Recently Released Films to Consider Watching at Home
By Rick M. Pezzullo
During these tough times, many of us have spent countless hours trying to find something good to watch on our various streaming services. The good news is many feature films that were previously in theaters have been expedited to on-demand, Netflix, Amazon, and other platforms. With so many choices, where do you even start? Here are a few movie reviews to make your selection process a little bit less stressful.
Onward:
The newest Disney Pixar film, directed by Dan Scanlon, tells the story of a quest by two brothers to bring their father back to life for just one day. Onward is set in a fantasy world where mythical creatures have lost their ability to perform magical abilities due to the innovation of science and technology that has rendered them lazy and complacent. Ian, voiced by Tom Holland, and his older brother Barley, voiced by Chris Pratt, are left a magical staff and a Phoenix stone by their father in order to resurrect him for one full day. Ian discovers he has magical ability, but is not able to perform the spell correctly and brings only the lower half of his father back to life. A journey ensues to find another Phoenix stone to bring the rest of him back before time runs out. The film’s emotional journey is something to be applauded and brought to light a unique family relationship that is not always at the forefront. Onward provides enough laughs, peril, and underlying meaning that creates an exceptional cinematic experience for the whole family. It is perhaps not an upper-tier Disney Pixar film, but an excellent addition nonetheless. Rating: 9/10
Impractical Jokers: The Movie:
Everyone’s favorite show on TruTv comes to the big screen with a feature length film detailing Joe, Sal, Murr, and Q’s redemption road trip to Florida as they look to make amends with Paula Abdul. Yes, the sentence you just read is an accurate description of the plot of this film. Yes, I know it sounds terrible. Yes, it is terrible. In what is a very obvious money grab for the four jokers, they somehow try to tie in a plot that has no business being in a movie theater. The movie has its moments as the jokers perform some skits similar to the format of the show. Let’s just say even if you’re a big fan of the show, you probably will feel let down by this movie. The jokers should stick to what they’re good at and that is being an entertaining tv option when nothing else is on. Rating: 3/10
Just Mercy:
This legal drama film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is based on the true story of Walter McMillan, who is wrongfully incarcerated for a murder of white woman in Alabama. Defense attorney, Bryan Stevenson, takes on the case and has to fight against the inherent racial injustice embedded in Alabama’s legal system in the late 80s and early 90s. Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx put on incredible performances in roles that were made for them to play. Brie Larson contributes her usual excellence in a supporting role as Eva Ansley, who was instrumental in forming the Equal Justice Initiative along with Stevenson. Just Mercy presents the harsh realities of the American justice system and highlights the racial issues that still exist today. The film was unjustly snubbed from many of the major award shows aside from a Best Supporting Actor Nomination for Jamie Foxx at the SAG awards. Overall, Just Mercy is an exceptional achievement of film that takes you on an emotional journey that will open your eyes to the struggles of those who are most affected by racism in the criminal justice system.
Rating: 9/10
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey:
The newest installment in the DC Cinematic Universe revolves around the story of Harley Quinn and her team of female vigilantes as they combat crime boss, Roman Sinonis, otherwise known as Black Mask. The movie can be described as fun, chaotic, lively, confusing, and many other adjectives that leave me truly on the fence on how the film sat with me. Margot Robbie puts in another stellar performance as Quinn, portraying the famous villain/heroine’s crazed personality while still providing the charm that has created her cult following. Ewan McGregor, on the other hand, did not seem like a great fit for his role. It was tough to truly be fearful of this lunatic crime boss when all I could see was Obi Wan Kenobi. Likewise, Rosie Perez, was not believable at all as a hardcore cop who can apparently take down multiple combatants at once at a height of about 5 foot. I credit director, Cathy Yan, for her originality and bold style, but the film just felt devoid of true flow and natural humor. All in all, Birds of Prey, is worth the watch for the true comic book fans, but others may find the film puzzling and a waste of potential. Rating: 6/10
The Way Back:
This sports/drama film, directed by Gavin O’Connor, tells the story of Jack Cunningham who is a construction worker embattled with alcoholism and was formerly a star high school basketball player in California. Cunningham, played by Ben Affleck, is asked to coach a struggling basketball team at his alma mater. In true sports movie fashion, Affleck takes a liking to mentoring the players and finds purpose in his otherwise barren life. Affleck does a nice job with this role and makes us almost forget that he recently played Batman. The film has its sports clichés, but I honestly didn’t mind the feel-good moments amidst this pandemic we’re all experiencing. Viewers may be surprised at the story arc of the film as it centers mostly on Affleck’s life as opposed to being basketball focused. Overall, The Way Back, is a solid addition to the sports genre and is a good watch for those looking for perseverance and hope in a time when we all need it. Rating: 7.5/10
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/