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The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: Holiday Cheer and Redefining Home

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This Black Friday, the best holiday deal you’re going to find is on Disney+.

Written and directed by James Gunn, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special begins as the Guardians wonder how they can help Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). As the Terran celebration known as ‘Christmas’ approaches, they notice that he’s hardly in the holiday spirit. In an effort to cheer him up, Drax and Mantis (Dave Bautista and Pom Clementieth) decide to give him the ultimate gift by bringing Quill his favourite ‘hero’: Kevin Bacon.

Fans looking for progression and character development here will likely end up disappointed as this adventure has very little to do with the larger franchise, despite claims otherwise. (However, it’s worth noting that two small bits of information are revealed that could play an important part in the upcoming Vol. 3.) Nevertheless, this is the type of entry that Disney+ is made for. Fueled by Christmas cheer, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is short, silly and an absolute party from start to finish. 

Once again, Gunn’s signature style is also very much at work here. Featuring another hot soundtrack, Holiday Special plays right into fan’s expectations with its humour and heart. (Although, it’s also worth noting that the best song may be its initial ditty about how aliens just don’t understand the holiday.) 

While he may be making the move over to DC in the future, Gunn clearly still enjoys playing with his Marvel toys. Having established and defined this group of ragtag misfits, Gunn has a love for these characters that remains evident. After two films and several other appearances (including a new Guardians ride that he directed at Walt Disney World), Gunn has ensured that we have a relationship with these characters and care about their well-being. After all, why else would we care if Peter Quill is sad on Christmas? It’s actually a tribute to Gunn’s work that fans have become so invested Quill’s trauma that from the loss of Gamora that this story would even be an interesting to fans of the MCU. 

He has cared about them. So, we still care about them.

As a result, Holiday Special is a hilarious addition to the series that, while silly and non-sensical, still somehow becomes heartwarming by its finale. While all the Guardians are involved, this is truly a story anchored and led by Drax and Mantis. Somewhere along the line, these two characters have become the soul of the team and have delightful chemistry onscreen. In Holiday Special, the duo are unleashed and let their silliest impulses run wild while never losing the heart of the characters that has made them so beloved. (Although, one must also recognize the work here by Bacon who simply leans into the holiday spirit with an almost giddy performance.)

What’s interesting about a lot of modern holiday specials is the fact that they want to talk about Christmas without actually talking about Christmas. While Quill mourns the loss of the holiday from his home planet, we aren’t really left with much knowledge as to why. Instead, to borrow a line from NBC’s now-defunct series Community, the Guardians Holiday Special seems to suggest that ‘the meaning of Christmas is that there’s meeting in Christmas’. Christmas lights stun the eyes and giving gifts to the ones you love feels important. But the love of the holiday seems to stem from a love for the holiday itself.

However, one of the clearest emotional notes of the Special is its relationship to family. Having travelled far across the galaxy at a young age, they see that Quill feels like something is missing. As Kraglin remembers Quill’s holiday failings with Yondu, he and the Guardians believe that he has lost a piece of himself without his home. Because he’s been separated from his home world, Quill has experienced great loss in his life. Whether it’s his family or Gamora, the holidays have left him feeling lost without a family.

And therein lies the secret to the holidays within this story. 

For the Guardians, to discover Christmas is to recognize the importance of being with family. While Quill may miss the decor of the holidays, what means the most to him is being with the ones that he loves. As such, this Holiday Special features no villain to be defeated (an MCU first, btw) or world to save. Instead, it simply wants to sit with holiday humour and remind fans to treasure the people around us. In doing so, the Specialrecognizes that, no matter what corner of the galaxy you’re in, it’s these people that make a home.

Although, getting Kevin Bacon as a Christmas gift doesn’t hurt either. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is available on Disney+ on Friday, November 25th, 2022.

Glass Onion: Peeling Away the Layers

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Just like the real thing, this Glass Onion has layers.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery begins as a group of friends receive an elaborate puzzle box. A gift from their wealthy friend, the box is an invitation to a weekend of fun in his private Greek island and they all accept with glee. Excited to enjoy their sun-soaked, luxurious getaway, the group is surprised to find out that Detective Benoit Blanc has also been invited to the party, with a note suggesting that there is a murderous edge to the holiday.

Bigger and flashier than the original, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is yet another twisty tale brought to life by writer/director Rian Johnson that is sure to delight audiences. Throughout his career, Johnson has proven himself to a filmmaker who likes to play with the toys that he has been given. Whether it’s the mind-and-time-bending Looper, the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi or this film’s predecessor, Knives Out, Johnson thoroughly enjoys taking conventional storytelling and flipping it it’s on its ear. With Glass Onion, Johnson once again takes the tropes of mystery storytelling and gives himself the freedom to move around the pieces that he’s placed on the board in unexpected ways. 

Featuring an entirely new cast of characters, Glass Onion stars Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Cadelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick. (And that’s not even to mention the numerous cameos throughout the film.) Even so, the through line to this franchise remains Daniel Craig‘s performance as Benoit Blanc. After the success of his daring detective in the previous film, one cannot help but fall in love with his Southern drawl and brilliant mind. In Onion, Craig once again positively owns the role and plays it with such glee that one hopes that he continues in the role for years to come. (Unlike his time as Bond, Craig has indicated his interest in continuing as the sleuth ‘until the day [he] dies’.) In Blanc, Johnson has truly created a unique opportunity here. Because each mystery is an original creation that is entirely separate from the next, Blanc can feature in innumerable sequels with new challenges every time. As long as Johnson‘s writing continues to stay strong, there’s no doubt that Blanc has the potential to become as iconic a sleuth as Poirot or Holmes. 

And Johnson still has some tricks up his sleeve. 

Without question, this film feels larger in scope than its predecessor. Interestingly, Onion feels like it has more at stake than Knives Out’s basic premise of ‘the last will and testament of an ageing recluse’. To suggest any major plot points in the film would be a disservice to the fun so you’ll find no spoilers here. However, whereas the first film built primarily with themes of legacy and ‘old money’, Onion focusses more on new money in the New World. Social Influencers are as highly regarded as politicians and everyone has their hand out. Admittedly, there is less social commentary in Onion than the original but one cannot deny its shot at the power of the social media industry. 

And, as with all murder mysteries, the battle for power is very much in play.

What’s more, this is a film about knowing what matters. Whereas some desire fame and fortune, others see the potential fallout that taking steps in this direction may cause. In this world, the consequences of one’s actions extend beyond the financial bottom line and lean the question of the nature of justice. (But, again, I promised no spoilers.)

All you ultimately need to know is that, Glass Onion is a delight from start to finish. Fast-paced and very, very funny with its murderous mayhem, Johnson once again peels away the layers of that this Onion conceals until the truth is eventually revealed. 

And, as long as Benoit Blanc is leading the investigation, long may these Knives remain Out.

Glass Onion plays for one week exclusively at TIFF Bell Lightbox beginning November 23rd and arrives on Netflix on December 24th, 2022.

TIFF ’22: Glass Onion

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery begins as a group of friends receive an elaborate puzzle box. A gift from their wealthy friend, the box is an invitation to a weekend of fun in his private Greek island and they all accept with glee. Excited to enjoy their sun-soaked, luxurious getaway, the group is surprised to find out that Detective Benoit Blanc has also been invited to the party, with a note suggesting that there is a murderous edge to the holiday.

Bigger and flashier than the original, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story is yet another twisty tale brought to life by writer/director Rian Johnson that is sure to delight audiences. With Glass Onion, Johnson once again takes the tropes of mystery storytelling and gives himself the freedom to move around the pieces that he’s placed on the board in unexpected ways. 

Featuring an entirely new cast of characters, Glass Onion stars Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Han, Madelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick. (And that’s not even to mention the numerous cameos throughout the film.) Even so, the through line to this franchise remains Daniel Craig‘s performance as Benoit Blanc. After the success of his daring detective in the previous film, one cannot help but fall in love with his Southern drawl and brilliant mind. In Onion, Craig once again positively owns the role and plays it with such glee that one hopes that he continues in the role for years to come. 

And Johnson still has some tricks up his sleeve. 

All you ultimately need to know is that, Glass Onion is a delight from start to finish. Fast-paced and very, very funny with its murderous mayhem, Johnson once again peels away the layers of that this Onion conceals until the truth is eventually revealed. And, as long as Benoit Blanc is leading the investigation, long may these Knives remain Out.

Glass Onion is now playing at TIFF ’22. For screening information, click here.

8.06 Digging Around in DUNE

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Thought to be ‘unfilmable’ by many, Denis Villeneuve may have done the impossible in bringing Frank Herbert’s DUNE to life on the big screen. With stunning cinematography and solid storytelling, Villeneuve has managed to take the massive scope and size of Herbert’s classic sci-fi work and make it accessible to wider audiences. This week, Dave Voigt (InTheSeats.ca) and newcomer Steve Mah (Negating Silence) come together to discuss why they think DUNE is resonating with audiences and what it means to give up control.

You can watch the episode on YouTube and stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, Google Play or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

8.06-DuneDownload

Dune: Massive Scale & Messianic Spirituality

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Never let it be said that Denis Villeneuve isn’t willing to take risks. After the financial disaster of critical darling Blade Runner 2049, one might have thought that the Canadian director would move on to smaller projects.

But why do that when you can tackle a complex work of science fiction with a history of failures onscreen?

Although adapted several times before, Frank Herbert’s 400-page sci-fi epic Dune has often been described as ‘unfilmable’ due to its incredible ambition and scale. However, Villeneuve has never been one to shy away from a challenge. Inching towards a three hour runtime, Dune seems like it could be almost overwhelming or impractical for audiences. (What’s more, its no secret that this is only the first half of the story as well.)

Even so, the experiment works. In taking this approach, Villeneuve has the opportunity to let the film breathe and allow its expansive storytelling and scale to unravel at its own pace. As a result, the film never feels like it’s unnecessarily cutting material for the sake of the runtime yet never really drags either. The director of such films as the vastly underrated Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival, Villeneuve has made a name for himself taking on material with multiple layers and massive landscapes and Dune certainly fits that description.

And to say that Dune operates on a massive scale is to put it mildly. 

Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), a gifted young man who believes his destiny is to do great things. As the heir to the House Atreides, Paul is drawn into an interstellar conflict when his father Leto (Oscar Isaacs) attempts to negotiate the exclusive rights to mining a rare and essential natural resource on the planet Arrakis. As discussions move forward, tensions between the House Atreides are stalled when the brutal House Harkkonen attempt to take the resources for themselves. As a result, Paul finds himself caught between loyalty to his father and seeking the destiny that he believes lies before him.

Complex and expansive, there is little wonder why Herbert’s novel is held in such high esteem. The sheer audacity and scope of this piece is awestriking and really truly should only be seen in IMAX. (It’s obvious to see why Villeneuve would have balked at the proposal to release on HBO Max.) While the cinematography may not be quite as impressive as Deakins’ Oscar-winning work in Blade Runner 2049, there is no doubt that Dune is meant to make you feel insignificant against its landscapes. Deserts are expansive and dry. Planets of rain are feel as though they will be drench the audience. Every moment onscreen is constructed to emphasize that its characters are insignificant when compared to the immensity of their environments. 

Filled with creativity and detailed history, this is the sort of sci-fi epic that seeks to honour its source material by fully immersing you within its story. Similar to Game of Thrones, Dune is not a simple ‘good versus evil’ battle but instead becomes a deep political thriller with multiple sides, history and theology. As such, casual fans may need to be patient in order to find their way through at first. (Personally, I was unfamiliar with the material and it took me some time to feel like I fully grasped the relationships and tensions between worlds.) That’s not to say that the film doesn’t feature eye-popping special effects and enormous space battles. Villeneuve has some truly amazing visual action set pieces here as well. Instead, it is simply a caution that the film’s strong political emphasis can be overwhelming to the unfamiliar. 

As warring factions collide over their interest in ‘spice’, their interest truly lies in power and conquest. The primary propellant for space travel, spice also can extend human life and create super-human levels of thought. As a result, this strange material has become the most sought-after resource in the universe, initiating complicated political machinations in order to maintain control of its reserves. (It’s worth noting that Villeneuve seems to use this as a metaphor to echo the battle for oil in the Middle East.) To those involved, those who control the spice control the galaxy.

Complicating this battle is the Fremen, natives of Arrakis who live in the deep desert. To those who seek only the spice, they are viewed as helpless nomads that need the strength and might of their conquerors. However, it is clear from the outset that the Fremen require no protection. Confident, intelligent and well-organized, the Fremen have survived for centuries on their own amidst the dangers of the desert. Though viewed by the powerful as the ‘savages’ of the desert, in truth they have the greatest understanding of their world and how it operates. However, this matters little to their conquerors. Rather than take the time to learn about the Fremen, the people of Atreides and Harkkonen instead view them as obstacles that threaten their quest for power. Like so many victims of colonization before them, the Fremen are treated with disrespect by those who hold the military might and are therefore kept to the margins.

What’s most interesting about Villeneuve’s Dune though is its spiritual underpinnings. Unlike the cold cynicism of Blade Runner 2049, this is a world that has deeply theological roots that inform its culture with hope. From the authority of the Bene Gesseret to the underlying prophesy, Dune is very interested in imbuing its world with messianic themes. This becomes particularly true in the case of the culture’s view of Paul Atreides and his mother. Believed to be the ‘chosen one’, Paul’s relationship with the people of Atraxis reveals two differing worldviews. On the one hand, the two are held in reverence by those who believe. At the same time, they are kept at a distance by those who simply cannot fathom that this insignificant little man could be the one who has been prophesied about. (Echoing the Biblical narrative of Mary and Jesus, the comparisons to the New Testament journey of Christ are undeniable.) Despite their technological advancements and social systems, this is still a world waiting for something (or someone) more powerful that will give them hope and bring justice.

Bound to be divisive due to its long runtime and complex political landscapes, there will be those who feel they cannot connect with Dune. What’s more, its always a risk to make a film with the intent of future installments, especially for science fiction epics. However, Villeneuve’s Dune is one which deserves to be completed. Featuring expansive storytelling, landscapes and a cast that seems to contain almost everyone in Hollywood, Dune simply works. With deep affection for his source material and incredible skill, Villeneuve has yet again created a film which is both stunning and smart. Most importantly though, this story feels like it has something to say… but it simply needs the opportunity to finish its thought.

Dune is be available in theatres on Friday, October 22nd, 2021.

Army of the Dead: Snyder Adds Blood to the Big Score

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After the release of his 2004 hit Dawn of the Dead, Zack Snyder finally returns to the zombie genre with big expectations for Army of the Dead. Set in a zombie riddled Las Vegas, $50 million dollars are on the line for Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) and his team. But this isn’t just any heist. It’s a zombie heist. Filled with explosions, gore, death, and even a zombie tiger, Ward tries to escape his burger flipping hell by assembling a rag tag group of zombie experts and stone cold killers to commit the most dangerous heist of all.

With the best elements of both the heist and zombie genre, Army knows the tropes that viewers have seen for years and uses the best ones, including assembling the rag tag team of “losers” trying to score big money and the infamous “you son of a bitch, I’m in” vibe from heist movies. However, as a horror movie, Army all manages to play with these stereotypes and flip them around. For example, as the plans fall through, people get slaughtered in gruesome ways at the hands of the overwhelming hoards. As the zombies devour the crew and hopelessness overwhelms them, the fun heist elements die out.

Embedded in the film is a theme of greed becoming people’s demise. Driven by the cash, Ward and his team care more about the reward than each other. As a result, many deaths throughout the film are all directly related to them acting selfish. Though, this carries a certain irony to it as well. [Spoilers] In fact, considering that the whole purpose of any heist movie is for characters to get to the money so that they can live a luxurious life, it’s a little ironic that the only person who didn’t want the money for themselves ended up surviving. [Spoilers End]

My favourite part of Army of the Dead is the opening credits sequence as it shows us the beginning of the pandemic. Set to the song Viva Las Vegas, the sequence highlights the team members’ backgrounds and establishes all the world building necessary. By contrasting the gore and hardcore action with lively music is a nice touch and really sets the viewer up for the fun that one would expect from a heist movie in a post-zombie world. Army of the Dead really allowed Snyder freedom to use his skills in the horror genre, while throwing in the action sequences viewers have loved from films like 300 and his DC involvement (and yes, that includes lots of slow-motion shots).

Another thing that I enjoyed is that Snyder adds to the lore of the world that he’s created by making the zombies intelligent and even creating a hierarchy amongst them. In many ways, it creates a Planet of the Apes kind of vibe. Unlike other zombie films, these creatures are an intelligent species trying to coexist with humans and grow. These ideas made it particularly interesting to see how a zombie society works and, from an action standpoint, viewing how they would have their own type of warfare that utilizes their strengths.

If you like zombie and heist movies, then you’ll love Army of the Dead. With his return to the genre, Snyder has done well by offering all the action, gore, and most of the great moments that you’d expect from both genres. (And it doesn’t hurt that it’s all wrapped up in Snyder’s unique stylistic box as well.)

Army of the Dead premieres May 21st on Netflix.

My Spy: Mission Accomplished

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MY SPY

Since the Spy Kids films, the wave of live action, family-friendly spy movies seems to have died out over the past few years. However, the release of My Spy looks to bring that era of family adventures that focus on friendship, comedy, and the benefits of family back to theaters. But does My Spy accomplish or fail their mission? 

My Spy tells the story of JJ (Dave Bautista), a former member of military Special Forces that’s now working as a CIA Spy Agent. He has all the necessary skills that a spy could want and his co-workers love his work in the field. But, he lacks stealth and will only work alone. When he botches a mission, his boss Kim (Ken Jeong) takes him out of the field and forces both he and another co-worker, Bobbi (Kristen Schaal), to watch over a family consisting of nine-year-old Sophie (Chloe Coleman) and her mother, Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley). Having moved from Paris to Chicago to start a new life, Kate struggles to find time for Sophie as her work has her working extended hours. Sophie is the typical new girl at school, trying to make friends but instead bullied by other girls. While JJ and Bobbi are continuing their surveillance, Sophie discovers that she is being watched and tracks the spies to another apartment room. Once discovered, Sophie offers a deal to JJ that, if he teaches her how to be a spy, she will keep their secret. Begrudgingly, JJ accepts and this starts their adventure together.  

Dave Bautista stars in MY SPY.

As the relationship between JJ and Sophie builds, they begin to share their personal struggles with one another and help each other out. There’s a solid chemistry between Bautista and Coleman that helps the audience to really feel the emotional connection between them. Set between Toronto and Chicago, the film’s comedy is solid and never feels forced. (In fact, as someone from Toronto, I felt the film also was  a great spotlight for the city as it featured iconic local settings like Nathan Phillips Square and Forest Hill.) 

My Spy speaks to the paralyzing power of fear, especially the fear of the people you love getting hurt. This idea was best shown through the character of JJ, who struggles with fear to the point that he feels as though he must keep to himself, affecting his social and love life. Though, as his character learns how to live without fear, his life begins to change as he becomes more open to relationships of all types. 

MY SPY

Similarly, My Spy also addresses the damage that comes through bullying. Because she was from out of town, Sophie experiences the pain of being bullied by her peers from all sides. (This includes a poignant scene when she brings in JJ for ‘take your parent’ to work’ day) Interestingly, My Spy focuses on the fact that much bullying stems from those who choose to remain inclusive, rather than exclusive. While Sophie hopes to fit in, the girls who bully her the most refuse to include her as they’re focused on themselves and, potentially, others those who fit their mould. Bullying remains an important issue that today’s youth should look at when trying to make new friends and My Spy handles the topic well. 

Overall, My Spy is worth a watch! The comedy is enjoyable, the plot works (and, again, the film gets points for its portrayal of Toronto.) If you are looking for a movie that has action, comedy and appropriate for the family, check out My Spy. In my books, it has accomplished its mission. 

MY SPY

My Spy lands in theatres in Canada on Friday, March 13th, 2020.

Master Z: IP Man Legacy – Punches with Purpose

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Written by Jason Thai

Master Z: IP Man Legacy follows the story of Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang), a fighter who lost to the IP Man in the previous film. Working as a mercenary for hire, Cheung decides that he no longer wants to live a life of crime or use his martial art gifts for evil and money. Now, Cheung wants to give that all up for a humble life of owning his own small grocery store business and living with his young son. Unfortunately, after bumping heads with the local gang, Cheung Tin Chi must come out of retirement to fight once again to defend his new life and clean up the streets of crime, drugs, and corruption.

After his loss to the IP Man, Tin Chi has become depressed and bored with martial arts. Seeing no purpose in fighting anymore, Tin Chi’s defeat causes him to lose his sense of self and his confidence. Suddenly, he has lost his sense of purpose to be the best fighter and challenge others (or use the martial arts at all). Although Tin Chi must fight once again but he doesn’t use his signature Wing Chun style. However, throughout the film, Tin Chi sees the pain in his neighbourhood caused by the local gang, drugs, and corruption and he steps in to defend others using his martial arts. Even though he still wants a life of peace, he is forced to fight once again, helping people and his neighbourhood to be free of criminal activities. By helping others, he also rediscovers his sense of purpose and identity as well.

This latest chapter of the Ip Man saga is quite easy to follow, and the fight scenes were choreographed very well. Every fight scene was long enough to be satisfying and felt stylized and intriguing. Characters made good use of the nearby items and the dynamic use of the set created new environments for the action. Though simple, thee story was a well-written story of redemption, with a solid supporting cast who added comic-relief and quirkiness to contrast Tin Chi in his journey. Each character added genuine personality to the community in which Tin Chi was living, giving the audience ample opportunity to empathize with them.

Overall, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy is a great film. Despite its simple story, the film features a great cast, and amazing fighting scenes that really showcase the Ip Man stylized action that keeps the people coming back for more.

Master Z: IP Man Legacy is available now on demand.

3.19 Defending the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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This week, Steve and comic guru Arnaldo Reyes celebrate their 2nd podcast anniversary to defend GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2. The latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has wild colours and an awesome soundtrack but it also has a lot of heart–and even seems to want to talk about god (small ‘g’, of course).

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3.19 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Thanks Arnaldo for coming on the show!

 

 

All music from the soundtrack is copyrighted by Marvel Music, Inc.

Theme song is ‘Month 2 Month/Love St.’ by Connections.

Heist: The Art of Misdirection

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heist

Robert De Niro. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Kate Bosworth. Morris Chestnut. Gina Carano. Dave Bautista.

The cast list reads like a who’s who of good-but-not-great films that have littered the landscape of early spring and late summer. All of them have been in something spectacular, but bringing them all together echoes with the late-breaking career of Morgan Freeman as the set-up man. Heist (or Bus 657) is that kind of film about a blackjack dealing-father who needs the perfect heist to pay for his daughter’s expensive, non-insurance-covered operation.

Luke Vaughn (Morgan) knows he shouldn’t steal from “The Pope” (De Niro) but when heavy Cox (Bautista, sans makeup) lures him into robbing Pope’s casino and righthand man Derrick Prince (Chestnut), he is all in. Their robbery goes south (duh!) and they end up careening around on a bus driven by Bernie (D.B. Sweeney) with a setup straight out of Speed. However, local officer Kris Bajos (Carano) is in hot pursuit, and is soon joined by a suave Marconi (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Vaughn and Cox (obviously) disagree on how to proceed, and the plot thickens aboard the bus.

All of this is pretty much what you would expect, like a Speedy Ocean’s Eleven without the humor. We’re warned several times that things are not what they seem but unfortunately, they seem so obvious that the ‘sleight of hand’ was telegraphed well before the big reveal. I don’t know if this is the result of a poor script, or poor direction, but the crew deserved better.

And then there’s the human interest level, as if the kid in the hospital bed motif wasn’t enough: we’re supposed to believe that The Pope really, really badly wishes he had made better life decisions and he wants to go straight. Or at least he wants a shot at conning his completely empathetic daughter (Kate Bosworth) into believing he can go straight, which changes the whole dynamic of the film. I am all for redemptive story arcs, and Bosworth nails the paltry five minutes that she’s given here, but the transition is so jarring that I thought I must’ve missed something. (I had not.)

Fortunately, each piece by each actor is pretty solid. Bautista has my attention after Guardians of the Galaxy and Spectre; I’m already a fan of Bosworth and Morgan. But the real misdirection seems to be in thinking that there was going to be an emotional payoff for the audience that just wasn’t there. I’m disappointed, really.

The trailer had me fooled.