Renewed Musings - Gilbert Gottfried

Gilbert at a Comedy Central Roast

This has been a rough year for stand up comics. We lost the Amazing Johnathon, Bob Saget, Louie Anderson, Norm Macdonald, Estelle Harris, and now Gilbert Gottfried all since September. And I wanted to highlight Gilbert Gottfried.

Gilbert Gottfried was one of the most underrated comedians. On stage. In movies. On TV. He just never got to the level he was talented enough for. But let's talk about what high points he had... maybe introduce you to some of the awesome things he was a part of and maybe some memories I have.

Let's start with Saturday Night Live. Did you know Gilbert Gottfried was a cast member? Not many people do. And it is because he wasn't on there very long. He was part of that infamous Season 6 cast from 1980. After Lorne Michaels originally left the show. It was infamous because the original cast was gone... the Showrunner was gone... and it had no real direction. It only had one stand out... Eddie Murphy. And we know how his career turned out. During this run, Gilbert never used the shrill voice he is known for. And while I have seen some good bits from Gilbert during his 12 episode run, he has mentioned one segment where he played a Corpse was a low point in his career. Too bad we really didn't get the Gottfried/Murphy collab we all wanted... or did we?

We did! 1987, Eddie Murphy sequel, Beverly Hills Cop II. And we got one amazing scene stealer from Gilbert. And... after that, we did get Gilbert in some great roles. Mr. Peabody in all 3 Problem Child movies(and the animated series). Look Who's Talking Too. With that voice, how would you forget Gilbert Gottfried?

That voice... was perfect for voice over work. And... he milked it! Rightfully so. Bit parts ranging from the Howie Mandel classic Bobby's World and Beavis & Butthead... to Mr. Mxyzptlk in Superman the Animated Series and various other DC animated properties... to Dr. Bender in Fairly Oddparents... Kraang Sub-Prime in the Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show... and the voice work he is most known for: Iago the Parrot in ANYTHING associated with Disney's Aladdin. Robin Williams made Aladdin as great as it was, but Gilbert made Iago a lasting character. How did Gilbert get to be a beloved children's icon?

The creepy Jewish uncle... wow.

Another iconic "series" that Gilbert Gottfried was a part of was "USA Up All Night". It was a Saturday late night treat showing B Movies, mostly B Horror movies. Think Svengoolie, but with a better host and as much skin as they were allowed to show from Sexploitation films(edited of course). Of course, Gilbert wasn't the only host... Rhonda Shear became a host as well. Duckman was also part of this block of programming. USA Up All Night made me realize a movie didn't have to be a blockbuster to be great, and so many underrated films slip through the cracks. This block was also how I saw the Swamp Thing movie for the first time...... and I think it is what led to the USA Network Swamp Thing series. So many nights watching Swamp Thing with my uncle... it was one of my favorite series. And... I tie both Gilbert Gottfried and Rhonda Shear to that.

Gilbert Gottfried on stage was amazing. He had that voice he was known for... and the iconic "I can't stop looking at the sun" squinty look. Crude, dirty humor with a delivery matched by very few. And it really shined through during the Roasts on Comedy Central. More often than not, Gilbert's bits were the best of each Roast. Even the "story" bits. A Roast Legend. Only wished we would've had a Comedy Central Roast in his honor.

Now let's talk about the Amazing Colossal Podcast. A few comedians have started their own podcasts, for example... Jerry Seinfeld had Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. And mostly, they seem relax and laid back. Just... normal shows. And the Amazing Colossal Podcast is a good one to showcase a bit of comedy history, movie and TV history, and looks behind-the-scenes of those iconic shows. Yes... relaxed and laid back. But this is something different. You can hear Gilbert's love for the business(es) and the process. And it just hits different.

Gilbert Gottfried was referred to as the "Comedian's Comedian", and it is true. The was beloved by the other comedians, and you could tell he loved them. Working with them... laughing at them... laughing with them...

I viewed Gilbert Gottfried as an unsung hero in comedy. Someone who never changed his style to changing times. He was a constant. And a professional.

And Gilbert Gottfried will be sorely missed...

Thank you for you time.

Comment with your memories of Gilbert Gottfried and share this thing!

The New Review - Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Copyright by Paramount and SEGA

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Directed by Jeff Fowler

Starring Ben Schwarz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden

Concept: Sequel to the Amazing Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Add some Tails and Knuckles, and you get the next step in the story.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: Once again, Jim Carrey slays as Dr. Robotnik. Ben Schwarz made a great Sonic, and he does it again. The addition of Idris Elba as Knuckles and the original voice actress for Tails just makes the package complete. There is less of James Marsden and Tika Sumpter this time around, but that is okay. But... we got more Carrey being Carrey, so that makes his casting still feel so good. Score: 19/20

Presentation: Soundtrack is solid, with remixes of game themes and sound effects ripped from the game too. Visually, you KNOW it will be heavy CG, and there are some moments where the CG doesn't mix well with the physical locations. But nothing that takes you completely out of it, given that we have THREE completely CG Characters this time around. That does the heavy lifting. Score: 17/20

Chronicle: Typical sequel. New family settling in. Typical Dad telling son "you are too young, your time will come" and then the time comes. Solid sequel writing. Motivations for Robotnik are solid revenge notes. Same for Knuckles, but evolution of his motivations was a nice touch. But let's talk about that wedding scene. So... slight spoiler, I'm sorry. Sonic Earth "parents" are going to Hawaii for a wedding. A Sonic Ring gets mixed up with a wedding ring. And Tom needs to swap rings to save Sonic. And it leads to [redacted spoiler]. I can appreciate an unnecessary subplot leading to a way to tie into the main story... and this one included Shemar Moore of Criminal Minds/Soap Opera fame. It just felt off. Didn't hurt the story. But it didn't help the story. But... conflicted because it strengthens the family part... Score: 26/30

Impact: This will be fairly simple. As noted many times on this blog... and nearly anywhere nerd/movie related... we KNOW how bad Video Game Movies suck. But with Detective Pikachu and the first Sonic movie, that is starting to change. But not only do we have a video game movie, we have a sequel. And the general rule is that sequels usually aren't as good as the previous entry/entries. That is NOT the case this time. We has an enjoyable and entertaining sequel. Jeff Fowler has made a GREAT Video Game Movie SEQUEL. And I never though it was possible. Now... let's see if others can get it. Score: 20/20

Extra Oomph: There are so many sweet references to the game series. The Water references were cool, like Sonic eating an air bubble underwater to keep breathing. Losing his rings when he got in trouble(including Sonic yelling "Oh no. My rings!"). The Robotnik logo looking like game Robotnik logo was cool. But the [Redacted Spoiler] looking like the game character himself... that was a nice touch. But my FAVORITE Easter Egg comes from the Coffee Shop. The name of the Coffee shop is... "Mean Bean". As in "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine", a puzzle game for the Sega Genesis, a westernized version of Puyo Puyo with the Sonic Animated series characters. Score: 10/10

Final Score: 92/100

Final Grade: A-

Conclusion: Entertaining movie for the whole family... and the ONLY example that a Video Game Movie Sequel can be great. This is an amazing movie. And if it really is Jim Carrey's final movie, it was a wonderful way to go out.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: Definitely go see this movie. Look at the journey for the first movie: horrible reaction to the designs in the first trailer, so they went back and redid Sonic's design... so much support for the first movie, and it was a great movie. Now... we are looking at this sequel being AWESOME. Go see it. This team deserves our support and the movie is worth it. Go see it. They deserve the support. Besides... Idris Elba was fuuuunnnnnnny as Knuckles!

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There it is, folks! Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has gotten...... a 92!!!!!!!

Pretty damn good!

Have you seen it? What did you think? If you haven't, do you plan on it? If not... you should!

Comment and share! Help a dude out!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - Nicolas Cage Movies

Yep... that is Nic Cage

Nicolas Cage. Member of the Coppola family. An Oscar winning talented actor who is synonymous with going off the rails.

Nic had a movie coming up when he is playing an eccentric version of himself. So... basically... he is playing himself as himself as if he was this mega/meta version of himself.

Only Nicolas Cage is that good.

So in honor of Cage, here is my Top 10 for him.

Let's... go.

Top 10 Nicolas Cage Movies

Honorable Mention 1: Adaptation: Spike Jonze meta dramedy about something he experienced. Getting writer's block in adapting a novel to a screenplay. Nic Cage plays the screenwriter having trouble... so he asks for his brother for help: a twin played by Nic Cage. Legitimately a meta dramedy about having writer's block over the novel that he himself was having writer's block over. Almost genius.

Honorable Mention 2: The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Disney movie about a descendant of Merlin. And Cage is his teacher. That is really all you need to know.

Honorable Mention 3: Raising Arizona: Story of an infertile couple decide to kidnap the kid of a rich Arizona family. And... Hilarity insues. One of my favorite Coen Brothers Movies

10. Leaving Las Vegas: An alcoholic screenwriter goes to Vegas to drink himself to death... only to get tangled up with a Vegas prostitute a "kind of love story". Nicolas Cage's ONLY Oscar, which he won for Best Actor. Worth a watch.

9. Kick-Ass: Boy gets bones broken. Rebuilt. Can't feel pain. Decided to become a Vigilante. Starring 2 Pre-Quicksilvers. But what about Nic Cage? Nic plays a Batman type character that has a penchant for guns teaching his little girl how to be a foul mouthed ass kicker. Like an adult Jason Todd if he had to raise a female Damian Wayne. Yeah, it is as awesome as you think.

8. Gone In 60 Seconds: A group of car thieves that have to steal so many cars in so little time. Nic Cage with Angelina Jolie... Nic didn't have to be Nic, because Jolie can be the female version sometimes.

7.The Rock: Biopic of Dwayne Johnson!!! Okay... okay... it isn't. About an operation that involves a mission to break into Alcatraz. Ed Harris and Sean Connery round out this epic film.

6. The Croods: Dreamworks animated movie about a family of cave people. Voice cast is stellar and makes me want to see Nic Cage and Ryan Reynolds in a movie together(they haven't yet, have they?)

5. Ghost Rider: Non-MCU Marvel movie about a carnival stunt driver who makes a pact with the devil... and it turns him into a demonic anti-hero. Of course, you get some Nic Caging... but it works. I'm a fan if this movie, EVEN if it introduced me to Rebel Wilson

4. The Wicker Man: Mystery thriller about a man who's daughter goes missing, and he discovers secrets surrounding a cult. Great mystery, but full Nic Cage going on! "NOT THE BEES!!!!!"

3. National Treasure & National Treasure: Book of Secrets: Indiana Jones lite. But really? Do think there is a conspiracy about something on the back of the US Constitution? This "franchise" made you think there was. Entertaining. And supposedly we are getting a 3rd one. Hopefully.

2. Con Air: Movie about Convicts highjacking a prison transfer plane. One prisoner tries to be the hero. And... that is about it. Filled some nice subplots weaved in, and great performances. It's a great movie.

And the Number One Nic Cage movie is...

1. Face/Off: Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in a thriller about a Detective trying to infiltrate a criminal's operation by switching faces with the criminal in custody. Things go sideways when the criminal took the detective's face and infiltrates his life. Castor Troy is a weird dude, but his eccentricities make him one of the most unique villains I've seen in the movies.

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What did you think? Did I miss one?

Comment and share!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - Morbius

Copyright by Sony Pictures and Marvel Comics

Morbius

Directed by Daniel Espinosa

Starring Jared Leto and Matt Smith

Concept: Marvel comics scientist searching for a cure for his own condition, but turns himself into a Living Vampire.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: Jared Leto gets too much hate for his Joker. He really does. And... somehow, he is getting hate for this role too. And I saw, it is unfair. Leto did a GREAT job with playing Michael. And I can say...... I would love to see him again in this role. Matt Smith as the "antagonist"... he looked like he was having fun and was a superb counterpart to Leto. A waste of Jared Harris. Tyrese Gibson was okay. And... dammit... Al Madrigal... I enjoy his work. I think he is a funny guy. He should NOT have been in this movie. His delivery and involvement made me cringe. So... Summary... Jared Leto and Matt Smith did amazing. Everyone else... not so much. Score: 12/20

Presentation: Dark, melacholy. Like a story about a Living Vampire should be. And a critic I pay attention to said that the action scenes were so confusing... I disagree. Compared to the first Venom fight scenes(especially Venom vs Riot)... this was SMOOOOOOOOTH in comparison. Some physical CG was weird, but overall, it wasn't THAT bad. The particle smoke effects... I enjoyed that so much. Score: 18/20

Chronicle: So... I will go back and mention that Jared Leto and Matt Smith both did great. And here is why. I am going to bring up the Hulk. The MCU Hulk. The Edward Norton movie is the only Hulk appearance where Bruce Banner was actively trying NOT to unleash the Green Beast, even in bed with Betty. But starting with the Avengers movie, the Hulk was just a super suit(screw you, Joss Whedon). There has been no real repercussions on Bruce's mind. Look at Age of Ultron... he went on a Wanda-Rampage, leveled some city blocks. But... afterwards, Banner felt... embarrassed? Little to no remorse. Same for Stark. But Leto as Morbius, he felt remorse. He didn't want to take a human life. And I felt his pain with it. The opposite of that with Matt Smith. His character showed to remorse because he didn't have any. Great "two sides of the same coin" aspect. But outside of the character building of those two, there wasn't anything special about this movie. Instead of Character Driven... it was character-only. It would've been better as Episode 1 of a mini series. Score: 15/30

Impact: This isn't a game changer. But it isn't a game breaker. Proof that maybe Sony should stop. But at this same time, it was a still a decent horror/hero movie. Not the worst movie I've seen. Not the best movie I've seen. But again... the performances of Jared Leto and Matt Smith might be a great template. I want to see Leto/Morbius in other Spidey-verse movies. Score: 14/20

Extra Oomph: There is nothing here. But it isn't a detractor. I might double down on the waste of Jared Harris. But I would then need to double down are the performances of Leto and Smith. So... let's call it a wash there, but the shorter runtime compared to ALL of the MCU, it is still a win. Score: 8/10

Final Score: 67

Final Grade: D+

Conclusion: The movie overall isn't great. It isn't. But the performances are worth seeing. If I would score it just for those, it would be a B or a B+. But you have to have movie with your roles.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: It's been awhile since I've said this... DON'T go watch this movie. Wait for digital rental. Or purchase if you are a collector. But I feel it doesn't deserve the in theater support. That being said... Jared Leto absolutely CAN be supported. So... the Final Judgment for the studio is... use Leto/Morbius in OTHER Spidey-verse movies, but this movie doesn't deserve a sequel. If it gets one, learn how to make a movie.

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There it is, folks. Morbius recieves a 67!!!

But remember the performances deserve a MUCH better grade.

Did you see it? What did you think?

Comment and share.

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - Jim Carrey Movies

FIRE MARSHALL BILL

Jim Carrey has had a whirlwind life during the last decade, and recently said he was considering retirement. And that... sucks. It really does. One of the GREATEST comedic actors of all time. Severely underrated. And the man of many faces, most of them his own face.

Never won an Oscar. Not even nominated. But so many Golden Globes.

If you don't think you know who Jim Carrey is, yes you do.

So let's get into it.

Top 10 Jim Carrey Movies

Special Mention: Batman Forever: I need to make this clear... I'm not a fan of this movie. But I AM a huge fan of Jim's version of The Riddler, and all the duo interactions with Tommy Lee Jones's Pepto dipped Two-Face. They seemed like they had real fun with it. And Jim nailed this over the top Riddler.

Honorable Mention 1: Number 23: Sometimes the best movies for actors come outside their comfort zone. And while this one isn't one Jim's best, it wasn't that bad. A thriller/horror/suspense film about a man obsessed with the Number 23.

Honorable Mention 2: Bruce Almighty: Bruce Almighty was a good movie. But I do feel like it wasn't as good as I was hoping it could've been.

Honorable Mention 3: How The Grinch Stole Christmas: How do you beat this version of the Grinch? Jim getting Carreyed away, narration from Anthony Hopkins, and directed by Opie Taylor himself, Ron Howard. But why didn't it make the list? Because... a different one Carrey Christmas did.

10. Me, Myself, and Irene: Jim Carrey in a movie about a man with split personalities, and both of them are Jim Carrey. The movie would be higher on this list, but I'm not the biggest Renee Zellweger fan.

9. Man On The Moon: A Biopic about legendary funny man Andy Kaufman. He NAILED it. One of the biggest snubs in Oscar history. He should've at least got nominated. Oh well... A Golden Globe works too.

8. Sonic the Hedgehog: Who else to play Eccentric Sonic villain, Dr. Robotnik? And it felt like Jim being Jim again. We should be thankful for this movie.

7. The Mask: The Rubber Faced Man playing a Rubber Faced Comicbook Anti-Hero. Definitely not as violent as the comics, but allowed Jim to be what he always has been: a Living Cartoon. And... um... Cameron Diaz. Dammit.

6. Dumb and Dumber: The on-screen chemistry between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels is off the charts. And Jim is responsible for one of the movie iconic scenes in movie history... the Most Annoying Sound In The World... and IT WAS IMPROV.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Would you like your mind erased? This movie tackles that. A couple has their mind erased to forget their failed relationship. And... by fate... they find each other and fall in love with each other again. One of Jim's few dramatic movies, but such a great love story. He needed to have done more.

4. A Christmas Carol: Remember I said there was a different Christmas movie on the list? It is this one. And for good reason. Aside from the Muppets, this is my favorite version of this tale. Animated... and Jim does EIGHT different voices, including Scrooge.

3. The Cable Guy: Definition of a modern day Black Comedy about a man who rejects The Cable Guy's attempt to make a friendship... so the Cable Guy starts stalking him and kidnaps his ex-girlfriend. Gave us some the greatest scenes of Jim's career.

2. Liar Liar: A boy wishes his father couldn't lie. Difficult for a Lawyer. But such a good movie. Shows Jim's ability to go outside the box, even when he is holding the box. Notable for me for my favorite Jim Carrey scene of his whole career... if you know... you know. "THE PEN IS BLUUUUUUUE! *SOBBING* THE PEN IS BLUUUUUUUE!" (close second in this movie too "Do you mind? I'm kicking my ass!")

And the Number One Jim Carrey movie is...

1.The Truman Show: A movie about a man whose whole life from birth has been broadcast as a reality show for the world to see... except he doesn't know it. A manufactured life, in a manufactured world. And the facade starts cracking. Such a great movie about someone living in a fake world learning about his own reality. I love this movie. So much.

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So many funny and great movies? Aside from Ace Ventura, any other Carrey movies I missed?

Comment and share!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - April Blockbuster Month

It is April, which means it is time for another Blockbuster List!

You'll notice a slight theme with this month. And it wasn't on purpose... at least on my end. You'll see what I mean...

First, let's tackle the top 5 domestic grossing mini-list.

1. Avengers: Endgame(2019)

2. Avengers: Infinity War(2018)

3. The Jungle Book(2016)

4. Furious 7(2015)

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier(2014)

So what about my list? Let's get into it!!!

Top 10 Movies Released In April

Honorable Mention 1: Frequency (4/28/2000): Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid star in this movie about a police officer who connects to his dead father in the past through a HAM radio, trying to help prevent his father's murder. Topped off with a wonderful Garth Brook's track. This is a very underrated movie.

Honorable Mention 2: Anger Management (4/11/2003): Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler. That is all you need to see this movie. Really.

Honorable Mention 3: Chasing Amy (4/18/1997): Kevin Smith directed, Ben Affleck starring movie about a comic book artist that has fallen in love with another artist that just happens to be a lesbian. A decent movie, but Silent Bob's Chasing Amy monologue is one of the best.

(Bonus!)11. The Saint (4/4/1997): This one deserved more than an Honorable Mention, and I had a full 10 on the list. So... it is the 11th on the list. A movie based on the 60s series starring Roger Moore(yes... THAT Roger Moore). A thief for hire, master of disguise. And why is it the bonus entry? Val... Kilmer. Underrated movie here. Underrated role. And... Kilmer.(on this list in honor of Val Kilmer, if you couldn't tell)

10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (4/30/2010): Yes, the remake. And I loved it. When this movie was announced and Robert Englund said he wasn't in it, I was deflated. When Jackie Earle Haley got cast as Freddy... I was 110% in. Some corny jokes still made the movie, but it was designed with more malice that the originals. And... I will make this note: Wes Craven wanted human Freddy to be a child molester instead of a child killer. He changed it because of cases in the public eye at the time. So this is partially his original vision. Which is cool. But I loved this less campy Freddy Krueger. Sad we never got a sequel.

9. A Quiet Place (4/6/2018): Jon Krasinski coming through with such a great, unique horror film. And he had the cast learn sign language due to a young cast member actually being deaf. Krasinski ended up being a great director.

8. Hellboy (4/2/2004): The OG Hellboy with Ron Perlman. Yeah... sure, the remake was released in April, but honestly it doesn't compare.

7. American Psycho (4/14/2000): Neo-Modern Horror film starring Christian Bale as a corporate yuppie that moonlights as a secret killer. Some wonderful scenes this movie has given us... including the notion that maybe it was all in Patrick's head.

6. The Punisher (4/16/2004): Thomas Jane and John Travolta. The best Punisher film to date(and second best live action Punisher overall). And bonus John Pinette! And Ben Foster! And Kevin Nash!!

5. Avengers: Infinity War (4/27/2018) & Avengers: Endgame (4/26/2019): THE Avengers movies. Part 1 & 2 of the same story. I don't have to tell you what these movies are. They are global phenomena.

4. Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (4/29/2005): Loosely adapted movie from books that were loosely adapted from a radio program. Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel. Yeah... cult classic. And... needed a bigger cult so we got sequels.

3. Ex Machina (4/24/2015): A Low Budget film about just how human an AI can be. Small cast focused on Alicia Vikander as the AI, Oscar Issac as the man who created her, and Domhnall Gleeson as the one who is administers the tests for the AI. It is a great, largely underrated sci-fi flick.

2. Sin City (4/1/2005): Black/White with a splash of color noir movie based on the Frank Miller books of the same name. Directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez. And almost adapted frame by frame, cell by cell. A stellar cast, including making Mickey Rourke relevant again. And one of my favorite Bruce Willis roles.

And the Number One movie released in April

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (4/4/2014): My favorite MCU movie. Period. Less Superhero movie, and more spy thriller. I knew the Winter Soldier twist, but it was still pulled off in stellar fashion. And of course, Robert Redford making things that much better. This is the best MCU movie overall, and you don't have to like the superhero movies to appreciate this one.

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What did you think? And April Movie I missed?

Comment and Share!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - Death On The Nile

Copyright Warner Bros

Death On The Nile

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer

Concept: Branagh adapted another Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot novel. Direct sequel of his first one, Murder On The Orient Express.

Disclaimer: This movie was finished or nearly finished when the Armie Hammer/cannibalism scandal broke. And... there was no way to remove him without reshooting the WHOLE movie.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: Branagh as Hercule will always fascinate me. Even making that accent thick enough that when he gets emotional, it is hard to understand him. And that is beautiful. Armie Hammer makes a great Doyle. Gal Gadot is stunning and regal as Linnet Ridgeway. Supporting cast is pretty solid, and I give props to Letitia Wright for another great performance. Score: 19/20

Presentation: Visually stunning. The set pieces are near perfect, which is pretty great, since there aren't very many of them. Definitely a period piece as much as it is a literary piece. And... one of the low points I had with Murder On The Orient Express, the music. I noticed it this time. I wasn't trying to force it. It was just noticeable this time. And that is a positive in so many ways. I wouldn't listen to a soundtrack, but it sets the scenes and the mood so much more in this film. Score: 17/20

Chronicle: The opening scene giving a full backstory on Hercule's famed mustache and his love, Katherine... it was tragic. The over all story was more predictable than Murder. Which to be fair, isn't Branagh's fault. He adapts his movies to the source material pretty strictly. You won't know exactly how deep it goes, but you'll figure out the culprit(s) pretty easily. Doesn't hurt the story. Doesn't hurt the mystery. It is still very well done.

Of course, there are some small, inconsequential changes compared to the novel: subbing Tim Allerton out for Bouc made it more of a movie sequel, and Salome ends up not [redacted spoiler]. Score: 29/30

Impact: Once again, Branagh gives a masterclass in how to adapt a movie from source material. And I'm not just saying that because he is my favorite director. He is my favorite BECAUSE of that talent. It is why James Pritchard of Agatha Christie Limited trusted Branagh with these projects. The impact isn't just how he adapted the novel, but how a murder mystery movie should be build. Example... Rian Johnson's magnificent Knives Out... I think more original stories should manifest due to the success of Murder On The Orient, Death On The Nile, and Knives Out. We need more of these movies. Score: 20/20

Extra Oomph: This one... this one. We need to talk about one particular character. Lord/Doctor Windlesham. A well done adapted character. Throughout the movie, I kept seeing him... hearing him. And I thought he looked and sounded familiar, and I just couldn't figure out who it was. And this it hit me... it was RUSSELL BRAND. And he did a wonderful job. He was a main cast member, but dammit. I can't believe I didn't know it was him. Kenneth Branagh did something nearly impossible: he made me LIKE Russell Brand. To the point where I want Brand to tackle more serious roles. Score: 12/10

Final Score: 97/100

Final Grade: A+

Conclusion: Yes... it is a movie from my favorite director. But this movie is evidence of WHY he is my favorite director. A famous murder mystery getting adapted to make a beautiful movie filled with suspense and emotion.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: If you like murder mystery movies, watch this movie. It is currently on HBO Max... if you have Max, you need to watch it. Did I say you should watch it? Watch it. It really is that good of a movie.

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There you go folks! Death On The Nile gets a 97!!!!

(Yes... I know... bonus points for making me like Russell Brand)

Have you seen it? What did you think? If you haven't, plan on watching it?

Comment and share.

Until next time...

Don't forget...