Review: ‘RIDE THE EAGLE’ is endlessly charming, authentic, and funny.

RIDE THE EAGLE

When Leif’s (Jake Johnson) estranged mother Honey (Susan Sarandon) dies she leaves him a ‘conditional inheritance’. Before he can move into her picturesque Yosemite cabin, he has to complete her elaborate, and sometimes dubious, to-do list. Leif and Nora, his canine BFF, step into Honey’s wild world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy.


Ride The Eagle is a one-of-a-kind film. The script is written by director Trent O’Donnell and star Jake Johnson. Tackling regret, forgiveness, and everything in between, there’s an honesty that stings and inspires. Mostly, Ride The Eagle makes you smile.

The script is filled with quirky characters. J.K. Simmons is fantastic in his manic energy. His delivery makes you involuntarily grin. Susan Sarandon, who we only see in her videotape to Leif, gives us warmth, and wisdom, and a boatload of snark. Her dialogue is yet another example of the care taken by O’Donnell and Johnson in their writing. There is a specificity that allows us to sit in Leif’s emotional shoes.

I want D’arcy Carden to be my new best friend. The scenes between her and Johnson are pure gold. Their chemistry is off the charts. Made even more impressive by the fact that they speak exclusively over the phone. It’s like watching a masterclass in scene partnering. Their report nudges the script into rom-com territory. But, in truth, Ride The Eagle is consistently genre-defying. Jake Johnson owns every frame he appears in. He has this innate ability to put you at ease while simultaneously making you giggle. He keeps you on your toes, always making you wonder what is scripted and what might be improvised. He’s just that talented.

The score is vibrant and incredibly thoughtful. Ride the Eagle shines with heart and charm. It has a palpable vulnerability that makes it undeniably relatable. Of the nearly 200 films I’ve seen in 2021, Ride The Eagle easily soars onto my top 10 list.

DECAL will release comedy RIDE THE EAGLE In Theaters, On Demand, and Digital on July 30, 2021. 

RIDE THE EAGLE is directed by Trent O’Donnell (“New Girl,” “No Activity”) with a screenplay by O’Donnell and Jake Johnson (“New Girl,” Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse), who also stars alongside Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Juno) and D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place,” “Barry”).


Sneak Peek of ‘The Mummy’ is Here!

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Tom Cruise headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: The Mummy.

Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella of Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.

From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

Cruise is joined by a cast including Annabelle Wallis (upcoming King Arthur, television’s Peaky Blinders), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World), Courtney B. Vance (TV’s American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson) and Oscar® winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator).

The creative team on this action-adventure event is led by director/producer Alex Kurtzman and producer Chris Morgan, who have been instrumental in growing some of the most successful franchises of the past several years—with Kurtzman writing or producing entries in the Transformers, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible series, and Morgan being the narrative engineer of the Fast & Furious saga as it has experienced explosive growth from its third chapter on.  Sean Daniel, who produced the most recent Mummy trilogy, produces alongside Kurtzman and Morgan.

Come back Sunday for the full trailer!

The Mummy arrives June 9, 2017

Review: ‘DIGGING FOR FIRE’ ignites the funny and poignant.

Digging For Fire_posterThey say curiosity killed the cat. In the new film DIGGING FOR FIRE, curiosity most definitely killed somebody… but who? Jake Johnson and Rosemarie DeWitt lead an all star cast in this dark new indie from Joe Swanberg. While house-sitting for a client, Lee and Tim find a bone and a gun in the backyard, sparking a mystery that must be solved. Digging for Fire-4Johnson plays gym teacher Tim and husband to Dewitt’s yoga instructor Lee. While the film appears to tackle the mystery aspect at full force, the screenplay veers off onto the topics of marriage, parenting, and losing one’s identity. As Tim and Lee part ways for the weekend, Tim throws an intimate get together at the house, encouraging his guests to participate in his sleuthing. Lee drops their son Jude (played adorably by Swanberg’s real life son) off with her parents to visit with friends and explore some alone time. As their days and nights progress, the two weave in and out of age and stage realizations and reveal subtle personality quirks that are all too relatable. Digging for Fire-8While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Swanberg‘s Happy Christmas last year, Digging for Fire feels more like Drinking Buddies in it’s organic camera work and down to earth quality. Jake Johnson is always funny as hell and this is no exception. His every-man approachability combined with his genuine comic timing is a real win. Rosemarie DeWitt has the same “making the audience feel at ease” way about her. Their chemistry with one another and the entire rest of the cast including, Judith Light, Sam Elliott, Melanie Lynskey, Mike Birbiglia, Jenny Slate, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Orlando Bloom, Ron Livingston, and Sam Rockwell (to name a few) is refreshing and fun to watch. I am really digging, no pun intended, the screenplay pairing of Johnson and Swanberg. This is clearly a great team.

DIGGING FOR FIRE opens in theaters and VOD today

 

Michael’s Review: ‘Jurassic World’- The Park is Open!

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It’s been 22 years since the events on Isla Nublar. A lots happened since then in the world of cinema, but there is a special place in our hearts for the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and that is why this weekends opening of the newest installment in the dino franchise, Jurassic World, is so highly anticipated. Can Colin Trevorrow’s vision live up to the hype? Let’s simply forget the events of the dull and forgetful sequels and revel in the fact that the park is open!
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Millions of people flock to this Dino-Disney theme park every year on the island where it all started. The park John Hammond envisioned has to come fruition thanks to Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), CEO of the Masrani Corporation and the owner of Jurassic World, who believed in Hammond’s vision enough to make it a reality. Masrani wants a park where the animals are just as happy as those paying admission, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the park’s operations manager, believes in profits and making bigger and better attractions, which leads to the creation of a new genetically modified dinosaur, the Indominus rexwhich is said to be the biggest attraction the park has ever seen.

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Brothers Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray Mitchell (Ty Simpkins) have arrived at the park to visit their aunt Claire. Gray, an avid dinosaur enthusiast, is excited to finally see the park, but brother Zach is only along for the ride. The two trek off into the park with Claire’s assistant to explore while Aunt Claire checks on her newest attraction. After some concerns about the newest dinosaurs development, Masrani requests the assistance of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a Velociraptor expert and trainer known to have a positive influence over the creatures. Vic Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), the head of InGen security, is on hand to witness Owen’s work and believes this trainiing should be used to turn the Velociraptors into weapons to be sold to the government, an idea Owen strongly opposes.

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A mishap allows the Indominus to escape captivity and sets off a park wide Dino hunt. With Gray and Zach lost in the park, Claire enlists the help of Owen to rescue the boys and take down the Indominus before the park is destroyed and lives are lost. With the help of an unimaginable allies, will Owen reach the boys and stop the blood thirsty killer before it’s too late?

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Director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) does a phenomenal job of creating his vision of the park within the framework of the original world created by Steven Spielberg. The film, a direct sequel to the original film, is not only a visually stunning film, but the strong script from Rick Jaffra and Amanda Silver (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) leaves a lot of the playful elements that worked so well from the original while allowing for the dramatic performances of the actors to work without an overabundance of corny lines and cringe worthy performances. Chris Pratt continues to impress as his career shift to leading man continues. Pratt is becoming more and more comfortable in action roles and his performance in Jurassic World is sometimes a bit stiff but overall quite enjoyable. Bryce Dallas Howard is wonderful. A character which can fall into so many cliche’s, Howard avoids many of them and provides a performance worthy of being included alongside Laura Dern’s Dr. Ellie Sattler from the first film. Neither Ty Simpkins or Nick Robinson were overly impressive, but neither were annoying either which is a plus considering their roles.

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Overall, Jurassic World is one hell of a fun ride. A film that doesn’t quite reach the exceptional level of the first film, but far exceeds the sequels. Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire states,  “no one’s impressed by a dinosaur anymore”, well, this movie does impress and I can’t wait to head back to the park one more time.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer: