Rasputin and the Empress

1932  NR  DRAMA  2h 1min

CAST— John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Ralph Morgan, Diana Wynyard, Tad Alexander, C. Henry Gordon, Edward Arnold, Jean Parker

MUSIC— Herbert Stothart  DIRECTOR— Richard Boleslavsky

     Blending fact and fiction, this tale of Rasputin, the “Mad Monk” of Russia, depicts a chilling atmosphere during the dark days leading to World War I. As Czar and company prepare for imminent war, the prince lies dying of a rare blood disorder. The doctors are unable to help, so the cavalry arrives, in the form of a creepy, dark-clad figure named Rasputin, who takes on the guise of a holy man. After hypnotizing the boy into a false sense of wellness, Rasputin slithers his way into the lives of the Czar and his family, becoming a prominent member of pre-communist Russia. Only a member of the bureaucracy sees through the deception, though his warnings fall on deaf ears. He makes it his mission to rid the monarchy of this corruption, waging a one man war against a darkness that looms over his country. Though the facts tend to get swallowed in sensationalism, the film packs solid entertainment, especially in Lionel Barrymore’s role as the wicked Rasputin, who becomes a real baddie in this often overlooked gem from the ‘30s.

OUR RATING— ***

     The Rare Breed

1966  NR  WESTERN  1h 37min

CAST— James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith, Juliet Mills, Don Galloway

MUSIC— Johnny Williams  DIRECTOR— Andrew V. McLaglen

     Here lies a Western with a heart. James Stewart plays an experienced cattle man who agrees to guide an English Hereford bull from point A to point B. But the catch is that its former pampering owners, two proper British ladies, are along for the journey. The bull is shown contempt and compassion throughout their trek as the humans learn to respect one another. Simply a by-the-books drama with more gush than gun play. An over the top performance by Brian Keith is simply irritating. Take it or leave it.

OUR RATING— **

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     Ransom!

1956  NR  DRAMA  1h 49min

CAST— Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen, Juano Hernandez, Alexander Scourby, Juanita Moore, Robert Keith

MUSIC— Jeff Alexander  DIRECTOR— Alex Segal

     Engaging study of a family’s emotional struggle dealing with the kidnapping of their eight year-old son. The kidnappers demand $500,000 ransom; but when the police explain that it’s a fifty/fifty chance even with payment, the boy’s father refuses to pay, making him an object of scorn to the media, the public, even his family. The film keeps the tension fairly tight throughout the film, marred only by an abrupt and questionable ending. Leslie Nielsen hands in a fine performance as a cocky journalist who soon begins to realize that there’s more to this story than just sensationalism. Later remade with Mel Gibson in the Glenn Ford role.

OUR RATING— **

REMADE AS— Ransom (1996)

     Rango

2011  PG  ANIMATED  1h 47min

CAST— Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone

MUSIC— Hans Zimmer  DIRECTOR— Gore Verbinski

     Wow. An absolute triumph of animation from start to finish. Meet Rango, thespian extraordinaire, as chameleonic on stage as he is in design. This little lizard knows how to walk the walk and talk the talk. But when he’s stranded in the desert with no audience he is lost. When he wanders into the aptly named town of Dirt he steps into character as a gunslinger who’s seen and done all. He is soon elected sheriff in this thirsty burg whose residents are desperate for a hero. Rango and his newfound friends search the desert for a water supply but their mission is fraught with danger, riddled with bullets and full of funny. A throwback to the Westerns of yesteryear yet delivered with modern style. The design is like an anti-Finding Nemo (2003); whereas Nemo was all colorful aquatic beauty, Rango is at the other end of the spectrum, showcasing beautiful desert vistas and a unique, grotesque spin on wildlife (what the heck are some of these things?). Thirsty yet? Final note: though aimed at the kids this film does contain mild language and violence, so heed the PG. Extended version also available. Oscar-winner for Best Animated Feature.

OUR RATING— *** ½

     Rampage

2018  PG-13  ACTION  1h 47min

CAST— Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Joe Manganiello

MUSIC— Andrew Lockington, Damjan Jovanovic  DIRECTOR— Brad Peyton  BASED ON— Characters appearing in Rampage (video game)

     One no longer needs to jostle other arcade patrons in order to enjoy the destruction of Rampage; it’s now gotten the big screen treatment and it’s just as one would expect. The crew of a space station has been working on illegal genetic research when their experiment unexpectedly destroys everything in sight. One crew member saves the genetic material and manages to use the escape pod only to perish in flame… but the material she saved makes its way to Earth. Meanwhile, meet Davis, a bulky yet somewhat sentimental primatologist whose best friend is an albino gorilla (with blue eyes) named George whom Davis once saved from poachers. Now the two share an unbreakable bond and a twisted sense of humor. But all that will soon change. As the space debris plummets to Earth some lands in Wyoming, some in the Everglades, with the final piece landing smack dab in the middle of George’s enclosure. Curious, George (or would that be Curious George?) inspects this debris and is contaminated by the nasty genetic mixture within, as are a gray wolf in Wyoming and an American crocodile in the Everglades. What ensues is these three creatures going on a destructive rampage, all headed for Chicago, where Energyne, the investment team behind the illegal genetic experiments, have activated a beacon that will cause the creatures to instinctively hone in and send them into a foaming frenzy, enraged at the beacon’s signal. As the three creatures tear through the country the military is ineffective at stopping them… but just maybe Davis’s newfound partner, a former Energyne geneticist, might have a means to stop the aggression. Now with the help of a chilled out George, Davis may be able to lend a hand in bringing the pain to these larger than life mutations. A pretty silly cash grab by Warner Bros., using a bankable star in what amounts to a rather average Godzilla-like clone, minus the corny charm. Overall, fans of the game series will probably go on their own frustrated rampage over this movie, but newcomers will no doubt appreciate it more.

OUR RATING— **

     Raising Arizona

1987  PG-13  COMEDY  1h 34min

CAST— Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter

MUSIC— Carter Burwell  DIRECTOR— Joel Coen

     Here is a truly weird, funny and original comedy starring Nicolas Cage as a bumbling ex-con named H. I. married to an over-dramatic ex-cop, played by Holly Hunter. When this odd couple find out that they are doomed to remain childless, life pretty much stops for them. Until they hear about a furniture store tycoon’s wife giving birth to quintuplets. So they hatch a plan to kidnap one of the quints. Who’s gonna miss just one, anyway? That’s where the film really takes off as the two wannabe parents stumble to achieve a normal life. The premise is pretty clear, but it’s the assorted characters that give it its weird charm. There’s H. I.’s supervisor, his stupidly funny escaped con friends (one of which is played by John Goodman), and the terrifyingly filthy bounty hunter hot on the trail of the new “parents”. The film gives us some memorable moments (the Huggies/getaway scene is a great example), but it also gives us a bit of heart to go with it. Don’t misinterpret that: This is not a warm ooey-gooey baby movie. What it is is a glimpse into the life of some truly different film characters. But, then again, they’re probably no different from the people living right next door to you. You know, that weird couple with the kids?

OUR RATING— ***

     Raiders of the Lost Ark

1981  PG  ADVENTURE  1h 55min

CAST— Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliot

MUSIC— John Williams  DIRECTOR— Steven Spielberg

     Here’s where it all began! The first film made of the ever popular Indiana Jones series, and it’s a winner. Harrison Ford dons his now famous fedora on the adventure that everyone fell in love with. Evil Nazi agents are on the prowl, looking for the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, so that they can gain its (fictional) power and take over the world… or something. It’s Indiana Jones to the rescue as he tries to unlock the mysteries surrounding the location of the ancient Ark before the Nazis do. The plot isn’t completely clear or logical, but that matters not. This is not an accurate history lesson on the Ark of the Covenant.  This is a rousing adventure that gives you everything it can in its time frame, so get ready to experience the thrill of the first film in the epic Indiana Jones saga. Final note: The detail on the Ark is nicely done, looking as it is described in the Biblical book of Exodus. Oscar-winner for Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects. AKA Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ****

PRECEDED BY— Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

FOLLOWED BY— Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)