Movie reviews: Flashy finish in 'The Nun II,' but is the franchise becoming a bad habit?
Share
THE NUN II: 2 ½ STARS
“The Nun II,” a new horror film starring Taissa Farmiga and now playing in theatres, is a sequel to a movie that was a prequel to the sequel of 2013’s “The Conjuring.” Confused? Not to worry, despite its convoluted pedigree, all you need to know is that “The Nun II” brings back one of the creepiest characters of recent memory.
The follow-up to 2018's “The Nun,” the new R-rated (for violent content and terror) movie is set in 1956 France. Farmiga returns as the determined and devout demon warrior Sister Irene. When a priest is murdered in spectacular supernatural fashion, Sister Irene investigates, sensing the evil handiwork of her old adversary, Valak (Bonnie Aarons). Once an angel, Valak was rejected by God and sent to Hell before resurfacing to spread malevolence while disguised as a nun.
As Irene zeroes in on Valak, her investigation leads to a French boarding school where Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) – wo saved her life at the end of the last film but may now have something to do with the spread of Valak’s reign of terror – works as a handyman. Joined by schoolteacher Marcella (Anna Popplewell), her daughter, Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey), and rebellious novice Sister Debra (Storm Reid), Irene battles to prevent Valak from spreading evil to the world.
“I know why it’s here,” Irene says, “I saw what it wants.”
“The Nun II” has atmosphere to burn. The boarding school, which appears to be made up of nothing but long hallways, flickering lights and a decrepit old chapel, provides an effective shadowy backdrop for much of the action. The dark, murky cinematography hangs over the proceedings like a shroud, creating a gloomy vibe that adds to the overall feeling of dread.
Trouble is, Sister Irene’s journey to vanquish Valak is low on actual scares. There are a few pretty good jump scares, some eerie imagery, and the demon in full nun regalia is still an unsettling sight, but the movie is just a little too similar to “The Nun”—it’s another story about Irene and an ancient demon destroying relic—to feel anything but familiar.
The final 15 minutes, a showdown between the divine and the demonic, is visually interesting and ends the movie with a flourish, but even with the flashy finish, it’s hard not to think that, at this point, “The Nun” franchise is becoming a bad habit.
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3: 2 STARS
The “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” franchise is baklava in theatres this weekend, bringing with it some familiar faces—Nia Vardalos and John Corbett return as married couple Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller—and a load of Grecian-Americans stereotypes. The question is, on the third outing, is there anything fresh left for the franchise to say, or is it a Greek tragedy?
Twenty-one years ago, the original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” told the silly and saccharine story of happy couple Toula and Ian.
“There are three things that every Greek woman must do in life,” says Toula in that movie, “marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone.”
That Ian wasn’t Greek was a problem, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome with some slapstick and sweet-natured good humour.
Two movies later, the light tone continues, but the family is mourning the loss of Portokalos patriarch Gus (played by the late Michael Constantine in the first two films), a man so proud of his heritage that he can trace any word back to its origins in Greek… even the word kimono.
In death, he’s still proudly Greek, leaving behind a last wish that his family visit his childhood village and reconnect with their roots. At the family reunion, Toula and Ian, with daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) and Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) in tow, explore the village, meet Gus’s old friends and pass along a journal he wrote about his life’s journey.
“This is one reunion we’ll never forget,” says Toula.
They may never forget the reunion, but the film is not memorable. The original movie was sublimely silly with just enough naturalism to keep the story earthbound.
Those days are gone.
If the good old Funk & Wagnalls was illustrated, the definition of the term “broad” could easily be accompanied by the poster for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.” Everything about Vardalos’s film—she wrote, directed and starred in it—is stretched and overblown. Whether it is the humour, the cloying sentiment or the manipulative undertones of nearly every scene, it is all played so broadly that it’s amazing she didn’t have to shoot the whole thing with a wide-angle lens to capture the puffed-up vastness of it all.
It's a shame because there are some intimate moments that, if played with even a hint of restraint, could have pulled at the heartstrings. Instead, we get souvlaki jokes, banal schmaltziness and choppily edited tourism bureau style footage. Also (SORTA KINDA SPOILER), this may be the first film with the word “Wedding” in the title to have a wedding, but not show the actual ceremony.
Still, franchise fans may get a kick out of spending some time with familiar characters. Martin has all the best lines, and the cast performs with enthusiasm. But is enthusiasm enough? Nope, but “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” for better and for worse, much worse, tries harder than any other movie this year to make you love it.
AMERICAN: AN ODYSSEY TO 1947: 3 STARS
“American: An Odyssey to 1947,” a new documentary from director Danny Wu now on VOD, combines the artistic and ethical to form an intriguing portrait of the turbulent political landscape of the mid-20th century in the United States.
The film’s first half focuses on director Orson Welles, the wunderkind who, after taking the New York theatre world by storm in 1936 by staging a version of Shakespeare's “Macbeth” with an entirely Black cast and creating a nationwide sensation with his radio adaptation of “The War of the Worlds,” moved to Hollywood and made one of the greatest films of all time, “Citizen Kane,” all before the age of 25.
Although familiar to film fans, the story of how “Citizen Kane” landed in the crosshairs of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst is recounted here. The specifics of how the influential newspaperman used his political sway to torpedo the film and Welles’ Hollywood career are intertwined with details of the director’s growing involvement in politics and progressive causes.
In 1947, with the House of Unamerican Activities showing more interest in him than Hollywood, Welles decamped for Europe.
“America is not as happy with me as I am with it,” he said.
Wu then broadens the film’s focus to report how key moments of the time, the New Deal, World War II, the bombing of Hiroshima and racial injustice, played a part in shaping Welles’ political and personal life.
Dropping the Hollywood biopic feel of the first half, Wu integrates the stories of Hiroshima survivor Howard Kakita, Isaac Woodard, an American soldier and victim of racial violence and Satsuki Ina, a psychotherapist born in an internment camp.
Disjointed though they may feel from time to time, these testimonials provide historical perspective and context for the over-arching look at the formation of Welles’ political awakening. Their stories are compellingly told, painting a grim picture of the hardship and inequity that informed the political climate of the time by expanding the micro to the macro.
What emerges is a portrait of an artist, influenced by world events and steadfast in his beliefs, even when those opinions threatened his career.
In “American: An Odyssey to 1947,” Wu does a good job of setting up time and place, and even though the shift from career retrospective to personal stories isn’t smooth, the film finds its balance to become an interesting, inventive recontextualization of a well-documented life.
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.
It was an unusual morning for Regina's Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) — a fire rescue team was called in to assist after a man became trapped in the bucket of a garbage truck.
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
For those who go to their local libraries often, they know there’s much more to their library than just borrowing books. Local libraries in Atlantic Canada are now renting out a broader range of items for people.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
Fast-moving storms with strong winds, large hail and apparent tornadoes swept Oklahoma and Kansas, while Houston made progress in recovering from last week's deadly storms.
The chief prosecutor of the world's top war crimes court sought arrest warrants Monday for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over actions taken during their seven-month war.
A video link between New York City and Dublin that was shut down due to inappropriate behaviour on both sides of the Atlantic has reopened with new security measures.
Former South African president Jacob Zuma was disqualified Monday from running for a Parliament seat in next week's national election because of a previous criminal conviction.
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
When MPs file back in to the House of Commons on Tuesday, it will be for the final five-week parliamentary push before hitting the barbecue circuit. Looking ahead to what could be a raucous rush to the summer hiatus, CTVNews.ca spoke with top House representatives to get a sense of what's atop their priority list.
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
British authorities and the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.'s infected blood scandal found Monday.
OpenAI says it plans to halt the use of one of its ChatGPT voices after some users said it sounded like Scarlett Johansson, who famously voiced a fictional, and at the time futuristic, AI assistant in the 2013 film 'Her.'
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
A two-story building burned to the ground more than 2,000 years ago in the Pyrenees mountains of northeastern Iberia in Spain. The inferno consumed the wooden structure, situated in an Iron Age settlement, killing six animals penned in the stable.
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
A month before Kevin Costner puts the first instalment of his multi-chapter western 'Horizon: An American Saga' into theatres, the actor-director came to the Cannes Film Festival to unveil his self-financed passion project.
As Saudi Arabia liberalizes some aspects of its society Seera, an all-women psychedelic rock band that blends traditional Arabic melodies with the resurgent psychedelia of bands like Tame Impala, represents the way women now are finding their voice and expressing themselves through the arts in a nation long associated with ultraconservative Islam and the strict separation of the sexes.
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Around 15,000 people passed through Red River Exhibition Park this weekend to mark the 19th annual Manito Ahbee Festival celebrating Indigenous culture and heritage.
Those who want to climb one of the most popular trails of the iconic Japanese Mount Fuji will now have to reserve ahead and pay a fee as the picturesque stratovolcano struggles with overtourism, littering and those who attempt rushed 'bullet climbing,' putting lives at risk.
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
Danny Jansen had a three-hit, five-RBI outing that included a two-run, seventh-inning homer in the Blue Jays 9-3 win against the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in the three-game series opener on Monday.
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
Almost everyone is guilty of distracted driving at one point and time, but according to a report from Transport Canada using their most recent data from 2021, 25 per cent of fatal crashes involve speeding, while another 20 per cent involve distracted driving.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says federal opposition parties should be 'celebrating' the recently announced electric vehicle deals, despite their criticisms the Liberals refuse to make public the terms and conditions laid out in the contracts.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
Two people were transported to hospital Monday, including one in an air ambulance, after a serious crash closed the Sea-to-Sky Highway in both directions.
Mounties in southeastern British Columbia are searching for the occupants of a vehicle that allegedly fled from police after a reported "firearms incident" on Monday.
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Inflation does not appear to exist at Dane's Lemonade Stand. "No, it does not," Dane Benesh said. Monday, in Copperfield, a tall glass of his lemonade cost the same $1 it did when he started in 2018.
The United Conservative Party says it has gathered a panel of medical experts for a town hall meeting next month that's expected to discuss the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in children.
The St. Laurent LRT station will remain closed until at least Wednesday as OC Transpo continues to repair and inspect damaged ceiling tiles and concrete above both rail platforms.
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
A two-year-old child was found unconscious in a residential swimming pool in the municipality of Saint-Apollinaire, in Quebec's Chaudière-Appalaches region, around noon on Monday, Quebec provincial police say.
A jury has found a 21-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Montreal teenager Jannai Dopwell-Bailey outside his school in 2021.
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
Kevin Kossowan isn't going to the grocery store to find ingredients for dinner. Instead, he's searching for them in the wild in places such forested land he owns north of Rochester, Alta.
New Glasgow Regional Police have arrested a man after receiving reports of someone with a knife at a business on Westville Road in New Glasgow, N.S., on Saturday.
There's bound to be many new faces in the province's legislature later this year. Nearly half of Saskatchewan Party members elected in 2020 will not be representing the party on the ballot this fall.
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
The Sikh culture in Saskatoon is growing, and the massive turnout at the Nagar Kirtan parade on Sunday put the strength of their community on full display, as thousands walked up a span of Attridge Drive.
A small memorial service held in front of London City Hall Monday intended to send a message to politicians, the plans to solve the homeless crisis need to move more quickly.
The mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality in British Columbia says drones are endangering helicopters being used to fight wildfires near Fort Nelson, which was ordered evacuated earlier this month.
Two people were transported to hospital Monday, including one in an air ambulance, after a serious crash closed the Sea-to-Sky Highway in both directions.
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
With just over two minutes remaining in the first overtime, Mirko Buttazzoni scored to give the Bandits a 4-3 victory over the Sherwood Park Crusaders Saturday in Brooks.
The average home price in Lethbridge has jumped 11.6 per cent in the last year. A home in Lethbridge now costs just over $374,000 on average. That's according to the latest data from the Alberta Real Estate Association.
A 24-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged following a bizarre incident in which the suspect got themselves in trouble when police were in the area for another call.
79-year-old Madonna Wilkinson has been playing the accordion since she was 15, when she picked one up that had been left behind at one of her parents' rollicking parties in the oceanside town about 25 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L. She has played Sunday masses and St. Patrick's Day parties, and community events of all kinds.
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.
A new study shows an Atlantic salmon population in southern Newfoundland is disappearing, and it says nearby aquaculture operations are a likely contributor to the decline.