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  • Jurassic Park (1993)

    Jurassic Park (1993)

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    In 1990, novelist Michael Crichton, known for writing books such as The Andromeda Strain, Congo, and Sphere, published the novel Jurassic Park. A cautionary tale about genetic engineering and almost a modern-day Frankenstein story, the book went on to become a major bestseller and is widely regarded as his best work. Following its success, it wasn’t too long before Hollywood decided to get their hands on it and adapt it to film. After a major bidding war amongst studios and directors like Tim Burton, Richard Donner, and Joe Dante being considered, it was picked up by Universal and Steven Spielberg was chosen to direct. Of course, Crichton was no stranger to films since he also wrote and directed films like Westworld, The Great Train Robbery, and Runaway, and this wasn’t the first time Spielberg made a movie based on a literary work, having also done Duel, Jaws, The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun, and Hook. Making a movie of this scale would prove to be quite a difficult challenge, but what came out of it was not only one of the best films of the 90s, but probably one of the most important and seminal films ever made.

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    Synopsis

    The film follows archaeologists Dr. Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill, and Dr. Ellie Sattler, played by Laura Dern, who are invited by billionaire John Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough, to visit a new theme park he has built on Isla Nublar, located off the coast of Costa Rica. While initially skeptical, Hammond promises to fund a significant portion of their research, so Grant and Sattler decide to join him. On their way to the island, they also meet Donald Gennaro, played by Martin Ferrero, a lawyer who has been brought in by the park’s investors to make sure the park is safe to open and insists on having experts brought in to validate the park’s safety. He also brings an expert, mathematician and chaos theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum. When they arrive at the park, they’re immediately amazed when they see a herd of brachiosauruses, Hammond exclaiming, “Welcome….to Jurassic Park!” We then learn how they’ve been able to breed dinosaurs by extracting the DNA of dinosaurs from mosquitoes that had been encased in amber overtime. To fill in the gaps of the dinosaur genome, they use frog DNA as its the closest match, and they’ve also bred all the dinosaurs to be female so they couldn’t reproduce. Malcolm, however, doesn’t think this would work since, as he puts it, “Life finds a way.” Meanwhile, Hammond’s system programmer Dennis Nedry, played by Wayne Knight, is conspiring to steal some dinosaur embryos to sell to a corporate rival and, as part of his scheme, shuts off the security system. Unfortunately, this leads to many of the dinosaurs being able to roam around freely and soon chaos ensues as many of them, most notably several velociraptors and a giant T-Rex, go on a rampage.

     

    Review

    To put it simply, this movie is a masterpiece of filmmaking. This is one of those rare lightning-in-a-bottle movies where something magical happens and a movie of such high quality is made that it almost can’t be replicated. Pretty much everything in the movie works. The acting is great, and the characters are both likable and memorable, from Neill’s Grant as a dinosaur expert, Dern’s Sattler acting like a dinosaur conservationist, and Goldblum who plays his role almost like a total rockstar. Attenborough is very believable as the enigmatic John Hammond, who you instantly love because he has a passion for bringing the dinosaurs back to life and giving people the chance to see them as if they were at the local zoo. There’s also his grandkids Lex and Tim, played by Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello respectively. Ordinarily, the kids would be the worst part of the movie and be extremely annoying, but these kids rise above that and are fun to watch, from Tim’s overexcitement at seeing these dinosaurs and especially meeting Alan Grant, to Lex’s computer wizardry and how she manages to take care of herself and her little brother. While Nedry and Gennaro are somewhat two-dimensional bad guys, they’re still memorable in their own ways, and it is satisfying to see them both get their comeuppance. The direction from Spielberg is on-point, as it normally is, and the script is very well-written, helped by the fact that it was co-written by Crichton himself. John Williams’ score, as is often the case, is amazing, and the theme has become just as iconic as the film itself.

    Then of course, there are the dinosaurs themselves, who are just as much the stars of the film as the actors are. Originally, they were going to use old fashioned stop-motion animation similar to Willis O’Brien or Ray Harryhausen, but when they realized that wouldn’t work, they decided to have the dinosaurs done digitally. While normally I prefer stop-motion, I have to admit that the CGI, especially for the time, is amazing to watch. Just the scene where we first see the brachiosauruses alone is a spectacle to behold. While the amazing ILM designed many of the great digital effects, credit also should be given to Stan Winston’s crew who did many of the practical dinosaurs in the movie. Whether it’s the triceratops the main characters find while on their tour who’s very ill, the brachiosauruses the characters find in the trees, or some of the close-ups of the T-Rex, the animatronic dinosaurs look amazing, and they perfectly compliment the CG dinosaurs. It’s no surprise then that the film went on to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects the following year. Honestly, I’d be stretching to find anything wrong with the film, but if I did have any, I guess some of the CG does look a bit dated, and the science also seems to be highly implausible, but really, I’m just picking at nits. This film is just phenomenal and is definite required viewing, not just for sci-fi fans or fans of Spielberg, but if you just love movies and love having a good time. As for the sequels, well….as Ian Malcolm would say, “That is one big pile of shit.”

     

    Buy Jurassic Park from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pcT81a.

    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 Jurassic Park (1993)

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  • The Incredibles 2 (2018)

    The Incredibles 2 (2018)

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    Following the massive success of The Incredibles and given its open ending, many people were excited about a possible sequel. However, Pixar decided to focus on other projects instead, many good, i.e. Ratatouille, Up, WALL-E, Toy Story 3, and Inside Out, and some not so good, i.e. the Cars movies, Monsters University, and The Good Dinosaur. In the meantime, there was a massive resurgence in superhero movies following the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When it was finally announced that a sequel was in the works, Brad Bird faced many challenges, such as making this film distinguishable from other superhero movies, as well as following up such a beloved movie. So, 14 years later, we finally have The Incredibles 2. Is it a worth successor to the first film, and was it worth the wait?

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    To put it simply, yes! This film is both a worthy successor to the original and is definitely worth the wait. Before going any further, just a fair warning: this review will contain spoilers for the first film. If you haven’t seen the first Incredibles, STOP READING THIS REVIEW and go watch the original. Then you can return and read this further.

     

    Synopsis

    Anyway, the film opens right where the first movie left off with the Parr’s fighting with The Underminer, once again voiced by John Ratzenberger. While being unable to capture him, the family manages to stop his giant drill from destroying City Hall. However, instead of being treated as heroes for saving the day, they’re arrested since this is still a world where superheroes are outlawed. Since their house was destroyed at the end of the first movie and the “Superhero Relocation” program has been shut down, the Parr’s have to live in a motel for two weeks. Hope seems lost until Bob (Mr. Incredible), Helen (Elastigirl), and Lucius (Frozone) are invited to meet with a multi-billionaire and head of DEVTECH Winston Deavor, voiced by Bob Odenkirk. Along with his sister, co-owner and designer Evelyn Deavor, voiced by Catherine Keener, Winston is a major fan of superheroes and wants to get the law against them turned over. They hire Elastigirl, since she’s the least destructive of the three, to be their ambassador and do her thing as a superhero while wearing a camera on her costume to show her super-heroics in action. In exchange, Winston has the Parr’s move into a brand new home, a huge mansion that Winston happens to own as a summer home. While Helen goes off to save the day, Bob offers to stay home and raise the kids. As the movie goes on, Helen has to fight off a new supervillain known as the Screenslaver, while Bob has to learn how to raise three kids on his own, especially when Jack Jack starts showing off his numerous powers.

     

    Review

    That’s all I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers. Suffice it to say that the movie has a few twists throughout that, while somewhat predictable, can throw people for a loop. To get into the positives, basically everything that worked in the first film is still here. For one, this has most of the returning cast from the first film, including Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible, Holly Hunter as Elastigirl, Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone, Sarah Vowell as Violet, and Brad Bird as Edna. While they did replace some of the actors, including replacing Spencer Fox with Huck Milner for Dash and replacing Bud Luckey with Jonathan Banks as Rick Dicker, unless you’re really looking for it, it’s practically night and day. Also returning from the first film is composer Michael Giacchino, whose score retains that 60s spy caper feel from the first film. The original actors definitely fit into their roles almost as if this sequel came out just two years after the first film, and the new actors are a welcome addition. It is also refreshing to see Elastigirl getting the spotlight since the first film was primarily Mr. Incredible’s story. There’s also some great slapstick involving Jack Jack as the family tries to deal with the numerous powers he has. Like the first one, this movie does explore a lot of similar themes, such as the struggles a family can go through, how difficult it can be to balance family life with work life in a way, and the struggle single parents especially go through in raising kids on their own.

    Now while I do enjoy this film as whole, there are a few issues I had with the film. The film does play like a bit of reversal of the first film, just replace Mr. Incredible with Elastigirl, to the point where much of the film feels like an animated version of Mr. Mom. That being said, it is still fun seeing Bob struggle with helping Dash with his homework, getting on Violet’s good graces after a date gone bad, and again dealing with Jack Jack’s new powers. Also, there’s a point in the movie where the kids are the main heroes and, while they’re not necessarily bad or annoying, it is a shame to not see Mr. Incredible or Elastigirl doing any heroics, even if it’s for a short while. Lastly, this might be a personal thing, but part of me feels like this movie was more so made for audiences who grew up with the first film rather than being for both them and today’s kids. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that, but I think it would’ve been better if there were more of a balance.

    Problems aside, I am still glad this movie was made in the first place. While it certainly would have been alright if the first one was just a standalone film, it’s great that we at least have some kind of follow-up where we get to see the family in action one again. In summation, The Incredibles 2 is a worthwhile sequel that still has the fun and spirit of the first film, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the original.

     

    Buy The Incredibles 2 from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Xdxr5m.

    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 The Incredibles 2 (2018)

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  • The Incredibles (2004)

    The Incredibles (2004)

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    After the box office failure of his feature film debut, 1999’s The Iron Giant, writer/director Brad Bird was in a tough situation. On a budget of $70 million, the movie only made roughly about $23 million in the US, despite receiving tons of critical acclaim. Not able to find work after the film’s failure, Bird turned to his friend John Lasseter from Pixar with an idea he had been working on since the early 90s: a family of superheroes living amongst us in a world where superheroes were outlawed and how having superpowers can affect one’s life. Inspired by comics and spy capers of the 60s, Bird worked with Pixar to bring his vision to life, which turned out to be a major challenge for the studio. Despite the challenges presented for a film of this size and scale, The Incredibles would end up being the major success that Brad Bird needed.

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    Synopsis

    The film opens with interviews with three of the main protagonists: Mr. Incredible, voiced by Craig T. Nelson, Elastigirl, voiced by Holly Hunter, and Frozone, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. They each share their feelings on how things are for superheroes: Mr. Incredible complaining about things going bad right after saving the day and wanting to settle down at some point, Frozone talking about not wanting to know another superhero’s secret identity if he got romantically involved, and Elastigirl wanting to keep fighting the good fight instead of leaving it to the men. We’re then treated to a sequence showcasing Mr. Incredible’s superhero prowess, where he stops bank robbers, saves a suicide jumper, and stops a monorail from crashing after part of the bridge is blown up, which leads up to him getting married to Elastigirl. Things seem to be going well….that is until the government decides to outlaw superheroes due to the numerous lawsuits brought against them. Cut to 15 years later, where Mr. Incredible, aka Bob Parr, is working a dead-end job at an insurance company, and Elastigirl, aka Helen Parr, is a stay-at-home mom raising their three kids, Violet, Dash, and Jack Jack. They go through all the normal family drama, but with the addition of them all having superpowers. Meanwhile, Bob, along with his reluctant friend Lucius (Frozone), go out to relive the “glory days” as vigilantes. Unfortunately for Bob, things go south when he gets fired after throwing his boss through several concrete walls when he unintentionally stops Bob from saving a guy getting mugged. Suddenly, an opportunity arises for Bob to become a superhero again when he’s asked by a mysterious woman named Mirage, voiced by Elizabeth Peña, to go to a far off island to find and detain an experimental robot. He manages to defeat the robot, and this starts a montage of Mr. Incredible getting back in shape all while keeping the illusion of going to work. He gets a new suit made by fashion designer Edna Mode, voiced by Brad Bird, and goes back to the island to face a new version of the same robot, only to be caught by the villainous Syndrome, voiced by Jason Lee, a former fan of Mr. Incredible’s. Once Helen finds out about what Bob’s been up to, she gets suits for herself and the kids from Edna and intends to go to the island to save Bob alone, only to have Violet and Dash stowaway while leaving Jack Jack with a babysitter. This leads to the family joining up to stop Syndrome from his plan of ultimately making being “super” meaningless.

     

    Review

    Anyone who knows me will tell you that I hold a very special place in my heart for Pixar. One of the very first films I ever saw in the theater was 1995’s Toy Story, which captured my imagination as well as the imagination of so many others. I followed many of their other films, including A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, and Finding Nemo when The Incredibles came along and blew my mind. As a teenager, I thought it was a ton of fun watching this superhero family fight bad guys alongside one other, taking on the giant robot, and just being awesome. Now as an adult, I see a lot of themes present in the film. These include what it means to be super, wanting to relive your past as you get older, how your perception of things can change in an instant, and how we always want to do the right thing despite the odds against us. The Parrs, as family, are instantly relatable despite having superpowers and all. Dads can relate to having to work a dead-end job that you hate just to support your family, kids can relate to the problems that Violet and Dash go through, and moms can relate to how Helen tries to maintain control of the family when things get out of hand. Syndrome, as a villain, is also somewhat relatable, in that many of us have idolized some sort of larger than life figure, only to be disappointed when they’re not the sort of person we thought they were.

    This is a very personal film that touches on a lot of meaningful topics, but that doesn’t take away from the fun of the movie. While it does take place in modern times, it has a very 50s-60s feel about it, from the design of the environment (cars, houses, offices, etc) to the score by Michael Giacchino, which perfectly captures the feel of a 60s spy caper. In a way, the movie almost feels like a Mission: Impossible movie, which is interesting considering how Brad Bird would go on to helm 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. The Incredibles is yet another wonderful entry in Pixar’s library. I’m sure that many of you reading this review have already seen it, at least more than once, but for those of you who never got around to it or haven’t seen it in quite some time, this is definitely one worth watching.

     

    Buy The Incredibles from Amazon: https://amzn.to/47LrTVG.

    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 The Incredibles (2004)

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  • Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

    Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

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    In 1963, French novelist Pierre Boulle, known for writing the novel that would eventually turn into the 1957 film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, published La Planète des singes, which would become the basis for the 1968 film Planet of the Apes. Starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, and Linda Harrison, written by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, the film became a massive success. The film spawned four sequels, a TV series, an animated series, and was remade by Tim Burton in 2001 to less-than-stellar results. After the disappointment of the remake, the franchise was put on hibernation until 2005, when screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver started working on a concept for a new film in the series, which would eventually become 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

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    Synopsis

    Set in modern times, the film follows scientist Will Rodman, played by James Franco, who has been working on a cure for Alzheimer’s, partially inspired by the need to cure his father, played by John Lithgow. As is the case with most science labs, they have been testing the drug on chimps, and while giving a presentation to the board of directors, one of the chimps goes crazy and starts rampaging through the office until being shot by security. Considering the project a failure, Rodman’s boss Steven Jacobs, played by David Oyelowo, has the chimps killed and the project shut down. However, a baby chimp that belonged to the one who was killed is saved by Rodman’s assistant, and Rodman reluctantly takes the chimp home to take care of it. Naming the chimp Caesar, Rodman discovers that the ape has heightened intelligence that he inherited from his mother, and he decides to do further research on Caesar while also continuing to find a cure for his father. As time goes on and Caesar grows up, he starts to question things and, after an incident involving a neighbor, is taken by animal control to an ape shelter where the apes are being tortured by the staff, including a young man named Dodge Landon, played by Tom Felton. While Caesar gains dominance over the other apes and starts thinking of a plan to escape, Jacobs is persuaded by Rodman to relaunch the program when Rodman explains that the drug works and can increase intelligence. Purely driven by profit, Jacobs has a stronger form of the drug made and has it tested on apes, particularly a scarred baboon named Koba. However, one of the lab assistants gets exposed to the drug and starts showing symptoms. Eventually, Caesar manages to overpower the shelter staff and leads the apes to escape from captivity and make their way to the San Francisco Redwoods.

     

    Review

    When it was first announced that they were rebooting the franchise, I, and I’m sure many others, were very skeptical about how it would turn out. It didn’t help that pretty much all of the apes in the film would be CGI as opposed to being done with practical effects like the other films. However, once people saw the film, they overlooked the effects and saw the film for what it truly is: a well-written, well-acted, and thought-provokingly worthy successor to the original franchise. For me, what really makes the film work are the apes themselves, particularly Caesar. Portrayed via motion capture by Andy Serkis, Caesar transcends his CG nature and become a fully-formed three-dimensional character who you actually care about and want to see survive. Same goes for a lot of the other apes, many of whom have distinct personalities that will be further developed later on. The human cast, for the most part, is also on-point, with the stand-outs being Franco, Lithgow, Oyelowo, and Brian Cox as the head of the primate shelter. The film is full of homages to the previous films as well, such as the drug ALZ-112 being named after the runtime of the original film, the main ape being named Caesar after the character from Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, this film having more-or-less the same plot as that film, and an orangutan that Caesar befriends being named Maurice after the actor who portrayed Dr. Zaius in the original.

    However, the movie is not without its problems. For one, while there are human cast members that do a pretty good job, there are others who kind of fall flat. For instance, Franco gets a love interest, played by Frieda Pinto, who really serves no other purpose other than to be arm candy for Franco. Also, Felton is such an unlikeable character who has no other motivation other than to just torture animals. On top of that, he has probably the worst line-read/homage to the original film in the movie. I won’t say what it is, but let’s just say his line-read would make Heston roll in his grave. I will say that while the CG does look pretty good, there are a few moments where it does look spotty. Even with that said, I still think this movie largely succeeds in creating a prequel to the original films that also serves as its standalone film. For those who’ve seen the original films, it’s a worthy successor to those films and pays homage to them largely out of respect. For newcomers, it’s a great modern-day story of what happens when man tries to control nature and explore things they were never meant to explore.

    And so with the Rise comes the Dawn…

     

    Buy Rise of the Planet of the Apes from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WyxOIB.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

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  • Hotel Artemis (2018)

    Hotel Artemis (2018)

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    During the summer blockbuster season, one can be pretty easily overwhelmed with all the sequels, reboots, prequels, etc. that we’re constantly bombarded with. While it’s fun and enjoyable to check out the latest big-budgeted superhero movies and space adventures, it can also be a breath of fresh air to see something that seems to come out of nowhere and is pretty original. Luckily, we have director Drew Pearce to thank for bringing us Hotel Artemis, which is being touted as a bold and original action film. While it certainly owes a lot to the works of John Carpenter and even has hints of modern movies such as the John Wick and Purge movies, Hotel Artemis has enough to stand on its own.

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    Synopsis

    Set in Los Angeles in the not-too-distant future of 2028, the film initially centers around a pair of brothers, played by Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry, who, after a botched bank robbery where one of them is shot by police, make their way to the titular Hotel Artemis. Run by a woman only known as The Nurse, played by Jodie Foster, the hotel is a hospital that treats criminals and allows them to stay until they make a full recovery. While The Nurse is the primary physician, she is assisted by her aide, the ginormous Everest, played by Dave Bautista. Also staying in the hotel is a beautiful but deadly assassin, played by Sofia Boutella, and a wormy and eccentric weapons dealer, played by Charlie Day. While all of this is going on, there are riots in the streets that threaten to break into the hotel in addition to causing general chaos in the streets. In the midst of all this, a cop, played by Jenny Slate, is picked up by The Nurse and Everest, and she claims to have known The Nurse in a previous life. Things really take a turn when a crime boss known as the Wolf King, played by Jeff Goldblum, comes in after being shot looking for help. Given he practically owns the city, he’s treated like royalty.

     

    Review

    In a word, this movie is fantastic! I mentioned before that this movie owes quite a bit to John Carpenter. Honestly, if you added Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken character from Escape from New York in here, this would have made for a much better Escape from LA. The movie also has elements of Assault on Precinct 13, with the main characters being holed up in a secluded area while outside forces try to break in. What makes this film stand out is the cast, all of whom play their roles phenomenally. First off is Jodie Foster, who delivers a solid performance as the caretaker of the hotel, who has a whole arc about how she’s afraid of going outside the hotel and even getting some hints about her past and how it relates to the cop and the Wolf King. In addition, Sterling K. Brown is great as the brains to Tyree Henry’s brawn, who’s trying to maintain control of the situation as things go south. Bautista, as always, is a ton of fun to watch, between his back-and-fourths with Jodie Foster and his many fight sequences throughout. Boutella, on top of looking gorgeous, is also intimidating as an assassin with her own motives and a possible past relationship with Brown. Day, while he does have his shouting and manic moments that he usually does, also has a very sleazy and wormy quality about him. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were a serial rapist. Goldblum, while having his moments, is definitely a force to be reckoned with, as he can be scary, intimidating, and very threatening.

    As the film goes on, and you become so attached to these characters, you really worry about who’s going to die and who’s going to make it out alive. Now, I’m not gonna reveal anything as I don’t want to spoil the film for anyone, but suffice it to say, there’s a few twists that will get you. Granted, at times, the movie is somewhat predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. For a first-time director, Drew Pearce definitely shows some potential, and I am excited about whatever he’s got to offer next. The music is great too, mixing in a heart-pounding synth score with some fun 60s and 70s pop music via an mp3 player that Foster has with her. This is a film I cannot possibly recommend enough. If you’re looking for a fun action movie to watch that isn’t a superhero or franchise film, this is one to check out!

     

    Buy Hotel Artemis from Amazon: https://amzn.to/48ewHlk.

    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 Hotel Artemis (2018)

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  • The Crow (1994)

    The Crow (1994)

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    In the early 80s, following the death of his fiancee at the hands of a drunk driver, comic book writer and artist James O’Barr decided to channel his sadness and frustration into a comic book, which would eventually become The Crow. A tale of loss, loneliness, and revenge, the book was published in 1989 by Caliber Comics. The book went on to become an underground success, going on to be the best selling independent black-and-white comic of all time and even winning the Storyteller Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. Naturally with this kind of success and popularity, it wasn’t long before Hollywood wanted to adapt the book into a feature film. At the time, comic book movies were going through somewhat of a resurgence, especially after the massive success of 1989’s Batman and 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So, in 1994, Miramax Films released a film version directed by Alex Proyas, written by David J. Schow and John Shirley based on O’Barr’s work, and starring Brandon Lee, son of famous martial artist Bruce Lee, as the titular anti-hero, The Crow.

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”Rating” number=”90″ bar_bg_color=”#7cda24″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_circle_counter][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

    Synopsis

    Set in the crime-ridden streets of Detroit, the story centers around Eric Draven, played by Lee, who on October 30, otherwise known as Mischief Night, is shot several times before being thrown out of a window by some thugs after they break into his apartment and proceed to beat and rape Eric’s bride-to-be Shelly Webster, played by Sofia Shinas. One year after the incident, Draven is somehow brought back to life by a crow, and he vows to track down and eliminate the thugs responsible for both his death and the rape/death of Shelly. In the midst of this, there’s a burnt cop named Albrecht, played by Ernie Hudson, who was investigating the incident shortly after it happened, and is now on Eric’s trail as he goes around killing the gang members who wronged him. There’s also Sarah, played by Rochelle Davis, who was a friend of Eric and Shelly, has a mother who’s addicted to heroin, and eventually gets caught in the middle of the action as she’s soon targeted by the head crime boss in Detroit known as Top Dollar, played by Michael Wincott, who wants to use her to get to Eric when he starts ruining things for him.

     

    Review

    With this being a review of The Crow, I know there’s something I need to discuss concerning its lead, but I’ll save that later. For now, I just want to talk about why I absolutely love this movie before I get into that. First off, the movie looks great. Its got a very dark, gloomy, and gothic look to it, especially with how it’s almost constantly raining. There’s an overall sense of doom and gloom about the movie, but there’s also a glimmer of hope as well, with Eric being driven not only by revenge but also by bringing justice to others who have been wronged by the gangs of Detroit. Proyas directs this film in a way that it feels like it’s straight from the comics, almost like they used the panels of the comic as a reference for the look of this film. The cast is also fantastic, with some standout performances throughout. Ernie Hudson as usual shines with his very likable and charismatic presence, Michael Wincott is great as the ruthless Top Dollar, almost playing him as a character who’s driven not by greed or power but simply by wanting to cause chaos and anarchy, and Rochelle Davis as Sarah, the only other thing Eric cares about and who serves as the light that keeps Eric going in spite of everything around him. There’s also some great supporting players in here as well, including David Patrick Kelly as T-Bird, the leader of the gang members that initially attack Eric and Shelly, Bai Ling as Myca, Top Dollar’s main woman who is instrumental in finding Eric’s weakness and trying to cut off his ties to the crow, and Tony Todd as Grange, Top Dollar’s righthand man who’s just as sadistic and calculated as he is. And of course, there’s the star, Brandon Lee. Before I get into it, let me just say that Lee’s performance is so good in this that it’s tragic. He plays Eric both sad and sympathetic, but also as a total badass and almost reveling in dispatching the gang members and anyone who gets in his way. If he were able to go on after this movie, Brandon Lee would’ve been a force to be reckoned with.

    Now, here’s where I have to get to the elephant in the room. While filming a scene involving a prop gun, something went wrong and Brandon Lee was tragically killed on set. There’s a lot of details about what led to this, but let’s just say that it was a matter of the prop department having to make due with what they had given their time constraints and some people not knowing how to properly handle prop weapons on and off set. Sadly, much like his father, Brandon Lee’s most famous film ended up being his last film. While there were talks off possibly just stopping the film, the cast and crew pressed on. Since Lee had shot most of his big scenes, they only needed to do some pick-up shots. So, they achieved this by having his double stand in for him and then digitally superimposing Lee’s face on the double. Unfortunately because of his death, there were many scenes that were supposed to happen but were never filmed cause of Lee’s death. After the movie was released, there was a major overhaul in handling prop weapons so that something like this could never happen again.

    That all being said, this is still a fantastic movie that’s still as good today as it was back in 1994. With a great final performance by Brandon Lee, excellent action sequences, a gripping and tragic story about loss and revenge, and some great supporting characters, The Crow is one of the better comic book movies to come out of the mid-90s. It’s just too bad what happened to its sequel, The Crow: City of Angels, but that’s for another time.

     

    Buy The Crow from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oPOtm6.

    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 The Crow (1994)

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  • Deadpool 2 (2018)

    Deadpool 2 (2018)

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    After the massive success of the first Deadpool, it was only natural that there would be a sequel. This time around, David Leitch of John Wick and Atomic Blonde fame is brought in instead of Tim Miller directing—most of the original cast returns and some new additions. The same writers are also brought in, besides Reynolds being a co-writer. With this being a sequel to a hugely successful and well-loved superhero romp like Deadpool, the filmmakers had to step up their game to make a sequel that could stack up with the original. There was a ton of hype surrounding this film, between the teaser trailers, the announcement of Josh Brolin as Cable, and even a tiny teaser shown in front of Logan. However, some less-than-desirable things happened behind the scenes, including Miller, Gina Carano, and composer Junkie XL leaving, as well as stuntwoman Joi Harris unfortunately dying performing a motorcycle stunt. Of course, there’s no way it could be better than the first, as is often the case with sequels, but could this movie match the quality of the first one? In a word……YES, they certainly did!

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    Synopsis

    Following the events of the first film, our friendly neighborhood merc with a mouth (Ryan Reynolds) is still working as a mercenary, going after crime bosses, sex traffickers, and drug dealers in the way that only he could. Things seem to be going well for him and his love, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) until a thug that Wade lets get away comes back with his goons to take out DP and inadvertently kill Vanessa. Grief-stricken, Wade decides to kill himself via massive explosion, but given his mutant healing ability, he can’t die. So, Colossus (Andre Tricoteux and Stefan Kapicic) takes him back to the X-Manor to get him to join the X-Men and hopefully help him get back on his feet. While there, he reunites with Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and meets her new girlfriend Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna). DP, Colossus, and NTW then go to the Essex Orphanage after seeing a news report about a young boy named Rusty Collins (Julian Dennison), who has mutant powers and is in a stand-off with the police. DP manages to talk the kid down, but once Rusty tells him about how the staff at the orphanage mistreated and even tortured him, Pool starts shooting at the staff, only to get thrown in prison with Rusty. At the same time, a time-traveling cyborg from the future named Cable (Josh Brolin) travels to our time to eliminate Rusty for his reasons. Through a series of events, Wade manages to escape prison and, not wanting to leave the kid to his fate, decides to put together a team to rescue Rusty before Cable kills him.

     

    Review

    Much like the first film, Reynolds is the main driving force behind this film. Once again, he still delivers the same quips and referential humor as effectively as ever, but what makes things different here is that he’s developed more as a character. There are times when the movie gets pretty dark and severe, and Reynolds shows that he can not only be funny but also show some tears and get dramatic in some scenes. While Bacarrin doesn’t have much screen time in the film, she does pop up here and there from the beyond to help Wade figure out what he needs to do to be with her again. Likewise, Colossus and NTW, while still fun characters, don’t have much to do until the third act. Once they are, they both shine, especially Colossus in his major fight scene. Here, many newcomers are given a bit more of the spotlight, especially Dennison, Brolin, and Zazie Beetz as Domino, a fellow mercenary whose superpower is that she’s lucky. All three of them fit into their roles excellently: Dennison being equal parts funny, tragic, frightening, and sympathetic at times, Brolin playing Cable with such a scowl and dryness that he’s almost like a cyborg version of a character from a Clint Eastwood Western, and Beetz who has a lot of fun bouncing off the other characters and constantly showing DP how luck is absolutely a superpower. As I somewhat hinted at before, what makes this one incredibly different is how, for all the action sequences and crude/referential humor throughout, some emotional character-driven scenes get very dramatic and, luckily, aren’t interrupted by a joke. This movie does a great job of balancing tone where many others fail. Despite this, the film still has plenty of great action sequences, especially around the middle of the second act when Deadpool and his team, known as the X-Force, have to board a moving prison transport that Rusty is in. Given this comes from the same people who made John Wick and Atomic Blonde, the action sequences are well-filmed and have an authentic and gritty feel.

    Of course, not every movie is perfect, and as much fun as this is, Deadpool 2 is not without its flaws. For instance, as I alluded to before, aside from Reynolds, many of the returning cast don’t have much to do. That’s not to say that they’re reduced to being nothing more than cameos, but don’t expect a ton of back-and-forths between DP and Blind Al, as with the first one. Also, I never thought I would say this about a Deadpool movie, but at times, Deadpool can be kind of annoying. Granted, most of the time, he’s still as humorous and fun as he was before, but there are moments when I almost want him to stop. If anything, there were times when I was more on board with Cable since he was such a badass, and Brolin played him so well. Even so, those moments are few and far between. And while I would typically complain about some of the cliches and extreme coincidences in the film, it’s still bright enough to recognize these as such and even poke fun at them. So, all in all, is it better than the first one? No. Is it still an entertaining and all-around good time? Absolutely. Will this be as memorable and quotable as the first one? Maybe, but probably not as much. Should you still give it a chance? Well, if you liked the first one, then absolutely do it. Also, be sure to stick around through the credits cause there’s a mid-credits scene that is one of the best gags in the entire movie.

    Once again, suck on it, Wolverine!

     

    Buy Deadpool 2 from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4d0Mw09.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Deadpool 2 (2018)

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  • Deadpool (2016)

    Deadpool (2016)

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    Created in 1991 by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld in The New Mutants #98, Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, has remained one of the most popular comic book characters of the last few decades. Also known as The Merc with a Mouth, DP unfortunately took a long time to eventually make his leap to the big screen. After a failed deal with Artisan Entertainment in the early 2000s, Fox, who had found massive success with their X-Men franchise, decided to take a crack at it, starting with having the character appear in the 2009 spinoff X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Sadly, the results were less than stellar. Even though they cast Ryan Reynolds, who was a perfect fit for the character, they drastically changed the character to where he no longer was Deadpool. Between sewing his mouth shut, giving him so many powers that it’s absurd, and essentially making him look like a knock-off of Baraka from Mortal Kombat, fans of the character were none too happy. Despite that and numerous other problems, the film was a hit, so Fox decided to move ahead with a new Deadpool movie. Unfortunately, between 2011’s Green Lantern and 2013’s RIPD, faith was lost in the star power of Ryan Reynolds and plans for a Deadpool movie were put on hold. Then, in 2014, test footage was leaked online that was to show Fox what a possible Deadpool movie with Reynolds would be like, and it instantly became a viral hit. With the unexpected reception of the test footage, Fox decided to give the movie a greenlight, with Reynolds starring, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick writing, and Tim Miller directing. So, with all the production issues, how did the movie turn out? Probably WAY better than anyone would’ve ever expected.

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”Rating” number=”90″ bar_bg_color=”#7cda24″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_circle_counter][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

    Synopsis

    The plot revolves around Wade Wilson (Reynolds), a mercenary who goes after all kinds of scum and dirtbags, even though he is not a good guy. One night, he meets a prostitute named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), and the two instantly hit it off. They fall in love, have an entire montage where they have sex-themed around various holidays (including International Women’s Day), and Wade even proposes to her. Things seem to be going well until Wade collapses to the floor and finds out he’s been diagnosed with terminal cancer. With all hope seeming lost, Wilson gets an offer from a shady man in a business suit promising a cure for his cancer and a chance at becoming a superhero. Unfortunately, Wade has few options, so he leaves Vanessa and goes to what he thinks will be his salvation. However, things aren’t what he thought they were, as he’s taken to a facility run by Ajax (Ed Skrein), who instantly hates Wade and finds his sense of humor annoying. Wade’s given an injection that will awaken any dormant mutant genes in his system, but it only works after he’s undergone a massive amount of stress. This leads to a montage where Wade is subjected to all kinds of horrible torture, but even with these awful conditions, Wade still has his sense of humor and constantly gets on Ajax’s nerves, especially when Wade learns that his real name is Francis. This pushes Ajax/Francis to put Wade in a deprivation tank that cuts off oxygen to the point where the victim is on the urge to suffocate. While this does awaken Wade’s mutant gene, a healing factor that cures his cancer and makes him near invincible, he is left scarred. If that weren’t bad enough, he finds out that he’s going to be sold off to the highest bidder as a super-powered slave. Wade manages to escape after burning down the facility, but Francis gets away after telling him that he can cure Wade’s disfigurement. After trying to reconnect with Vanessa but fearing how she would react to seeing him, he confides in his friend Weasel (TJ Miller), and the two create Wade’s alter-ego, Deadpool. DP then sets out to get revenge on Francis, get him to cure his scarring, and get Vanessa back.

     

    Review

    What largely makes this movie work is Ryan Reynolds’ performance as Deadpool. His comedic timing is on-point, and he exudes charisma and charm. He also has great chemistry with Baccarin to the point where you buy them as a loving couple, and you get why he’s so determined to get her back. Ed Skrein also shines as Ajax/Francis, playing such a loathsome villain that you love to hate him, and you’re just waiting for him to get his comeuppance. Along the way, DP runs into two of the X-Men, the gigantic Colossus, played by Andre Tricoteux and voiced by Stefan Kapicic, and the new recruit Negasonic Teenage Warhead, played by Brianna Hildebrand. The two of them make a great pair, Colossus being the moral center and an even bigger boy scout than Superman, and NTW acting as a snarky and cynical teenager who rolls her eyes at Deadpool’s jokes and constantly mocks him. Also in the mix is Blind Al, played by Leslie Uggams, who is a lot of fun as a bitter, old black lady who more-or-less acts as Wade’s caretaker and throws insults back and forth with DP. Tim Miller’s direction is well done as he stages these huge action sequences, and the camera pulls back enough for you to see what’s happening. He does a good job balancing the action, comedy, and drama. The writing is also on-point, with tons of great referential humor, especially all the numerous digs at X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and crude, intelligently written humor, as contradictory as that sounds. The movie is just a blast from beginning to end, with tons of great action sequences and gags that you’ll be quoting for a while.

    If I have any issues with the film, the plot isn’t necessarily bad, but it is somewhat cliche and simple. Granted, the simplicity does work for the movie it is, but there isn’t anything to write home about with the plot. Also, some of the CGI sticks out pretty badly, especially in scenes where you can tell that it’s not Reynolds on-screen. Even still, the work on Colossus does look impressive, to where you buy him as a fully three-dimensional character. In addition, while most of the humor is on point, some of it doesn’t quite land, but those jokes are few and far between. At the end of the day, Deadpool is still an insanely entertaining movie. It’s violent and crude, pokes fun at many modern-day superhero movie tropes, and reminds people that a superhero/comic book movie can be R-rated. We’ve had plenty of those in the past, such as Blade and Watchmen, but in this day and age where PG-13 movies are the norm, Deadpool was a breath of fresh air. Especially with the sequel coming out around the time this review was written, now is a great time to revisit this movie.

    Suck on it, Wolverine!

     

    Buy Deadpool from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LjPz7H.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Deadpool (2016)

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  • Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

    Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

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    Today, when people think of clowns, they usually picture scary clowns like the clown doll from Poltergeist, the sadistic Captain Spaulding from House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, or the villainous Pennywise from Stephen King’s IT, either played by Tim Curry or Bill Skarsgård. But back in the 80s, with the exception of the doll as mentioned before, clowns weren’t really seen as the stuff of nightmares in popular culture. They were just seen as they were traditionally were, as buffoons who often get hit with a pie in the face or trip over themselves for our amusement. That is, until 1988, when the Chiodo Brothers, special effects artists known for their work on films like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Critters, and later Team America: World Police, gave us a new terrifying vision of clowns with their magnum opus, Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

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    Synopsis

    The film begins like many sci-fi B-movies of the 50s, with young people camped out in their cars for a good time, when suddenly an apparent shooting star falls near them. As per tradition, a bumbling old man and his mangy dog follow where the star fell, only to find a giant circus tent. Too bad for them that this is no ordinary tent, for it’s actually a spacecraft that the titular killer klowns use as transportation from wherever far-off planet they come from. Soon, Mike Tobacco, played by Grant Cramer, and his girlfriend Debbie Stone, played by Suzanne Snyder, decide to check out the tent, only to find that the aliens have been harvesting people in giant cotton candy cocoons. They try reporting it to the authorities, including Dave Hansen, played by John Allen Nelson, and the curmudgeonly bitter Curtis Mooney, played by the scene-stealing late great John Vernon, but of course, they don’t believe them. It isn’t too long before the klowns strike and cause havoc throughout the town, using a variety of weapons including popcorn guns, pies filled with acid, and ray guns that encase people in cotton candy cocoons.

     

    Review

    I’m just going to come right out and say that this movie is an absolute blast! This movie is so much fun to watch and I feel that this is the kind of movie that you simply can’t watch without a smile on your face, unless you’re deathly afraid of clowns that is. While not exactly a straight-up parody or spoof, the movie definitely feels like the Chiodo Brothers are paying homage to the old sci-fi creature features of the 50s and 60s, movies like The Blob, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Invaders from Mars, and Forbidden Planet. The movie hits a lot of the same beats as those movies, from the authorities not believing the youngsters and thinking they’re just a bunch of delinquents, to the klowns’ ship crashing to Earth like a meteorite. It’s also interesting to note that the movie was originally just called Killer Klowns before the Chiodos decided to add from Outer Space to clue the audience in on the humor. While the klowns obviously steal the show, I would be remiss to not talk about the main human characters. Grant Cramer, while mostly playing it straight, intentionally overemphasizes his lines to make them sound more dramatic, but not too much to where it feels like they’re beating you over the head with it. Suzanne Snyder does ham it up a bit, but not to the extent that Cramer does, though she is still very likable and fun. John Allen Nelson is more of the straight man in this, but he does have his moments where he shines. Aside from the klowns, John Vernon dominates the few scenes he has in the movie, and you can tell that he’s having a blast in the movie. Then there’s the Terenzi brothers, played by Michael Siegel and Peter Licassi, who are the main comic reliefs in the film, and at times they can be kind of annoying, but it is still fun seeing them bicker with one another and trying to pick up chicks.

    To go into the more technical aspects, the special effects, even thirty years later, still hold up. This is a classic example of why practical effects will always be better than modern CGI. You’ve got guys in costumes, fully-articulated heads, puppets, some stop-motion animation, and some great make-up effects as well. It is just brimming with style and creativity, and you can really see the Chiodo Brothers’ talent on display. Also worth mentioning is the instantly catchy theme song by the punk rock group, The Dickies. It is the perfect song to get you in the mood for some killer klowns shenanigans, and it will stick with you even after the movie is over. All in all, this is a really fun and inventive horror-comedy that takes something harmless and fun, and completely turns it on its head. Now, here’s hoping the Chiodos make that sequel that we’ve been asking for. After all, if we could be subjected to three Big Momma’s House movies, then I think we’re due for a Killer Klowns from Outer Space 2.

     

    Buy Killer Klowns from Outer Space from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MhA5Ve.

    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 Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

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  • Blazing Saddles (1974)

    Blazing Saddles (1974)

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    Throughout history, there have always been racial issues and conflicts, with people often being discriminated against and generally being treated as less than human simply based on the color of their skin. Probably one of the most significant of these is the plight of African Americans, which still continues to this day. From being abducted as slaves through much of the 1500s – 1800s, to being depicted as racist caricatures by the likes of Jim Crow and the Warner Bros. Censored Eleven, as well as being segregated and subjected to all sorts of brutality. The Civil Rights movement made strides to ensure racial equality for African Americans, thanks to leaders like Dorothy Height, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Ruby Dee, Thurgood Marshall, and, most famously, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through their determination and sacrifice, these and many other people were able to create new laws that allowed African Americans to vote, get equal employment opportunities, own property, and generally be free of unlawful discrimination.

    Now what the hell does this have to do with a silly comedy poking fun at Westerns?

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    Well, dear reader, it turns out that these historical events do have a part to play in Mel Brooks’ 1974 Western spoof, Blazing Saddles. Released in 1974, just six years after the end of the Civil Rights Movement, the movie not only pokes fun at the tropes and conventions of the Western genre, which was very popular in the 50s and 60s, but it also pokes fun at many racial stereotypes and generally makes fun of racists. While one might scratch their heads at a white guy making a pro-African American movie that depicts racists as bumbling idiots, keep in mind that Brooks is Jewish, and Jews know a thing or two about discrimination and being treated less than equal. So, aside from someone like Gordon Parks, Sidney Poitier, or Ivan Dixon, Mel Brooks might be one of the most ideal people to helm this silly little comedy that’s since gone on to be considered one of the greatest comedies of all-time.

     

    Synopsis

    The story revolves around a small town known as Rock Ridge, where life is peaceful for its citizens, businesses are booming, and things couldn’t be better. That is, until a corrupt politician named Hedey….I mean HEDLEY Lamarr, played by Harven Korman, wants to destroy the town in order to make way for a new railroad being built. After enlisting the outlaw Taggart, played by Slim Pickens, and his men to ransack the town, killing the sheriff, the citizens beg for the governor to send them a new sheriff. To use this to his advantage, Lamarr constructs a plan: find someone to be the replacement sheriff that would be so hated by the citizens that they will want to leave town, no questions asked. So, he appoints former slave now railroad worker Bart, played by Cleavon Little, to be the new sheriff, where he’s instantly greeted by the citizens of Rock Ridge with contempt and mistrust. However, with the help of an alcoholic and possibly homosexual former gunslinger known as the Waco Kid, played by Gene Wilder, Bart manages to win the town’s trust and helps them fend of the bandits as they try to take over the town.

     

    Review

    I’m just going to come right out and say it: Blazing Saddles is my all-time favorite comedy. No, seriously, every time I watch this movie, and I’ve seen it several times, I always find myself roaring with laughter. This movie is just littered with all sorts of memorable gags, from Bart and the other railroad workers singing “I Get a Kick Out of You” and the bandits sitting around a campfire farting incessantly, to Bart defeating the giant Mongo, played by Alex Kerras, with a candy-gram and holding off the outlaws by constructing the “Gov. William J. Le Petomane Thruway.” Though, I have to say that what I think is the funniest moment is a small scene where Bart is just walking through town, minding his own business, when he comes across a little ol’ lady, to which he says, “Good morning, ma’am! And it’d it a lovely mornin’?”, to which the ol’ lady responds with, “Up yours, n***er!” I swear, no matter how many times I see that, it still makes me laugh.

    Anyway, I could just quote all of the memorable lines and gags from the movie, but you really should just go and see it for yourself. To talk more about the movie itself, the cast is terrific. You’ve got Mel Brooks’ regulars like Harvey Korman, Gene Wilder, Dom DeLuise in a cameo, and Madeline Kahn, who actually was nominated for an Oscar for her role as the voluptuous Lili Von Shtupp, but you’ve also got some great character actors like Slim Pickens, David Huddleston from The Big Lebowski, Alex Kerras from Porky’s, and John Hillerman from Chinatown. But perhaps, the one who truly stands out is Cleavon Little, who is instantly likable as a lead. He’s incredibly charming, full of charisma, has great comedic timing, is very well-spoken, and just relishes in every scene he has. The script, written by Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Alan Unger, and even Richard Pryor (who was originally cast as Bart before Little got the part), is a thing of beauty, filled with tons of memorable dialogue and great gags, both major set pieces and even small background gags. The direction is top-notch, making it feel like a Western made by the likes of John Ford or Howard Hawks, just with a lot more slapstick and racial jokes. The music is great as well, adding to that Western feel, and the theme by Frankie Laine is instantly catchy.

    This is a must-see for anyone reading this. It’s downright one of the best comedies ever made, and Mel and his team should be proud of what they made. The movie was a pretty huge risk for Warner Bros., who were initially hesitant after the executives saw it and didn’t find it funny, but when Mel convinced them to hold a screening for the employees, they changed their minds when they saw how much the regular folks loved it. Sadly, a movie like this could never be made in today’s PC-friendly culture. People would instantly call the film bigoted and racist, without realizing that the racism in the film is played for laughs in that the movie is poking fun at racism and is actively making racists look dumb and villainous. Regardless, Blazing Saddles stands tall as one of the best and most important comedies in cinematic history.

     

    Buy Blazing Saddles from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nxgvkI.

    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 Blazing Saddles (1974)

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