DALLAS —
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE
Hollywood moved up the weekend releases to Valentine's Day hoping to provide a movie date night. Spreading the love, none other than Bob Marley.
British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (one of the Kens in "Barbie") portrays Jamaica's reggae icon in the biopic, "One Love."
The film is a snapshot of his life. It starts in 1976, when a gang tried to assassinate him, and he escaped to London. It continues to 1978 when he returns home for his "One Love Peace Concert" where he managed to unite Jamaica's sparring political leaders. In between, he creates what's considered his greatest album, "Exodus."
You can tell Ben-Adir was determined to nail this one, though he's taller and more handsome than the real deal. He has his voice and mannerisms down pat, including his whirly-bird dance style (The same coach who helped Austin Butler become Elvis, helped him).
But somehow, the passion doesn't come through in the overall performance (Maybe it's that cannabis haze!). Bringing the passion and then some is Lashana Lynch as Marley's wife, Rita. When she scolds him for cheating and other failures, watch out!
Ziggy Marley is a producer on the film, along with Brad Pitt. There's no questioning the good intentions. But it makes me want to source Kevin MacDonald's 2012 documentary to immerse myself in the real deal.
(Paramount Pictures. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 44 mins. In Theaters Only)
MADAME WEB
Can Dakota Johnson trap you in her web? At least for a couple of hours?
The latest Sony/Marvel superhero movie is the origin story of "Madame Web."
Johnson plays Cassandra "Cassie" Webb, a paramedic who begins to experience clairvoyance. It can be handy but also confounding. Soon, she's on the subway and saves three teen girls from a man's attack (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor). Turns out, they're all destined to work together, likely in an upcoming movie, but I'm not sure this one has legs to continue.
To make sense of her own destiny, Webb digs into her late mother's memory chest and decides to trace her steps into the Amazon jungle. A pregnant mom was researching spiders when she died. As Cassie learns more, she recognizes a photo of her mother with the same man that's been stalking her back at home. And the tangled web is, at least, partly unwoven. (No post-credits scene, by the way)
I enjoy Johnson's free-spirited nature, but this one's tough to spin in a positive light. She doesn't have the power to carry the movie, and frankly, there’s not much there to carry. Sony/Marvel would be far better off pumping out more of their cash cow, that other Spidey, "Spider-Man."
(Sony Pictures. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 57 mins. In Theaters Only)
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