THE BOSS BABY BLANKETS MOVIE SCENE THIS WEEK
And TV conjures up Imaginary Mary in the days ahead,
MOVIES
Big releases on March 31: The Boss Baby; Ghost in the Shell.
Big picture: It’s too bad the title The Boss Baby couldn’t have been saved for the inevitable biopic of Donald Trump. But the president’s best impersonator, Alec Baldwin, is the leading voice in this animated family comedy. A wildly imaginative seven-yearold tells the story of a newborn Boss Baby that arrives to ruin his perfect family unit. This baby wears a power suit, carries a briefcase, heads a secret all-baby corporation (frustratingly lacking in subordinates who can read or write) … and speaks like Baldwin.
Therein lies the only problem. When I hear Baldwin’s voice, I can now only think of his dynamite Trump imitation. Lines like, “Put that cookie down; cookies are for closers,” only cement the link. Or when The Boss announces “a crisis” and declares baby mortal enemy No. 1 (and rival for adults’ affection): puppies.
Meanwhile, based on a popular Japanese manga (comic), Ghost in the Shell stars Scarlett Johansson as The Major, a unique human-cyborg hybrid that leads an elite security task force. This flick is essentially Pinocchio meets RoboCop meets Ex Machina — minus that trio’s originality. The Major longs for her lost mortality, while cloaked in skin-tight robot bodysuits that would make the X-Men’s Mystique blush (why does humanity always feel the need to make our killing machines sexy?). This sci-fi adventure also presents a disturbing vision of the future, where digital avatars and what look like Pokémon on steroids seem to mingle in the real world with colourful, half-crazed human beings. (Then again, have you watched the news lately? Sign me up. We could use the distraction.)
Forecast: Big Boss is manipulative, loud, disdainful and arrogant. Maybe thinking of him as Baby Trump will only add to the laughs? (In the inevitable sequel, I predict Baby Boss will face off against the diabolical Stewie Griffin from Family Guy.)
Meanwhile, Ghost in the Shell could have been called Lost in Translation 2. For starters, it has been criticized for casting a white actress in an Asian role, but it will also fall short in warmth and humanity (ironically, the same things The Major yearns for). Despite its visual splendour, it won’t be haunting theatres for long. When it comes to cyborg cinema, it’s best to wait for October’s Blade Runner 2049.
TV
Big events: Imaginary Mary (March 29, ABC); The Discovery (March 31, Netflix).
Big picture: Dharma is back, and she’s finally ditched that partypooper Greg. Jenna Elfman plays a career-driven woman who meets the love of her life: a divorced dad. This sudden crisis — i.e. beginning a relationship with his three kids — sparks the return of her eccentric childhood imaginary friend (voiced by Rachel Dratch). This live-action/ CGI hybrid comes from the creator of The Goldbergs (which flies under the radar as one of the best TV sitcoms). The cuddly monster Mary looks like the inexplicable DNA combination of a yeti, a Furby, a Mogwai and a sentient snowball. The sitcom’s motto: “learning to be a mom is going to get hairy.” (After this sneak preview, the show moves to a regular Tuesday time slot.)
On a decidedly less funny note, Netflix’s dystopian movie stars Robert Redford as a spooky, reclusive scientist-billionaire who proves the afterlife exists, thus sparking a chain reaction of self-destructive human behaviour around in the globe. Redford is like Willy Wonka with a death wish for himself (instead of one for chocolate-hoarding children). Rooney Mara, Jason Segel and the ever-reliable Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad) co-star.
Forecast: First Son of Zorn, and now Imaginary Mary? By 2018, I think every sitcom will have at least one cartoon, CGI or puppet character. I’m looking forward to Modern Family introducing Phil Dunphy’s new real-estate partner, a unicorn magician. And I predict the Big Bang Theory’s ratings will reach new heights with cast additions of E.T. and Alf.
MUSIC
Big releases on March 31: Bob Dylan (Triplicate); Nelly Furtado (The Ride).
Big picture: After writing a healthy portion of his country’s musical cannon, Dylan continues his reinvention of American standards. This triple album finds the troubadour interpreting classic big-band songwriters with his unique vocals (a.k.a. guttural mumbling) and new arrangements. These 30 new songs mark Bobby D’s 38th studio album. Speaking of Ghost in the Shell, I can’t be the only one who’d like to see the 75-year-old Dylan’s remarkable consciousness transferred into the body of the first cyborg-human folksinger? Mainly to see him re-work his iconic songs to fit late 21st-century social issues (Like a Rolling Clone, My Batteries They Need a-Changin’ etc.).
Meanwhile, Victoria, B.C.’s Furtado releases an independent album defined by her own artistic vision — minus major label manipulations and machinations. The Ride is less Promiscuous and more Confucius. All this comes after Furtado finally proved she is “like a bird” in taking extended time off her career to “fly away” to Kenya, take playwriting and pottery classes and travel other paths to self-development. After dancing between folk, pop and R&B, Furtado’s new effort trends toward sophisticated adult contemporary pop, and tackles our material world head on.
Forecast: On his 39th album, I predict Dylan will reinterpret 21st-century songwriters with covers like Drake’s Hotline Bling, Taylor Swift’s We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe. Meanwhile, Furtado’s five-year hiatus between albums proves worth the wait. Whoa, Nelly! Critics and fans will welcome her back.