|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jul 30, 2022 7:16:45 GMT -5
X-Men (2000). X-tremely underrated/underappreciated... If Mission: Impossible II hadn't prevented Dougray Scott from playing Wolverine, the then-unknown-outside-of-Australia Hugh Jackman would’ve never be cast instead…which would’ve been a crying shame, as his portrayal of the character is truly iconic (I can't imagine anyone else having played the role, and whoever they recast the part with in the future will have BIG shoes to fill/a lot to live up to). From the moment he's introduced, Jackman’s Logan makes a HUGE impact. We see how dangerous he is (I still remember being impressed with the close-up of Logan's middle claw slowly coming out. The practical effect for that *one* shot was much-appreciated), but he also exudes charm and the film isn't afraid to show he’s kind of a jerk, as evidenced by the way he treats his young stowaway, Rogue. I thought the whole Wolverine/Rouge relationship (he starts out not caring about her, but they gradually form a bond, and he eventually becomes a protective 'older brother'/'father'-type figure towards her) was well-done...even if it was totally different to the comics. For all the crap Anna Paquin gets for her Rogue, she and Hugh Jackman made their dynamic work onscreen. As a fan of Rogue from the comics/animated series, I probably should’ve been ticked off at how the movie changed her character, but just like how Jackman’s Wolverine doesn’t exactly resemble his comic-book counterpart, this Rogue is simply ‘different’, and I certainly don't hold Paquin responsible. She did the best she could with what she was given (even if she faded in and out of her ‘Southern’ accent half the time). I can separate the film version from the comics/animated series version (though I'd still like to see a comics-accurate live-action version someday). I liked how she casually said “I’m Rogue.” when she introduced herself to Logan and they commented on each other's names they'd given themselves (I was surprised to hear her REAL name in the film’s beginning, as I’d never known it beforehand). This, combined with Logan later snorting at the names ‘Sabretooth’, ‘Storm’ and ‘Cyclops’, helped acknowledge the bizarreness of the characters' names without disrespecting them since Logan himself has one/calls the others by theirs (it also gave us the amusing "What do they call you? Wheels?" line). It was the same deal with the uniforms and Cyclops referencing yellow spandex (really, HOW would they have achieved that look without it appearing ridiculous? Their film costumes may be mostly black, but also have hints of colour/their comic-book costumes). Unlike some, I had no problem with Famke Janssen as Jean Grey or James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops. I always found Jean fairly 'nondescript' in the comics/animated series (like, every other character's appearance stood out, but the only thing I ever remembered about Jean was her red hair), so I thought Janssen looked 'right' for this part. Marsden (SO unlucky in films) had the whole 'boy scout' thing working for his Cyclops and I thought his antagonistic relationship with Logan proved quite fun. Obviously Marsden got screwed character development/screentime-wise, but the problem was never him as an actor. Neither did I have any issues with Halle Berry’s Storm, her accent or wig (it mightn't be the MOST-convincing, but she makes it work for her). I also didn't fixate on her "Do you know what happens to a toad" line. I think people were mostly just confused about what the 'point' of it was. I read somewhere that Joss Whedon intended the line to be delivered a completely different way to how Berry did it. She said it all serious-like, whereas it was supposed to be said in a casual/dismissive kind of way (a clear case of those who used Whedon's dialogue not GETTING it at all). Whenever anyone cites that line as 'proof' of Whedon being 'bad' at dialogue, they forget he was also responsible for that one particular exchange between Wolverine/Cyclops which everyone seemed to LOVE. It goes without saying that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were perfectly cast as Professor X and Magneto, bringing real weight/gravitas to their roles and the movie as a whole, ensuring that people didn't just dismiss 'a movie about mutants' as something silly. The film’s opening quickly established the 'tone'; that it wasn’t going to be like other cartoonish comic-book films (looking at YOU, Batman & Robin!) and they were going to 'ground' this universe despite its fantastical elements. Speaking of, I liked how they handled the squishy Senator Kelly effects. Him slowly pushing through the bars was well-done, and his blobbiness later on showed just how crazy things could get. Meanwhile, Mystique’s scaly all-blue look and the effect of her shape-changing were great/felt 'otherworldly'. Rebecca Romijn deserves more credit, as she made a HUGE impact in her limited screentime (it's just a shame she was only given a single line of dialogue). I haven't many quibbles other than the Brotherhood of Mutants felt underdeveloped (outside of Magneto). I also didn't like Toad spewing green goo onto Jean's face. It would've been slightly less vomit-like if he'd just produced it in his hand instead of basically throwing up on her. There's only really one effect that stands out to me now as 'dated' and that's after Sabretooth tosses Wolverine off the Statue of Liberty/he swings around it, as you can tell when it's the CGI version of him. Back to the 'positives': the movie moves along at a brisk pace, I really appreciated them explaining how Rogue got her signature white streak of hair and I LOVED the use of a 'theme tune' at the end of the film which acknowledged the animated series' theme without just being a carbon copy of it. It's subtle, but there are definitely aspects of it incorporated into the music. This remains one of my favourite comic-book movies ever, and I feel it doesn't get the appreciation it deserves for showing that comic book movies didn't have to be dark/gothic (Burton's Batman films) nor cartoonish (B&R), and that there was a happy 'middle ground'.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 1, 2022 2:40:15 GMT -5
X-Men 2 (2003). X-actly what a sequel *should* be... Contrary to popular belief, it was 2000’s X-Men (NOT 2002’s Spider-Man) that saved the superhero/comic-book movie genre after Joel Schumacher nearly killed it with Batman & Robin. Once again, Bryan Singer (no matter what you might think of him) shows the heights comic-book movies are capable of reaching with this sequel. ‘Dies Irae’ from Mozart's Requiem in D minor has never been better utilised than it is during this film's opening scene at the White House, which introduces the character of Nightcrawler (a blue demon-looking creature...with a TAIL, who might appear menacing/'bad', but is later revealed to be the complete opposite). He's a teleporter who can single-handedly take out a bunch of opponents as he 'BAMF's from one place to the next. I have yet to see teleportation brought to life onscreen more effectively than it is here. It remains one of the all-time BEST scenes in any comic-book movie EVER. While Wolverine’s having a stare-off with a wolf, trying to regain memories of his past/the experimentation that gave him his indestructible adamantium skeleton, we’re reintroduced to the other returning X-Men from the first film. Storm’s wig is fluffier/slightly less fake-looking; Jean’s having trouble controlling her powers which seem to be growing, Cyclops is still being severely underused (Singer might like James Marsden as an actor, but he obviously cares little for Cyclops as a character given how his screentime keeps decreasing with each movie), Rogue’s now together with Iceman/Bobby Drake, the character of Pyro/John has been recast and Professor X uses his telekinetic abilities to make an entire food court of people freeze/stop moving. The dynamics established in the first film are acknowledged (ie. Rogue’s attachment to Logan and the Logan/Jean/Scott ‘love triangle’), though not dwelled upon, as there’s other stuff going on such as the Mutant Registration Act being pushed, Mystique posing as the deceased Senator Kelly, and Brian Cox’s very human (but very dangerous) William Stryker launching an attack against the X-Mansion. This is another stand-out scene, as we’re not only treated to a glimpse of a new character’s power (the metal-skinned Colossus) but also Wolverine going into a ‘berserker rage’ against the attackers who may be considered the ‘bad guys’, but I was nevertheless thankful to for shutting up that one screeching mutant girl. It's weird that a school FULL of super-powered mutants are seemingly no match for a bunch of human guys with stun-guns (I guess this is why the mutants are mostly kids...because if they were adults, they'd wipe the floor with their enemies). Meanwhile, Magneto stages a fantastic escape from his plastic prison with the help of his trusty henchwoman, Mystique (it was nice seeing a non-blue/non-scaly Rebecca Romijn in one brief scene). Elsewhere, Jean/Storm track down Nightcrawler (of all the new characters, Alan Cumming’s was easily my favourite, as he brings a LOT to this role, managing to make Nightcrawler scary, sympathetic, and even funny with how he keeps introducing himself to people. He and Storm also have some good moments together, he proves an asset to the team, and although their comic-book connection is never acknowledged, it’s fun to see the two blue mutants, him and Mystique, briefly interact). They soon learn his attack on the President wasn’t of his own volition, as Stryker has a means of controlling mutants/making them do his bidding as evidenced by his own mutant henchwoman, Lady Deathstrike. Speaking of, poor Kelly Hu (like Rebecca Romijn before her in the previous movie) only gets ONE line of dialogue…but at least her fight with Wolverine helps make up for that. It’s definitely a stand-out (being about as intense/violent as a PG-13 film will allow). Another good scene is the one where Pyro makes it known just how dangerous the power of fire manipulation can be. Aaron Stanford plays the part well, and his exchange with Magneto is a good one. It must also be mentioned how very 'mean girl'-like the Magneto/Mystique pairing are towards Rogue regarding her unique hair...which they're responsible for (ignore them, Rogue. Your hair's great!). In most cases, this sequel gives us more of everything: more mutants, more fight scenes and more of the different powers displayed...except for Cyclops’ and Rogue’s, of course, which continue to be frustratingly underutilised. This brings me to the ‘negatives’ of the film: It's baffling why those^ two characters are wasted and the full extent of their powers aren't taken advantage of, the movie seemingly resorted to ripping off a line from Joss Whedon’s series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (replacing the word ‘Slayer’ with ‘mutant’) since they apparently didn't have him to supply the jokes this time, and I could’ve done without the blue-lizard-tongued mutant child/'kiddie humour'. Still, there's a LOT to like: Singer manages to keep things coherent (even when there's some weirdness involving mind-tricks/illusions), Hugh Jackman's Logan/Wolverine continues to steal every scene he's in, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen command the screen whenever they appear, Romijn's Mystique is fascinating to watch (look out for her amusingly rude gesture she gives the bad guys at one point) and, as mentioned, Nightcrawler makes one hell of a debut (such a shame the extensive/time-consuming makeup process put Cumming off returning). These movies have always excelled at is being about something deeper than just seeing 'cool powers' onscreen. The way the subject of those who are 'different' is tackled gives these films much more 'weight' than other previous superhero movies had (Iceman/Bobby 'coming out' to his parents as a mutant is one such example). The action, whilst impressive and expertly staged/shot, isn't the main focus of the movie which delivers its 'message' without being as ham-fisted/obvious as other more modern superhero movies. Although these films mightn't be the most accurate at translating the comic-books they're adapted from to screen, the 'differences' don't make them bad (though you have to wonder what they would've been like if they had stuck to the comics more closely). The movie's climax packs an emotional punch, whilst the ending shot promises more interesting/exciting things to come.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 1, 2022 21:32:31 GMT -5
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). X-pect the WORST and you’ll see it’s not quite as bad as everyone makes out... Right from the get-go you know this film’s different from the previous two by the lack of voiceover about mutation/mutants and opening credits sequence. Instead, we flashback to a time pre-Magneto when Erik Lehnsherr was still friends with Charles Xavier and the two of them looked like Oompa-Loompas with unnaturally smooth orange skin (thanks to de-aging CGI that was still in its early stages). They visit a young Jean Grey who proves uber-powerful and we're later told (through an exposition dump) developed a 'dual personality' (where'd this come from? The writers' BUTTS, obviously). Apparently-not-THAT-wise Professor X decided that suppressing the dark force/alternate personality inside Jean (which calls itself ‘the Phoenix’) was the 'best' course of action (he’s actually kind of a jerk in this movie, especially to Logan/Wolverine). We’re then introduced to young Warren Worthington III, who has angel wings (the young actor playing his kid self makes more of an impact in his few minutes onscreen than Ben Foster does playing the adult version who flies, saves his dad near the end, is the reason for a cure to mutation being created...and that’s about the only noteworthy things regarding his character). We zoom into his sawed-off wing stumps (ew!) and for some reason they've changed the awesome movie version of the ‘X-Men Theme’ from the previous film (while not as good as X2's theme, I still like the new version/think it's underrated). Those who’ve longed to see Sentinels in these films finally get their wish via a simulation in the Danger Room (well...at least the HEAD of one, anyway) fighting the X-Men we're familiar with (Wolverine, Storm, Iceman, Colossus and Rogue...whose power *should* be one of the best, but is presented as the lamest. Literally the *only* time we see it on display is when Colossus shares his ‘metal skin’ power to shield her from flying debris...she doesn’t even take the initiative to do it HERSELF!), plus Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, who’s been recast AGAIN (Ellen Page plays the third version, after the character previously cameoed, curiously de-aging between films 1&2). Disappointingly, Nightcrawler (the stand-out new character from X2) is missing, but in his absence we get the reintroduction of Hank McCoy (who also previously cameoed, but is recast here with Kelsey Grammer) AKA Beast. He has a fun dynamic with Wolverine and Grammer makes the most of his role/screentime. Speaking of screentime, it appears that as Storm's has INCREASED, Cyclops’ has decreased and poor James Marsden’s appearance is little more than a cameo here. After one last exchange with Logan, we finally see a decent display of Scott's eyebeam power as he blasts Alkali Lake (obviously blaming it for Jean’s death)...just in time for him to seemingly be murdered by the apparently NOT-dead Jean (who grew her hair out whilst, in Xavier’s words, 'cocooned in telekinetic energy' under all that water). Meanwhile, Magneto’s busy recruiting the lamest of the lame evil mutants to fight ‘the cure’ he maintains is being forced upon them. His only interesting ally, Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique (who's always been a highlight), is sorely wasted/mistreated here, as she takes a cure-bullet for him and is then unceremoniously cast aside. Pyro, whose ‘characterisation’ is basically that of a school bully, has a moment where he takes note of how easily Magneto disposes of those no longer of use to him (even trusted sidekicks), but the rest of the time he’s pretty one-dimensional. His ‘battle’ with Iceman near the end is also rather simplistic/unimaginative, as they just fire flame and ice beams at each other...the only upside being Bobby becoming a literal Iceman. The rest of the time he spends hanging/ice-skating with Kitty instead of being there for his actual girlfriend. Speaking of, Rogue sees the cure as her chance to finally be able to touch others...and THANK GOODNESS for Logan telling her she shouldn’t be changing who she is just for some guy (although she maintains it’s what she wants). The movies did a major disservice to the Rogue character, always having her be 'reactive’ with her powers instead of 'proactive'...and then she gives them up. Anna Paquin wasn’t the problem…the writing/characterisation was. Both the character and actress deserved better. It seems the writers were far more interested in developing Kitty's character. Her ability to phase/make those she touches phase through things is another power that we only skim the surface of. Though she does get one amusing line when she insults Vinnie Jones’ Juggernaut...who’s already basically a joke. And Multiple Man? You’d think having someone who can replicate himself would be useful in a fight, but instead he just plays decoy and that's it. He and the rest of Magneto’s army are pretty useless. And, really, Jean/Phoenix is like a one-woman-army anyway, though she’s uncontrollable (Famke Janssen FINALLY gets to do something *interesting* with the role). Although some had issues with the scene midway through the movie (that’s both visually exciting and “WTF?!”-worthy in how shockingly it ends. The music also helps the moment feel 'epic'), I personally thought it was pretty ballsy. While Ian McKellen/Hugh Jackman/Halle Berry do their best to sell the emotion of the moment, one of the film's flaws is that other big/important moments aren't given nearly as much emotional weight. Other flaws include some attempts at humour falling flat, mutants seemingly thrown in just for the sake of it, and even the dramatic end battle could've been *more* than it was (admittedly, the visuals of Jean unleashing her full 'Phoenix force' are pretty spectacular and, again, the music adds a lot). For a film that tackles such important events in the X-Men world, with stakes so high, it’s quite the achievement to make them feel rather unsatisfying. But there's also good stuff sprinkled throughout, the last shot provides a nice bookend and this is the first superhero/comic-book movie I can recall with a post-credits scene. Although this film’s greatly disliked/regarded as a ‘joke’ now by most, I actually don’t think it's THAT bad nor is it the worst of the X-Men franchise.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 3, 2022 17:15:51 GMT -5
X-Men: First Class (2011). X-emplary effort... After X-Men Origins: Wolverine botched the franchise’s first prequel; it’s understandable why this movie was met with some trepidation. Thankfully, where that movie failed…this one succeeds, and unlike other prequels, it offers some surprises. Though we begin in familiar territory with an almost-shot-for-shot redo of the first movie’s opening, as young Erik Lehnsherr's separated from his parents, causing him to manifest his powers (bending a gate), this time we see there's more going on, as a scientist (played by Kevin Bacon) wants another demonstration of Erik's power, which he's unable to do until his mother is killed...THEN he shows what he's capable of (including crushing soldiers' heads with their own helmets). Meanwhile, a young Charles Xavier meets a young Raven Darkholme/future Mystique when she’s stealing food. They quickly become friends; we then fast-forward to them older, where Charles Xavier isn't quite what you'd expect. He’s chugging booze, using 'Heterochromia'/explanations of mutation to pick up women (the line from Annabelle Wallis' character, “Mutant and proud.”, which Raven starts out mocking, takes on a deeper meaning by film’s end) and there's a weird brotherly/sisterly-with-hints-of-maybe-more-dynamic between him/Raven. James McAvoy’s Charles is amusing in how NOT-like Patrick Stewart’s interpretation he is, but when the occasion calls for it, you can see the future Professor X in him. Too bad he didn't quit doing that stupid-looking-and-totally-unnecessary-two-fingers-on-his-temple gesture whenever he used his powers. Still, at least it’s wasn't as bad as grown-up Erik’s constipation face/jazz hands gesture he makes whenever controlling metal. Aside from that (and his wavering accent), Michael Fassbender's easily the film’s stand-out, as he brings SO much depth/nuance to the character. There's one particularly memorable scene in a bar where he shows just how ruthless he can be (the music/'theme' that plays whenever he unleashes his power adds a lot). His desire for revenge against his mother’s killer (now known as Sebastian Shaw, who’s a mutant that can absorb power and use it however he sees fit with devastating results) leads to him crossing paths with Charles...who saves Erik from himself. Like Stewart/McKellen before them, McAvoy/Fassbender quickly develop a believable/easy chemistry, you can totally buy them becoming friends...albeit ones with different outlooks on how humanity treats mutants. Together they go recruiting a handful of mutants (who we’ll never hear about again in the future, so you know they’re disposable) along with one we are familiar with, a young Hank McCoy (Nichols Hoult). After Charles inadvertently ‘outs’ him as a mutant-with-hands-for-feet, we soon learn Hank’s just as insecure about his mutation/appearance as Raven is, they bond, he asks her for her blood to create a ‘cure’ for them...then proceeds to unintentionally insult this girl he likes by suggesting she stay human-looking/essentially saying that nobody would EVER find her true form 'beautiful’ (this is just after she describes his true self as 'beautiful'). Way to go, champ! He pays the price for this, however (props to Hoult for making me feel sorry for Hank when he briefly got his wish of having normal-looking feet...only for it to go so SPECTACULARLY wrong), eventually transforming into Beast (the makeup/prosthetics for Kelsey Grammer’s version looked better). Some people apparently had issues with the scene where the young mutants bond, showing off their powers/selecting their 'code names'...but I personally didn't. It’s a fun scene, plus them quickly growing close proves important when Shaw attempts to turn them to the Dark Side, resulting in casualties. This shows how out-of-their-depth they are and leads to an enjoyable training montage, with Charles teaching them how to harness their powers/abilities. The sequence does a good job of displaying the powers of Hank (who, pre-transformation, can run really fast...but never does again post-transformation), Havok (unlike his brother, Cyclops, he hula-hoops his ‘plasma blasts’ at things...inadvertently setting everything-but-his-target alight until Hank builds him a suit that focuses his power more. Speaking of, what’s with Havok constantly insulting Hank/Beast? Especially after he made everyone colourful blue/yellow costumes that should please haters of the previous movies' all-black costumes) and Banshee (who screams 'sonic waves' that Charles tells him he can use to fly...which Erik proves with his much more blunt/direct approach than Charles’s). Erik 'helps' Raven too, suggesting she stop fighting her true self. Rebecca Romjin’s Mystique is a hard act to follow (her cameo here is much-appreciated), J-Law’s interpretation isn’t ‘bad’, just ‘different’. She’s younger/less confident, but has a lot of heart. The most disappointing thing about her is she doesn’t really use her abilities as effectively/kick as much butt as her future self will (like what the previous movies did with Rogue). Also on the X-Men's side is the LEAST-Scottish-person-named-MacTaggert-ever (remember Moira from The Last Stand? Hardly anyone does, probably). Rose Byrne does what she can with a rather thankless role, where her going ‘undercover’ requires her to be as non-covered-up as possible, and during the film’s climax, she unintentionally has a hand in Charles becoming forever wheelchair-bound (but as Charles points out to Erik, who’s busy blaming/choking Moira, *he's* the main one responsible). On the side of Evil, Kevin Bacon's clearly having fun playing Shaw, though his minions are even LESS interesting/memorable than future Magneto’s original Brotherhood of Mutants were (January Jones may look dazzling as Emma Frost in diamond form but she lacks ‘range’ in the acting department, red devil guy's certainly no Nightcrawler and tornado dude's a mute). The Cuban missile crisis serving as this movie's setting helps return things to 'basics'/more 'grounded' feel like the first film, character development is treated as more important than flashy powers (rightly so) and while the movie includes foreshadowing of/references to the other films (including an all-time-best Wolverine cameo/one-liner, and check out Magneto's 'dorky-looking helmet' he sports in the film's final scene!), it doesn't rely on them. I also appreciated the film's score throughout and the Take That song which plays over the end credits. First Class passes the prequel test by giving us what other prequels FAIL to (ie. something NEW which also respects what's come before) and deserves an 'X' for X-ceptional work.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 5, 2022 6:09:13 GMT -5
X-Men: Days of Future Past - The Rogue Cut (2015). X-tra Rogue was what this film needed... The film’s beginning includes a Professor X voiceover and the opening credits sequence/theme like we’ve come to expect (which were all absent in First Class), as we’re dropped into the middle of this post-apocalyptic grim/dark future (with bright neon lights!) Xavier describes, where mutants are far fewer than they were and this has led to a surprising team-up between Xavier/Magneto (it’s good to see Patrick Stewart/Ian McKellen together again onscreen) along with familiar characters Wolverine, Storm (could her hair BE any shorter?), Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Colossus...and a bunch of new mutants we don’t know/care about who serve as cannon fodder (though Iceman gets the nastiest demise). However, it's a total “Psyche!” moment, as Kitty (once again showing off her delightfully amusing potty-mouth) soon reveals this was them warning their future selves. In this bleak future, Sentinels (which now resemble the Destroyer from 2011’s Thor) possess Mystique’s ability to change/adapt, giving them the various mutants’ powers (which they turn on them/kill them with). They gained her power because past Mystique assassinated Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), who was experimenting on mutants, and she got captured/her blood was used. Xavier tasks Kitty (now possessing the unexplained power to send someone’s mind back in time to their past self’s body) with sending Wolverine (whose mind, which heals, is the only one that can handle such a distant/prolonged trip) back to prevent the assassination/creation of this unbeatable enemy. The 70’s setting provides some good humour (lava lamps! Water beds! Logan's butt! No internet! Okay, one of those mightn’t be 70’s-specific), as Future-Logan’s-mind-in-Past-Logan's-body has to navigate unfamiliar territory. He's surprised to find Charles (James McAvoy) walking and Hank (Nicholas Hoult) a non-hairy-Beast. Turns out they're using an unmentioned-until-now serum that suppresses their mutations (where was this when Rogue wanted to be able to touch people without putting them in a coma, HMM?). After Logan has essentially the same thing he said to Charles during his First Class cameo thrown back in his face, it takes some convincing to get this now-shaggy-haired/bearded young Xavier to help out. Eventually he does, but they require the services of Michael Fassbender’s Magneto...who's in prison for killing Kennedy (though he later reveals to Charles he was trying to SAVE him...because he was a mutant), so Logan seeks the help of Evan Peters’ Peter/Quicksilver (who’s treated like he's an old friend we should know). While most apparently think of the slow-mo sequence showing off Quicksilver’s super-speed as a film highlight, my ‘unpopular opinion’ is I prefer the MCU version, as this one’s powers are mainly just an excuse to show him pranking folks in between saving people. I’m much more interested in seeing J-Law’s Raven/Mystique FINALLY kicking major butt (like Rebecca Romijn’s version always did), since we got NONE of that during First Class. Raven’s now much more bitter, her ‘friends’ (ie. Magneto’s lame/forgettable crew from First Class) are dead after having been experimented on and she’s determined to put a bullet in Trask...except Magneto winds up putting a bullet in *her* (well, her leg) in a nifty display of his powers (whilst all this is happening, Logan momentarily loses his future self’s consciousness and he freaks out, not knowing where he is/WTF Beast is after Hank changes back to a furball. Thankfully, Hoult’s Beast makeup/prosthetics is somewhat-improved), and once again Erik's inadvertently responsible for screwing things up (first paralysing Charles, now spilling Raven’s blood that’s used for Sentinels). McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence and Hoult all firmly established the different dynamics between their characters in their previous film, and I enjoyed their interaction with each other (as well as Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine) the most in this film. The new characters introduced? Not-so-much. Although it’s nice seeing Ellen Page/Shawn Ashmore get to play more prominent/important roles as Kitty/Bobby than they did previously (plus, we finally see Iceman do his signature comic-book ‘ice-surfing’ move), it sucks for Rogue that those two are together after she took the cure to be with Bobby. However, 'The Rogue Cut’ shows she *still* somehow has her absorption power, and after Kitty’s inadvertently hurt by Wolverine when he lashes out (he has a habit of doing this, as Rogue can attest after him doing the same thing to her in the first film) as his mind's short-circuiting, Bobby FINALLY remembers his ex-girlfriend. He's apparently known ALL THIS TIME she’s being held in Cerebro at the old X-Mansion, but previous rescue attempts failed/were abandoned because of...tight security (really? You have SUPER-POWERS. Nothing should be ‘impenetrable’ for you!). Evidently, Bobby sucks. Iceman, Magneto and Xavier (who actually gets to *do* something instead of being taken out of commission/sidelined/vaporised) rescue Rogue, and she’s briefly reunited with her jerky ex...just in time for him to DIE AGAIN (at least it's while protecting/saving her, so he's not completely useless). Obviously, Kitty doesn’t take this news well (a shame that Ellen Page’s best acting was exorcised from the theatrical version) and Rogue 'borrows' her power, using it to keep Logan’s mind in the past. There's other less significant stuff added back in, some helps explain certain things, but what I really appreciated were all the little ‘character moments’ sprinkled throughout, which I thought added something extra to the film, fleshing out some character relationships/dynamics. ‘The Rogue Cut’ feels like a more 'complete' film. While the movies always did her character dirty, I still appreciated the bond between Anna Paquin's Marie/Rogue and Jackman's Logan/Wolverine, so I was thankful to see them together again (even if he was unconscious for it). While I really enjoyed First Class, Bryan Singer's return helped make this film what it was. He handles the action (the 'stadium levitation' sequence especially) and the time-travel shenanigans well, 'righting' the many 'wrongs' of The Last Stand with this film's ending (which is the only place we see Rogue in the theatrical version), the Jean/Scott cameos (plus Kelsey Grammer's Beast) were genuine surprises and, honestly, since it's all downhill from here...probably best to just pretend this movie's the TRUE ending for this iteration of the X-Men.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 7, 2022 6:19:18 GMT -5
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). X-ceptionally flawed... This movie's all about 'out with the old/in with the new', starting with James McAvoy taking over Patrick Stewart’s voiceovering duties. In ancient Egypt, En Sabah Nur’s old/dried-up body's getting the boot as his consciousness is transferred into a new vessel (Oscar Isaac). Evidently, protestors are just as annoying/much of a nuisance back then as they are today, wanting to disrupt the Four Horsemen of the Apolcaypse’s ceremony as they endeavor to protect their leader…but because they suck, they’re easily defeated (even whilst possessing neat powers such as folding people like origami). Luckily, good ol’ reliable Death manages to place a protective shield around Smurfpocalypse (after the transfer's completed) before he's buried underneath rubble until future idiots inevitably revive his blue arse. While some may've loved the journey-through-human-history that makes up this movie’s opening credits sequence, I myself found it a bit much (everything zips by SO fast you can hardly follow what’s appearing onscreen). The WTF-ery begins with a young Angel (no, not the dragonfly-winged-one-played-by-Zoë Kravitz...she dead, remember? The other one) CAGEFIGHTING young Nightcrawler (yes, REALLY. I guess DoFP’s timey-wimeyness is to blame for why Angel’s completely different to The Last Stand’s version) until human-looking Raven/Mystique (clearly J-Law renegotiated her contract to have her appearing in blue scaled back), wearing a booby purple dress, liberates her fellow blue mutant after Angel’s wings get singed. Unlike her First Class introduction, Moira MacTaggert’s (returning so the issue of Charles wiping her memory can finally be addressed) the MOST-clothed she can possibly be as she witnesses worshippers revive Smurfpocalypse (told ya!), causing an earthquake everywhere, which leads to Erik/Magneto (who’s laying low/living regular-person life with a boring wife and kid) saving a colleague at work by using his power....and soon the cops are after him. In a scene mirroring his own separation from his parents, Erik’s daughter displays her power (summoning birds to attack). His obviously-doomed-from-the-start family prove super-unlucky, both getting offed with a single arrow (the cops were actually smart enough not to have any metal on them...though that doesn't do them much good, since Erik takes them all out using his dead daughter’s necklace). Erik’s not the only one having a sucky day, as young Scott/Cyclops unintentionally manifests his powers at school…giving it a new sunroof. The WTF-ery continues with a young Storm (just when you thought her hair couldn’t get worse...she's got a mohawk), who's a thief, taking Smurfpocalypse HOME with her like he’s a stray dog (despite witnessing the messed-up stuff he does to people), introducing him to TV...which is how he ‘learns’ about humanity, and she’s the first in his recruitment of a new Four Horsemen, soon followed by Psylocke (the sum-total of her unexplained powers we see is a glowing pink sword and whip), Angel (whose burned/broken wings are replaced with new blade-shooting metal ones. They should've named him ‘Archangel’ to avoid confusion with the previous versions) and Magneto, who’s now p.o.’d at the world after his family’s demise. Meanwhile, Scott’s brought to Xavier’s school by his older brother Alex/Havok (who, like Storm, sports some seriously questionable hair), he meets young Jean Grey (GoT’s Sophie Turner, only succeeding about half the time at sounding American. Two things you can always rely on from the X-films: dodgy hair and accents) and then, along with Nightcrawler and Jubilee, they go to see Return of the Jedi...which leads to the writers’ attempt at self-referential humour regarding movies (was Jean's line about how 'the third one is always the worst’ intended to warn us about this movie's quality?). Fortunately, they're away from the X-Mansion when Smurfpocalypse and his B-team of Horsemen invade. Unfortunately, foolish Havok (not listening to Charles) gets himself/the X-Mansion blown up. Fortunately, Evan Peters’ Quicksilver happens by at the exact right moment, rescuing everyone (well...except Havok, of course, who's no longer needed now Scott's around). Clearly this slow-mo/super-speed sequence is intended to replicate the one from DoFP (which, unlike most, I wasn’t particularly impressed by). Prior to Havok’s immolation, Charles ordered him to ‘wreak havoc’ (in a rather forced attempt to have their own "Hulk? Smash.” moment), destroying Cerebro when, once again, the villain intended to use it for EVIL (by now Cerebro’s about neck-and-neck with the X-Jet for which one’s been sabotaged/destroyed the most). When that fails, Smurfpocalypse simply has his Horsemen kidnap Charles (so he can amplify his power/connection to everyone and control them). They then proceed to mostly stand around/do nothing until the film’s climax. Sadly, Mystique doesn’t kick much butt (just gets strangled), so it’s up to the new crew to handle the Boresome Foursome and Smurfpocalypse, who is the only real match for them, growing HUGE at one point during a Battle-of-the-Minds with Charles, thoroughly thrashing him after a failed attempt to make him the new vessel (causing his hair loss in the process...as apparently baldness is a prerequisite for the role) until Jean finally lets loose her ‘Phoenix Force’, making short work of Smurfpocalypse (maybe next time LEAD with that!). Angel's dead, Psyclocke skulks off, and Storm's welcomed into the X-Mansion (despite aiding the enemy), which Jean rebuilds with Erik's help (the last exchange between him and Charles is just their dialogue from the end of the first film being reused/recycled), then Mystique gives a pep-talk to the newly-formed team of young X-Men now dressed in what resembles their comic-book costumes. Speaking of costumes, Olivia Munn looks good in her boob-windowed outfit (oh sure, NOW you go for comic-book accuracy!), but like the majority of the new actors (whose performances range from average to pretty bad, while the returning actors seem to have lost enthusiasm) in the movie, her character's hardly developed. While nobody can ever equal Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, I felt Kodi Smit-McPhee did the best out of the new additions taking over previously-established roles. Despite the film's attempted 'epic-ness', it mainly feels like a bunch of random/questionable ideas (including extraneous Wolverine cameos) thrown together. Oh well, if nothing else, at least they gave us plenty of boob...I mean blue!
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 9, 2022 20:19:30 GMT -5
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019). X-pired... Sophie Turner should rethink doing voiceovers (especially when trying to maintain an American accent), as the dull/lifeless one she gives during this film’s opening illustrates (makes you appreciate Patrick Stewart’s all the more. Even James McAvoy’s was better). Also disappointing? The lack of opening credits sequence/X-Men Theme. It feels like a desperate attempt to be ‘more serious’, but instead (like the movie as a whole) just proves boring. If it wasn't already apparent that DoFP's events created a new reality, we see a totally different Jean origin than we got previously. This time she accidentally kills her parents in a car crash; then wakes up in hospital/meets McAvoy’s Charles. The main ‘theme’ of this movie seems to be characters not listening to others (mainly Raven/Mystique, whose makeup/prosthetics have randomly been changed) when they really should. The X-Men go into space (yes, really) to save some astronauts. Thanks to teamwork, everything’s going fine...until a ‘solar flare’ attacks. Raven makes the tough call, wanting to get everyone else to safety, Charles doesn’t listen, and consequently Jean absorbs this cosmic force to save everyone...then it's brought back to Earth inside her, amplifying her powers, but at the same time breaking down the mental barriers/walls Charles built in her mind (he NEVER learns, does he?) that were intended to ‘protect’ her from learning the truth (ie. while her mother didn't survive the crash, her father did...but he *didn't* want Jean, so Charles took her in). Whether Charles is suppressing Jean’s ‘alternate personality’ or blocking her memories; either way...screwing with a powerful-mutant-child’s-mind? BIG mistake. Someone else who doesn’t listen to Raven is Hank (now able to switch between human/Beast forms at will...it kinda defeats the point of his character, since he’s not permanently stuck as a blue furball). She's sick of Charles’ ego-tripping (as the ‘face’ of the X-Men, he enjoys all the praise they receive), but Hank talks her into staying when she wants to leave. The Mystique/Beast pairing always seemed rather random, but it’s nice the movie remembered their ‘relationship’ (at least it's better than Jean/Scott). While many hated Raven claiming ‘the women are always saving the men’/suggesting Charles re-name the team ‘X-Women’, I didn’t take it as a personal affront like others did. It’s something she says in-the-heat-of-the-moment/whilst angry just after Charles has almost gotten EVERYBODY ELSE killed to save Jean. An eyebrow-less Jessica Chastain (looking albino-esque with her platinum blonde hair) plays Margaret, a woman who’s having a nice dinner with friends, when her jerk-of-a-hubby dismisses their barking dog, Luna (a platinum-blonde...the name 'Luna'...coincidence or a Harry Potter reference?), who’s just trying to warn them that their party’s being crashed by shapeshifting aliens. The leader, Vuk, obviously kills Margaret (and most likely poor Luna too), assuming her form, before caving in the chest of her jerk-of-a-hubby (should’ve heeded your dog's warning!) and presumably everyone else. At another less-murdery party in the woods, the X-Kids (including Halston Sage, briefly appearing as Dazzler...and living up to the character’s name) get blasted by Jean after she loses control, injuring people, as Charles’ mental blocks come tumbling down. After learning the truth, Jean confronts her dad, the X-Men show up (as do the cops, who Jean promptly offs), Quicksilver’s badly injured (only reappearing by movie’s end for a lame one-liner), but at least he fares better than Mystique, who tries reasoning with Jean...while Hank just wants to shoot her, but again Charles doesn’t listen, and consequently Raven’s impaled (which is surprisingly bloody/gruesome). Obviously J-Law was OVER IT (while she certainly was no Rebecca Romijn, unlike others...I never hated her in the role), which is why the Blue Man Group loses a member. Nicholas Hoult, bless him, gives Raven's death scene his all (while McAvoy-as-Charles does the opposite). It’s satisfying when Hank later calls Charles out on his BS (though unintentionally amusing when we see Beast in the rain at the funeral, resembling a soggy blue doggy). Charles is at his MOST unlikeable in this movie. After crying in the rain, Jean flies to Magneto for help (but won’t confess whose blood she’s covered in), the US military appear...who she makes short work of, and Erik learns from Hank that Jean killed Raven (like Hoult, Fassbender shows more emotion regarding Raven’s death than McAvoy/any of the other X-Men did). Team Kill Jean later fights Team Save Jean, Erik’s refugee mutants are quite lame (braid-whips? REALLY?), there’s an unintentionally humorous moment with Jean force-walking Charles upstairs (like a puppet on strings), this time Magneto's on the receiving end of head-crushing helmets, Jean wants her power gone/Vuk's happy to oblige, they briefly team-up...until it's revealed this'll kill Jean, then government goons appear, capturing everyone. Turns out we've reached the film's climax without even realising it (it's THAT underwhelming). There's some semi-decent character moments: Charles FINALLY admits he's wrong to Hank, Erik switches sides AGAIN (his second-favourite pastime) and Nightcrawler gets royally p.o.’d when a government goon dies in the fight with Vuk's posse, unleashing his merciless side (‘BAMF-ing’ the one responsible into the path of the oncoming train). Jean offs all the aliens except Vuk, who finally gets what she wants from Jean...then wishes she hadn’t, as it kills her (and seemingly Jean as well). In the end, we're just left with an overwhelming feeling of what was the point of all this? The idea of redoing the Phoenix storyline should've been to improve it, not make it WORSE (having the same person take another crack at it clearly didn't pay off when he obviously learned nothing from last time). Jessica Chastain's wasted as leader of THE MOST BORING ALIENS EVER, none of the new actors are a patch on the originals (even Fassbender's clearly had enough), and so the X-Men prequel quadrilogy ends not with a bang but a whimper (but, hey, at least they worked an F-bomb into each film...so yay? Wolverine's was funny, Charles' at least had a point, Erik's was unnecessary and Scott's one in this film feels forced). Truly disappointing. Vuk you, movie!
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 11, 2022 6:32:34 GMT -5
The New Mutants (2020). The BreaXfast Club... This movie's already an improvement on X-Men: Dark Phoenix right from the opening voiceover provided by Blu Hunt's Dani Moonstar, as at least it isn't as dull/lifeless as Sophie Turner's was. She speaks of an old Native American proverb about us all having two bears inside us (one's all the 'good' things, one's all the 'evil') and they're forever duking it out over our souls. The snow falling nighttime setting, as Dani's fleeing with her farther from something big/scary, sets a different 'mood' to all the previous X-Men films, which I liked...though WHY does Adam Beach keep getting work? His bad acting stands out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, he doesn't last long and Dani wakes up in a hospital, greeted by a seemingly friendly doctor named Reyes (Alice Braga). She soon meets others, starting with Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams, who's definitely the better of the two GoT actresses to star in an X-Men film and whose Scottish accent is less dodgy than Sophie Turner's American one). She's the first to befriend Dani by talking her out of offing herself. The chemistry between the two actresses is immediately evident. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Illyana Rasputin, who talks to a purple dragon hand-puppet called 'Lockheed' and slings pithy racist comments Dani's way (they're like the most 'tame' ones I imagine the writers could come up with for the character to say whilst keeping her from being completely loathsome. It's a testament to Anya Taylor-Joy's performance that despite her nastiness, she's also interesting/oddly likeable). The actors playing the two guys, Sam Guthrie and Roberto Da Costa, aren't given as much to work with as the three actresses, but they have their moments/we see they've got issues they're dealing with just like the others. Rahne, who's SO OBVIOUSLY the wolf we see early in the film watching Dani (later running alongside her in wolf-form after Illyana's encouraged Dani to flee just so she can enjoy watching the 'new girl' as she calls her smack face-first into the magical barrier that's erected to keep everyone from leaving), was branded a witch ( literally. We see the 'W' scar on her skin during her shower scene with Dani) by the priest that she 'came out' to regarding her wolfiness and now she's being haunted by his grisly torn-up-faced self. She's not the only one with ghosts-of-the-past resurfacing, as Sam's remembering how his power to blast himself around like a rocket (though he's called 'Cannonball') manifested, accidentally killing men including his father while they were working in the mines. After Rahne, Sam's the next most friendly one to Dani, and although Charlie Heaton doesn't get a lot to do, he's still easily-likeable (the most frustrating thing is us not getting to see him blast off in all his glory very often). Roberto's actually the first one to act like a d-bag to Dani (not Illyana), as he laughs at her name. Consequently, he's not as likeable as Sam (who at times he appears to get along with, while other times...not so much). Naturally, he jumps at the chance to join Illyana in the pool at night, but it's soon revealed this isn't the real Illyana, but another manifestation...as is his extra-crispy-girlfriend-he-unintentionally-burned-with-his-Human-Torch-like-powers. Turns out his character is 'Sunspot', who was previously in DoFP (though that version was SO forgettable that this one's easily better by default). Illyana's trauma is the most disturbing, as it seems she was held captive as a sex-slave by gangsters (who she says were always smiling...thus explaining why she sees unnaturally-slender-eyeless-sharp-toothed-but-*still*-well-dressed monster men who wear smiley-face masks tormenting her). She starts 'softening' towards Dani after a kind gesture from her (bringing Illyana's hand-puppet to her after she's stuck in solitary for fighting with Dani, claiming she was 'helping' her to manifest her powers...which remain a mystery). Illyana's power appears to be that she has a Witchblade (or at least something similar), armouring one arm, giving her a glowing blue sword and matching eyes, plus turning her hand-puppet into Spyro the Dragon. The way they worked in her codename ('Magik') was nicely-done, I thought. Despite all these characters being deeply-flawed, I still liked them/seeing them 'bond'...which they do by taking polygraph tests. Eventually, they have to work together when it's revealed Reyes has been grooming them to become weapons rather than X-Men and intends to kill Dani at the behest of her 'superiors'...so it's just as well she's satisfyingly eaten by a giant demon bear who's manifested by Dani, as we learn she's unintentionally been bringing everyone's demons to life (that's her power). Everybody seems to hate the bear, but I thought it was at least more effective than albino Jessica Chastain or Smurfpocalypse (LEAVE SMOKEY ALONE! *ugly cries*). I personally didn't think the movie was THAT bad. I certainly liked it better than the last two X-Men films and was less bored watching it than Logan. I also liked this group of characters more than the teens in the previous films and appreciated this movie taking the time to 'breathe'/include all these 'character moments' in the first half of the film before things went cuckoo bananagrams crazy (it's similar to 2017's Power Rangers movie that way). I was actually relieved that the movie had a minimal cast and was a self-contained/'smaller scale' story. It gave things a more 'intimate' feel. I also enjoyed the attempt to inject 'horror' elements (though apparently the film originally had more?) and the end credits music/illustrations of everyone. Naturally, there's those who dismiss the film as 'boring'. I guess I can add this to my ever-growing pile of movies *I* like that everyone else seems to hate. It's the type of movie best watched on a rainy day for maximum effect/'atmosphere'. And while I appreciate anyone who has the good taste to watch episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...WHY watch them out of order?! First they watch Season 5's 'The Body' and then later they watch Season 4's 'Hush'...that's no way to watch the show!
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 31, 2022 22:06:18 GMT -5
The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018). Are you not Lisbeth Salander, the righter of wrongs? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? The original book trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest) were written by Stieg Larsson. There were movie versions of each released in 2009 starring Noomi Rapace. In 2010 there was the Millennium TV mini-series, which was a compilation of the three Swedish films with extended scenes/more stuff added back in. The three movies were re-released on DVD with the extra stuff added back in and these became the 'Extended Versions' of the films. In 2011 came the US remake of the first film. Since then, another author (David Lagercrantz) started writing a new series of books continuing the story on from the third book (as the original author, Stieg Larsson, had passed away). This new movie starring Claire Foy is the first film adaptation of the new series of books. The only 'remake' so far has been the 2011 version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sadly, not enough people were first introduced to the character of Lisbeth Salander through Noomi Rapace's unparalleled performance, setting the standard by which all other portrayals should be compared. She did all the hard work/heavy lifting, bringing this character to life onscreen for the first time. Quite unfairly, she never scored an Oscar nomination (which I think she should have), nor did these original films receive all the praise that the US remake got. Whether it was the fact that the original film trilogy had subtitles, which people simply couldn't be bothered reading, I don't know, but it's a shame that the big flashy US remake got all the glory the original films/actress to play Salander should have. Those who told fans of the original Swedish films to 'Give the US remake a chance!' and dismissed the recasting of the Lisbeth role now know what it feels like. All the people whose first introduction to the characters of Lisbeth, Mikael, etc was the Fincher version clearly couldn't take their own advice, as a large percentage of them seem to be damning this new film, despite the fact that at least it's based on a book that hasn't been filmed previously. I've seen complaints about Claire Foy as Lisbeth not looking vastly different to how she normally looks, and this is a result of Fincher going overboard with Lisbeth's look in his version, where she was downright alienesque in appearance. No, it *isn't* normal for Lisbeth to walk around with panda eyes/bizarre make-up. If you watched the second film in the original trilogy, you'd see she reserved the theatrical makeup for special occasions. That's what we get here in the opening scene, with Foy's Lisbeth sporting a swath of white paint over her eyes as she helps out a wife with an abusive husband. And the mohawk only appears here and briefly towards the end of the film. Fincher decided to go all 'comic book' with Lisbeth's look and created a 'heightened/hyper-reality', whereas this film is a bit more 'restrained'. No elaborate fights on escalators this time. When Lisbeth fights a guy hand-to-hand here, it's in a small enclosed area, brutal (not flashy), and she doesn't magically win. We're now seeing the reaction from those who dismissed the part Noomi Rapace played in making the character of Lisbeth Salander as widely recognised as she is (or who simply don't wish to accept that the role originated with her), because they fell in love with the remake version, when the shoe is on the other foot. The outcry over 'their' version of Lisbeth being replaced is no different to those who didn't wish to see Noomi replaced. Yet they're acting like the US version is the ONLY version. Sorry to break it to you...she's not. Claire Foy gives us a more 'grounded' performance as Lisbeth, as she conveys the character's weaknesses/vulnerabilities, making her feel like more of a 'real' character as opposed to the comic book-like US version. To those complaining about this film's 'action'...so what if there's action? It's not like the remake was devoid of elaborate action scenes. Plus, here she uses her brains for getting out of sticky situations more often than her fists. Sverrir Gudnason might not be as recogniseable as Daniel Craig...but that actually works in his favour. Rather than watching a non-action version of James Bond onscreen, we're getting to see a Mikael as he comes across in the books. He's more or less just a regular guy, and I think the actor portrays him believably. We only get short scenes between him and Foy's Salander, but their 'relationship'/friendship feels like it's already established. The remake seemed to put them together in no time and I didn't feel that was 'earned' like in the original. Sylvia Hoeks does a lot with limited screentime also. We don't really meet her Camilla until late into the film (though we're introduced to the sisters as children at the beginning), but she plays the 'coldness' well, showing just hints of vulnerability. I read the book this movie's based on/adapted from when it was first released and didn't think much of it. The author just wasn't able to capture what made the original three books (which I've read each of multiple times) so great. However, I decided to give the book another try in preparation for seeing this movie. Maybe it's that this movie's such a 'loose' interpretation of the book, with it being quite a bit different, but I found the film version much more interesting. The problem is some people who only know the US remake are ignorant of what came before. They think that version is the ONLY one that exists. This is no doubt what has contributed to the IMDB rating being so (quite unjustly) low. Claire Foy *is* the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...whether you like it/wish to accept it or not. Hopefully we get to see more of her in the role. Until then, do yourself a favour and watch the original trilogy.
|
|
|
Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 25, 2022 12:08:39 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Nov 21, 2022 12:30:45 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Dec 8, 2022 16:26:08 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Dec 11, 2022 21:18:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Feb 16, 2023 4:06:18 GMT -5
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Ant-Man & the Wasp vs. Kang (NOT the talking brain from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Fittingly, the Ant-Man films have always been ‘smaller scale’ MCU films. Much like how Ant-Man himself can grow from small to GIGANTIC, what started out as a little heist film about a divorced ex-con named Scott Lang has now become something multiverse-threateningly HUGE. While some might miss the ‘smaller stakes’ of the original, this is just natural progression. I’ve always been fond of Scott, and he remains a likeable guy who isn’t an a-hole/egotistical jerk (unlike certain other Avengers...who shall remain lifeless), but someone who cares about others, stands up for ‘the little guy’ and does what needs to be done for the greater good even if it means self-sacrifice. Although at the start of this film he’s basking in the warm glowing warming glow of the fame that comes with being an Avenger, he remains NOT a jerk thanks to his family who bring him back down to Earth/keep him grounded. This includes his daughter, Cassie (whose life he missed out on 5 years of thanks to being stuck in the Quantum Realm), Hope van Dyne (who he’s got a good relationship going on with) and her parents, Hank Pym & Janet van Dyne. When Cassie, who proves herself quite adept at SCIENCE like Hank, unintentionally causes a signal to contact someone from Janet’s past in the Quantum Realm...the family of five gets sucked into it. The journey's as trippy as you’d expect, and if nothing else, the Quantum Realm allows for craziness UP THE WAZOO, as we’re treated to all manner of weird and wonderful sights including truly bizarre flora and fauna, living buildings (that are suspiciously phallic-like in appearance) with tentacles, a past character we thought lost who's undergone some interesting changes...and Bill Murray (basically playing Bill Murray). Last time Janet was here, she unwittingly helped someone who turned out to be Kang the Conqueror. He was banished (which she didn’t know until after she’d helped him) and almost got free, but she trapped both herself and him in there until she was freed in the second movie. Now she’s back, he wants a gizmo that she made unusable (thanks to those helpful Pym Particles) put right again so he can use it to escape and destroy the multiverse or whatever...you know, the usual bad guy life goals. Scott finally gets some bonding time with his daughter, though probably not quite in the way he was hoping for. At one point he utters that instantly iconic line from the trailer: “I don’t have to win...we both just have to lose.” as he’s getting beaten, and that's what I think makes Scott Lang/Ant-Man a true hero. Although he’s fighting a battle he can’t possibly win against an all-powerful enemy, he's willing to remain defiant/fight for the people he loves (as well as everyone else) until his last breath. Also, Paul Rudd’s just so easily likeable as Scott. Meanwhile, Hope (Evangeline Lilly, sporting a new super-short 'do. It's more 'practical' for fighting...but I preferred her previous hair)) remains Ant-Man’s equal as the Wasp when it comes to mastering the shrinking/enlarging fighting-style. These two have been through a lot and it’s nice to see them working together like a well-oiled machine. She and Ant-Man are true partners, helping/saving each other at various times, and Hope proves herself just as selfless as Scott towards the film’s end. Cassie (previously played by Emma Fuhrmann, who I personally thought did a lot with a little during her all-too-brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame, managing to create a very real effectively emotional moment with Rudd during their reunion scene), has been recast with Kathryn Newton (who’s come a long way since her recurring role on the TV series Supernatural among other things). This version of Cassie is clearly smart...except when she isn’t, but that’s not really her fault since she didn’t have all the necessary information to prevent her mistake she makes at the start of the movie (when will MCU characters learn that keeping secrets is BAD?). In between father-daughter-bonding, with occasional typical moody teen behaviour and getting in on the action with a suit of her own (she can handle herself in a fight just like the others), Cassie at least admits to her mistakes/tries to make up for them. She's certainly not the worst of the 'younger' generation of characters we've met in the MCU thus far. As for the ‘older’ generation, Hank/Janet (along with Hope) catch up on the time they lost together as a family in amongst all the craziness going on. They each have a role to play/get to be awesome in their own ways (Hope's aforementioned kicking butt, Hank coming to the rescue at a pivotal moment and Janet handling herself admirably without the aid of a suit). Michelle Pfeiffer especially gets to shine, as we see the weight of what Janet’s been carrying with her all this time and she goes toe-to-toe/holds her own against the film’s villain (make no mistake, he *is* the VILLAIN. No sob story excuses killing trillions, which Janet rightly points out to him). I’ve seen much praise for Jonathan Majors' performance as Kang, and I’ll admit that when I watched the first trailer for the movie, he did give off a quietly menacing vibe that was rather effective (better than those OTT villains who have to YELL all their lines). However, his taking-a-really-long-time-to-say-anything-and-get-to-the-point (he's like an Ent that way) got rather old/tiresome after a while and I think some have overpraised him a bit by claiming he's the 'best part' of the movie. He's a formidable foe...but still one I wanted to see Scott defeat. There's been conflicting opinions about this film, some praising it and others condemning it (yes, there's lots of CGI...but that's to be expected given they're in the QUANTUM REALM). While it does go overboard at times, that's par for the course. It's still a decent entry in the story of possibly the most underappreciated Avenger in the MCU and it definitely feels like there's more to tell.
|
|
|
Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Feb 16, 2023 15:54:39 GMT -5
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Ant-Man & the Wasp vs. Kang (NOT the talking brain from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Fittingly, the Ant-Man films have always been ‘smaller scale’ MCU films. Much like how Ant-Man himself can grow from small to GIGANTIC, what started out as a little heist film about a divorced ex-con named Scott Lang has now become something multiverse-threateningly HUGE. While some might miss the ‘smaller stakes’ of the original, things having GROWN from that is just natural progression. I’ve always been fond of Scott, and he remains a likeable guy who isn’t an a-hole/egotistical jerk (unlike certain other Avengers…who shall remain lifeless), but someone who cares about others, stands up for ‘the little guy’ and does what needs to be done for the greater good even if it means self-sacrifice. Although at the start of this film he’s basking in the warm glowing warming glow of the fame that comes with being an Avenger, he remains NOT a jerk thanks to his family who bring him back down to Earth/keep him grounded. This includes his daughter, Cassie (whose life he missed out on 5 years of thanks to being stuck in the Quantum Realm), Hope Van Dyne (who he’s got a good relationship going on with) and her parents, Hank Pym & Janet Van Dyne. When Cassie, who proves herself quite adept at SCIENCE like Hank, unintentionally causes a signal to contact someone from Janet’s past in the Quantum Realm...the family of five gets sucked into it. The journey's as trippy as you’d expect, and if nothing else, the Quantum Realm allows for craziness UP THE WAZOO, as we’re treated to all manner of weird and wonderful sights including truly bizarre flora and fauna, living buildings (that are suspiciously phallic-like in appearance) with tentacles, a past character we thought lost who's undergone some interesting changes...and Bill Murray (basically playing Bill Murray). Last time Janet was here, she unwittingly helped someone who turned out to be Kang the Conqueror. He was banished (which she didn’t know until after she’d helped him) and almost got free, but she trapped both herself and him in there until she was freed in the second movie. Now she’s back, he wants a gizmo that she made unusable (thanks to those helpful Pym Particles) put right again so he can use it to escape and destroy the multiverse or whatever...you know, the usual bad guy life goals. Scott finally gets some bonding time with his daughter, though probably not quite in the way he was hoping for. At one point he utters that instantly iconic line from the trailer: “I don’t have to win...we both just have to lose.” as he’s getting beaten, and that's what I think makes Scott Lang/Ant-Man a true hero. Although he’s fighting a battle he can’t possibly win against an all-powerful enemy, he's willing to remain defiant/fight for the people he loves (as well as everyone else) until his last breath. Also, Paul Rudd’s just so easily likeable as Scott. Meanwhile, Hope (Evangeline Lilly, sporting a new super-short ‘do. I definitely preferred her haircut in the second film) remains Ant-Man’s equal as the Wasp when it comes to mastering the shrinking/enlarging fighting-style. These two have been through a lot and it’s nice to see them working together like a well-oiled machine. She and Ant-Man are true partners, helping/saving each other at various times, and Hope proves herself just as selfless as Scott towards the film’s end. Cassie (previously played by Emma Fuhrmann, who I personally thought did a lot with a little during her all-too-brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame, managing to create a very real effectively emotional moment with Rudd during their reunion scene), has been recast with Kathryn Newton (who’s come a long way since her recurring role on the TV series Supernatural among other things). This version of Cassie is clearly smart...except when she isn’t, but that’s not really her fault since she didn’t have all the necessary information to prevent her mistake she makes at the start of the movie (when will MCU characters learn that keeping secrets is BAD?). In between father-daughter-bonding, with occasional typical moody teen behaviour and getting in on the action with a suit of her own (she can handle herself in a fight just like the others), Cassie at least admits to her mistakes/tries to make up for them. All in all, she’s not a bad person and certainly not the worst of the ‘younger’ generation of characters we’ve met in the MCU thus far. As for the ‘older’ generation, Hank/Janet (along with Hope) catch up on the time they lost together as a family in amongst all the craziness going on. They each have a role to play/get to be awesome in their own ways (Hope's aforementioned kicking butt, Hank coming to the rescue at a pivotal moment and Janet handling herself admirably without the aid of a suit). Michelle Pfeiffer especially gets to shine, as we see the weight of what Janet’s been carrying with her all this time and she goes toe-to-toe/holds her own against the film’s villain (make no mistake, he *is* the VILLAIN. No sob story excuses killing trillions, which Janet rightly points out to him). I’ve seen much praise for Jonathan Majors' performance as Kang, and I’ll admit that when I watched the first trailer for the movie, he did give off a quietly menacing vibe that was rather effective (better than all those OTT villains who have to YELL all their lines). However, his taking-a-really-long-time-to-say-anything-and-get-to-the-point (he's like an Ent that way) got rather old/tiresome after a while and I think some have gone a bit overboard by claiming he's the 'best part' of the movie. He's a formidable foe...but still one I wanted to see Scott defeat. There's been conflicting opinions about this film, some praising it and others condemning it (yes, there's lots of CGI...but that's to be expected given they're in the QUANTUM REALM). Imho, it’s a decent entry in the story of possibly the most underappreciated Avenger in the MCU and it definitely feels like there's more to tell. I will definitely be seeing this this week then.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 9, 2023 4:17:11 GMT -5
The Loved Ones (2009). Love hurts, love scars, love wounds and marks. **spoilers below** Have you heard about the lonesome loser? That's the song that plays as a car drives down the road. At the wheel is Brent ( Eclipse's Xavier Samuel), with his father as a passenger. A bloodied guy wandering in the middle of the road (don't you hate that?) causes the car to swerve and crash, killing Brent's father. Six months later, Brent's hair is longer, he's guilt-ridden and with a girl named Holly (Victoria Thaine). We then meet Lola (Robin McLeavy), whose introduction is rather abrupt. There's no real lead-up to it. After seemingly appearing out of nowhere, she asks if Brent will go to the school dance with her (this is the only bit where she looks/sounds like a relatively nice normal girl and not INSANE). He apologises, politely informing her that he's going with Holly. He then leaves, as Lola stares after him evilly. If this wasn't a big enough hint that she's unhinged, we also see her watching Brent and Holly as they have sex in Holly's car. Brent later ventures to the middle of the bush with his dog, where he's chloroformed from behind by a man who we learn is Lola's sicko father (John Brumpton). Brent awakes to find himself bound to a chair in formal wear at Lola's home, the place decked out like the school dance. We get an early indication of just how evil Lola is, as she's listening to 'Not Pretty Enough' by Kasey Chambers on repeat when her equally twisted father presents his "Princess" with a dress...then proceeds to watch her get changed into it. Together, they inject Brent in the neck with a blue substance to keep him quiet, then force him to pee in a glass (or have that particular appendage nailed to the chair). He manages a momentary escape, before being chased up a tree by Lola's father in his Kingswood and having rocks thrown at him by Lola, which causes Brent to fall onto the car below, knocking him out so they can tie him up once again. Then the REAL pain begins, as Brent has knives hammered into his feet, a heart carved into his chest with a rusty fork (and salt tossed on the wound), and is forced to dance with Lola whilst being subjected to KASEY CHAMBERS. If that wasn't bad enough, it seems his sufferance has been for naught, as Lola informs him he's not her prince, just a frog. Seems she's much more interested in her daddy....and the feeling's mutual. Think things couldn't possibly get any worse for poor Brent? Think again! Lola proceeds to drill a hole into his forehead and the sounds of it are truly disgusting. She then wishes to tip boiling water in it to boil his brains, but the hole's not big enough and she wants to make it bigger. Her father obliges, but Brent finally frees himself again and gets some long overdue revenge against the psycho bastard. Brent unfortunately winds up trapped in a hole with Lola's previous brain-boiled boyfriends, which he has to fight off. She makes the fatal mistake of telling him exactly what she's going to do next (go after his mother and Holly), and looks truly scary as she does so. Next thing, she's walking down the middle of the road singing to herself creepily (guess which song) when Holly happens by in her car. Cue girl-fight. Brent makes another miraculous escape from Lola's House of Pain and (despite the holes in his feet and forehead) drives a car to Holly's rescue. Lola proves to be one tough mother to kill, but once Brent finally puts an end to her psychotic Kasey Chambers-loving life...it's pretty damn satisfying. Great use of a slow-mo closeup too. There's a subplot that we keep cutting to, involving Brent's friend and the goth girl he wants to go to the dance with named Mia (Rachel McAdams lookalike, Jessica McNamee, who does what she can with her limited role). While it provides a bit of relief from all the torture scenes, and Mia's revealed to be connected to a previous victim of Lola's, it doesn't really amount to very much. Though Xavier Samuel's mute for the majority of the film, you can't help but feel for the guy (I also felt sorry for his poor dog). His performance is all about the way he reacts to the horror he's put through. He portrays pain like nobody's business. The stand-out performance, however, has got to be Robin McLeavy. Lola is one twisted sister, and McLeavy completely immerses herself in the role, taking 'deranged' to a whole new level. She's created a frighteningly sadistic character who's right up there with the best of them. John Brumpton is also excellent. The two play off each other exceptionally well. Theirs is a truly disturbed dynamic and it makes for captivating viewing. I'm sure certain people will check out this movie solely for the violence, but what should really be appreciated here is the acting and directing. First-time filmmaker Sean Byrne has created a dark, tension-filled horror affair (with a morbid sense of humour) that thankfully doesn't overstay its welcome. Displaying great skill with a camera, shots are finely crafted and he gets the most out of his actors, as well as the Australian setting.
|
|
James
pico poster
Not actually James Bond
Posts: 13
|
Post by James on Apr 2, 2023 10:23:09 GMT -5
The last movie I needed to watch for the first time to complete Chris Nolan's filmography.
|
|
|
Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on May 18, 2023 0:36:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by President Ackbar mini™ on May 18, 2023 11:39:53 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jun 15, 2023 5:13:12 GMT -5
The Flash (2023). **spoilers below** Flash! Ah-ah! He’ll screw up the universe... Considering all the heinous things Ezra Miller’s guilty of, I felt conflicted about seeing this film...but in the end decided that everyone else involved with the film didn’t deserve to be punished for Miller’s crimes by having their hard work boycotted. Also, I’ve been waiting since the 1984 Helen Slater movie to see the character of Supergirl on the big-screen again. That and the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman were the main draws...and it’s not until they appear that this movie really gets going. The first hour or so is quite the slog, as you’re forced to sit through Miller’s Barry/Flash and the painful so-called ‘humour’ that accompanies his character (if you found him annoying before...this won't change that), Batfleck attempting a Bale-style Batman growl, a drawn-out effects sequence involving raining CGI infants that’ll probably coin the phrase ‘microwave the baby’ (becoming the new ‘jump the shark’/’nuke the fridge’) and a dull underdeveloped romance with Barry's love interest, Iris West. The only bright spot? Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, who’s the gift that keeps on giving, her Lasso of Truth providing an actually genuinely amusing moment before she flies off to continue being awesome (and hopefully NOT be erased by James Gunn ‘rebooting’ the DCEU, since she was one of the only good things to come out of it). Turns out the three certainties in life are death, taxes and Barry Allen messing up timelines/the multiverse, as He-Of-The-Funny-Run runs SO fast that he time-travels back to prevent the death of his mother and clear the name of his father blamed for her murder...which is all connected to a can of tomatoes (yes, REALLY). As if his running didn’t already look ridiculous, just imagine him doing that on the spot to give us a glimpse of what moving through time looks like inside the 'Speed Force'. As to why the figures look overly-CGI’d in this sequence, I imagine it’s because CGI is the only way to give us glimpses of previous incarnations of certain characters towards the film’s end (most of which I was spoiled for and one of whom is a dearly departed actor, which I’m sure will further fuel the debate regarding CGI resurrecting people...but I was so surprised/over-the-moon to see his character’s cousin right there alongside him that I was willing to forgive it). Think things would immediately improve upon Barry’s time-travelling? Think again. Now we’re stuck with TWO of him (the younger of which acts like he was dropped on his head as a child). I guess it’d be unfair to not acknowledge Miller doing an adequate job portraying two versions of Barry...but honestly? Once you’ve seen Tatiana Maslany’s phenomenal work in the TV series Orphan Black, all other actors-portraying-multiple-versions-of-themselves pale in comparison. Prepare yourself for plenty of exposition throughout the film, as there’s hardly a scene without any from this point on. It’s one bungle after another for the Barrys, as recreating the lightning/chemicals accident that gave Future Barry his powers so Past Barry gets them too results in Future Barry losing his. With no Diana or anyone useful existing in this new timeline, they seek out Bruce Wayne...but it ain’t Batfleck. Enter Keaton (or at least his stunt double), looking decidedly homeless (despite still living in his Tim Burton movie mansion restored to its full gothic glory), kicking the Barrys' butts until they annoy him into helping them. He then attempts to explain how Future Barry has effed things up with an awkward/painful-to-watch spaghetti metaphor. Those who’ve waited to see another outing from Keaton’s Batman almost as long as I’ve waited to see a new big-screen Supergirl will finally get what they’ve been longing for when he suits up to aid the Barrys in freeing Superman from a Russian prison...though once again, it’s not who they expect and we’re instead introduced to Sasha Calle’s Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. With Ezra Miller's crimes threatening to overshadow this project, I felt sorry for all involved...but especially Sasha Calle, since this was supposed to be her big debut, bringing a new version of Supergirl to life after the character had previously only been seen on the small-screen (in the series Smallville, and then later, Supergirl) since the 1984 movie. Calle’s interpretation of the character is quite different from that of Helen Slater's, Laura Vandervoort's or Melissa Benoist’s. This Kara hasn’t really anything to smile about after humans immediately locked her up upon her arrival to Earth. However, she learns that not ALL people are dicks (speaking of, all the references Barry makes to that particular appendage in the movie weren’t funny...despite the writers apparently thinking they were) and agrees to help the Barrys, plus Keaton’s Batman, stop General Zod invading Earth (which, oh yeah, is another result of Future Barry’s screw-up). While I appreciated seeing Supergirl kick serious butt, I was disappointed the display of her powers we were treated to was only the bare minimum. On top of that, she’s defeated by Zod not once, not twice...but OVER AND OVER AGAIN (I’m sure those who dislike female superheroes will get their jollies from watching that), which I thought was a shockingly disrespectful way to treat the debut of a new Supergirl. Sasha Calle deserved better! Also criminally underused is Antje Traue’s Faora-Ul (who was the ONLY part of MoS that I actually liked). She made a more menacing villain than Zod previously and I was looking forward to more of her...but this time around she’s barely featured/not even given any dialogue before being easily dispatched. SUCH a waste (on the plus side, Cavill’s Superbland receives similar unceremonious treatment, which will surely upset the Cult of Cavill). The treatment of Supergirl/Faora is just one example of what annoyed me about this movie. For every 'good' bit, there were umpteen ‘bad’ bits (Aquaman's post-credits scene, drunkenly collapsing facedown into a puddle of water outside a bar, perfectly sums up the current state of the DCEU). The only recommendation I can make regarding this movie is come for the Keaton, stay for the Supergirl.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 7, 2023 2:20:37 GMT -5
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). **spoilers below** Disneyana Jones and the Discontinuation of DVDs... As if it weren't bad enough that Disney stubbornly refuses to release any of the MCU TV shows on DVD/Blu-ray anywhere in the world, now they've made it personal by announcing they're discontinuing DVDs/Blu-rays of anything being released in my country (and ONLY my country), with their final release being GotG Vol. 3 (seriously, they couldn't have made it something I'd actually want to watch?). So, if I wanted to see this movie, my options were wait several years for it to be on TV (I could've been DEAD by then!) or go see it at the theatre. Normally I'd have gone on opening day, but wasn't able to. After that, I wasn't feeling overly motivated to and was just going to wait for it on DVD/Blu-ray...but thanks to Disney, I no longer had that option. There's been much debate over CGI de-aging of actors, but it was fine here with Harrison Ford's Indy in a longer-than-expected flashback. Obviously they felt the de-aging would hold up to scrutiny, and for the most part it does (there were only a couple of times it felt slightly off). Toby Jones plays Basil Shaw, another in an apparently long line of Indy offsiders (and kind of useless...until he finally isn't). What surprised me was how not-terribly-exciting I found the whole opening sequence. While there's thankfully no 'nuke the fridge' moment, it stretches credulity how Indy miraculously survives being thrown about and an explosion directly beneath him whilst his neck's in a noose. Sadly, things don't get interesting until a good way through the movie. Before that, we catch up with old man Indy, who yells at his noisy neighbours, baseball bat in hand (I can relate), and is unaware that the only person attending his classes who actually KNOWS ANYTHING is his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), wishing to pick up where her father left off in search of this film's MacGuffin, the Antikythera (designed by Archimedes). After she reintroduces herself to Indy, it's not long before she's leaving him behind at the mercy of bad guys. While there is some action involving a parade and Indy riding a horse, I personally felt things didn't really get going until the scene that begins at a Tangier hotel, where Helena's attempting to auction off the half of the Dial she nicked. Regarding their two characters, I did feel they had a decent dynamic going on between them and Helena/Waller-Bridge isn't nearly as annoying as Willie was in Temple of Doom. People like to exaggerate the 'feminism' stuff, but she's just as 'feisty' as Marion was and has her moments where she acknowledges she's said/done something wrong. One of very few 'emotional' moments in the movie is during a scene where she asks what Indy would do if he could go back in time (which turns out to be the Antikythera's power) and he talks about the death of his son, Mutt (as if you needed more reason to watch this film, Shia LaBeoufhead's irritating character from the last movie unceremoniously being killed offscreen should be motivation enough. No more crappy CGI vine-swinging alongside monkeys for him!). While the character of Teddy (this film's version of Short Round, who some people are making out Teddy can't hold a candle to...but I think they're forgetting just how thoroughly annoying that kid was and are only forgiving of him now because the actor who played him grew up to kick butt in Everything Everywhere All At Once and won an Oscar) isn't really necessary, at least he proves himself useful (just don't bother questioning how this thief can fly a plane with no prior experience) and doesn't YELL ALL HIS LINES like Short Round did. It's too bad Sallah wasn't the third member of the team instead (while it's good to see John Rhys-Davies return in the role, he's out of the movie pretty quick and only returns at the very end). Still, at least he doesn't feel as wasted as Antonio Banderas does playing yet another old friend of Indy's. What was the point of him exactly? Same can be said for Mason, the most unlikely FBI Agent to be working with German scientist/astrophysicist and "former" Nazi, Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen, who can basically play a villain in his sleep by this point). Rather than so many side characters, I think the movie would've been better to just focus on Indy and Helena's relationship, as it seems like we're only just getting a feel for them as a pair by the time the film reaches its conclusion. Speaking of...yes, there *is* time-travel involved (and yet it's still somehow easier to swallow than aliens). There have been eyeroll-worthy objections to Helena 'robbing Indy of his agency' in the scene where he just wishes to be left to die in the past (after actually meeting Archimedes himself), but Indy was being a stubborn fool who was risking screwing up reality, so her punching his lights out to get him back to his time was warranted. Likewise, people may be disappointed that the baddie doesn't suffer a horrific fate like main villains of the past films, but it's more about him realising how screwed his grand plan is (and, hey, if that isn't enough...we see his crispified corpse later). In the end, things are made 'right' again when Indy gets back together with Marion (complete with callback), after their marriage fell apart following Mutt's death. Anyone worrying about Helena taking over from Indy needn't get their panties in a bunch if the final shot of him snatching his iconic fedora off a clothesline is any indication. While this movie certainly doesn't reach the 'classic' status of Raiders or Last Crusade, the best praise I can give it is that at least it's not as ridiculous as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which, much like the Star Wars prequels, it seems people are now pretending is some misunderstood masterpiece) or as gross as Temple of Doom. It's not 'bad'...just kinda boring.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 14, 2023 2:47:56 GMT -5
Maleficent (2014). Hello, Beastie... Well, well...let's tell an old story anew is what this film intends to do, as we learn via the rather intrusive constantly annoying voice-over (too much narration). Trailers for this film led me to believe it would be quite a dark retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story, and even when it began rather lightheartedly, bright and cheerful, I thought surely the darkness would eventually come. So, it was somewhat disappointing that this interpretation never did actually get all that dark (although there are some dark moments). Angelina Jolie, without a doubt, MAKES this film. She's so good in it that you forget you're watching Angelina Jolie, rather you're just watching the character of Maleficent herself. This retelling of Sleeping Beauty twists events around to show things from her perspective. Jolie, as obvious as it may sound, is magnificent in the role. The evil smile combined with the words "There is evil in this world, hatred and revenge..." followed by her fake pout and "...oh." before letting out an evil laugh at the end of one of the first trailers released showed how perfect for the iconic role Angelina was. Her chilling laugh and eerie smile are really something to behold. She looks dangerous, beautiful and evil all at once with her horns, glowing eyes, raised cheekbones (which you just can't stop looking at), long black cloak, high collar and staff. We have Jolie to be thankful for that, as apparently she insisted on maintaining the scary/menacing look of the animated incarnation. We first meet young Maleficent, played by Isobelle Molloy, as a fairy cheerily greeting the various inhabitants of the forest whilst flying about. Molloy does a good job of playing the character before she changes. What brings about the personality shift is her encounter with young Stefan. They quickly become friends, but he eventually leaves and doesn't return until Maleficent is Angelina Jolie size, now an extremely powerful freedom-fighter type for the magical beings of her world against man. It is here where she suffers a ruthless betrayal, as grown-up Stefan (Sharlto Copley, adopting a dubious Scottish accent) slips her a sleeping potion, under the guise of friendship, only to cut off/steal her beloved wings and take them back to the King who wanted her dead. While one could interpret Stefan's actions as him trying to save her life the only way he knew how, he clearly intended to kill her, but was just too weak-stomached to go through with it/chickened out at the last minute (their characters really should've shared a scene where they discussed his violation of her). Angelina is heartbreaking in the scene where Maleficent discovers a part of her has been taken. You can't help but feel for her from this point on. Here her character is fleshed out, we are given context to her 'evil' and she is presented as not so much a straight-up ‘villain’, but instead someone we can sympathise with. While this might upset some, the movie is its own unique spin on the tale, allowing for more depth. Jolie herself admitted her look scared kids on the set and that her daughter, Vivienne, was the only one NOT scared of her, so it makes sense she was chosen to play young Aurora. It definitely helps. The scene between her and her real life mother is certainly a memorable one. One of the best aspects of Angie's performance is her deadpan delivery of lines. Maleficent's attitude towards Aurora (whom she calls 'Beastie') as an infant, and later as a child, allows for some darkly amusing comments from her (which is needed, given how bright/chipper Aurora's character is once she's grown up to be Elle Fanning). There's not a whole lot to Aurora’s character, but Fanning plays the part of the naïve innocent princess well enough (there's a funny moment where she thinks Maleficent is her fairy godmother). Despite cursing Aurora on her christening to prick her finger and fall into a death-like sleep, Maleficent finds herself softening towards her as she gets to know her more (going so far as attempting to revoke her curse). When she's not tugging the unconscious floating Sleeping Beauty through the air like a balloon on an invisible string, she's getting into mud-slinging fights with her and other forest critters. Speaking of, the creatures designed for the movie are quite creative-looking and add to the sense of wonder. Maleficent's trusty crow sidekick, Diaval, who she changes into a man (as well as a wolf, horse and dragon) is an interesting character played by Sam Riley. They have a interesting/fun dynamic, and he serves as a sort of 'conscience' for her. He's even better at taking care of infant Aurora than the three exceedingly annoying fairies/pixies who are tasked with keeping her safe. The less said about them, the better. Aurora and Prince Phillip's 'love story' isn't really much of one. They share a single scene together, then their next encounter is him kissing her to wake her from her cursed sleep at the behest of the annoying trio. At least he voices some reservations about kissing a girl in her sleep he hardly knows, but once he does kiss her, it doesn't work anyway. Instead, it's Maleficent's maternal bond/friendship with Aurora that does it. Like the movie as a whole, things don't end how you might expect, though I thought it fine. The movie looks great, the score is suitably moody, and best of all, it's not drawn-out/overlong. Lana Del Rey's haunting new version of 'Once Upon a Dream' during the end credits make them worth sitting through. Her voice suits this film perfectly. It's as if Jolie (as Maleficent) herself is singing the song. Like the movie, it feels as if it's from Maleficent's point of view, therefore reflecting her darker/sinister intentions. Again we have Jolie to thank, as she apparently picked Del Rey herself to sing a version of the 1959 Sleeping Beauty's 'Once Upon a Dream' for the film. It gave me chills/goosebumps.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Aug 20, 2023 23:03:07 GMT -5
Underworld: Blood Wars (2016). There is no beginning, there is no end, there is only the coming... I still remember seeing the first Underworld in the theatre and enjoying it very much, though I didn't see any of the subsequent films at the cinema, only on DVD. I re-watched them in preparation for seeing this film and, as it stands, the original's still the best, with Evolution and Rise of the Lycans vying for second and third place, alternating between the two depending on my mood, while Awakening remains my least favourite. I'm afraid Blood Wars isn't much better. Whilst the fourth film felt like it was just non-stop gory action with little to no story, this film seems to have the opposite problem. Gorehounds needn't fear, there's still some quality violence (most of which the Lycans seem to wind up on the receiving end of, like being split in half and having their spines ripped out). The main problem is the vampire politics are brought to the forefront. The other problem? Super sexy latex-clad vampire Death Dealer, Selene, feels as though she's no longer the focus of her own franchise (though at least she gets some memorable lines/moments). Let's be honest, most people come to see Kate Beckinsale rocking the black latex catsuit like nobody else can. So it remains a mystery as to why the writers appear to be slowly phasing out her character. Please note filmmakers: These films wouldn't be worth continuing without Ms. Beckinsale. Some tend to dismiss her acting ability, but she's what's held this franchise together. So it's disappointing her character is absent for what feels like long stretches. Blood Wars begins like Awakening did, with Kate's/Selene's voice-over (now with added echoing repeating what she's already said!) and clips from the previous films...though, really, if you haven't seen the others, why're you even here? Theo James's David character from Awakening has a much more expanded role this time (now fully replacing Scott Speedman's Michael as the franchise's male lead. Yes, Michael's dead. Barring some future "We only SAID he was dead/were only pretending!" reveal pulled out of the writers' arses, the Smurf is no more). Whether you're a fan of David or not will likely contribute to your enjoyment of the film, as he seems to take over the movie from Selene for significant portions. I'll miss the Selene/Michael relationship, but am not opposed to David's character helping Selene, though it might rub some the wrong way how his backstory/ancestry's delved into so deeply it almost feels like *he's* the film's main star. Those who paid attention to the first films will appreciate references to a certain character who had minimal screen time, yet plays an important part in this film's storyline, while everyone else will be left wondering, "Who?". The blood of Selene and her daughter, Eve (who's referenced aplenty but only appears in the film's closing seconds), also proves important, as there's much exchanging of said blood between different characters. Other than Selene and David, the only significant returning character is Charles Dance's Thomas. Whilst not as memorable as Bill Nighy's Viktor, an actor of his caliber lends some weight/credibility to proceedings. His relationship with his son and heretofore untold connection with a past long-dead character is given prominence. Playing well off Dance is Lara Pulver, sporting constantly changing hairstyles as Semira. They do what they can with the material they're given. Semira's character also provides a cautionary tale in why you shouldn't treat your henchman/lover like crap, as we see play out between her and Bradley James' Varga. Outlander's Tobias Menzies, as Lycan Marius, isn't given anywhere near the complexity of his character from that series, as here he's mainly just another complication in an already rather convoluted story. Nor is his relationship with vampire, Alexia, given much depth...though at least Daisy Head is quite striking, so you don't forget her character. Also memorable on account of their physical appearance are the Nordic Coven, the best of which is Lena (resembling a vampire Daenerys Targaryen). She kicks major arse with a sword and shield (apparently the Nordic Coven *do* bring swords to gun fights), plus also possesses a "teleport" ability of sorts. For a newcomer, Clementine Nicholson fares better with what little she's given compared to others who're given more. She also plays an important part in Selene's physical transformation (including her picking up that handy teleportation ability) to becoming 'more' than she already is...which is just as well, as poor Selene's put through the wringer this time around. It pained me seeing our heroine beaten up/knocked down more than ever, but allowed for a triumphant return, stronger/faster/better than ever...and now with white blonde highlights in her jet black hair. The last couple of films' over-reliance on CGI versus the practical effects for the Lycans of the earlier films is to the movies' detriment, as the CGI creatures just aren't as impressive (and in the case of the Marius man-wolf creature, rather laughable/dredging up bad memories of the Scorpion King from The Mummy Returns...though not quite THAT bad). Note for future movies: Refrain from going half/half, either human or full beast is the way to go. Clearly this isn't intended as the franchise's final film, but assuming another one does indeed happen, that probably *should* be the last. The earlier Underworld films weren't exactly 'high art', but they felt like they had more substance to them than these last two. Given how much time was devoted to Eve previously, it's strange she's mainly absent here (perhaps she'll play a more significant role in the next movie?). I feel the franchise lost something after delving more into the world of men, but at least this one LOOKS more like an Underworld film than Awakening did (though the music/score's sadly lacking Wedard's 'Leidenschaft'). Say what you will about Len Wiseman, but I feel these later films' direction have suffered from his absence. My main hope for the next movie? That the filmmakers remember who this franchise's star is and give Beckinsale/Selene the attention/importance/prominence she deserves.
|
|
|
Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Aug 23, 2023 18:19:50 GMT -5
And remember, if the ladies don't find ya handsome, they should at least find ya handy!
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Nov 9, 2023 2:45:29 GMT -5
The Marvels (2023). The Marvelous Ms. Marvel & Proton-- I mean Photon (oh yeah, and Captain Marvel’s there too)... **spoilers below** I was basically given little choice but to see this movie at the theatre due to Disney discontinuing the release of any movies/TV shows on DVD/Blu-ray where I am (not to mention Doctor Who, which they now own, will no longer screen on free-to-air TV for the first time since it began here. Thanks a BUNCH, Disney!). I refuse to basically be bullied into getting Disney+, and consequently have missed out on ALL the Marvel shows. So when the first trailer for this movie made it seem like 'The Ms. Marvel & Photon Movie (guest-starring Captain Marvel)', I wasn't overly enthused since it was Carol/Captain Marvel who I wanted to see more of (after actually having liked her first film...'unpopular' as that opinion may be), whereas I knew nothing about these other two. The movie begins with Kree warrior, Dar-Benn (sorry, SUPREMOR Dar-Benn), digging up an all-powerful bangle (someone really needs to round up all these powerful magical items in the universe and hide/destroy them so villains can't keep getting their mitts on them), while the other one is in the possession of Captain Marvel fangirl, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (just as well I'd at least seen the trailers for her TV show via YouTube and thus was prepared, otherwise I probably would've been wondering WTF was up with the animated daydream sequence). Meanwhile, Carol's living a pretty solitary life in space (with only that scene-stealing Flerken, Goose, as company), though she can at least communicate with Fury. For those who felt Carol was 'too serious'/'lacked personality' previously (give her a break, she had AMNESIA!), she seems to have more life in her now and her dynamic/friendship with Fury remains as entertaining as ever...that is until she sticks her hand in some "mysterious glowing shit", then he becomes none-too-pleased with her. Though she's not the only one, as Kamala and Monica Rambeau (daughter of Carol's old friend, Maria) make the same mistake, causing all three to unintentionally switch places whenever they use their powers...making for something 'different' with the fight scenes to what we've seen before, as the characters are constantly doing swapsies whilst fighting bad guys, trashing Kamala's house as a result (on the upside, she eventually gets to meet her hero and fangirls out, apologising for the copyright infringement on the Captain Marvel name with her self-appointed 'Ms. Marvel' and determined to give Monica a superhero name too). Once the three 'Marvels' come together, it's fun seeing them interact and the different dynamics they have. There's the uncomfortable tension between Carol and Monica (who's mad at Carol for not being there to support her following the death of her mum, Maria. Um...she was busy SAVING THE UNIVERSE, cut her some slack!), while Kamala learns to tone down her hero-worship of Captain Marvel, after witnessing Carol making the tough decision to abandon some Skrulls (rescuing the ones she can) after Dar-Benn's attack. It's not easy being Carol, who gets blamed for EVERYTHING, is met with suspicion/hostility by Kamala's family (who I understand being concerned for Kamala, given her age/the fact she's involved in stuff that could get her KILLED, but they seem fine with Monica, whilst resenting Carol, and they wear a bit thin after a while), and although Carol's the one to defeat Dar-Benn, it's Monica who gets the 'big hero moment' at the end, closing the hole to another reality that Dar-Benn ripped in space. It almost feels like Monica's the lead, while Carol's just there to support her. Eventually Monica learns the real reason Carol wasn't around (after destroying the Supreme Intelligence, which had unintended consequences that led to Dar-Benn's planet dying and now she's stealing resources from other planets to save hers, Carol felt too ashamed to return) and forgives her 'aunt'. Still, the last scene of the movie (mid-credits) is all about Monica reuniting with her mum from the other reality she gets trapped in (Kelsey Grammer also makes a cameo as Beast, looking better/more Beast-like than he did in his previous appearances) and so this Captain Marvel sequel's ending isn't even *about* Captain Marvel. I waited around for a post-credits scene, but was just met with a blank screen and what sounded like a Flerken barfing up something. Speaking of, Goose once again proves to be the TRUE hero by hatching a litter of Flerken kittens whose ability to swallow not just objects, but people as well (whilst keeping them ALIVE), proves crucial...though too bad this wasn't thought of when the Skrulls needed rescuing. As previously mentioned, Brie Larson's much more 'livelier' in her performance this go-around (though she also gets some decent emotional/dramatic moments), this was my introduction to both Teyonah Parris's Monica (who spent the majority of her time spouting technobabble/science gibberish and I wasn't that fussed on until after she forgave Carol, then she got more likeable) and Iman Vellani's Kamala (who's entertaining, even if she overdoes the screaming/"Oh my God!" exclamations a bit...though at least it's warranted when she sees what Goose can do for the first time) and I appreciated the montage of the trio teaching themselves how to work with the whole swapping-places-whilst-using-their-powers thing. Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn (who's much more fetching than her Smurf predecessor) did what she could playing yet another MCU villain who's doing BAD things for what is, in their mind, 'the right reasons', but when the 'Marvels' show her mercy/try to do her a solid, she threatens Kamala's life, then goes all kamikaze (what is it with Accusers exploding? First Ronan, now her...find another way to die!). It's a shame that test audiences apparently didn't respond well to an extended sequence on a planet populated by people who communicate through song (I imagine it got trimmed), as it was actually one of the movie's more memorable/fun scenes. I personally feel the OTT hate for this film is unwarranted, as it actually wasn't as bad as I'd feared (and with a ringing endorsement like THAT, how can you not want to watch it?).
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Nov 16, 2023 3:51:59 GMT -5
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023). The Ballad of Flower-eaters & Rebels... I never read the books the original films, or this one, were adapted from. Consequently, I was somewhat lost at times and it almost felt as though this prequel needed its own prequel since characters acted like/referred to things as if we should know WHY they acted that way/what they were talking about. This is where book-readers will have an advantage over non-book-readers, as they’ll *know* why certain characters are acting the way they do with others, etc. Of course, the downside to being a book-reader is that you’ll no doubt be overly critical about every little detail, things you imagined differently, changes made, and things left out or added in. The benefit I had was judging this movie solely based on its own merits, coming into it fresh and with little idea of what would be happening (other than seeing the origin of how Snow turned evil). The movie’s broken up into three parts titled ‘The Mentor', ‘The Prize’ and ‘The Peacekeeper’. Tom Blyth as a pre-Donald Sutherland version of Coriolanus Snow proves himself a capable leading man, as his character goes through quite the journey in the film and he rises to every occasion, playing all the different facets of Snow’s personality in his early life. He starts out as someone whose main motivation is a monetary prize, but then this 'rebel' (who's referred to as such on more than one occasion) becomes invested for more personal reasons in the survival of the tribute he’s selected to play mentor to: Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). I feel some have been unfairly critical of Zegler’s performance, letting the things she’s said in interviews (that’ve rattled some feathers...but have absolutely nothing to do with how she plays her character here) colour their judgement. I personally thought she held her own against Blyth’s Snow admirably. As Lucy Gray describes herself, she’s ‘not made of sugar’, and this becomes abundantly clear during her introduction when she drops a snake down the back of a girl’s dress. Then later, during Lucy Gray's first meeting with Coriolanus, she eats a petal off the white rose he presents her with (which definitely leaves an impression). People have complained about ‘too much singing’ in the movie (but it's RIGHT THERE in the title: ‘The BALLAD of SONGbirds & Snakes’), but don't be scared of the singing...the movie's not a 'musical' like some have made it out to be. While Zegler certainly puts the ‘song’ in ‘songbird’ by providing the majority of the film’s soundtrack, it’s part of her character (and actually an important plot point). Plus, she can really hold a tune...so why the complaining? It’d be one thing if she sang BADLY, but she gives the songs her all, putting emotion/feeling into every one (and it’s not over-polished, which is appreciated). The film rests mainly on these two actors’ shoulders, and I personally found their scenes together to be the most compelling parts of the movie. Lucy Gray starts out not trusting Coriolanus, but he shows her on more than one occasion that he isn’t without heart and gradually she grows to trust him, as they work together to ensure her survival in the Hunger Games. Another stand-out in the cast is Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, weatherman and aspiring magician (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman from the original films), as his reporting the weather while kids are dying in the arena provides some morbid humour at one point (really, he’s the only source of ‘humour’ in the film). Head Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul is a frightful sight (her makeup’s seriously unnerving) and you can’t help but wonder if the reason everyone’s so hungry is because Viola Davis keeps devouring all the scenery. Her rainbow of snake muttations are a colourful way to take out the stragglers when there is only a handful left. Speaking of, I remember the acting for the tributes who weren’t Katniss (whose name I was surprised to learn the origin of in this film) or Peeta in the original films was pretty sketchy...and it hasn’t really improved this time around. Other than one or two who make the most of their limited screentime (that we either feel sorry for, as they're practically Dead Meat Walking, or are shown to be more three-dimensional than they first appeared), the majority feel barely above CW teen drama levels in the acting department. Much better are other supporting characters such as Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage, continuing to play characters who drink and know things…that is until the end when he doesn’t know something, which proves fatal), Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andrés Rivera, playing a friend of Coriolanus and a fellow mentor who won’t stand for the Games’ barbarity...which also proves fatal) and Tigris (Hunter Schafer, playing cousin to Coriolanus...or ‘Coryo’ as she calls him, who I found particularly interesting to watch and really enjoyed her scenes with Blyth’s Snow). Something this movie has definitely stepped up from the previous films is the brutality of the Games, as there’s no shortage of death (so don’t get too attached to anyone). I also found the themes explored in the movie felt more ‘mature’ and there was a complexity that you might miss the intricacies of if you’re not paying attention. Although it may seem like the film loses some steam in its third part, it’s necessary to show that things aren’t all fine and dandy after the Games are over with. The relationship between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray is not one that’s wrapped up in a nice neat little bow. There’s an open-endedness that may frustrate some people, but the important thing is that by the film’s end...The President Snow of the future has been born/created. On the whole, I found the movie held my attention throughout (not a small feat considering its runtime) and I liked it better than the first, third and fourth previous films. Only the second film, Catching Fire, would I rank higher than this one.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 25, 2024 16:10:25 GMT -5
TRON: Legacy (2010). Trontastic... I’d never seen the original Tron, nor did I really know much about it. I'd only heard the movie referenced in other things on occasion (like that one episode of The Simpsons where Homer's trapped in the Third Dimension and asks if anybody saw the movie Tron, and everyone answers "No". I was in the same boat as them). The previews for TRON: Legacy looked visually stunning, and I'm happy to report it does not disappoint in that regard. Everything seen inside 'The Grid' is a wonder to behold/a visual feast. But is this the only good thing the film has going for it? Well...yes and no. As far as the characters/actors who portray them are concerned, Garrett Hedlund is decent as Sam Flynn. Yes, he has to utter some clunky dialogue along the way and is a bit stiff at times, but he serves the role well enough. At times he reminded me of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker (what with the pulling out of lightsabers...I mean discs, donning of cloaks, etc), though thankfully he’s not half as bad as that guy. Jeff Bridges gives a solid performance as Sam's dad, Kevin Flynn, and the father/son relationship he has with Sam is central to the film. The only thing that detracts from his performance is his character’s digitized clone, Clu. No matter how hard they’ve tried to create a youthful-looking Jeff Bridges using computer magic, he still looks like a “cartoon” (as someone in the audience put it when I saw the movie at the theatre). While it's annoying, it would have at least been tolerable had it been limited to just the scenes inside The Grid (though it still would've raised the question of why he looked so fake while everyone else looked so real). However, the movie starts in the real world with a "young" Kevin Flynn telling his son the story of Tron/The Grid, and you can plainly tell the drastic difference between a real and fake Jeff Bridges. It's so obvious and very distracting. Meanwhile, Olivia Wilde kicks butt and looks great doing it (in her neon light-up skintight catsuit and her asymmetrical wig) as the warrior, Quorra. She seems to be having WAY more fun with this role than she ever did in her role of Thirteen on the TV series House. Quorra's joyous laughter at odd times gives her an endearing quality, she has a slight naivety about her in regards to some things (which allows for some comedic moments) and displays a sense of childlike wonder (especially in the film’s final shot). Wilde and Hedlund share some good scenes together, and her character at least gets some development...which is more than I can say for the albino-like "Siren", Gem (Beau Garrett, who looks visually interesting...but there doesn't seem to be much else going on with her). Faring better is Michael Sheen as as Castor/Zuse. While he does tend to "ham it up" a bit, at least he provides one of the film's more memorable performances. Apart from the animation of Young Kevin Flynn, there are a couple of other 'minuses' of the film, like the dialogue (which at times isn’t great) as well as the fact that the beginning is somewhat slow/kinda boring and things don't really get moving until we are transported along with Sam inside The Grid. However, once we're in there...the visuals most certainly make up for these minor quibbles. The movie looks STUNNING. There's the "games", which mostly seem to involve throwing discs (which resemble Xena's round killing thing) at each other, causing those who are hit to "derez" (ie. cease to exist). Then there's the Light Cycles, Light Runners, and all modes of "Light" transportation which make for thrilling action/chase sequences. Another 'plus' of this film is its excellent score which adds SO much to the movie's atmosphere. While some fans of the original film may or may not like this one, for someone like myself (who this movie introduced to the Tron world for the first time), it was quite entertaining and probably the best Tron sequel you’re ever going to get.
|
|
|
Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Feb 14, 2024 3:34:36 GMT -5
Madame Web (2024). Webheads... The movie begins in 1973, where a pregnant Constance Webb (Kerry Bishé) is searching for a rare type of spider to help cure a disease it’s later revealed her unborn child has when she’s betrayed by the man assisting her, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who kills a bunch of people, shoots Constance in a scuffle, and steals the special spider she’s caught. Peruvian spider people whisk her away and are able to deliver her child, but Constance doesn’t make it (can't imagine why being bitten by a spider probably wasn’t enough to save her...but it does have an effect on her child). Cut to 2003, where her grown-up daughter, Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Webb (Dakota Johnson), is working as a paramedic alongside Ben Parker (Adam Scott), brother-in-law to Mary Parker (Emma Roberts) who is pregnant with a certain future web-slinger. While attempting to save someone who's been in a car accident, Cassie's in an accident herself, plunging into water inside a car which triggers something and suddenly she starts experiencing future visions that start off very abstract, but then later are presented to us as watching the same events play out in a Final Destination-ish/ Groundhog Day-esque kinda way. Going into this movie, I knew very little about the comic book character of Madame Web other than the fact that she's supposed to be a lot older than she's presented here. Unlike others, I wasn't bothered by Dakota Johnson's casting one bit. She'd managed the impossible task of bringing some actual humanity to her character in the Fifty Shades movies, and I don’t think she’s given enough credit for her comedic skills in those. It’s a shame she wasn’t given more opportunity to show them off here, as she gets the odd sarcastic line, but the *one* genuinely amusing moment in the movie shows she can pull off physical comedy as well (the scene with her failed wall-climbing). Meanwhile, spider-enhanced Ezekiel’s also seeing flashes of the future which show his death caused by three masked girls, and with the help of his technology assistant, Amaria (Zosia Mamet), he eventually tracks them down and tries to kill them before they can kill him. The only thing keeping them alive is Cassie...not that they make it easy for her by disobeying her simple safety instructions. Of the three, Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney) is easily the best/most likeable, as she’s the one who expresses appreciation to Cassie for saving their lives, wants to listen to what she has to say and is empathetic, showing concern for/caring about others. She’s actually NICE. At the other end of the spectrum is Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor), who right from her introduction, giving the finger to Cassie (who I was in total agreement with when she remarked, “Who flips off an ambulance? Kids these days!”), isn’t very likeable at all. She also sits on tables in trains instead of the chairs, threatens to press charges against Cassie for stealing her skateboard (which was the only way Cassie could get her to move when she was in the process of SAVING HER LIFE), despite the fact that Mattie had just been antagonizing cops at the train station beforehand, eats the only food the girls have when they’re dumped in the forest, and exposes them by not keeping her head down. It’s not until fairly late into the movie that Mattie becomes tolerable, where she actually appears to have grown to care about the other girls (though her continual denying Cassie a high-five remains annoying, considering everything she does to keep them safe). The third girl, Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), is probably given the least amount of focus/development. She starts out being the most at odds with Mattie, but like all of them winds up being somewhat useful in the climactic battle against Ezekiel (though chest compression lessons are the REAL hero!). By the time all these women are working together as one, the movie’s nearly over. The biggest ‘negative’ of this movie is its villain. Ezekiel's your typical cardboard cutout villain uttering unimaginative dialogue, but a better actor could’ve at least done SOMETHING with the material given. Unfortunately, Rahim brings nothing to the role except a gruff voice. He’s about as boring a villain as they come. As usual with female-led movies, there’re those over-exaggerating how ‘bad’ it is. I believe a lot of people trashing this movie went into it wanting to hate it (some probably even made up their minds about it as soon as it was first announced), but for those who were willing to at least give it a chance...I think the biggest disappointment is that it’s not the superheroine movie we were led to believe. While it’s probably not what a lot of people were expecting, it’s not as ‘terrible’ as it’s being made out to be. It’s just a different sort of movie to what had been presented in the trailers and it probably would’ve been better to advertise it as what is really is…which isn’t so much of a ‘superhero movie’, but more just a movie about strangers coming together against a common enemy. Those who hate the SSU (Sony’s Spider-Man Universe) or movies centred on female protagonists...this movie clearly isn’t for you. Those expecting the three female characters to become the costumed superheroes we got glimpses of in the trailers will likely be disappointed since what was in those trailers is pretty much all you get of them suited up and with powers in the movie. Apart from two brief visions of the future (the first is early in the film and the second’s at the very end), the three ladies remain normal, without powers/costumes. Really, if you removed all the spider-related stuff, it’d probably work as just a movie about a bad dude hunting women and them trying to stay alive. The lesson to be learned here is don’t save all the actual costumed superhero stuff for a sequel you mightn't even get (which is likely going to be the case here).
|
|
|
Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Mar 10, 2024 13:38:19 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by njtotx on Mar 14, 2024 8:16:42 GMT -5
Did you ever see the 1927 film? Does this one have a snowball fight?
|
|