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+!
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
The Dark Knight (2008) Movie Review
For many moviegoers, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear The Dark Knight is not its titular character, nor director Christopher Nolan, nor DC comics. They first think of the late Heath Ledger's turn as the Clown Prince of Crime and Batman's archnemesis, the Joker. I remember a time before Ledger's tragic and untimely passing, a time in which he was announced to play the Joker, and a large amount of internet commentators said that they didn't want "the gay cowboy from Brokeback Mountain" (their words, not mine!) following Jack Nicholson's classically cuckoo performance as the Joker. Others were a bit less vitriolic, being cautiously optimistic but also holding reservations that Ledger could pull off such a demanding role. And others were not only excited that Nolan's acclaimed reboot Batman Begins (2005) was getting a sequel, they were also just excited that the Joker would once again feature in a live-action Batman film. I still remember the viral marketing campaign of "Why so serious?" posters and "I believe in Harvey Dent" slogans. This film had been shaping up to be not just a movie, but an event long before Ledger's death.
Of course, the rest is history. The Dark Knight recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and ten years later it is easier to distinguish whether or not its general consensus was sincere or a product of hype. By and large, the massive critical acclaim the film has received is sincere. The Dark Knight not only feels like a sequel to Batman Begins, it also feels like a stand-alone. In fact, a lot of casual moviegoers in 2008 were unaware that The Dark Knight was a sequel. Upon its release and since, no other Batman film has been praised or analyzed to the degree or extent that The Dark Knight has.
The cast is, once again, excellent, with its weakest link being Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, who was recast in the role after Katie Holmes had to leave the project over scheduling conflicts. As with Katie Holmes, in Gyllenhaal's defense, the character is pretty bland, mostly serving as a reason for Bruce Wayne to want to abandon the cape and cowl someday. Christian Bale is once again fantastic as Bruce Wayne and Batman, pullinh off both the playboy and the authentic Wayne, as well as believably transforming into the Batman. Over the years, I've had a love-hate relationship with Bale's signature Bat-growl. As of writing this review in 2018, I love the voice. It is memorable, transformative, and fun to imitate (although my tonsils hate me for it).
Equally fantastic is Michael Caine as Wayne butler and father-figure, Alfred. The Nolan films truly contain the best depiction of the Bruce Wayne and Alfred relationship. Alfred serves as the voice of reason, often seeing things before Bruce Wayne does. It is obvious to the audience that Alfred is trying to protect a man who is essentially a son to him. Morgan Freeman is once again a welcome addition as Lucius Fox, keeping Wayne Enterprises afloat and desigining cool gadgets for Batman. The always terrific and versatile Gary Oldman especially shines here as Commissioner Gordon, who, on his crusade against crime and corruption, manages to still be blind to much of the corruption directly in front of him. In other words, he is both heroic, inspiring, and flawed. And Aaron Eckhart is riveting as both Gotham's white knight, district attorney Harvey Dent, and the warped, damaged, tragic alter ego Two-Face. As Dent, Eckhart portrays the character occasionally behaving in morally questionable ways when not in the public, such as flipping a coin to decide whether or not he shoots a mentally insane patient that the Joker manipulated, which makes his fall from grace in Act 3 that much more believable.
That leaves Heath Ledger as the Joker, a role for which he was posthumously awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Even if Ledger had not won the Oscar had he lived to see his performance, the argument that he should have won could still be made. When I watch his performance, I do not see any trace of Ledger...I see the most frightening film iteration of the Joker yet. From laughs ranging in length, rhythm, and pitch, to the way he roars "LOOK AT ME!" at one of his torture victims like the devil incarnate, it is truly something to behold. The role is not only defined by his line delivery or costume design and makeup (which definitely adds a lot, giving us a grungier, more unhinged-looking Joker), but also by the way he moves and the subtle, odd mannerisms. There's the way he often flicks his tongue in between pauses while talking, for one. There's the way he uses his hands in wild gestures. He is the perfect antithesis to Bale's stoic (and sometimes unfairly called "boring") Dark Knight. Batman is a character with a strict moral code of not killing. The Joker is the exact opposite, an agent of chaos who delights in murder. The film pushes the issue of the opposing force of good and evil coming to a head, both Batman and the Joker being physical embodiments of that eternal struggle. For me, the moment most illustrative of this is the moment where The Dark Knight crosses over into "classic" territory: the interrogation room sequence. Most of you reading this need no explanation as to why I feel this way. Essentially, Batman loses his cool because both he and the Joker realize that Batman cannot intimidate the Joker to get information. The Joker LAUGHS as Batman beats him to a pulp because he wants to corrupt Batman. Ultimately, that is the only thing the Joker fails to do (to prove that Batman and the most of the citizens of Gotham can be corrupted), as depicted in another classic-cementing moment. In this sequence, Batman drops the Joker from the edge of a tall building before the Joker can detonate the ferries, after Gotham's citizens on either ferry proved the Joker wrong and did not detonate the other (there's nothing saying that BOTH ferries wouldn't have blown up anyway, which is clearly what the Joker was going to do himself). The Joker is cackling madly as he seemingly falls to his death, only to cease immediately as Batman's grappling hook finds him. Batman raises the Joker up until they are face-to-face, with the Joker hanging upside down. Nolan then has the camera rotate upside down, so that the Joker appears to be dangling upward; in my opinion, it is his way of showing thatr ultimately, the Joker is elated. Batman is his only true challenge, and as Joker states, he is an unstoppable force that has met an immovable object. Meanwhile, he has still managed to corrupt Harvey Dent, even if not the people of Gotham. Harvey, as Joker gleefully tells Batman, in his ace in the whole. To Batman's horror, the Joker tells him how he twisted Harvey Dent into a monster, and just before Gotham's SWAT team arrives atop the building to take him in, he gives his final line (and my personal favorite of his MANY great lines): "See, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push."
While hand-to-hand fight choreography has never been Nolan's strongest point as a director (excluding Inception), they are still shot better than in Batman Begins, and fortunately aren't the main focus here anyway. The standout action setpiece of The Dark Knight is Batman on his Tumbler (Batmobile which later self-destructs to form a bike) going after the Joker. And even this feels very small scale relative to other contemporary blockbusters, which is certainly no slight on the film. In fact, it impresses me more and more to this day. Nolan has always made extensive use of practical effects over computer-generated imagery whenever possible, and this film is no exception. Therefore, the film has not aged at all visually; it looks timeless.
The big advantage Nolan gives The Dark Knight, and the reason it transcends the superhero film genre, is that it is more of a crime drama like Michael Mann's Heat (Nolan has cited this as a primary inspiration). Much of The Dark Knight is wrought with slow-burning tension, much like the three-hour Heat. This is a big reason why I no longer criticize the ferry scene, because its length, Hans Zimmer's score, and the close-ups of Gotham's citizens on either ferry add so much memorable suspense to the film.
That leads me to Zimmer's score. While his theme for Batman isn't as hummable as Danny Elfman's main theme for Tim Burton's 1989 film, it still manages to be quite beautiful, memorable, multilayered, and representative of the caped crusader. It also is evolved from Zimmer's main theme from Batman Begins, into something more poignant and defined. In contrast, Zimmer's Joker theme is more chaotic and uninged, like the character it represents. It sounds very unpredictable, the violin strings sharp-edged. His melody is somewhat akin to the shark's from Jaws (Zimmer, I believe, has compared his Joker theme to the iconic Jaws notes). It is uneasy, slowly building up to the reveal of the monster. When the monster is revealed, the music is at its loudest and harshest. When it comes to District Attorney Harvey Dent, the theme is hopeful and heroic, and for the "fallen angel" Two-Face, it is tragic and twisted. And the theme when Batman allows himself to be framed for Dent's murders at the end is heroically tragic and hopeful at the same time.
I could go on and on about The Dark Knight and what it has done for superhero films and big blockbusters. Maybe someday in a podcast, I'll explore it more. As Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon states, "He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight." I give The Dark Knight a 9.5/10, which is also an A+ on my scale! How about you? Thanks for reading!
Of course, the rest is history. The Dark Knight recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and ten years later it is easier to distinguish whether or not its general consensus was sincere or a product of hype. By and large, the massive critical acclaim the film has received is sincere. The Dark Knight not only feels like a sequel to Batman Begins, it also feels like a stand-alone. In fact, a lot of casual moviegoers in 2008 were unaware that The Dark Knight was a sequel. Upon its release and since, no other Batman film has been praised or analyzed to the degree or extent that The Dark Knight has.
The cast is, once again, excellent, with its weakest link being Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, who was recast in the role after Katie Holmes had to leave the project over scheduling conflicts. As with Katie Holmes, in Gyllenhaal's defense, the character is pretty bland, mostly serving as a reason for Bruce Wayne to want to abandon the cape and cowl someday. Christian Bale is once again fantastic as Bruce Wayne and Batman, pullinh off both the playboy and the authentic Wayne, as well as believably transforming into the Batman. Over the years, I've had a love-hate relationship with Bale's signature Bat-growl. As of writing this review in 2018, I love the voice. It is memorable, transformative, and fun to imitate (although my tonsils hate me for it).
Equally fantastic is Michael Caine as Wayne butler and father-figure, Alfred. The Nolan films truly contain the best depiction of the Bruce Wayne and Alfred relationship. Alfred serves as the voice of reason, often seeing things before Bruce Wayne does. It is obvious to the audience that Alfred is trying to protect a man who is essentially a son to him. Morgan Freeman is once again a welcome addition as Lucius Fox, keeping Wayne Enterprises afloat and desigining cool gadgets for Batman. The always terrific and versatile Gary Oldman especially shines here as Commissioner Gordon, who, on his crusade against crime and corruption, manages to still be blind to much of the corruption directly in front of him. In other words, he is both heroic, inspiring, and flawed. And Aaron Eckhart is riveting as both Gotham's white knight, district attorney Harvey Dent, and the warped, damaged, tragic alter ego Two-Face. As Dent, Eckhart portrays the character occasionally behaving in morally questionable ways when not in the public, such as flipping a coin to decide whether or not he shoots a mentally insane patient that the Joker manipulated, which makes his fall from grace in Act 3 that much more believable.
That leaves Heath Ledger as the Joker, a role for which he was posthumously awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Even if Ledger had not won the Oscar had he lived to see his performance, the argument that he should have won could still be made. When I watch his performance, I do not see any trace of Ledger...I see the most frightening film iteration of the Joker yet. From laughs ranging in length, rhythm, and pitch, to the way he roars "LOOK AT ME!" at one of his torture victims like the devil incarnate, it is truly something to behold. The role is not only defined by his line delivery or costume design and makeup (which definitely adds a lot, giving us a grungier, more unhinged-looking Joker), but also by the way he moves and the subtle, odd mannerisms. There's the way he often flicks his tongue in between pauses while talking, for one. There's the way he uses his hands in wild gestures. He is the perfect antithesis to Bale's stoic (and sometimes unfairly called "boring") Dark Knight. Batman is a character with a strict moral code of not killing. The Joker is the exact opposite, an agent of chaos who delights in murder. The film pushes the issue of the opposing force of good and evil coming to a head, both Batman and the Joker being physical embodiments of that eternal struggle. For me, the moment most illustrative of this is the moment where The Dark Knight crosses over into "classic" territory: the interrogation room sequence. Most of you reading this need no explanation as to why I feel this way. Essentially, Batman loses his cool because both he and the Joker realize that Batman cannot intimidate the Joker to get information. The Joker LAUGHS as Batman beats him to a pulp because he wants to corrupt Batman. Ultimately, that is the only thing the Joker fails to do (to prove that Batman and the most of the citizens of Gotham can be corrupted), as depicted in another classic-cementing moment. In this sequence, Batman drops the Joker from the edge of a tall building before the Joker can detonate the ferries, after Gotham's citizens on either ferry proved the Joker wrong and did not detonate the other (there's nothing saying that BOTH ferries wouldn't have blown up anyway, which is clearly what the Joker was going to do himself). The Joker is cackling madly as he seemingly falls to his death, only to cease immediately as Batman's grappling hook finds him. Batman raises the Joker up until they are face-to-face, with the Joker hanging upside down. Nolan then has the camera rotate upside down, so that the Joker appears to be dangling upward; in my opinion, it is his way of showing thatr ultimately, the Joker is elated. Batman is his only true challenge, and as Joker states, he is an unstoppable force that has met an immovable object. Meanwhile, he has still managed to corrupt Harvey Dent, even if not the people of Gotham. Harvey, as Joker gleefully tells Batman, in his ace in the whole. To Batman's horror, the Joker tells him how he twisted Harvey Dent into a monster, and just before Gotham's SWAT team arrives atop the building to take him in, he gives his final line (and my personal favorite of his MANY great lines): "See, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push."
While hand-to-hand fight choreography has never been Nolan's strongest point as a director (excluding Inception), they are still shot better than in Batman Begins, and fortunately aren't the main focus here anyway. The standout action setpiece of The Dark Knight is Batman on his Tumbler (Batmobile which later self-destructs to form a bike) going after the Joker. And even this feels very small scale relative to other contemporary blockbusters, which is certainly no slight on the film. In fact, it impresses me more and more to this day. Nolan has always made extensive use of practical effects over computer-generated imagery whenever possible, and this film is no exception. Therefore, the film has not aged at all visually; it looks timeless.
The big advantage Nolan gives The Dark Knight, and the reason it transcends the superhero film genre, is that it is more of a crime drama like Michael Mann's Heat (Nolan has cited this as a primary inspiration). Much of The Dark Knight is wrought with slow-burning tension, much like the three-hour Heat. This is a big reason why I no longer criticize the ferry scene, because its length, Hans Zimmer's score, and the close-ups of Gotham's citizens on either ferry add so much memorable suspense to the film.
That leads me to Zimmer's score. While his theme for Batman isn't as hummable as Danny Elfman's main theme for Tim Burton's 1989 film, it still manages to be quite beautiful, memorable, multilayered, and representative of the caped crusader. It also is evolved from Zimmer's main theme from Batman Begins, into something more poignant and defined. In contrast, Zimmer's Joker theme is more chaotic and uninged, like the character it represents. It sounds very unpredictable, the violin strings sharp-edged. His melody is somewhat akin to the shark's from Jaws (Zimmer, I believe, has compared his Joker theme to the iconic Jaws notes). It is uneasy, slowly building up to the reveal of the monster. When the monster is revealed, the music is at its loudest and harshest. When it comes to District Attorney Harvey Dent, the theme is hopeful and heroic, and for the "fallen angel" Two-Face, it is tragic and twisted. And the theme when Batman allows himself to be framed for Dent's murders at the end is heroically tragic and hopeful at the same time.
I could go on and on about The Dark Knight and what it has done for superhero films and big blockbusters. Maybe someday in a podcast, I'll explore it more. As Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon states, "He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight." I give The Dark Knight a 9.5/10, which is also an A+ on my scale! How about you? Thanks for reading!
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Batman Begins (2005) Movie Review
It's easy to take Batman Begins for granted in a post-The Dark Knight world. While Batman Begins' more popular 2008 sequel rightfully gets acknowledged for being a superhero movie that is primarily a crime drama, the successful relaunch of the Caped Crusader hinged on Batman Begins. Believe it or not, at one point, Batman was not a recipe for box office success (in fact, as the more recent Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League indicate, he isn't today, either). After Joel Schumacher's trainwreck/hilarious-as-a-comedy Batman & Robin (1997) singlehandedly dismantled the movie franchise, Warner Bros. was afraid to touch another Batman film for a long time. After more failed attempts to continue/resurrect the franchise (seeing as Batman & Robin was both a critical and financial failure), the ball finally got rolling with Christopher Nolan's script for Batman Begins (yes, David S. Goyer is credited as the writer, but Nolan himself did a ton of touch-ups on the script). Batman Begins was both a critical and financial success, not a massive financial success, but still a sucess nonetheless. But it really is the film's cult following after DVD sales that spurred it to become such a beloved film. It took the character of Batman seriously, setting him in a grounded world that felt real (even with its fantastical elements, bolstering an era where comic book movies took themselves a bit more seriously (for better or worse depending on the film).
I was 12 in 2005 when Batman Begins came out, and I first saw it on a DVD my mom rented from Blockbuster (RIP). I remember liking the film, but not loving it. I remember liking 2006's Superman Returns more, and I think it was because it was more superhero-y. Sure, Batman was always a more grounded character even in his comics, but Batman Begins felt too serious and boring to me at the time. Fortunately, age 13 was when I started development different sensibilities about film, so I revisited Batman Begins soon afterward and fell in love with it. Eventually, The Dark Knight was announced, giving me more of a reason to revisit this film's ending scene with the Joker's calling card. But the rest of that movie before the ending was enough reason to.
Batman Begins gives us an in-depth origin story of the Batman, simultaneously cutting between Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham after being gone for 8 years training, to flashbacks of his childhood. The most notable flashback is the most well-known aspect: young Bruce Wayne and his parents leave a play of Zorro early because Bruce is afraid of bats, and Bruce's mother and father get robbed and murdered by Joe Chill in a dark alley. While Batman Begins is an even better re-watch now that Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy is complete, it was already a great watch beforehand. The acting all across the board is strong. Christian Bale is excellent at capturing all aspects of a younger Bruce Wayne, from guilt to sadness to rage to love to a yearning to do good. Michael Caine as his father figure and butler to the Wayne family is equally excellent and convincing. Other standouts are Liam Neeson, Bruce's mentor who taught him the necessary skills to become the Batman, who (in a twist that was surprising to me when I first saw the movie) turns out to be the film's main villain, Ras Al Ghul. Tom Wilkinson is particularly despicable and entertaining as mob boss Carmine Falcone, chewing up every scene he is in. Morgan Freeman is very good as Bruce's Q, Lucius Fox. Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow is believable as a lunatic masquerading as a sane individual, and Katie Holmes is adequate but pretty bland as the (also pretty bland) Rachel Dawes.
The action sequences are overall well done...except for the fight scenes. Hand-to-hand fight scenes Nolan's biggest weakness as a filmmaker, in my opinion, although he has come a long way since this film. The hand-to-hand scene are shot with a lot of shaky cam, and the choreography you can make out is sketchy and often unconvincing. That said, the staging for them is excellent. The cinematography is very good, capturing the bleakness of Gotham while also making it feel realistic. And Han's Zimmer's score, while not instantly memorable in the way that Danny Elfman's Batman 1989 theme is, is absolutely riveting and still memorable in its own way.
It's ultimately the writing and story of this film that shine. The common theme is conquering one's fears to become something more. My favorite scene in the entire film is not even a "Batman" scene, but it is, in my mind, the scene in which Bruce Wayne first becomes Batman in his head. It's when he faces Carmine Falcone, only for Falcone to show him (indicating throughout the club) that he has plenty of corrupt cops and a judge in his pocket. You can practically feel the rage emitting from Bale as Bruce Wayne, as well as the gloating from Wilkinson's Falcone for putting a rich, spoiled playboy in his place. This is definitely the scene that made me fall in love with this movie. And it makes the first appearance of the Batman where he takes out Falcone's thugs and apprehends Falcone that much sweeter.
I have a lot more I could say about this film, but that will be saved for any future in-depth discussions I write about the film. Batman Begins gets a strong 9/10 (A-) from me. How about from you?
Monday, July 16, 2018
Ant-Man & the Wasp (2018) Movie Review
THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS
Thanks to the wonderful new AMC Stubs A-List program ( I promise I'm not a sponsor), I watched Ant-Man & the Wasp three times in a row between the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of its debut week. Two of those times were in Dolby Cinema, which is a fantastic way to watch a film if your ears aren't too sensitive, particularly a blockbuster film like this.
Ant-Man & the Wasp is the 20th Marvel Cinematic Universe ("MCU" for short) film, coming hot off the heels of the massive Avengers: Infinity War. While the smaller scale may result in less interest for some moviegoers, for many (myself among them), this smaller, more self-contained superhero film is a breath of fresh air. In fact, as fun and as self-contained as Ant-Man (2015) was, I would make the argument that Ant-Man & the Wasp is even more self-contained. By the way, that definitely is no slight on the fantastic Infinity War (more on that in another review).
So, what are my overall thoughts on this movie? It has been over a week, and my thoughts have mostly stayed the same, although I have listened to varying thoughts which I feel have further shaped my perspective. The takeaway here is that I had a blast watching this movie all three times, and may see it one more time during its theatrical run! I don't have any strong problems with the movie, but I do think certain criticisms are valid. The flaws are just inoffensive to me as a viewer because both this and the first Ant-Man are fun, inoffensive movies in that regard. That said, I will still address the flaws in order to be fair. I will start with Walter Goggins' villain (whose name I don't even remember). While he makes for some humorous moments (and an incredible action sequence I will get to momentarily), his character is somewhat of a distraction any time he pops up. There is also Randall Parks' FBI agent character. While hilarious, he's pretty unbelievable as a top FBI agent and is essentially a doofus. Obviously that was the point, but I think a slightly more grounded approach could have worked better and added more emotional stakes for Scott Lang, who is almost done with two years of house arrest after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Furthermore, the story of this movie, while nice and streamlined, is mainly focused around retrieving Janet Pym from the Quantum Realm, and probably could have been a 15 minute short movie, and everything else in the movie just seems like obstacles created to get in the way of that one thing. And while I thought Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost was an interesting character, the way her backstory is presented to the audience is an expedition dump that, while it is supposed to make us care about her character, doesn't really do so in my opinion. Lastly, Peyton Reed's direction, as with the first film, while adequate, is quite bland and really does make me wonder how Edgar Wright (who directed 2017's excellent Baby Driver among other cult favorites) would have done with the direction.
That makes it sound like I dislike the film, right? Well, I certainly don't! While I acknowledge these things to be legitimate flaws, I still love Ant-Man & the Wasp much I like love the first Ant-Man. In fact, I think I love the sequel slightly more, although further viewings will tell. The main ingredient to me loving this film is Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/the Wasp. Hope was one of the best aspects of the original. With her sleek bob cut, fighting prowess, intellect, and cool, confident demeanor, Hope was overqualified for having a superhero suit of her own, even moreso that skilled master thief and ex-con Scott Lang. The only reason she did not get one in that film was because her father, scientist and original Ant-Man Hank Pym (played in both films by Michael Douglas) wanted to protect his daughter. Let's just say that Hope's "It's about damn time" at the end of the first film is fully realized in the sequel. She. Is. Awesome. In her first action and most notable sequence, she takes down Walter Goggins and his thugs in brutal, creative ways, using a combo of her suit and her own martial arts prowess. The choreography is excellent her, some of the best of any MCU film. The suit itself is a departure from the comics, but I love it. I'm sure the classic black-and-yellow bodysuit would have been great as well, but I love everything about this suit and how confidently Evangeline wears it. I almost think this film should have been called The Wasp & Ant-Man instead just because she really is the star here.
That is no slight on the great Paul Rudd, who once again brings his genuine goofy likability back to his role as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. He is just as terrific here, and thankfully Scott Lang is not downplayed to make Hope seem cooler or smarter. Scott continues to brings his own set of skills to his role as Ant-Man, and I think his best moments are those tender moments with his daughter Cassie, played by the talented and adorable Abby Ryder Forston. Also, while I mentioned aspects of Ghost being flaws of the film, I did like the character and Hannah John-Kamen's performance. And Laurence Fishburne's character Dr. Bill Foster helps me care more for Ghost than I otherwise would, since he provides yet another father-daughter relationship (in this case, being a surrogate father to Ghost).
Michael Douglas is once again great as Hank Pym, bringing wacky intelligence, humanity and hilarity to his performance. Michelle Pfeiffer doesn't have much to do here, but she definitely does well as Janet van Dyne. Michael Pena, David Dastmalchian, and T.I. are all once again hilarious as Scott's ex-con buddies. The visuals are consistently great, and the Quantum Realm is certainly interesting to look at. Christophe Beck's musical score is once again fun, particularly his main Ant-Man and Wasp themes. And the mid-credits scene is perhaps the best of any film in the MCU thus far (hint: Infinity War tie-in).
Does Ant-Man & the Wasp suffer from certain flaws? Sure, it does. I still thoroughly enjoy this latest entry into the MCU, and I give it an 8.5/10 or B+, although I think the 3rd film in the Ant-Man series should hire a different director for a fresher take on it. How about you?
Thanks to the wonderful new AMC Stubs A-List program ( I promise I'm not a sponsor), I watched Ant-Man & the Wasp three times in a row between the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of its debut week. Two of those times were in Dolby Cinema, which is a fantastic way to watch a film if your ears aren't too sensitive, particularly a blockbuster film like this.
Ant-Man & the Wasp is the 20th Marvel Cinematic Universe ("MCU" for short) film, coming hot off the heels of the massive Avengers: Infinity War. While the smaller scale may result in less interest for some moviegoers, for many (myself among them), this smaller, more self-contained superhero film is a breath of fresh air. In fact, as fun and as self-contained as Ant-Man (2015) was, I would make the argument that Ant-Man & the Wasp is even more self-contained. By the way, that definitely is no slight on the fantastic Infinity War (more on that in another review).
So, what are my overall thoughts on this movie? It has been over a week, and my thoughts have mostly stayed the same, although I have listened to varying thoughts which I feel have further shaped my perspective. The takeaway here is that I had a blast watching this movie all three times, and may see it one more time during its theatrical run! I don't have any strong problems with the movie, but I do think certain criticisms are valid. The flaws are just inoffensive to me as a viewer because both this and the first Ant-Man are fun, inoffensive movies in that regard. That said, I will still address the flaws in order to be fair. I will start with Walter Goggins' villain (whose name I don't even remember). While he makes for some humorous moments (and an incredible action sequence I will get to momentarily), his character is somewhat of a distraction any time he pops up. There is also Randall Parks' FBI agent character. While hilarious, he's pretty unbelievable as a top FBI agent and is essentially a doofus. Obviously that was the point, but I think a slightly more grounded approach could have worked better and added more emotional stakes for Scott Lang, who is almost done with two years of house arrest after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Furthermore, the story of this movie, while nice and streamlined, is mainly focused around retrieving Janet Pym from the Quantum Realm, and probably could have been a 15 minute short movie, and everything else in the movie just seems like obstacles created to get in the way of that one thing. And while I thought Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost was an interesting character, the way her backstory is presented to the audience is an expedition dump that, while it is supposed to make us care about her character, doesn't really do so in my opinion. Lastly, Peyton Reed's direction, as with the first film, while adequate, is quite bland and really does make me wonder how Edgar Wright (who directed 2017's excellent Baby Driver among other cult favorites) would have done with the direction.
That makes it sound like I dislike the film, right? Well, I certainly don't! While I acknowledge these things to be legitimate flaws, I still love Ant-Man & the Wasp much I like love the first Ant-Man. In fact, I think I love the sequel slightly more, although further viewings will tell. The main ingredient to me loving this film is Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/the Wasp. Hope was one of the best aspects of the original. With her sleek bob cut, fighting prowess, intellect, and cool, confident demeanor, Hope was overqualified for having a superhero suit of her own, even moreso that skilled master thief and ex-con Scott Lang. The only reason she did not get one in that film was because her father, scientist and original Ant-Man Hank Pym (played in both films by Michael Douglas) wanted to protect his daughter. Let's just say that Hope's "It's about damn time" at the end of the first film is fully realized in the sequel. She. Is. Awesome. In her first action and most notable sequence, she takes down Walter Goggins and his thugs in brutal, creative ways, using a combo of her suit and her own martial arts prowess. The choreography is excellent her, some of the best of any MCU film. The suit itself is a departure from the comics, but I love it. I'm sure the classic black-and-yellow bodysuit would have been great as well, but I love everything about this suit and how confidently Evangeline wears it. I almost think this film should have been called The Wasp & Ant-Man instead just because she really is the star here.
That is no slight on the great Paul Rudd, who once again brings his genuine goofy likability back to his role as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. He is just as terrific here, and thankfully Scott Lang is not downplayed to make Hope seem cooler or smarter. Scott continues to brings his own set of skills to his role as Ant-Man, and I think his best moments are those tender moments with his daughter Cassie, played by the talented and adorable Abby Ryder Forston. Also, while I mentioned aspects of Ghost being flaws of the film, I did like the character and Hannah John-Kamen's performance. And Laurence Fishburne's character Dr. Bill Foster helps me care more for Ghost than I otherwise would, since he provides yet another father-daughter relationship (in this case, being a surrogate father to Ghost).
Michael Douglas is once again great as Hank Pym, bringing wacky intelligence, humanity and hilarity to his performance. Michelle Pfeiffer doesn't have much to do here, but she definitely does well as Janet van Dyne. Michael Pena, David Dastmalchian, and T.I. are all once again hilarious as Scott's ex-con buddies. The visuals are consistently great, and the Quantum Realm is certainly interesting to look at. Christophe Beck's musical score is once again fun, particularly his main Ant-Man and Wasp themes. And the mid-credits scene is perhaps the best of any film in the MCU thus far (hint: Infinity War tie-in).
Does Ant-Man & the Wasp suffer from certain flaws? Sure, it does. I still thoroughly enjoy this latest entry into the MCU, and I give it an 8.5/10 or B+, although I think the 3rd film in the Ant-Man series should hire a different director for a fresher take on it. How about you?
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