Crisp Criticism - "The Legend of Tarzan", "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates", "The Neon Demon"

by

Julien Faddoul

The Legend of Tarzan

Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.

Dull and confused adaptation of Burroughs’ stories that bungles his observations on racism and the vulnerability of life in favor of the dark, brooding action of modern-era cinema, peppered with unconvincing visual effects.

d – David Yates

w – Adam Cozad, Craig Brewer   (Based on the Novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs)

ph – Henry Braham

pd – Stuart Craig

m – Rupert Gregson-Williams

ed – Mark Day

cos – Ruth Myers

p – Jerry Weintraub, David Barron, Alan Riche, Tony Ludwig

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, Christoph Waltz

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates *

Two hard-partying brothers place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by the uncontrollable duo.

A broad comedy of a familiar kind with some good laughs among the pratfalls and “edgy jokes.”

d – Jake Szymanski

w – Andrew Jay Cohen, Brendan O'Brien

ph – Matthew Clark

pd – Tyler B. Robinson

m – Jeff Cardoni

ed – Lee Haxall, Jonathan Schwartz

p – Peter Chernin, Jonathan Levine, Jenno Topping

Cast: Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root, Stephanie Beard, Sam Richardson

The Neon Demon *

An aspiring model finds herself in a terrifying predicament with her survival hanging in the balance.

Another film by Refn without a single thought in its pretty little head; this one’s more airless than usual: a castigation on the fashion industry that everyone is already aware of. Though his rhythms and compositions remain hypnotic, one wishes he gave the same attention to his scripts.

d – Nicolas Winding Refn

w – Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws, Polly Stenham

ph – Natasha Braier

pd – Elliott Hostetter

m – Cliff Martinez

ed – Matthew Newman

cos – Erin Benach

p – Lene Børglum, Nicolas Winding Refn

Cast: Elle Fanning, Karl Glusman, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves