NEW YORK (OSV News) – Catholic moviegoers will naturally take an interest in any project related to the works of their renowned co-religionist, novelist J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973). But the question always remains whether any new adventure set in his fictional land of Middle-earth will share in the elusive magic of the stories he himself spun.

In the case of the animated drama “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” (Warner Bros.), unfortunately, the comparison is less than favorable to the newcomer. While director Kenji Kamiyama’s fantasy is often lovely to behold and its moral values are mostly in order, his tale of derring-do stagnates because the characters who inhabit it are mostly one-dimensional.

Take our heroine, Princess Hera (voice of Gaia Wise), for example. A dauntless warrior whose courage and skills are initially underrated by her otherwise sage father, King Helm Hammerhand (voice of Brian Cox), she’s a symbol of female empowerment. Beyond that, however, we learn little about her.

The conflict of the title is initiated after Hera’s childhood friend, Wulf (voice of Luke Pasqualino), seeks her hand in marriage and is rebuffed. Amid the recriminations that follow, King Helm unintentionally takes the life of Wulf’s dad, Freca (voice of Shaun Dooley), instantly transforming the bereft son into his, and Hera’s, implacable enemy.

As Wulf relentlessly pursues his revenge, the script — penned by a quartet of screenwriters — highlights his principal adversaries’ chivalrous dedication to truth-telling, faith-keeping and the granting of mercy. Yet there’s also a vaguely discernible anti-marriage message attached to Hera’s insistence on remaining independent and untethered.

While the narrative of her struggle is clearly meant to seem epic and poetic, there’s a static feel to the proceedings with Hera and her allies never faltering in virtue and Wulf proving villainous at every turn. As a result, a sense of investment in the fate of those on screen is largely lacking.

Assessed for its appropriate audience, the movie is more successful. The strife is bloodless and the dialogue almost unblemished. So, although it’s too frightening for little kids, this addition to Tolkien’s lore — set 200 years before the action of his three main volumes — is acceptable for most others.

The film contains stylized combat and other violence, characters in peril, some grim images and a single mild oath. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Copyright © 2024 OSV News

 Print

Chance the Rapper and estranged wife Kirsten Corley’s divorce is officially underway months after the couple announced their split.

Corley filed her petition to divorce the Grammy-winning “Sunday Candy” and “Cocoa Butter Kisses” musician Friday in Cook County, Ill., The Times confirmed. Representatives for Corley and for Chance the Rapper (born Chancelor Bennett) did not respond immediately to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday.

Chance and Corley, who is an influencer and former model, share two young daughters. Though the estranged spouses knew each other as children, they reunited in 2013 and began dating. They welcomed their first child in 2015 and married in 2019, the same year they welcomed their second daughter.

The rapper’s wedding was central to his debut album, “The Big Day.” The 2019 release arrived years after Chance found fame with a series of mixtapes including the lauded “Acid Rap” and “Coloring Book.”

For “The Big Day,” Chance collaborated with a range of musicians including John Legend, Death Cab for Cutie, Megan Thee Stallion, Shawn Mendes and Randy Newman. In an interview for Apple Music ahead of the album release, Chance recalled first seeing his wife at a dance party when they were both kids and discussed their years-long relationship.

“I think I always knew I would marry my wife and I think I was interested in how much time I had and trying not to make the wrong decision and stuff like that,” he said at the time. “I was extended grace and was able to get back with her and not ruin my life.”

The two announced their separation in April after five years of marriage. Prior to that, speculation of marriage troubles surrounded the couple after the rapper was seen dancing with another woman during a 2023 birthday celebration in Jamaica. In their announcement, the estranged partners said they would remain committed to co-parenting their children.

“God has blessed us with two beautiful girls who we will continues to raise together,” they said at the time. “We kindly ask for privacy and respect as we navigate this transition.”

NEW YORK (OSV News) – As strained as it is bloodsoaked and morally wayward, the would-be action adventure “Kraven the Hunter” (Columbia) is a hopeless dud. On the upside, moviegoers misguided enough to patronize the film will likely be too bored to be much corrupted by it.

After a brief slice of mayhem set in the present day, director J.C. Chandor’s brutish origin story for the titular Marvel Comics character carries us back to the unhappy youth of his alter ego, Sergei Kravinoff (Levi Miller). Both mild-mannered Sergei and his equally gentle half-brother Dimitri (Billy Barratt) live in fear of their Russian gangster dad, Nikolai (Russell Crowe).

Determined to toughen both lads up, Nikolai forces them to join him on an African safari, during which Sergei has a near-fatal encounter with a lion. Yet a magical potion given to him by a stranger named Calypso (Diaana Babnicova) — a girl his own age to whom viewers have previously been introduced — not only revives Sergei but endows him with superpowers.

Once grown, and now played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sergei uses his gifts to track down criminals to whom he doles out do-it-yourself justice, gaining him his nickname. The intense isolation of his undercover lifestyle is relieved only by his ongoing relationship with Dimitri (Fred Hechinger) and his newly-minted partnership with the adult version of Calypso (Ariana DeBose).

Calypso, a crusading attorney who is meant to serve as our ethical compass, briefly questions Sergei’s extra-legal methods. But this does nothing to stop his sequential rampages. Throw in the fact that Calypso’s family features a long line of tarot card-carrying witches and it’s clear that
cinephiles of any sense will not feel a yen for “Kraven.”

The film contains excessive graphic violence with much gore, benignly viewed vigilantism, an occult theme, a few uses of profanity and several instances each of rough language and crude talk. The OSV News classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Copyright © 2024 OSV News

 Print