Film Review: Deadpool and Wolverine: Not Exactly The Best Of Friends

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Deadpool & Wolverine is the latest cinematic offering from Marvel Studios and can be entertaining if one has a high tolerance for gratuitous gore and filthy humor that barely takes a pause. Shawn Levy is the director, and he also co-wrote the script with Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells. The film is kind of complicated, so I can almost understand why it takes five writers to load this up with cheeky, off-color wisecracks.

Ryan Reynolds reprises the role of Wade Williams, aka Deadpool. Hugh Jackman gets jacked up to play Wolverine once again. There are all kinds of amusing Marvel movie cameos throughout, but I won’t spoil that. Other notable cast members are Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Emma Corrin, and Matthew Macfadyen. It’s a big film with a big cast, but I think I can move on.

Wade Williams has retired his Deadpool alter ego until he is told about the destruction of his home timeline and is offered a place in an alternate reality. Wade wants to save the people he has come to care for, so he escapes the confines of the Time Variance Authority and searches the multiverse for an acceptable version of Wolverine who is still alive. He finds the version of Wolverine that is considered the worst of the lot. After some initial not so mild reluctance to work as a team, the pair are taken to someplace called the Void where they meet a powerful mutant who happens to be the sister of one Charles Xavier. Cassandra Nova has some pretty nifty yet alarming psychic powers. The battle crosses through all kinds of dimensional barriers. Still, Deadpool’s crass humor and vicious fighting skill will see him through these challenges, including an ally that can barely stand the sight of him.

This is a comic book movie, so it’s no surprise the plot is completely ludicrous and nonsensical. Still, the charisma of both leads kind of saves it from real regret for spending the time and money to see it. Many of wisecracks were actually pretty funny.

I did find the villain played by Corrin to be somewhat underwhelming in spite of her sometimes-perverse use of her powers. Of course, it could be that Deadpool’s constant mocking kind of undercut the menace she was supposed to convey. Wolverine is also hard to actually intimidate as well.

The plot was not that easy to follow, and therefore, not that interesting. It was mainly a dirtier, crasser version of what we have already seen in recent Marvel films. As much as I appreciate that the movie sort of makes fun of itself and the franchise of which it is a part, it would have been nice to still have a more coherent main storyline.

The chemistry between Reynolds and Jackman is pretty solid though. It has some really entertaining moments peppered throughout the film, but one needs a high tolerance for the copious amounts of dismemberments and mutilation.

Most fans of the franchise will likely be satisfied, but I am sure would also agree with whatever criticisms others may note as well.

Film Review: One Night With Abigail Can End Your Life

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Abigail is a horror film that has a promising plot and some decent performances, but it could have benefited from a bit of restraint on the gore. So, who do we have to blame here? Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett share the director’s seat. Stephen Shields and Guy Busick are the co-writers.

A young actress named Alisha Weir plays the title role and is actually quite good. The cast includes Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, and Giancarlo Esposito. There is also another actor in the film named Angus Cloud, who apparently has recently died.

A group of criminals who do not know each other are assembled to kidnap a young girl after her ballet practice. She is apparently the daughter of a mysterious and dangerous crime lord. The ne’er-do-wells get an even bigger surprise to discover that pretty little Abigail is actually a vampire who has her own plans to feast. The whole caper turns into a gruesome fight for survival as Abigail shreds her kidnappers one by one.

Obviously, this film is pretty ludicrous on the outset. It’s not entirely a waste of time. There are some notable performances and moments. I did find that Abigail was very well cast. Weir is actually pretty compelling and amusing as the bloodthirsty little creature. She is convincingly frightened at first but delivers a few delicious moments of real menace at times. Other notable performances are presented by Barrera and Stevens. The head games that go on are pretty clever.

My main problem is that the amount of gore gets really distracting and unnecessary. It felt like the directors were going out of their way to break some record when it came to the gratuitous dismemberments and beheadings as well as the foul language. I really don’t have a weak stomach when it comes to either of these facets in some filmmaking, but there are moments that it feels like the writers and directors of this film are seriously too deficient on creativity to show some restraint and shrewd subtlety.

The film is not without merit, but I think leaving a little more to the imagination would have been a welcome improvement.

Book Review: Sophie Meets The Spirits Of Northwood Mansion

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

House of Shadows by Darcy Coates is a supernatural thriller that does little to provide thrills.

This is basically a haunted house story that pulls out the standard tropes such as a very unlikely romance with character types that are too familiar and overused.

The reader is introduced to Sophie, the daughter of a wealthy businessman who finds himself bankrupt. It’s not immediately clear as to the era where this novel takes place, but it seems to be somewhere in the nineteenth century. Anyway, Sophie’s family may receive salvation because of a sudden marriage proposal from the mysterious Joseph Argenton. Sophie agrees to the marriage; however, she has some concerns when she learns that she is to be the mistress of a foreboding and isolated estate known as Northwood. She also meets her new husband’s aunt, uncle, and cousin who reside in the house with a handful of servants. Strange sounds and shadowy figures serve to heighten her anxiety until she is attacked by a malevolent force, which confirms she has a serious problem now.

To be fair, the novel gets a little more interesting once the nature of the curse plaguing Northwood is actually explained. I just had a hard time caring about the lead characters because they just seemed so stereotypical and trite. Joseph is the most mysterious and richest guy ever. Sophie is the most sheltered and inexperienced woman in high society. Of course, she seems much younger than her unexpected suitor, which I guess is all relative. The relatives of Argenton are really odd but not in a creative way. It wasn’t a torturous reading experience, but it falls short when it comes to actually being thrilling.

The monster presented in the climax kind of has a cool name, but that’s about all that it has going for it, in my eyes.

Darcy Coates has quite a lengthy bibliography and seems quite popular. I still enjoy a good haunted house yarn, and Coates manages to be a competent enough writer. I also discovered there is a sequel to this novel, and I am just curious enough to see how this supernatural saga comes to an end. I suppose since I am interested enough to eventually get to the second novel, Coates did accomplish something with this particular reader despite some misgivings and criticisms.

Before I return to the supernatural tentacles reaching out from Northwood, I will return to the world of the late Steig Larsson. Mr. Larsson may be long gone, but Lisbeth Salander has managed to live on to become The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons, written by Karin Smirnoff.

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Doctor Goes The Distance

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

All of Time and Space is a pretty compelling trilogy of Doctor Who audio plays that features the Eleventh Doctor. Big Finish Productions has successfully found an actor who can imitate Matt Smith’s distinctive voice and have embarked on a new series of adventures with a new companion. Jacob Dudman continues to portray this version of the Doctor as if Matt Smith was behind the mic. Safiyya Ingar has recently boarded the TARDIS as Valarie Lockwood, a human with some cybernetic enhancements. Nicholas Briggs has returned to the director’s seat.

The first episode of the set is All of Time and Space in which the writer is billed as Ellery Quest. Apparently, Tim Foley is the true author since Ellery Quest is actually featured in the story as a writer pitching a show idea about a mysterious traveler in time and space. However, he finds that the agent he is pitching the idea to has an extraterrestrial history as well. The Doctor and Valarie are trapped in a dimension, and the stories may be their only way to escape.

This is one of those surreal stories that blur the fourth wall a little. It’s confusing and amusing at the same time, but that sort of sums up the whole series.

The Yearn is written by Angus Dunican and has the Doctor meet a group of colonists trapped underground and being hunted by a peculiar entity. People are taken by the Yearn and then reappear. Something appears to be interfering with the Yearn’s efforts to feed, and it may resemble a blue police box.

This second story had a pretty compelling climax. There was a great guest cast. The sudden romance seemed to blossom between Valarie and Mia Tomlinson’s character was a little improbable but handled better than similar moments in the series. Ingar is actually a pretty interesting actor, and Valarie is kind of growing on me.

Finally, James Goss brings this set to a close with Curiosity Shop. Valarie has lost the Doctor and is able to see the TARDIS, which is in the possession of a junkyard proprietor named Mr. Foreman. An alien war is about to break out, and the Doctor has forgotten who he is and what he does.

This actually was a great close. Valarie is losing pieces of herself literally as she hopes that the Doctor remembers her and returns to put things right. There are some great performances, and Dudman’s vocal talents are put to the test. Goss also finds a way to sort honor the legacy of the series as well.

Overall, this set takes the series in some interesting directions. The banter between the Doctor and Valarie is quite compelling. Dudman’s impersonation of Matt Smith seems to improve.

I think the final story is my favorite, but all of the set comes out quite well. I look forward to this particular TARDIS crew continuing their travels.

Film Review: The Twisters Hit The Ground Spinning

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Twisters is a disaster film that ended up being more entertaining than some would expect. It is billed as a sequel to the 1996, Twister, but it doesn’t really touch on that one, which I think was a smart call from the producers. Mark L: Smith is the screen writer with Lee Isaac Chung serving as directed. The story was apparently conceived by Joseph Kosinski.

The cast includes Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Maura Tierney, Anthony Ramos, and Brandon Perea.

Edgar-Jones plays a former storm chaser who had quit her favorite activity due to the tragic deaths of her team members. Five years later, she is working in New York as a meteorologist for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when an old friend calls on her to join him on an effort to test a new tornado scanning device. Kate is understandably reluctant but decides to take the trip to Oklahoma. She then encounters a self-proclaimed tornado wrangler named Tyler Owens and his team. At first, they get along like chalk and cheese until they start to bond as the story develops. Kate has to put the past behind her as she revives her own experiments that were designed to tame the tornado, as she puts it.

I am dubious as to how the science behind the story is presented, and there are some typically outlandish escapes. The film works pretty well overall in spite of that. There is an issue with the predictability when it comes to how the relationships evolve. There are not that many surprises when it comes to these relationships. The actors are charismatic enough to pull it off. I ended up liking the ragtag group led by the reckless, arrogant Owens. Powell consistently manages to be likeable in spite of the immature arrogance of his character. Tyler actually reveals a more compassionate side of his nature that actually was portrayed rather believably. I am not that familiar with Daisy Edgar-Jones, but she also proved to be a good casting choice.

Some of the other characters were rather eccentric, but they managed to not be distracting enough for me to want to see them swept away by the tornadoes.

The visual effects and stunt work was well executed for the most part. My attention was pretty well captured through the whole film.

There are elements that are a bit ridiculous, but the film overall is quite entertaining. As far as popcorn entertainment goes, the film is one of the better ones and is a bit of a rare gem compared to much of the recent offerings coming from Hollywood.

Book Review: There Is No Getting Away From Murder For Jessica Niemi

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Ghost island is a pretty decent Nordic Noir thriller written by Max Seeck that takes place in Finland. He has returned to the investigations of Detective Jessica Niemi of the Helsinki Police Department.

Jessica has gotten in some trouble when an altercation with a man goes viral. She has some mental health issues anyway. Although she is a very capable investigator, her boss has some concerns and places her on leave. Jessica takes some time off on a remote island. Three elderly friends have shown up for their annual visit. They were one-time residents of an orphanage on the island during the Second Word War. Jessica also learns of a local legend concerning a haunting by a girl who had disappeared from the orphanage decades ago. Jessica is also drawn into the mystique of the island when one of the visitors is drowned at the beach. Jessica then learns of two previous deaths that had some similar elements. She also sees what appears to be the spirit of the long-missing girl with a blue coat. Her grip on reality is somewhat tenuous, but she does know that a killer has found their way onto the island and has to find the connection between her present danger and what happened many decades before.

The setting of an isolated island with a small group of people who has a killer in their midst is well used, but Seeck is talented enough to make it work. Jessica Neimi, the lead protagonist, is pretty interesting. This is apparently the fourth installment in a series. Neimi was introduced in the Seeck’s novel, The Witch Hunter and apparently is repeatedly traumatized over the course of the series so far.

There isn’t much humor to help lighten the mood here, but I guess that’s the way it goes for these Nordic mysteries. Seeck does provide a bit of a roller coaster on the way to the resolution. He’s not a remarkable writer, but he is competent enough. Jessica is one of many very morose and troubled detectives in crime fiction. There is nothing all that extraordinary about her in spite of her apparent mental illness, but she is not without some interesting features.

The novel is pretty good with a unique setting in that it takes place in Finland. Seeck does throw pretty good curveballs at his heroine. Murder on an isolated island is something that always piques my interest even if it is a somewhat well-worn trope. I would still recommend any fellow mystery fan to give this one a try. I ended up liking the novel even if it wasn’t quite a homerun.

The literary journey continues as I decide to accept the invitation from Darcy Coates to visit the House of Shadows.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Raven, Kippers, And Old Friends

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Michael Troughton returns to the mic at Big Finish Productions to honor his late father’s Doctor Who legacy in Doctor Who: The Second Doctor Adventures: Conspiracy of Raven. He is joined by Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines, reprising their roles of Zoe and Jamie, respectively. Nicholas Briggs and Mark Wright have collaborated on the three interlinked episodes with Briggs also serving as director.

This series continues on from the saga started in the set entitled Beyond the War Games. Just before his forced regeneration and exile to Earth, the Second Doctor was reunited with Jamie McCrimmon and sent on a series of missions throughout time and space at the direction of a mysterious Time Lady known as Raven. Jamie has been whisked away out of the TARDIS in this chapter, and Zoe Herriot appears to provide valuable assistance to help locate him. Raven has become an unlikely and untrustworthy ally, but she is not in control as much as she initially appeared.

Nicholas Briggs introduces this particular conspiracy with his story Kippers. Emma Noakes returns as the enigmatic Raven. The Doctor and Raven find themselves aboard an abandoned space station, and Jame has disappeared. An alien menace known as Kippers has killed the crew, and the two Time Lords are in their sights. The Doctor finds that Raven may not be working for who she believes. He has to keep them alive and start a search through time and space for his lost friend.

The inclusion of Emma Noakes is actually a pretty good move. Troughton does a decent job of emulating his late father, Patrick Troughton. I still think Hines’ impression was a lot closer, but it seems fitting to have Michael Troughton give his take. He does sound close enough like his dad to not be distracting. Anyway, Briggs provides another intriguing script. The sound effects come off quite well. Overall, a great launch for this particular collection.

Catastrophe Theory is written by Mark Wright. Padbury’s Zoe Herriot has appeared in the TARDIS. Raven has been left behind on the space station, but she is not out of the picture just yet. The Doctor and Zoe trace Jamie a space cruiser on the course to disaster. A savage alien attack is about to commence, and the Doctor is surrounded by catastrophe with time running out on more than one front.

This also is a solid continuation of the journey. There is nothing remarkable about this one, but it’s not bad and serves the purpose of pushing the Doctor and his friends forward into the machinations of a mysterious presence. A few more answers are revealed, and the mystery of who is making alterations to established history and manipulating the Doctor into more dangers continues to build.

Wright and Briggs share writing credit for the concluding episode entitled The Vanishing Point. The Vanishing Point is a mythical place that resides somewhere between science and magic. The Doctor and his friends have arrived to see if questions can be answered and to hopefully confront the threat to all of time and space.

It’s a pretty good set overall. I am a little dubious about this business of shoehorning these series of episodes set between the final television Second Doctor serial and the introduction of the third incarnation. Raven has now become a pretty intriguing addition to the cast. Noakes seems to be pretty inspired casting. The banter between her and the Doctor is quite amusing and compelling. Another notable guest cast member is Jacqueline King, who is best known as Sylvia Noble in the rebooted television series. She plays a different character and does a great job.

Tom Baker is my favorite Doctor, but Patrick Troughton’s performance ranks high up there in my estimation. Michael Troughton speaks about adding some bits of himself in his efforts to honor his father, and he does seem to be getting better as he does more of these episodes. I just like new Second Doctor stories, and I get the emotional significance of adding having Michael to the casting sheet. Even if I think Frazer Hines nails the Patrick Troughton vibe somewhat better, Michael Troughton is still more than capable of satisfying the fans of his father’s era on the program.

Film Review: Not All Satanic Serial Killers Are That Interesting

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Longlegs is a horror film that has an interesting plot idea but somehow manages to miss the mark in keeping this viewer engaged. Osgood Perkins is the writer and director, so he can shoulder most of the blame for this film’s downfalls.

Maika Monroe plays the lead role in the shape of FBI agent Lee Harker. Nicholas Cage, Blair Underwood, and Alicia Witt are included in the cast, so there isn’t a lack of experienced performers. Cage plays the demonic killer known as Longlegs, and he delivers his usual distinctively manic performance.

Lee Harker displays a peculiar intuition concerning a series of similar murders that involve the father inexplicably slaughtering his family before taking his own life. There are strange letters being sent to Harker, and she finds that her own past may play a part in these atrocities that are connected to Satanic rituals as well. There are plenty of dark aspects to give Harker some disturbing dreams and memories.

The revelation as to how Longlegs operated is kind of interesting. As I mentioned, the basic plot is actually not that bad. The problem is that I didn’t really like anyone. Lee Harker as a character is just not that interesting in spite of her mysterious, troubled past. Cage was just too weird, and I found myself wondering how he eluded capture for decades in spite of his distinctive facial deformities and bizarre behavior. I suppose since he was getting some guidance from Satan, apparently, that could have helped him avoid the attentions of law enforcement.

I don’t usually bring in what the professional reviewers note in this film, but I was somewhat surprised that the critical score was higher than I would have thought. The audience seems to have a much more tepid reaction. I think I will have to agree with the general audience here.

Anyway, the idea has some potential, but there isn’t much more merit beyond that.

Book Review: Negotiations Go Awry Over Bajor

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Pliable Truths is the latest title written by Dayton Ward and is a mediocre addition to the Star Trek: The Next Generation novel range.

Ward takes the reader back to the era of the television series just after Captain Jean-Luc Picard endured captivity and torture at the hands of the Cardassians. Also, the Cardassians subsequently withdraw from their occupation of the planet Bajor. Captain Picard is tasked with overseeing the negotiations between the Cardassians and the Bajorans aboard the space station known as Terok Nor. Of course, Terok Nor is on the verge of being redesignated Deep Space Nine. Picard’s mission is complicated by a bombing and assassination. Also, the Cardassian responsible for his recent torture has arrived, which causes some understandable disconcertion. Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise have several challenges to meet and a few mysteries to solve.

Dayton Ward has written several Star Trek novels for many years, and he is usually reliable. The problem here is that fans have already been through this era of the canon. We know what happens with Bajor after the Cardassians pulled out. There is no real suspense to be had. There were some interesting moments between characters. The reader gets to revisit the earlier days of Odo, Quark, Kira, and Garak just before Commander Benjamin Sisko arrives as the Starfleet representative. Garak’s scenes were kind of fun. He is, of course, the Cardassian tailor with a mysterious past and is much more dangerous than he first appears.

Ward isn’t a bad writer, but I just wasn’t interested in revisiting this portion of the canon. It also seems to take forever before the bombs started detonating, and characters started getting taken off the board.

Hopefully, the next novel in this series takes us into some uncharted territory.

Next up, I will see what author Max Seeck has waiting for me on Ghost Island.

Film Review: Axel Foley Turns The Heat Back On

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F manages to somewhat redeem the beloved franchise after the cinematic dumpster fire of its immediate predecessor. Eddie Murphy reprises the role of Detroit detective Axel Foley who keeps having reason to bring his distinctive style of mayhem to Beverly Hills. The screenplay was written by Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Ettan. Mark Molloy is at the helm as director and at least does this with some competence and care for the series.

John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot are the returning cast members from the previous films. Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are newer and effective additions to the world.

Axel Foley has managed to somehow stay on the Detroit police force for these past several decades. At some point since he was last seen on screen, he had gotten married, sired a daughter, and divorced. He and his daughter have become estranged in recent years. She has moved out to California and has become a defense attorney. Her latest case has her mired in a deep nest of police corruption and drug trafficking. When she is getting a little closer to proving a client innocent of murdering a police officer, she is threatened rather dramatically. Of course, that isn’t going to set well with the relentless Axel Foley, which brings him back to Beverly Hills, much to the chagrin of his daughter.

Foley manages to catch up with his friends, Chief Taggart and now private investigator, Billy Rosewood. Rosewood has landed into some trouble of his own since he was helping Axel’s daughter and was on the scent of some dirty cops before he disappeared.

Taylour Paige, who plays Foley’s daughter, holds her own alongside the undiminished charisma and talent of Murphy. There were some interesting character moments as the script tries to fill in the background between the estrangement of father and daughter. Although he is still recognizably Alex Foley, there is some evidence of maturity mixed into the familiar brashness.

The script does a good job of evoking the affectionate sense of nostalgia for these characters and showing that they are not frozen in time. Relationships ebb and flow, and circumstances are always changing. It was interesting to get a sense of what Foley would have been like as a father, and he wasn’t that good at it, but the audience can still root for him to be better.

The new cast members seem to be enjoying the experience as well. Murphy still looks somewhat believable in his action sequences, although he isn’t quite as acrobatic as he was in the previous films.

The actual plot is a bit of a mess, but that’s not unusual for this franchise. It’s still better than Beverly Hills Cop III, Overall, it was fun to revisit this world even if I am instinctively suspicious of Hollywood’s insistence on resurrecting these franchises decades later. It’s not a great film, but it’s reasonably entertaining.