By: Henry J. Fromage –
I recently flew to Australia- which meant quite a haul of in-flight entertainment system randomness to watch.
535. Confess, Fletch
This was the big new release (that I hadn’t already seen, anyway) on board, and I’m glad I gave it a watch. Lightyears different than the Chevy Chase Fletch movies, but still goofy and winning in its own way, John Hamm feels built for the role of the louche detective who still manages to end up on top was made for him, and there’s a decent mystery full of fine art and light murder to hang a bunch of charming hijinks off of. Just entertaining. Two Beers.
536. FIFA Uncovered
This Netflix series about the many scandals and improprieties that have plagued FIFA since basically its beginning and first leaders is definitely thorough, but it sort of begs the question of who it’s for. Basically anybody that knows anything about world soccer has gathered by now that this organization is crooked as fuck and in the business of selling World Cup hosting to the highest bidder. And if you don’t already know that, you’re fairly unlikely to even be watching something like this. Three Beers.
537. 3 Days of the Condor
A quality classic offering onboard thanks to Delta, I’m glad I watched this Robert Redford-led tale of intrigue, which stars him as an FBI agent with the boring job of feeding printed material to early computers to analyze them for potential hidden messages. When his entire office is massacred right in the heart of downtown NYC, he has to flee, at one point holding hostage Faye Dunaway as he tries to figure out this plot that’s invaded his fairly mundane life. While I’m still not sure the ensuing romance works, this is an engaging from start to finish thriller of the highest caliber. Two Beers.
538. DC League of Super-Pets
This is for when you reach the last few hours of the flight, know you’re not going to sleep, and aim for inobtrusive entertainment. This colorfully animated story of the pets (or soon to be pets, anyway) of the Justice League qualifies as just that. There’s some funny fan-pleasing jokes and an entertaining vocal performance by Kate McKinnon as the villainous hairless guinea pig villain of the crew, but there’s not a lot here that you wouldn’t pretty much guess from the beginning. Three Beers.
539. Where the Crawdads Sing
I have been impressed by Daisy Edgar-Jones’ and Harrison Dickinson’s choices so far in their young careers, so I was surprised to see how low of reviews this YA adaptation that’s clearly more than a little enamored with The Notebook got. I thought the period setting in the Bayou and the murder trial wrap-around sounded interesting enough, and they are until a bit of a damp squib of an ending and ‘surprise’ reveal at the end that probably turned a few folks off. Pretty location shooting at least (and the cast is winning enough). Four Beers.
540. Enola Holmes 2
I found the first Enola Holmes to be a quite charming star vehicle for Millie Bobby Brown plus some bonus Henry Cavill as her older brother Sherlock, but for some reason I found this follow-up to be a slight case of diminishing returns despite the interesting historical match factory girl strike background. Perhaps all the fourth wall-breaking and such is a little less fresh this time around. I would watch a third installment, but I’m not sure it’s truly necessary, either. Three Beers.
541. Children of a Lesser God
Another classic pick, this time for the way back, William Hurt and Marlee Matlin are both excellent in this story of a new, confident and innovative teacher at a small deaf school who falls for the former student and now janitor who was once a prize student there. The sexual and human politics are extremely interesting, if possibly a bit dated, but the acting commitment is total, and it’s easy to see why Matlin scored a history-making Oscar for her efforts. Three Beers.
542. Courage Under Fire
I went on a mini-Denzel kick on my way back, with this 1996 drama coming at the zenith of his star power. He stars as a colonel who makes a tragic mistake during a battle in the Iraq War, who returns home and is put on a commission to evaluate the Medal of Honor case of a deceased helicopter pilot (Meg Ryan). As he gets deeper into the case he starts to question what he’s hearing, perhaps as much in response to his own sense of guilt and desire for just punishment for himself. Also featuring a shockingly young Matt Damon, this feels like the solid mid-budget drama they don’t really make anymore (at least for theatrical release). Two Beers.
543. Moonshot
Unobtrusively entertaining again, this time in the form of an HBO Max original that the inexplicably jettisoned in their head-scratching corporate shake-up as of late. While this is no forgotten classic, it’s still a fun sci-fi/romance about a couple of misfits going to Mars in chase of their partners and maybe finding something along the way. The cast are charming and there’s some good funny moments- it’s exactly the kind of pleasing-to-all fare you’d expect you’d want to fill out your streaming service. So bizarre. Three Beers.
544. The Mighty Quinn
Now for a young, surprisingly different side of the legendary Denzel. Here he plays a suave and preternaturally confident Jamaican police chief who draws a case of a dead boiled white man in a resort hot tub who appears to have been killed by his childhood friend and now petty criminal folk hero (played by Robert Townsend), if not for the sketchy American who keeps popping up (a delightfully sleazy M. Emmet Walsh). This is a low budget affair, but one driven by the charisma of all involved and its beautiful setting. Three Beers.
