The Black Panther

It was good. Really good. But am I just on the cultural bandwagon, or was it really good? The plot follows the ascension to the throne of King T'Challa after the assassination of his father in the last Avengers installation. He is King of Wakanda, a central African country that has built amazing technology and prosperity based on having extensive vibranium resources from an ancient meteor strike. And all of this prosperity is kept secret (with vibranium based cloaking devices) from the world, making Wakanda one of the most isolationist countries in existence. With the vacant throne, there is talk about being more expansionist, and a cousin with a claim to the throne shows up.

What I particularly like about this film is pacing. With most action/comic movies, if I have time to think I am bored. Mostly because there is nothing to really think about. But here, the movie offers appropriate time to think, and to think about weighty cultural/political issues. What is the responsibility of the wealth to the global poor? Is it possible to be politically benevolent without striving for empire? What are the mechanisms to transmit cultural values from one generation to the next? How does the voice of the diaspora affect the thinking of those at home? Does a history of oppression and colonialization necessarily mean a future of the same? Can 'one side' unilaterally change the thinking of 'the other side'? The fact that I am asked to think about these things, and am given time during viewing to formulate thoughts well enough for them to stick is amazing. Add in to these important issues the fact that the film is full of action, cool tech with pretty good physics (love the Chladni figure title sequence) and superhero banter that made me laugh out loud and you really have a great film. This is what sci-fi is all about.
5 stars (out of 5)

The Fate of the Furious

#8 in the franchise and the formula has been optimized. Minimization of character depth, as always, seems to be a priority coupled with regular car action, intra-squad humorous bickering and deification of Vin Diesel. And since that is the known formula, we can't complain that the movie doesn't follow some other path, or achieve some other goal. It does what it sets out to do extremely well.  The story that ties this installment together finds Charlize Theron as the bad guy, blackmailing Diesel to work for her, against his team/family, to steal nuclear codes and a submarine. He does so with exceptional efficiency, purportedly causing confusion with his now former team/family. But as a viewer, there is never any real tension. We know that team/family is the ultimate priority and somehow everything will work out. And it is not a spoiler to reveal that it does. Because that is the final term in the formula.
3 stars (out of 5)

Step Sisters

Set on the campus of a fictional university, the greek system is clearly divided between sororities and black sororities. The black sororities have a long tradition of participating in Step competitions and shows and it is part of their historical/cultural pride as black students. Then a white sorority gets put on probation and is about to have its charter pulled. The solution (presented by the Dean) is to have his black, Harvard aspiring intern teach the white sorority girls how to Step and enter them into the school competition. How could anything go wrong? I love watching dance films like this, and usually there is a cultural appropriation plot device that is used to give the story tension and an arc. But I wonder about the message. Is cultural appropriation OK if it is approved of by the culture being appropriated? How many of those cultural representatives (people) need to approve? Or is the approval in this case only in the fact that a bunch of money was donated to a cultural center? Or is the normalization achieved when the mainstream (read white) newspaper praises the overall effort? Can a people own a culture, or does cultural evolution always push current members beyond their comfort zone? This was not a great film, by any means. But thinking gets a bump in my ratings.
4 stars (out of 5)

King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword

Charlie Hunan plays a reluctant Arthur. He is 'the born king', who was wisked away into exile when his mother and father were killed by his uncle (Jude Law), and the magic sword Excalibur is buried in a stone. Raised as a thief, his born leadership skills make him the chief thief, which gives him an 'army' of his own when the time comes to move the plot along. Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone, journeys on a path of discovery, and defeats his evil uncle. This is action only, through and through. No character has any depth beyond Arthur, and his only depth has been fully revealed in what is written here. The action is adequate at best. What may redeem this movie is the look. Colors and sets give us a particular style that is consistent, stark, and dramatic. But rarely does look alone make a good movie.
2 stars (out of 5)

Wonder

The story of a middle school kid (Auggie) going to school for the first time. He has been home schooled his whole life, primarily based on that fact that he has led a life of surgery and health problems. But now his body is up to the task, and apparently his parents think his psyche as well. The lifetime of surgeries have left his face deformed and scar-laden, which is perfect for a middle school bullying film. Auggie encounters his share of bullies, but also finds his share of friends. It is an up-and-down path as he discovers what it is like to be liked, hated, disappointed, and forgiving. Of course everything works out in the end and we all feel good about how we as viewers would surely be the friendly middle-school kids. Probably a good discussion film to watch with gradeschool kids, but too wrapped up and obvious for the older crowd. But I felt good in the end.
4 stars (out of 5)

Monster Trucks

I was in the mood for some silly diversion. This was definitely it. The plot is based on the local oil drilling company hitting a pocket of underground water, which releases some massive telepathic, octopi like, super intelligent creature to the surface. One of them takes residence in our protagonists pickup truck and functions as the engine. The symbiotic relationship that develops between monster and teen (spoiler alert) leads to the teen getting a girlfriend, the monster going home, the oil company getting shut down. And of course, the  monster in the truck is the conceit that leads to hilarious [must roll eyes when reading this sentence] hijinks. This is not a serious movie. This is an after school special that cost too much to actually sell as an after school special. But since I was looking for a silly diversion, I got exactly what I wanted. Based on that, I have to give it
3 stars (out of 5)

Proud Mary

Taraji P Henson plays a hit-woman working for a Boston crime family. Her connection to the family is more than just employment, but it is not clear if that relationship is familial or some form of indentured service. Likely it is both simultaneously and therein lies the drama. The plot for this film comes from a young boy that Henson lets live when she kills the father. She eventually takes in the boy and inadvertently starts a mafia turf war. Then she needs to clean up her mess and get herself and the boy out of Dodge. Unfortunately, this is not very engaging in its execution. So...
2 stars (out of 5)