From a baby with a cutting-edge approach to a documentary that features the Harlem Cultural Festival, check out this week’s movie reviews with Patrick Beatty.
‘The Boss Baby: Family Business’ (PG)
In Theaters July 2nd
Directed By: Tom McGrath
Starring: Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Amy Sedaris
Genre: Animated, Adventure, Comedy
Synopsis: The Templeton brothers have become adults and drifted away from each other, but a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach is about to bring them together again – and inspire a new family business.
Patrick gave this one: 4/10
Review:
The Templeton brothers—Tim and his Boss Baby little brother Ted—have drifted away from each other after becoming adults. But a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again and inspire a new family business.
Alec Baldwin and James Marsden have chemistry, which we’ve seen from the first film. The sequel feels much more like they were forced to come back and record due to contractual obligations. The story is all over the place, Jeff Goldblum voices the main villain, and although Patrick loves him in everything, he is just not given enough to utilize him the right way.
The humor in kids’ movies can vary from being nuanced enough for kids to get it and parents to laugh at another layer of the joke. Boss Baby: Family Business goes straight for the whoopie cushion. The marks are just rather lazy, not harmful but not meriting more than a mere chuckle throughout the movie.
If you weren’t a fan of the original, you are not going to like this. If you found the original passable and want to give this film a shot, then go in with lower expectations, and you’ll likely have a decent time watching with the kids. This film was a pretty big miss for Patrick, and for a film recommendation, he really can’t say he would tell anyone wanting to be entertained this week to watch this. It’s a strictly distract the kid’s film, and maybe not the best one.
‘The Tomorrow War’ (PG-13)
On Prime Video July 2th
Directed By: Chris McKay
Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Synopsis: A family man is drafted to fight in a future war where the fate of humanity relies on his ability to confront the past.
Patrick gave this one: 6/10
Review:
In the future, aliens have almost overrun the entire earth. The remaining people have sent themselves back in time to recruit their ancestors to come and fight to save the world. Chris Pratt is an ex-soldier turned science teacher who gets recruited into the future, but what he will experience or the likelihood of his survival is slim. This new sci-fi action thriller may have an impressive creature design has a hollow emotional core.
Chris Pratt has turned from Parks and Rec comedic star into a full-fledged action hero. Patrick loves Pratt as an actor and knows he can bring in a thoroughly dimensional performance, but he just failed to give the emotional punch he needed in’ The Tomorrow War.’ It feels like, with that transition, a lot of the silliness we loved the actor forgot traded for ‘cool guy jokes’ and smoldering stares in the distance.
The story of parents and children leaving a better future for them is all present here. The supporting cast, including Yvonne Strahovski and J.k. Simmons, is just there for Pratt’s character to get motivation. Still, you don’t care about the relationship enough for those moments to pay off. Still, the emotional bond between Pratt’s character and others isn’t evident to the audience. The comedic support from Sam Richardson was the most fun in the movie.
The action, creatures, and VFX are all top-notch. Patrick loved the alien design and how they fought and moved in the film. They put a lot of attention to detail with the aliens, and you get to see what they look like up close. All of the camerawork through choppy you can still watch headache-free, but Patrick does wish they’d gotten this in a theater, it may have more grace with showcasing the big-screen spectacle, but that’s missed in the home theater setting.
Overall, this is a generic action sci-fi thriller but sadly feels held back by the script. Check it out if you’ve already got Prime Video, and it’s a decent watch for the Fourth of July weekend.
‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’ (PG-13)
In Theaters July 2nd
Director: Questlove
Stars: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Rock, Stevie Wonder
Genre: Documentary, Music
Synopsis: ‘Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’ is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which celebrated African American music and culture, and promoted Black pride and unity.
Patrick gave this one: 4/10
Check out Patrick’s video review from Sundance 2021 by clicking here.
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