Raucous 'Guardians' get to go out warmly; 'Discontinued' lives in AI

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Raucous 'Guardians' get to go out warmly; 'Discontinued' lives in AI

Despite some overkill and all that the word entails down the lengthy stretch, "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3" relies on its trusty assemblage of unique characters to get their jobs done for what looks like one last memorable ride.

For starters, a sinister force with ray-gun-like hands invades the space-happy gang's new headquarters in a place called Knowhere. The clever location name probably has nothing to do with "GotG" trilogy director/writer James Gunn leaving the Marvel Universe to co-head the rival DC Studios responsible for Justice League action heroics, but it certainly might fit.

Regardless, the real plot here quickly turns toward key member Rocket (voiced again by Bradley Cooper), with all his loyal comrades -- Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Groot (Vin Diesel), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and comic rock Drax (Dave Bautista) chiefly among them -- sharing nifty moments in trying to save the life of the gritty, smart-aleck raccoon.

Naturally, the little fellow in jeopardy finally offers up a tender back story to boot, complete with some cuddly former animal friends hounded by a power-hungry High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji from Gunn's "Peacemaker").

More highlights include another matching oldies soundtrack, the return of other familiar faces to the ever-crowded "Galaxy," and contributions of humor from Cosmo the Russian Space Dog, as vocally personified by Maria Bakalova.

As always, franchise loyalists should remember to stick around for the affectionate mid-credits salute to all the departing players, not to mention a giant clue at the very end about future endeavors for "Star-Lord" Quill.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3" officially opens Friday in theaters all over the Planet Earth.

Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive drug references and thematic elements; 2:30; $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5

In a much smaller sci-fi movie realm, "Discontinued" mostly manages to go around in order to come around to some possible AI-induced solutions for a life "buried by anxiety and depression 24 hours a day."

That is how young and sadly suicidal Sarah (the terrific Ashley Hutchinson) eventually describes what she's going through in her daily circumstances, which include unemployment, a best friend (Michelle Yazvac) she can't really relate to, and odd-couple parents (Risa Benson and Bill Sorice) mostly questioning every move she makes.

Oh, yeah, there's also a shrink who never really helps her, either, as portrayed by the only name actor in the tiny-budget cast keenly assembled by first-time feature director Trevor Peckham. It belongs to Robert Picardo (Dr. Zimmerman from "Star Trek: Voyager"), who gets to chew up the scenery in a couple of somewhat zany appearances. Just about after the first one, an artificial intelligence guide (Langston Fishburne, eldest son of Laurence) enters Sarah's troubled life, perhaps during an ill-fated attempt to end it. Or not.

Hey, maybe this AI stuff that so many people are seriously worrying about will not turn out so horrendously bad after all. Hmmm.

("Discontinued" is now available on Apple, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, and various other Video-on-Demand outlets.)

Not rated by MPAA (but definitely would be an "R" for language); 1:31; $ $ $ out of $5

Also slated Friday for opening theatrical runs: "Johnny & Clyde" and "Love Again."

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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 ($ $ $)

Peter Pan & Wendy ($ $ and 1/2)

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

Ghosted ($ $)

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant ($ $ $ $)

Quasi ($ $ and 1/2)

Renfield ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($ $ and 1/2)

AIR ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

Spinning Gold ($ $ and 1/2)

I Like Movies ($ $ $ $)

The Lost King ($ $ $)

A Good Person ($ $ and 1/2)

Boston Strangler ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Moving On ($ $ and 1/2)

Champions ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Scream VI ($ $ $)

Creed III ($ $ and 1/2) "Director/star Jordan hits hard; Screenplay still needs more punch."

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."

Living ($ $ $ $)

The Son ($ $)

Women Talking ($ $ $ and 1/2)

M3GAN ($ $ $)

A Man Called Otto ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Pale Blue Eye ($ $ $ and 1/2)

I Wanna Dance with Somebody ($ $ and 1/2)

Corsage ($ $ $ $)
Babylon ($ $ $)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish ($ $ $ and 1/2)
The Whale ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Avatar: The Way of Water ($ $ $ $)

Nanny ($ $ and 1/2)

Empire of Light ($ $ and 1/2)

Emancipation ($ $ and 1/2)
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio ($ $ $ $)
White Noise ($ $ and 1/2)
The Inspection ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ($ $ $ $)

The Swimmers ($ $ $)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery ($ $)
The Fabelmans ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Spirited ($ $ and 1/2)

Devotion ($ $ $ and 1/2)
She Said ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

The Menu ($ $ and 1/2)

The Wonder ($ $ $ $)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($ $ $)
Good Night Oppy ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story ($ $ and 1/2)

The Return of Tanya Tucker ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Banshees of Inisherin ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

MINI-REVIEW: Armageddon Time ($ $) "If not for the performance of Anthony Hopkins, as a smart and loving grandfather, this alleged '80s-era memoir from writer/director James Gray would disgrace parents, teachers and just about every adult surrounding the major brat it centers upon. That would be a creepy 12-year-old (Banks Repeta), who simply becomes dreadfully unlikable, thanks to each malfeasant move he makes. Talk about revisionist history, "Armageddon" also creates an assortment of fictitious moments -- such as bringing in two apparent members of the Trump family -- simply to pin blame on events occurring then for the political meanderings going on now. Yeah, right."

The Retaliators ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Ask Me to Dance ($ $ $)

Everybody Dance ($ $ $ $)

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Raymond & Ray ($ $ $)

Ticket to Paradise ($ $ and 1/2)

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Rosaline ($ $ $ and 1/2)
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Werewolf By Night ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Mr. Harrigan's Phone ($ $ $)

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The Woman King ($ $ $)

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Take the Night ($ $ $ and1/2)

A Love Song ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Love in Kilnerry ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Emily the Criminal ($ $ $ $)

BodiesBodieBodies ($ $ $)

Easter Sunday ($ and 1/2)

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Nope ($ $ $)

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Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Facing Nolan ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Stalker ($ $ $)

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Elvis ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

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Good Luck to You, Leo Grande ($ $ $ $)

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Petite Maman ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Duke ($ $ $ $)

Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($ $ and 1/2)

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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ($ $ $)
Father Stu ($ $ $ and 1/2)
Mothering Sunday ($ $ $ and 1/2)
Better Nate Than Ever ($ $ and 1/2)
Apollo 10 1/2 ($ $ $)
Morbius ($ $)
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The Outfit ($ $ $ and 1/2)
Turning Red ($ $ $)
The Adam Project ($ $ and 1/2)
The Batman ($ $ $)
Cyrano ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)
No Exit ($ $ and 1/2)
Drive My Car ($ $ $ $)
The Worst Person in the World ($ $ $ $)
Jockey ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)
Death on the Nile ($ $ $)
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Scream 2022 ($ $ $)
Belle ($ $ and 1/2)
A Hero ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)
The Tragedy of Macbeth ($ $ $ $)
The Tender Bar ($ $ and 1/2)
A Journal for Jordan ($ $ and 1/2)
The Matrix Resurrections ($ $ and 1/2)
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Licorice Pizza ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)
Sing 2 ($ $ $)
The Novice ($ $ $ $)
Mother/Android ($ $)
The Lost Daughter ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)
Swan Song ($ $ $)
Spider-Man: No Way Home ($ $ $ $)
Nightmare Alley ($ $ and 1/2)
Don't Look Up ($ $ $)
West Side Story ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)
Being the Ricardos ($ $ $)
National Champions ($ $ and 1/2)
Labyrnth of Cinema ($ $ $ $)
Wolf ($ $ $)
The Hand of God ($ $ $ $)
Encounter ($ $ and 1/2)
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Bruised ($ $ and 1/2)
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King Richard ($ $ $ and 1/2)
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Space Jam: A New Legacy ($ $ and 1/2)

Gunpowder Milkshake ($ $ $)

The Woman Who Ran ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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No Sudden Move ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Summer of Soul ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

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The Forever Purge ($ $ and 1/2)

Marathon ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Holler ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Spirit Untamed ($ $)
A Quiet Place Part II ($ $ $)

Cruella ($ $ and 1/2)

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Those Who Wish Me Dead ($ $ $)

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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
Tribute Awards and weekend stars go live again
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