Q’s Reviews – December 16, 2019

Jumanji: The Next Level.  The crazy video game movie is back for its third installment.  It is much better than the first sequel, it even rivals the sacrosanct 1995 original with Robin Williams.  The same gang of players is back with some new additions.  But the game has changed. Their avatars are not fixed and change as needed to advance further into the game levels.  The players have to face new challenges from desolate deserts, icy mountains and crazed Mandrills in order to escape from Jumanji.  There are more jokes, new characters, updated existing characters and wild adventures that require new powers.  When all seems lost, they muddle through.  The best part of the experience is Awkwafina doing a marvelous Danny DeVito impression.  The film is just pure fun.  It races along and keeps your rapt attention.  Rated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language.

Richard Jewell.  Clint Eastwood directed this little gem of movie about the real events surrounding the 1996 bombing at the Atlanta Olympics.  Eastwood’s story telling is near perfect as the action is taut and never lets up.  But the good has caused a stir because of a scene where woman reporter (Olivia Wilde) trades sex for information from an FBI Agent (Jon Hamm).  The film otherwise is a chilling portrait of what happens to an innocent, good guy -Richard Jewell – (Paul Walter Hauser) when the media and the government have him in their cross hairs for a heinous crime, the bombing. Jewell is a simple man who can’t keep his mouth shut and believes what people tell him, especially authorities.  The FBI manipulate him and violate his rights in a self-righteous attempt to get him because they want to clear the case.  The media hounds him and his mother (Kathy Bates) and convict him by innuendo.  Richard finally wises up and gets a good lawyer, Sam Rockwell, who is able to challenge the FBI by using the law, logic and the media to finally clear Jewell’s name. But the damage is done as life for this simple man and his family will never be the same.  Hauser’s and Bate’s portrayals are Oscar worthy.  Rated R for language including some sexual references, and brief bloody images.

Summer – The Donna Summer Musical.  Currently at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco through December 22, 2019 and is then touring the country.  The life and times of Donna Summer, The Disco Queen, are celebrated in this musical chronicling her life.  There are three women playing Donna in the three stages of her career: Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Duckling Donna.  They can all sing with the biggest voice and pizazz owned by Disco Donna, Alex Hairston.  The big hits that we all remember are all there.  Donna’s life story is sad and full of adversity that she eventually turns to her advantage.  But all this sadness pervades the story.  A bit more joy and mirth would have been nice.  Fans of the Disco Era and Donna herself will enjoy more than others.