TelegraphHerald.com • Telegraph Herald • Friday, February 21, 2020 1D

opening this weekend

“THE CALL OF THE WILD”Rated PG for some violence, peril, thematic elements and mild lan-guage. 100 minutes. ★★

Much like our furry friends, movies about man’s best friend come in all shapes and sizes: Lost dog movies, talking dog movies, military dog movies, reincarnated dog movies.

“The Call of the Wild,” directed by Chris Sanders and based on the classic novella by Jack London, is what one might call a literary dog movie, even if there is technically no actual dog in it. The star of “The Call of the Wild,” Buck, is a CGI creation. And it’s only through the technology that his dangerous and harrowing adventures in the Alaskan wilderness during the Gold Rush, as outlined by London, could be realistically brought to the big screen, for better or for worse.

Known for his work on the most recent “Planet of the Apes” films, accomplished motion capture performer Terry Notary brings Buck’s movements to life, and it’s a truly skilled performance. But Buck’s digital nature is noticeable right away. It’s initially off-putting. The computer-generated creation doesn’t have the weight, the heat, the feel of a real dog (or any crea-ture for that matter), though the movements, gestures and expres-sions are accurate.

There isn’t much nuance or complexity to be found in “The Call of the Wild,” but it’s an old-fash-ioned animal-friendly adventure flick for kids, a modern-day and high-tech “Benji” based on a classic piece of literature. Although it’s hard to buy the animated Buck, the human performances save it, proving that even the most realistic technology will never replace the real thing on screen.

OTHER RELEASES“Emma”: A young woman

makes a mess of playing match-maker in her small English village in this new adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel. With Anya Tay-lor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart. Written by Eleanor Catton. Directed by Autumn de Wilde. (2:04) PG.

“Impractical Jokers: The Mov-ie”: The pranksters from the cable TV show bring their hidden-cam-era high jinks to the big screen. With Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, James Murray, Sal Vulcano. Written by Quinn, Gatto, Murray, Vulcano, Chris Henchy. Directed by Henchy. (1:33) PG-13.

“Premature”: A young col-lege-bound Harlem woman shares a summer romance with a music producer who is new to town. With Zora Howard, Joshua Boone. Written by Rashaad Ernesto Green, Zora How-ard. Directed by Green. (1:30) NR.

“Ride Your Wave”: A young woman magically reconnects with the lover she lost to the sea in this anime tale. Written by Reiko Yoshi-da. Directed by Masaaki Yuasa. In Japanese with English subtitles. (1:34) NR.

“Standing Up, Falling Down”: A failed standup comic moves back home to Long Island where he befriends his dermatologist. With Ben Schwartz, Billy Crystal, Eloise Mumford, Grace Gummer, Nate Corddry, Jill Hennessy, Debra Monk, Kevin Dunn. Written by Pe-ter Hoare. Directed by Matt Ratner. (1:31) NR.

current Got a tip? Please contact usMegan Gloss, Features Editor

megan.gloss@THmedia.com563-588-5638 or 800-553-4801

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MORE NEWS BEHIND THIS SECTION: COMICS, 2-3D • COMMUNITY, 4D • RECORD, 5D

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movie review

celebrating black history month

The latest video game-turned-fea-ture film adaptation leaves much to be desired with “Sonic the Hedge-hog.”

After an energy eruption, the government is on Sonic’s furry tail. Leading the attempt to capture him

is Dr. Robotnik. With the help of Sheriff Tom Wachowski, Sonic attempts to elude Robotnik and the authorities.

The film stars Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden and Tika Sumpter. Jeff Fowler makes his directorial debut.

“Sonic” has had a hectic journey to the big screen. Originally slated to release last November, the film was delayed due to social outcry over Sonic’s original design. The extra months were taken to redesign the character to look less pho-to-realistic and more true to the source material.

Despite a drastically improved lead char-acter design, the film fails to hook viewers who aren’t interested in the video games. For hardcore fans, it likely will entertain.

The biggest compliment I can give is with Carrey’s performance. His over-the-top and zany energy only reminds me how much I love Carrey in his zone.

It’s a shame he doesn’t appear in more films these days, so this was a joy to see. He eats up every line of dialogue to crazed perfection. A particular scene where he expresses his joy for lattes had me laughing quite hard.

Schwartz brings ample energy as the voice of Sonic. However, the immature humor that he recites didn’t land with me. The energy was present, but the material did nothing for me. This is clearly a movie aimed at youngsters.

Marsden is serviceable as the human companion to Sonic. This is a pretty standard role for him. He does have a few funny lines throughout. This said, the dynamic between

him and Sonic is painfully paint-by-numbers. I rolled my eyes at the clichéd writing more than a few times.

Besides Carrey’s movie-stealing perfor-mance and a few decent action scenes, “Son-ic” didn’t cross the finish line for me. Fans of the video game might be thrilled, but it doesn’t offer much for the casual viewer.

The execution of the story is bland and for-gettable. Even at a short 100 minutes, I found myself bored by the third act. Within a day I had forgotten about the film.

“Sonic” boasts Carrey’s glorious return to his comedic roots, but falls flat in most other areas. The character redesign of Sonic is a big improvement, through.

At the end of the day, I can only recommend the film to fans of the video games. I give “Son-ic the Hedgehog” 2.25 stars out of 5. The film is rated PG and runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Ellis is a freelance writer.

Fans might connect with energetic ‘Sonic’BY AUSTIN ELLISFor the Telegraph Herald

Tribune News ServiceHarrison Ford stars in “The Call of the Wild.”

BY MEGAN GLOSSmegan.gloss@thmedia.com

Editor’s note: In recognition of Black History Month, the TH is profiling leaders from the community who are making an impact. Our next profile, featuring Samaria Neely, will publish on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Shamika Rainer has never met a challenge she couldn’t stare down.

In fact, when asked to describe what she does for a living, she exclaimed proudly, “I’m an entrepreneur. And a trailblazer.”

If only we all knew how to sum-mon such confidence.

At 33, Rainer is a hairstylist and owner of Luxurious Hair Salon, located at 1464 Central Ave. It’s a business she opened in 2015. Prior to that, she owned and operated Mi Amour Salon in Dubuque, after graduating and teaching for a time at Capri College.

Rainer said she was quick in wanting to defy her mentors, warning her that developing a new business right out of the gate wasn’t as easy as it looked.

However, Rainer had other ideas.“I’m hard-headed,” she said,

with a laugh. “If you tell me ‘no,’ I think, ‘You mean not today? OK. So, tomorrow.’ When I’m running, I’m never looking at the spectators. I

only see the finish line.”Rainer’s fearless drive, coupled

with her infectious spirit, are quali-ties she claims she has always had.

FINDING NEW GROUNDA native of Chicago, Rainer relo-

cated to Dubuque when she was 18 to attend the University of Dubuque. With a 5-month-old in tow, she worked hard to put herself through school, pay the rent and make the best of her situation.

It wasn’t long before the desire to ultimately own a salon took hold. So, she set her sights on enrolling at Capri.

Blazing a trailFrom hair to empowering young women, Shamika Rainer

is embodying the change she wants to see in the community

“I’m hard-headed. If you tell me ‘no,’ I think, ‘You mean not today? OK. So, tomorrow.’ When I’m running, I’m never looking at the spectators. I only see the finish line.”

SHAMIKA RAINER

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Women and children in Dubuque need you!FREEWomen's Giving Circle Open House

Learn how you can make a difference

Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and refreshmentsRSVP by March 1 at dbqfoundation.org/OpenHouseWGC

Thursday, March 5 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dubuque Museum of Art, 701 Locust St.

See RAINER, PAGE 4D

EILEEN MESLAR • Telegraph HeraldOwner Shamika Rainer works with client Isaac Redmond at Luxurious Hair Spa in Dubuque. Rainer has owned the business since 2015. She also is involved in the community and mentors young girls through the Multicultural Family Center.