Today’s Rant No. 22: Recent Movies Edition

Summary

The author reviews recent movies, including Marvel films, adventure flicks, and a biographical film, providing personal grades and critiques.

Abstract

In a continuation of a series of personal rants, the author shares reviews of several 2022 films. The Marvel film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" receives high praise for its casting and storyline, despite its lengthy ending. The adventure film "Uncharted" is deemed too predictable and similar to existing franchises like Indiana Jones. "The Lost City" is considered humorous but ultimately a disappointment due to a lackluster storyline. "Morbius," another Marvel entry, surprises the author with its portrayal of a complex anti-hero. "Jurassic World: Dominion" is enjoyed for its "super team" cast and new elements, despite predictable plot points. Lastly, the author anticipates reviewing "Elvis," a biographical film about Elvis Presley, reflecting on their personal connection to the musician.

Opinions

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Positive, with praise for casting and storyline, but criticizes the film's length, especially the final fight scene.
Uncharted: Negative, viewed as a predictable and inferior copy of established adventure film series.
The Lost City: Mixed, appreciated for its humor but considered a flop due to an unengaging plot.
Morbius: Positive, the author was pleasantly surprised by Jared Leto's portrayal of a complex character and can relate to the anti-hero's struggles.
Jurassic World: Dominion: Positive, enjoyed the combination of cast members from both the "Jurassic World" and "Jurassic Park" series, despite acknowledging the predictability of the plot.
Elvis: Anticipated, the author looks forward to reviewing the film due to a personal connection to Elvis Presley and interest in the subject matter.

Today’s Rant No. 22: Recent Movies Edition — Part Two

There are a few hobbies I enjoy doing in my spare time. Hiking. Writing (of course). And watching movies. I might not be a film expert, but I know a good movie (or a bad one) when I see it. Recently watched the 2022 Marvel film, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong. In the film, Dr. Strange is tasked with protecting a young girl, America Chavez (Gomez), who can travel through the multiverse. As a life-long Marvel fan, I am of course bias, but I really like this film. Good casting and excellent storyline with a dramatic ending. My only complaint is the length of the film, particularly toward the end. The last fight scene could have been cut by 10 minutes as it takes too long to develop. Almost had to buy a second bucket of overpriced popcorn, which would have meant no money for gasoline until next month. Grade: A.

Also watched the 2022 adventure film, “Uncharted.” It stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, and Antonio Banderas. The movie is about two fortune hunters (Holland and Wahlberg), who team up to find treasure from a Ferdinand Magellan expedition. While the film has a good cast, the plot is predictable and too similar to other adventure films of its kind, such as the Indiana Jones and National Treasure series. So, why watch a cheap knockoff when you could watch the original movie? Grade: C.

The 2022 adventure-comedy film “The Lost City” is funny, but sadly also a dud. It stars Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph with a brief appearance by Brad Pitt. Loretta (Bullock), a romance novelist, and her cover model Alan (Tatum) must escape a greedy billionaire (Radcliffe) as they search for an ancient city Loretta had described in one of her books. While the humorous quips between Bullock and Tatum are enough to keep you interested, the storyline ultimately falls flat. I think a film of my wife, Kay, and I looking for our vehicle in a supermarket parking lot would be more interesting to watch than this flick. Grade: C.

The 2022 Marvel film, “Morbius,” is surprisingly good. It stars Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, and Tyrese Gibson. Dr. Michael Morbius (Leto) has a blood disease and discovers a cure for his condition by fusing bat DNA with his own. Although the cure works and gives him superhuman abilities, it also transforms him into a vampire who violently kills people. I’d had my doubts about the film since I am not too familiar with Leto’s work. Yet he does a great job of portraying Morbius as a complex anti-hero whom viewers can both cheer on and despise. I can actually relate to Morbius since I often feel like a violent vampire before my first cup of morning coffee. Grade: B.

I really liked “Jurassic World: Dominion,” despite its less-than-stellar reviews. You know how sport video games allow you create a “super team” filled with your favorite athletes? Well, this film features a “super team” cast by combining Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Isabella Sermon from the two previous “Jurassic World” films with Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and B.D. Wong from the original three “Jurassic Park” films. Newcomers DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, and Campbell Scott also star in this movie. Sure, the storyline is somewhat predictable. Cliche villain corrupted by power and greed, vehicles being chased by scary dinosaurs, and timely escapes from danger. Yet, this movie has enough new elements to make it exciting and worth watching. The folks who dislike it deserve to be eaten alive by a Dilophosaurus. Grade: A.

“Elvis,” the new biographical film based on the life of … well … Elvis Presley is the next movie I plan to review. After all, I had been a die-hard Elvis fan as a kid. Plus, visiting Graceland (Elvis’ home in Memphis) is on my “bucket list,” so why not write about the film? It stars Austin Butler as Elvis, Tom Hanks, and Olivia DeJonge. I will give you my thoughts on the film and rate it soon enough. That is, unless I am either eaten by a Dilophosaurus or run out of coffee and transform into a violent vampire before then.