My relationship with the DC Extended Universe films is complicated. First of all, I was extremely hyped for each of these movies (except for Justice League and Aquaman, for reasons I will elaborate on shortly). I loved Man of Steel, liked-then-disliked Batman V Superman, liked-then-disliked Suicide Squad, loved Wonder Woman, and loved-then-barely-liked Justice League. Most of these films did not ultimately live up to my expectations or to most fans' expectations as good movies. Even Man of Steel is controversial amongst comic book movie fans, and I find that one mostly great. With me, I do not truly loathe any of these films, and I so desperately wanted to love them all. I'm not a Marvel or DC guy...I'm a comic book guy, a film guy. I'm rooting for them all, and I just love great movies. I was out-of-my-mind hyped for Batman V Superman, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League. To me, Batman V Superman is largely dull and the script is an overly long, overly dreary mess, Suicide Squad is a tonally inconsistent mess with a great Harley Quinn, and Justice League was nowhere near as awful as I thought it would be, but ultimately mediocre. Not knowing much about James Wan, my Aquaman expectations were low, despite being a huge fan of Geoff Johns' comic book run. The first trailer did nothing to change my feelings. However, better trailers followed and word of mouth was pretty strong. As of this review, I've seen Aquaman twice. Overall, I definitely loved this movie. I probably shouldn't, but I do.
The story is very basic and very very very predictable, and I'm no genius at guessing plots. But I guessed every single twist and major plot point in Aquaman correctly. No, I don't want a cookie. Anyway, that isn't really a drawback for me. What I really love about Aquaman is that Wan and the actors embrace the inherent cheesiness of this (awesome) character. It's about a guy who can talk to fish! While Aquaman in the Geoff Johns comics and in this movie is very cool, the movie still recognizes the humor in the character. And while Aquaman contains a plethora of cheesy moments and some that are just outright stupid (Pitbull, anyone? I love that scene, though), the cheesiness is deliberate, much like with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films. Because of that, for the most part the humor and silliness really worked for me. As I just alluded to, there's a moment where Arthur and Mera emerge from the sea in slow-motion to Pitbull's cover of Africa by Toto. That scene should not by any means work and doesn't work for many people, but to me it is cinematic gold (in its cheesiness). I can't stop chuckling (cackling, more like) when I hear that song cover or see the scene. As for the acting, again, the actors all embrace the campiness. Even moreso, they do a good job with what they're given. Jason Mamoa is a great Arthur Curry/Aquaman, portraying him as a sort of "dude bro" with a heart. It's not hard to imagine him enjoying drinks with Thor after a battle of egos. Amber Heard is also very good as Mera. In the Aquaman comics and in this film, Mera is my favorite and she can control water. While the CGI wasn't always seamless, I still squealed like a little girl when I saw Mera using her powers. Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna is great also, and I particularly liked Temuera Morrison as Arthur's father. Dolph Lungren and Willem Dafoe make refreshing turns as non-villainous characters for once, and Patrick Wilson's Orm is delightfully hammy and serious as the antagonist. Another antagonist is Black Manta, played by Yahya Adul-Mateen II with a similar hamminess that works. He feels something like Aquaman's Boba Fett, just with more over-the-top acting.
Referencing the CGI again, it is mostly very good, although shaky here and there. That said, Aquaman's CGI benefits from it being an underwater world full of exotic underwater creatures and locales. The actual art design in fantastic and interesting. Atlantis truly comes to life in a way beyond my wildest expectations here. The musical score has some nice riffs and serves the film, but is otherwise unremarkable. Where Aquaman truly stands apart is its action sequences. The action is superbly storyboarded, and there is a sense of tension in them unlike any previous DCEU film. The film's best scene is perhaps when Arthur and Mera enter the trench and face its terrifying creatures.
While the majority of Aquaman's campiness works immensely for me, there are a few moments that don't (namely, an octopus playing drums and a scoreboard labeling Arthur as "half-breed"). Honestly...the Pitbull moment is so stupid that I can't help but love it, though, even though I shouldn't. Where a lot of the dialogue would fall flat or not work, the actors' committed delivery of it makes it work for me. Since most of the camp works, what truly doesn't at moments are some sequences (not all) that are meant to be emotional. James Wan hasn't quite nailed personally intimate/emotional moments yet. And early-midway in the film, the pacing hits a snag. Still, when it's all said and done, I loved Aquaman. Just from a sheer entertainment standpoint, it is my favorite DCEU film. For overall quality, it falls just below Wonder Woman and Man of Steel, but far ahead of the rest. I give Aquaman an 8/10, or B-.
The King of the Seven Seas awaits! Go see Aquaman, you may be surprised!
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Bumblebee (2018) Movie Review
The latest film in the Transformers franchise, Bumblebee, officially hits theaters this upcoming Thursday, December 20, 2018. I had the opportunity to utilize A-List for an early screening Saturday December 8, and I have thought about the film quite a lot since then. As for the previous films, I have very faint memories of the 1980s animated movie and as a 90s baby, I didn't grow up watching the original cartoon. I did however watch Transformers: Armada on Cartoon Network in the early 2000s, and I had some of the action figures, which I always thought were very cool. I still really like the first Michael Bay Transformers film, but I hated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. After that, I refused to give my money to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the series. However, upon seeing that Bay was relegated to a producer role (likely in name only) for Bumblebee, and after loving the trailers, I was actually very much looking forward to this film. I am thrilled to say that I not only loved Bumblebee, but I have loved it more and more upon reflecting about it.
I must commend director Travis Knight. Unfortunately, I have still not watched Knight's critically lauded Kubo and the Two Strings (I certainly will make it a priority now), but he does a superb job with this movie. The action sequences, particularly a thrilling opening sequence on Cybertron (the Autobot/Decepticon planet) are spectacular. The action is easy to follow and creative, and they are well-choreographed. Most importantly, they serve the story. There are great car chases later in the movie as well, and the visual effects are wonderful and believable. I mention action first, however, because while it is great, it is not what ultimately makes Bumblebee a great movie. What makes this movie great is it's focus on crafting a compelling story with endearing characters, something I feel is truly a first for perhaps any Transformers movie (yes, I haven't seen 3, 4, and 5, but I have heard enough about them. I did decide to rent the 3rd, though).
Firstly, I must start by saying that with the Bay Transformers films I've seen, I had an issue with the focus on the human characters. Or so...I thought I did. After Bumblebee, I realized that, while I liked Sam Witwicky and Megan Fox (yes, I'm saying Megan Fox because she was essentially herself, and I was 14 in 2007), I didn't like the parents, and the other human characters were...not characters, but gags. Bumblebee immediately gets the viewer invested in Charlie Watson, played by the monstrously talented Hailee Steinfeld. Oscar-nominated at age 13 for her performance in 2010's True Grit remake, and showcasing both comedic and dramatic range in the coming-of-age film Edge of Seventeen (2016), Steinfeld's performance in Bumblebee is equally as fantastic. Right away, the filmmakers do an excellent job introducing us to Charlie through visual storytelling.We see her getting out of bed, head to the sink, turn on some music, and start head-bobbing as she brushes her teeth. Written here, that sounds uncompelling, but somehow this character introduction immediately tells us something about Charlie. This, plus her interaction with a group of popular kids from her school shortly thereafter let us know that she is a loner, as well as her interactions with her family. The human supporting cast, from Charlie's family to her neighbor who has a crush on her, are all great as well, but Charlie Watson is the clear star aside from the titular character.
That leads to Bumblebee himself. Simply put, where Knight succeeds above ANY other Transformers film is that he makes Bumblebee, as well as the other Autobots and the villanous Deceptions, true characters and not just cool, fighting robots. Credit to that, as well as credit for making compelling human characters, goes massively to screenwriter Christina Hodson. The amazing Angela Bassett voices the film's mainly villanous Decepticon, Shatter, and she is honestly my favorite villain of the franchise thus far. Some critics may detract from the film for it's notable similarities to classics like E.T. The Extraterrestrial and The Iron Giant, but to me that was the perfect formula for this film to follow, and it is so great in its execution of that story that I love that about it. What also really enhanced Bumblebee for me is that, epic though it is, it is decidedly small-scale in relation to the other Transformers films, and does not rely on tropes of the series or other fan-favorite characters to deliver great moments. This film also manages to capture a sense of hope, magic, and wonder, which none of the previous Transformers movies did, if you ask me.
The musical score by composer Dario Marianelli is fantastic. It had a wide range of themes from fun, to suspenseful, to action/adventure, to heartwarming. The soundtrack utilizes some classic and infamous 1980s hits as well. That's another great thing about this movie, how it captures the 1980s aesthetic. Bumblebee joins Stranger Things and It (2017) in convincingly taking us back to the 1980s (even though I wasn't alive in the 1980s). But in terms of clothing, dialogue (to a lesser degree), music, filmic style, everything, it does this extremely well.
As someone who couldn't care less about most of the Michael Bay Transformers movies and who actually refused to pay to see any past the 2nd, I LOVED Bumblebee. If you are burned by the franchise, give this one a chance. It should function as an effective reboot (I don't care what anyone says, this is a REBOOT, not a prequel) for a great new set of movies. Bring Steinfeld and the other human actors back.Bumblebee a shot because it truly is the best of them by a long shot. It is another favorite of 2018 for me. After my intially viewing, I would have given it an 8.5 or B+, but after thinking on it, I give it a 9/10, which equates to an A- on my scale. See this movie!
I must commend director Travis Knight. Unfortunately, I have still not watched Knight's critically lauded Kubo and the Two Strings (I certainly will make it a priority now), but he does a superb job with this movie. The action sequences, particularly a thrilling opening sequence on Cybertron (the Autobot/Decepticon planet) are spectacular. The action is easy to follow and creative, and they are well-choreographed. Most importantly, they serve the story. There are great car chases later in the movie as well, and the visual effects are wonderful and believable. I mention action first, however, because while it is great, it is not what ultimately makes Bumblebee a great movie. What makes this movie great is it's focus on crafting a compelling story with endearing characters, something I feel is truly a first for perhaps any Transformers movie (yes, I haven't seen 3, 4, and 5, but I have heard enough about them. I did decide to rent the 3rd, though).
Firstly, I must start by saying that with the Bay Transformers films I've seen, I had an issue with the focus on the human characters. Or so...I thought I did. After Bumblebee, I realized that, while I liked Sam Witwicky and Megan Fox (yes, I'm saying Megan Fox because she was essentially herself, and I was 14 in 2007), I didn't like the parents, and the other human characters were...not characters, but gags. Bumblebee immediately gets the viewer invested in Charlie Watson, played by the monstrously talented Hailee Steinfeld. Oscar-nominated at age 13 for her performance in 2010's True Grit remake, and showcasing both comedic and dramatic range in the coming-of-age film Edge of Seventeen (2016), Steinfeld's performance in Bumblebee is equally as fantastic. Right away, the filmmakers do an excellent job introducing us to Charlie through visual storytelling.We see her getting out of bed, head to the sink, turn on some music, and start head-bobbing as she brushes her teeth. Written here, that sounds uncompelling, but somehow this character introduction immediately tells us something about Charlie. This, plus her interaction with a group of popular kids from her school shortly thereafter let us know that she is a loner, as well as her interactions with her family. The human supporting cast, from Charlie's family to her neighbor who has a crush on her, are all great as well, but Charlie Watson is the clear star aside from the titular character.
That leads to Bumblebee himself. Simply put, where Knight succeeds above ANY other Transformers film is that he makes Bumblebee, as well as the other Autobots and the villanous Deceptions, true characters and not just cool, fighting robots. Credit to that, as well as credit for making compelling human characters, goes massively to screenwriter Christina Hodson. The amazing Angela Bassett voices the film's mainly villanous Decepticon, Shatter, and she is honestly my favorite villain of the franchise thus far. Some critics may detract from the film for it's notable similarities to classics like E.T. The Extraterrestrial and The Iron Giant, but to me that was the perfect formula for this film to follow, and it is so great in its execution of that story that I love that about it. What also really enhanced Bumblebee for me is that, epic though it is, it is decidedly small-scale in relation to the other Transformers films, and does not rely on tropes of the series or other fan-favorite characters to deliver great moments. This film also manages to capture a sense of hope, magic, and wonder, which none of the previous Transformers movies did, if you ask me.
The musical score by composer Dario Marianelli is fantastic. It had a wide range of themes from fun, to suspenseful, to action/adventure, to heartwarming. The soundtrack utilizes some classic and infamous 1980s hits as well. That's another great thing about this movie, how it captures the 1980s aesthetic. Bumblebee joins Stranger Things and It (2017) in convincingly taking us back to the 1980s (even though I wasn't alive in the 1980s). But in terms of clothing, dialogue (to a lesser degree), music, filmic style, everything, it does this extremely well.
As someone who couldn't care less about most of the Michael Bay Transformers movies and who actually refused to pay to see any past the 2nd, I LOVED Bumblebee. If you are burned by the franchise, give this one a chance. It should function as an effective reboot (I don't care what anyone says, this is a REBOOT, not a prequel) for a great new set of movies. Bring Steinfeld and the other human actors back.Bumblebee a shot because it truly is the best of them by a long shot. It is another favorite of 2018 for me. After my intially viewing, I would have given it an 8.5 or B+, but after thinking on it, I give it a 9/10, which equates to an A- on my scale. See this movie!
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Movie Review
I'm going to keep this review fairly brief since this movie is still very recent, and I honestly want each of you to experience it for yourselves before I go extremely in-depth. But to start, let's just say that when it was announced some years ago that Sony was producing an animated Spider-Man feature film, I was one of the many skeptics/naysayers. Sony's last three forays with Webhead at the time were Spider-Man 3 (bleh), The Amazing Spider-Man (meh) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (BLEH!). Marvel Studios was also collaborating with Sony on the then upcoming live-action Spider-Man: Homecoming, which was coming off the heels of Spidey's successful introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the Sony/Marvel deal. Homecoming turned out great, and that only added to me questioning why on earth, aside from money, Sony needed to make a non-MCU animated Spider-Man film. The first trailer debuts, and I see that it is Miles Morales Spider-Man. Well, it's something different at least, but for me, Spider-Man had always been and always would be Peter Parker. But as more trailers air, the movie looked progressively better and more interesting to me. And then, the INSANELY good reviews for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (going to call it Spider-Verse for short after this) had me shocked and even more eager to see this movie.
As of writing this, I have seen the movie twice, although the movie is still very new to me. However (and I know I have been known to jump the gun on movie opinions when hyped, TRUST ME I know), I not only feel like Spider-Verse is my favorite Spider-Man movie (just slightly ahead of 2004's Spider-Man 2), it may also be my favorite movie of 2018 as the year nears a close. I think my reasoning is that, considering that all components of this movie (animation, voice acting, story, music, writing, characters) all mesh seamlessly, this movie SURPRISED me. Not simply in the sense that it was so much better than I thought possible, not simply in the sense that the story took very DARK turns at points (I wouldn't recommend this for extremely young viewers), but the movie elicited a real emotional response from me. Not in the crying sense (although there are moments that got me in the heartstrings), but the movie just feels so raw and honest to how it feels to be young and finding your way in life. Not only do I relate to Miles Morales' fears and struggles before and after he gains spider powers, but once he DOES fully embrace them, the movie had me gripped so tightly that it was something palpable. The way your spirits soar with Miles as he embraces his gifts are, simply put, why I love movies. I'm still thinking about particular scenes that hit me in all the right ways as a film fan, and as someone who has loved Spider-Man for most of my life. There is stuff here that is simply iconic among all superhero films.
Spider-Verse has an excellent supporting cast of characters, all of whom are well-voiced by great talent. Peter Parker has a very prominent role in this film, and a great one at that, which is refreshing considering that Miles is the main Spider-Man here, technically. Spider-Gwen (voiced by Bumblebee's Hailee Steinfeld) is simply the coolest superhero maybe ever on film (not the best, but the coolest). But this movie did something unprecedented for me. It truly made me see Miles Morales' Spider-Man on equal footing with Peter Parker's Spider-Man, something I had never ever ever thought would happen. And for that, and everything mentioned prior, Spider-Verse gets a 10/10, A+ grade from me. Well done, Sony. I won't doubt you guys so quickly next time, and I cannot wait for the inevitable Spider-Verse sequels!
As of writing this, I have seen the movie twice, although the movie is still very new to me. However (and I know I have been known to jump the gun on movie opinions when hyped, TRUST ME I know), I not only feel like Spider-Verse is my favorite Spider-Man movie (just slightly ahead of 2004's Spider-Man 2), it may also be my favorite movie of 2018 as the year nears a close. I think my reasoning is that, considering that all components of this movie (animation, voice acting, story, music, writing, characters) all mesh seamlessly, this movie SURPRISED me. Not simply in the sense that it was so much better than I thought possible, not simply in the sense that the story took very DARK turns at points (I wouldn't recommend this for extremely young viewers), but the movie elicited a real emotional response from me. Not in the crying sense (although there are moments that got me in the heartstrings), but the movie just feels so raw and honest to how it feels to be young and finding your way in life. Not only do I relate to Miles Morales' fears and struggles before and after he gains spider powers, but once he DOES fully embrace them, the movie had me gripped so tightly that it was something palpable. The way your spirits soar with Miles as he embraces his gifts are, simply put, why I love movies. I'm still thinking about particular scenes that hit me in all the right ways as a film fan, and as someone who has loved Spider-Man for most of my life. There is stuff here that is simply iconic among all superhero films.
Spider-Verse has an excellent supporting cast of characters, all of whom are well-voiced by great talent. Peter Parker has a very prominent role in this film, and a great one at that, which is refreshing considering that Miles is the main Spider-Man here, technically. Spider-Gwen (voiced by Bumblebee's Hailee Steinfeld) is simply the coolest superhero maybe ever on film (not the best, but the coolest). But this movie did something unprecedented for me. It truly made me see Miles Morales' Spider-Man on equal footing with Peter Parker's Spider-Man, something I had never ever ever thought would happen. And for that, and everything mentioned prior, Spider-Verse gets a 10/10, A+ grade from me. Well done, Sony. I won't doubt you guys so quickly next time, and I cannot wait for the inevitable Spider-Verse sequels!
Widows (2018) Movie Review
So, I"m about a month late with this review. I apologize for promising I will have a review up right away and not having it up for a month, and I will be better about that. My excuse this time is that I just graduated college, so I was caught up in the excitement of that. Anyway, you don't care, so here's my review of director Steve McQueen's Widows.
Widows revolves around a group of women whose husbands die in a failed robbery attempt, and the women decide to pull off the heist their husbands failed to do after mobsters come after them for the money. Widows caught my attention months ago even before the trailer because I actually am a fan of the Lynda La Plante British miniseries from the 1980s. That miniseries starred Ann Mitchell as the hard-nosed, no-nonsense Dolly Rawlins, the widow who assembles the group and plans out the entire heist. For Steve McQueen's film, it is Viola Davis who takes the lead, this time as Veronica Rawlins. The other widows accompanying her are Elizabeth Debicki as subservient Alice and Michelle Rodriguez as now single mother, Linda. After Carrie Coon's fourth widow backs out of the heist, singer/actress Cynthia Erivo's Belle is brought onto the crew. Notably, Liam Neeson stars in well-integrated flashbacks as Harry Rawlins, Veronica's late husband who was killed on the job. In this film, there is a political subplot revolving around a race for mayor between Colin Farrell's Jack Mulligan (constantly critiqued by his blatantly racist father, played by Robert Duvall) and Brian Tyree Henry's Jamal Manning. Jamal's brother, Jatemme, is a murderous thug played by Daniel Kaluuya of Get Out fame. The cast has some other notable actors in smaller roles.
I'm a self-professed fan of heist films, because they can offer nail-biting tension and high emotional stakes for the parties involved. I especially love when the characters having to pull off the heist are an unlikely bunch, as with the miniseries and with this film. Ultimately, Widows is a very effective film and adaptation, with the screenplay written by Gillian Flynn, author of the wonderfully twisted Gone Girl novel and screenplay. It works best when focusing on the widows' daily lives and their planning of the heist, as well as the mounting tension when the mobsters get impatient. The film is definitely pro-feminist, but it does not beat you over the head with that. These women are presented as people first, and in a dire situation that we want to see them get out of. For me, as great as Viola Davis was, Elizabeth Debicki stole the show as initially meek Alice, whom we see grow a backbone and showcase unexpected cleverness and tenacity throughout the film. Of the roles I've seen Debicki in, this is a career-defining performance for her, and she is a dark horse candidate for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar next year. Standing at 6'3", she makes for an imposing robber when the heist finally does go down. Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Erivo fit their roles very well, but they are less prominent compared to Davis and Debicki. The political storyline is interesting, if not as engaging as the build-up to the heist and the resulting heist. Kaluuya is terrifying as Jatemme Manning, a villain who kills ruthlessly not for pleasure, but out of necessity (for him). There's literally nothing in his eyes when he does these things.
Ultimately, I think McQueen excels with the build-up to the heist, and despite this being his first foray into this genre, I felt he excelled with flying colors with the heist scene itself. The heist is not the least of the film's great camerawork/cinematography, and it was actually shot at night to add to the feeling. The women wear all black, from combat boots to masks to fatigues and hoods, and the voice changers and the way they lumber into the house truly makes them sound and look like a team of men, which is their intention. The great thing about the heist is that it is quick (as though a documentary, adding to the sense of urgency), and while [[[SPOILER]]] the women pull it off, a number of things go wrong in the process, which adds to the believability that even though these women pull off a seemingly impossible heist, they are not completely smooth with it. Along the way, there are many twists and turns that I knew were coming only because they were in the miniseries, but those who have not seen that and are watching this film first may be surprised. The big twist is very well handled here.
As for flaws, my main one has to do with a subplot involving Harry and Veronica's son who was of mixed race and wrongly shot and killed by a police officer. McQueen makes plenty of social commentary, and some of it feels quite seamlessly integrated into the narrative, but I felt like this added storyline felt a bit shoehorned into the movie. It didn't fit quite as well into the script as I would have liked, and I could have done without it. That said, things do come full circle by the end, and I was much more accepting of that plot point by the end. So that is a very minor quibble for me.
Overall, Steve McQueen's version of Widows works very well, and in spite of a small misstep, is still one of my favorite movies of 2018; consider that I have seen more movies in theaters this year than any year prior, having previously had MoviePass (RIP...) and now A-List (love it). While 12 Years a Slave is what many will consider a better and more significant film, I prefer Widows if not only for sheer re-watchability. While I enjoyed Ocean's 8 more than most, Widows is undoubtedly the better film and it handles the female empowerment aspect much more deftly. This will be a definite Blu-Ray buy for me. Widows gets an 8.5/10, or B+!
Widows revolves around a group of women whose husbands die in a failed robbery attempt, and the women decide to pull off the heist their husbands failed to do after mobsters come after them for the money. Widows caught my attention months ago even before the trailer because I actually am a fan of the Lynda La Plante British miniseries from the 1980s. That miniseries starred Ann Mitchell as the hard-nosed, no-nonsense Dolly Rawlins, the widow who assembles the group and plans out the entire heist. For Steve McQueen's film, it is Viola Davis who takes the lead, this time as Veronica Rawlins. The other widows accompanying her are Elizabeth Debicki as subservient Alice and Michelle Rodriguez as now single mother, Linda. After Carrie Coon's fourth widow backs out of the heist, singer/actress Cynthia Erivo's Belle is brought onto the crew. Notably, Liam Neeson stars in well-integrated flashbacks as Harry Rawlins, Veronica's late husband who was killed on the job. In this film, there is a political subplot revolving around a race for mayor between Colin Farrell's Jack Mulligan (constantly critiqued by his blatantly racist father, played by Robert Duvall) and Brian Tyree Henry's Jamal Manning. Jamal's brother, Jatemme, is a murderous thug played by Daniel Kaluuya of Get Out fame. The cast has some other notable actors in smaller roles.
I'm a self-professed fan of heist films, because they can offer nail-biting tension and high emotional stakes for the parties involved. I especially love when the characters having to pull off the heist are an unlikely bunch, as with the miniseries and with this film. Ultimately, Widows is a very effective film and adaptation, with the screenplay written by Gillian Flynn, author of the wonderfully twisted Gone Girl novel and screenplay. It works best when focusing on the widows' daily lives and their planning of the heist, as well as the mounting tension when the mobsters get impatient. The film is definitely pro-feminist, but it does not beat you over the head with that. These women are presented as people first, and in a dire situation that we want to see them get out of. For me, as great as Viola Davis was, Elizabeth Debicki stole the show as initially meek Alice, whom we see grow a backbone and showcase unexpected cleverness and tenacity throughout the film. Of the roles I've seen Debicki in, this is a career-defining performance for her, and she is a dark horse candidate for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar next year. Standing at 6'3", she makes for an imposing robber when the heist finally does go down. Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Erivo fit their roles very well, but they are less prominent compared to Davis and Debicki. The political storyline is interesting, if not as engaging as the build-up to the heist and the resulting heist. Kaluuya is terrifying as Jatemme Manning, a villain who kills ruthlessly not for pleasure, but out of necessity (for him). There's literally nothing in his eyes when he does these things.
Ultimately, I think McQueen excels with the build-up to the heist, and despite this being his first foray into this genre, I felt he excelled with flying colors with the heist scene itself. The heist is not the least of the film's great camerawork/cinematography, and it was actually shot at night to add to the feeling. The women wear all black, from combat boots to masks to fatigues and hoods, and the voice changers and the way they lumber into the house truly makes them sound and look like a team of men, which is their intention. The great thing about the heist is that it is quick (as though a documentary, adding to the sense of urgency), and while [[[SPOILER]]] the women pull it off, a number of things go wrong in the process, which adds to the believability that even though these women pull off a seemingly impossible heist, they are not completely smooth with it. Along the way, there are many twists and turns that I knew were coming only because they were in the miniseries, but those who have not seen that and are watching this film first may be surprised. The big twist is very well handled here.
As for flaws, my main one has to do with a subplot involving Harry and Veronica's son who was of mixed race and wrongly shot and killed by a police officer. McQueen makes plenty of social commentary, and some of it feels quite seamlessly integrated into the narrative, but I felt like this added storyline felt a bit shoehorned into the movie. It didn't fit quite as well into the script as I would have liked, and I could have done without it. That said, things do come full circle by the end, and I was much more accepting of that plot point by the end. So that is a very minor quibble for me.
Overall, Steve McQueen's version of Widows works very well, and in spite of a small misstep, is still one of my favorite movies of 2018; consider that I have seen more movies in theaters this year than any year prior, having previously had MoviePass (RIP...) and now A-List (love it). While 12 Years a Slave is what many will consider a better and more significant film, I prefer Widows if not only for sheer re-watchability. While I enjoyed Ocean's 8 more than most, Widows is undoubtedly the better film and it handles the female empowerment aspect much more deftly. This will be a definite Blu-Ray buy for me. Widows gets an 8.5/10, or B+!
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