Bill & Ted Face The Music (2020)

If there was ever a film that I was looking for a sequel for it was the Bill & Ted Franchise of the late 80's and early 90's. In 1989, we were brought on a time travelling adventure with Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure which featured a young Keanu Reeves (Knock Knock) and a young Alex Winter (The Lost Boys) as two San Dimas, Californians with dreams of making it big as rock stars. They returned in 1991 for the sequel Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey where they had to make it through hell and a game with death to save the world. Well, it's 29 years later and they have returned with Bill & Ted Face The Music which was directed by Dean Parisot (Fun With Dick and Jane). Older and not much wiser, they have been chipping away at trying to fulfill a destiny that was given to them, but with kids and their marriages on the rocks, they are told they don't have much time to save the world with the song that will unite them all. The film also stars Samara Weaving (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Thea,  Brigette Lundy-Paine (Downsizing) as Billie, Kristen Schaal (Toy Story 4) as Kelly, William Sadler (Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) as Death, Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Dennis Caleb McCoy, Erinn Hayes (Children's Hospital) as Elizabeth, Jayma Mays (Red Eye) as Joanna, Hal Landon Jr. (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure) as Chief Logan, Amy Stoch (Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) as Missy, Beck Bennett (Sing) as Deacon, Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) as Dr. Taylor Wood, and Holland Taylor (Keeping The Faith) as the Great Leader.

One of the things that worked for this film is that they didn't try to mix up the formula or install new humor to try and make it hip, they went with what worked before and they ran with it. I have to say that I absolutely loved this film from the beginning all the way to the end because it was a Bill & Ted movie that delivered with a great message of unity as one no matter what race, sex, or creed that you may be and that is exactly what we need in this day and age with all the madness that is happening. I was actually impressed that the make up department did a great job making Keanu Reeves finally look his age for once because that man does not age whatsoever. I was definitely shocked at the sight of it but tons of kudos to them and for the various looks we received throughout the film. I was definitely impressed with Weaving and Lundy-Paine, but Lundy-Paine was the real star of the show as far as the kids and don't get me wrong cause Weaving was great too, but Lundy fit more the part of one of their kids. I loved the fact that they brought back Chief Logan and Missy, it brought back some nostalgia for us long time fans of the franchise, but this movie would have not been what it was without William Sadler who once again appeared as Death. Everything about his performance was excellent and mix that with Anthony Carrigan and it just gets better. I had so much fun watching this film and I recommend it to anyone that loves comedy or the franchise so therefore I am giving the film an A- for a final grade.

Knock Knock (2015)

At one point in the early to mid 2000's, there was a new group of horror directors that were taking the genre by storm and one of those was Eli Roth who made films like Cabin Fever, Hostel, and The Green Inferno to name a few. So for today's film, I thought I would check out one that Eli both wrote, Produced and directed in 2015's Knock Knock. The film stars Keanu Reeves (The Devil's Advocate) as Evan, an architect, a husband, and a devoted father who has to stay behind thanks to work while the wife and kids go out to the beach home. While a night alone in your home sounds good to most, it's about to get interesting for Evan when he helps out two girls stranded in the rain. What was a kind gesture by Evan, quickly turns into a seductively deadly game of cat and mouse that will make Evan regret what he did. The film also stars Lorenza Izzo (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as Genesis, Ana de Armas (Hands Of Stone) as Belle, Ignacia Allamand (The Green Inferno) as Karen, Aaron Burns (The Green Inferno) as Lewis, Colleen Camp (Die Hard With A Vengeance) as Vivian, Dan Baily as Jake, Megan Baily as Lisa,  Antonio Quercia (La leyenda de el Crack) as Uber Driver, and Otto as Monkey. 

I had an idea as far as what direction they were going to take in the film just based on the trailer alone and this was a film that so many told me to avoid watching, but I don't understand why. Does it have it's flaws? Sure, it has plenty of flaws contained within it, but I will say one thing and that is Ana de Armas was definitely not one of them. She had me convinced the whole entire film that something was seriously deranged about her and I am not taking anything away from Lorenza, but she just seemed like a follower while Ana was the real messed up one. Some of the dialogue in the beginning of the film was kind of atrocious and I could have done without plenty of it, but it's after the deal is done that I think the film gets better. The girls turn up the intensity on Keanu Reeves and I finally saw some emotion out of the guy that was above what he had done before. There are some pretty intense scenes in the film, but the last sequence of the film has to be one of those that when it's over you're like I was pretty sure that A was going to happen and not B. As good or as bad as you may think the film was, one thing that I was happy about was that Monkey, that adorable French Bulldog was not harmed at all during the film. I would have shut off the film if he had been, but with that being said, watch at your own risk and leisure. I am going to give the film an B- for a for a final grade. 

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

A movie that has always intrigued me since it's release was 1997's The Devil's Advocate and I have no idea why it took me 23 years to watch the film. Nevertheless, I needed something to watch for today and Netflix happened to have the film so I chose it for today. The film stars Keanu Reeves (Toy Story 4) as hot shot young Florida defense attorney Kevin Lomax who has an unbelievable track record in Florida as he has never lost a case in his life. That kind of record garners some attention from the big Apple as Kevin is offered a very well paying job to be the new defense attorney at a high law firm with a high end boss. The only problem is that things may not appear to be what they are as Kevin takes the job and it could cost him everything. The film also stars Al Pacino (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as John Milton, Charlize Theron (Mad Max Fury Road) as Mary Ann Lomax,  Jeffrey Jones (Mom and Dad Save The World) as Eddie Barzoon, Judith Ivey (Flags Of Our Fathers) as Alice Lomax, Connie Nielsen (The Hunted) as Christabella Andreoli, Craig T. Nelson (The Family Stone) as Alexander Cullen, Tamara Tunie (As The World Turns) as Mrs. Jackie Heath, Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Shaft) as Leamon Heath, Debra Monk (This Is Where I Leave You) as Pam Garrety, George Wyner (Spaceballs) as Meisel, and the film was directed by Taylor Hackford (Ray).

One of the things that hit me really hard for some reason was the scene when Keanu was struggling to get into Charlize's room at the hospital and she cuts her own throat. For some reason and I don't know why, but it just shocked me and made me sad. If you think about it for a minute, they did their job and that is what was great about this film is that it was the total package. The story was so well written that it had me intrigued from the minute it started to the minute it ended. The twist at the end got me really good because I thought the film was over before that happened and I was like where the hell can they go from here? Let me tell you when you see it, they do not disappoint. The other thing that was great about the film was the strength of the performances which was knocked out of the park by Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino who made a great on screen duo in this film. Then there is everyone else that starred int he film that did an amazing job like Charlize Theron who played the right kind of crazy and even Debra Monk as well. This was an excellent film and I can not believe that it took me this long to watch it. Some of the effects were a little cheesy in some parts, but overall it wasn't that bad. That is why I am going to go ahead and give the film an A for a final grade.

Toy Story 4 (2019)

We are taking a break this weekend from Sunday at the Classics to check out a film because tonight is the 92ND annual Academy Awards ceremony. Tonight, they'll be handing out Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and so many more. One of the categories that I have always had great luck with is the Best Animated Feature award that I have successfully predicted for the last five years and for today's film I had to check out the film that I am picking for that award in Toy Story 4. The film once again stars Tom Hanks (Philadelphia) as Woody, Tim Allen (Home Improvement) as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack (Working Girl) as Jesse, Kristen Schaal (Toy Story 3) as Trixie, Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) as Rex, John Ratzenberger (Cheers) as Hamm, Blake Clark (Waterboy) as Slinky, and Bonnie Hunt (Rain Man) as Dolly. This time around, the gang is trying to get used to Bonnie's routines, but Woody is having a hard time adjusting. One day, he helps her create a new friend in Forky (Tony Hale), but Forky gets lost at an Antique store and it's up to Woody and an old friend to bring him back before it's too late. The film also stars Annie Potts (Ghostbusters) as Bo Peep, Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu) as Ducky, Keanu Reeves (John Wick) as Duke Caboom, Jordan Peele (Keanu) as Bunny, Christina Hendricks (The Neon Demon) as Gabby Gabby, Ally Maki (Cloak & Dagger) as Giggles McDimples, and the film was directed by Josh Cooley (Inside Out).

So, compared to the previous entry in the franchise which I thought was dark towards the end of the film, this was a much lighter film. The film touches on the idea of being an outcast, an undesirable that feels left out in the cold and it tries to teach you that it's OK to feel that way, but nothing is permanent. They try to teach you in the film that you have to accept yourself for who you are and that sometimes you have to take a chance and think outside the four walls of your room or the proverbial box. The film teaches you that sometimes you just need to accept reality and when you can do that you will be OK because you'll value your true closest friends. Disney films have always been very deep as far as the underlying messages that you don't get as a child until you watch it again as an adult. I think they hope that your brain will just subliminally understand what is happening and you'll be a better citizen for it. I have always been a fan of the franchise and I was very much looking forward to this film, but how does it rank with the rest of them? I thought the story was well done, but the film was more centered on Woody this time around then it was about any other character. I definitely believe with all my heart that this was the franchise's swan song and they did it with dignity. I loved seeing all the different new toys and how they included some from Canada with theirs which was great because I loved having Keanu Reeves there. I don't know what else there is to say because Disney Pixar do not make bad movies. So, I am going to go ahead and give this one an A- for a final grade.