Midnight Special (2016)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Pursued by a cult and the government, a young boy named Alton (Jaeden Martell) with supernatural abilities only means of survival and safety is to reach a secluded location before he runs out of time. Protected by ex cult members, including his father, Roy (Michael Shannon) and his mother, Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), Alton does his best to maintain his composure during a rocky journey. Roy’s childhood friend, Lucas (Joel Edgerton) is a dedicated and trusted supporter, but the group is severely outnumbered.

Pastor Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard) is determined to bring Alton back to the cult to fulfill a prophecy. The government closes in, but Alton, Roy, Sarah, and Lucas find an unlikely ally in Paul Sevier (Adam Driver).

My Thoughts- Alton is a unique prodigy. He’s smart. Alton has incredible powers, but he’s still a child. Alton knows what’s at stake, and he fully accepts his destiny, but Alton is also scared. 

Towards the end of the film, Alton finally manages to control and smoothly use his powers. He’s confident, but not cocky or dangerous. The scene where Alton is being interrogated at the military base is a great example. Alton could’ve easily been more aggressive, using his powers for a more destructive escape. Instead, he was polite, but also firm during the interrogation. He created a diversion, so he could quietly sneak away with Paul to reunite with his family. 

Roy, Sarah, Lucas, and Paul were all willing to risk their lives to protect Alton. Why? It’s not because he has cool powers. They all believed in HIM. Alton is a good person. He’s someone who’s worth fighting for, and through no fault of his own, he’s an outcast, who needs a strong support system.

Jaeden Martell is fantastic, delivering an earnest and vulnerable performance. It’s also a nice touch to throw in some irony with Alton being enamored with Superman comics. He’s a kid, who’s understandably blown away by a popular fictional character, while also not realizing he’s basically a real-life Superman in his own way.

Micheal Shannon delivers a strong performance as Roy.  Shannon does a good job of showing believable desperation and anger, with great facial expressions. Roy is a dedicated, loving, and fearless father, who will do anything to protect his son. Roy risked everything, including having the guts to save his son from the cult after Pastor Meyer crossed the line by stealing Alton from him. And Roy fiercely protects Alton, while the cult and every government agency in the US is breathing down his neck. 

Joel Edgerton really nails Lucas, the trusted and devoted friend. Edgerton’s best scenes involve Roy, when both men clash on what lines should or shouldn’t be crossed to protect Alton, and Lucas knowing his place, when it comes to making big decisions about Alton.

You can clearly see Sarah is lonely. She finds some happiness again, when she reunites with Alton and Roy, and Dunst did a good job of capturing Sarah’s emotions. Sam Shepard, filling the role of a cult leader, makes the most of his short screen time. Shepard is a reliable veteran actor, and his character represents everything you’d expect from a cult leader. Calvin Meyer is a textbook narcissist and a master at manipulation, forcibly adopting Alton, when he realized Alton was the one person, who could justify his delusional vision.

Paul Sevier is an important character. He’s basically the man who’s responsible for safely delivering Alton to Roy and Sarah after the government captures him. Adam Driver is believably quirky and timid as Paul. Paul is really the only character with any comedic moments throughout the movie. Driver is never too goofy or over the top. Paul’s comedy fits perfectly in certain scenes, and Paul’s well-placed funny moments work as a convenient break from Midnight Special’s overall seriousness and emotional drama. 

The father/son relationship between Roy and Alton is the foundation for Midnight Special. The little details and nuances for Roy protecting Alton are noticeable from the opening scene until the end of the movie. 

Roy doesn’t hold his hand. He carries Alton. The scene at the gas station, where the lady almost removes Alton’s goggles? Roy SPRINTS across the gas station before the lady has a chance to touch him. Roy is protective of Alton, but he’s not overprotective, especially when you consider the consequences and the unprecedented circumstances surrounding Alton. 

There’s also a stretch in the film, where Alton is clearly sick. It’s a gut-wrenching experience for a parent to see their children ill and suffering, and in Roy’s case, he can’t just waltz into a hospital with Alton. Sarah and Lucas panicked, when Alton couldn’t breathe on the highway, but Roy confidently trusts Alton’s decisions. 

Roy knows at some point he’s going to have to say goodbye to Alton, and he’ll most likely never see his son again. Of course there’s a fictional twist to it, but there’s some realism about a parent trusting their child to make the right decisions for their future. Roy is forced to make sacrifices, and Roy strongly supports Alton, but it’s tough. He has to push through the heartbreak of losing his only child to do the right thing. 

Midnight Special undoubtedly has a lot of answered questions. What’s the exact reason for Alton needing to join the others in the unseen world? Is it because Alton is sick, and there’s a chance he’ll die, if he stays on earth? Alton’s deteriorating health becomes a real problem at one point, sparking serious concerns from Lucas. Are the people from the unseen world supernatural humans? Aliens?

If you’re looking for concrete answers, you won’t find any here. Midnight Special doesn’t rely on spoon-feeding crucial plot points. Writer/director Jeff Nichols presents thought-provoking questions, and you’ll see enough clues to form your own conclusions. Alton is clearly important, because he’s greeted by people from the unseen world. The unseen world has a sleek and futuristic look to it, but it’s also built with ordinary materials. It’s a sign that the unseen world is old, possibly dating back to ancient times, and the people from the unseen world are not malicious. 

One big plot hole that drives me nuts happens, when Roy and the others chase after Doak (Bill Camp) and Levi (Scott Haze) after they kidnap Alton. The Army soldier stops Roy, and the soldier looks directly at Roy. The soldier aggressively instructs Roy to rejoin the other cars on the road, and that’s it? Why didn’t the soldiers detain Roy and the others? Why did they just let him go? Keep in mind we’re at a point in the movie, where Roy’s face has been all over the news, so there’s no excuse for the soldiers to not recognize him. 

There’s a handful of awe-inspiring scenes and visuals throughout the movie. The final full reveal for the gargantuan and extravagant unseen world, the scenes featuring Alton using or losing control of his powers, and my personal favorite scene at the gas station, where Alton takes out the satellite.

Midnight Special is a tense and emotional sci-fi thriller, featuring a superb cast. A lot of believable close calls throughout the movie, and the big finale was executed to perfection. Shannon, Martell, Dunst, and Edgerton all did a wonderful job of selling the nervousness and the strong sense of urgency from the main characters. The group knew they only had one chance to get it right, to safely deliver Alton to the open field. There was no room for mistakes or any botches.

The sci-fi side of the film never overwhelms or undercuts a story about love, family, friendship, sacrifices, and an unbreakable father and son bond. Jeff Nichols seamlessly blends everything together for a quaint film with a satisfying ending. Midnight Special joins Take Shelter as another great collaboration for Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols, truly one of the more underrated modern sci-fi films. 

Rating- 9/10

Hardcore Henry (2016)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- In Russia, a severely injured and confused Henry awakes in an airborne laboratory. Tasked with his rehabilitation, Henry’s wife, Estelle (Haley Bennett) finishes installing the mechanical upgrades and equipment, including replacing Henry’s severed limbs with a robotic leg and a robotic arm.

Henry’s resurrection is quickly interrupted by Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), a powerful and wealthy telepath, and the man responsible for financing Henry’s rebirth. Estelle and Henry briefly escape Akan, but Akan’s mercenaries kidnap Estelle.

Henry tries to piece together broken memories from his past, while receiving help from a scientist named Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). Henry and Jimmy team up to rescue Estelle, tearing through Akan’s forces to get to her. Akan is close to fulfilling his plans for world domination with an army of super soldiers, and a seemingly airtight plan. Will the duo of Henry and Jimmy be enough to stop Akan?

My Thoughts- Henry is an unusual super soldier. Sure, he has an extremely high tolerance for pain and punishment. His stamina is off the charts, but he’s not completely invincible. Half man, half machine, Henry struggles to hold his own during the early stages of the movie. He truly doesn’t become Hardcore Henry until the tail end of the movie, namely during the big final battle with Akan.

The approach to humanize him as a somewhat ordinary guy, who has to figure things out on the fly adds a bit of normalcy to Henry as a grounded character in a preposterous and over the top movie. He’s the scrappy underdog you want to root for. Henry doesn’t speak one word, including the flashbacks with Henry as a kid. He doesn’t have a speech module, but we still know a lot about Henry. He’s compassionate, fearless, and he has a big heart. Henry was willing to risk everything to save Estelle. Jimmy has serious trust issues, and he’s justifiably paranoid. Towards the end, Jimmy tries to kill Henry, when he suspects Henry is a spy for Akan. Jimmy stubbornly pushes Henry away, but Henry never gave up on the friendship. 

He’s a bit too goofy at times, but Danila Kozlovsky’s performance as Akan still works. Akan is an unhinged and eccentric villain, narcissistic to the core with an obvious god complex. He’s delightfully cruel and cold, the kind of evildoer, who deserves his comeuppance. 

Sharlto Copley proves he’s a man of many talents here. All of Jimmy’s avatars have their own unique personalities: the coked-up and unhinged party animal, the philosophical stoner hippie, or the gentlemanly military man. Copley shows off his versatility, bringing a specific brand of comedy to match each avatar’s personality, but Copley also proves he can be serious when it’s necessary. There’s an emotional scene towards the end, where the real Jimmy, paralyzed and bound to an electric wheelchair, is dying. The somber transition from Jimmy’s military avatar to his actual human body gives Jimmy the chance to say goodbye to Henry as himself, while Jimmy also acknowledges Henry as a real friend.

Hardcore Henry’s presentation and style is reminiscent of a video game, specifically a first person shooter. You’ll see the entire story through Henry’s eyes, and the video game parallels are undeniable. Henry fighting his way through hordes of henchmen, while battling mid level bosses, with increasing levels of difficulty along the way, including Slick Dmitry (Andrei Dementiev), the man with a shiny sliver jacket and the flamethrower, and the big burly super soldier at Akan’s headquarters. 

Special power-ups? Henry takes the bigger battery from the husky super soldier, and he uses shots of adrenaline to fight off Akan’s army. Easy to draw connections to a video game, when your back is against the wall, your health is too low, and you desperately need that Hail Mary boost. Weapon upgrades as the story progresses, and of course there’s the agonizing struggle before the big final boss battle with Akan. 

Wait a minute. Estelle is not married to Henry? She’s actually Akan’s wife! That’s right. Estelle was never kidnapped, and Henry’s mission to rescue her was actually an elaborate field operation, because Akan wanted to see one of his super soldiers in action. Henry exceeded expectations as his first big success story. The ultimate test for Akan to confidently carry out his plans for world domination. 

It’s a good and genuinely surprising twist. They don’t give away any clues or hints to possibly expose Akan and Estelle’s plan, because everything feels real. The close calls and innocent people are killed throughout the movie during Henry’s quest to save Estelle. MAYBE you could point to the fact that Akan could’ve easily killed Henry whenever he wanted. But Akan has a massive ego, so it’s easy to buy into Akan having fun and just playing around with Henry, knowing he could eliminate him, if he believed Henry was any kind of threat.

The big final showdown between Akan and Henry raises a few questions for logic and continuity. We’re lead to believe Henry is no match for Akan. He’s just too powerful, and during every encounter with Akan leading up to the finale, Henry can’t even lay a finger on him. Henry using the memory of a motivational pep talk from his father (Tim Roth) to give him that extra push to kill Akan is a good scene. Tim Roth is barely in the movie, but he absolutely nails the flashback, where tells a young Henry about the importance of fighting back and standing up for himself. 

Akan bleeds from the mouth, whenever he pushes things too hard with his powers. But Henry still couldn’t touch Akan, when he was supposedly weakened? So reliving a fond memory was the key to defeating Akan? It’s a feel good ending, because Akan gets what he deserves, but the lapse in logic is hard to ignore. 

The soundtrack is great. Each song in Hardcore Henry perfectly fits and compliments the scenes they’re used in. One of my top picks is, when Henry enters the brothel/strip club, and My Girl is playing in the club. 

Hardcore Henry is an inventive, fun, and completely bonkers action film for the super soldier sub genre. Hardcore Henry maintains a high level of energy, while moving at a frenetic pace, featuring brutal violence and bloody gore. There’s a good mix of humor and thrills, because Hardcore Henry is a movie that never takes itself too seriously. Sharlto Copley carries the load for a film that’s full of lively characters, also including Katya (Dasha Charusha) and  Olga (Svetlana Ustinova) as The Dominatrixes. And Hardcore Henry wraps up the movie with a satisfying ending after Akan and Estelle’s deaths.

There’s a voicemail from Jimmy during the credits. Jimmy asks Henry to do one more thing for him, but we’re closing in on ten years since the release of Hardcore Henry. Jimmy, Akan, and Estelle are dead, but there’s always more new adventures for Henry. Still, I think Jimmy’s voicemail was more of a way to slightly crack the door open for a possible sequel in the future, without having any concrete plans in place.

Rating- 8/10

Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

 

**This post contains spoilers** 

The Story- Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) reluctantly team up to protect Shaw’s sister and  MI6 agent, Hattie (Vanessa Kirby). Carrying a deadly virus, Hattie is pursued by Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a former MI6 agent and Eteon’s number one cybernetically enhanced operative. Eteon, a terrorist organization powered by advanced technology and weapons, plans to unleash the virus to fulfill their vision for an evolved future. 

Hobbs, Shaw, and Hattie will have to work together to defeat Eteon and Brixton. But the trio runs into a big problem, when their plans unravel during a botched mission at Eteon’s base in Ukraine. 

My Thoughts- The playful one-upsmanship and the banter between Johnson and Statham is truly the driving force behind Hobbs & Shaw. Johnson and Statham have undeniable chemistry together, and the split screen for Hobbs and Shaw’s morning routines was a nice touch. You’ll see some noticeable similarities between the two. But the differences are still clear, with Shaw being more sophisticated and polished, while Hobbs is more of a rugged, down to earth guy, who likes to flex his muscles. 

Brixton Lore leans too much on the cool bad guy (“I’m Black Superman!”) side of things at times, but Idris Elba is still a fantastic villain here. Yeah, all the fancy gadgetry and high tech accessories and weapons strengthens Brixton’s character, as this seemingly unstoppable and intimidating threat, but Elba has a strong presence. Elba’s impressive charisma and his confident performance as Brixton is one of the bigger highlights in the movie, truly a great choice for the main adversary to match the superstar duo of Hobbs and Shaw. 

Hattie Shaw is resourceful and fierce. Vanessa Kirby delivers a solid performance as Hattie, and Hattie’s sharp sarcasm is good for a few laughs. Ryan Reynolds brings his usual brand of snappy humor. I can’t think of too many actors, who could simultaneously explain the seriousness of a deadly virus being unleashed on the world with gory details, while also adding in comedic bits to the explanation, without undermining the severity of the situation. But Reynolds nailed the scene at the diner, when he tells Hobbs about the virus.

Kevin Hart makes the most of his brief screen time, with a few appearances as a spirited goofball. Eiza Gonzalez has a short role, but her character plays an important part in the story. Similar to Kevin Hart, Gonzalez doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but she still manages to make an impact as Madam M. And it’s always nice to see Helen Mirren reprise her role as Queenie. Eddie Marsan only has a handful of appearances as Professor Andreiko, but Marsan still delivers an impactful performance for an important character. 

The Rock makes an effort to bring some pro wrestling moments and references to Hobbs & Shaw. Hobbs’ People’s Eyebrow during a Face Time call with his daughter, Sam (Eliana Su’a), and Mateo (Joe Anoa’i/Roman Reigns) hits a Samoan Drop on an Eteon soldier, followed by a spear, complete with Reigns’ signature roar afterwards. 

Speaking of Reigns, I’m still wondering if he’ll make that big transition to Hollywood one day. Dave Bautista and Rock are the two big success stories for transitioning from pro wrestling to acting. Maybe Reigns will get a bigger role one day, and a chance to really show off what he can do.

The big final battle delivers a good amount of thrills, while proudly showcasing Johnson’s roots and his Samoan heritage. The irony of the supposedly superior and more technologically advanced Eteon suffering a decisive loss at the hands Hobbs, Shaw, Hattie, and the Samoans really works for a satisfying conclusion. In the end, Brixton and Eteon’s fancy technology couldn’t overcome teamwork, friendship, pure heart, and grit, easily dismantling Eteon’s beliefs about the weak and ineffective human race needing to confirm to their crazy ideas for a technological evolution.

Brixton has a sad ending. Before The Eteon Director decommissions Brixton, you can tell at one point in his life, Brixton was probably a good guy. He lost his way and was sucked into Eteon’s radical agenda, and Elba did a good job of selling Brixton’s confusion and disbelief. A loyal and dedicated solider for Eteon, who risked his life, but he was disposed of like yesterday’s trash, when he failed. Throughout the movie, Brixton is a seemingly unstoppable force, so he genuinely couldn’t believe in the possibility of losing to Hobbs and Shaw.

Hobbs & Shaw is predictable. You know at some point, Hobbs and Shaw will have to truly trust each other. They’ll have to put aside their differences, squash their big egos, and cohesive teamwork was the simple secret to defeating Brixton. Executing Hattie to stop the spread of the virus? I never believed it was a possibility, because there was no point in teasing so many close calls, unless they ultimately planned on Hattie surviving.

Still, Hobbs & Shaw is an enjoyable film, featuring hard hitting and slick action sequences. It’s a pure adrenaline rush, moving at fast pace, with the right amount of cheesiness. The runtime is close enough to three hours, but Hobbs & Shaw never drags. The casting is superb. Everyone in the main cast feels like the right fit for their personas, and Hobbs is a character that perfectly plays to The Rock’s strengths as an actor. 

Hobbs & Shaw is a fun and big over the top action blockbuster, complete with explosions and slow motion fight scenes, and happy endings. Hobbs buries the hatchet with his brother, Jonah (Cliff Curtis), he reconnects with his family, and Sam finally gets to meet her grandmother, Sefina (Lori Pelenise Tuisano). Hattie and Deckard visit Queenie in prison, fulfilling Queenie’s wish of seeing her children together as brother and sister again. Oh, and of course there’s a cliffhanger with Hattie and Deckard working together to help Queenie break out of prison. 

There’s a lot of material to work with for a sequel. We still don’t know the true identity for The Director Of Eteon. It’s only a distorted voice to keep the secret, and The Voice is quick to let Hobbs and Shaw know they’re not in the clear yet after Brixton’s death. 

Will Hattie and Hobbs become a couple? A romance between the two is constantly teased. Hobbs being romantically involved with Shaw’s sister is worth pursuing to see how Shaw will react. I do wonder if Vanessa Kirby would return for a sequel. A lot of potential with Hobbs, Shaw, and Hattie working together, with Hattie being the voice of reason or the peacemaker, when Hobbs and Shaw inevitably butt heads. 

Rating- 7/10