Now Playing

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Fantastic Four
Starring: Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, and Toby Kebbell
Synopsis: It takes a lot to make a good film. There is so much that goes into the filmmaking process that, often, it feels unfair to simply judge the finished project. That’s what makes films that feel like failures fascinating. One of my favorite behind-the-scenes documentaries is the making of “Jaws.” Steven Spielberg, at the time, was a young, unproven filmmaker. He was handed this mammoth undertaking and put under incredible pressure. The film had to be finished before a looming writers’ strike, among other obstacles. And nearly from the start, nothing went right. So Spielberg and his cast improvised. Forty years later, “Jaws” stands as an iconic cinematic achievement, and Spielberg is revered. But when you watch the making of the film, you come to see that most of the moments and decisions that made it a classic were born of failure. I couldn’t help but think of that when watching “Fantastic Four.” This film — a re-boot of the franchise that originally bowed in 2005 — isn’t good. In fact, it’s been trashed by critics and audiences alike. And part of that is due to director Josh Trank, who tweeted his frustration with this film before it was even released. When you watch the finished product, it would be easy to just dismiss it as misguided or a failure. But if you watch it through a different lens, it merely feels incomplete. When you watch “Fantastic Four” it’s impossible not to analyze it. Rarely does a movie get picked apart from within and outside prior to its release. So it’s natural to watch it with a curiosity about what went wrong. And if you watch it through that lens, you can see where the film abruptly changes. Reports indicate the studio did re-shoots to give a more action-oriented conclusion. And that’s obvious when watching the film. It’s also obvious that part doesn’t work at all. It’s abrupt, inconsistent in terms of tone and poorly conceived. The majority of this film feels like a slow burn that’s a re-imagining of these characters. In fact, it feels like the kind of take on this story that would have worked better as a 10-episode cable series — similar to what was done with “Daredevil” on Netflix. The film is called “Fantastic Four” but these characters don’t really ever become the Fantastic Four until the credits roll at the end of the film. Instead, it feels like this film was moving toward an interesting exploration of who these young scientists are and a bit of an exploration on how our government might treat people with these kind of abilities. Just about the point you’re invested in what might happen with these characters, the film jumps to an abbreviated resolution. That has its own problems. One of the biggest problems with the abbreviated conclusion — the film is only 100 minutes, far shorter than recent superhero films — is the lack of character construction for Kebbell’s Doom. He needs to be a strong villain, but his arc is nearly non-existent. When he shows up again at the end, it doesn’t fit with the rest of the film, and the final showdown consequently lacks drama. “Fantastic Four” isn’t terrible film, it just feels like an incomplete film. I was somewhat drawn to the early part and curious to see what it would be, but confused by the re-shaped finish. It’s just a swing-and-a-miss and a chance to wonder what might have been.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Ricki and the Flash

Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Rick Springfield, and Mamie Gummer

Synopsis: Jonathan Demme has had a fascinating and varied career. He's directed Oscar winning movies, including one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time in "Silence of the Lambs," and smaller indie films. But all of his films have something appealing about the characters that draws you in. "Ricki and the Flash" is no different. The film — from writer Diablo Cody ("Juno," "Young Adult") — is about an aging rocker, Ricki (Streep), who gave up connection with her family to pursue her dreams. When her daughter (Gummer) goes through a rough patch, Ricki gets a second chance to be in the lives of her grown children, and make amends with the family she left behind. This isn't the kind of movie you expect to see during the summer. But it's a well made story that has some fascinating beats and performances. Streep seems to gracefully slide into whatever role she's given, and that's true of this movie. She seems natural as an aging rocker, bringing plenty of charisma to the musical performances. And she is equally powerful in the awkward scenes where she tries to connect with her children. I thought this was a fascinating and engrossing film that was worth the price of admission. It was also a welcome change from the explosions and superheroes that seem to dominate the summer season.

Rating: PG - 13 for thematic material, brief drug content, sexuality and language.

Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, August 14 - "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "Straight Outta Compton," "Return to Sender," "Underdogs"

Friday, August 21 - "Hitman: Agent 47," "American Ultra"

Friday, August 28 - "Sinister 2," "Regression," "We Are Your Friends"