Jake Kasdan – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: So, you are telling me that we are not the true red ones.

Vampire Bat: We always wear black. You know that already.

Vampire Owl: We do have the red borders on clothing.

Vampire Bat: It is just a symbolism of blood.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not that much into bloody colours.

Vampire Bat: Any blood on clothing can lead to suspicion.

Vampire Owl: Well, everyone knows that we are vampires.

Vampire Bat: It is not about knowing; it is about providing proof.

Vampire Owl: There would be enough proof available from the CCTVs.

Vampire Bat: Well, those could be staged as it would be over in a flash.

[Gets an oreo shake and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) has almost always existed as a secret military organization meant to keep the balance between humanity and mythological creatures, thus keeping both worlds safe and without making itself known to mankind. As part of the organization, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), Head of North Pole security for Saint Nicholas a.k.a. Santa Claus (J K Simmons) for quite a long time. After serving for long as the strongest member of the team and an expert in his field, Callum decides to quite after this final Christmas journey though. But things do not go that easy as Santa is kidnapped by an unknown group of soldiers who are able to bypass the security measures of his building with ease. Callum lets the director of MORA, Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) know about the same, and the group is put on full alert, understanding the alarming situation where there would be no Christmas at least for one year.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The question remains why one would want to abduct Santa Claus, and the names of the usual suspects come into the picture before any other investigation. It is discovered that the top-secret location of Santa’s abode was leaked by Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), a hacker and bounty hunter, divorced and non-believer, who would do anything for money. After a tracker is placing on him, Jack is forced to team up with a reluctant Callum due to unforeseen circumstances. He points them to the broker and middleman Ted (Nick Kroll) who provides them the name of the winter witch Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), who wishes to punish everyone who has been evil in one way or the other, which would mean almost all of humanity. They ask for help from Santa’s estranged brother and Gryla’s former lover Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), but he is not interested. With the winter witch only getting more powerful and Santa getting weaker, what all paths can lead to saving the man in trouble?

The defence of Red One :: Red One keeps on with the Santa Claus side of Christmas which is never short of opportunities. There are some fine action sequences with some visual splendour that goes on and on throughout its run. The main characters keep making things interesting as the movie progresses, and we find their teaming up to be an interesting one without second thoughts. There is some humour that is added here and there, and with the two main characters around, that was always going to happen at regular intervals. The addition of Chris Evans becomes the fine twist in itself, as we usually find Chris Pratt, Ryan Reynolds, Seann William Scott or someone doing similar works, especially after Captain America model came up – this remains a welcome change when we look at it. The idea of Santa Claus being kidnapped and the celebration of Christmas itself being canceled is one idea that keeps us going for it. With more hype in this part of the world, it could have surely achieved more and made a lasting impact due to its quality of making itself.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have used some magic of Christmas to add to its strength, instead of going in a predictable saving the word from evil witch mode. It instead chooses to go for the safe path with the least intervention of religion and mythology, seemingly to satisfy that group which has the least interest in these types of movies. One keeps wondering why the film hesitates to take any part of the religious and spiritual side when the same could brought on with the right morals and never compromising on the overall quality. You have a Santa Claus and you have the Rock defending him, with the Captain America turned new character with special skills, and the limitations still seem to apply. There seems to be the feeling that all of these would be enough to make this a blockbuster with Christmas around the corner. Maybe there was the idea of thinking too much about one’s own existence in a world of too many movies.

The performers of the soul :: Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. the Rock once again has one side in control in that kind of a role which he has never been tired of doing. He plays the strong defender and bodyguard of Santa Claus to perfection as one would expect him to do. His status as an entertainer is further asserted here. Chris Evans becomes the reluctant hero who is not that interested in saving people or the world, very much unlike the Captain America roles he had been playing until Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He switches his style really well around here. On other days, you would think about many other actors playing this kind of role, but this time, we have fine change that surprises. Lucy Liu has less to do, but the performance here is done with some fine conviction. Kiernan Shipka evil villain also remains an effective one – we are never really short of some more witches on the scene, and with the presence of the darker side of magic, they always make things more effectively terrifying. J K Simmons makes a fine Santa Claus in between.

How it finishes :: You expect more for the Christmas season, especially with such a grand cast involved in the proceedings. But the movie never really raises its level, despite having some fine moments around. Its quality as entertainer and as something interesting for children would never be questioned though, and we see the fun around. The movie keeps reminding us about the Christmas spirit throughout the December. There was always chance for more, but we are glad to watch some fine Christmas entertainment. You will have the choice to watch something else, and if you are watching this one for a Christmas, there is more chance that you will opt for this one instead of any other. The Rock during Christmas season is more and more happiness, whether it is in the WWE ring or in a movie. You have those electrifying moments, whether with Santa Claus, or with the Undertaker, Triple H or Stone Cold Steve Austin. This one is presently available on Amazon Prime Video, and among the choices, this one shines with the Christmas fun out of nowhere.

Release date: 15th November 2024
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J K Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Reinaldo Faberlle, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Marc Evan Jackson. Jenna Kanell, Gursharn Arya, Jon Rudnitsky

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

What is the movie about? :: Spencer Gilpin (Alex Wolff), Bethany Walker (Madison Iseman), Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner) and Anthony Fridge Johnson (Ser’Darius Blain) have gone separate ways after that one adventure with the Jumanji video game where they returned the Jaguar’s Eye, a magic jewel to the shrine where it belonged. They had saved the day, and then did decide never to go back to those video game avatars again. After a long time, they plan to meet up in Brantford, and everyone except Spencer is very much interested in seeing the team back again. He had put his romantic relationship with Martha on hold, and was living a rather dull life, as this call for a meeting reminds him not to see his old friends, but to go back to Jumanji, where he was special, and could save the world – that was the only way for him to become important again, with three lives inside a video game, fighting evil and making a difference yet again.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: Fridge, Martha and Bethany meet up at the cafe sharing some happy moments of re-union, and are concerned when Spencer doesn’t show up, not even bothering to leave a message for them. This leads to them going to his home, and meeting Spencer’s grandfather Eddie Gilpin (Danny DeVito), who is currently recovering from hip surgery, and his former friend Milo Walker (Danny Glover) with whom he has issues over their former partnership cafe business which is no more. The three friends realize that even his grandfather has no clue where he is. But then they hear the drums of Jumanji, and down in the basement, everyone in the house except Bethany are sucked into the video game as the playable character while she is left rejected. The other four reaches inside the game, confused with their avatars, except for Martha who manages to get her same character as in her previous outing inside the Jumanji world.

And what else is to follow in this adventure beyond? :: So, as the four people become characters in the video game, Eddie becomes Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Milo becomes Franklin Mouse Finbar (Kevin Hart) and Fridge becomes Professor Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black). Martha continues to be Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), the martial arts expert. They are confused about the change of situation, and the new location while the non-playable character Nigel Billingsley (Rhys Darby) briefs the new and advanced mission to them. He informs them that a ruthless warlord Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann) has stolen a magic necklace called the Falcon’s Heart. The land is in drought in its absence, and there is an immediate need to bring it to the sun so that everything can be restored. Without it, the whole of Jumanji would turn into a cursed land with no hope. Now, with a few confused people, the question remains if they can succeed in this and bring Spencer home.

The defence of Jumanji: The Next Level :: Jumanji and its related movies have always entertained us, and this film is no exception. The coordination here is wonderful, and the world created here is also worth our attention. There are some fine scenes of action and adventure that can be seen here too. The humour is also nicely created, and the comic side gets a boost on many occasions. There are some scenes that will stay in the minds, one including a series of moving bridges and a group of monkeys, and another one is about body switching between characters. The humour doesn’t begin and end at exact places, as it is present throughout the film. It does know where to place all these, and in the end, the movie is never long, and never does it drag – with its shorter length, it makes a fine watch with ease. The audience for this movie could only increase in the next few days.

The claws of flaw :: There might be the feeling of repetition for some, even though the difference is certainly there. Any feeling of not liking this movie is mostly linked the absence of an understanding of it, as the crowd seems to be less for this one in this part of the world. Still, there is no doubt about the fact that this could have had even more adventures with extra additions of traps here and there. Light-hearted fantasy adventures can never have more, and this one limits its collection. Also, I have always had the opinion that this one should have had one more female playable character in the game. Here, it doesn’t have a competitor from Hollywood, and so, the flaws will most probably be forgotten. Anything missing can be added in another possible sequel, and we would definitely need one with the same cast returning, and bigger adventures happening.

The performers of the soul :: This is certainly a movie of fun performances. Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. the Rock is once again fantastic in this kind of role, and he brings a lot of fun as well as action in the best possible ways. We had just seen him, the man who has been Hercules, in Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw were he excelled. Karen Gillan who is best known for playing Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers series of movies, is seen in an even better avatar, something which can make one recommend her for a Tomb Raider movie over all other actresses. The way she swings on the ropes and poles, and jumps on the walls reminds one of those Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia video games – she is one perfect video game character and is joy to watch. The looks support what she does. Jack Black brings a lot to the funny side. Danny DeVito and Danny Glover makes a fine combination too. Kevin Hart makes a fine avatar too. Morgan Turner leads the way with real-life forms of the young game characters.

How it finishes :: I remember having loved the 1995 movie of the same name, and then the 2005 movie Zathura: A Space Adventure, both having children in trouble when they are playing board games which are more than just games. I had missed Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and it is something that I regret after watching this sequel which is one interesting adventure, rising far above what was shown in the trailer. It is the kind of adventure that anyone would love to watch, and The Rock has always been good with this kind of movies, with an adventure having a funny side, and just like Journey 2: The Mysterious Island which was an adaptation to remember. Many of us have wanted to be a part of a video game, living through them as if the character which we play are us – it is more applicable in the case of Role Playing Games, and this movie lets us live through one of such games, and it is a very enjoyable ride.

Release date: 13th December 2019
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito