By Robin E. Simmons
The muscle car gang’s back in fine form. Vin Diesel, the late Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. In this seventh iteration of the ridiculously absurd high-octane, full-throttle franchise, the regulars are joined by new to the series co-stars Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell. There’s no need to follow the plot or even to summarize it here because the plot is totally irrelevant to the superbly staged action. In fact, it’s just an excuse for ever-bigger set pieces. It’s thrilling to see cars (with drivers) dropped from planes or crashing through buildings and surviving to finish the mission (that we really don’t care about).
James Wan directs the extended and frenetic sequences with a touch that is truly inspired and he never lets up. Wan fully grasps the art of mayhem — yes, it is an art — for the big screen. And the sound design! Wow. It is equally masterful. Okay, so what that it’s sometimes a sensory overload but isn’t that the whole point of a movie like this? Over and over, scene after scene, there’s perfect melding of image and sound powers the visceral thrills of the hurtling, crashing, grinding and flying vehicles on screen. This wonderfully over-the-top, overtly silly movie knows its audience and it delivers big time.
And if you’re wondering, I was not able to identify any of the scenes in which Walker’s brothers stood in for him and his CGI face was pasted and animated on their faces. I love this dumb movie for all the right reasons. And I was kind of choked-up with the knowledge of Paul Walker’s passing and his on screen departure (or should I say epitaph?). Recommended. Now playing.
THE GUNMAN
Pierre Morel directed Liam Neeson in TAKEN; it was a megahit. Here he directs a taciturn Sean Penn as a middle-aged, humorless hero that mainly proves Penn is no Neeson. The screenplay, co-written by Penn, is top-loaded with dumb dialogue and, further, attempts political heft with its Congo setting. But I was not convinced by Penn or the premise and didn’t “suspend disbelief.” I kept wondering about Penn’s workout routine to get fit for this derivative cinematic exercise that attempts to re-brand Penn as a Stallone style character with carefully lighted shots of his sweaty, unexpectedly bulging biceps. And then I wondered if Penn’s high-profile girlfriend Charlize Theron was happy in this seemingly unlikely relationship. My thoughts continued to meander for the duration of the film. I share this only because when a movie repeatedly triggers random thoughts outside the film and plot, it’s a major fail. I’m sorry to report this, because I love movies and want them to work. I wish Penn luck with his acting career, life and Charlize. He has some great films under his belt as actor and director. My free advice to Penn — he didn’t ask: If this attempt to ignite a new franchise fails, you can always talk to Stallone about being part of the crew of middle-aged bros in the inevitable next edition of the EXPENDIBLES. Now playing.
NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER:
CONVICTS
Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Lucas Hass bring to life Horton Foote’s sublime but tough western screenplay. The drama is set on a Texas sugar-cane plantation around 1900. It’s run by ageing boss Soll Gautier (Duvall) who, in an attempt to keep his farm afloat, employs cheap labored convicts. The core story has young Horace Robedaux (Hass) trying to make enough money on the plantation to buy a tombstone for his father’s grave. Sadly, Gautier’s mental state is not conducive to Horace ever getting paid. This story has been beautifully adapted from Horton Foote’s “The Orphan’s Home” series of plays. Authentic locations, nice compositions and invisible direction from Peter Masterson make this fine 1990 film one to find and enjoy. Foote (1906 – 2009) understood what makes us human and he had a way of conveying it in his exquisite writing. Olive Films. Blu-ray.
WOLFY
Aimed at kids, this French animated import (it’s dubbed in English) is an allegory rooted in surprising serious ideas that may trouble American children. At its heart, this is an anti-fascist fable. Not really funny, but powerful in its surprisingly brutal depiction of resistance against a ruthless leader and an elite force. What I like about this movie is the strong moral force that takes on some of the same forces at work in today’s real world, and not just the forces at play in mid 20th century Euro history as the movie intended. Perhaps this is an adult film, only surreptitiously disguised as a children’s cartoon. Watching it, I was reminded of the 1954 George Orwell animated film ANIMAL FARM that we now know was funded in part by the CIA. I like the sleek, simplified look of this movie and wonder when someone will make a “cartoon” that takes on the fascism of religious extremism that pervades our media and infects our world. Cinedigm. DVD.
robinesimmons@aol.com
