Dog’s Movie House: “Dunkirk” Dynamic, “Valerian” Pretty But Inert!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
As an unabashed fan of both Luc Besson and Christopher Nolan, I have to admit I was excited when both filmmakers are releasing new movies on the same day. Besson has “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets’ adapted from a famous French comic book, while Nolan is releasing the war drama “Dunkirk” detailing the harrowing evacuation of three hundred thousand British soldiers from the beaches of German-occupied France. Unfortunately only one of these films is up to each of the director’s lofty standards. “Valerian” is a beautiful film to look at, but a somewhat standard story keeps it from being anything but serviceable. “Dunkirk” on the other hand is a terrific, immersive piece of entertainment that will stick with you long after you leave the theater. Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: July Has Been A Killer Month For Movies!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
Ansel Elgort as Baby in “Baby Driver”
After a ho-hum month of June in which the phrase that pays was “franchise fatigue” with such duds as “Transformers 5” and “Pirates Of The Caribbean 5” and that misguided Mummy film, I’m here to say that the Hollywood machine is not truly devoid of creativity. It just took them a little while to get going. Yes, there are a couple of franchise pictures in July, but guess what: they’re actually great films and entertaining as hell. So strap in and prepare yourself for a whirlwind tour of recommendations for the films you should see in July! Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: Latest Transformers Film Excercise In Souless Filmmaking!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
Hound unleashes in “Transformers: The Last Knight”
They needed a writer’s room for this?! The fifth film in the highly profitable yet artistically dubious series about transforming robots, “Transformers: The Last Knight” is an absolute mess. A well-constructed, occasionally entertaining mess, but a mess nonetheless. For all the money put onscreen, for all the wonderful special effects work by ILM, there is a mechanical nature to Michael Bay’s latest that literally gives us nothing to care about. I enjoy a robot throw-down as much as anyone, but five films in and I find myself officially exhausted. Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: “47 Meters Down” Adequate Shark Bait Film!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
Mandy Moore and Claire Holt in “47 Meters Down”
There’s a reason “Jaws” is still a terrifying film over forty years after its initial release. Despite the goofy-looking, hardly-ever-working mechanical shark, the film’s thrills have never been bettered for two reasons: the fear of what you can’t see and the wonderful attention to character that makes you care about their fates. In this era of digital effects, most filmmakers still don’t get the idea that it takes more than a realistically rendered computerized shark to make a good shark horror film. The latest in this sub-genre “47 Meters Down” gets it half right. It has wonderful atmosphere and makes the most of its small budget when it comes to the suspense. Unfortunately, slim character development keeps it from being anything but a competent matinee picture. Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: “The Mummy” Not Enough Boo For The Buck!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
Tom Cruise is all “Tom Cruisy” in “The Mummy”
The term “shared cinematic universe” is going to become very unpopular very quickly. Marvel Studios started this trend with their comic book movies, a strategy that makes sense because comics are often serialized stories that combine individual heroes and villains into various super teams to tell larger, interconnected stories. DC and Warner Brothers are doing the same thing, if not with the same amount of success. But now everyone is jumping on the damned bandwagon. Godzilla is getting his own shared Monsterverse, and now, Universal is creating its own “Dark Universe” repackaging the classic Universal monsters of the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s to create some sort of monster “super team.” The Tom Cruise vehicle, “The Mummy” was supposed to kick things off and it does. . .right off a cliff! Continue reading
