Jon Harvey's Pocket Reviews

In 1997, twenty years after the release of the original Star Wars, th e film was brought back to theaters. This time, it was repackaged with some brand new visual effects. A trailer, shown before films like Space Jam and Independence Day, debuted and introduced a new generation of fans to Star Wars... What fans young and old didn't know at the time, was that from then on, the only release available to them would be the Special Editions. What were the changes? Well there are too many to name here, and too many to put into one video. Most notably in the cantina, Han Solo is approached by Greedo, an associate of Han's who works for Jabba the Hutt. Greedo threatens to take Han Solo to Jabba dead if necessary, and Han shoots Greedo first. As a character moment, it shows Han's "shoot first, ask questions later" personality. It showed that he is not someone to take lightly and could be dangerous to our protagonists. In the 2004 DVD, Lucas changed the scene...

Initial Release: October 16, 2018 Director: Peter Jackson Produced By: Clare Olssen, Peter Jackson Box Office: $19.9 Million World War 1 doesn't get much attention in the media, due to it being a war with no real clear objective. But thanks to Academy Award winning director Peter Jackson, this film serves as a memorial to the men who fought and died doing their duty. Barring a slow start, the film packs an emotional punch when you can hear and see what the soldiers did. With state-of-the-art technology, Jackson and his production studio bring the war to life like we've never seen it before.   There have been countless documentaries about World War 1. From first hand accounts to the military strategy. All of them are incredibly informative, but none come close to capturing the humanity of the real soldiers that fought and died. Every one of these other films always used the same black and white footage, or reenactments. The massive undertaking that Jacks...

Release Date: November 27, 2019 (USA) Director: Rian Johnson Writer: Rian Johnson Budget: $40 million Knives out takes the classic whodunit genre to a new era with a star studded cast, wit, creative editing, and some truly surprising twists.  Knives Out stars Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) as Marta, the nurse and caretaker for millionaire Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). When Thrombey passes away due to mysterious circumstances, the entire family, along with Marta, are questioned by a private detective (Daniel Craig) to find out if Thrombey’s death really was what it seems. There aren’t many things I can really say in this review without giving away too much of the surprise. But what I can tell you is how not one minute of Knives Out ever left me bored. The editing is done with great precision, with no detail left out. This allows us to learn a lot about the characters in a short amount of time. Daniel Craig is a standout as the private de...

Release Date:  November 22, 2019 (USA) Director: Marielle Heller  Based on: Can You Say...Hero?; by Tom Junod Screenplay: Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue Budget: $25 Million In a world filled with hate, bigotry, violence, and greed, all we need is a friendly neighbor to remind us about kindness, forgiveness, and most importantly, to listen. It's a film that's less about the man himself, and more about those he helps, which was often the message of his show. "Sometimes we have to ask for help, and that's okay." Fred Rodgers. Cynical  Esquire magazine writer Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys, The Post) is given the task to write a four hundred word "puff piece" about children's entertainer Fred Rodgers (Tom Hanks). Lloyd then reluctantly travels to Pittsburgh to expose the "real" Mr. Rodgers. What transpires is a tale inspired by a true story of one broken man's journey to forgiveness.  A Beautiful Day in ...

Release Date:  November 22, 2019 (USA) Directors: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck Screenplay:  Jennifer Lee ,  Allison Schroeder Run Time: 1 hr 45 min Budget: $33 million  The original was a simple concept with a simple premise and a theme that felt like something fresh with a satisfying conclusion. Yet, thanks to an insane box office return and even more insane merchandise sales, here we are. Frozen II tries to do too much at once with not enough time to do it. Yes, kids are gonna love it, but shouldn’t a great movie also be good for adults, too? It’s peace time in Arendelle when a strange voice calls for Elsa that no one else can hear. When a mysterious elemental force drives the citizens out of Arendelle, Elsa and the gang must journey into a barrier of mist to discover the truth of the past. How far will they have to go and how much will it cost? And how or why does Elsa’s ice powers give her the ability to create clothes out of thin air...

Release Date:  November 15, 2019 ( USA ) Director: James Mangold Budget: 97.6 Million Ford v Ferrari is a fun old-school Hollywood film that captures an important moment in motor history. I watched a Documentary about this little-known moment in history prior to my viewing of the film, so in terms of going in cold, I wasn't clueless to the history. Ford v Ferrari is directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, Logan), and it stars Matt Damon (Bourne series) and Christian Bale (Dark Knight series). The film is based on the real story of the Ford Motor Company, headed by Henry Ford II, looking to beat the sales of the seemingly unstoppable General Motors. He tells his workers to come to him with an idea if they want to keep their jobs. Ford’s Marketing Manager Lee Iacocca, played by Jon Bernthal (Netflix’s Punisher, The Walking Dead), says that sales are determined by which company wins the biggest races. His idea is to beat the unbeatable Ferrari in the b...