Category: Action

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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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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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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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The Brave and The Bold #25 (September 1959) marked the first appearance of the Suicide Squad, a team of antiheroes. First created by Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru, the group was featured in six issues before returning in 1987. John Ostrander revived the team for Legends #3, and it has since gone through many incarnations, even going into today. In 2009, Warner Bros announced a movie version was in production, with Dan Lin (The LEGO Movie) as a producer. David Ayer (End of Watch) signed on to write and direct in 2014, and tons of big-name actors were attached. Eventually, it came down to Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, and Joel Kinnaman. Filming commenced in 2015, though Warner Bros ordered reshoots following the negative reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. On August 5, 2016, David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was released.

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Synopsis

Following Superman’s death, intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) offers a solution should another cataclysmic event occur. She proposes to assemble a team of some of the worst criminals imaginable as disposable assets for high-risk missions. Among them are hitman Deadshot (Will Smith) and psychopath Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the girlfriend of The Joker (Jared Leto). Alongside Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), and Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Col. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) leads them. Unfortunately, one of their recruits, The Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), goes rogue and besieges the nearby Midway City to control mankind. The squad is deployed to the city under the guise that they’re extracting a high-level target being threatened by terrorists. Joined by Asian warrior Katana (Karen Fukuhara), the squad must carry out their mission under threat of their heads exploding. Will the squad succeed, or will they be victims of The Enchantress?

Review

For as much as it tries to be fun, Suicide Squad is a garish mess of noise and colors. Starting with the positives, some of the performances are solid, namely Smith, Robbie, Davis, Kinnaman, and surprisingly even Courtney. Given that this was the live-action debut of fan-favorite Harley Quinn, Robbie’s is the best we could’ve hoped for. As per usual, Smith is very charismatic, though it feels less like a character and more Smith just being Smith. Davis’s stern attitude and cold demeanor perfectly contrast with the craziness around her, and Kinnaman makes a good straight man. Even Jai Courtney, who’s usually a plank of wood in terms of acting, is surprisingly fun to watch. The first act, though a bit scatterbrained, is the best part of the film, showing off its colorful aesthetics. Unfortunately, once the action gets going, things take a sharp nosedive and it never recovers.

While some of the performances are enjoyable, a majority of them are painful to sit through, especially Jared Leto’s Joker. Whereas Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger perfectly balanced eccentricity and intimidation, Leto goes full over-the-top, almost trying too hard. It doesn’t help that he went so far as to send his costars disgusting “gifts” and generally made them uncomfortable. Unlike Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was dark and brooding, this one tries being more colorful and fun. Unfortunately, the colors are either too garish or, once again, washed out and muted, resulting in an ugly look. Also, the editing is atrocious, some scenes having at least two or three cuts per minute, making the action incomprehensible. This seems like a case of a studio trying so hard to appease its fans only to disappoint them. Overall, Suicide Squad is an ugly mishmash of color and mayhem.

Buy Suicide Squad from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KxheG6

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On a budget of $260 million, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice grossed $166 million in its opening weekend. However, in its second weekend, its box office returns dropped 68%, though it managed to gross over $870 million worldwide. Ultimately, the film was considered a financial disappointment, not helped by the mostly negative reviews from critics and audiences. The film also earned several awards at the Golden Raspberries and was nominated for Worst Picture, losing to Hillary’s America. For its Blu-ray release, Warner Bros released the director’s cut, which was dubbed the “Ultimate Edition”, alongside the theatrical version. This version had an additional 31 minutes of footage for a total runtime of 3 hours and 3 minutes. This version received more favorable reviews and was considered the definitive version, somewhat similar to what happened to Heaven’s Gate. So, let’s take a look at Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition.

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Synopsis

Please refer to my original review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice since the plot is relatively the same.

Review

It’s amazing how much of a difference an extra 30 minutes can make in drastically changing the overall quality. Many of the subplots that felt dropped in the theatrical version are now fully expanded upon here and make sense. For instance, a new character named Kahina Ziri (Wunmi Mosaku) claims that Superman killed her fellow villagers at the beginning. However, it’s shown that she was threatened by Lex Luthor to tell a false story to incriminate Superman. Also, the dead villagers were actually killed by mercenaries hired by Luthor, who burned their bodies to cover their tracks. This further shows how Luthor was manipulating people to incriminate Superman and explains Lois’s part in this. Later, she visits Jenet Klyburn (Jena Malone), a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs who analyzes the bullet she found in Africa. Turns out the metal the bullet was made from was developed by Lexcorp.

In my original review, I talked about the man in the wheelchair and how his subplot went almost nowhere. Admittedly, he’s not given much more development, but we learn that the wheelchair Luthor gave him was lead-lined. This explains that Superman couldn’t see the bomb in the wheelchair since his X-Ray vision doesn’t work on lead. Another major addition is a small subplot where Clark Kent visits Gotham City to learn more about Batman. Though the scenes are brief, we see how many people are afraid of Batman and feel threatened by him. Not only does it give us a different perspective on Batman, but it explains why Superman sees him so negatively. While the film still has the same flaws, these and many other changes help make the film more complete. Overall, Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition isn’t perfect, but it’s the definitive way to watch the film.

Buy Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Lz17rP.

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 Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition (2016)

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Despite receiving mixed reviews, Man of Steel was a massive hit, grossing over $668 million on a $225 million budget. Following its release, Warner Bros announced that writer David Goyer and director Zack Snyder would reunite for a sequel. However, due to prior commitments, Goyer left the project and writer Chris Terrio was brought in for re-writes. Alongside the returning cast, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, and Jesse Eisenberg would play Batman, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luthor respectively. This casting drew criticism from many fans, many of them even protesting similar to Michael Keaton’s casting in Batman. Though originally slated for a 2015 release then delayed initially to May 2016, it finally released in March 2016. Coincidentally, May 2016 would see the release of Captain America: Civil War, which Warner Bros. wanted to avoid competing with. Finally, on March 25, 2016, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was released.

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Synopsis

During the climax of Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) witnesses the destruction of Metropolis firsthand. Operating in Gotham City as the vigilante Batman, Wayne sees Superman as a threat and tries to expose him. Meanwhile, eccentric entrepreneur Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) asks Senator June Finch (Holly Hunter) permission to investigate the wrecked Kryptonian ship. He explains that he wants to extract kryptonite to use as a deterrent against Superman, but Finch denies him. Wayne is trailing Luthor as he also seeks the kryptonite to use against Superman, and he manages to steal it. Following a Congressional hearing gone wrong, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) goes into exile, fearing he might be dangerous. Then, Luthor kidnaps Clark’s mother Martha (Diane Lane) to draw him out to confront Batman in a one-on-one fight. However, the two realize there’s something else going on and decide to team up, but they’ll need help.

Review

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a bloated mess marred by a convoluted plot and overuse of CGI. While much of the film doesn’t work, there are a few positives here, such as some of the performances. Though the characterization is off, Ben Affleck makes for a solid Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Jeremy Irons’ Alfred complements him. Gal Gadot, despite having limited screentime, is phenomenal as Wonder Woman, nailing the look and having some charisma. While his material mostly consists of moping about, Henry Cavill still shines as Superman, and he’s clearly trying. The fight between Batman and Superman, though brief, is fun to watch, inspired by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Once Wonder Woman enters the fray, the action-packed climax improves, even if it becomes CG caricatures smacking into one another. Unfortunately, you have to sit through plenty of weak material just to get there.

The rest of the acting is decent but forgettable, though Jesse Eisenberg is the worst offender in terms of acting. While Michael Shannon was over-the-top as Zod, he was at least intimidating and came across as a genuine threat. Eisenberg, on the other hand, comes across as more annoying than intimidating, almost channeling Jim Carrey’s Riddler from Batman Forever. On top of that, several subplots go nowhere or are ignored, creating numerous plotholes and making the story more complicated. For instance, there’s a subplot revolving around a man who lost his legs during Superman’s fight with Zod. Just as soon as he appears, he gets blown up during the Congressional hearing, only there to advance the plot. This, combined with the dreadful pacing and overall tone of the film, make for a pretty miserable experience. Overall, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a depressing slog to get through.

Buy Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oJKBDQ.

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 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

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Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, Superman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Debuting in Action Comics #1, Superman proved so popular, he was adapted into radio shows, animated shorts, and film serials. The first feature-length film adaptation of the character was Superman and the Mole Men in 1951 starring George Reeves. In 1978, Warner Bros produced the first big-budget superhero film, Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve in the title role. Three sequels followed, but the last two were such financial disappointments that the series was put on hold. While a reboot was being produced in the mid-90s, plans fell through until Superman Returns in 2006 starring Brandon Routh. Unfortunately, the film turned out to be a financial disappointment, so Warner Bros decided to completely reboot the franchise. So, in 2013, Man of Steel was released with Henry Cavill playing Superman.

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Synopsis

The planet of Krypton is about to explode, though Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is the only one who recognizes this. So, he and his wife Lara-El (Ayelet Zurer) put their infant son Kal-El in an escape pod bound for Earth. Kal-El grows up to be Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), being raised by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). Lois Lane (Amy Adams), a reporter for the Daily Planet, gets assigned to investigate an alien spacecraft in the arctic. Clark goes to find what turns out to be a Kryptonian ship, where he learns of his true nature. Meanwhile, General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his forces have escaped imprisonment and are searching for Krypton’s genetic codex. Turns out Clark was given the codex before being launched into space, so Zod sets his sights on Earth. Now knowing his true power, Clark must defeat Zod and save Earth from total annihilation.

Review

The best way I can describe Man of Steel is that it has good ideas but poor execution. There are some interesting concepts not seen in a Superman movie before, but much of it isn’t handled well. While most Superman origins offer a brief glimpse at Krypton, this one devotes the first 20 minutes to Krypton. This certainly offers a nice change of pace since it’s a side of Superman’s origin we haven’t seen before. The rest of his upbringing is told in flashbacks, which bring up some questionable moments that don’t make logical sense. Essentially, they bring up how Clark must hide his powers for fear of being exposed, but at other people’s expense. Also, during the big action-packed climax, Superman ends up doing as much if not more damage than the villains. Granted, this is his first outing as Superman, but Metropolis ends up destroyed by the end.

Performance-wise, everyone does a decent job, even if much of the material is a bit shaky, to say the least. Henry Cavill makes for a solid Superman, not only with his looks but also his charisma and emotional range. Michael Shannon, though not quite as good as Terrence Stamp, is wonderfully over-the-top as Zod while still being ruthless. Amy Adams is alright as Lois Lane, but she isn’t given much to do and lacks Margot Kidder’s spunkiness. Russell Crowe comes off a bit stiff and wooden, though this adds some dry humor to a few scenes. I’d say the film’s biggest problem is that it’s very dreary and joyless, not helped by the desaturated colors. Of course, not every superhero movie has to be light and fun, but Snyder’s direction probably wasn’t the best choice. Overall, Man of Steel isn’t terrible, but it’s a weak start to DC’s cinematic universe.

Buy Man of Steel from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3779dAf.

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 Man of Steel (2013)

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