Elio – Review

Elio – Budget of $150 million – 1 hour and 38 minutes

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Elio hides under the table as his aunt Olga orders food from the Montez Air and Space Museum cafeteria. Elio overhears Olga telling another officer that she won’t join the astronaut program because she has to care for him since her brother and sister-in-law died. Olga looks under the table, and Elio is gone. She searches the museum and finds Elio listening to a presentation about the Golden Record. He ponders if there are others out there. It will be a place he could finally fit in.

Elio stakes out places near the Montez Air Force Base to be abducted. One night, Bryce joins Elio on the beach with his hand radio. He saw Elio’s radio club flyers around the base. Elio grabs it to daisy chain it to his for a stronger signal. Bryce asks about the other club members when Bryce’s friend, Caleb, joins them. Elio hears a strange signal coming from the radio, and Caleb pulls the radio from Elio’s hands, and they fight. The device hits Elio in the eye, and all three boys return to the base.

Major Olga is furious because Elio skipped school and got into a physical altercation. She tells Elio to wait in her office so she can attend a short meeting. Olga doesn’t see Elio slip in behind her and hide in the trash can. A contractor, Gunther Melmac, picked up a signal from outer space. It’s the same sound Elio heard from his radio. Melmac believes it’s aliens and is ready to send a signal back. Olga tells Melmac to take a two-week vacation. Everyone leaves. Elio jumps out of the trash, records a message for aliens to abduct him, and sends it. It shuts down the base.

At her wits’ end, Olga takes Elio to a summer academy to curb his behavior. She promises it will do wonders for him, like it did for her. Caleb and Bryce spot Elio’s arrival, and Caleb plots his revenge. Caleb, Bryce, and two other boys pull Elio out of his tent. Elio closes his eyes in anticipation of Caleb’s punch. But it doesn’t come. Elio opens his eyes and sees the world around him frozen. He wiggles out of the boys’ clutches, and a green beam lifts him off the ground. Elio cheers as he floats to the ship.

Ooooo, a liquid supercomputer, greets Elio and introduces him to the leaders of the Communiverse. Ambassadors Questa, Helix, and Tegmen greet Elio, assuming he’s the leader of Earth. They are willing to accept him as a member of the Communiverse but squirm over their second visitor, Lord Grigon. The Ambassadors don’t believe Grigon is tolerant of others and won’t welcome him. Grigon threatens to make them all pay before leaving. They prepare for a fearful retreat and inform Elio that he must return to Earth. Elio can’t bear the thought of being alone again and offers a trade. He will broker a deal with Grigon, convincing him to not attack the Communiverse. The Ambassadors love the idea of not running away from a bully. They agree to let Elio stay if he persuades Grigon to leave the Communiverse alone. Will Elio save the Communiverse and find a place where he belongs?

This Pixar film covers acceptance and belonging while honoring a parent’s sacrifice and understanding. Elio focuses on space because he feels abandoned on Earth. He lost his parents, and his aunt is overwhelmed. He knows she gave up her dream for him and feels the weight of that guilt. Olga begs Elio to make friends on Earth while offering unrecognized parental love. Grigon desires to be a part of the Communiverse without diminishing his need to conquer. And Grigon’s son, Glordon, is a combination of all three. He is a lonely alien who misses his mother. He understands his father cares for him, but doesn’t feel accepted. It’s no wonder he brings everyone together. Emotions aside, this film is visually splendid. The animators didn’t use alien stereotypes. They created something new and unique. You will want to see the aliens’ home planet and learn more about them. It’s easy to see how this movie can grow and expand into a series on the Disney Channel. The scenes on Earth are so grounded that they make the Communiverse more vibrant. While the story will not make you cry, it does connect to the audience. There aren’t any sly adult jokes, but this picture is funny. This film is confusing because it lacks a classic villain, leaving the plot more complex. Young viewers will enjoy it, but won’t comprehend the message. Overall, Elio is an entertaining but elaborate film for the entire family. It has stellar visuals and a mid-credit scene.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

A father always knows – Lord Grigon

Don’t leave me. Please – Elio

On three, throw your ice cream – Olga

Now, tell me everything – Glordon

Why did he make another hole? – Tegmen

We are very pleased to make your acquaintance – Questa

We are going ham – Melmac

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From the World of John Wick: Ballerina – Review

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina – Budget of $80 – 90 million – 2 hours and 5 minutes

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Eve listens to her ballerina music globe when her father, Javier, tells her to hide as they practice. She opens a secret door in the wall and looks through a slat to watch Javier. He fights with the assassins until they get the upper hand. They put Javier on his knees as the Chancellor enters. He is upset that Javier and his wife broke the rules and took Eve away. He gives Javier two options. First, Javier can end his life, and they will take Eve. Or Javier can shoot the Chancellor, and the assassins will kill Javier and Eve. As Javier puts the gun to his head, Eve cries out from behind the wall. Javier battles with the goons, and Eve notices one drop his weapon. When Eve sees that Javier is losing, she comes from her hiding place, grabs the gun, notices the X etched in the killer’s ankle, and shoots him. Javier and Eve make it out of their home alive, but Javier succumbs to his injuries.

Winston finds Eve and offers to take her to her family, the Ruska Roma. Eve meets the Director, and the Director sees Eve’s pain. She allows Eve to stay, but Eve must follow the rules and train. With the proper technique, Eve can conquer her pain. Twelve years later, Eve dances with bloody feet, spars, and shoots under the tutelage of Nogi. One day, Eve hears fellow ballerinas whispering about the Baba Yaga, and she runs to the hallway to catch a glimpse of the legend (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). She summons the courage to talk to him after he gets a brand to close his ticket. Eve asks John how to get out. He reminds her that the front door doesn’t have a lock. However, Eve corrects John’s assumption. She doesn’t want to get out of the Ruska Roma. She wants to get out of training and into killing. John looks into her eyes and sees she’s already there. John tells her to train harder, but warns her to get out while she still can.

Eve impresses the Director and gets her first assignment. She succeeds and becomes a full-fledged member of the family. After finishing her latest contract, Eve collects her bounty, gathers her knives from corpses, and calmly exits the club. She gets in her car and drives away, but an assassin slams into her vehicle. Eve battles the killer and spots the X etched into his wrist. She cuts off his hand and brings it to the Director. The Director tells Eve to forget the past because these assassins don’t follow the rules. She will cause chaos by seeking revenge.

Eve travels to the Continental and gives Charon her gold coin. However, she isn’t staying for the night. She wants to talk to Winston. Winston stands in awe of the woman before him. For the first time, someone tells Eve the truth. The assassins aren’t a tribe like the Ruska Roma. They are a cult. Unlike the families, they kill for money and sport. They can use the network because everyone fears them. Eve demands their location, but Winston doesn’t know where they are. He knows a member of the cult, Daniel Pine, is staying at another Continental. He gives Eve the location and warns her to keep business off the property. Eve is on a mission to kill the man who murdered her father, and she will go against the Ruska Roma to do it.

This movie epitomizes cinematic beauty while following the John Wick format (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Eve is a sweet, unassuming girl spending time with Javier on the beach. Then, she loses the most significant entity in her life. Unlike John, this emotional wound festers for years. Then, one-liners, callbacks, and fights fill the plot. The combat scenes have magnificent choreography. However, the editing is too jittery. This choice hid the stunt doubles, but it becomes dizzying. Nonetheless, the enjoyable and unique battles play into Eve’s strengths. You won’t forget the flamethrower showdown. The film never sexualizes Eve. She doesn’t try to seduce anyone, sleep with anyone, or flirt to get out of a situation. She is an assassin with contracts to close. Her muted clothes are tactical. It’s refreshing to see a dangerous woman complete a mission without secondary nonsense. She isn’t quietly searching for love and trying to maintain a romantic relationship. She does her job and exits quietly. This installment can grow, but it needs the proper writers, costume and set designers, and choreography. This film is better in IMAX.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Fight like a girl – Nogi

This isn’t done til you’re dead – Eve

Fate is a very humbling thing – Chancellor

Can I be frank – Frank

Is he expecting you? – Chorn

Take your hand with you – Director

I’d like to be honest with you. Will that be all right? – Winston

It wasn’t just a puppy – John

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Jurassic World Rebirth – Review

Jurassic World Rebirth – Budget of $180 million – 2 hours and 13 minutes

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Pharmaceutical Representative Martin Kerbs sits in traffic while police try to move a dying dinosaur off the road. Since the escape of dinosaurs, most have died due to the current climate and disease. The remaining live near the equator because it resembles their natural habitat. Martin hops out of his car, yells at the crew to perform a mercy killing, and returns to his vehicle. He jumps when he hears Covert Ops Specialist Zora Bennett in the back of his car. She knows Martin is looking for her and wants to know why. He must collect DNA from three distinct dinosaurs to create life-saving heart medication. Zora laughs because he can get this DNA from a lab, but Martin wants it from a living source. It’s illegal for anyone to travel near the equator. So, this mission is top secret. Zora walks away until Martin offers $10 million. But he must recruit one more person.

Martin and Zora enter the museum while paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis helps box the exhibits. Since people’s interest in dinosaurs has waned, the museum is closing. Martin tells Henry his plan, and Henry summarizes that they need Centurian dinosaurs. They need samples from aquatic Mosasaurus, terrestrial Titanosaurus, and avian Quetzalcoatlus. Henry wishes them luck, but they correct him. They require his expertise for the mission because no one understands the dinosaur’s habits better than he does. Henry mulls it over, but Zora appeals to his deepest desire: seeing the animals he admires in the wild.

Martin, Zora, and Henry travel to a small island near the equator. Zora sits with Duncan and runs a con on Martin. They get Martin to double his payment so Duncan and his crew can take them to the equator. They set sail from Ile Saint-Hubert to find the creatures. Before they get there, they hear a mayday on the radio. Reuben set sail with his two daughters, Isabella and Teresa, and Teresa’s boyfriend, Xavier. A Mosasaurus capsized their vessel, and it’s sinking. Martin wants to go to the island and return to them later. But Duncan refuses and turns the boat around. They save the family and bring them aboard the ship. They believe they are safe until the Mosasaurus attacks them. After a deadly battle, Teresa falls off the vessel while they collect the first sample. Her family and Xavier jump off to save her while Duncan and the remaining team shipwreck on Ile Saint-Hubert. Duncan and the team want to find Reuben and his family, but Martin wants to continue because he’s harboring a secret. If the team discovers it, they will turn on him. Can both groups survive the island and collect the final two samples?

This film, like the first, lets the viewer’s imagination scare them first (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). You see the fear in someone’s eyes as the voracious creature hides in the shadows. Then you view a reflection of teeth as the person holds their breath. Finally, you get a roar before the screaming and running. Similar to the latest movies, this picture offers new genetically altered dinosaurs. However, the main plot sticks to the classic creatures we love. This script has witty banter, jump scares, and heartfelt moments. Zora and Duncan are kindred adventurers. They lost someone they loved while working. Martin and Henry are two sides of the same coin. They want the world to advance, but Henry wants it for all, and Martin desires profits. The script gets murky with Reuben and his family. It only needs one family member for one critical scene. Otherwise, their subplot is a 30-minute filler. Luckily, this film doesn’t force a love story. This new installment in the franchise subtly mentions the past films but doesn’t rely on them. You don’t need to watch them to enjoy the magic. It’s an improvement over the past, but nothing beats the first.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Stop talking – Bella

The generator sounds angry – Xavier

I’m not hysterical. I’m homicidal – Teresa

It’s summer break – Reuben

Nice shot – Henry

Nice rocket – Zora

I’m too smart to die – Martin

I’m not going to let anything happen to you – Duncan

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