Director: Kyle Balda
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Braun & Hugh Jackman
Rated: PG (thematic material, some violent content & brief language)
Runtime: 1 hour & 49 minutes

 
A few months ago, my wife and I were at the local movie theater when we saw the trailer for “The Sheep Detectives.” It was a movie about talking sheep trying to solve their shepherd's murder, and I was enthralled. I leaned over to my wife and said, “I may be losing my mind, but I want to see that.”

​It’s the kind of movie that shouldn’t work – talking CGI animals in a live-action murder-mystery? It’s also a throwback to a different era of “Babe” and “Homeward Bound.

When was the last time you saw a talking animal live-action film, at least in wide release? I was shocked when I saw that critical reviews for it last week were very positive, but they did make me feel less guilty for being interested in such a film.  

After seeing it, I can confirm “The Sheep Detectives,” directed by Kyle Balda from a script by Craig Mazin, based on Leonie Swann’s novel, Three Bags Full, is charming as all get out.

The film opens with a loner of a sheep herder, played by Hugh Jackman, who doesn’t love people, but adores his herd and has given each of them names and reads to them nightly before bed. There’s Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), his favorite and the smartest of the herd, Mopple (voiced by Chris O’Dowd), the wise one who unlike the rest of the herd can’t forget the painful things the others are able to, and Sebastian (voiced by Bryan Cranston), the literal black sheep of the herd, who was saved by the shepherd from a painful life of fighting dogs at a carnival. These are the primary sheep, but there are other memorable ones voiced by Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Rhys Darby and a brotherly duo both voiced by Brett Goldstein, who are essentially the Roy Kents of sheep.

The shepherd is murdered near the beginning of the movie, and the rest turns into an Agatha Christie whodunnit of sorts, in which the sheep are determined to help the bumbling local policeman, played terrifically by Nicholas Braun.

There is no shortage of potential killers in the town. There is the local butcher (Conleth Hill), the local priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), who the shepherd recently had a tense moment with, the jealous innkeeper (Hong Chau), the rival shepherd (Tosin Cole) and the long-lost daughter (Molly Gordon), who the shepherd gave up for adoption after the mother died during childbirth.

There is also a reporter (Nicholas Galitzine) in town with car trouble who becomes intrigued by the case and the shepherd’s lawyer (Emma Thompson).

The live-action cast, particularly Braun and Gordon, is really good, but let’s face it – the sheep are the real stars and the voice acting is superb. I can’t properly say how perfect O’Dowd’s Irish accent works for Mopple. It’s simply sublime. Goldstein’s smaller role as the twin rams who just want to bash something hits the nail on the head with ease. Cranston, whom I shockingly didn’t place as the voice of Sebastian during my viewing, worked perfectly for a loner who has seen and experienced things the rest of the herd couldn’t believe. Louis-Dreyfus’s performance as Lily was the heart of the film, and it has a ton of heart.

“The Sheep Detectives” is the best example of what this kind of film could be. It’s a family film, incredibly accessible to children, while also keeping adults enthralled – and not in the Pixar way where they may throw a couple of bones to the adults in the audience. It’s hilarious, it’s charming, it’s heartwarming and tear-jerking, and none of it in a way that doesn’t seem earned. I think it could easily be the “Babe” of its generation, though surprisingly (and some might not remember this), “Babe” was actually nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, something that won’t happen here. But it could be remembered as a shining example of how a movie featuring CGI talking animals doesn’t have to be a dumb joke.

Director: Olivia Newman
Starring: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman & Alfred Molina 
Rated: PG-13 (thematic material, language & brief drug use)
Runtime: 1 hour & 51 minutes

The movie adaptation of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” had an ocean-sized task in front of it — capture the wittiness and curmudgeonly attitude of giant Pacific octopus Marcellus, the self-isolating rough edges of Tova and the brokenness of Cameron. I believe director Olivia Newman and Netflix achieved it, but it is only an Arctic Ocean-sized accomplishment, not the Pacific Ocean-vastness of where the film is set. 

Based on the 2022 debut New York Times bestselling novel by Shelby Van Pelt, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” came to life over an hour and 51 minutes on Netflix. At the helm was the incredible Sally Field as the 70-year-old widow, Tova Sullivan, who works as the night janitor in an aquarium, befriending the CGI octopus Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina). She lost her husband two years prior, which has compounded the years-long grief she’s carried because of the tragic death of her son, Erik. While Tova has her circle of friends — notably her knitting group, the “nitwits,” and store owner, Ethan (Colm Meaney), who wants to date her — she’s much more comfortable around the sea life at the aquarium. After the small-town gossip that ensued when Erik drowned in what was originally ruled a suicide, she retreated, much like Marcellus did in his tank when disrespectful kids would bang on his glass. 

After saving the mischievous Marcellus when he ventured out of his tank for too long, she slips and falls, making it again more apparent that it might be time to move on. She decides to go into a senior living facility and sell her home. 

Then enters Cameron Cassmore (Lewis Pullman), who is on a mission to find who he believes is his birth father, the incredibly rich real estate developer Simon Brinks (Chris William Martin), to get back pay for child support. In the movie, we’re told his mother has recently died, a bit of a departure from the book. Either way, he wasn’t given the foundational childhood to set him up for success. On the heels of his own grief, confusion and then anger when his band, Moth Sausage, breaks up, he heads to the fictional coastal town of Sowell Bay, Wash., and gets hired as Tova’s fill-in while she recovers from her fall. She tries desperately to impart her wisdom on how to do things correctly in the job, while Cameron, for a while at least, doesn’t seem to care. But the two grow to develop a mother-son bond, something they’ve been missing for so many years. 

In the movie and book, all three titular characters are grieving and searching. It rings true in the movie, but Tova is the clear main character, with her budding friendship with Cameron really taking center stage. Cameron’s backstory is sped up significantly, and much of Marcellus’ dry humor is removed. We still get a few updates as he tracks the days of his captivity, but he’s really not a main character, which was disappointing. It was entertaining and heartbreaking to go on the adventure with him in the novel, and viewers miss much of it in the movie. No offense to Molina’s voice acting, because he did capture an old-man voice for Marcellus, but actor Michael Urie was perfection in the audiobook version, speaking with a level of both irritation and tiredness that really captured Marcellus’ frustration with being in an aquarium, coupled with his understanding he’d be dying soon. It just changed the character for me. 

Marcellus is still an integral character and helps Tova and Cameron make an incredible discovery that changes their lives. 

It made total sense to streamline parts of the plot to set up the big reveal at the end of the movie, but everything felt a little rushed, particularly the love-interest storylines involving both Tova and Ethan, and Cameron and the paddle-boat shop owner, Avery. Cutting them would have been unfortunate, but rushing them wasn’t ideal either. 

Field, as expected, really embodied Tova with such heart and depth. It was a spot-on portrayal of grief and how sadness can blind a person to all the beauty and hope around them. Tova tries so hard to isolate, but she’s just not able to because she has so many people around her who love her. Eventually, she realizes how important they are in her life, particularly Cameron. 

Overall, ‘Creatures’ has so much heart, mystery and a satisfying ending. As is the case with most movie adaptations, I loved the book more. I am curious how I would have perceived the movie without reading the novel first, but I’m so glad I did read it. For Field alone, the movie is absolutely worth watching.

Director: David Frankel
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway & Emily Blunt 
Rated: PG-13 (language and some suggestive references)
Runtime: 1 hour & 59 minutes

 
There are films we watch every year. During the Christmas season, it is a tradition for my family to watch “Home Alone,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Elf,” “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Then, there are films that are the feel-good movies that bring us joy, which are a must for us to watch at least once a year. My collection of those films is “Legally Blonde, “How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days,” “The Proposal,” “Miss Congeniality,” and “The Devil Wears Prada.” That is why I was thrilled to learn that “The Devil Wears Prada” was going to get a sequel. The first film introduced a whole new generation, including myself, to the brilliance of three-time Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep. Her ice-cold portrayal of Runway editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly is one of my favorite performances of all time. It has been 20 years since the release of the first film. So, was “The Devil Wears Prada 2” worth the wait? 
 
In “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” former second assistant Andie Sachs (Academy Award-winner Anne Hathaway) has become an award-winning journalist. Unfortunately, she is unceremoniously fired due to budget cuts to her paper. Meanwhile, Runway is facing a scandal in which it appears the publication gave positive press to a company that employs sweatshop workers. Andie is rehired at Runway as a Features Editor to address the negative press. This scandal threatens Miranda Priestly’s (Streep) upcoming promotion to Global Content Editor for Elias-Clarke Publications. Andie, Miranda and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) must smooth things over with their advertisers, the main one being Dior. Emily (Emily Blunt) is running Dior, bringing together all these characters for a big reunion. So, is the magic still there? 
 
Hathway, Streep, Blunt and Tucci have such unbelievable chemistry. They walk right back into the stilettos of these characters like they never left. With Hathaway’s charm, Streep’s imperious attitude, Nigel‘s sarcasm and Emily’s fierceness, these actors balance each other so well. It makes the film so fun and engaging. Audiences will love spending more time with them. The film was definitely in good hands with returning director David Frankel and screenwriter Alina Brosh McKenna. It always makes fans feel more relieved when you know that the team behind it has invested in these characters and the story from the start. The film is funny, charming and insightful about the changes in modern media and their effects on the publishing business.  
 
One thing about the first film is how quotable it is. “That’s all,” "I’m one stomach flu away from my goal weight,” “Gird your loins,” “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.” It is one of the things I love most about it. That is really missing from the second film. There are several components to the story, and many of them complement the first film's story structure. The film tries to tell so many stories and side stories that the payoff and effectiveness aren’t as precise as in the first film. It feels like the script could have had one more edit to ensure the stories flowed better. 

For the sequel, Kenneth Branagh joins the cast as Miranda’s husband, Justin Theroux as Andie’s new love interest, Lucy Liu as a billionaire, but the most exciting additions are Helen J. Shen as Andy’s new assistant and Simone Ashley as Miranda’s first assistant, Amari. Shen and Ashley are both hilarious, and more time with them would have been welcome. Ashley had me laughing out loud several times. If there ever ends up being a third film, Amari definitely needs more screentime. Additionally, Lady Gaga makes a cameo as a fictionalized version of herself in one of the film’s funniest scenes.  
 
This film is worth the trip to the movie theater. It’s a funny, charming and engaging script that reunites us with four characters we have loved for years. The only major criticism of it is that the script could have taken a little more time to be more precise, focused, and iconic. That’s all.  

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo & Nia Long 
Rated: PG-13 (some thematic material, language and smoking)
Runtime: 2 hours & 7 minutes

 
“Michael,” directed by Antoine Fuqua, is supposedly the first installment of the tale of one of music’s most controversial figures. I’m not here to share my opinions on Michael Jackson himself, but I am here to talk about his biopic.
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We jump right into Michael’s musical career and follow that into the late ‘80s. There’s this idea of streamlining us through his career and how that affected him, rather than showing us deeper into his day-to-day life. This works fine for a biopic, but there were so many interesting parts of his life just cut clean out. I know a lot of things were filmed that ended up on the cutting room floor, so I do hope for a chance to see whether those deleted portions would help support the rest of the film. Also, no Janet…? Really? Okay…

In all honesty, I think this film would be better if it highlighted some of the darker aspects of this period in his life. I think it would actually help to shape Michael’s character. We do see some dark things - don’t get me wrong - but it’s mostly the base level history of Michael Jackson. We get a lot of scenes that are just “this is Michael, and this is why he was great. Remember when he did these things?” And characters observe him and knowingly smile. It just doesn’t really give Michael the depth that his story deserves. We do get a better look at why he was so childlike and how he remained trapped in his childhood whimsy, but I wish we could see more of the grit that led to it.

Michael Jackson is one of the most talented artists to ever do it - there is simply no arguing that. The music in the film helps to prove that. We get a lot of great recreations of past concerts and music videos. Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, really carries his own with the vocals. His whole performance as Michael is amazing. You can tell this role meant a lot to him, and you can see the work he poured into the role. From dancing to getting the voice down to singing, you can really believe that he’s Michael. The hair and makeup throughout is crazy good.

I don’t think there was a single bad performance in this film. Everyone hits on all cylinders. Both young and adult Michaels do a fantastic job of portraying the inner frustration and joyfulness that MJ could bring. Colman Domingo nails this kind of sleazily con-artist type as Joe Jackson. He always seems to be at the end of his rope, trying new schemes to extend his success. Nia Long’s role as Michael’s mother (Katherine) is really subtle, but I feel like she plays really well in that space and with her levels. This is obviously a Michael Jackson movie, so many of the characters seem subtle while Michael is the star. The only other person to really shine is Joe, and that’s because he’s the main antagonist of that portion (and really all of) Michael’s life.

The latter installment(s), if they indeed come to fruition, are going to be a doozy. The 2000’s were really a time to bully and point a spotlight at people for being strange. This latter portion of Michael’s life is where you see most of his controversies. It’s going to be a rough watch, but I am interested to see how they handle that. Obviously, I know that his family will be telling their side of his story as they always have, but I am really interested to see how they show how society’s shift against Michael Jackson affected him.

Overall, it’s a biopic about a musician. It has the songs you know. It paints him in a pretty positive light. It has the key points of his early career that most people know about. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what’s next in this franchise.

I guess you can say… I’ll be there.