“Juror #2”

(Drama/Crime: 1 hour, 53 minutes)

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch and Amy Aquino

Director: Clint Eastwood

Rated: PG-13 (Violent images and strong language)

Movie Review:

“Juror #2” is the latest from legendary director-actor Clint Eastwood. This straightforward courtroom drama is very engaging.

A high-profile murder trial in Savannah, Georgia, is where Justin Kemp (Hoult) is juror #2. As the trial proceeds, Kemp, a journalist and recovering alcoholic, realizes the facts appear very familiar, leading him to question the proceedings and his role as a juror. What the young family man knows could sway the jury’s verdict and potentially convict or free an innocent man.

Most of Clint Eastwood’s movies are contemplative dramas. That includes “Juror #2.” Eastwood wants to create a moral dilemma, which his characters must remedy. Here, Clint Eastwood’s straightforward approach almost makes this movie too simplistic to fully capture the emotional stress of characters in the allotted runtime. Still, the story written by Jonathan A. Abrams works as an interesting drama.

Nicholas Hoult (“The Menu,” 2022; “The Banker,” 2020) leads the cast. His angelic youthful appearance makes him very sound for this role. He seems the type one can trust as an approachable person. The handsome everyday man approach makes him perfect for this role. He makes his characters inviting personalities.

Plenty of interesting characters in this movie are played by well-known actors such as J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland, but, besides Hoult, the only other noticeable character in a manner that stays is played by Toni Collette. She plays Faith Killebrew, a prosecutor running for the office of district attorney. This case is strategically important to her as it could facilitate her election goals. Collette plays an elected official wrestling with her conscience. She must weigh winning an election over integrity.

“Juror #2,” while having plenty of mystery, is a movie about characters and their moral fight within themselves and the complexities of the jury system. It questions whether one’s ethical obligation to the law is more important than self-preservation. This parallels the movie “12 Angry Men” (Director Sidney Lumet, 1957) and its 1997 remake by Director William Friedkin.

Jurors and attorneys wrestle with issues surrounding the case before them. While the court trial ends, Eastwood and Abrams leave concerns about the ethicality of legal proceedings open for interpretation. They also end the movie just as drama outside of the courtroom appears to be intensifying. The mark of a good storyteller is always leave them wanting more.

Grade: B (A good juror.)

“Moana 2”

(Animation/Adventure/: 1 hour, 40 minutes)

Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, and Hualālai Chung

Directors: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller

Rated: PG (Action/peril and violence)

Movie Review:

“Moana 2,” like its prequel “Moana” (2016) has all the inclinations of a Disney princess movie, but it is more. Moana Waialiki (Cravalho) reminds other characters in this movie that she is not a princess. The Polynesian woman is, however, the brave savior of her people. Moana answers the ocean’s call again in this adventurous tale.

Searching for evidence of others that she may assist beyond Moana’s village island of Motunui, she sails with a small team of unlikely seafarers including Pua and Heihei, a pig and a rooster. First, they must find the mythical island called Motufetu. Along the way, she and her team encounter Moana’s friend, the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson, who is good in this role) who assists in their quest. The heroic team discovers that an evil force is working against them to keep the tribal islands separate.

“Moana 2” is a fun movie for families. The characters are not as endearing as they were in its predecessor, but the adventure, action and humor are grander.

Grade: B (Moana remains Oceania’s steadfast hero.)