25

"Vice":     https://www.vice.movie/home/

 

"Holmes & Watson":     https://www.holmesandwatson.movie/

 

That's all for now. I will have some Independent Films posted later. Until then.....Enjoy!

[Buffalo_Gal]

Ummmm yeah... Aquaman, Aquaman, Aquaman... the movie could suck and it would still be a visual treat - IYKWIMAITYD. ? 

[Bills4everNY]

6 hours ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

Ummmm yeah... Aquaman, Aquaman, Aquaman... the movie could suck and it would still be a visual treat - IYKWIMAITYD. ? 

I usually go to the movies on Christmas day and Aquaman will be the one I see.

[Mark Vader]

Saw "The Mule" today.

 

Good not great movie. Clint Eastwood can still bring it. Had to get used to Michael Pena without a mustache.

[Punching Bag]

10 hours ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

Ummmm yeah... Aquaman, Aquaman, Aquaman... the movie could suck and it would still be a visual treat - IYKWIMAITYD. ? 

 

Oh you have seen more of Mera's costume?

 

I am really looking forward to Aquaman and I am glad DC beat Marvel to the punch for an underwater superhero movie.  From what I have seen it will be a spectacular movie and considering IMAX.

[Buffalo_Gal]

48 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Oh you have seen more of Mera's costume?

 

I am really looking forward to Aquaman and I am glad DC beat Marvel to the punch for an underwater superhero movie.  From what I have seen it will be a spectacular movie and considering IMAX.

I prefer the Aquaman "costume"...

[Punching Bag]

At least they made Mera a redhead even if actress isn't.  

[unbillievable]

Mortal Engines was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in a theater.

 

 

[DC Tom]

Holmes & Watson was clearly going to be bad, just judging from the trailers and the fact Will Ferrell is in it.

 

But judging by the reviews, it might be the worst movie of 2018.  The reviews themselves are more entertaining than the movie doubtlessly is.

 

[thenorthremembers]

Saw Welcome to Marwen a few days ago.  What an utter piece of garbage.  Probably should have mentioned in either the preview or the plot summary they put out that a central theme of the movie is cross dressing.

 

 

 

[LeviF]

On ‎12‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 6:29 PM, Mark Vader said:

Saw "The Mule" today.

 

Good not great movie. Clint Eastwood can still bring it. Had to get used to Michael Pena without a mustache.

 

You think so?  I hated it.  Most of the lines inserted for levity seemed ill-timed and sometimes just plain out of place.  I thought the pacing sucked too.  Plus nothing really drew me in.  No real drama, nobody really likable.  And what the hell was that ending?

[Mark Vader]

On 12/27/2018 at 5:59 AM, LeviF91 said:

 

You think so?  I hated it.  Most of the lines inserted for levity seemed ill-timed and sometimes just plain out of place.  I thought the pacing sucked too.  Plus nothing really drew me in.  No real drama, nobody really likable.  And what the hell was that ending?

To each their own.

 

I thought it was well paced. It wasn't a surprising movie. Eastwood was good in it. I thought the ending was fine.

 

I don't know why Laurence Fishburne was in it. Other than that, a solid effort.

[Mark Vader]

Went and had a double feature at the theater today.

 

First saw "Mary, Queen of Scots". Acting was great. Ronan & Robbie are great. Historically accurate? Probably not. An intriguing take on the life of Queen Mary, and some great cinematography. Overall, a good not great movie.

 

After that I saw, "Vice". Give Christian Bale the Oscar for Best Actor right now! He is amazing, as is Amy Adams. Maybe she will finally get that elusive Oscar. The movie itself is disjointed. I really don't know what this movie was trying to be. Historically accurate? In some ways yes & no. Is it a hit piece? Most definitely yes. I may have been naive in hoping for a serious and honest portrayal of this man, but look at who the director is.

Having said that, there are some very serious looks into Cheney's life throughout the first half of the movie that are quite good. His alcoholism, his relationship with his family, and his poor health.

The second half of the movie when Cheney becomes Vice President is when the movie becomes very preachy. This man really was the real life Darth Vader, and the movie does not hold back. There are a lot of moments where the film is trying to show us just how clever they are, but it comes off as pompous. There's also a lot of weird jump cuts to photos of symbols and paintings and animals, along with a narrator in this movie which comes off as gratuitous and silly.

Steve Carell sure looks like Donald Rumsfeld, but his performance is way over the top. Sam Rockwell kind of looks like George W. Bush, but what a surprise, he is portrayed as a drunken idiot.

Despite all the evils that this man apparently possesses/possessed, at the very end of the movie they let Cheney have his say in a final scene that is quite stirring. Which again confuses me as to what exactly this movie was trying to be.

Again Bale & Adams are top notch, the movie itself is good not great.

[Buffalo_Gal]

Finally saw Aquaman... I had hoped for Wonder Woman quality, got the first Thor quality instead (yes, yes, I know that is Marvel).   Visually - simply beautiful. The CGI was well done, and the leads are very attractive people. The story... I think they needed to cram in a few dozen more things into it  (that is sarcasm).  The bits of humor worked well, and they could have used more of it.     

Will I go see the next one? Probably. It wasn't painful to sit through, but wow next time I hope they invest in the script. They will probably not try to do as much, so that should be helpful.

 

 

[shrader]

I'll probably see Aquaman this weekend.  The previous post is the first comments I've actually seen for that movie.  It'll be nice to go into one completely blind for once, having no clue what any reviewer said.

[Punching Bag]

Saw Aquaman today and the theater only had one matinee so my wife and I went then.  If there was an IMAX version at matinee I would probably have paid for it.   Absolutely stunning visuals with a lot of effort on both CGI and miniatures.   Reminded me of some of the colorization in Chinese movies.   I think James Wan made this movie how good it is and I am not a fan of his movies in general;  I may not have even seen any of the other films he directed.  Unlike some Superhero movies the directors did not try to make fun of the Superhero genera costumes and costumes looked great.  The story seems to have put greater emphasis on parallel of King Arthur than comics do but it worked.

 

The stars Jason Momoa as Arthur/Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera) looked perfect for the roles although I'd like less pink and more orange in Mera's hair.  There were times in the light that Mamoa's hair outside of beard looked yellow closer to comics Aquaman and not sure it was a filter or just the light.

 

Willem Dafoe as Vulko was an odd choice but he did role spectacularly. 

 

Patrick William as a blond Orm was well done with Arthur and Orm swapping hair colors.  I can see the Thor-Loki parallel where Orm is not entirely a bad guy and Arthur trying to make up with his half-brother.

 

Both Nicole Kidman as Atlanna and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry were good as his parents but when they were younger suffered with the makeup used to make them look younger.

 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Manta was hardest to evaluate.  He looked most like the character he was playing but he was playing character so strongly that he became cartoonish.  Costume and look were fantastic.  

 

Regarding the story line you could see Geoff Johns' influence in the film and I could see given how much material it used from comics (with changes) that some could get lost as they change scenes.  The one thing I'd approve is the sound specifically using a lot of sound effects when characters are talking making hard to distinguish what they are saying.  It is one reason why I prefer movies on TV because you can back up or use subtitles to ensure you are getting full story.  There were a lot of scenes and a lot of places. The story was engaging and while a lot of cliches were used none of the characters were mindless like in many Superhero movies.

 

In Superman (Christopher Reeve) you believe a man can fly; in Aquaman you believe a man can swim.

 

Oh a spoiler - Aquaman DOES ride a Seahorse but it is Sea Warhorse or a War Seahorse, I have not decided which.

 

 

 

[Mark Vader]

Here are a few Independent Films that were released this month.

 

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are "Stan & Ollie". Laurel and Hardy, the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song - a grueling theatre tour of post-war Britain. Also starring Shirley Henderson, Stephanie Hyam, Nina Arianda & Danny Huston.

 

Felicity Jones stars in "On the Basis of Sex". The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and what she had to overcome in order to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Also starring, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston & Kathy Bates.

 

In "If Beale Street Could Talk", A woman in Harlem embraces her pregnancy while she and her family struggle to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime. Starring Kiki Layne, Stephen James & Regina King.

 

Natalie Portman stars in "Vox Lux". An unusual set of circumstances brings unexpected success to a pop star. Also starring Jude Law, Jennifer Ehle & Willem Dafoe.

 

Finally, Peter Jackson presents, "They Shall Not Grow Old". A documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war.

 

Calendar with Trailers:

Note: These dates are for exclusive or limited release. These films may appear in your area at a later date.

 

12/14

"If Beale Street Could Talk":      http://bealestreet.movie/

 

12/21

"Vox Lux":     https://www.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi2609166873?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_7

 

12/25

"On the Basis of Sex":     http://focusfeatures.com/on-the-basis-of-sex

 

12/27

"They Shall Not Grow Old":     http://www.theyshallnotgrowold.movie/

 

12/28

"Stan & Ollie":     https://www.sonyclassics.com/stanandollie/

 

That's all for now. I will get the January movies posted very soon. Until then.....Enjoy!