Fresh 'AIR' the best of '23 so far; Colorful 'Mario Bros.' plumbs for plot

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Fresh 'AIR' the best of '23 so far; Colorful 'Mario Bros.' plumbs for plot

Sorry, all-time NBA scoring leader Lebron James, but not only does Ben Affleck's enjoyable "AIR" prove the impact of Michael Jordan on and off the basketball court, it also soars as the best movie 2023 has to offer so far.

Any hoops aficionado certainly might agree when it becomes obvious, almost from the get-go, how easily director Affleck and first-time feature screenwriter Alex Convery get it all so very right in telling the marvelous tale of running-shoe company Nike chasing down superstar-to-be Jordan just so he can wear their sneakers way back in 1984.

Everyone else, of course, simply will get knocked out by the mostly A-List talent that nails each and every performance -- from Matt Damon's likable cager guru to Jason Bateman's marketing wiz to Viola Davis, as Jordan's decision-maker Mom. (Still, such a fabulous trio barely skims the surface of acting talent on display, thanks to key cast contributions from Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Affleck himself and, oh, so many more.)

Even with an ending that perhaps could use a little more, uh, well . . . game, "AIR" rises so consistently behind members of the thoroughly engaging ensemble, they already have put themselves in early position as real players for an awards season that remains a good eight months away. Watch them now and expect nothing but three-pointers all around.

Rated "R" by MPAA: for language throughout: 1:52; $ $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5

Speaking of games, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" acceptably puts the world's most famous Italian plumbers through their animated paces with an array of capable salutes to the siblings' longtime antics on Nintendo's ever-popular video systems.

Whether Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) walk to their first job assignment in Brooklyn, prove their mettle to Mushroom Kingdom Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), try to assemble an army by battling fellow gamer Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), or get chased by Dark Land's big bad Bowser (an amplified Jack Black), anyone who ever handled a joystick might find reason to relate.

There are also enough "Easter eggs" to discover just in time for Sunday's joyous spring holiday, and assorted snippets of the game's now familiar theme music, all mixed in with rock hits such as a-ha's "Take on Me" or ELO's "Big Blue Sky."

Now, all we need is a legitimate story to flesh out among the colors. Maybe next time?

Rated "PG" by MPAA: Action and mild violence; 1:32: $ $ and 1/2 out of $5

("AIR" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" both open Wednesday in theaters everywhere. Opening Friday (April 7): "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" and "Paint. Streaming: Chupa (Netflix); "Gangs of Lagos" and "On a Wing and a Prayer" (Prime Video), all also debut on April 7.)

1 comment:

Unknown said...: If you're watching a Mario movie for the plot, you've entered the wrong movie theater.; April 6, 2023 at 6:33 AM

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Daliland ($ $ $)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

The Little Mermaid ($ $ $ $)

Fast X ($ $ and 1/2) "Even with four Oscar winners, furious action rules one more time."

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie ($ $ $ $)

Book Club: The Next Chapter ($ $ and 1/2)

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Discontinued ($ $ $)

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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Renfield ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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AIR ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

Spinning Gold ($ $ and 1/2)

I Like Movies ($ $ $ $)

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Cocaine Bear ($ $) "Love the wild title predator, not the movie."

Ant-Man and the Wasp ($ $) "Crawls instead of buzzes."

Sharper ($ $ $) "Not bad, but shoulda been, uh, even sharper."

MINI-REVIEW: Knock at the Cabin ($ $ and 1/2) "This alleged thriller from noted supernaturalist M. Night Shyamalan, a man famous for movies with plot surprises, can boast an original twist of its own even before the projector begins to work. That's because it is only the second screenplay director Shyamalan has not penned alone, here joining forces with a couple of first-time feature writers in adapting a Paul Tremblay novel ("The Cabin at the End of the World") for the big screen. Maybe that's why 'Knock' becomes more of a slow burner than a persistently riveting take, despite a quartet of home invaders, led by a nice-guy (and occasionally creepy) schoolteacher portrayed by big Dave Bautista. Their chilling message to the cabin-dwelling family of three: Please help us save the world by killing one of your own. Unsettling? Yes, of course it is. A thoroughly engaging watch? Not in this Anthropocene."

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READ MORE FROM JOHN HERE AT TIFF 47
Spielberg memoir brings home top 'People's' prize
CIFF vets find Gravitas and indie choices in live return
Halfway home but 10-day film feast still has tasty menu
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Cleveland meets Toronto, each with 47th fests on tap
North America's largest film showcase begins Sept. 8

2022's Top 10 movies (in alphabetical order):

All My Puny Sorrows (mini review above); Avatar: The Way of Water; The Banshees of Inisherin; Cha Cha Real Smooth; Emily the Criminal; Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (mini review above); She Said; TÁR; Triangle of Sadness

2021 Top 10 movies (in alphabetical order): Belfast, Coda, Cyrano, A Hero, Jockey, Licorice Pizza, The Lost Daughter, The Rescue, The Tragedy of Macbeth, West Side Story

No Top 10 films in 2020 (Covid pandemic)

See John's Top 10 films of 2019

See John's Top 10 films of 2018

See John's Top 10 films of 2017

See John's Top 10 films of 2016

See John's Top 10 films of 2015

See John's Top 10 films of 2014

See John's Top 10 films of 2013

See John's Top 10 films of 2012

See John's Top 10 films of 2011