Demons (1985) movie review

Demons (1985) -

What "Demons" lacks in characters, it makes up for with style, gore, English dubbing over Italian acting, a synth score, fun commentary on movies, and a kick-ass 80s rock soundtrack. Basically, it's a zombie movie where it's demons instead of zombies.

I'm a bit disappointed the US didn't make this in the mid-late 80s or 90s; seems like it would have been perfect for New Line or Dimension, with possibly Wes Craven or maybe an younger Peter Jackson directing. I'd also be curious to see John Carpenter's take on this.

Conclusion: Recommended

"The Farewell" movie review

I very much enjoyed The Farewell! It reminded me in ways of Destination Wedding with its honesty and directing, plus a bit of "anti-genre" elements.

Definitely loved Nai Nai the grandma (Shuzhen Zhao) the most. Also enjoyed Haohao the cousin getting married (Han Chen), who was mostly played for laughs, but really enjoyed him. The parents (Tzi Ma and Diana Lin) had lots of great subtle elements. On the whole, the cast was excellent.

Awkwafina was fine. She did a good job of playing the inner conflict in each scene, but didn't seem to own her character the same way others did. Granted, it's more challenging with her in the lead/"straight man" role, for which everyone largely plays against her. I did think her "big" scene fell a bit flat and was rather expositional. Regardless, she's on the up-and-up for acting and will likely only be getting better (she's picked some solid movies so far).

Direction was very impressive - and I loved how Lulu Wang used atypical angles, unlike most dramas / dramedies that use front-on mid-shots or close-ups. I haven't been this enthralled by the backs of peoples' heads in quite some time. There were some awkward moments / shots / scenes, but they were few and far between. However, the general scenework with the actors was just fantastic.

Color tones were interesting, on the more muted side to probably roll with the bittersweet tone of the story.

Loved the themes of the movie (truth vs lies, family vs individual), though, plus how it highlights how relatable family drama is regardless of culture, though it certainly highlighted the differences. And it beautifully doesn't say one is better than the other, just different.

Plus, the film does pose an excellent question on the weight of emotional burdens. Having been working on honesty and vulnerability lately, I want to say I'd prefer the honesty, but I can certainly understand the other side of it.

Conclusion: Very much RECOMMENDED. There's a genuine earnestness in the film that creates numerous comedic situations, playing with both the awkwardness and drama of both family and cultural dynamics. Plus, at just under 100 minutes, it's on the nice and tight side.

The Night Comes for Us Movie Review

Intense action, gore that's not for the squeemish (but occasionally also comical, yet not tone-killing), impressive / ridiculous choreography, lush and stylistic cinematography, atmospheric music, and excellent pacing make for a solid viewing experience.

The Night Comes for Us is incredibly focused and tight on its plot, which is done to elevate all of the incredible action and style that exude every scene of this movie. As well, there's a buildup towards the final fight that makes that payoff (the fight) so beautiful; also helps to be familiar with The Raid: Redemption.

While it won't be nearly as ground-breaking, this has enough elements for me to consider Night the Action-Thriller's (with a hint of Western) equivalent of The Matrix - the visuals, the characters and costume choices, the masterful direction and cinematography; plus a few love letters to other great movies.

Conclusion: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Currently streaming on Netflix

Destination Wedding movie review

I very much enjoyed Destination Wedding, as it worked for me in a bunch of ways.

Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder have great chemistry as the two leads (and essentially only characters in the movie). Sure, the movie is like a stage play, but it's reminiscent of Birdman in that it's better/best served as a movie; and similarly, it's about two less-than-likeable-but-very-endearing people.

DW flips the classic Hollywood romance story, where two folks are in a remote location and "fall in love." Here, the characters are highly opinionated, intelligent and flawed. There's no real "romance" in this romance movie - but there are connections and understanding; it's genuine human interaction (by two of society's "outsiders.")

Plus excellent word play and comedy. Have I praised the intelligence of this movie, yet?

Another element I really appreciated was the restrained cinematography - everything is shot crisp, with intent. Yes, pretty much every shot is a wide duo, but there's strategy in the execution that I rarely see in other movies, and relates to the narrative (journey of the characters). And, mild spoiler, but there's a specific shot around half-way into the movie involving a hill that has one of my favorite visual gags in a long time.

Beyond the acting, writing and visuals, I generally enjoyed the music by William Ross and presentation. I would gladly spend another weekend with Lindsay and Frank if it were done like this, wherever their journey takes them.

Conclusion: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It's a tight 90-minute film that does lose a little steam around the 2/3rds mark, but the general pacing and overall execution won me over.

Streaming on Amazon Prime, as of this writing.

Incredibles 2 Movie Review

As a big fan of The Incredibles (a favorite animated movie, favorite score, excellent blend of superheros and James Bond, the emotional journey), I’m rather mixed on Incredibles 2. I tried going in with little-to-no expectations, trying to soak in the movie I saw, but probably still had a degree of bias / expectation.

SPOILER-FREE quick take: Incredibles 2 has a number of really great things in it (such as the action), it also has a few too many plot lines, with no storyline really getting the breadth and depth they deserve. Overall, the film lacks the heart of the first movie, but there's almost always something going on and I was surprised how quickly the movie flew by, despite being bored at times and awkward pacing leading to a general lack of proper climactic moments.

Extended review with SPOILERS:


WHAT I LIKED:
1. The action was really, really great! Some seriously top-tier stuff. That raccoon!

2. Jack-Jack’s micro storyline (the various scenes) were pretty great - he made for some excellent humor and action, giving other characters lots of things to play with.

3. The villain’s message and general motivation was solid – I loved the callout of consumer culture, with regards to people defining themselves by consumption as opposed to creation, as well as becoming passive due to that consumption. And the reason for the villain being a villain is pretty good (ruined faith/reliance in Supers), and fairly in-line with the Syndrome’s motivation (burned entitlement by Supers).

4. Voyd! Like with Blink in X-Men: DOFP, Voyd was awesome.

5. Winston Deavor (MILD SPOILER) actually being an earnest good guy. Yes, men are problematic in society and in media, so it's nice to see an earnest good guy in this.

6. Frozone getting more to do. More Sam Jackson is almost always a good thing in my book.

7. The company logos (Disney and Pixar) in the beginning done in the red Incredibles aesthetic.

8. A number of little moments, such as SPOILERS Evelyn calling out Helen think they'd be friends despite not knowing each other, and Jack-Jack towards the end using his telekinesis to save his mom after recognizing the situation (I would have loved this to have held for an extra beat).


WHAT I'M MIXED ON:
1. The dialogue – For the most part it’s fine, but there were a number of lines that were a bit too on-the-nose for my preference. Again, probably fine, but another pass or two would’ve been nice (may also have been tied to the delivery).

2. Brad Bird’s storytelling voice is somewhat questionable and he isn’t exactly great with women – He’s mostly fine, but there are little signs in Mrs. Incredible, Violet, Edna Mode, Voyd and Evelyn Deavor that are questionable, and are presumably a reflection of his baby boomer upbringing and current middle-aged status. A couple examples: while Mrs. Incredible is an incredible character, she’s a bit more of a plot mover than any real emotional thrust; there’s a fun-but-side-eyed puberty joke at Violet’s expense (plus her general reaction to her plot). Again, things are generally fine, but Bird’s voice has a certain coldness to it that’s become more apparent (after the Tomorrowland bust, presumably).

3. Michael Giacchino’s score – I could probably put this under “didn’t work for me” since it’s a largely forgettable score, saved only by the re-use of the great themes from the original (a personal favorite score). Maybe it’s a fault of the high number of plots causing auditory disarray, but shrug. Maybe both MG and BB are past their prime. :/

4. The new Supers – Again, Voyd is great, but they’re all largely gimmicks and barely characters. They serve the plot decently and do make for good action scenes, which is / can be fine.

5. The villain’s plot – While the motivation is great, the actual plot is a bit wonky, with at least one plot hole towards the end (SPOILER the kids realize the goggles are the problem, but when Violet’s fighting Voyd she doesn’t bother to go for the goggles).

6. The humor - There were some good jokes in the film, but the timing and delivery were occasionally... off/odd.


WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME:
1. It’s kinda boring – The movie had an odd mix of having too many plotlines (Mrs. Incredible taking the lead and female empowerment, Mr. Incredible learning to be a good dad, Violet’s dating life, Jack-Jack’s powers and the family’s discovery, Frozone kinda having something, the tech siblings trying to bring Supers back into the limelight, the commentary on legality, the villain’s message to callout consumer culture, the villain’s motivation, Edna Mode “kinda” having something, the retired FBI guy “kinda” having something) and awkward pacing. There were a number of times where the story would follow Mrs. Incredible and just as she was about to do something, it’d cut back to Mr. Incredible doing boring dad stuff for an extended period, as opposed to following the more interesting Mrs. Incredible. There’s also just a general cold tone that comes through in the cinematography, particularly for Mr. Incredible’s parenting stuff.

2. There’s no emotional thread! – The first one was so great because it mainly followed the emotional journey of Mr. Incredible, along with how it affected Mrs. Incredible (and her reactions), and their journey towards becoming a stronger couple and family. In the sequel, we’re still largely following the emotional journey of Mr. Incredible, despite Mrs. Incredible taking the more prominent role, and there’s also a little journey by Violet, but nothing really comes together. The film touches on so many things, then distances itself.

3. Being an immediate sequel – Can we please stop this trend? It didn’t work in Quantum of Solace, it didn’t work in The Last Jedi, it didn't work in Search for Spock (though awesome opening sequence) and it didn’t work here. Immediate sequels that aren’t written at the same time (e.g. LOTR, BTTF) make for really, really awkward plot structures, and Incredibles 2 highlights that problem for me.

4. Jack-Jacks macro storyline about the family not knowing about his powers. The whole first movie was building towards Jack-Jack having powers, which were revealed at the end. Sure, the characters “might” not have known about the powers, but it’s been 14 years since the movie came out – it was an awkward creative choice to have none of the character aware of Jack-Jack’s powers.

5. Changes in the art direction – While there’s still a lot of the wonderful throwback art direction that made the first one so great, the advances of CG animation since the original has given the sequel a polish that is awkward and took me out of the movie several times – increased details in the characters’ complexions, certain shots with regards to lighting, and other aesthetic choices that just felt disconnected from the more simplified and stylized approach of the original, and some character designs that didn’t feel entirely Pixar-esque. That said, the animation is fantastic.

6. The pacing / climaxes – Kinda touched on this above, but want to explicitly call it out. There were a number of times where the movie felt like it was building towards something only for the film to quickly touch on it, then move on. There was no real weight to anything in the movie for me. Hell, the actual climax of the movie just kinda comes and goes.

7. Screenslaver - The hypnosis angle was interesting, but they ultimately felt underwhelming and SPOILER the identity reveal was rather telegraphed, which gave the movie a somewhat rote plot.


CONCLUSION: WASN'T FOR ME. But while it didn’t work for me, I’d happily put this in the Your Mileage May Vary category, as it does have a number of really good things, but also some questionable creative choices / direction.

It's certainly nice seeing the family, characters and world onscreen again, but what I saw wasn't nearly up to the highs of the first.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

Damn

I actually enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story!

I went in with low expectations, particularly after hearing people's "mostly mediocre" feedback (although also trying to avoid news and reviews), and was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. My fondness was even growing after the viewing, which was interesting.

Liked:
1. John Powell's score
2. The pulpy adventure tone / story
3. John Williams' Han Solo theme (I guess? since the overall score is good)
4. Most of the aesthetics / visuals, which harkened back to the OT but done in modern CG styles (though multiple scenes were muddy)
5. Most character designs (a couple creature and robot designs were meh)
6. Woody Harrelson and his character Beckett
7. The Kessel Run sequence - it was pretty darn cool, and a certain musical reference was pretty darn nice
8. Enfys Nest - Cool design and interesting character
9. Pretty good pacing

Nitpicks / Mixed reactions / Didn't care as much for:
1. The general premise - I don't think it's necessary to see Han Solo's backstory, but, again, I did enjoy the film and what we have does fit reasonably well into the mythos. Granted, if viewers are fresh, I would not recommend watching this before the OT, but if viewing the films chronologically (or just thinking on how this fits in), then I imagine this is an entertaining addition. However, I did like the general character development of Han in the movie (which is why I'm more accepting of these versions as "younger" versions, even if the older versions don't change a whole lot).

2. Alden's Han Solo - No, he's not Harrison Ford and doesn't entirely come close, but he does take elements and deliver mostly his own take on the character, which worked for me when I accepted Solo as a more modern / just different interpretation, plus the character is younger, so it makes sense he'll be different, but there are nuances to the character and performance that are missed (such as a certain casual coolness, indifference and world weariness that Ford brought, along with the sarcasm, occasional chutzpah and occasional lines delivered under his breath). From my memory, Alden was trying to be stoic, constantly staring at whatever he's focusing on, whereas Ford would "drift" around and sometimes seem indifferent

3. Donald Glover's Lando - He seems so young! His take lacked a casual cool confidence that Billy Dee brought. This might make sense if it's a "fake it til you make it" and Lando didn't really learn that UNTIL his Empire appearance, but it'd be nice to see more of the hints. To put it another way, Glover felt more like a performance than being the character. He was also surprisingly emotional, which could work for the younger Lando, which lacks the gravitas and maturity of the older Lando. Also, Lando's pansexuality felt forced and half-assed.

4. The nostalgia and callbacks - could have used less of these, particularly some very in-your-face ones, though thankfully they weren't too impactful on the plot / story. I would have also skipped some of the minor references (e.g. SPOILER mynoks, Bossk, some outfits), but they're lesser issues.

5. Dialogue could have been tighter, at times (there were some overtly expositional lines)

6. Thandie Newton was wasted

7. L3 was... OK (the line delivery of her and the robot from Rogue One are both really awkward from a timing perspective)

8. Audio mixing on English alien dialogue, plus aliens speaking English is kinda weird (though there's precedent)

9. Emilia Clarke's Kira - very mixed on her, both character and performance, but more worked for me than didn't

10. Paul Bettany's Dryden - I really enjoy Paul Bettany, and Dryden was mostly good, but the film tried to depict him in a mixed way (both mildly good and definitely bad) which didn't entirely work

11. The movie could have used a little breathing room; would've been nice to have some resting moments of pathos, but that's also not what this movie was going for

May was a bad release for Solo. It's a fun movie that would have done better either later in the year or earlier in the year. It's not the greatest movie, but it is entertaining. To put it one way, it's an Anthology movie I can get behind.

With regards to the Disney Star Wars movies, this may be my favorite of the bunch, since there's a good throughline (though, again, not the highest quality), as opposed to The Force Awakens which has great direction and music, but a really derivative story. As for the other two, Rogue One was really messy and I really didn't care for The Last Jedi (I thought Rian Johnson was trying to be too clever and it didn't work for me).

CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDED as a fun popcorn movie.

The Breadwinner Movie Review

Simply put, The Breadwinner is a must-see hauntingly beautiful movie, both in story and experience.

An adaptation of the acclaimed 2000 novel, the movie depicts Parvana's story so honestly, that every character feels as human and real as if I'm watching a documentary. Director Nora Twomey masterfully weaves together this earnest tale of a young girl, her love for her father, their family, their struggles under the Taliban-run Afghanistan, female empowerment, the horrors of war, the importance of peace, the importance of stories and the stories of all the other characters who share in Parvana's journey.

But it is a hard story, and yet I can't say the last time I felt so moved by a movie. Let alone an animated one. Let alone a kids movie!

And I love it.

It's everything animation can be - gorgeous visuals combined with fantastic audio design. The beautiful score by Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna perfectly accentuates the movie, transporting me to all the locations and emotions they want me to experience. Even the lack of music is perfectly executed.

I'm so glad that animation has had a great run of more "indie" productions (not Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, etc.), with movies like this, The Little Prince, My Life as a Zucchini and the Laika productions, among others).

CONCLUSION: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - To me, this is absolutely a must-see movie, but it's one that covers harsh topics. However, stories like this are important to experience, because these are exactly the kinds of stories that help build empathy, and hopefully with more empathy we can come together faster. So, my sincerest "thank you" to everyone who worked on The Breadwinner, and author Deborah Ellis, for crafting this. This has displaced Get Out as my top movie of 2017. Go watch this ASAP.

Nerve Movie Review

Nerve is the 80s throwback dark romance fairy tale (meta) comedy I never knew I wanted... But absolutely needed.

I loved this movie!

I was intrigued by the posters, premise and possibly the initial trailer, but never really bothered to check it out. Not exactly sure what it was, but Nerve finally called to me recently (after scrolling screw my most of my Netflix queue then going through Amazon Prime's) and it was indeed the perfect time for it.

Set-up as a dystopian youth-friendly challenge-rising story with social commentary, Nerve unexpectedly proved to be incredibly smartly written and directed, with perfect casting for the roles, and an impeccable degree of capturing the voice of modern "teen" cinema while also skewering it (and the culture)(or at least an interpretation/impersonation of it).

And (partial comedy tone SPOILER), just as you think the film is heading towards tone def territory - the film already knows it.

That's the whole point.

The film already knows what your expectations are, and puts enough little twists and spins to make it an incredibly fun and engaging time that's well worth checking out. Even the soundtrack, while occasionally odd/off (or just not my style), really works for the film.

Hell, the cinematography in the film is enough to salivate over. It's gorgeously shot, with an intelligence to the movements the managed to even enhance the humor of the scenes. Just some excellent storytelling.

Also, don't let the trailers fool you (although I don't really remember them and not sure if I watched them, so...), as the film is still very much character and relationship-driven, as much as it is plot and escalation.

I regret it taking me so long to finally watch, but perhaps it was worth the wait.

Takeaway: Top-notch scores from me: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Though, as always, your mileage may vary, as I could see the humor and tone of the film not working for everyone, but I had an absolute blast while watching.

And, honestly, I'd go so far as to say it's a cultural milestone and a piece of cinema I hope is studied for years to come, thanks to its many great layers, particularly in our current nostalgia era of filmmaking.

The Conjuring 2 Movie Review

The Conjuring 2 is a fantastic blend of an inventive theme park ride mixed with a multi-genre horror movie. In other words - it's a ton of fun!

The film starts with some great tension right in the opening scene and doesn't let up for a good chunk of the movie (maybe an hour? I lost track of time). The quality does dip a bit once the first supporting monster shows up and again with some other ridiculous / overly sentimental scenes that detract from the horror and tension, but damn, what a ride; my theory is if they had cut the score during the sentimental scenes, it would have improved things. It can also be argued that those more sentimental, "relaxed" scenes are their for pacing purposes and to help the scares be stronger later, but not sure that's either necessary or true.

Regardless of any dips in quality, there's a lot to love in The Conjuring 2, not the least of which were the decent number of scenes that were either one-take or faux one-take scenes and a fantastic main villain that had a great design and thematic resonance for the lead characters. Regarding the one-takes, there was a sequence towards the end featuring one of the supporting monsters that's just bad-ass.

The story was simultaneously simple and excellent. The film starts with a tease of the Amityville Horror that presents a throughline for the rest of the film, which was carried beautifully by Vera Farmiga. Speaking of which, the rapport and chemistry between Farmiga and Patrick Wilson was a joy to watch - they're a couple I'd happily see in a series of these movies. Beyond the throughline was a fairly standard possession story, but beautifully directed by James Wan, and well performed by the kids (those previously mentioned sequences go a long way).

All in all, it's a solid film that's pulpy, as well as both modern and a throwback. I absolutely enjoyed it more than the first movie and may now be my favorite horror movie of 2016, easily besting The Witch (though that had arguably better acting), and probably edging out both Green Room and Don't Breathe (which probably had better tension).

Takeaway: Highly Recommended

Batman Forever Movie Rewatch Review

Yes, Batman Forever is still dumb, nonsensical, ostentatious, and a bit boring at times, but...

Hot damn! The movie is a visual treat in both cinematography (particularly the movements of the actors within frames) and production design. The music by Elliot Goldenthal, while nowhere near as good as Danny Elfman's scores, is enjoyable in its cartoony throwback styles, as well.

Plus - there's some really smart writing and bits (such as exploring Batman's psychology), inbetween all the various homages to 60s Batman and general weak points of the movie.

Not to mention the performances! Sure, Val Kilmer's a weak Bruce Wayne (his take is a rather flat traumatized one), but a pretty good Batman. The supporting cast is, for better or worse, 1- or 2-dimensional, and though both villains channel the Joker (via Robin Williams?), they're a pleasure to watch (I really love Tommy Lee Jones in this, even if its a flawed characterization). Also, hot damn! Dr. Chase Meridian.

And I'll say this - while fairly clearly teased, it's arguably a missed opportunity to explore Nigma's obsessive homoerotic tendencies towards Batman. They probably handled things as well as they could for 1995, but Forever presents some interesting themes and ideas that are only lightly touched upon. At the very least, it made for some great bits having Nigma chase Bruce (Nigma's party is a great example of this).

As a kid, I loved the film, so there's a good nostalgia factor for reciting the lines and enjoying the various scenes; and while as an adult I'm not as entertained, I can definitely appreciate a number of the strengths it has going for it.

Takeaway: Dumb but fun, and very enjoyable in some parts while more trashy in others.

Bright Movie Review

Bright is a great example of a film with an interesting world (magic in the modern day, prophecies), but the execution left much to be desired.

For my two cents, the film needed less David Ayer and Max Landis and more... quality. Flat direction and questionable writing (Landis was not a good choice for an LA-based cop drama about racism) made for an underwhelming experience. A number of scenes were trying to heighten the drama, but just fell completely flat due to bad direction (and cinematography) by Ayer. Had this been Ghostbusters' great blend of horror and comedy meets John Carpenter's auteur style meets fantasy, I'd have been all over it.

Acting was OK, with Joel Edgerton being the highlight, but the rest of the cast was racial stereotypes to an awkward degree. Noomi Rapace was wasted. It'd also be great to know WHY Edgerton's character wanted to be a cop, rather than wanting to be a cop since a kid.

This movie had a budget of $90 million - where did it go? The movie's look alternated between good fantasy (20%), shakey-cam street cop drama (15%) and a TV show (65%). There were some cool shots, but they also looked low-budget, to an extent.

I was hoping it'd be run-of-the-mill with some interesting elements, and it was, but it was also largely a waste of time.

Takeaway: Didn't care for it, but, as always, your mileage may vary.

Justice League Movie Review

*MILD SPOILERS*

The first thing to acknowledge about Justice League is maybe the easiest thing to say about it:

It's a mess.

But what does that mean exactly? Well, your mileage may vary with both how much you enjoy the movie and how good you think it is.

As for me, I certainly didn't hate the movie as much as Man of Steel (which I consider to be the worst movie I've seen in theaters in the past decade, if not ever), nor was I as bored as I was during Suicide Squad, but it didn't have nearly enough of the good will of Wonder Woman or surprisingly entertaining tonal consistency of Batman vs Superman's extended edition (despite disagreements with the overall creative direction; I'm not bothering with the theatrical version).

My main gripes with the movie are:

• I stopped caring - Shortly into the movie, I realized I didn't care about anyone or anything that was on screen. Neither the plots nor performances were particularly exciting. Ben Affleck's Batman alternated between disaffected and disinterested, with a good chunk of dry smarm and wit to feign engagement. Cyborg's exaggerated movements were also awkward. 
• The film really needed breathing room - The editing, pacing and timing were rushed in a way that gave the movie a really awkward tone. Part of this may have been due to the split-directing duties between Zach Snyder and Joss Whedon, but there's a good chance the movie was a mess during the script. Speaking of which...
• The script - Clunky dialogue, cheesy lines, random (retroactive) introductions of plots/character motivations via dialogue, lack of subtlety - the film needed another pass on both the dialogue and the script.
• The music - Why did Danny Elfman replace Junkie XL? Despite my general dislike of both Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman, the music for both was of high quality. The lack of Superman's theme and other recent themes really hurt Justice League. Not to mention the very random inclusion of the Burton Batman theme detracted from the experience. Very, very disappointing. 
• The CG - This was really, really not good. From the blandness of Steppenwolf's face to the blandness of the terraforming. Sure, it led to some pretty flowers, but everything looked like visual crap, despite the big budget...

I could list more, but I'll try to summarize: the film was a very mediocre and underwhelming debut for DC's first-class team. I can't say that I was disappointed, because that meant I would have expected better from the current DC Extended Universe, although in seeing the movie that meant I unfortunately financially supported it. 

Had this been an entry in the DC Animated Movie universe, I'd have been perfectly contented. Hell, if all the rest of the Snyder-verse DC movies could be relegated to much cheaper DCAM versions, that may be the best win-win scenario - give people these stories with these characters and not continue with the exorbitant costs and missed live-action opportunities. 

That said, the film did do a few things well:

• Superman - Other than a debatable return, once Superman remembered who he was, we're finally able to see the "beacon of hope" Superman as played by Henry Cavill. Had this been the Superman from the get go, perhaps the DCEU course would be in a more positive direction. Note, though, that this movie is a giant refresh for Superman, with previous ones almost taking place in parallel dimensions, considering how different this Superman is.
• The Flash and Cyborg's banter - Other than one or two cringe-worthy jokes, they had a nice rapport.
• The overall team dynamic - Excusing script and performance issues, the team actually seemed motivated to work together to get the job done. They recognized each others strengths and tried to encourage each other to be the best versions of themselves. 

When it's all said and done, I would suggest either waiting to see the movie on cable, where commercial breaks may help disrupt the flow of the movie in a good way, or an extended edition of the film is released which hopefully reinserts some much-needed breathing room. Until then, Justice League is NOT RECOMMENDED. If you want some great Justice League content, watch the complete run of Justice League Unlimited. 

Dark City Director's Cut Review

I recently rewatched the Director's Cut of Dark City and hot damn is it a good, fun movie. I love the art direction, production design (seriously, the visuals are so cool) and especially the music by Trevor Jones. The general noir style is pretty great, though some of the trappings (misogyny) leave much to be desired (women aren't given great material, nor non-white characters).

This is the kind of movie I would love to make, as I think Dark City does a couple really cool things rather well:

1) Editing and pacing (and script) - The film only shows you enough, typically via quick glimpses, and yet its very effective at conveying the message, story and mood. Similarly...
2) Dialogue - Characters are able to say so much by saying so little. I particularly love a few of the dialogue choices with the main character, John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), in that he knows something another character doesn't and either asks them a question or phrases his sentence in a specific way to not reveal anything; nicely done. It helps that the film is beautifully crafted, with a wonderful villainous turn by Richard O'Brien as Mr. Hand.

Not to mention, how many movies end with a really, really kick-ass telekinesis fight? Dark City features easily one of the best "psychic" fights ever filmed. Plus, the themes and ideas regarding memory and how that determines who we are? Very cool.

It's unfortunate that Dark City has become somewhat "lost in time." Had The Matrix not come out the following year (1999), I wonder if Dark City would have been more influential. Granted, something like The Matrix would have surpassed it at some point, because there's a bit more commentary and depth with The Matrix (more to the world and story that's relatable), but it could have been nice for Dark City to have had more of an impact.

To reiterate on one of the early points, it's a damn shame Trevor Jones isn't a more famous composer. His score for the film is perfectly atmospheric, suspenseful, exciting and action-packed - there are some great themes I just want to wrap myself in as if they were a blanket. I'd argue he's created at least three top-tier scores:

Dark Crystal
Dark City
Merlin

Excalibur may also be included, among others (Labyrinth).

While the Director's Cut is arguably the superior version to the theatrical, Dark City is easily HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Hopefully it's legacy will only grow with time. It's such a beautifully 90s movie that must be scene at least once.

Movies on plane August 2018 part 2

Watched some more movies on a plane in August, so here are some thoughts...

Sleepless in Seattle
I'm not sure how common or uncommon this is, but I actually saw this film after seeing You've Got Mail. Highly lauded as an early 90's romantic comedy, it certainly has its charm in the ways that writer-director Nora Ephron is so highly capable. As expected, there's lots of great scenework and fun dialogue, particularly the scene with Meg Ryan and Rosie O'Donnell watching a movie. As well, the acting is top-notch, considering the relatively ridiculous central conceit of the show (falling in love over listening to the radio), which is hard to overlook.

However, the film is so effective at being a cute throwback to older Hollywood romance movies it sucked me in enough to suspend my disbelief about basically everything plot-wise after the first 30-minutes of the movie (that kid has god-like powers).

Between the two films, I prefer You've Got Mail, but Sleepless in Seattle is still RECOMMENDED.

The Devil Wears Prada
As another movie I'd heard so much about over the years, I was looking forward to finally watching The Devil Wears Prada. As expected, Meryl Streep created an almost instantly iconic, nuanced, understated and yet larger-than-life character in Miranda Priestly, though based on a real-life counterpart. Anne Hathaway does a largely fine job of holding her own against both Streep and Priestly, but...

Can we talk about how awkwardly this movie is structured / paced, particularly for Hathaway's character Andy Sachs? Don't worry, it's a rhetorical question.

Prada starts simple enough with the disinterested Sachs getting the highly sought-after position, with a natural arc of heading towards the "dark side" as a potential ally / partner to Priestly, but it does so in such an odd path. Basically, Sachs keeps trajecting upwardly, even when screwing up or when things go wrong. For her, it's just up and up and up; though maybe her arc is more like a staircase.

While yes, it makes sense from a story perspective for her to see Priestly's perspective and tease being on the dark side, the film avoids almost any opportunity to really explore the depths and pathos of the consequences of these actions. It misses out two-fold:

1) Exploring Andy's perspective as she goes on this journey. It's just constantly moving onto the next thing, onward and upward. No living in the past, just moving forward. Which makes for an interesting character choice, but also very odd and rather cold; which may be the point, but makes for an odd anchor for the audience, or at least me.
2) Exploring Miranda's perspective, particularly in her one key scene, which serves as the preview of the end of Andy's path if she continues on it.

Neither character really pauses to question what's going on - the plot keeps running forward. And while yes, that's not what this movie is, it would have made for a great opportunity. Instead, the comedy of the film removes any great dramatic beats. Unfortunately, I didn't find the comedy strong enough as a comedy movie.

As such, Prada is only MILDLY RECOMMENDED. The acting, particularly from both Streep and Stanley Tucci, are great, but the plot and general character of Andy Sachs left much to be desired. Note: I haven't read the book, and that the story is apparently based on real life does have some impact on things, I'm sure. I suppose if I viewed this more as a character study than standard story, I'd appreciate it more.

Movies on plane August 2018 part 1

John Wick Chapter 2 
John Wick 1 and 2 are not for me, as much as I'd love to like them.

I have three issues with this one:
1) The assassins (particularly Reeves and Common), and others, are trying too hard to be cool like the opening scene of The Matrix: Reloaded; which is bad.
2) Much as I respect physical actual action, this is just a bunch of Reeves awkwardly bobbing around with a gun near his head. Then when he's close, it's just spin everyone around before popping everyone in the head. Speaking of which...
3) If I wanted to watch Headshots: The Movie, I'd rather watch a "Let's Play" of Goldeneye 64 in Big Head mode on easy difficulty.

There are again teases of an interesting world, but the film follows characters I don't really care about and the most basic, basic, basic, basic story around: mess with John Wick = you die. It was boring and flat. Maybe I'd enjoy it more with a better director?

Unless you enjoyed the first movie, John Wick Chapter 2 is sadly NOT RECOMMENDED, but please go see it anyway and judge for yourself.


Ghost in the Shell
There are actually some decent things good in the film, such as production design, generally costumes and some elements of the story (the metaphysical, the villain mostly).

But there are indeed some problems in the movie, too, particularly with how much they messed with Major's origin and made it such a central point (save it for the second or simplify what was done), adding an origin to Bato's eyes and casting him with a New York accent (or whatever that crappy accent was), not to mention criminally under-utilizing the rest of the Section 9 team. Had the story focused more on them being a solid team, having good banter, but still having political machinations, it would have been better. I'm positive a minor recut of the movie will go a long way.

As for the controversy of the casting and whitewashing, it wasn't an issue to me as she's in a shell - a supposedly generic shell, per the show and mange (another movie fuck-up). Hell, once she got a better idea of her origin, she could have modified her shell for a not-going-to-happen-now sequel. Would giving the role to an Asian actress have been preferred? Absolutely. But her being whitewashed/her identity taken away was part of the story and not a bad idea for a story.

Despite its number of issues, Ghost in the Shell is RECOMMENDED, but maybe just barely. I wish either this version were better or there's a sequel that could show off just how good the property is, but maybe that's what the Stand Alone Complex anime series is for (particularly the second season).


Kong: Skull Island
It's a total B-movie, but hot damn is this fun. Easily my now second favorite movie of the year, considering how underwhelming this year has been (first is Get Out). Kong has some cliches with the 70s setting re: music and the military, but things just work and click due to some excellent direction and editing.

Sure, the characters don't really exist outside maybe Sam Jackson's character, but it's not really the point - Kong is the central figure of the story and he completely owns this movie. We just happen to be seeing Kong through these rando's eyes. Then again, John C Reilly was so much fun!

Also, give the team that brought this Kong to life all of Andy Serkis' future work. This Kong was so much more compelling than Peter Jackson's version, which I've admittedly forgotten. Then again, it may have just been the movie, on the whole.

Either way, I'm completely onboard with the sequel and can't wait. The post-credits sequence is arguably the second best ending of the year (first goes to Split; third may be the post-credits from Spider-man: Homecoming).

Your enjoyment of B-movie cheese may vary, but Kong: Skull Island is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. I'm sad I missed out on this in theaters, as I'm sure it'd have been quite the experience.

The Big Sick Review

To get to the point, The Big Sick is a highly enjoyable earnest romantic comedy that does an excellent job of promoting the importance of love in our lives.

Filled with great acting, the cast brings a number of honest moments to life, for better and worse. From awkwardness to tension, the emotions are both real and relatable. The family dynamics are a particular enjoyment.

While the movie does follow an archetypal love story (boy gets girl, etc.) and is very much a relatively youthful "of our time" story (trying to avoid "millennial"), the execution and specific content help Sick stand out. It's very refreshing that the film highlights the value of love and how it's so much more pure than dishonesty, guilt, fear, traditions and societal pressure. When we can learn to love and accept each other, the world is a better place.

Then again, we are just human, as the film so greatly shows.

With plenty of charm and laughs to spare, The Big Sick is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Special props to Ray Romano for stealing so many scenes with his more deadpan delivery, as well as both Kumail and Emily for telling (and in Kumail's case acting in) this story.

Wonder Woman is a step in a direction

And for the most part, that direction is the right one.

I'll create this review in two parts: the first is a shorter spoiler-free quick review, the second a longer more spoiler-discussed review.

QUICK REVIEW
Wonder Woman is a perfectly serviceable action superhero movie. It doesn't really break any new ground, but doesn't make any egregious errors. It does some things well and some things not so well. It's fine. I couldn't help but think it reminded me of an improved version of bad/mediocre 90s action movies (e.g. The Phantom, The Stranger, Spawn).

To put it quickly, Wonder Woman is a relatively fun movie with an uneven tone, hit-or-miss jokes and great action sequences. Considering it's 2+ hour length, it wasn't a chore to sit through. Reasonably Recommended


SPOILER WARNING

And here comes the LONGER REVIEW.

Let's get to some of the highlights of the movie first.

The Good
1. Chris Pine - From an acting and character perspective, he's the best part of the movie. Steve Trevor has a solid characterization and arc. It's great to see his consistency of character vs going on an emotional journey, for the most part. I would love to see more of him, but he went out with a bang.

2. The Action Sequences - Wonder Woman kicks ass! Going by the quality of the action sequences, the film peaks in the middle, when Diana does her fantastically shot Wonder Woman reveal. The fight on the battlefield and through into the city is some of the best action I've seen on screen in a long time. Even the end's fight isn't too shabby, with relatively clear action and some good character moments.

3. The Look - Other than some occasionally bad CG/green screen (sadly during the fight sequences), the colors and cinematography are generally nice.


The Mixed
1. Wonder Woman/Gal Gadot - Gadot is best when she's fighting, but it seems fairly clear she's not the greatest actress/actor in the film. Her "born sexy yesterday Diana" has a great innocence, but also a naive stupidity, which is really hard to determine whether it's a testament to Gadot's skill or reflection or her lack thereof. Either way, it's a partially odd characterization of Diana.

2. Ares and the Villains - They were alright, but largely forgettable/throwaway. The way they handled Ares seemed fairly standard for the twist reveal approach, but might have been better had they just revealed Ares as the big bad in the beginning to give him more character moments. That said, David Thewlis did a reasonable job with what he had.

3. The Ending - Considering the film was a fairly standard action superhero movie, the big action ending wasn't terrible, but it would have been nice if the theme of love were better incorporated vs "smash the bad guy."

4. The Supporting Cast - While Robin Wright was great, Connie Nielson was good and Lucy Davis was fun, the three men on the squad left much to be desired, particularly Ewen Bremner as Charlie. It was just too cartoony/cliched.

5. Diana and Steve's relationship - I enjoyed watching them form their bond, but not sure it was really earned. The only reason it sorta worked is because the film set them up from the beginning to be a couple, plus comic's history. Within the movie, they don't really do a whole lot together to earn the relationship.


The Indifferent
1. The framing of the movie, with WW reflecting on her past, was an interesting choice. I'm not entirely sure how necessary it was or how it fits into the DCEU on the whole (other than the Bruce Wayne connection), but it didn't hurt the movie.


The Could Have Been Better
1. The Tone / Middle of the Movie - The stuff on Themyscira and during the end have a fairly consistent tone, though the beginning does have some light-hearted moments. However, the middle is the weakest, and longest, part of the movie. The tone is incredibly mixed, trying to balance the tragedy and hardships of war with cartoonish comedy, caused primarily by the supporting cast, as mentioned above.

2. The Music - While it was great hearing WW's theme during the excellent middle fight, the build-up towards her theme could have been better. I wanted her theme to debut as she debuted, which, technically she did, but doing so in the middle of the movie was an interesting choice, particularly since it doesn't memorably come up again afterwards. Granted, it's use in the scene was most excellent.


The Questionable
1. Why was Diana ever a kid? If she's sculpted from clay, shouldn't she just be an adult? I'd rather see a young and inexperienced Gadot on the island learning everything vs a child.

2. How sheltered are the Amazons, exactly? It's a pretty bad reflection of their society that Diana's so naive. Granted, this is fairly typical to DC mythology... Also, what exactly is their power level, considering they seem largely immortal (presumably like elves)?

3. What are the power skills in this movie?? Diana has telekinesis now? Ares has lightning? What was really the point of Dr. Poison's gas pill to Ludendorff - just for an alright fight sequence? Why not distribute to an entire army?


The Wrap-Up
Despite the longer version being more critical, per se, I did enjoy the movie. It's easier to mentally sit back and appreciate it for the casual, middle-of-the-road superhero film it is vs try and hold it to a higher standard, considering how much pressure was on it (and where it was coming from).

Animated Movie Reviews: Blame, Pets and Egypt

Watched Blame!, Secret Life of Pets and Prince of Egypt over Memorial Day weekend, so sharing some thoughts...

1. Blame! - I assume/hope there's more to the manga? Dropped essentially into the middle of the story, the world and general idea are interesting, but the film lacks interesting characters with any depth. It poses a number of questions and doesn't fully answer them, which can be fine, but in this case there's so much more world building that outweighs the story. Some cool sequences and nice music, but a little too reliant on tropes and generics. Meh Recommendation.

2. The Secret Life of Pets - This movie made some odd (bad) choices with regards to story, jokes and timing. Louis CK was not a good choice for the lead role as he has neither the range nor the vocals; not to mention he plays an unlikable dog/character. It's largely misfire after misfire after misfire, with the rare fun sequence. It does have a cute ending, which helps make up for the rest, but not nearly enough. Not Recommended.

3. The Prince of Egypt - Some gorgeous animation, intense sequences and a handful of decent songs, it's not anywhere near a typical Disney animated movie. It may be the darkest animated musical I've seen (save for maybe a Don Bluth movie), though it includes some light-hearted sequences to balance the tone. Religious stories like this aren't really my thing, but the film really delivered on a number of emotional sequences and the pure craftsmanship of it all. Strongly Recommended.

Movies on a plane review: May 2017

Quick reviews of movies marathoned on a plane...

Short list (in the order watched)

1. Split
2. Nocturnal Animals
3. La La Land
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Split - Entertaining movie that gets bonus points alone for being an M. Night Shyamalan that doesn't suck. Two of the biggest highlights are the powerhouse performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy (who's on a fast track to being a kick-ass actress); Betty Buckley is also entertaining in a slightly campy way, whereas the two other girls are a bit too campy. Trying to avoid spoilers, but the best part of the movie is the ending. So great to hear that theme again (even if awkwardly edited), with the acting in the last several minutes being top-notch. I am loving the creative/story direction in this saga. While a bit lenient: Highly Recommended and can't wait for the sequel.

Nocturnal Animals - Solid acting by Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in an interesting movie. Great cinematography with interesting ideas in the script, but the story/editing/pacing (something) could be better. Amy Adams plays her character similar to Arrival, which... worked, but maybe a tad too dry. However, I loved her performance at the end, along with the ending itself. Based on the description, was hoping for a bit more of either a John Carpenter or Stanley Kubrick-like story, but still entertaining. Also, great music. Recommended.

La La Land - Within the first opening musical number I was already saying "F*** this movie," not long after thinking "this can be my shining example of what a polished turd looks like," but as it went on and I mentally tuned out all the saccharine, nostalgic musical numbers and elements, I grew to enjoy the character arcs of both Mia and Sebastian, particularly how they matured as humans. Seb explaining jazz to Mia was a little cringe-worthy, among a number of other little moments (Mia dancing), but the general anti-hype towards La La Land and the "white savior" argument is completely overblown. Seb doesn't even save jazz! John Legend's character Keith does, with Seb only being along for the ride. I did hate almost every musical number - I'm confident excising those from the film and focusing more on the characters would be a huge improvement. I would have LOVED to see an alternate version where the colors of the film are adjusted based on the story (starts saturated like old films, then becomes more real, then returns to saturated a bit at the end - or something else to denote their happiness and growth). Acting-wise, I enjoyed both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (as someone who typically thinks he's overhyped), particularly since he went from asshole to tolerable. The main jazz song, City of Stars, was kinda lame, though. Regardless of the above, it's masterfully directed by Damien Chazzelle. Hopefully he can apply his skills to something non-jazz next. Highly Recommended, if only for the controversy surrounding it and seeing the various lenses with which to watch the film.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Entertaining, but a bit of a mixed bag. I continue to believe David Yates is a bad choice for the Potter-verse - he's tonally inconsistent, among other issues. He might get some great character work, but his storytelling is flawed. I loved Colin Farrel's acting/character (play more villains, please!), and even Eddie Redmayne's take on "Matt Smith's Doctor on the spectrum" was interesting. Definitely nice to see a more pacifist lead, even if he could have been a more active/driving force in the story (seemed often too reluctant). Alison Sudol's Queenie was also nicely played, if not a bit dated/stereotypical. The climax was a bit underwhelming - it needed a smidge more buildup in the sequence for me to be more affected. MINOR SPOILER - but the reveal at the end was pretty cool, though the actual ramifications of the choice make me sad. Meh Recommendation due to the conflicting tones.

On a side note, it was fun to compare the choices for diversity casting between La La Land and Fantastic Beasts, with La La Land receiving (a bit too much) flack for it's choices whereas Beast received nothing for arguably being too diversely cast for its time-setting (though kudos to it for casting the way it did).

Movies on a plane reviews: April 2017

Quick thoughts on movies watched on a plane in April 2017...

Moana - Loved it. Very enjoyable. The humor was fun, even if a little too meta/self-referential. The songs were mostly good. Arguably directors Ron Clements and John Muskers' best Disney musical; easily my favorite and one I'd be happy to rewatch (though I haven't seen Aladdin in a long time). The visuals were amazing, seriously top-notch, particularly water, hair and general design aesthetic. Kudos to Auli'i Cravalho as the voice of Moana (and Rachel House as Grandma Tala). Possibly top 5 of 2016. Easily better than Zootopia, possibly better than Kubo, though Kubo still has a special place for me (better score, simply different production design). Highly recommended.

Moonlight - Was a good, very sad movie. The impact took a little time to fully kick in, but once it did I was more onboard with it than I was immediately after finishing. A little surprised Mahershala Ali won for his little screen time, particularly as I enjoyed him more in Luke Cage as Cottonmouth (similar characters/acting techniques) - but big kudos, he's a talented actor. Reminiscent of Boyhood. Naomi Harris as the mom was really enjoyable. Didn't really think it was cinematic in the sense it could have been a play; but still powerful. After initial viewing, Moana, Handmaiden and Kubo stood out more for 2016, but Moonlight's up there. Also, really enjoyed Chiron showing different sides of his personality depending on who he's around (e.g. shyness) - so few movies do that. Highly recommended.

Doctor Strange - It starts very cliched and by-the-numbers, but once it eventually gets going it's enjoyable. The forced humor mildly works, but is clearly forced. Benedict Cumberbatch was the wrong choice for Strange (his accent didn't work for me). Rachel McAdams was wasted. Colorful visuals and some inventive sequences. Tilda Swinton kicked butt, regardless of any whitewashing controversy; glad to have seen her do her stuff rather than another Asian male stereotype. Music was... OK - consistent with Michael Giacchino's Star Trek and Speed Racer scores, but not anything special; the end credits suites were good, but that's to be expected with Giacchino. Modestly Recommended.

La La Land - Wanted to watch, especially right after Moonlight, but decided to sleep instead.