150 Word Review: 'Better Man' (2024)
Monkey show business
Thankfully, one doesn't need to know who Robbie Williams is when watching Better Man, a movie about Robbie Williams. But here's some background if you’re like me: He was/is a pop star in the UK. Better Man tells the standard rock and roll story of a nobody who becomes a somebody. But, wait! It's also a trippy musical about a mutant ape who escapes some secret government laboratory.
Williams is portrayed as a computer-generated chimpanzee throughout the film for no apparent reason. One explanation? Williams once described himself as a "performing monkey," and director Michael Gracey said, "Ah, ha!” The monkey looks incredible, and the dance numbers are eye-popping. One practical benefit of the CGI is that Williams can play himself as a kid, teen, and hard-drinking adult. I don't know Williams' hits, so each polished, catchy song was new to me. Better Man is sentimental dreck. I loved it.
Wow! I know nothing. But CGI apes? Sign me up.