TEXAS, USA —
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Where's Joe Mangienello when you need him?!
Why am I asking that? The hunky actor is a huge Dungeons & Dragons fan, hosting other celebrities for role-playing parties. I, on the other hand, have never played the game and know little about it, so I felt at a disadvantage screening a movie based on it.
But they do a decent job laying on the broad appeal.
Chris Pine uses his own good looks and charm as the lead, Edgin Darvis. He's a good guy who got caught stealing from a really bad guy. He and best friend, barbarian Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) are imprisoned but break out.
There's been a tragedy with Edgin's wife, so they set out to find a tablet that might reverse it. Meantime, Hugh Grant, who was an original member of their merry band, is now a really rich guy in a castle and has raised Edgin's daughter as his own.
And I can't leave this bit of casting out: Rege Jean Page of "Bridgerton" fame, plays a ridiculously earnest knight they employ along the way.
This is a nicely done fantasy adventure, though other than D&D players hunting for easter eggs, I'm not sure who it's for. Not silly enough for young ones, not sophisticated enough for action/adventure fans. It lies squarely in the middle, like a game board.
(Paramount Pictures. Rated PG-13. Running Time 2 hrs. 14 mins. In Theaters Only - debuted at 'South by Southwest')
A THOUSAND AND ONE
I can't get this little movie out of my head.
The first-time feature by writer/director A.V. Rockwell won a Grand Jury prize at Sundance. It's about a young woman in 1990s New York, fresh out of Rikers Island jail. Her son was left in foster care. When she finds out he's been injured, it's her chance to kidnap him from the hospital, change his identity and raise him herself.
Meantime, she reconnects with a boyfriend, and they build a family unit as the gentrification of New York goes on around them. (A thousand and one is their apartment number.)
Multi-talented artist Teyana Taylor stars as the mother in a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. The emotions are raw, and the stakes are high in this excellent film.
(Focus Features. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 57 mins. In Theaters Only)
SPINNING GOLD
On the other end of the spectrum is this vanity project about Neil Bogart, 1970s record producer and co-founder of Casablanca Records. It's a love letter from his son Timothy Scott Bogart, who wrote and directed it. And it's a case of being too close to the project to notice its problems. The first is having Jeremy Jordan, who plays the lead, break the fourth wall over and over again.
The subject itself is fascinating. Casablanca made hitmakers out of the likes of Gladys Knight, the Isley Brothers, the Village People, Donna Summers and KISS. The story of KISS alone would have been enough for a film, but this goes deeply into the personal life of Bogart, too, and no one really cares.
The film is a broken record in the literal sense. Too bad.
(Hero Partners. Rated R. Running Time 2 hrs. 17 mins. In Theaters Only)
TETRIS
Looking for a solid streamer?
Taron Edgerton continues to show what a fearless and versatile actor he is. I love the guy.
In "Tetris," he plays Henk Rodgers, an entrepreneur who saw an early demo of the video game at a trade show. He risked everything, including his life savings, and set out to snatch up the rights for his own small company. The game was invented in the Soviet Union during the waning days of the Cold War.No problem. Rodgers went over there personally to try to outsmart some would-be investors with bigger pockets. With the KGB on his tail, he refused to be daunted. Single-minded? Absolutely. Naive? Maybe so.
But this true underdog story has so much intrigue and is so cleverly played, we are right there rooting for him all the way.
(Apple Original. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 58 mins. Streaming on Apple TV+ - debuted at 'South by Southwest')
MURDER MYSTERY 2
Who doesn't love Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.
They teamed up together in the original "Murder Mystery," and it was NETFLIX's biggest hit of 2019. So, of course, there's a sequel.
In "Murder Mystery 2," Audrey and Nick have set aside their careers as hair stylist and police officer to launch their own detective agency. Why wouldn't they, after they solved all those murders in Europe four years ago! The couple is invited to the wedding of the Maharaja from the last movie. He gets kidnapped, and like last time, everyone's a suspect. All roads lead to Paris, because, why wouldn't they!
Honestly, these two are so easy together, I'd rather a little less action and more of them just being silly. But at a breezy hour and a half, it's a nice way to spend time with your favorite 'friend' ... and her good friend.
(NETFLIX. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 29 mins. Streaming on NETFLIX)
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