'Space Jam: A New Legacy' is an exasperating disaster

The eagerly anticipated reboot, Space Jam: A New Legacy, makes the disappointing Ready Player One feel like a grounded masterpiece, and that's really saying something. Not unlike that movie, it's basically a 2-hour advertisement for Warner Brother's intellectual property, but it's even less subtle and more cynical than I could have possibly imagined for a money grab like this.

Not only does the film routinely name drop the name of its iconic studio, but it literally repurposes footage from old films to serve its relatively incomprehensible 'narrative.' In theory this could have been handled in a fun or thoughtful way but instead it's a never-ending stream of lame punchlines and references (M.C. Hammer, in 2021, really!?) that will be lost on certainly most young viewers.

The main attraction here should be LeBron James, the rare superstar athlete who is also likable, engaging and can be effective on camera -- but he is pretty much lost in this insanely overstuffed and seizure inducing movie. He's playing himself again, just like he did more successfully in the comedy Trainwreck, but unlike in that movie he's a humorless scold here -- when he's allowed to have a personality at all -- and he's saddled with a tired subplot as a dad whose too domineering when it comes to his son.

When he's not in animated form, he's left to deliver stilted dialogue abut fundamentals and 'putting in work' -- I was stunned that he didn't have a single line that made me smile or even chuckle. Is he a better, more natural actor than Michael Jordan, sure, but he's terribly served by this movie.

Meanwhile, a number of other celebs -- including slumming Oscar nominee Steven Yeun -- pop up for thankless roles that I suppose they accepted as a favor for LeBron? Worst of all is the great Don Cheadle, delivering perhaps his worst performance as the mustache twirling villain -- unbelievably named Al G. Rhythm.  Some of the broadness of the acting here is arguably forgivable in a kids movie but compared to Pixar films or a movie like Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse that actually have a narrative, this is an abomination. Even it's attempts to be meta and in on the joke (LeBron tries to pre-empt criticism of his performance with a line about athletes acting 'never goes well') fall terribly flat.

It's impossible to even appreciate the animation since everything on screen is an assault on your senses. There's a video game element that leads all sort of digital chaos on the screen and worst of all -- the 'crowd' attending the interminable big game finale -- is comprised entirely of overacting extras playing characters from the Warner Brothers catalogue -- even ones as incongruous as the killer clown from It and white walkers from Game of Thrones.

Who is this even for!?

I don't have a ton of special reference for the original. I was already aged out of its core audience when it came out in 1996, but this new iteration makes that one seem quaint and innocent by comparison. Both were product placement machines. Both cheapened the appeal of the great Warner Brothers cartoon characters (they're just annoying here, not even a little funny). But this one feels more exasperating and exhausting. Literally, at one point I paused it to see how much more was left and was appalled to realize i still had 35 MINUTES to go.

And there was still an embarrassing 'rap battle' sequence featuring Porky Pig still to go.

Luckily, I watched this at home on HBO Max and if you're temped to see it -- either because you love LeBron, or you have nostalgia for the original or like me just wanted to see if it was a bad as everyone is saying it is (it is) -- you should definitely at least skip seeing it in a theater. I hate to say this because I am a big LeBron fan -- but I want this movie to fail so they never make another one like it.

RIP Richard Donner: The man who made superhero movies legit

I guess to some extent we have Richard Donner to blame. Had his 1978 classic Superman failed we might never have seen big screen superhero epics emerge as the dominant cultural force they are. Still, the late filmmaker (he died yesterday at 91) didn't stop there. He reinvented 'cop' movies with his four Lethal Weapon films -- two of which are great. He also made a kid's film that is seminal for a whole generation and a modern holiday classic which has also become a cable TV staple around Christmas.

I remember seeing on Wikipedia that Donner was slated to direct a theoretical Lethal Weapon 5, which would have reunited the embattled to say the least Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. It seemed a little far fetched that this movie would happen but also its a tribute to Donner's longevity that I wouldn't have been shocked if it did indeed eventually get made.

Donner was widely beloved by his peers and his personal buoyancy clearly carried over into his best films. No one is going to rank him among the great auteurs but he knew how to make a crowd pleasing hit, that's fo sure. And although his career was not without it's share of failure -- 1982's The Toy is both one of the worst movies I've ever seen and one of the most racially insensitive -- he also left behind some films that are going to be viewed over and over again for decades, which is all any director could hope for. 

Here are my favorite films of his long and varied career:

The Omen - The movie that was Donner's breakthrough is sometimes overshadowed by the other great '70s horror film, The Exorcist. It treats its absurd premise -- the devil's spawn teams up with a psychotic nanny to wreak havoc -- with credibility and features a solid late career lead performance from Gregory Peck. A fun, fast-paced pop horror film.

Superman - Although the experience took a bad turn with his firing from Superman II, Donner's vision and execution of this movie is note perfect. He managed to wrangle Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman and turned Margot Kidder and especially Christopher Reeve into stars. A movie that works for every generation and is still arguably one of the high water marks of the genre.

Inside Moves - A smaller, more intimate film than Donner became known for features a very moving performance by the underrated John Savage as a physically disabled man who befriends a basketball player and finds a new lease on life. If this film had been better received commercially I'd be curious to know what direction Donner's career would have taken, but ultimately he was a blockbuster guy.

The Goonies - It took me longer to embrace this loud, raucous '80s kid comedy than most. It definitely wasn't a movie I grew up with (we were more of an Indiana Jones household) but now I see it's ramshackle charms. The movie is a bit of a mess and beyond ridiculous, but it's easy to see why kids can't get enough of it. It's the ultimate staying home from school and the parents aren't around movie.

Lethal Weapon - People don't realize what a gamble this movie was back in 1987. Danny Glover was best known for a dramatic role in The Color Purple and while the Mad Max films had a cult following here in the states, Mel Gibson was far from the A-list leading man he would become. The darkest entry in the series (Gibson is suicidal) and the most satisfying. It became the gold standard of mis-matched cop buddy movies.

Scrooged - It was an infamously troubled production and he clashed with star Bill Murray, but the result is an angry, unconventional holiday movie classic that showcases Murray when he was neck and neck with Eddie Murphy for the mantle of biggest comedy star in the world. I've learned over the years, it is definitely not for everyone's taste. But it's a really creative reboot of most iconic Christmas story ever.

Lethal Weapon 2 - Donner goes bigger and bolder with this victory lap of a sequel. Sometimes this one is conflated with the original -- but it adds more comedy, some Joe Pesci and some very nasty international villains ("Diplomatic immunity!"). The franchise would start to lose it's way a bit after this one, although all the films are fairly watchable. The dude knew how to shoot a good balls to the wall action sequence, that's for sure.

Exciting and unpredictable 'Zola' is a must-see

I knew going into the new movie Zola that it was based on an infamous, colorful Twitter thread and I'm glad I didn't read it until after I saw the film because it would have spoiled many of its twists and turns. 

If you were thinking of seeing the movie and have yet to read the Twitter thread, DON'T, because the movie is very faithful to the events as described by Aziah 'Zola' King.

The 'events' are a raucous and raunchy tour de force from director Janicza Bravo, who makes a bold directorial statement here, with a dynamite cast and a gorgeous looking dark comedy. It's easily the best movie I've seen this year so far.

Without spoiling to much -- it's about two strippers played by Taylour Paige (who steals the movie) and 

Riley Keough (who pulls off a very risky 'blaccent') who bond instantly after a chance meeting an embark on an epic 'hoe trip' to Florida to make some easy money. But things quickly spiral out of control, mostly thanks to Riley's character whose extracurricular activities put them in all sorts of uncomfortable positions.

It's all very free-spirited, explicit fun (there is a lot of full frontal male nudity), perfectly capturing the spirit of King's tweets, which are written in a delightfully unorthodox prose that provides the Twitter equivalent of a page turner.

The movie succeeds not only because it's crafted beautifully but also because the cast knocks it out of the park. Keough here is a sight to behold -- she fully immerses herself in her role and is surprisingly likable despite doing despicable things on-screen. Meanwhile, the charismatic and stylish Coleman Domingo delivers another one of what are become signature powerhouse performances as her roommate/former pimp. But Paige is the center of this movie and it should in a just world make her a major star.

She totally sells the physical aspects of the role, giving Jennifer Lopez a run for her money in the stripper scenes. But she also demonstrates phenomenal comic timing too. Sometimes with a single word or a single look she gets some of the movie's biggest laughs. And she makes what can often be the most thankless role -- the audience surrogate -- the best one.

In King's tweets, the 'Zola' character is not quite as sympathetic or passive, but that doesn't detract from the cinematic version at all. Paige is stunning, sarcastic and something special.

Zola is also a speedy little movie. It'll probably leave you with a few more questions than answers, but it's a testament to the movie that I immediately wanted to know more about King and the tweet thread that inspired the movie.

Curiously, the movie doesn't delve too deeply into issues of race. It's all there -- in Keough's affected voice, in a chilling peripheral scene where presumably a black suspect is getting tased on the side of the road. It simply trusts the audience to pick up on its themes of privilege and power. Which is remarkably refreshing. 

And while I doubt this is the kind of movie that will get love come awards time, I think it has a lot of potential with audiences.

'No Sudden Move' is a bit all over the map, but worth a stream

Don't get me wrong. It's a delight to see Steven Soderbergh back in action and in the crime genre where he's done such great work before. Unfortunately, his new film No Sudden Move doesn't have the sex appeal of Out of Sight, the precision of the Ocean's films or the unmitigated joy of Logan Lucky.

It looks fantastic -- like most Soderbergh films -- although I am not quite sure why it needed to be a period film but he evokes the '50s very effectively. He also has an incredibly stacked cast although too many actors like Bencio Del Toro and Jon Hamm aren't given enough material to play with. Don Cheadle sports a distracting, gravelly accent for no particular reason and David Harbour seems to be acting in a totally different, much funnier movie.

It's got too many characters and is narratively overstuffed but somehow claustrophobic at the same time.

But No Sudden Move's biggest problem is tone. It has some cool set pieces and style to spare but it is neither a drama nor a comedy. It's far too talky to call it an action film or a thriller and so it's kind of just a very dressed up little genre piece. 

I do think it's a notch above The Laudromat, one of his two recent Meryl Streep vehicles (I didn't get around to Let Them All Talk) but other than its jazzy Chinatown-esque score and dynamic cinematography it feels like it's lacking Soderbergh's distinct directorial stamp.

Its narrative is twisty enough but it takes far too long to make any kind of statement about what it wants to be about -- in a somewhat heavy handed cameo role played by Matt Damon -- and it just isn't very fun.

It's not a bad movie, mind you. And it mostly held my interest. I wish Julia Fox, such a scene stealer in Uncut Gems had more to do. Ray Liotta pops up and gives the movie a little juice but he also gets sidelined too quickly. The same goes for a revived Brendan Fraser.

It feels like it could be an HBO series instead of a single movie -- which is perhaps why it's fitting that it's available streaming on HBO Max, and I imagine it could grow on me some more after some repeat viewings (I did get a kick out of actor-director Bill Duke showing up as a badass heavy) but it doesn't feel as vital as much of Soderbergh's best work.

Still, it's a diverting enough two hours -- and you can appreciate it if nothing else for its craftsmanship. In many ways, it's an ideal movie to stay in and watch -- as it modest charms work well on the small screen.

In defense of 'Iron Man 2': It's not great but it's not so bad

There's a scene I wanna say about a third of the way through Iron Man 2 that is really fantastic. It comes after probably the only thrilling action scene in the movie -- a showdown between Mickey Rourke's Whiplash and Robert Downey Jr's iconic performance in the titular role. Rourke and Downey have a quiet, tense dramatic scene opposite each other in an empty cell.

Rourke's charisma and intensity overcome the somewhat silly Russian accent and there's something electric about seeing these two legendary character actors in the midst of their dramatic comebacks (although Rourke's would be much more shortlived) as Hollywood stars. Unfortunately the dramatic stakes set up in this scene are never fully realized as the overstuffed sequel pushes Rourke to the margins and suffers from to much table setting for future installments.

The film. from the beginning feels like half a victory lap for the original Iron Man film from two years earlier, which is understandable because it was such a game-changer and turned Robert Downey, Jr. into an A-list superstar very unexpectedly in his 40s.

He's in cruise control here as the smug but still likable Tony Stark. There seem to be a couple attempts to add complexity to his character -- they dip a toe into alcholism and suggest his physical health is dramatically deteriorating but there isn't a lot of momentum behind the narrative because it's so patched together.

For instance, why start your superhero movie with a far too long sequence set at a Senate committee hearing. It's fun to see Gary Shandling in this movie, don't get me wrong -- but it goes on way too long.

Then there's the inclusion of Scarlett Johansson -- playing a way too sexualized version of her Black Widow character (they wouldn't figure out how to use her character until far later) and Samuel L. Jackson playing Nick Fury a bit like Jules Winfield in Pulp Fiction.

None of these actors are phoning it in per se. For instance, Sam Rockwell is a lot of fun as a nerdy wannabe Tony Stark (Guy Pearce would do a different take on a similar character in Iron Man 3). And I think Don Cheadle is definitely as upgrade on Terrence Howard as War Machine, although they also didn't figure out how to use him effectively until several movies later.

It's kind of wild watching the movie now when we've seen how much the Marvel universe has grown and how much better these films got at integrating their mythology while not sacrificing a compelling and coherent narrative.

As it stands now Iron Man 2 is a bit of a well-intentioned failure. But I don't hate it as much as many others do. Some of this comes from my affection for Rourke, one of my favorite actors and also, one of the most frustrating. Had he be given more of a fleshed out backstory and had he be given a chance to establish himself as a real key antagonist opposite RDJ, that could have been something.

Instead there are some nice moments here in there is a bit of a mess.

Pride: Recommendations for under-represented LGBTQ cinema

Things are getting better when it comes to LGBTQ representation at the movies but barely. Hollywood has long been horribly unkind to the community or simply ignored them entirely. I will be the first to admit that I still have a lot to learn and be exposed to when it comes to LGBTQ culture on film but in honor of Pride Month (and really every month of the year) I wanted to give a shout out to some favorite films of mine with LGBTQ themes and plotlines. 

In some cases the so-called gay subplots are not the entire thrust of the film, which is totally fine, sometimes it emerges as a theme and in other cases sexual identity is integral to a film's appeal

Moonlight - One of those rare movies that I went into rather cold -- was swept away and blown away by it's graceful and loving portrait of a young man coming to grips with his own life and sexual identity -- and I left thinking 'that was a masterpiece.' My impression has not been shaken since, I think it's a seminal work of art that deserved even more accolades than it got.

Paris Is Burning - One of my favorite documentaries of all time and also one of the most influential. It perfectly captures the joy and freedom of ball culture in New York City circa the 1980s while also chronicling the dark shadow of HIV/AIDs and transphobia which looks like a shadow over everything. An important American classic.

The Times of Harvey Milk - The Sean Penn dramatic film is quite good but this documentary is superior because it gives you even more of a sense of the man and the people who loved him. Some incredibly moving stuff here -- it's hard to walk away from this movie without being deeply affected by the tragedy and the inspiration of this man.

Bound - The Wachowskis breakthrough film features a very sexy but also very sincere lesbian love affair at its center. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon have great chemistry together in this twisty thriller. It could have been a cheap exploitation picture but the Wachowskis give their relationship time to breathe and simmer.

Call Me By Your Name - Armie Hammer's unfortunate off-screen exploits aside, this is a gorgeous slow burn of a heartbreaker. Come for Hammer and Timothy Chalemet's roller coaster courtship and stay for Michael Stuhlbarg's heart-stopping monologue during the movie's denouement. One of the most quietly devastating last shots in movie history.

Cruising - Time has been kinder to this film about a cop who goes undercover in the LGBT club scene to catch a serial killer. What's problematic about this film has become fascinating with time and it also legit works as a scary, atmospheric thriller. A film that is really worth of reappraisal.

Booksmart - A thoroughly modern comedy with two note-perfect performances from Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. Dever's storyline, which involves a budding, awkward romance with a female classmate is handled so hilariously and yet delicately that it should serve as a blueprint for all youth comedies going forward.

Other People - A wonderful debut from writer-director Chris Kelly provides the always terrific Jesse Plemons with one of his greatest roles. He plays a gay man caring for his ailing mother (played by a phenomenal Molly Shannon) and must grapple with a father who has shunned him for years. A throwback to the emotionally fulfilling work of James L. Brooks.

Dog Day Afternoon - An ahead of its time LGBT-themed movie (based on a true story no less) doesn't deny the humanity of its characters and takes a larger than life premise (a bank robbery to finance a sex change operation) grounded in human relationships and complexity. It's also one of Pacino's best and most subtle performances.

Mulholland Drive - In the midst of David Lynch's twisted Hollywood noir is a very steamy and sensual romance between Laura Elena Harring and Naomi Watts. At first it's a very traditionally titillating coupling but as the movie's secrets begin to reveal itself as something far more raw and powerful. An unforgettable movie and an iconic relationship.

My favorite remakes (where I've definitely seen the original)

I just recently watched Richard Linklater's solid but also non-essential 2005 remake of the classic 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears. A lot works about the new version, while he's doing nothing new -- Billy Bob Thornton is fun in the lead and Greg Kinnear makes for an especially insidious antagonist. But it doesn't do what the best remakes do, which is improve on the original in new and interesting ways.

Perhaps that was not Linklater's intent, as he no doubt felt nostalgia and affection for the original film and felt it's feel-good underdog story didn't need much updating. So why remake it? It's a bit of a curio in an impressively eclectic filmography. 

There are so many great remakes -- Hollywood wouldn't keep making them if they were always creatively bankrupt. There are several where I can't make an honest comparison because I haven't seen the original (like The Departed and Insomnia) and others where I am pretty much certain they're greater than the inspiration even though I can't honestly say I haven't seen the first version like Heat vs. L.A. Takedown).

Ocean's Eleven - The original is less a movie than a mood -- it's the one movie that features the entire Rat Pack on screen together and in that sense it's historic, but it also feels disjointed as if every superstar sort of breezed through and shot their scenes between sets, which very well may have been the case. The Soderbergh remake is the real classic because it's cohesive, clever and the epitome of a very specific kind of cool. The series made George Clooney and icon and in some ways re-energized the careers of some of its stars.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers - The 1950s original is actually legitimately creepy -- especially it's mad panic of ending -- but the '70s version uses superior special effects and even better cast to weave a truly unforgettable spell. One of the decades great paranoid movies with a brilliant gut punch of an ending.

True Grit - The Coen brothers wisely shifted the focus of their remake of a John Wayne film on its female protagonist (as is the case with the original novel) and came out with a much more emotionally engaging and effective film. It's a rare across the board blockbuster for them in part because it's sneaky sentimental.

Sorcerer - The movie that inspired this 1977 masterpiece is also widely viewed as a masterpiece -- The Wages of Fear. William Friedkin's film ups the stylization a bit, has a big budget and a synthy score, but otherwise they're pretty close. I think Sorcerer just works better because at points it feels like a documentary, in the best way.

A Star Is Born - While the 1954 version might just be the best -- I am still a big fan of the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga remake. It felt very alive -- particularly in the musical performances which were raw and moving. I feel like there's been a backlash to film for some reason, and I haven't revisited it recently, but I remember it as a special film.

A Fistful of Dollars - A Westernized version of Akira Kursosawa's cool as a cucumber Yojimbo works only because Clint Eastwood is very bit the charismatic lead that Toshiro Mifune is. It's fun to see how director Sergio Leone tweaks Kurosawa's samurai saga ever so slightly to make to make it work in a new genre.

Let Me In - I know this amounts to blasphemy in many quarters, but I actually like the American version of Let the Right One In better -- eek-- don't hate me. Director Matt Reeves made a faster paced and more viscerally satisfying version of a very bittersweet horror film.

Scarface - A vulgar, grotesque and gory update on Howard Hawks' 1932 genre breakthrough -- it's definitely not for everyone's tastes but I love it to death. Al Pacino, gloriously chewing scenery, gets to go places that the great Paul Muni just could go and director Brian De Palma does a deliriously good job of capturing the decade and mayhem of drug culture.

Cape Fear - I've already written about this but the 1991 Scorsese film benefits from a lack of censorship and a decidedly more complex take on the material. That doesn't mean the original 1962 film isn't a lot of noir fun, it is, but Scorsese's film makes a more lasting impression for a reason.