“Dune: Part Two”

(Science-Fiction/Drama: 2 hours, 46 minutes)

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler and Javier Bardem

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Rated: PG-13 (Sequences of strong violence, suggestive material and brief strong language)

Movie Review:

The sequel to 2021’s “Dune,” “Dune: Part Two” completes the narrative directed by Denis Villeneuve and based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 epic science fiction novel. Villeneuve’s adaptation takes a movie and a half to build to his main plot, only to rush the climax. However, along the way, he and his team provide engaging entertainment, and beautiful visuals to create a more than worthy sequel.

“Dune: Part Two” picks up where the sequel left off. Paul Atreides (Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica Atreides (Ferguson) still survive on the desert planet Arrakis with the help of Chani (nicely acted by Zendaya) and the Fremen. A young Paul quickly becomes a man, plotting revenge on the people who destroyed the House Atreides and kills his father. The future appears dim for Paul and his allies, but Paul, the prophesied Muad’Dib, foresees a way to succeed against foes as the chosen one.

“Part Two” is a good movie and is an epic narrative blockbuster photoplay. Despite its charm, numerous action sequences and beautiful visuals, Villenue tries too hard to make all characters relevant.

This is unneeded. Herbert’s book had time to develop all his characters. This movie just needed to focus on Paul Atreides primarily, and Timothée Chalamet plays him admirably.

Villenue often allows his movie to be sidetracked by gladiator events and other violent escapades. He does so here, even when the moments add nothing to the overall plot.

Cinematography for scenes on the House Harkonne’s planet is shot using black-and-white infrared cameras. Villeneuve takes us off the desert Arrakis and into a gladiator battle at House Harkonnen. The monochromatic cinematography beautifully captures the villainous House Harkonne that Villeneuve makes more despicably malevolent than in the books or the previous movie television editions. While these scenes are intriguing and visually stunning, they offer little respect to the story.

Villeneuve’s role as director is interesting considering the director prefers less dialogue in his screenplays while the nearly 900-page book this movie is based on contains mostly dialogue. Villeneuve and his team manage to create an entertaining narrative, even when science-fiction and political notions do not make sense. This is where the book comes in handy because it explains more of this complex story.

Villenue (“Arrival,” 2016; “Sicario,” 2015) deviates with this adaptation from the famed book. The deviations do not create a genuine shock value or add to the movie. Instead, Villeneuve appears to want to make modern statements through Herbert’s book.

This movie is fine filmmaking, although the ending is gravely rushed and story-concepts are flimsy at times. Still, “Dune: Part Two” offers a doorway to an engaging new universe. The visuals, actions epic storytelling make one intrigued to see more.

Grade: B (Planet Dune still thrives.)

“Drive-Away Dolls”

(Comedy/Crime: 1 hour, 24 minutes)

Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan and Colman Domingo

Director: Ethan Coen

Rated: R (Crude sexual content, full nudity, language and some violent content)

Movie Review:

“Drive Away Dolls” is a crime genre movie. It is original in its approach while being unconvincing, this movie is a comedic crime caper. The issue is the laughing at the silliness of the situation more so than because the movie provides genuine comedy.

In 1999, Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan), two young women, decide to drive to Tallahassee, Florida. They inadvertently rent a car, thinking they are just transporting the vehicle to a place in Tallahassee. When they open the trunk, they are surprised at what they find. The contents of the trunk have a gang of thugs for hire pursuing the young women.

Think of this as the lesbian version of “Thelma and Louise.”

The previews and the opening moments of this movie have a way of beckoning one to see it on the big screen. However, an array of peculiar characters in the most logical execution leaves one with a screenplay.

Margaret Qualley is a talented actress. She has been better in other movies such as 2022’s “Sanctuary.” She makes a sexy lesbian, but her southern accent seems an overkill. Southern drawl exits, but then there is just too much y’all.

Geraldine Viswanathan plays her part as if she doesn’t want to be there. She is not alone. Moviegoers seeing this comedy may feel similar.

However, Beanie Feldstein plays law enforcement officer Sukie with comical pizzazz. She is rough and intelligent and not to be toyed with as a lover.

Director Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men,” 2007) and co-writer Tricia Cooke, primarily a film editor (“O Brother, Where Art Thou,” Directors Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, 2001) provide some interesting moments. One of the standouts is Matt Damon as Senator Gary Channel.

The character’s involvement in the movie appears a movie all of its own but do not make it as it is a temporary distraction to fill in the gaps of the plot story.

Like many Coen movies, this one is an acquired taste. “Drive-Away Dolls” is a bunch of hits and misses and eccentric characters that clash more than they gel.

For those of us who spend time in Tallahassee or live there, it is a beautiful place. It is a good destination. This movie is just not the route to get there.

Grade: C (After it is over, it is a drive-by production.)

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Hashira Training”

(Anime/Action: 1 hour, 44 minutes)

Starring: Natsuki Hanae, Kengo Kawanishi and Akari Kitô

Director: Haruo Sotozaki

Rated: R (Violence and bloody images)

Movie Review:

This anime feature appears like something you should watch at home. It is two episodes merged into one movie. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Hashira Training” should remain on television.

Tanjiro Kamado (Hanae) undergoes rigorous training to fulfill the requirements of being a Hashira, the highest-ranking Demon Slayer. As Tanjiro’s abilities as a slayer grow, the demon king Muzan Kibutsuji also increases his power. The adversaries both seek Tanjiro’s sister, Nezuko Kamado (Kitô), a powerful demon with humanity.

“Demon Slayer” is based on the “Swordsmith Village” and “Hashira Training” television arcs of the “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2016–2020) by artist and author Koyoharu Gotouge. This movie incorporates parts of two seasons.

The characters are interesting. Their objectives appear noble – they are trying to save humanity from demons. This episodic presentation does not help their cause. It plays like a martial arts flick mixed with soap opera dramatics.

Grade: C (This does not slay box offices.)

“Ordinary Angels”

(Drama: 1 hour, 58 minutes)

Starring: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Emily Mitchell and Nancy Travis

Director: Jon Gunn

Rated: PG (Thematic content, brief bloody images and smoking)

Movie Review:

“Ordinary Angels” is a feel-good movie. Audiences need a decent movie about compassion and how our humanity can come together when needed. The overall narrative, although based on a true story and is uplifting, has a standard playout.

This drama’s inspiration is the story of Sharon Stevens, played by Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank. Stevens is a beautician in a 1993’s Louisville Kentucky. She works tirelessly to persuade her town to help a widowed father Ed Schmitt (Ritchson) find the necessary medical care for his daughter Michelle (Emily Mitchell), who needs a liver transplant.

What helps this feature is its cast. Swank and Alan Ritchson play off of each other very well. They give the movie the boost that needs to be more than just the standard, based on real events theme.

The movie also does not allow itself to be overly emotional. It allows for comedy among its uplifting moments. This makes it an attention-getter throughout its runtime.

Jon Gunn’s (“Like Dandelion Dust,” 2009) great fault is a scene he shows during the movie and one during the end credits. The climax of this movie is a scene where a helicopter could not land at night because of a major snowstorm. The movie scene has a pivotal moment at night, where townspeople use their cars’ headlights and their coats to show the helicopter where to land. The actual footage shows the moment during daylight hours in a less dramatic manner.

The moral of this story is stay true to facts if you are going to show archival footage that indicates real-life events were different. The other liberties with this story also. Sharon Stevens says she never was an alcoholic, and her relationship with her son was not an estranged one. The movie also invents people to make the cast more racially diverse. None of this was necessary to facilitate an already inspiring narrative.

The producers of this movie should label this movie as loosely based on real-life events. Otherwise, “Ordinary Angels” is an engaging inspirational drama.

Grade: B- (Extraordinary story interrupted by Hollywood dramatics.)

“Kung Fu Panda 4”

(Animation/Action/Adventure: 1 hour, 34 minutes)

Starring: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis and Dustin Hoffman

Directors: Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine

Rated: PG (Martial arts action/mild violence, scary images and rude humor)

Movie Review:

As the title suggests, this is the fourth movie in this franchise that began with 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” (Directors Mark Osborne, John Stevenson). This latest version is still effective entertainment for parents and their small fries.

Po (Black) ascends to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. He finds an unlikely replacement to be the new Dragon Warrior, a corsac fox named Zhen (Awkwafina). As Po prepares to train the next Dragon Warrior, The Chameleon (Davis), a sorceress of immense abilities, plans to consume all the abilities of master villains by summoning them from the spirit realm.

This panda is still mixing martial arts with amusement effectively. The action and adventure blend nicely. Additionally, these elements take place in the land of colorful backgrounds of vivid eye candy.

The vocal talents remain superb attributes to their animated counterparts. Jack Black is still impressive as Po. Awkwafina continually shines in movies. Viola Davis is cunning and exquisite as Po’s archnemesis. Dustin Hoffman still impresses, and several others are marvelous standouts.

Grade: B (These characters still are kung fu fighting, and they are funny and inviting.)

“Cabrini”

(Drama/Biography: 2 hours, 22 minutes)

Starring: Cristiana Dell’Anna, John Lithgow, David Morse and Giancarlo Giannini

Director: Alejandro Monteverde

Rated: PG-13 (Thematic material, some violence and language)

Movie Review:

“Cabrini” is a hagiography, a biography about a religious figure. This one does something uniquely well, it focuses on part of an extraordinary person’s life. This gives the movie a purposeful focus.

Cristiana Dell’Anna plays Francesca Cabrini, a nun. She witnesses Italian immigrants living in poverty. Their homes in the slums of slums New York are unhealthy conditions filled with disease and hundreds of orphaned children. Cabrini’s quest is to improve living conditions. With the blessing of Pope Leo XIII (Giannini), Cabrini must battle New York City’s hostile Mayor Jacob Gould (Lithgow) and members of the Catholic Church, such as Archbishop Michael Corrigan (Morse).

On July 7, 1946, Cabrini was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna, a main personality on television, plays Cabrini with zeal. Her portrayal is engaging, a respectful subtleness that works well. Her scenes with John Lithgow are some of the movie’s more engaging moments.

Alejandro Monteverde (“Little Boy,” 2015; “Sound of Freedom,” 2023) direction offers a straightforward story. It is engaging from its beginning. The setting, set designs and characters complement each other nicely.

Grade: B (She is favorable.)

“Imaginary” (Horror/Thriller: 1 hour, 44 minutes)

Starring: DeWanda Wise, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun and Betty Buckley

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Rated: PG-13 (Violent content, drug material and language)

Movie Review:

Jeff Wadlow is becoming a staple for the horror genre. Here, he gives audiences a familiar theme, the bogeyman. The mythical creature has been used for centuries to scare children as a means of controlling their behavior. This movie presents the figure as an imaginary generated by the imagination of a child.

That child is Alice (Burn). She now lives in a house where her stepmother Jessica (Wise) lived as a child. Alice, her sister Taylor (Burns), Jessica and Alice’s father Max (Tom Payne) think their new abode is just what their new family needs. While Max is away for work, the women experience a terrifying phenomenon. The imaginary friend Jessica left behind is angry about the abandonment. Matters become stranger when Gloria (Buckley), Jessica’s former au pair arrives.

Director Jeff Wadlow’s movies start with imaginative setups, such as “Truth or Dare” (2018) and “Fantasy Island” (2020). The problem is his screenplays become fantasy-like as if an adolescent wrote the endings.

Too much imagination hinders this horror. It plays out just as one expects. The end tries to insert something different, but it does not know when to end except to offer the ordinary.

Grade: C (Imaginative without being inventive.)

“The American Society of Magical Negroes” (Comedy/Fantasy: 1 hour, 44 minutes)

Starring: Justice Smith, An-Li Bogan, David Alan Grier and Drew Tarver

Director: Kobi Libii

Rated: PG-13 (Strong language, suggestive material and thematic material)

Movie Review:

Kobi Libii is an actor known for television programs such as “Madam Secretary” (2014 – 2017). He makes his screenplay directorial debut with “The American Society of Magical Negroes.” This movie is a comedy, fantasy and romance. It is lacking energy in all those genres.

“The American Society of Magical Negroes” recruits Aren (Smith). The group of magical Black people sees the young man as a person with a promising career. Members of The Society dedicate their lives to ensuring white people remain pleased with life. Aren is is adapts quickly and becomes one of the group’s most talented. However, his position is put in dire consequences when he falls in love with someone who could jeopardize his current assignment and career.

The American Society of Magical Negroes has an interesting premise, but it fails to be invitingly convincing. It is multiple genres, but this seemingly Harry Potter-like tale is too mild in all forms.

While Justice Smith is moving as typical for the actor, the narrative in which he exists is a wayward plot. It appears like something the writer-director makes up as the movie progresses.

Grade: C (Magical slight)

Adann-Kennn Alexxandar has been reviewing movies for more than 25 years for The Valdosta Daily Times.