Now Playing

 

While violent storms were dominating the theater, we got a couple of smaller releases on streaming. Below are my thoughts on this week’s new releases. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

My Spy: The Eternal City (Prime Video)
Starring: Dave Bautista, Ken Jeong, Chloe Coleman, Anna Faris, Flula Borg, and Kristen Schaal
Synopsis: This is a sequel to an original comedy about a CIA Agent (Bautista) who bonded with a young girl (Coleman) while on assignment. You’d be forgiven for not remembering the original because it was released during the pandemic in 2020 and also wasn’t very good. Nevertheless, we get a sequel here that returns Bautista and Coleman along with original film stars Jeong and Schaal. J.J. (Bautista) is now officially Sophie’s (Coleman) stepfather, and they still have a bond. But her entering into puberty has somewhat changed the nature of their relationship. While chaperoning a school trip to Europe, things go off the rails. Soon, Sophie has to dive into the spy world to help J.J. and his team recover her kidnapped friend and stop a terrorist plot. Comedy ensues, or at least that’s what they’d have you believe. I like Bautista as a performer, and he’s shown some talent for comedy. This franchise doesn’t make the best use of his talents, nor does it make the best use of the rest of the cast. The plot is predictable, the jokes are boring, and the action sequences do little to capture your attention. This is a forgettable two hours in every way.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence/action, some strong language, suggestive references, teen drinking, and a nude sculpture.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Skywalkers: A Love Story (Netflix)
Synopsis: We get all kinds of stories in documentaries. It’s a way to learn more about people, their passion, and the world. The best documentaries thrill, entertain, and tell you about something—or someone—you never knew about. That’s how I felt about Skywalkers, which takes us into the world of rooftoppers. As someone afraid of heights, this is a world foreign to me. In fact, truth be told, some of the footage captured by director Jeff Zimbalist and these climbers was enough to make me ill. But this is a beautiful story of two people—Angela and Vanya—who find something in each other that pushes them to new heights, and a partner for their journey through life. It’s beautiful, and their feats were daring. I enjoyed this documentary a great deal and I think it’s more than worth checking out for those who are fans of good stories.
Rating: Rated R for language.
Verdict: Four stars out of five

Twisters (Theaters)
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos
Synopsis: We all have movies that just work for us. For me, one is Twister. I remember seeing the film in theaters when I was in high school, and I’ve seen it dozens of times in the nearly 30 years since. I loved the story and the execution. It’s one of my favorite films of all time. So, when I heard there was going to be a sequel—or at least another film sharing the name and cinematic space—I was nervous. The original was never a film I thought needed a sequel and I was skeptical it could live up to my affection for the original. And yet, this new film from director Lee Isaac Chung manages to charm and thrill, just as you’d hope from this type of film. In the new film, we begin with Kate (Edgar-Jones), a young meteorology student who has a theory that she can stop a tornado in its tracks. She’s on the cusp of testing it out with her best friends (Ramos, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, and Nik Dodani). They head into the heart of the storm to test her theory and it doesn’t go as planned. Five years later, Kate is now plying her skills in a weather service office in New York. When her old pal Javi (Ramos) shows up with a plan to better map tornados and save lives, he cajoles her back to Oklahoma. As they prepare to head into the field for data, they come across scores of storm chasers and storm enthusiasts. Chief among them is Tyler Owens (Powell), a YouTube star who has made a reputation with his brash chases. Kate is put off by Tyler at first, but it turns out they have more in common then she first realized, while Javi has been less than forthcoming about his new venture. Can Kate overcome her past and finally realize her dream? If you’ve seen films like this, you know how this is going to go. A film like Twisters isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. And the journey here is at times thrilling at times fun, and always interesting. That’s a credit to Chung and writer Mark L. Smith, who delivers a script that captures on the idea, in ways pays tribute to the original, but makes it clear this is a film that wants to do its own thing. In the years since Twister, we’ve seen plenty of films about big storms. They rise and fall based on the story, the characters, and the production. This film succeeds because it puts those things first. The technology has come a long way since 1996, so as expected the storms and spectacle here are bigger. But this film doesn’t rely on its special effects, it focuses on the characters and the emotional resonance in the story. Ramos, Edgar-Jones, and Powell are great as the leads. Each has their moments, and their back-and-forth throughout the film is fascinating. In fact, based on where this goes and how it wraps up, I wouldn’t even mind a return to this world, which is something I didn’t expect heading in. This film knows what it is and doesn’t try to do too much. If you enjoyed the original or enjoy disaster films, you’ll have fun here. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised by the way this film comes together. This is the kind of ride we want during the summer, and this is well worth checking out on the big screen.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language and injury images.
Verdict: Four stars out of five