The Hall Monitor 11/10/24

Bruce Hall’s weekly picks and pans from the screen. Who gets the pass?

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I lost the ability to feel things long ago but this week was a roller coaster of horribleness, joy, confusion and nostalgia.

And that, my friends, is how you get to Apathy.

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Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)

I’m feeling a little cross, myself.

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Corrin, et all…

Director: Shawn Levy

Where to Watch: Please don’t.

Synopsis: Deadpool (Reynolds) is enjoying a carefree life until a mysterious agency recruits him to face a threat endangering the entire multiverse. To tackle this expansive crisis, he’s forced to reunite with his frenemy Wolverine (Jackman), and together, they set out to save not only their world but all worlds across the multiverse.

Highlights: This is a tough one. Few actors today are as closely tied to iconic characters as Jackman and Reynolds, and seeing them finally team up feels like an early Christmas gift. Deadpool is as crass and rakish as ever. This version of Wolverine, though still an indignant loner, brings a fresh twist with a tragic reason for joining forces with Deadpool — a factor that should be the story’s linchpin.

Lowlights: This movie seems to exist solely to help reset the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has grown convoluted and confusing. The story leans heavily on the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a deus ex machina introduced in the Disney+ TV series Loki. Marvel uses the TVA to paper over plot corners introduced by weaker MCU films like Ant-Man and the Wasp and The Marvels.

Most of Deadpool and Wolverine’s runtime is devoted to over-the-top sight gags and cameo appearances from former MCU players like Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, and Chris Evans, who deliver brief, snarky lines that add little value. This focus on spectacle cheats us out of a deeper exploration of Wolverine’s tragic backstory, which should be the film’s foundation.

Ultimately, Deadpool and Wolverine relies on CGI antics and nostalgia rather than meaningful storytelling.

Verdict: This is the MCU’s version of The Flash: an aimless, tragic mess that banks on audiences overlooking weak storytelling in favor of flashy theatrics and a few familiar faces.

Hall Pass: DENIED (UTTERLY)

Hawaii Five-0 (1968)

Book ’em, Danno. And then brush my hair.

Starring: Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Kam Fong Chun, Gilbert Lani Kauhi

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Freeve, Roku, and wherever else elderly people and TV buffs get their fix.

Synopsis: An elite state police task force in Hawaii, led by no-nonsense Detective Steve McGarrett, is tasked with solving severe crimes across the islands. McGarrett and the fiercely loyal Danny “Danno” Williams (MacArthur), skilled investigator Chin Ho Kelly (Kam Fong Chun), and tough-as-nails Kono Kalakaua (Gilbert Lani Kauhi) — take on everything from organized crime to political corruption. Set against the stunning Hawaiian backdrop, the series is notable for incorporating then-cutting-edge technology such as advanced forensics and surveillance into its storylines. This, combined with intense action and moments of personal drama, helped cement Hawaii Five-0 as a landmark police procedural.

Highlights: As a child, I resented Hawaii Five-0 because my mother would retreat to the Master Bedroom to watch it, leaving me feeling left out. Years later, when I circled back to revisit the show, I understood why. I was surprised by how (relatively) violent, stylish, and cinematic it is. Had I been alive in 1968, I would have been captivated by the fast-paced action, the dramatic complexity, and the meticulous attention to detail and design. This was a truly pleasant surprise.

Mom was right, though. This is not a show for children.

Lowlights: Content this old can feel inherently dated. The ’60s slang and antiquated soundtrack can be tough for contemporary audiences to overlook. Given when it was made, there’s a mix of mid-century expressive acting styles and more modern, internalized performances, which some may find jarring. Additionally, television shows of the time often stretched seasons to over twenty episodes, meaning there are as many ordinary installments as there are classics.

Verdict: Are you going to ding a mint condition ’68 Mustang because it’s got no air conditioning or power brakes? You’re driving it because of what it IS, not what it isn’t. Hawaii Five-0 is a fascinating deep dive into one of the seminal TV milestones of the late 20th century.

I checked out most of Seasons 1-3 and never stopped being entertained.

Also…guys…that theme song absolutely SLAPS.

Hall Pass: GRANTED

Clue (1985)

A murderer’s row…of comedy!

Starring: Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Colleen Camp, Lee Ving

Director: Jonathan Lynn

Where to Watch: Hulu, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, Roku, Pluto TV, and more.

Highlights: This could be one of the strongest casts ever to grace a comedy. Watching this group of legends interact and play off one another is worth whatever it costs you to watch. Clue is a 97-minute romp that’s full of wit, atmosphere, and playful misdirection. For a film based on something as unconventional as a board game, it’s a lot more fun than it deserves to be.

Synopsis: A comedy mystery set in a vast mansion where six guests, invited under mysterious circumstances, become entangled in a series of murders. With a witty script, absurd twists, and multiple possible endings, the film blends slapstick humor with classic whodunit elements. Tim Curry leads an ensemble cast in this cult favorite that’s both playful and unpredictable.

Lowlights: The brilliant cast does their best to have fun with a non-existent story. The board game lacks a pre-established narrative defining the characters’ relationships before the murder. The goal is simply to determine the identity of the killer based on the clues provided. The movie suffers from the same problem. It makes a half-hearted attempt to provide the connective tissue between the players, but the absence of any actual plot forces the film to rely entirely on slapstick and gimmickry to sustain itself.

Verdict: Clue wears out its welcome after about an hour, with the final stretch insufferably devoted to offering up multiple endings designed to pay homage to the board game’s broad array of possible outcomes. By the time the movie ends, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve just spent its runtime trying to coax a recalcitrant party guest off your couch two hours after midnight.

Clue is lighthearted fun but not enough to keep an hour and a half from feeling like three.

Hall Pass: GRANTED (PROVISIONALLY)

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What do you think? How do you feel?

Do you also owe your mother an apology? Let us know in the comments!

Now, enjoy these trailers!