Snake Eyes: The best G.I. Joe movie to date hardly ever feels like a G.I. Joe movie. Diving into the origins of masked ninja Snake Eyes (Henry Golding) before he took a vow of silence and how his relationship with Storm Shadow (Andrew Koji) vaulted him into the world of the Joes and Cobra takes the action out of the United States (outside of the opening few scenes) and into Japan-which gives the film a very cool Eastern world aesthetic that you don't usually see portrayed in mainstream American blockbusters. The majestic beauty of its Japanese setting (where it was shot primarily on location) from the neon lights of Tokyo to the elaborate, secluded temples in the mountains gives the film a very eye-popping look, the film handles its themes of loyalty, tradition and developing a family dynamic outside of blood relation in a quietly dignified manner and the diverse action sequences weave swordplay, martial arts and gunplay into a manic cocktail that act as needed adrenaline shots whenever the pretty straightforward story starts to sag. The final act is a bit underwhelming when the inevitable broader G.I Joe tie-ins come into the play, but there's still enough style, quality action and visual pizazz on display here to justify this return trip to a long dormant cinematic universe.
Grade: B
Old: In a weird sort of way, Old is the ultimate M. Night Shyamalan movie. Every single major problem (uneven writing, stiff acting, a last minute plot twist that is both unexpected and completely absurd) that has plagued the polarizing thriller director during his 20+ year career is on full display and yet the film still manages to remain compelling every step of the way. Shyamalan does a good job of establishing an uneasy tone that sells the horror of the characters slowly realizing they're trapped on a beach that's causing them to rapidly age, the makeup department did a great job of handling both the subtle aging that some of the performers undergo and contributing to a few disturbing/gruesome moments that pop up in the second half of the movie and the exceptional cinematography from budding star Mike Gioulakis (Us, Split) beautifully balances the postcard perfect beauty of its Dominican Republic setting with the disorienting hopelessness of the events that are taking place on the beach. Shyamalan's movies are rarely ever not messy and this hodgepodge of supernatural mystery elements and sincere introspection about the grace and hardships of aging is certainly guilty of that, but his best work is always interesting and Old certainly finds success on that front.
Grade: B-
The Green Knight: David Lowery's surrealist take on the 14th century Arthurian fable Sir Gaiwin and the Green Knight is a noble swing for the fences that just never quite comes together. While its definitely moody, visually appealing and awfully strange, it's not visceral or hypnotic enough to meet its Arthurian fever dream aspirations nor is it mystical or fleshed out enough of a story to work as a more conventional piece of folklore.
Grade: C
Jungle Cruise: Disney's dream of making another Pirates of the Caribbean doesn't exactly come to fruition as Jungle Cruise is a merely competent adventure that is far too safe and shamelessly committed to replicating the feeling of an Indiana Jones movie to match the rollicking good times of their surprise 2003 gem. What Jungle Cruise does do however is demonstrate the value of casting the right actors for a project. There's not a whole lot of overly endearing or clever things going on in the script, yet everybody from leads Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall down to the bit players toplined by Jesse Plemons, Edgar Ramirez and Paul Giamatti elevate every single scene with their charisma and full commitment to characters that probably aren't worthy of such dedicated acting. This Jungle Cruise would've been pulled adrift pretty quickly without their services and everyone at Disney HQ should be thrilled that they chose to hop aboard.
Grade: B-
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