Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, James Badge Dale, Paul Bettany (voice), and Ben Kingsley 

Directed by Shane Black

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The (current) RyMickey Rating:  B

Click here for my previous RyMickey Rating

The Kitchen

The Kitchen (2019)

Starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian D'Arcy James, Margo Martindale, Bill Camp, Annabella Sciorra, and Common

Directed by Andrea Berloff

Written by Andrea Berloff

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Movie Review - 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)

Starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, and a bunch of other people who just blend together

Directed by Michael Bay

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

If I'm being honest with myself, I forgot I watched this movie.  It's not that 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is bad...it's just that it's generic.  The true story of how a group of soldiers and American government workers attempted to fend off terrorist attacks on an American diplomatic compound in Libya, 13 Hours has all the classic tropes of a war movie and its by-the-book structure becomes laughable at times.

Director Michael Bay deftly walks the line in terms of the controversy surrounding this event, and although he doesn't flat out blame the Obama administration for the deaths that occurred as the situation unfolded, he does infer that the US government was largely to blame for not getting the chaos resolved quicker.  Rarely does any type of criticism of the Left make it to the big screen so at least that's a bit of a breath of fresh air.  Unfortunately, everything else about the film feels stale.

The action sequences are well filmed and exciting, but the character development and quieter moments prove to be lacking.  Beyond James Badge Dale and John Krasinski, every other member of the cast just blends together into this melange of similar-looking soldiers or government workers and attempts at trying to give any of them a backstory -- this one has a kid at home, this one has a kid on the way -- feel cheap and manipulative.  You could certainly do worse than 13 Hours, but I can't tell you that you should rush to see it either.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Stretch

Stretch (2014)

Starring Patrick Wilson, Chris Pine, Ed Helms, James Badge Dale, Brooklyn Decker, and Jessica Alba  

Directed by Joe Carnahan

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Several years ago, I surprised myself by placing Crank: High Voltage on my list of the Best Films of 2009 and while Stretch doesn't reach that level, the similar balls-to-the-wall aesthetic is appreciated as director Joe Carnahan doesn't hold things back in crafting a weirdly enjoyable little action-comedy film that was tossed aside by a film studio that understandably wasn't quite sure how to market it.

Patrick Wilson is Stretch, a stretch limo driver down on his luck who has been told one morning he has until midnight to pay back his bookie for a gambling debt.  With his boss on his case, Stretch agrees to take a rich, eccentric client around town in hopes that a big tip will be coming his way.  Little does he realize that he's in for a wild night filled with oddities and danger.

Never taking itself seriously, Stretch is fun.  It lacks any purpose and sometimes wears a little thin, but thanks to a solid performance from Wilson (who's always good in pretty much whatever he's in) and a ridiculously over-the-top turn from Chris Pine as the billionaire playboy Stretch picks up, the film retains an enjoyable feeling throughout.  Attempts at creating a romance for Stretch are silly (particularly considering that the bulk of the film takes place over the course of twelve hours) and I'm still unsure whether I liked or disliked Ed Helms as the ghost conscience of Stretch who pops out of nowhere in many a scene, but Stretch is a weirdly pleasant diversion.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Parkland

Parkland (2013)

Starring James Badge Dale, Zac Efron, Colin Hanks, David Harbour, Marcia Gay Harden, Ron Livingston, Jeremy Strong, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver, and Paul Giamatti

Directed by Peter Landesman

Parkland looks at the immediate aftermath of the John F. Kennedy assassination not through the eyes of the Kennedys or the conspiracy theorists, but through the lens of "normal" folks on the ground in Dallas, Texas, that fateful day in November 1963.  While an interesting concept, the film lacks an emotional undercurrent throughout, forcing the audience to feel distanced from everything despite first-time director-screenwriter Peter Landesman's attempts to pull us in visually with his camerawork.

Landesman's film certainly is a good debut for the director, but considering the heft of the subject matter, the piece lacks that emotional connection you long to feel.  Part of the reasoning behind this is likely due to the fact that Parkland is truly an ensemble piece.  We see the doctors and nurses at the Parkland Hospital (played by Zac Efron, Colin Hanks, and Marcia Gay Harden) trying to save Kennedy at the beginning, but then we're whisked away to meet with Abraham Zapruder (Paul Giamatti) to see how he dealt with doling out his famous film to the media and the government.  We also get glimpses into the world of the various FBI and Secret Service agents (David Harbour, Ron Livingston, and Billy Bob Thornton) and their reactions to that day before we're welcomed into the world of Lee Harvey Oswald's brother Robert (James Badge Dale) and crazed mother (Jacki Weaver) and their varied reactions to the horrific events that his brother/son (Jeremy Strong) caused.

Quite honestly, all of these four story threads are quite intriguing and they're all buoyed by strong performances by the cast.  Unfortunately, with the ensemble nature of the piece, we're never with any one of them for any long period of time.  Just when we're starting to feel compassion for the medical workers and their unenviable task that November day, we shift to another storyline.  While I appreciate the different angles Landesman brings to the table, it does keep the audience at an emotional distance from the goings-on.  Nevertheless, Parkland is an intriguing piece that certainly gives a different perspective of the Kennedy assassination and if you're a history buff it's well worth watching.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, James Badge Dale, Paul Bettany (voice), and Ben Kingsley 

Directed by Shane Black

After the overhype that was The Avengers -- yes, I didn't love it, so perhaps my thoughts on Marvel movies automatically get negated because of that -- I admittedly wasn't looking forward to tackling Iron Man 3.  In fact, my biggest issue with The Avengers was Robert Downey, Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark who I found to be obnoxiously annoying in that piece.  [Yes, I realize that's the point, however, as I mentioned in my Avengers review, setting him amidst "nicer" superheroes made the character's self-important sarcastic nature more grating.]

So, color me surprised when I sat through Iron Man 3 and found it an enjoyable action flick.  Tony Stark is dealing with the aftermath of that wormhole/alien incident in The Avengers and it's mellowed him out, helping to build a character that has more depth than the playboy we've seen in movies past.  Stark still has his sarcastically quippy replies to most things, but the script (and Downey, Jr.) does a nice job of creating a few more emotional layers on the character.

In Iron Man 3, Stark is faced with battling The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), an American terrorist who's hellbent on making the US pay for their "crimes" against humanity.  After a bombing outside the Chinese Theater in L.A., the police are unable to find any bomb residue or any evidence that a bomb even existed onsite which begs the question of how exactly the Mandarin is causing these disasters.  Despite being more based in reality than some of the previous Marvel flicks, let's just say that the cause of the explosions takes us down that fantastical comic book unrealistic path -- and I don't mean that in a condescending way at all.

Admittedly, director Shane Black hasn't had much experience behind the camera (this being only his second film) and it shows a bit when it comes to lensing action sequences.  While the quick cuts aren't necessarily abundant, I couldn't help but think that many of the "BIG" scenes felt a bit muted in terms of excitement and were a bit confusing and slapshot in the way they were filmed.  Still, Black does a very nice job in the film's quieter moments and gets some good performances from all of his players with Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, and Jon Favreau making return appearances and Kingsley, Guy Pearce, and Rebecca Hall making solid debuts in the Marvel universe.

The RyMickey Rating: B

Movie Review - World War Z

World War Z (2013)

***viewed in 3D***

Starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Fana Mokoena, David Morse, Sterling Jerins, and Abigail Hargrove

Directed by Marc Foster

The great thing about World War Z is that it just jumps right into things without even attempting to provide any modicum of backstory as to why humans on Earth are turning into fast-running, crazed zombies.  Dad Gerry (Brad Pitt) is simply taking his kids (Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove) to school and his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) to work when craziness hits Philadelphia and the family finds themselves desperate to find cover from the chaos taking over the east coast.  Fortunately, Gerry has recently retired from a job with the United Nations which gets him access to a "safe house" of sorts on a huge aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean.  While on the ship, Gerry agrees to travel around the world to try and find the source of the virus that is wreaking havoc on the human race.

While it's true that World War Z doesn't waste any time getting started, it's somewhat unfortunate that the film spends a huge portion of its second act slowing things down and explaining things way too much.  I mean, quite honestly, I could care less where this "zombie virus" started and following Gerry from country to country (in an episodic fashion) grows tiresome.  That isn't to say that these set pieces -- a journey to Jerusalem, a frenetic plane sequence -- don't create tension, it's just that they're linked so tenuously to one another that the story never feels entirely cohesive.  Admittedly, the final act (which apparently faced a huge rewrite months after the film finished shooting) is a success and had me intrigued.  Having read what the original ending was, things are certainly infinitely better in the updated version, but the finale doesn't quite make up for a surprisingly lackluster middle hour.

You could certainly fare worse with summer action fare than World War Z and most everything and everyone in front of and behind the camera is solid.  Unfortunately, the story just isn't quite strong enough.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Flight

Flight (2012)

Starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman, Brian Geraghty, Tamara Tunie, James Badge Dale, and Melissa Leo

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

As of late, Robert Zemeckis has not been a director you could rely on for solid product.  Caught up in the motion capture world, the director hasn't helmed a live action film since 2000's Cast Away.  Needless to say, his recent track record is one of the reasons I waited a long time to check out Flight and it's a shame since now I can't recommend it to folks since it's already departed from most theaters.

Although the film starts with a harrowing and excitingly well shot plane crash sequence, we soon discover that while the film revolves around the aftermath of this tragic accident, its focus is really on the troubled Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington), the pilot of that fateful flight who while being hailed a hero for saving 96 of the plane's 102 passengers is really a lost soul himself.  Whip is an alcoholic and in order to mask that from others, he snorts a nice cocaine chaser to give him the "uppers" that he needs to function.  On the day of the fateful accident, Whip had some substantial amounts of these substances in his system and, despite performing an extremely successful landing that all parties involved admit could have been much worse, this puts him on quite the hot seat.

As Whip struggles with the aftermath of the accident, he finds some solace in a recovering junkie named Nicole (Kelly Reilly) who is striving to better herself and overcome her addictions.  Unlike Whip, Nicole wants to rid herself of the toxic substances she often relied on and the two, while initially seemingly two peas in a pod, begin to drift apart as Whip continues his ongoing downward spiral into addiction.

Denzel Washington is great here in perhaps his best role in years.  "Playing drunk" always runs the risk of going over-the-top and Denzel reins things in, taking a more quiet and inward approach.  Despite the rather introspective nature of the performance, we're always well aware of the thoughts going on in Whip's frazzled mind.  There's a subtlety in certain scenes that is surprising and lovely and shows the talent that Washington brings to the screen.

Zemeckis also gets some great performances from his supporting cast as well.  Don Cheadle is strong as a lawyer assigned to Whip's case who tries to be the voice of reason for the drug-addicted Whip.  Bruce Greenwood plays Whip's loyal friend with equal parts care and concern.  John Goodman is a hoot in a small role as Whip's dealer and Tamara Tunie and Brian Geraghty prove quite successful in small roles as members of Whip's flight crew.

However, much like I was moved by Washington's performance, I was equally bowled over by Kelly Reilly -- a British actress entirely convincingly portraying an American Southerner -- as Whip's new girlfriend Nicole and James Badge Dale in a very small, one-scene role as a nameless cancer patient who tries to imbue a sense of "life's short so embrace what's best" into both Whip and Nicole.  As the three actors find their characters meeting in a stairwell to sneak a smoke while recovering in hospitals for their various ailments -- Whip after the plane crash, Nicole after an overdose, and the cancer patient facing head-on the end of his life -- they speak of life, death, faith, love, and fear.  It's a powerful and beautiful scene that I won't soon forget.

Flight falters ever so little towards the end becoming a tiny bit preachier than it should and ending on a slightly cornier and more uplifting note than the film had heretofore deemed feasible or plausible.  Still, this one was definitely a winner and certainly worth checking out when it comes out on dvd in the upcoming months.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Movie Review - Shame

Shame (2011)

Starring Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, and Nicole Beharie

Directed by Steve McQueen

Shame is perhaps best known as the film in which Michael Fassbender bares all.  For some reason, him going nude got all the press and the movie itself was shafted to a certain extent.  In the end, that's a real shame because Steve McQueen's moving character study about a man's addiction to sex is heartbreaking and touching with a riveting performance from Fassbender and absolutely beautiful direction from McQueen.

The story itself is fairly simple.  As stated above, the film focuses on Brandon Sullivan, a thirtysomething low-level executive in Manhattan who outwardly seems to have everything together, but inwardly finds himself ravaged by his addiction to sex.  Whether it be looking at porn on the internet, hiring a prostitute to fulfill his needs, or simply not being able to make it through the workday without heading into the bathroom to pleasure himself, Brandon has a problem.  And he's well aware of it.  Sex isn't about a "connection" for him...it's about a release that he hopes will be fulfilling, but is always completely empty.

Brandon's not a bad guy, though.  He's good looking and could do seemingly well with women if he wanted, but he is a bit shy which is evident in a lusciously filmed scene about halfway through the movie when Brandon and his co-worker Marianne (a delightful and sexy Nicole Beharie) sit down at a restaurant for a first date.  In a continuous take, we see the two simply talking about the typical "first date" stuff, but we begin to see for the inner workings of Brandon's mind as he explains to Marianne how he never wants to get married and doesn't understand the meaning of monogamy.  It's starting to crystallize in the audience's mind that Brandon, despite his need for sex, is ultimately unable to connect with someone.  His addiction has robbed him from being able to love...yes, that's perhaps an oversimplification of a much larger psychological issue, but that's Brandon's problem at its core.

And not only does this affect Brandon's life sexually, but this inability to love and connect with others also plays a huge role in his relationship with his family including his troubled sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) who, despite Brandon's best efforts, moves into his small, sterile apartment in NYC after a falling-out with her boyfriend.  Sissy herself (whose odd story arc and relationship with Brandon is the one minor problem with the film) isn't without her share of pain (much of it seemingly self-inflicted), but she brings out the worst in Brandon...she makes him feel shameful of his way of life and it ends up spiraling him out of control in ways that I really never saw coming.  Towards the end of the film, Brandon's addiction leads him to places that may shock and appall the audience, but they never once rang untrue or felt unrealistic.

The more I think about Shame, the more I grow to be thoroughly fascinated with what I saw onscreen.  I imagine several scenes will pop up in the "Best Scene" category of the "RyMickey Awards" (coming in June) and I'm sure this film will make an appearance in many other categories including Best Actor for Michael Fassbender.  Admittedly, I went into this without many expectations.  I expected to be bored by the story and bombarded by "shocking moments" simply there to provide unnecessary provocation and titillation.  That wasn't the case in the slightest and that's a huge credit to Mr. Fassbender and director Steve McQueen.

Together, they have crafted a movie that doesn't necessarily provide answers or tie things up in pretty bows, but they have created an intimate character study about a man who knows his faults, attempts to correct them (fully realized in a riveting and heartbreaking scene with the aforementioned Nicole Beharie shortly after their characters' first date), but ultimately doesn't succeed.  Towards the end of the film, Brandon finds himself in the midst of a threesome (which he paid to be a part of) and after focusing initially on the writhing bodies, McQueen plants his camera squarely on Fassbender's face...and in his face and in this moment, we see everything that Brandon is and everything he wishes he could be.  This menage a trois is the furthest thing from a pleasurable experience.  To him, an orgasm is full of pain, anguish, and ultimately self-inflicted shame.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-