Author: Keith Stevenson

Based on the true events of the Agojie, an African legion of female warriors who protected their families and land from the ruthless slavers of the surrounding areas, “The Woman King” brings to life these powerful women to the big screen with some wonderful action sequences and an exquisite narrative on empowerment, family, and standing up to oppression no matter what the cost is. With a stellar cast and crew, “The Woman King” is a sweet and ferocious film that should not be overlooked.

This film allows director Gina Prince-Blythewood (her “Love and Basketball” has the honor of being released by the Criterion Collection) to showcase both sides of her creative endeavors. Her extraordinary ability to tell a soft and tender side of human nature and love while also revealing the true horrors of humanity with some gritty and well-executed action sequences that are all built around amazing performances from her cast including Viola Davis, John Boyega (Star Wars), Lashana Lynch, and Thuso Mbedu. The screenplay from Dana Stevens and her writing partner and actress Maria Bello gives ample time across its two-hour run time to explore each character with their struggles to survive and empower their families.

The Agojie were a real faction of strong, powerful women that protected their land and families, similar to the Dora Milaje from Black Panther or even the Amazons in Wonder Woman. Inside the African Kingdom of Dahomey, the leader named Ghezo (Boyega) has taken over where he must face two groups of people who have allied with European slavers in the 1800s. His army is the Agojie who is led by General Nanisca (Davis) who will do anything to protect their people and home. As a giant battle is brewing, Nanisca is training the new generation of warriors, one of which holds a secret about her past that might form a connection between the two of them.

Blythewood perfectly balances the action and chaos with scenes of tenderness and love between Nanisca’s tribe. The hierarchy of her world with their traditions are given areas to breathe that educate on what life was like back then in this part of the world. Attention to detail in the costumes and what happened in history make the moving parts of this story really shine since Maria Bello came up with the story when she traveled to this part of the world and toured the actual place where the Agojie set up shop.

“The Woman King” truly breaks the mold though with its incredible performances from Davis, Boyega, and everyone else involved. Not only do their physical performances turn into greatness, but their quieter moments of dialogue and true determination in empowering the new generation of fighters come across on screen flawlessly. It’s a great underdog story full of heart and emotion along with some exquisite action beats, all of which have that emotional heft with stakes that make the characters worth caring for. The Woman King is one hell of a great time that is full of inspiring moments and wonderful performances. I happen to enjoy it more at home than at the theater. No doubt I was tired. Very surprised it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. Very Highly Recommended! Five stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Over the years there have been films/shows about talking animals but a singing crocodile? Would that really work?  Well…why not? First, make the large, green creature timid and sweet, give him a fantastic voice, and finally, throw in some original songs by one of the best music writing teams in the last decade.  That is the formula for a great movie and the idea behind this year’s Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.  With a terrific cast, upbeat, pop tunes, excellent visual effects, and a teen idol, pop star (Shawn Mendes) to be the “voice” of Lyle, the movie was bound to be successful.  And when I learned that Javier Bardem was in this film, I knew then it would be special.

Discovered in a cage in the back of an exotic pet store, the singing crocodile was given the name, Lyle,  by his new owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem; No Country For Old Men).  A showman by trade, Hector sees Lyle as an opportunity for fame and fortune.  However, after training and practicing for their big audition, Lyle suddenly has a case of stage fright and can’t perform.  Having put his house up as collateral, Hector is forced to leave Lyle alone in the attic while he tries to make some money.  While Hector is gone, a new family movies into the house with no idea that there is a giant, singing crocodile living upstairs.

Bardem offers audiences an opportunity to see a whole other side of himself.  As a dramatic actor, he can move an audience but as a singing and dancing comedic actor, he surprises viewers with how good he can be.  Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) also reinvents herself showcasing her theater background by dancing and singing right alongside a crocodile.  Winslow Fegley (Come Play), the young brother of August and Oakes, is excellent as the young boy who discovers Lyle in the attic and befriends him.

Unlike many CGI characters, Lyle looks outstanding in 1080p resolution.  It is obvious the time and care was taken to create him was worth all the effort as his CGI presence doesn’t appear to distract the view in any way, shape, or form.  The color palette is bright and abundant enticing younger audiences to want to watch it over and over again.

While the visuals are excellent, the DtS-HD Master Audio 5.1 doesn’t fare quite as well.  Mendes has a distinct vocal sound and quality and most of the time that shines through, but there are one or two songs that sound muffled.  Otherwise, the dialogue and music are of decent quality offering much of what one would expect from this level of film.

There is a small amount of supplemental material and some are with watching, others could be watched once and be done with them.  Extras include: Sing-Along Songs, Storytime with Shawn Mendes & Javier Bardem, Deleted Scene, Croc, and Roll Take a Look at Us Now -The Cast, and Music Videos.

Based on a children’s book, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile was a solid choice to adapt to film, and today’s technology allows for creating something entertaining without looking cheap.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have the current ‘it’ musical team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman) pen some original songs for the film.  They are known for more upbeat, pop-sounding fare, and the songs in this movie are more of the same.  And when you have Shawn Mendes lending his vocal talent to that mix, you end up with a winning soundtrack that audiences could sing along with.

If you have young children at home, this is a no-brainer – go out and buy it today! Fun for the entire family. I thought the film was great! Three stars out of five. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Ride or die! Heh-heh!  “Bullet Train” is basically John Wick on a train with a crazy cast of characters and falls into the more cartoony way of movies. There’s plenty of violence to go around, an awesome amount of gore, and some extremely funny lines and characters. It reminds me of “John Wick 3” in particular with similar production notes such as the abundance of colors and the well-choreographed fighting scenes. The Blu Ray picture and sound is nothing short of astounding! Bright neon colors are present from the start as intense purples, greens, blues, yellows, reds, and even pinks strike-through to make each train car look excellent. Flashback sequences go from a warm, orange-tinted look to a remarkable and blue-ish streak. Wardrobe colors, the big city lights at night, and the LED lighting of the train car interiors all look bold and full of life. It was truly a joy to behold.

This Blu Ray has an excellent Dolby Digital track! The sound effects are boisterous, robust, and continuously loud. These noises are nuanced and well-balanced in each speaker which flows smoothly in transitional sounds. Gun blasts, the fast traveling train herself, fight choreography, and glass bottles being broken all sound wonderful Explosions pack a loud punch as well. The low end of bass is booming with a smooth yet intense rumble that never has a rocky feel. The score and song cues are pitch-perfect that keep the film centered in its fun and entertaining atmosphere. The dialogue is always clean, clear, and easy to follow with no problems. The height speaker brings those sound effects from overhead, whether it be bullets flying by, rain, debris and body parts falling from above, and more. I really enjoyed watching this film! The Blu Ray is very well produced. 

Director David Leitch co-directed the original John Wick (which clearly shows) film which led to him making “Atomic Blonde,”  :Hobbs and Shaw” and “Deadpool 2” (which I enjoyed more than the 1st film!). Leitch even was a heavy-handed producer on “Nobody” as well. If those movies were all mixed together and blended into a high-octane cocktail, the result would be “Bullet Train.”  An intricate world of assassins, a deadly mission, brutal fight choreography, and a comedic and cartoony take on the action all make up this film. And the great thing is, that all these elements have congealed together to make this a blast of a viewing experience. The performances are energetic with wry humor and witty dialog. You’ll almost have to view it twice to appreciate the wry humor. It may strike the novice viewer as strange on the first viewing. 

“Bullet Train” is set on a high-speed modern train where a group of assassins is all tasked with retrieving a briefcase that belongs to an infamous yakuza boss. Nobody realizes other assassins are on the train at first, but as soon as eye contact is made, the violence ensues in bar cars, passenger cars, and even on the outside of the train. With a cast list that stars Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. “Bullet Train” could easily get lost in the star power. But this script allows some unique personalities to collide, all made accessible through the psychology and personality traits of Thomas the Tank Engine. Yes. that’s right! It’s easy to see where films like “Snatch,” “Kill Bill” and even animated shows heavily influenced the style of the movie with their “in-your-face” camera swoops and pans, along with graphics that display character names on the screen. A trademark of Michael Bay as well. Not only that, the breaking-the-fourth wall that is so popular in “Deadpool”  also peaks its head out from time to time. “Bullet Train” can feel a little tiresome in parts when the film often cuts back to tell a story from the past. It disrupts the film’s flow here and there, but when the action is once again centered on the train, the pace instantly picks back up. In its meta way, the characters make it all self-aware of these flashbacks and how boring they can be.

Finally, everyone here is performing at the top of their game and having the time of their lives cutting it all up on set. Pitt is believable as a violent assassin when he needs to be and quickly turns on the comedic charm every chance he gets. Johnson and Henry are the true stars of the film though with their budding relationship and volatile personalities. And of course, Joey King is always a joy to watch on screen as she changes her chameleon-like emotions with whoever she shares the screen with. Leitch has conjured up a super-fun time at the movies with an A-List cast. “Bullet Train” is enthusiastic, crazy, and a surprisingly amazing time. It’s violent, comedic, and an all-around great time. Let’s all hope there are sequels. Highly Recommended!