Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Respect review and Free Guy review reveal big talent with smaller execution. Still, both films have their moments.

Respect Review

If you’re a fan of Aretha Franklin (and really, who isn’t?)It’s almost impossible not to compare Respect, staring Jennifer Hudson, with National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha, the anthology series that featured Cynthia Erivo in the title role.

While I regretfully found Erivo’s dour, joyless performance hard to endure, Hudson’s portrayal is as regal and powerful as the Queen of Soul herself. You fully understand why Franklin anointed Hudson to take the part, before passing in 2018.

Still, even Hudson’s soaring performance cannot transcend the threadbare, by the numbers script. It’s almost the same story, told in the same way, of the troubled musical genius with a tortured past pulling his/herself up by the bootstraps, achieving fame and fortune, almost losing it to addiction, then finding some sort of redemption. Cue the abusive partners/managers/handlers. Aretha Franklin deserves so much more creativity and style than the film  delivers, in addition to Hudson’s mastery.

First time film director Liesl Tommy and film frosh writer Tracy Scott Wilson were just not quite up to the daunting task…yet. They do show promise.

Rated R

2 Hours 25 Minutes

Free Guy review

Maybe I haven’t played enough video games recently, or perhaps I’ve seen a little too much of Ryan Reynolds as the goofy innocent this summer (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard anyone?), but I found Free Guy just plain annoying.

The concept, of a person discovering that he/she is part of a video game and trying to break free of it, has been a big and small screen favorite ever since The Matrix, but it hasn’t received too many comedy treatments. Too bad this one falls flat.

The most grating problem is that the connection between the real world and the virtual one doesn’t make any sense or carry any weight. The virtues of talented actors like Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery and Taika Waititi are embarrassingly wasted, and leave Joe Keery of Stranger Things still trying to prove that he has any.

The special effects are fine, I suppose— about what you’d expect from a film of this ilk, but the dizzy and contrived script makes it feel like just another attempt to capitalize on the overdone ‘living in a video game’ genre. If your standards are sufficiently low, it just might work for you.

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 55 Minutes

If, after reading this Respect review and Free Guy review, you’re inclined to see the films in your local cineplex, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Respect review and Free Guy review reveal big talent with smaller execution. Still, both films have their moments.