Tag: Jacob Tremblay

Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Predator

by MCDave

Shane Black’s footprints have been scattered all throughout Hollywood for over three decades now. And when you realize just how overlooked this versatile beacon of creativity has become over years, it can’t possibly be a byproduct of his astonishing body of work. Black’s first taste of success came on the heels of his hilarious buddy cop screenplay, Lethal Weapon. From there his uncanny ability to craft a story and continued notoriety as a writer finally guided him to the director’s chair for impressive films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, only to have his career come full circle in 2018. One of Black’s first career credits comes as an actor in the 1987 action-horror, Predator, which the filmmaker finds himself rebooting 30 more than years later.

Within the muddy waters of this shared film universe, a decorated sniper (Boyd Holbrook) encounters an alien Predator who’s crashed his spaceship in the backwoods of Mexico. And after the soldier sends some of these other-worldly devices back to his autistic son (Jacob Tremblay) living in Georgia, the boy’s unique perspective allows him to crack the foreign code and reboot the alien weapons. Unfortunately, this chain of events signals an even more diabolical species of Predator that travels all the way to Earth to reclaim its prized technology.

Summer may be gone, but 2018 certainly has room for one of its most well-constructed blockbusters with Shane Black’s The Predator. Re-booting a franchise can be a tall order, yet Black’s passion for the subject matter and dark comedic wit inject life into this energizing popcorn flick. And although some loyalists to the film universe may have hoped for a few more call-backs to its predecessors, The Predator occasionally acknowledges its origins all while serving up a plethora of trademark gory massacres and heavy doses of action. Black’s colorful dialogue becomes delivered brilliantly by an extensive collection of secondary actors who help sell the film’s strongly written misfit comedy angle. In fact, the effort’s surprising lack of star appeal isn’t problematic whatsoever, thanks in large part to these relatively unknown performers who work in complete cohesion to generate an authentic and engaging thrill ride. Fans of Keegan-Michael Key (Comedy Central’s Key and Peele) won’t be disappointed either, as he crushes every scripted (or perhaps even non-scripted) joke. Yet, all of these quality aspects are weakened by an untypical inadequacy with Black’s screenplay. Pacing is a bit of a problem, as the film races out of the gate until it becomes completely lost in a meandering mid-section that eventually discovers a desperate need to abruptly wrap things up. However, all in all there’s more good than bad in Shane Black’s gratifying return to an iconic horror villain with his new release, The Predator.

GRADE: 3.5/5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Book of Henry

by MCDave

Director Colin Trevorrow’s career has been on an odd trajectory ever since his impressive 2012 indie debut, Safety Not Guaranteed. The film’s sci-fi backdrop and critical success paved the way for Trevorrow’s emergence on the big-budget blockbuster stage with the money-printing franchise reboot, Jurassic World. Yet, before he closes out the latest Star Wars trilogy as the visionary behind 2019’s concluding Episode IX, Trevorrow changes course entirely with the new limited-release drama, The Book of Henry.

Henry (Jaeden Lieberher) is a remarkably gifted and bright 11 year old boy who serves as the voice of maturity in a household that includes his waitress mother Susan (Naomi Watts) and younger brother Peter (Jacob Tremblay). But when Henry discovers that his next door neighbor and classmate Christina (Maddie Ziegler) is being abused by her police-chief stepfather (Dean Norris), he concocts a deadly plan to help free her from this miserable home life. Yet, unable to take care of matters himself, Henry pens a precisely detailed book so that his mother can carry out the plan.

At its core, The Book of Henry tells a heartbreaking, albeit somewhat uplifting, tale that satisfies with minor elements of humor, suspense and tenderness. Yet, an unforeseen sappy mid-section, one that would typically crumble under normal circumstances, plays surprisingly well thanks to a pair of Hollywood’s most talented young performers. Jordan Lieberher and Jacob Tremblay. Lieberher broke into the industry as Bill Murray’s sidekick in the affable comedy St. Vincent, while Tremblay is best known as the youngster in recent Best Picture nominee, Room. Together, these two stars in the making guide the audience through a messy and flawed story. Trevorrow and screenwriter Gregg Hurwitz attempt to wrap everything up in an inspiring fashion, yet force puzzling and unrealistic behaviors onto characters in order to make this narrative fit. Henry’s cerebral and premeditated nature constantly preaches the notion that any miscalculation can throw off a plan entirely. Sadly, in opposition to what The Book of Henry teaches, flimsy and imperfect writing transforms this fun and heartfelt drama into a wildly mediocre film.

GRADE: 2.5/5

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Room

by MCDave

It was only two short years ago when I clamored for a budding female talent, Brie Larson, to receive her first Oscar Nomination for a gutsy and daring performance in the under-appreciated 2013 drama, Short Term 12. And despite Larson’s unforgivable snub from the Academy that year, I still knew she would continue seeking out deep, personal roles that would eventually land her in the spotlight. Well, it didn’t take long as Brie Larson’s towering performance in the winner of the Toronto International Film Festival’s highly coveted Audience Award, Room, is about to change the landscape of her career.

Larson stars as a young mother held captive in a 10 x 10 shed with her five year old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay). Having been kidnapped seven years prior and forced into a life as a personal sex slave for her captor, she eventually gives birth to his biological son. This room serves as the only world Jack has ever known, and his mother does her very best to raise him with the hopes of one day being freed from this prison on earth.

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Lenny Abrahamson’s Room is a riveting drama adapted from Emma Donoghue’s international best-selling novel of the same name. A shocking story molded straight from the darkest evils of real life, the film examines the physical and emotional torment of a young mother tasked with putting on a courageous front for her naive child. Room relies on unmatched performances to bring its unimaginable story to life. Leading lady Brie Larson is no longer a star in the making, she’s officially arrived. Her confidence to tackle challenging roles such as this one is almost as impressive as the acting showcase she puts on full display. Larson’s natural chemistry with her onscreen son and child actor, Jacob Tremblay, is an absolute marvel, Together they form a 1-2 punch that’s guaranteed to stand alongside any other casting ensemble this year. These beautifully developed characters allow the audience to join them on their gut-wrenching journey from prisoners to psychologically scarred news headliners. Room draws you in from start to finish with an engrossing and earnest story unlike anything you’ve ever encountered.

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For as impressive as the film is, there are still a few low points that reveal themselves. Filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson leaves some meat on the bone with his direction. While it never becomes a deterrence to the film, there’s nothing that stands out from a technical standpoint. Furthermore, Room‘s second half, which focuses on the mother’s difficulty readjusting to the real world and questioning her parental choices, feels slightly rushed for such an integral part of the story. And since the film’s running time amounts to an appropriate two-hours, a few alterations to the plot may have improved her unconventionally abrupt mental decline. But despite these apparent weaker aspects of the movie, Room unfolds terrifically and states its case as a legitimate awards season contender.

Some moviegoers venture to movie theaters for fun-filled amusement and simple pleasures. Room is hardly a joy to watch. Instead, the film uses a horrific backdrop to lure the audience into a compelling and realistic story of a mother’s unwavering love for her child. Larson’s inherent maternal instincts are convincing enough to give her a true shot at Oscar immortality. Room does a superb job of standing tall and separating itself as one of the 2015’s finest entries.

GRADE: 4.5/5

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