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Category: New Releases

  • Lupin III: The First (2019)

    Lupin III: The First (2019)

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    In 1965, Kazuhiko Katō, under the pen name Monkey Punch, created Lupin the Third, a manga about a gentlemen thief. Inspired by the character Arsène Lupin created by Maurice Leblanc, the manga was published in 1967 in Weekly Manga Action. Upon its publication, the manga proved to be a massive hit and was adapted into numerous anime series and movies. The first animated feature was 1978’s The Mystery of Mamo, followed by 1979’s The Castle of Cagliostro from Hayao Miyazaki. Over the years, Monkey Punch wanted to see the character brought to life as a 3D animated character. Work began in early 2019 with Monkey Punch supervising, but he sadly passed away in April of that year. Many cast and crew who’ve worked on previous adaptations came back for this ambitious project. Lupin III: The First was released in Japan in December 2019 and the US in October 2020.

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    Synopsis

    Renowned archaeologist Professor Bresson (Marc Thompson) entrusts his diary to his family as it contains secrets the Nazis are after. Unfortunately, Bresson is killed and the family dies in a car crash, the only survivor being their infant daughter. Years later, the diary is displayed at a museum when infamous thief Arsène Lupin III (Tony Oliver) tries stealing it. Unfortunately, a young woman named Laetitia (Laurie Hymes) steals it, then femme fatale Fujiko (Michelle Ruff) steals it from her. Lupin’s arrested by Inspector Zenigata (Doug Erholtz) but is rescued by his cohorts Jigen (Richard Epcar) and Goemon (Lex Lang). Lupin catches up to Laetitia, who reveals that she’s working for her adoptive grandfather Lambert (David Brimmer). Lambert is working for Gerard (Paul Guyet) who’s looking for a weapon called The Eclipse to restore the Third Reich. It’s up to Lupin, Laetitia, and his crew to stop them from finding it.

     

    Review

    Lupin III: The First is a wonderful animated adventure that both fans and even non-fans will find enjoyable. While it’s difficult to convert something 2D to 3D, here it works thanks to the fluid and stylized animation used. All of the characters have very unique designs, fluid and exaggerated movements, and a wide range of facial expressions. Honestly, the animation is on par with anything Pixar or Disney Animation could create, though some things don’t translate well. For instance, the 3D animation gives many of the characters a weird, plastic-like sheen to them, which can be distracting. Also, some of the more cartoony facial expressions that worked in 2D don’t always translate well to 3D. The same thing goes for some of the movements, which can come off as stiff and unnatural at times. Still, it’s an impressive feat given the risks in translating a popular character to something new.

    The story moves at a good pace, with the action-heavy scenes and more dramatic scenes being well-balanced. Admittedly, several exposition-heavy scenes drag the film down at times, but the action and humor keep things moving. Each of the characters is memorable in their own ways, either being loveable goofballs, intense villains, or cool archetypes. Admittedly, the main villain can come off as a bit bland and one-dimensional, but it works given the material. The voice acting fits the characters well, with many of the original English actors returning for this film. Each of the action sequences is over-the-top and fun to watch, in a way harkening back to old-school adventure serials. At roughly 90 minutes in length, the film never overstays its welcome and entertains throughout despite some parts that drag. Overall, Lupin III: The First is a solid animated adventure that even people unfamiliar with the manga will love.

     

    Buy Lupin III: The First on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qb8c0s

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  • In Search of Darkness: Part II (2020)

    In Search of Darkness: Part II (2020)

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    Following its release in 2019, In Search of Darkness earned universal acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. The film earned a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Forbes magazine calling it “a scary good magnum opus”. Given its success, the filmmakers decided to follow-up with yet another four-hour-long 1980s horror documentary and expand further. While the first one covered the more iconic films, the second one would focus on more lesser-known films. In addition to the returning guests, many more guests were added, including actors, special effects artists, and internet commentators. Instead of using Kickstarter and IndieGogo, the filmmakers decided to make the documentary available for pre-order from their website. Through this, numerous different editions based on actors and internet personalities were made available for backers with their own exclusives. Finally, in late 2020, In Search of Darkness: Part II was released for horror fans to enjoy.

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    Synopsis

    Building off of the first film, this once again looks at horror films of the 1980s but expands further. More foreign films are spotlighted, including films from prominent directors like Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, and Lucio Fulci. Some of the horror films that are spotlighted include Nightbeast, Blood Diner, Cannibal Holocaust, Beetlejuice, The Beyond, and Mother’s Day. The new guests featured include Robert Englund, Steve Johnson, Tom Savini, Linnea Quigley, Robert Rusler, Nancy Allen, and Gedde Watanabe. While many of the commentators from the last film return, they also bring in YouTubers Brandon Tenold and Oliver Harper. Like the last film, they cover films from each year and in between focus on trends and themes explored. Also, they spotlight the careers of some of the major players interviewed, including Englund, Savini, and Quigley. It’s another massive four-hour celebration of one of the most prominent decades in horror cinema.

     

    Review

    Like the last film, In Search of Darkness: Part II is a very informative and enjoyable horror documentary. The filmmakers have taken everything that made the first film great, expand upon it, and make it better. Fans who may have been disappointed that a certain film or a certain guest wasn’t included will hopefully be satisfied. There’s a nice variety between American-made and foreign horror films, though there seems to be more emphasis on Italian cinema. The only exceptions are the Hong Kong film The Seventh Curse and the Japanese film Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Then again, as with the last documentary, there are so many films out, it’s difficult to cover them all. Also, it would’ve been great if they had gotten some interviewees who had been involved in the Italian-made productions. Still, what we’re given here is more than we could have asked for.

    Having more effects artists interviewed is a huge get for this documentary, hearing them explain how effects were pulled off. It’s especially cool to see Tom Savini reminisce about his experiences as the “master of splatter” in the ’80s. Like before, they explore various horror trends and themes explored, plus the impact the films had on pop culture. For instance, there’s a segment where they talk about video games based on horror films and how they’ve evolved. With speakers like actor Gedde Watanabe and director Jackie Kong, there’s also some commentary on how Asians were represented. It’s interesting to hear Watanabe talk about going from a stereotype in Sixteen Candles to a regular guy in Vamp. There’s also talk about queer representation in horror, further showing that horror truly knows no demographics. Overall, if you loved the first film, In Search of Darkness: Part II gives you even more.

     

    Learn more about In Search of Darkness: Part II at 80shorrordoc.com

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  • In Search of Darkness: A Journey Into Iconic ’80s Horror (2019)

    In Search of Darkness: A Journey Into Iconic ’80s Horror (2019)

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    Horror is not only one of the oldest film genres, but one of the oldest fiction genres in history. The genre’s roots go all the way back to 1700s literature with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto in 1764. With the dawn of cinema in the 1800s came the rise of horror films, namely The Haunted Castle in 1896. There was also the German Expressionist movement, which brought The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in 1920 and Nosferatu in 1922. From the Universal Monsters of the 30s-40s to the atomic horrors of the 50s-60s, horror has continued to evolve. In October 2018, CreatorVC Studios launched a Kickstarter campaign for a documentary exploring the horror cinema of the 1980s. Between its Kickstarter and IndieGogo campaigns, the project amassed over $450,000, making it an overwhelming success. After premiering at Beyond Fest in 2019, In Search of Darkness was released to backers.

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    Synopsis

    The documentary covers some of the most iconic horror films, and some obscure ones, from the 1980s, year by year. Some of the films covered include Friday the 13th, They Live, Re-Animator, The Changeling, The Lost Boys, and Pet Sematary. Filmmakers and actors from these films interviewed include John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and Alex Winter. Also, various genre experts and commentators are interviewed, including Cecil Trachtenberg, Ryan Turek, Heather Wixson, and James A. Janisse. In between each year, they explore how various real-world events at the time affected the horror films being made. Various trends such as holiday horror, the rise in slashers, and the birth of the direct-to-video horror film are explored. At the heart of it all, they discuss the attraction to both 80s horror and horror in general. It’s over four hours of exploring 80s horror films and why people love them.

     

    Review

    In Search of Darkness lives up to what it promises and then some, being both informative and entertaining. As stated previously, they cover plenty of films you’d expect, plus some lesser-known ones that deserve more attention. While they gather tons of amazing guests for the documentary, it’s disappointing that there were some they couldn’t get. For example, it would’ve benefitted if they had effects artists like Rick Baker, Steve Johnson, and Tom Savini on board. Also, with its 4+ hour runtime, it can be an intimidating watch for people given all the information that’s presented. While it’s quite an undertaking, you start to not notice the runtime after a while and it goes by quickly. It flows at a good pace, the editing is tight, and it never feels like it drags to a halt. For hardcore horror fans, this is an absolute dream come true.

    What helps is that this a documentary that can be watched either in one sitting or in chunks. Each year is broken into its own 15-20 minute segment with an intervening 10-minute break to discuss various themes. Some fans might be disappointed that a film they’re hoping for isn’t covered, but they still cover some good ones. For burgeoning horror fans, this provides a great resource of films to watch that they may not have heard of. The discussions on what was going on during the 80s also offer further perspective on how these films were made. Given how much of a massive undertaking this one, the creators should be given credit for their hard work. It’s a testament to fans of the genre that so many were able to come together to make this happen. Overall, In Search of Darkness is a phenomenal love letter to 80s horror cinema.

     

    Buy In Search of Darkness from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4i2TrcJ.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch In Search of Darkness: A Journey Into Iconic ’80s Horror (2019)

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  • Promising Young Woman (2020)

    Promising Young Woman (2020)

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    In 2017, actress Emerald Fennell started to work on a concept for what would become her directorial debut. After pitching the opening scene, she sold it to LuckyChap Entertainment, a production company owned by actress Margot Robbie. Two years later, actress Carey Mulligan was cast in the lead role, alongside Bo Burnham and Alison Brie amongst others. Focus Features acquired the film for distribution in February 2019, and filming started in March, wrapping after 23 days. Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, the film was scheduled for wide release in April. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the film was pushed back before being released theatrically on Christmas 2020. The following month, the film premiered on video-on-demand, so people could enjoy it from the comfort of home. So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s talk about Promising Young Woman.

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    Synopsis

    Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan) is a med school dropout living with her parents Stanley (Clancy Brown) and Susan (Jennifer Coolidge). She works at a coffee shop with her boss Gail (Laverne Cox), but she leads a secret life at night. At night, she goes to local clubs, acts drunk, finds a “nice guy”, and teaches them a lesson. Her motivation for doing this is because of something that happened to a close friend of hers at medical school. While working at the coffee shop, Cassie runs into Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), a former classmate turned successful pediatrician. The two start dating and things seem to be looking up for Cassie, but her second life keeps interrupting her. Things escalate when Cassie starts targeting people who were responsible for what happened to her friend Nina at med school. How far will Cassie be willing to go to find closure?

     

    Review

    Promising Young Woman is a strong directorial debut from Emerald Fennell, showing plenty of potential for her as a filmmaker. She uses bright colors to accentuate the visuals, making the sets and characters pop without feeling too distracting or garish. Carey Mulligan does a phenomenal job in the lead role, perfectly balancing comedy with terror while also being sympathetic. Bo Burnham is very funny and likable, and he and Mulligan have fantastic chemistry with each other. Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge do a good job as Mulligan’s parents, perfectly playing disappointed parents trying to hide it. There are also some solid appearances from Adam Brody, Alison Brie, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, and Alfred Molina. Though they only have about one or two scenes in the film, they each give great performances, Molina especially. All in all, the cast does a terrific job bringing the script to life.

    Admittedly, the film is somewhat tonally inconsistent, starting rough, then turning lighthearted, only to get rough again on a dime. Granted, that was probably what Fennell was going for, but it comes off as a little jarring and disorienting. That said, the story is very strong, gradually giving you more and more information without having to spell everything out. However, while the story is mostly strong, the last 10-15 minutes are somewhat lackluster given everything leading up to it. Given what’s happening and the music used, I understand what the director was going for, but it didn’t quite work. This is a case where the film is more about the journey than the destination without spoiling too much. Issues aside, I still say this is a film worth watching and worth supporting especially as someone’s directorial debut. Overall, Promising Young Woman doesn’t 100% deliver, but it shows plenty of promise.

     

    Find out how to watch Promising Young Woman on FocusFeatures.com: https://bit.ly/2XJ9vYT

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  • The Family Tree (2020)

    The Family Tree (2020)

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    Jorge Ameer is an independent filmmaker originally from Panama and has been working in the industry since the early 1990s. In 1994, he directed The Truth Within and later founded his own distribution company Hollywood Independents in 1997. In 2001, he founded the International Gay Film Awards, aka the Glitter Awards, to recognize foreign and independent gay films. Additionally, he was responsible for re-opening the Vogue Theater in Hollywood for a brief period to showcase some independent films. Ameer has been very active in bringing cinema to Panama, having curated festivals, and started a high school film program. Unfortunately, in 2017, his mother, Sybil B. Ameer, passed away, and the two had a very close connection. Since the two bonded over the holidays, Ameer decided to make his next film in memoriam of her passing. So in 2020, Ameer’s film The Family Tree was released in theaters and various festivals.

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    Synopsis

    Victor (Keith Roenke) is an animal rescue worker living in Panama who celebrates the holidays using makeshift exploding dolls. He’s friends with his ex-girlfriend Alina (Anaïs Lucia), who he decides to cheer up with a holiday greeting. Said greeting comes from Roy (Michael Joseph Nelson), who shows up dressed as Santa to deliver a heartfelt message. Later that night, he gets mugged, found by Victor, and taken back to his place to rest up. Victor soon learns that Roy is homeless, so he decides to help by proposing they enter a civil union. But while Victor has feelings for Roy, Roy admits that while he’s grateful, he doesn’t love him the same way. Soon, Roy enters into a relationship with Alina and even proposes to her much to Victor’s heartbreak. Soon, their lives will be changed forever when Roy and Alina try to have a child.

     

    Review

    Going into this, I had no idea what to expect since I never heard of Jorge Ameer until fairly recently. Having now seen The Family Tree, I recognize that this film was a passion project that he really cared about. Conceptually, the film is sound, being a complex love story with LGBTQ themes that deal with love, family, and death. The main actors all do a solid job, Michael Joseph Nelson being the highlight and easily delivering the best performance. For a low budget film, the cinematography is strong, the use of Christmas lights adding color and dynamic lighting. It’s a very unconventional love story, so it’s certainly worth watching for those who are feeling adventurous and daring. You can tell that the director is big on the holiday season given how much Christmas paraphernalia is on display. It’s certainly something to admire and there’s clearly love put into this.

    Unfortunately, despite the love and passion put into the film, it’s sadly marred by technical flaws and very slow pacing. The biggest technical flaw is the audio, which often sounds hollow and tiny as if none of the actors were miked. There are several scenes where the sound echoes, and it gets distracting as the film goes on, ruining the experience. Honestly, there were times where I turned up the volume because it was difficult to understand what the actors said. Technical problems aside, the film’s biggest flaw is that it’s boring as not much happens for the over two-hour runtime. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a slow film so long as there’s something to keep your interest. It’s not until the last 20 minutes of the film that things pick up, and by then, it’s disorienting. Overall, The Family Tree tried but ultimately failed under its ambitions.

     

    Buy The Family Tree on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nr0Wfr

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  • The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (2012)

    The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (2012)

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    Kenn Viselman was the American producer of Thomas & Friends and The Teletubbies, which he wanted to adapt to film. Series creator Anne Wood refused, so he decided to create something similar loosely based on the series My Bedbugs. He got the idea for audience interactivity after seeing a screening of Madea Goes to Jail with an overactive audience. Viselman wanted to have kids be able to get up, dance, and sing along with the movie in the theater. In the director’s chair was Matthew Diamond, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary for 1998’s Dancemaker. Originally filmed in 2009, the film sat on the shelves for years because Viselman wanted to patent the film’s interactivity. Its production budget was $20 million, but an additional $40 million was spent on marketing, totaling around $60 million. In August 2012, The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure was released.

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    Synopsis

    The Oogieloves, consisting of Goobie (Misty Miller), Zoozie (Stephanie Renz), and Toofie (Malerie Grady), are putting together a surprise party. It’s their pillow Schluufy’s birthday and they got some magical balloons, but their vacuum J. Edgar (Nick Drago) loses them. With help from him and Windy Window (Maya Stange), the Oogieloves set off to get the balloons back. Along the way, they meet several eccentric characters, each with their own quirks and song numbers to help them. They meet Dotty Rounder (Cloris Leachman), Milky Marvin (Chazz Palminteri), Rosalie Rosebud (Toni Braxton), and Bobby Wobbly (Cary Elwes). Along with Lola and Lero Sombrero (Jaime Pressly and Christopher Lloyd), each offers a gift along with the balloon. It’s a race against time as Schluufy’s birthday party is coming up very soon and they need all the balloons. Will they succeed, or will they not be able to get the balloons on time?

     

    Review

    The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure is one of the worst movies I’ve ever had to review. Granted, I’m not the target audience for this, but I can’t imagine anyone over the age of 5 enjoying this. This comes off as more of a corporate attempt at creating marketable characters than someone with a message to tell. Obviously, not every family/children’s film needs a message to be good, but this isn’t even good children’s entertainment. For a film that had a $20 million budget, the production values are incredibly cheap between the sets and puppets. Sure, there’s tons of color and everything looks bright, but it has a flat and boring look to it. It would be excusable if this were some direct-to-video kids movie, but the fact that it was theatrical is shocking. Guess it’s no wonder the film was such a massive flop.

    The budget probably went to the cast they assembled, who all look like they’re embarrassed to be there. Chazz Palminteri and Christopher Lloyd in particular look confused as if they’re unaware of what’s happening around them. Toni Braxton isn’t too bad, and her song isn’t awful, but she clearly deserved better than this given her talent. Cloris Leachman and Jaime Pressley are making the most of the material, and Cary Elwes is either spacey or self-aware. His performance is so bizarre that it makes you wonder if he knew what kind of movie he was in. Anyway, the film’s attempts at trying to add interactivity come across as annoying and make the overall experience more grating. Granted, the story is pretty uneventful, so it’s not like you’re missing out on anything whenever you’re told to stand. Overall, The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure is best avoided at all costs.

     

    Buy The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure from Amazon: https://amzn.to/38b7kU0

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  • Soul (2020)

    Soul (2020)

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    In 1990, 21-year-old Pete Docter was given an animation job at Pixar Studios after being recommended to John Lasseter. Pretty quickly, he started working on some of the company’s early successes, including being a key writer on Toy Story. Docter got his first chance at directing with 2001’s Monsters, Inc., which was a massive critical and commercial success. Years later, Docter got to direct yet again with 2009’s Up, which got him his first Academy Award. He earned his second Oscar for his third directorial outing, 2015’s Inside Out, and quickly started planning his next film. Despite taking on more responsibilities at Pixar, Docter started developing his next project, which would focus on more existential themes. Along with up-and-coming writers Mike Jones and Kemp Powers, who received a co-directing credit, Docter fleshed his ideas out further. After numerous delays due to COVID-19, Soul was released to Disney Plus.

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    Synopsis

    Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a middle school band teacher who feels stuck in his life and is seeking fulfillment. He dreams of being a famous jazz musician much to the ire of his mother Libba (Phylicia Rashad). One day, he gets an opportunity to perform at a jazz club with renowned musician Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). Unfortunately, he falls down a manhole to his death and ends up in the “Great Beyond”, though he escapes. He ends up in the “Great Before”, where new souls are prepped for life on Earth by soul counselors. He gets paired with #22 (Tina Fey), an unborn soul who doesn’t see the value in life on Earth. With her help, Joe tries to escape the “Great Beyond” and return to Earth in time for his gig. However, much like life itself, nothing is simple, and some body-swapping hijinks ensue.

     

    Review

    Compared to Pixar’s Onward, which was released earlier this year, Soul is an overall better film in so many ways. While that film was treading on the already explored ground, this film offers a very unique take on its themes. Soul deals with themes of our own existence, like what is our purpose, are we fulfilled, and what is living? This is one of the film’s strongest and weakest attributes, as it’ll appeal to older audiences more than young children. While the best family films should appeal to audiences of all ages, most kids probably won’t understand its themes. Inside Out worked because children and adults understand the challenges of growing up, and Up dealt with the age gap. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that children are too dumb to understand, but many of Soul‘s themes are fairly complex. Still, I applaud Pixar for being more experimental with this film.

    As with many of their recent films, the animation here is amazing, perfectly balancing cartoonish designs with realistic lighting/textures. Considering the history of racist caricatures in animation, it’s impressive to see how respectful and detailed the characters are. Speaking of, many of the characters, particularly Joe Gardner, are memorable in their own ways and wonderfully acted. Not only did Foxx and Fey do a great job as the main characters, but Bassett and Rashad were exceptional. Admittedly, the character of #22 did come off as grating at times, but she eventually warmed up to me. Also, the whole body-swapping plot point initially threw me off, but the way they used it worked for the story. While not as great as Toy Story, The Incredibles, or Docter’s other works, this is still one of Pixar’s best. Overall, Soul is a wonderfully animated look at what it means to live.

     

    Watch Soul on Disney Plus: https://bit.ly/2L2CsMj

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  • Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

    Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

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    A lot was riding on Wonder Woman given that it was the first female superhero movie since the disastrous Catwoman. Thankfully, the film received universal praise from critics and audiences and was the tenth highest-grossing film of 2017. Though she only signed on for one film, original director Patty Jenkins expressed interest in returning for a sequel. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine would also be returning to play Diana Prince and Steve Trevor respectively. Also, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal would be cast to play the film’s two villains, Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. After a six-month shoot, the film was initially scheduled for a December 2019 release before being pushed to November. It was pushed back to June 2020, but due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the film was further delayed to December. Finally, Christmas 2020 saw Wonder Woman 1984 be released in theaters and HBO Max simultaneously.

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    Synopsis

    In 1984, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is working at the Smithsonian as an anthropologist while fighting crime as Wonder Woman. One day, she meets Barbara Ann Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a geologist tasked by the FBI to investigate some artifacts. Both are captivated by a particular stone with a Latin inscription saying that the wielder will have their wishes granted. Diana unwittingly uses it to restore Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) to life and Barbara wishes to be more like Diana. Meanwhile, failing businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) gets his hands on the stone and wishes to gain the stone’s powers. He uses his newfound powers to grant wishes to people in exchange for wealth and power, leaving chaos and destruction. As Diana and Steve try to stop Lord, Barbara gets overtaken by her new abilities and refuses to back down. Soon, Diana must make a tough choice to save the world.

     

    Review

    Going into Wonder Woman 1984, I was hoping for a film that would improve on the previous film’s failings. Unfortunately, while the sequel has its moments, it’s largely a disappointment that adds to the flaws of the last film. To get into the positives, Gal Gadot once again shines as Wonder Woman, exuding plenty of charm and strength. It’s interesting to see her show some weakness when her wish starts taking away some of her powers and abilities. Chris Pine does a fair job and again has decent chemistry with Gadot, though he’s not given much to do. Pedro Pascal plays an interesting villain with Maxwell Lord, a businessman consumed by greed despite it literally killing him. While Wiig does her best with the material, her character comes off as the cliche nerdy character turned villain. This leads to one of the film’s biggest problems: overreliance on tropes.

    After the opening sequence on Themyscira, there’s a mall sequence that feels straight out of a 1980s superhero movie. It’s goofy, light-hearted, and cheesy, but it feels earnest and heartfelt while remaining relatively serious and tonally consistent. Unfortunately, the rest of the film recycles several tropes from the worst superhero movies of the 90s and 2000s. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with reusing tropes so long as you build off that to create an interesting story. While there are a few moments of action and character growth, the pacing is muddy and the narrative is uninteresting. There’s no sequence like the No Man’s Land or the Village Siege sequences to get you invested in the story. For as much promise this film had, it sadly is a disappointment and not a great way to end 2020. Overall, Wonder Woman 1984 could’ve been great, but instead is one of 2020’s biggest letdowns.

     

    Watch Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max: https://bit.ly/3aZRIEi

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  • Justice League (2017)

    Justice League (2017)

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    In 2007, Warner Bros. first announced production on a Justice League movie with a script by Michele and Kieran Mulroney. Titled Justice League: Mortal, George Miller of Mad Max was to direct, but numerous delays led to the project’s cancellation. Years later, Warner Bros. reannounced plans for a Justice League movie to be part of their upcoming DCEU. Following the release of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zach Snyder was hired to direct. Unfortunately, this led to a troubled production, with several rewrites, studio interference, and Snyder stepped down following his daughter’s death. Joss Whedon was brought on to handle post-production, but this led to additional rewrites, reshoots, and filming whole new scenes. In the end, it had a production budget of $300 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever. After ten years of development, Justice League was finally released in 2017.

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    Synopsis

    Following Superman’s death, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) is assembling a team of heroes in case of an imminent invasion. He manages to recruit Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), alongside Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller). Through some coaxing, they also recruit Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) and Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher) for their team. Meanwhile, Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), an alien conqueror, is search for the Mother Boxes, devices capable of terraforming an entire planet. He manages to collect two, but the team manages to use one to revive Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill). Unfortunately, Steppenwolf steals the Mother Box while the team fights a confused Superman, initiating a process called “The Unity”. While Superman recovers his memories thanks to Lois Lane (Amy Adams), the team heads off to stop Steppenwolf. Will the league be able to stop him, or will Earth become Steppenwolf’s new domain? Also, will Superman come to their aid?

     

    Review

    Given its long and troubled history, it’s a wonder that Justice League even came out in the first place. Even if you didn’t know, however, you can tell just by how disjointed it feels, almost like a Franken-film. So much of the plot is told through exposition and flashbacks, it’s hard to really care about what’s happening. Pacing-wise, much of it goes by so fast and so quickly that it’s hard to follow at times. At a solid two hours in length, the film feels unfinished, as if whole scenes are missing. On the other hand, its brief runtime compared to some other DC movies makes this easier to sit through. Given that this film technically had two directors, it’s hard to really critique the directing style since it’s cobbled together. Suffice to say, it’s passable, but nothing extraordinarily good or bad, so it’s more middle of the road.

    Performance-wise, the actors do a good job, Affleck and Gadot being the highlights in their returning roles. Jason Momoa is pretty fun as Aquaman, being very loud and brash, even there’s not much character development. Ezra Miller is fine as The Flash, though he comes off like the most extreme version of a socially-awkward nerd. Ray Fisher comes off as brooding and emotionless at first, but he eventually starts to warm up and have fun. Unlike previous DCEU movies, this one has more humor and levity, which makes it a better viewing experience. The same can’t be said however for the CGI, especially the now-infamous mustache removal on Henry Cavill, which looks shoddy. Similarly, the CGI used for the action scenes comes off as messy and disorganized, an apt description of the film. Overall, Justice League is passable entertainment, but it feels like it could’ve been more.

     

    Buy Justice League on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rlAdEv

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  • Wonder Woman (2017)

    Wonder Woman (2017)

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    In 1941, psychologist William Moulton Marston, working as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications, created Wonder Woman. Debuting in All-Star Comics #8, she has since become an iconic character in comics and pop culture in general. Actress Cathy Lee Crosby first donned the role in a made-for-tv movie in 1974 meant to be a potential pilot. However, it was the 1975 TV series starring Lynda Carter that she became a mainstream sensation for audiences worldwide. Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) was attached to produce and possibly direct a live-action movie in 1996, but that fell through. After years of development hell, Warner Bros announced plans in 2010 and hired Patty Jenkins in 2015 to direct. After being cast in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gal Gadot was brought onto the character’s first solo film. Finally, June 2, 2017, saw the release of Wonder Woman on the big screen.

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    Synopsis

    On the island of Themyscira, a race of warrior women, the Amazons, live a peaceful life isolated from modern civilization. Suddenly, American spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) accidentally crashes his plane near the island while being hunted by Germans. He’s rescued by Diana (Gal Gadot), daughter of the Amazon Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), but the Germans soon follow. After stopping the invaders, Steve is interrogated, revealing that the Germans are developing a gas capable of wiping out millions. Moved by his story, Diana decides to accompany him, believing that Ares, the God of War, is somehow involved. They arrive in London, Diana seeing what the world of man is like and how different it is from her’s. The deadly gas is being developed by German chemist Dr. Isabel Maru (Elena Anaya) with General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Hutson). Will Diana be their hero, or is Ares even at play?

     

    Review

    While certainly not the first female superhero movie, Wonder Woman is arguably the best one to date, though not perfect. As mentioned in my Batman v Superman review, Gal Gadot embodies the character effortlessly, both in looks and personality. Not only does she nail the look of the character, but she gives off a sense of compassion and strength. Chris Pine is also excellent as Steve Trevor, he and Gadot having fantastic chemistry and playing off each other well. Danny Huston makes for a great villain as per usual, though Anaya also has an intensity to her. Patty Jenkins does a great job at directing the massive action sequences, making them feel epic without feeling overcrowded. There are some Zach Snyder touches used, such as going between slow and fast motion, but it works here. It’s one of the best-made and best-acted superhero origin stories in recent years.

    Unlike Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, which felt choppy and gutted, this felt complete, just as the director intended. The story moves at a brisk pace and is a great mixture of serious drama and lighthearted humor. The humor never felt forced, and the “fish out of water” elements weren’t as grating as they could’ve been. However, as strong as the first two acts are, the third act is where it starts to fall apart. It quickly turns into heavy CGI action akin to a video game, and it took me out of the experience. That being said, I was hooked by the first two acts that I was able to look past those moments. After three entries that ranged from mediocre to downright messy, this one gets it right, though not without its issues. Overall, Wonder Woman is the film this character and this franchise deserved.

     

    Buy Wonder Woman from Amazon: https://amzn.to/34x7YZD.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Wonder Woman (2017)

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