A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2022 - Episode VII

The bad news about July is the Summer Movie Season is nearing the half-way point. But the good news is theatres will be busy with releases spanning several genres: animation, superhero, drama, and horror. Here now is a preview of the big-screen releases for the month of July. 

 

 

 

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU – The sequel to the spin-off prequel MINIONS (2015), and the fifth film in the DESPICABLE ME franchise that launched in 2010. The overqualified cast includes Steve Carrell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Alan Arkin, Danny Trejo, and Julie Andrews. 

 

 

THE FORGIVEN – In this psychological drama based on the best-selling novel, a random accident effects the lives of visitors to a grand villa in Morocco. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, and Matt Smith. It is directed by acclaimed director John Michael McDonagh. 

 

 

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER – The 29^th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sees Thor (Chris Hemsworth), fighting to prevent Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), from eliminating all gods. The massive cast includes Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Natalie Portman, Russell Crowe, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, and a few more surprises. It is directed by Taika Waititi, helmer of THOR: RAGNAROK (2017), and JOJO RABBIT (2019). 

 

 

PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK – In this animated martial arts comedy, a down-on-his-luck dog is trained to be a samurai by a cat mentor. The voice-cast includes Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Mel Brooks, and George Takei. 

 

 

THE GRAY MAN – Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers behind four MCU hits including AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019), and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), brings us this action thriller which sees a CIA mercenary uncovering dark agency secrets. It stars Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Jessica Henwick. 

 

 

NOPE – Jordan Peele, director of the acclaimed horror/thrillers GET OUT (2017), and US (2019), returns with this sci-fi horror which sees two siblings attempting to capture video of a UFO. It stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer. 

 

 

DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS – In this animated superhero comedy, the pets of Superman and Batman form a team to rescue the Justice League from the clutches of Lex Luthor. The cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, and John Krasinski. 

 

 

VENGEANCE – B.J. Novak (TV’S THE OFFICE), makes his directorial debut about a journalist investigating the death of a woman he had hooked up with. Boyd Holbrook co-stars. 

 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the final month of the Summer Movie Season. 

 

 

A Reel 25: HERCULES

“Exactly how do you become a true hero?”

 

This month marks the 25^th anniversary of Walt Disney Pictures’ HERCULES. 

The 35^th animated feature film from Disney, and the eighth film produced during the Disney Renaissance of 1989 to 1999, HERCULES was based on the legendary hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name Hercules), the famed son of Zeus in Greek Mythology. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the film’s production started back in 1992, when thirty artists and animators pitched their ideas for a Disney feature. One pitch was an adaptation of The Odyssey, but it was deemed too long. The idea was whittled down to a singular character, Hercules. 

 

Script writing went into 1993, and the storyline was settled; Hercules would be kidnapped from Mount Olympus by the scheming of his uncle, Hades…the ruler of the underworld. Herc is raised as a mortal with superhuman strength, and sets out on a quest to be a hero and earn his place with the gods. Research trips to Greece and Turkey would inspire the style of the film. Computer animation would be used to bring certain elements of the film to life, including the Hydra creature. 

 

Singer and actor Donny Osmond was auditioned for the voice of Herc, but the role would eventually go to Tate Donovan. Danny DeVito would play Philoctetes, Herc’s teacher and mentor, and James Woods would play Hades. Other roles included Rip Torn (Zeus), Susan Egan (Megara, Herc’s love interest), Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer (Hades’ henchmen), Hal Holbrook and Barbara Barrie (Herc’s adoptive parents), Keith David (Apollo), and Wayne Knight. The soundtrack consisted of music written by composer Alan Menken, along with the single Go the Distance by Michael Bolton. 

 

Upon release, HERCULES would receive mixed to positive reviews, with the music and James Woods’ performance two of the highlights. HERCULES would come in under box office expectations compared to its high-earning predecessors such as POCAHONTAS (1995), and THE LION KING (1994), as it had stiff competition from hits such as MEN IN BLACK and BATMAN & ROBIN. Still, the film would finish as the 12^thhighest earner of the year. Go the Distance would be nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. 

 

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In the 1990’s, the biggest story in film for the decade was the output of Walt Disney Pictures, with a string of global hits that earned big dollars, won awards, elevated the art of animation, and altered our culture. Most of those films were inspired by, or adaptations of well-known stories, and HERCULES was one of them. Dipping deep into mythology and the elements of the hero’s journey, HERCULES is a classic hero tale and does not shy away from it; instead diving deep into heroic deeds and what it really means for the deed do-er. This Blogger ignored HERCULES in 1997 (too busy being a 24-year-old), and it wasn’t until the Chief of Reel Speak’s Disney Branch (this Blogger’s wife), introduced me to it when I realized how great of a film I had been missing. In today’s age of superheroes dominating the box office, HERCULES is a reminder of where those caped figures throwing lightning bolts really came from. This is classic Disney all the way up the mountain. 

 

“I will face the world, fearless, proud, and strong…”

A Reel Review: LIGHTYEAR

In 1995, in Disney and Pixar’s magnificent TOY STORY, a young boy named Andy receives one of his favorite toys, the Buzz Lightyear action figure. That action figure was based on Andy’s favorite movie. This is that movie. 

 

Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans), and his crew of 1200 crash-land on a hostile planet. Desperate to escape, Buzz begins experimenting with hyper-speed, with each mission sending him forward in time. After several attempts and decades passed, Buzz teams up with the granddaughter of his old best friend and a team of misfits just as a new threat arrives…

 

Directed by Angus MacLane, LIGHTYEAR serves the same purpose as Woody’s Roundup as introduced in TOY STORY 2 (1999), which explained the origin of Woody the cowboy doll. It’s an origin tale with a different mission; instead of going through the building blocks of a character showing where they learn their catchphrases and suits and weapons, LIGHTYEAR instead starts the film off with a fully functional Buzz. He’s already there with his familiar suits and mannerisms, and yes…catchphrases, but the mission here is to make Buzz better; a better person, hero, and of course…Space Ranger. 

 

To do that, Buzz zips through time and space and eventually lands in the company of a team of misfits who barely qualify as rookies (voiced by Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, and Taika Waititi), and they eventually learn to work together to fight off a new incoming threat. It’s Buzz’s story to grow and get better, and his actions drive the film…making LIGHTYEAR a true character-driven adventure. 

 

LIGHTYEAR lives up to its name. The film blasts along at a hyper-pace, and a lot happens in just the first 20 minutes. As brisk as the pacing is, the necessary pauses are very well timed. The action and dramatic elements are excellent, and every laugh a good hoot. For the first time in a few films, the Pixar animation returns to its inter-stellar, photo-realistic animation style and the films looks amazing. The design work and attention to detail done on the spaceships and the many controls gives LIGHTYEAR a lived-in, realistic look. Director Angus MacLane composes the film as a loving homage to the best sci-fi films of the last 40 or 50 years, and picking up on the winks and nods (some subtle, some not), is half the fun. Michael Giacchino’s score is excellent. 

 

Chris Evans is perfect as Buzz and gives the character a new soul. The rest of the cast is excellent with a few surprises. The show is stolen by Sox, a robotic cat and Buzz’s companion (voiced by Peter Sohn). 

 

Speaking of surprises, LIGHTYEAR has a twist in the third act that is a mind-blower (albeit a tad confusing), and the final resolution is done in the classic Pixar style of the main character getting what he wanted, but just not in the way they were intending. As an “origin” story (as we’ve come to know the term), it works but in a different way. When watching TOY STORY now we can have a new appreciation to Andy’s excitement when he gets his Buzz Lightyear toy…because the movie it hails from is nothing short of magnificent. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

A Reel 40: The Glorious Month of June 1982

The year that was 1982 was a landmark in the history of cinema, with many popular films landing that would hold influence up to today. While the year started off strong in the early Spring months, it was the glorious month of June, 40 years this month…where the cinematic landscape would be changed forever. 

 

The month belonged to famed director Steven Spielberg. First, he acted as a producer in the Tobe Hooper-directed horror film, POLTERGEIST. The little creep-fest which centered around a suburban family terrorized by ghosts was a critical hit and finished as the eighth highest grossing film of the year, along with three Oscar nominations. 

 

Spielberg wasn’t done breaking the box office just yet, but he had to wait because in the same weekend POLTERGEIST screamed, the mighty STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN also warped into screens. The first STAR TREK sequel resurrected former TV TREK villain Khan (brilliantly and famously reprised by Ricardo Montalban), and set a new standard for sequels and for STAR TREK. It set a record on its first-day box office gross, and is often considered to be the best film in the TREK franchise. 

 

Just one week later, the mysteries of outer space would come to Earth when Spielberg delivered perhaps his most beloved film, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. The tale of a stranded alien who befriends a young boy, E.T. broke hearts all over the world, and cemented Spielberg’s knack for generating the tears…and the whimsical joy of cinema. The film would earn nine Oscar nominations, winning four (including Best Score by John Williams), and would climb its way to the coveted position of the highest grossing film of all time; a spot that it would hold for eleven years. 

 

At this point of the month it was clear that sci-fi was dominating cinema, and that showed no signs of slowing down when Ridley Scott’s BLADE RUNNER was released towards the end of the month. The Harrison Ford-led, detective-noir film explored humanity in the far future as they grapple with creation striking back at them, and carried themes that would inspire many sci-fi films over the next four decades. 

 

On that very same weekend, sci-fi would get a new twist with John Carpenter’s THE THING. A remake of the 1951 version, Carpenter blended an alien landing with horror, as a team of Antarctic researchers are terrorized and torn apart by a being that can assume the shape of anyone. Not only was THE THING a clever blend of sci-fi and horror, but also a psychological mind-messer-upper, with fans still debating to this day who was what at any given time. 

 

Other notable releases in this already packed month: Mel Gibson and Sam Neill had one of their earliest big-screen roles in the WWII film ATTACK FORCE Z. The late great Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner earned some laughs in the Sidney Poitier-directed HANKY PANKY. Michele Pfeiffer would dance into our hearts in GREASE 2. Clint Eastwood would battle Russians in the espionage film FIREFOX. And the so-bad-its-great, cult-favorite MEGAFORCE was bombs away. 

 

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As Reel Speak blogged earlier in the year (HERE), about the packed year that was 1982, it was a year that redefined cinema, influenced a generation, and on and on! But another special note, especially in the month of June of 1982, was just how packed the month was; with hit after hit after hit all in theaters at the same time. Compare that to today, when even before the pandemic, studios are treating releases like an elaborate chess match; leading to big and popular movies being released weeks or even a full month apart. 1982 once taught us a lot about the movies, and studios should re-learn how to release them. Going to the theatre having half-a-dozen films destined to classics would be a glorious thing. 

A Reel Review - JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION is the third and final film in the JURASSIC WORLD trilogy, and the sixth overall film in the series that started with Steven Spielberg’s still-magnificent JURASSIC PARK in 1993. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, it also serves as a direct follow-up to JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018), and is tasked with picking up the many (many, many) plot-threads that were left hanging. 

 

Four years have passed since the events of FALLEN KINGDOM. Dinosaurs are now roaming the Earth, with some in the wild, some in sanctuaries, and others in the black market. Former dino-handlers Owen (Chris Pratt), and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), are acting as caretakers to pre-teen Maisie (Isabella Sermon); a human clone who is sought after by genetics company Biosyn. Meanwhile, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), is reunited with Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), to investigate a possible connection between Biosyn and giant locusts that have been decimating farmlands. 

 

Does that plot sound overcomplicated? You bet Jurr-ass-it is. FALLEN KINGDOM suffers from the same plague that sunk the previous film, as it is overburdened and overwhelmed with too many plotlines. The story zips from location to location, introducing endless strings of characters, going through the messy threads of human cloning, giant locusts, runaway dinosaurs, underground dino-markets, kidnapped raptors, air pirates, the CIA, and something about the extinction of the human species. It’s a headache to even sort through. 

 

The pillars of the original JURASSIC PARK has always been (1), the dinosaurs, and (2), making it clear that the dinos are animals and shouldn’t be treated as evil monsters. DOMINION takes steps to get the latter point across, and it works better than it has since 1993. Another common element of the films are the human characters debating the ethics of dinosaur cloning and creation. That is present here but only in small, tacked-on doses, and it never seems thought-out well enough and comes out as word salad in a lame attempt to make the movie seem smart. 

 

The dinosaurs look great; brought to life with CGI and practical effects. Most of the action sequences are well done; with a plane crash and a three-way dino-fight at the end a highlight. But there is also an over-long chase through Malta that overstays its welcome and is just obnoxious. The film seems to shoot for scale more than thrills, and the fun just isn't there. Michael Giacchino provides the score and re-purposes some of John Williams’ classic themes to decent effect. 

 

Acting is passable, as most of the cast feels like they just want to get it over with. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard seem to have lost the chemistry they had in their first JURASSIC film together. The legacy cast of Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum are handled well, and the three of them step right back into their roles nicely. It’s great to see them again, but in the grand scheme, having them around doesn’t serve much of a purpose and what they do in the film could have been handled by anyone. There are also some surprise appearances from legacy characters from JURASSIC PARK that actually works. The show is stolen by young Isabella Sermon who is excellent. 

 

A common theme through the JURASSIC PARK/WORLD films is that humans don’t seem to learn from their mistakes; they keep messing with genetic power and it keeps coming back to bite them in half. For DOMINION, fiction has caught up with reality, as no one from FALLEN KINGDOM seems to have learned anything…making the same mistakes along with new ones. For this franchise, it’s time for extinction. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Fuck it 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Tom Cruise Films

Tom Cruise. He’s been called a madman and a loon. He’s been labeled as the hardest working man in Hollywood, and one of the biggest stars to scream in the last 40 years of cinema. With the release of his newest film, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (read Reel Speak’s review HERE), a film in which he acted, produced, and actually sat in the seat of a jet fighter as it barreled through the skies at insane speeds…he may have proven that all of the above are true. MAVERICK has been a critical and commercial success and in the many discussions of Cruise’s best works. Which leads us to Reel Speak’s Top 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies. 

 

With over 40 film credits since 1981, most of them popular and acclaimed, it is no easy task whittling his filmography down to 10…as nearly every film on his resume is notable and immediately recognizable. He has worked with legendary directors such as Spielberg, Kubrick, Coppola, Stone, and Thomas-Anderson. He has performed his own breathtaking stunts as a secret agent. He’s played a rock star, race car driver, vampire, and a bartender. He hatched a plot to assassinate Hitler, battled samurai and aliens, went up against the Lord of Darkness, and even lampooned his own industry as a studio executive. He’s won three Golden Globes and nominated for an Oscar. The best Tom Cruise films are the ones that people still talk about even after decades have passed, along with critical acclaim, awards respect, and cultural impact. 

 

So let’s take a Cruise…

 

 

 

10. DAYS OF THUNDER (1990)

The late great Tony Scott directed this racing flick which may be one of Cruise’s most well-known films, despite receiving a mixed reception in 1990. Cruise stars as a rookie hotshot NASCAR driver who wins races, makes enemies and lovers, and crashes his brains out. Despite being a tad predictable, the film works thanks to the spectacular racing sequences and the heavyweight cast of Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes, John C. Reilly, and the late great Fred Thompson. 

 

 

9. THE FIRM (1993)

After DAYS OF THUNDER, famed film critic Roger Ebert wrote that Cruise had fallen into a pattern of action films, which made his dramatic turn in this legal thriller one of his early turning points. Cruise plays a young lawyer who finds himself working for the mob, and at great risk finds a legal loophole to get out. Directed by Sydney Pollack, the film was an adaptation of a John Grisham novel and despite not having much action, still ramps up the tension. Cruise was backed by an ensemble cast of Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Hal Halbrook, David Strathairn, Gary Busey, Tobin Bell, Steven Hill, Paul Sorvino, a villainous Wilford Brimley (who was playing against type), Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Holly Hunter…who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. 

 

 

8. EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)

Famed director Stanley Kubrick’s final film, which serves as an apt tale of male insecurity. An erotic thriller, Cruise embarks on a dark journey to an underground sex club as a way of getting back at his wife’s thoughts of infidelity, a journey that dives into the innards of sexual relations. Remarkably shot and acted, this was Kubrick’s highest-grossing film and over time has gained more and more respect. 

 

 

7. RISKY BUSINESS (1983)

For better or for worse, despite Cruise’s mind-boggling stunts which have included hanging off an airplane, the lasting image of him is his character dancing around in his tighty-whiteys lip-syncing to Bob Seger; such is the cultural impact of this teen sex comedy considered to be one of the best films of 1983 and the best of its genre. Although a little incredulous by today’s standards, it is still a blast of one unfortunate event after another. 

 

 

6. TOP GUN (1986)

Before Tony Scott strapped Cruise into a race car, he sent him into the skies in this fighter-jet action flick which may be Cruise’s most popular film. Cruise plays Maverick, a hot shot Navy fighter pilot going up against his fellow serviceman in a fierce competition for the title of Top Gun…all before going up against Russian MIG’s in battle. It’s a film that captures the best of the 1980’s with its shirtless macho imagery, American bravado, and pop music…with Kenny Loggins’ Highway to the Danger Zone becoming an anthem for speed and Berlin’s Take my Breath Away winning an Oscar. TOP GUN increased the Navy’s recruiting numbers overnight, and with Cruise being a maverick his entire career, is the film that seems to define him in many ways. 

 

 

5. BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (1989)

Oliver Stone won an Oscar for Best Director in this biopic of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam veteran and anti-war activist. It was one of Cruise’s first dramatic roles and he changes the world’s perception of him in a powerful performance. The film earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Actor for Cruise. 

 

 

4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022)

This legacy sequel to TOP GUN may still have that new shine, but for now it certainly deserves a high ranking on this list. Cruise reprises Maverick in this decades-later sequel that sees the character near the end of his career and tasked with training a squadron for an impossible mission. With a full commitment to practical effects, Cruise actually films inside a fighter jet, leading to some of the most stunning aerial scenes and action ever filmed. And despite the breathtaking images, MAVERICK is surprisingly emotional, with the long-awaited reunion between Mav and Iceman (reprised by Val Kilmer), a true tearjerker. A miracle of modern filmmaking. 

 

 

3. RAIN MAN (1988)

The first and only film to win the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival and Best Picture at the Oscars. Cruise plays a selfish wheeler-dealer who suddenly discovers that he has a brother (Dustin Hoffman), who lives with autism. In an emotional journey of brothers, Cruise and Hoffman embark on a cross-country road trip of discovery, with both actors turning in excellent performances. 

 

 

2. COLLATERAL (2004)

Michael Mann, the master of the crime drama, helms this neo-noir thriller which sees Cruise lose his sexiest-man-alive flowing hair for the salt-and-pepper crewcut of a hitman, who hires a cab driver (Jamie Foxx), to ferry him around L.A. Full of surprises, great performances, and loaded with style, COLLATERAL also boasts a cast before they became household names; Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Javier Bardem, and Jason Statham. 

 

 

1. A FEW GOOD MEN (1992)

Famed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin adapts his own play for the screen, and Rob Reiner directs this masterclass in military ethics and law. Cruise plays a young Naval lawyer tasked with defending two Marines accused of murder, while dealing with a base commander (Jack Nicholson), who may have taken his ideas of defending a nation too far. A FEW GOOD MEN has become one of those films over time that has become a study in screenwriting and in trial law, with the film often being referenced in TV analysis of court cases. Jack Nicholson turns in a thunderous performance that defined the back-half of his career, and the ensemble cast of Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollack, Kiefer Sutherland, J.T. Walsh, J.A. Preston, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Christopher Guest gives the proceedings a weight. Cruise himself is excellent, and even though his character isn’t the one that everyone remembers, it’s the film around him that is recalled the most often. And that is a truth that can be handled. 

REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST TOM CRUISE FILMS

1. A FEW GOOD MEN
2. COLLATERAL
3. RAIN MAN
4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK
5. BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
6. TOP GUN
7. RISKY BUSINESS
8. EYES WIDE SHUT
9. THE FIRM
10. DAYS OF THUNDER

A Reel Review - TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Hollywood’s shiny new toy these days is the Legacy Sequel; a sequel that follows the continuity of the original film(s), but takes place further down the timeline, and released decades later.  Big-time franchises such as STAR WARS and GHOSTBUSTERS have capitalized on the idea, and now it’s time for the 1986 Navy-fighter jet actioneer TOP GUN to take a turn in the pilot’s seat. 

 

Thirty years after the events of the first film, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise), is assigned the task of training a new batch of recruits for a dangerous, vital mission that pushes the abilities of aviation. 

 

Directed by Joseph Kosinski and co-produced by Cruise, TOP GUN: MAVERICK is a simple, yet layered tale of redemption and military might. Maverick has his hands full from the start; despite being a legend in U.S. Navy aviation, he finds himself un-promotable, and perhaps a relic of a bygone era as drones are taking over the combat skies. Once he gets sent back to the Top Gun school to train the current batch of hotshots for the mission, which includes Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s dead best-friend “Goose”, he finds himself grappling with his past while getting his team ready for a mission that is (ahem), impossible. 

 

The mission, which involves bombing a nuclear facility in an un-named country, requires the pilots to navigate a twisting valley at insane speeds at a low altitude, and then an egress at more-insane speeds with face-smashing g-forces. To bring this pray-for-a-miracle to film, Kosinski and Cruise ditch the Hollywood crutch of CGI and commit fully to some impressive, stunning, and breathtaking filmmaking techniques. Cameras are mounted inside and around the fighter jets, leading to one incredible sequence after another. Despite the spectacle, the film is still character-driven, with the conflicting characters being the driving force for everything that happens. 

 

Legacy sequels often bank on nostalgia, and MAVERICK does not hit the eject button on that one. Elements, characters, and music (wonderfully scored by Hans Zimmer), from the first TOP GUN return, but the film does not lean on them and instead uses them to layer the plot nicely. There is a ton of emotion to get through, and it flies very well. MAVERICK also smartly doesn't rely on a ton of homework or a re-watch of the original film, as it fills in the backstories on its own very well. 

 

The entire cast is outstanding. Tom Cruise puts in one of his best performances; still showing the go-it-alone attitude of his old character while still carrying heavy burdens. Jennifer Connelly comes in as an old flame of Maverick’s and is excellent, acting as a new anchor for him. Jon Hamm and Ed Harris arrive as commanding officers who give Maverick a hard time about everything and are well-cast. Val Kilmer makes an effective cameo as the (now) Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in one of the most emotional scenes ever put into an action film. The rest of the cast, including Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman (son of Bill), and Monica Barbaro are excellent. 

 

MAVERICK has a lot of heart, and it all funnels into an explosive last half-hour as the mission takes off and goes up and down more times than can be counted. The end result is a thrilling and mind-blowing cinematic experience that ranks up there as not just one of the best Legacy Sequels, but one of the best sequels, period. Strap in and hold tight, because MAVERICK fills the cinematic need for speed and a whole lot more. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2022 - Episode VI

The Summer Movie Season got off to a hot start last month, and despite being a little light, the next month will keep the heat going. Here’s what’s coming in June: 

 

 

FRANK AND PENELOPE – Sean Patrick Flanery of BOONDOCK SAINTS fame writes and directs this romantic crime film about a couple who gets tangled up in a cult. Kevin Dillon and Caylee Cowan star. 

 

 

BENEDICTION – Acclaimed director Terence Davies delivers this true-story drama about Siegfried Sassoon, the British poet jailed for his anti-war stance during WWI. Peter Capaldi and Jack Lowden star. 

 

 

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION – The dinosaur franchise that Steven Spielberg started with JURASSIC PARK in 1993 roars on with its sixth film. This time with the humans finding a way to co-exist with dinos now let loose on the world. The cast includes Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and original JURASSIC stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum. It is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who helmed the last two JURASSIC films. 

 

 

LIGHTYEAR – Pixar re-enters the atmosphere in a big way. Just like Woody got a backstory in TOY STORY 2, this time his friend Buzz Lightyear appears in the film that would inspire his action figure. Chris Evans (CAPTAIN AMERICA), voices Buzz. 

 

 

THE BLACK PHONE – In this supernatural horror film, an abducted child communicates with the past victims of his kidnapper, played by a masked Ethan Hawke. Scott Derrickson (DOCTOR STRANGE), directs. 

 

 

ELVIS – Stylistic director Baz Luhrmann (MOULIN ROUGE!), brings us this latest biopic on Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler (Tex from ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD). The cast includes Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Kodi Smith-McPhee, and Tom Hanks. 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews July.