Millennials Talk Cinema: ‘Last Christmas,” “Midway”

A huge number of new films landed in theaters last weekend, from small independent charmers like “Jojo Rabbit” to big horror-?fantasies like the Stephen King “Shining” sequel “Doctor Sleep.” That’s just a few from a whole big bunch.

Also in the mix are “Last Christmas,” a splashy, holiday-themed romantic comedy-drama penned by Emma Thompson, directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”) and featuring songs by George Michael, and “Midway,” directed by Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day”), about the pivotal WWII battle between Japanese and American forces in the South Pacific.

Here’s what a pair of reviewers from our pool of local film critics have to say about those two new films.

‘LAST CHRISTMAS’

Alexa Chipman (PG-13)

If there were a challenge to put the most twinkle lights in a feature film, “Last Christmas” would be the clear champion. Houses, trees, pillars and weed-covered parks are all festooned with yards of glittering strings.

Looks can be deceiving, though, because underneath the picture-perfect Christmas atmosphere is a raw, powerful drama of coming to terms with life after an intrusive, dangerous surgery. Emilia Clarke (known for her role as the dragon queen on “Game of Thrones”) is Kate - a woman who is struggling to recover from a heart replacement procedure.

The once cheerful, hopeful singer is now a dejected mess, so absorbed in her own tragedy that she has pushed away everyone who loves her.

The last holdout is her boss, “Santa” (Michelle Yeoh) who refuses to give up on Kate.

“I don’t have enough tinsel to cover your corpse,” Santa remonstrates when Kate wanders in with runny mascara and a battered suitcase bumping along behind her.

Yeoh steals every scene she is in, with well-meant jabs to prompt her protégé into a healthy outlook. Their moments together provide many of the laughs in this film.

The Christmas shop setting where Kate works looks like it was filmed inside Marisa’s Fantasia, which brought back delightful nostalgia for annual trips to downtown Petaluma on the hunt for new ornaments.

When Kate is at her worst, enter the quirky, adorable Tom (Henry Golding) who accepts her as she is, rather than trying to fix her problems. Instead of impressing her with flashy dates, Tom listens to what she is going through, which is ultimately more redemptive than a whirlwind romance.

The story unwraps a hidden surprise at the end - I won’t spoil it, but the twist is a brilliant choice by the writers and adds another layer of magic to the season.

I am a sucker for Christmas films, and this one delivers all the right emotions, from whimsy to heartbreak.

‘MIDWAY’ (PG-13)

Anderson Templeton

Woo hoo!

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a good old traditional action film, and “Midway” definitely did not disappoint.

I honestly feel a little conflicted that I was able to have just a fun time watching a (mostly) historically accurate film about people killing each other. When you look at how the Battle of Midway, during WWII legitimately went down, you can’t deny that it’s a thrilling and heart-wrenching story, which is a perfect recipe for an action flick.

I guess the ultimate point of telling this story in action movie form, is to honor the memory - and extreme bravery and intelligence - of those who kicked ass to support and protect their country. And yes, this film shows the bravery and humanity of soldiers on both sides, though it primarily focuses on the Americans.

As a fan of slightly cheesy history films, this was a great experience, though I did get a little lost at times, as all the soldiers look alike in uniform, and I couldn’t always tell who was who.

If you want to really understand war and honor the bravery of American soldiers without the cheese factor, I recommend “They Shall Not Grow Old,” using digitally remastered footage from the trenches of WWI. It’s hard, but brilliant.

At the end of the day, if you want to enjoy a big, loud, old-fashioned war epic, filled with crazy amounts of action, corny dialogue, and a cast of 98% buff model-worthy dudes doing heroic things, then “Midway” is a movie you should definitely check out.

[Suggested Emojis: Thumbs Up, Smiling Naval Officer Emoji]