The Incredibles 2

Getting the gang back together after 14 years is like a high school reunion here.  Whatever Pixar magic happened back then is long gone.  Not Incredible.  But 2 of 5 stars.

Bob and Helen are out of the superhero business.  But when Helen gets an opportunity to be Elastigirl again, she jumps to get back into the workforce.   Leaving Bob at home with the now 3 kids including a baby Jack-Jack.  Who of course will steal the show, or what is left of it.

Most everything stays the same, the 1960s setting, the demeanor (wife goes back to work, hilarity ensues), the nuclear family.  It's not retro now, it is just dated, like the land that time forgot.

 This concept is stuck in the past.  The cast is old, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Dark Knight have completely changed the superhero narrative.  The moral is:  Don't wait too long for a sequel.

My advice:  rewatch the 2004 original!

Ocean's 8

Like a copy of a copy (2001) of a copy (1960), Ocean's 8 is a bit faded, a bit predictable but easy on the eyes.  Sandra Bullock stars (you made your money right there) as Debbie Ocean, sister of the now decease Danny Ocean, who apparently died in a freak gardening accident. Debbie, fresh out of prison, meets up with her Brad Pitt, her Frank Sinatra (Cate Blanchette) to pull off the heist she's been planning in prison.

The ruse is get the fabulous Cartier necklace out of hiding - and steal it.  They come up with an elaborate plan with designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter) to get Daphne (Anne Hathaway) to wear it.  That's a pretty interesting setup.

Then the team gets to work and you know the rest of the story.  An interesting character the insurance adjuster John Frazier (James Corden) gives this a Double Indemnity angle.  Maybe we should be a remake of that classic.  The pieces are here, just telling a different story.

* * * of 5

Ibiza

A Netflix original, it's both a rom com as well as Girls Gone Wild theme.  Think How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days combined with Bridesmaids.  Throw in Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as producers and you'll have the Female Apatow idea.

Three friends Harper, Leah and Nikki decide to go to Barcelona when Harper (Gillian Jacobs)  has the opportunity to go on a work trip.  She promises her boss she'll be serious.  There's a millenial running joke throughout that this young punk just doesn't have what it takes in the business world.

So what could go wrong?  Everything of course.  Harper meets a guy, she follows him to Ibiza, they have One Crazy Night.  And then the sun comes up as it always does.

Some good fun for "free" on Netflix.   * * * of 5

The black light prop is probably the real star.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

When's the next one out?  I asked after seeing Solo:  A Star Wars Story.  It seems like we just had The Last Jedi and now more.   [December 2019 is the answer].

Solo is a good gap filler of the origin story of Han Solo.  He's an orphan of course, no pesky father and mother to get in the way (Superman, Batman, Spider-Man).  He grows up scrappy, outspoken, fearless, all traits that he continues to embody throughout the Canon.

There is of course his first love:  Chewie!  We have the origin story of Chewbacca as well in their meet-cute.  And some other romantic love in the main character of Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) who after they go their separate ways as teenagers, she appears as a force of the Empire (so to speak).

Written by Lawrence Kasdan (again) with a co-writer nod to his son Jonathan Kasdan, this movie is like the teenage son to the father.  A lot of the same genes, but not putting it all together.  But we can overlook that.

New characters include a young Lando (Donald Glover) and a stand in father figure, Tobias (Woody Harralson).  Guess what happens to father figures?

All in all a good summer film.  But don't come looking for anything new.  Same Millennium Falcon, same bar scenes, same Kessel Run in less than 25 Parsecs.

* * * * of 5

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Recalling this as a birthday movie "I can't believe they forgot my fucking birthday!" I decided a rewatch was in order.

Like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, you can't go home again.  This movie was WAY below the standard that I thought I remembered.  Much more of a raunch movie that a RomCom, it was strongly influenced by Animal House and Grease.

Sam turns 16 but since the family is completely up in arms about her older sisters wedding, they bustle around so much that they forget (Home Alone).  She fortunately has her friend Robin (Jami Gertz) to confide her crush in Jake Ryan (Michael Schoffling).  But interference comes in the form of The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall).

While I recall the movie primarily as a showcase for the nerdy AMH, it was very crude by modern standards:  the stereotypical "Chinaman", the passed out prom queen who Jake could "violate in 10 different ways", the prescription drug overdose, and so forth.  Then at the end [spoiler alert] it turns into a beautiful date and the perfect birthday gift.

So in the combo of Teen Raunch and RomCom, it fails at both.  Don't try this combination again.

** of 5

Early appearances by John and Joan Cusack!

The Predator * out Sept 14

Reboot of Predator (1987)

Overboard

Bringing back the RomCom, one movie at a time.  The classic formula - the meet cute, 2 people who don't initially like each other, the extended prank, it's all here.

The new twist is that this is just as much a Mexican story as an American story.  Eugenio Derbez is Leonardo Montelongo, scion of a rich family and noted playboy.  When he falls overboard of his yacht he washes up on shore and Kate (Anna Faris) takes him in as her imaginary husband to help her raise the kids and so she can study for her nursing exam.

Leo then has to learn some real work.  The best part is him becoming part of the working group and getting accepted by the guys.  The second best part is his scheming family, some of who want him back and some don't. 

A fairly complex plot with a telenovela within a movie.  Excellent Mexican actors and American Hispanic characters.  Eva Longoria is a nice addition as the spark behind the prank.


* * * * * (highest