Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
- Commentary: This is the first movie in the Planet of the Apes Reboot series, and it's a honey of a movie. It's one of the best super-hero origin stories I've seen. Andy Serkis, an extraordinary actor, plays the role of Caesar, the chimpanzee who is born into super-hero ape status.
My mother, who was famous in our family for her love of the original Planet of the Apes series, did not live long enough to see this reboot. I think she would have loved it, even though there are several differences, the first and most significant being that the apes don't speak English, they speak Ape. There are a few words they pick up, here and there, most significantly, the word, "No!", but communication between apes is handled so well that a watcher is never in doubt as to what is communicated. Really a magnificent reboot of the series. I often hope, as I watch each of the three reboot movies, that, if there is a survival of consciousness after death, my mother is watching over my shoulder as I watch these movies.
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James Franco Dr. William Rodman Freida Pinto Dr. Caroline Aranha John Lithgow Charles Rodman Brian Cox John Landon Tom Felton Dodge Landon David Oyelowo Steven Jacobs Andy Serkis Caesar Karin Konoval Maurice Terry Notary Rocket/Bright Eyes Richard Ridings Buck Devyn Dalton Cornelia Christopher Gordon Koba
Here is the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
This Wikipedia article provides an excellent overview of all the Planet of the Apes movies. It also hints at a fourth installment of the Reboot series.
Release Date: 2011
Directed by Rupert Wyatt.
Update 8/27/2024: I've actually had this movie for quite awhile but the post became corrupted and I had to salvage what I could, repost, redate it and re-enter it into my Alpha List. It seems to be okay, now.
Labels: action2, adventure2, andy-serkis, animal, biography1, cgi-animation, drama2, fantasy1, political1, reflective, science-fiction1, super-hero1, tragedy1, violence1, war1
Hanna
- Commentary: Mmm, mmm, mmm! I love this film. I know. It's not classic film art. Whatever. It just mesmerizes me from beginning to end, no matter how many times I see it, which is why I decided I need to own it. Our library has about four copies in the system, including the branch I frequent, but it is always checked out of my branch, so, when I yearn to see this movie I have to wait at least a week.
Why do I love this film? I think it's because I like to imagine myself in the heroine's shoes, scientifically altered body and brain and all. I like the fact that she is "plussed" (vs. "nonplussed") throughout, no matter what comes her way, and only slightly cracks when she hears her father being shot. She is in-the-moment-to-the-near-future to the extreme, completely, unshakeably self-possessed. I wouldn't mind being that way. As well, Cate Blanchette is terrific fun in this movie. Although some critics panned her for her over-the-top acting, she reminded me of Anthony Hopkins when he's having lots of fun acting. You know, it's funny, since I began exploring thrillers some years ago (hmmm...I guess it's been about eight years, now) I've become more critical of them, too, and can be easily bored by chase after almost-catch after narrow escape. Some critics place this movie in that category. One critic even called it "derivative", at which I wonder, derivative of what? Is there something else out there like this movie that I might love even more? If so, let me know. I'm ready. Until then, you'll find me on the floor watching Hanna.
Update 6/4/2022: No, I didn't follow the TV series Hanna, despite its increasingly good to excellent reviews. I tried, but the movie did it all for me, wrapped it up with a bow, and left the rest to my imagination, which I prefer.
Update 8/27/2024: I've actually had this movie for quite awhile, at least 5 years, but the post became corrupted and I had to salvage what I could, repost and redate it and re-enter it into my Alpha List. It seems to be okay, now.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Saoirse Ronan Hanna Eric Bana Erik Heller Vicky Krieps Johanna Zadek Cate Blanchett Marissa Wiegler Jessica Barden Sophie Aldo Maland Miles Olivia Williams Rachel Jason Flemyng Sebastian
Release Date: 2011
Directed by Joe Wright.
Labels: action1, adventure1, cate-blanchett, drama4, fantasy1, mystery1, saoirse-ronan, science-fiction1, spy, super-hero1, suspense1, thriller1, violence2
Sunday, October 01, 2023
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- Commentary: This, the second installment of the Planet of the Apes Reboot trilogy. essentially defines and exacerbates the conflict between those humans who have not been wiped out by the Simian Flu Virus. Caesar, throughout most of the movie, remains hopeful that apes and humans can separately and peacefully coexist. Bad actors on both sides, though, due to both human and ape nature, make this impossible.
This movie has very sad undertones. It, essentially, sets up the large scale conflict between apes and humans that plays out in the final Trilogy Reboot.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Andy Serkis Caesar Toby Kebbell Koba Judy Greer Cornelia Nick Thurston Blue Eyes Terry Notary Rocket Karin Konoval Maurice Doc Shaw Ash Lee Ross Grey Jason Clarke Malcolm Gary Oldman Dreyfuss Keri Russell Eli Kodi Smit-McPhee Alexander Kirk Acevedo Carter Jon Eyez Foster Enrique Murciano Kemp Keir O'Donnell Finney
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Update 10/1/2023: This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but, yet again, it disappeared itself from public view. I am now re-reinstating it.
Here is the Wikipedia write-up of this movie.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Matt Reeves.
Labels: action2, adventure2, andy-serkis, animal, biography1, cgi-animation, drama2, fantasy1, political1, reflective, science-fiction1, super-hero1, tragedy1, violence1, war1
Thursday, June 09, 2022
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keanu Reeves John Wick Halle Berry Sofia Al-Azwar Ian McShane Winston Laurence Fishburne The Bowery King Mark Dacascos Zero Asia Kate Dillon The Adjudicator Lance Reddick Concierge Charon Tobias Segal Earl Anjelica Huston The Director Saïd Taghmaoui The Elder Jerome Flynn Berrada Randall Duk Kim The Doctor
The Wikipedia write-up for this film is here.
Release Date: 2019
Directed by Chad Stahelski.
Labels: don't-ask-me-why, keanu-reeves, laurence-fishburne, neo-noirC, revenge1, super-hero1
John Wick: Chapter 2
- Commentary: Under construction.
In addition (and much to my surprise, even though I enjoy all three John Wick movies, RogerEbert.com contains a second meditation on this movie.
By the way, many critics liked, loved or adored all three of the John Wick movies. In fact, John Wick: Chapter 4, although it's release has been delayed by almost exactly a year, is due out in May of 2022. According to that Wikipedia article, "Keanu Reeves stated that he will continue making sequels, as long as the films are successful. Lionsgate intended to film the fourth and fifth films back-to-back but dropped those plans in March 2021 ... due to the COVID-19 pandemic." I probably won't see either in a theater, I rarely go to the theater, anymore, but, you can bet, I'll be adding the discs to my collection to watch at home. With enthusiasm.
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keanu Reeves John Wick Common Cassian Laurence Fishburne The Bowery King Riccardo Scamarcio Santino D'Antonio Ruby Rose Ares Lance Reddick Concierge Charon Peter Stormare Abram Tarasov Bridget Moynahan Helen Wick Franco Nero Julius John Leguizamo Aurelio Ian McShane Winston Claudia Gerini Gianni D'Antonio
The Wikipedia write-up for this film is here.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by Chad Stahelski.
Labels: don't-ask-me-why, keanu-reeves, laurence-fishburne, neo-noirC, revenge1, super-hero1
John Wick
- Commentary: Under construction.
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keanu Reeves John Wick Michael Nyqvist Viggo Tarasov Alfie Allen Iosef Tarasov Adrianne Palicki Ms. Perkins Bridget Moynahan Helen Wick Dean Winters Avi Ian McShane Winston John Leguizamo Aurelio Willem Dafoe Marcus David Patrick Kelly Cleaner Charlie Randall Duk Kim Specialty Doctor Lance Reddick Hotel Concierge Charon
The Wikipedia write-up for this film is here.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Chad Stahelski.
Labels: don't-ask-me-why, keanu-reeves, neo-noirC, revenge1, super-hero1, willem-dafoe
War for the Planet of the Apes
- Commentary: This final Planet of the Apes reboot is probably the hardest to follow. Apes and humans have engaged in an all out war. The war, itself, is blamed, simultaneously, on bad human actors, bad ape actors and, well, inevitability, which is what mars the events portrayed in the film. About half the war is between two arms of the military against one another, one of which is holding the apes captive. It is hard to determine, frankly, if the second branch of the military is ape friendly or if that even matters.
At any rate, Caesar's dies at the end of this movie, thus bringing his biography to an end, as well. The apes as a group, however, survive and look forward to continued existence.
There has been talk about a fourth Planet of the Apes Reboot film. I'm not sure this is necessary, or even desirable. It will have to be a damned good one, taking a completely different trajectory, thus requiring some super thoughtful creativity. If you've watched the initial Planet of the Apes Sextilogy, you'll know that the movies declined in quality and thoughtfulness as the stories continued. I hope that isn't the fate of this Planet of the Apes Reboot.
Finally, once again, here are the results of my search crawl on RogerEbert.com for, simply, "Planet of the Apes movies". It pulled a lot of material, continuing on to a second page. Go ahead. Click and try it yourself. I'll bet there are even more articles on these movies than there were on 8/7/21, when I performed my crawl. These movies, the old ones, the middle one by Tim Burton, the "new" ones seem to be endlessly fascinating to our species, even as we are creating them, ourselves. Ver-r-r-r-(roll that "r")y Inter-r-restingk!
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Andy Serkis Caesar Woody Harrelson The Colonel Steve Zahn Bad Ape Toby Kebbell Kobo Gabriel Chavarria Preacher Judy Greer Cornelia Karin Konoval Maurice Terry Notary Rocket Michael Adamthwaite Luca Ty Olsson Red Devyn Dalton Cornelius Sara Canning Lake Aleks Paunovic Winter Amiah Miller Nova Max Lloyd-Jones Blue Eyes Roger Cross Rod Wilson
Here's the Wikipedia write-up on this movie.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by Matt Reeves.
Labels: action2, adventure2, andy-serkis, animal, biography1, cgi-animation, drama2, military, popcorn-and-soda1, science-fiction1, super-hero1, tragedy1, violence1, war1, woody-harrelson
Sunday, January 17, 2021
The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Dark Knight Rises
- Commentary: This is my favorite Christopher Nolan Batman movie. The internal battle that subsumes itself into a battle with the evil elements of society in Batman Begins finally has to be faced by Bruce Wayne in this third installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy. He has lost the love of his life and was forced to kill one of his foremost supporters in city government. He has convinced his other government supporter to blame himself for the killings of the other government supporter. Even technical whiz bosom buddy collaborator, Lucius Fox, has become disenchanted with Wayne. Alfred Pennyworth is still loyal but sorely disappointed. Catwoman figures heavily in the movie and it's impossible to tell, throughout most of it, if she is friend or foe.
The movie is filled with a confusion of events, one being Batman's imprisonment, another being Batman's presumed death from his final act to save Gotham from a nuclear bomb and the final being Batman's funeral. Despite all this confusion, the movie has a highly gratifying conclusion, in which Robin figures prominently. It leaves you wondering if Bruce will ever again take on the role of Batman, but it is a satisfying curiosity. Certainly, I doubt that Nolan will extend Batman's story, but, who knows what others will do.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Bruce Wayne/Batman Michael Caine Alfred Pennyworth Gary Oldman James Gordon Anne Hathaway Selina Kyle/Catwoman Tom Hardy Bane Marion Cotillard Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul Joseph Gordon-Levitt John Blake Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox Liam Neeson Ra's Al Ghul Matthew Modine Foley Ben Mendelsohn Daggett William Devane President
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 2012
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Labels: action2, adventure2, ben-mendelsohn, christian-bale, christopher-nolan, drama1, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirC, political1, super-hero1, thriller1, violence1, william-devane
The Dark Knight Trilogy: Batman Begins
- Commentary: This is an endlessly interesting origin story for Batman. All the major characters that people Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy are introduced, including Batman as a boy and how, exactly, the death of his parents leads him to become Batman. No need to say anymore, except, I'm a fan of the entire trilogy.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Bruce Wayne/Batman Linus Roache Thomas Wayne Sara Stewart Martha Wayne Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox Michael Caine Alfred Pennyworth Liam Neeson Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul Katie Holmes Rachel Dawes Gary Oldman James Gordon Cillian Murphy Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow Tom Wilkinson Carmine Falcone Rutger Hauer William Earle Ken Watanabe decoy Ra's al Ghul
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 2005
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Labels: action2, adventure2, christian-bale, christopher-nolan, coming-of-age1, drama1, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirB, psychological1, super-hero1, suspense1, tom-wilkinson, violence1
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Margot Robbie Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn Mary Elizabeth Winstead Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress Jurnee Smollett-Bell Dinah Lance/Black Canary Rosie Perez Renee Montoya Chris Messina Victor Zsasz Ella Jay Basco Cassandra Cain Ali Wong Ellen Yee Ewan McGregor Roman Sionis/Black Mask
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up on this movie.
Release Date: 2020
Directed by Cathy Yan.
Labels: §2, dramedy1, female-director1, super-hero1
Logan
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Hugh Jackman James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine Patrick Stewart Charles Xavier/Professor X Dafne Keen Laura/X-23 Boyd Holbrook Pierce Stephen Merchant Caliban Richard E. Grant Dr. Zandar Rice Eriq La Salle Will Munson Elise Neal Kathryn Munson
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up about this movie.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by James Mangold.
Labels: §2, science-fiction1, super-hero1
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Wonder Woman
- Commentary: I really enjoy the part of this movie which focuses on Diana's Amazonian life. The rest of it, once she leaves Themyscira, eh. My reaction to the story of how Diana becomes embroiled in World War I and, as the blurbs say, discovers her true destiny, left me flat. Yes, the underplot of Diana actually battling Ares as she becomes involved in WWI is interesting, but frankly, anti-climactic. I'm not sure why. You'd think this mission would be exciting. That's certainly the secondary reason why I purchased the movie. The primary reason was because I collect certain super-hero movies and I wanted this particular origin story in my catalog. Will I watch it again? Probably. As I do, though, I'll always wish ...
Update 8/7/2021: I haven't decided whether I want to obtain Wonder Woman: 1984. I've read synopses (some detailed) of the movie, so I know the story, but, of course, that's not important, since, if I like a movie, I'll watch it multiple times, with the story already firmly in mind for all but one of those watches. And, as well, I don't particularly care about the conflicted reviews, like the one immediately above in this paragraph. Thing is, I've watched the original only once and, despite my adoration for the character as played by Gal Gadot, I may never watch this movie, again. My copy won't end up at my local library, since I consider it a must-keep in my super-hero caches (both caches linked, by the way; one to "super-hero" and one to "caches"). But, unlike Iron Man, for instance, I'm not drawn back to yet another watching. Then, again, this movie features Kristin Wiig as a villian, and that sounds like fun. Perhaps I'll check it out of my local library and see how I like it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Gal Gadot Diana/Wonder Woman Chris Pine Steve Trevor Robin Wright Antiope Danny Huston Erich Ludendorff David Thewlis Sir Patrick Connie Nielsen Hippolyta Elena Anaya Dr. Isabel Maru Lucy Davis Etta Candy Saïd Taghmaoui Sameer Ewen Bremner Charlie Eugene Brave Rock Chief Lisa Loven Kongsli Menalippe
The Wikipedia article on this movie is here.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by Patty Jenkins, as is the second film in this series.
Labels: action2, adventure2, don't-ask-me-why, drama1, fantasy1, female-director3, military, period1, political1, popcorn-and-soda1, pseudo-cgi-animation, super-hero1, suspense1, thriller1, violence1, war1
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Joker
- Commentary: Yes, yes, yes! Spectacular film!
Truth is, I'm not heavy into super-hero-comic-book movies, but there are a few I favor, and when I favor them, I really favor them. I'd seen trailers of this movie and my curiosity had been piqued, but, with 100 holds on the movie at the library the day it was released, and a pretty-penny-purchase-price, I knew it would be awhile before I even saw it, let alone considered owning it. My Florida Sister, though, had seen the same trailers, been similarly intrigued, and, instead of buying the movie for herself, she pleaded her work schedule, which wouldn't allow her to see it for awhile, and sent the movie to me!
Yes, it's dark as fuck. Yes, it's not only an origin story that adds to the plausibility of The Dark Knight (which I immediately rewatched after viewing Joker for the first time; yes, Virginia, I finally did watch the entire The Dark Knight movie, thoroughly enjoyed it and have watched it twice since the first viewing just to revel in Heath Ledger's performance), the pleasure of watching Joaquin Phoenix's performance was sooo satisfying. The man, literally, danced through the story, sometimes explicitly, always implicitly. I've since read reviews of the movie and they are maniacally mixed (except for reviews of Phoenix's performance). While there were many accolades, some considered the story unforgivably incendiary. Some considered it scattershot, too obvious, and/or boring. Almost no one acknowledged the obvious connection between Gotham's Joker by Heath Ledger and Joker by Joaquin Phoenix.
Speaking of critical constroversy, although Roger Ebert didn't live long enough to see this movie, reviewers on the site wrote not less than four pieces about the film. The initial review granted it only two stars, but, then, a second, then a third, then a fourth piece followed. Extraordinary.
Although I am a thoughtful fan of super-hero/super-villain movies, don't own many and have seen only the few I own, I have to say, this movie renders the madness of Joker and the madness of Gotham so immediate and real that it makes me wonder, how many Jokers are out there, around the corner, in our confusion of Gothams, just waiting for an accidented (yes, Virginia, accidented) chassis to place them on the world stage?
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Joaquin Phoenix Arthur Fleck/Joker Robert De Niro Murray Franklin Zazie Beetz Sopie Dumond Frances Conroy Penny Fleck Brett Cullen Thomas Wayne Carrie Louise Putrello Martha Wayne Douglas Hodge Alfred Pennyworth Dante Pereira-Olson Bruce Wayne/Batman
For the curious, here's the Wikipedia write-up for this film. Not surprisingly, considering the controversy that erupted around the film, it is a much extended piece, including the usually threadbare Critical Response section.
Release Date: 2019
Directed by Todd Phillips
Labels: action2, adventure2, cgi-animation, coming-of-age1, dance, drama2, fantasy1, film-art1, horror1, joaquin-phoenix, political1, robert-de-niro, satire1, super-hero1, violence1
Monday, August 19, 2019
Avengers: Endgame
- Commentary: I haven't watched this one, yet. It's a new own. Relatively bargain priced, considering it's been on the shelves for only a minute. I have very few of the 22 (I read that number somewhere, recently) Marvel Universe movies: Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and this one, in the order in which I obtained them. You know how I feel about super-hero movies, I generally love them, the quirky ones in particular (I consider, for instance, Shyamalan's Eastrail 177 Trilogy (of which I own all three) quirky; click here and here (direct links to all the movies I own that I've placed in the "super-hero" category) to see what I consider a super-hero movie; you'll likely be surprised) but in general there are many I don't care for and have no reason to own, especially of the Marvel Universe. I decided to add this one to my collection, sight unseen, though, since it's the end. Game. You know.
So, I'll be appending to this write-up when I watch this movie. Who knows. Maybe it will spur me to add a few more Marvel Universe super-hero movies to my collection. Maybe not. We'll see.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robert Downey Jr. Tony Stark/Iron Man Chris Evans Steve Rogers/Captain America Mark Ruffalo Bruce Banner/Hulk Chris Hemsworth Thor Scarlett Johansson Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow Jeremy Renner Clint Barton/Hawkeye Don Cheadle James Rhodes/War Machine Paul Rudd Scott Lang/Ant-Man Brie Larson Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel Karen Gillan Nebula Danai Gurira Okoye Benedict Wong Wong Jon Favreau Happy Hogan Bradley Cooper Rocket Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts Josh Brolin Thanos
Also stars Michael Douglas as adult Hank Pym/Ant-Man.
In case you're curious, the Wikipedia write-up for this movie is here.
Release Date: 2019
Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo.
Labels: §2, aliens, josh-brolin, michael-douglas, popcorn-and-soda1, robert-downey-jr, samuel-l-jackson, science-fiction1, super-hero1
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Glass
- Commentary: I own this movie because I was destined to own it. I became of fan of the Eastrail 177 Trilogy before it was a trilogy, when it was only Unbreakable.
I'm not much for superhero movies or superhero stories. I own a few, a very few, considering the extent of my entire collection, but superhero stories have to be strong on character for me ... really strong, and have a super (forgive the pun) compelling story. Unbreakable was one of those few superhero movies with which I fell in love.
When I heard a sequel was planned, and then a third, I was so excited that I vowed, before either movie was even in theaters on initial runs, that I would own them.
I appreciated (and enjoyed) Split as a continuation of what I knew was going to be a trilogy. James McAvoy was splendid (Can that guy act, or what?!?). His performance blew me away because I'm familiar with a fair amount of his work (there is a lot of it) and didn't know he had that "horde" of characters inside him. It was, and still is, breathtaking for me to watch his performance in that movie. I also, though, considered Split rather like the middle of a book ... it might bog you down, a bit, but you know help is coming in the last few chapters and, anyway, you need to know what's in the middle to realize you're being helped at the end.
By the time Glass arrived in theaters, I was ravenous for it, and unsettled that I'd have awhile to wait before it became a DVD and I could see it. [Why didn't I see it in a theater, I hear you asking ... that's another story ... remind me to talk about that later.] Finally, it was available for purchase. I didn't wait for the price to drop.
What can I say? I had no idea, during my long wait, what to expect, except that I expected something of the calibre of Unbreakable, something that would astound me and resolve the story in a superlatively unthinkable way.
Didn't happen.
In fact, I had to read the synopsis of the movie in Wikipedia just before I wrote this in order to remember the story. To my mind, there was little spark in the story, little spark in the continuation of the characters, and I was left unsatisfied. I can't give you an alternative scenario of what I would have liked to have seen. I just know that as I watched the movie I kept waiting for Something To Happen ... then, the movie was over and I realized, oh, nothing is going to happen.
I've thought about it. A lot. I can't imagine what it is I needed from the third movie to satisfy me. I just know that the third movie made both the first and the second seem implausible. That's a shame, because I fell in love with the first movie and remained excited for the story by the second movie. The third? Well, it seems to me like it's a third movie that exists without a first or second movie having been made.
Maybe Shyamalan tired of the concept he'd imagined as the Eastrail 177 Trilogy before he finished it. Maybe he never meant for Unbreakable to be more than what it was, which would have been fine with me. It's one of my all time favorite movies and didn't need sequels. Despite my disappointment, I'm going to keep all three movies. Forever. I know I'll watch Unbreakable again. I'll probably watch the other two again, as well. When I watch Glass though, it won't be for the sheer enjoyment of it. It will be to wonder, once again, what went wrong.
I'll finish this write-up with a quote from the Wikipedia article about this movie (to which I've linked in the title): "M. Night Shyamalan has been asked numerous times if there would be any sequel for Glass. On January 8, 2019, he officially confirmed that no sequels are currently planned, saying he has no interest building a cinematic universe."
Thank you and good [M] Night [Shyamalan].
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James McAvoy Kevin Wendell Crumb/The Horde Bruce Willis David Dunn/The Overseer Samuel L. Jackson Elijah Price/Mr. Glass Sarah Paulson Dr. Ellie Staple Anya Taylor-Joy Casey Cooke Spencer Treat Clark Joseph Dunn Charlayne Woodard Mrs. Price Luke Kirby Pierce
Release Date: 2019
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Labels: action2, adventure2, drama3, fantasy1, horror1, m-night-shyamalan, pseudo-cgi-animation, samuel-l-jackson, super-hero1, suspense1, thriller1, tragedy1, violence1
Monday, July 01, 2019
Captain Marvel
- Commentary: Frankly, although I like this movie, I'm not a huge fan. Not like like I am with, say, Iron Man or the Unbreakable trilogy (I know it's not called that, but I think it's more recognizable as that). I haven't been following a lot of the Marvel Universe characters on film. I watch some of the Netflix series, which seems to do a good job with MCU characters): The Punisher, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil, but the movies haven't really caught my attention. The reason I bought this movie is because Samuel L. Jackson, Annette Bening and Jude Law are in it: thus, I thought, it's gotta be great, you know?!? Long story short, I was wrong. It's not bad, and I have nothing against Brie Larson. I've caught accidental snippets of commentary against her, but, as far as I can tell, none of it attacks her performance as Captain Marvel. I ended up deciding to own Captain Marvel for the same reason I own Black Panther. I thought it might be interesting and promising. Turns out, I find Black Panther much more interesting and involving, and promising. I've watched that movie a couple of times since I bought it and I'm anticipating spin-offs of some of the characters. Some of those spin-offs have already been proposed, and/or promised. But, if a sequel to this movie is launched, I'll probably skip it.
After the beginning, the movie was tedious for me, until close to the end. I liked the special effects in it, especially what they did with the de-aging/aging of Samuel L. Jackson. I think the problem is with the script. The story just didn't have enough oomph, enough surprise, nor was its presentation of backstory particularly imaginative, or, for that matter, innovative.
I won't be donating it to the library, yet, anyway, although they would probably be glad of another copy, considering how popular it is. I cherish my super-hero movies, even if they're bad (although I haven't yet found one that is truly bad, probably because I am initially so very, very selective). And, anyway, considering all the other characters in the movie I liked, well, maybe, just maybe ...
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Brie Larson Carol Danvers/Vers/ Captain Marvel Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury Ben Mendelsohn Talos/Keller Djimon Hounsou Korath Lee Pace Ronan the Accuser Lashana Lynch Maria Rambeau Gemma Chan Minn-Erva Annette Bening Supreme Intelligence/Mar-Vell/Dr. Wendy Lawson Clark Gregg Phil Coulson Jude Law Yon-Rogg Algenis Pérez Soto Att-Lass Rune Temte Bron-Char
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2019
Directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.
Labels: action2, adventure2, aliens, annette-bening, ben-mendelsohn, don't-ask-me-why, female-director3, popcorn-and-soda2, pseudo-cgi-animation, samuel-l-jackson, science-fiction1, super-hero1, violence2
Monday, January 28, 2019
The Equalizer 2
- Commentary: I have to say, the second in this series, as often happens, is a little disappointing. I still love the character, and there is a dynamite good-guy-vs.-bad-guy fight at the end, in the rain, on top of a concrete structure, right at the edge of a drop-off into the ocean, on the property that McCall owns. Good set-up. Good choreography. The story, though is a pretty standard avenge story, although it starts well, is so standard that, as I watched it the first time I kept second guessing the coming action and none of my wild and woolly fantasies were even hinted at in the actual film. The movie's set-up implies an imaginative adventure, and then only half-heartedly delivers.
I still love the character, though. I still love Washington's portrayal of the character. I just wish there had been more substance. I really enjoyed the first movie in the series and felt as though I was promised a super-spectacular sequel. Didn't happen. If this series continues, I'll watch other entries, but I can't promise I'll want to own them. The second in the series got a pass because, well, it often happens that the second is a little muddled and, expecting that there is more to this character and his stories, I collected it. If there's a third, as the press following the initial theater release of the first implies that a third is being considered, I'll be careful. Even if a third shows up at my library, I'll be sure to watch it more than once before I buy, especially if I like it.
Apparently, those connected with the film, including the director and the writer, were astonished at the success of this second film. On the subject of the possibility of a third, an article published on 7/25/18 was subtitled: "No-one expected The Equalizer 2 to do so well at the box office when it was released last week." Three days later, in an article written about the premiere of this movie (dated 7/28/18 @ 11:54 a.m., also quoted below): "...it sounds like the cast and crew already have plans for a third Equalizer. While Washington said whether they make another movie is 'up to the people,' Wenk (the writer) said, 'I have [the third film] all in my head. It starts right from the end of this one.' ... Producer Steve Tisch said, 'What people want from Denzel and what they want to get from an Equalizer sequel they are going to get with the sequel. I'm excited for there to be an Equalizer 3.'"
Denzel Washington, himself, refuses to consider this second film a sequel. And I quote, again: "Denzel Washington may be playing vigilante Robert McCall again in The Equalizer 2, but don't call the movie a sequel. 'You know, everybody keeps using that word — sequel,' the Oscar winner told The Hollywood Reporter at the film's premiere last night at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Instead of thinking of it as a sequel, Washington explained, 'It's a story without an ending and it's open-ended, so here we are.'" That sounds promising. Maybe the problems with the second were a case of "sequel (sorry, Denzel) blues". Not that I'm aware that such a condition occurs, but it's not unimaginable that it might. Hopefully, those blues will vanish as a third in the series comes together.
I know. Absolutely preposterous that I am so into these films. But, there you have it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Denzel Washington Robert McCall Pedro Pascal Dave York Ashton Sanders Miles Whittaker Orson Bean Sam Rubenstein Bill Pullman Brian Plummer Melissa Leo Susan Plummer Jonathan Scarfe Resnik Sakina Jaffrey Fatima
Just in case, here's the Wikipedia write-up of the movie.
Release Date: 2018
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Labels: action2, adventure1, antoine-fuqua, denzel-washington, drama3, melissa-leo, revenge1, super-hero1, thriller1, violence2
The Equalizer
- Commentary: Finally! Yet another super-hero that is my kind of super-hero! And it's an honest-to-goodness origin movie, too! What luck!
I'm still trying to figure out why I like this movie and this character so much. I've only owned it (and it's sequel) for a couple of weeks and I've watched both twice, not including my library check-out watchings. Maybe it's because this super-hero's super-power isn't magical, like a nuclear heart or a mythical origin. This guy has become a super-hero because of his life and his intellectual and physical gifts and training.
In case you're wondering, I never watched the television series. I was unaware of it until I became aware of this movie and did some research on the character. I don't know if I'll seek the series out. I notice our library system has Season 2 of the series. I read the short article in Wikipedia about it but it didn't prick my curiosity. Seems like quite a bit more "system" involvement than the movie series.
The movie, though, oh my! It's not a hit among critics. Words such as "bland" are applied to it and its sequel. But, I don't care. I love the stalwart character this movie puts forth. I love the way Denzel Washington plays him. I love the mystery, and the actuality, of this guy's life. I love his ethics. That probably says something a little nasty about me, but, I don't care. If I could be an equalizer like this guy, specifically this guy in this film series, I would be. And, see, the thing is, since this guy doesn't have a god or a mythical character as a parent, I could be. That's the reverie of this movie. Get a clue, film critics.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Denzel Washington Robert McCall Marton Csokas Nicolai Itchenko/Teddy Rensen Chloë Grace Moretz Teri/Alina Johnny Skourtis Ralphie Haley Bennett Mandy Bill Pullman Brian Plummer Melissa Leo Susan Plummer David Harbour Masters
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Labels: action2, adventure1, antoine-fuqua, denzel-washington, drama3, melissa-leo, revenge1, super-hero1, thriller1, violence2
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Black Panther
- Commentary: Well. Folks. Yes. I own a copy of this movie. It's certainly not the best super-hero movie in my collection, in fact I would venture that it's probably the worst. It's beautiful to look at and a lot of the ideas, especially the technological state of Wakanda and a few of the political ideas, are interesting to contemplate. When I first watched the movie, immediately upon its DVD release (I checked it out of the library), I kept waiting for the story to start until, about half way through the movie, I realized, oh, this movie is not going to be story driven! How peculiar! The actors were given nothing with which to work, thus some amazing talents are little more than props for the cgi and none of the characters appear to have discernible, well, character, including, amazingly, Black Panther. The cgi, while breathtaking in parts, often seems little more than a confused mish-mash, like someone threw a graphics program at the script, picked up the pieces and declared them "a movie". Yes, the costuming is glorious. Yes, the hints of what Wakanda really is as a country and a political entity are intriguing. Some of the characters have real promise, which, unfortunately, none of them fulfill: Shuri, for instance, as a science genius and strong-willed princess, is treated like little more than the comical sidekick dragon in Mulan, even though, at one point, which piqued my interest, someone suggests, after the assumed death of Black Panther, her brother, that she ingest the panther-making potion, but, for some reason never explained, she doesn't; Ramonda, the glorious queen, is never assumed to be the rightful heir to her dead husband's throne, even though woman-power seems something Wakanda values, as its cadre of woman warriors attests; Killmonger, the alluring villain who seems less like a villain and more like someone who would make a more lively and engaging Black Panther than the Black Panther he supposedly killed; the entire Jabari tribe, who appear to have adopted the silver-backed gorilla as their god, evidenced by the light colored, shortened fur capes they wear, and whose leader seems charismatic and worthy of a movie, himself; and, last but not least, Okoye, a fearsome, luminous presence who certainly deserves her own story line. As well, while watching the movie last night for the second time, I suddenly became obsessed with the concept of city building in Wakanda. You'd think that such an innovative culture (or, at least, what appears to be an innovative culture but, in the movie, doesn't really live up to this promise) might have innovative city structures, following, say, the structure of the the tree that is featured in the landscape scenery throughout the movie. One group, I can't remember which one, although I think it might be the Jabari, has some structural idiosyncracies but, otherwise, African city structure, including that of Wakanda, in the movie, mimics sky-scraper city structure.
Something else that bothered me quite a bit is that the super hero is a monarch. Why? The super heroes I like the best are people-of-the-people like David Dunn of Unbreakable, or those who are transformed by encounters with people-of-the-people, like Tony Stark of Iron Man. If there had been something in the film to humanize T'Challa I don't think I would have given his royal status a second thought. But there wasn't. So, I did. Perhaps, in the comics (which I've not read, although I'm intrigued enough to consider reading, at this point, especially Ta Nehisi Coates' and Roxanne Gay's versions) Black Panther is not a wooden statue. In this movie, he is.
So. It seems, this movie impressed me about about as much as La La Land (my discussion of it is embedded in a write-up for another movie) and failed me as a viewer for many of the same reasons. So, why did I buy it, considering that I venerate musicals but could not bring myself to own a copy of La La Land? It is, after all, one thing to create a movie that is little more than a plastic toy of the main character. It's quite another to create a movie that inspires a plastic toy that is venerated as a true idol of the main character. Also, the disc versions are not yet in their "cheap phase".
Simply put, I saw it at Costco when I was shopping, yesterday, initially bypassed it, remembering my initial reaction to it, then, as I was headed toward the coffee section, I entertained a second consideration: I don't think this will be the end of the Black Panther MCU franchise. At least, I hope it won't. There is so much unfulfilled promise in this movie and the legendary character of Black Panther. I mean, didn't you ever in your childhood imagine yourself as a fearsome cat of some kind, especially a jaguar? Such an exotic creature-name! I'm sure, as well, that the creators have become aware of the cogent, helpful criticism (not much, but all I've read is on point) this movie has generated [as an example, take a look at this review, which hits on all the unsatisfying points I mention above, a few more, including the problem of critic agreement, and is the fairest "bad" review I could find, considering that there are almost no bad reviews of this film] and will do better, much, much better, next time. I wait with bated breath.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Chadwick Boseman T'Challa/Black Panther Michael B. Jordan N'Jadaka/Erik Killmonger Stevens Lupita Nyong'o Nakia Danai Gurira Okoye Martin Freeman Everett K. Ross Daniel Kaluuya W'Kabi Letitia Wright Shuri Winston Duke M'Baku Angela Bassett Ramonda Forest Whitaker Zuri Andy Serkis Ulysses Klaue Sterling K. Brown N'Jobu
Release Date: 2018
Directed by Ryan Coogler.
Labels: action1, adventure1, andy-serkis, drama4, fantasy1, forest-whitaker, pseudo-cgi-animation, science-fiction1, super-hero1, violence2
Tuesday, March 06, 2018
Split
- Commentary: Yikes! A third candidate for "horror" label status, all in the same editing session! This movie was a must-view-must-have for me. It's the second in the Eastrail 177 Trilogy by M. Night Shyamalan. I didn't know this, though, when I checked the film out of the library and watched it. All I knew was that it is the latest Shyamalan movie to be released so I wanted to see it. I don't always like his movies, like, for instance, The Village and Lady in the Water, not to mention The Last Airbender. Some of them, like Signs (which I don't own but occasionally check out of the library), I find entertaining but not worthy (yet, anyway) of owning. There are a few I haven't seen but expect to. My favorite of his films, though, is Unbreakable.
I liked Split so much that I immediately looked up information on it. When I discovered it is part of a trilogy of which Unbreakable is the first, well, I wanted to own it. I expect, eventually, to own Glass to complete the trilogy in my collection (I own it, now).
Split is of interest to me because I have a peculiar interest in super-hero evolution movies. Split is a super-villian evolution movie. To quote the Wikipedia entry on the movie: "The film has been referred to as the first supervillain origin story; the first time a film has been completely devoted to the origins of a villain as opposed to the origins of the superhero." My interest in super-hero movies and series is so eccentric that I avoid a lot of them. Unbreakable was the happy accident that lead me into a deeper interest in super-heroes. Now, I find that interest expanding into super-villians. I'll not be instituting a super-villian category, yet, because this would be the only movie in that category, at least for awhile, until other film makers catch the wave. Thank you, M. Night Shyamalan for being the first, and spectacularly!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James McAvoy Kevin Wendell Crumb/alter egos Anya Taylor-Joy Casey Cooke Betty Buckley Karen Fletcher Haley Lu Richardson Claire Benoit Jessica Sula Marcia Sebastian Arcelus Casey's Father Brad William Henke John Cooke Neal Huff Mr. Benoit Lyne Renée Academic Moderator Rosemary Howard Penelope Crumb M. Night Shyamalan Security Guard Jai Bruce Willis David Dunn
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2016
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Labels: action1, coming-of-age1, drama4, fantasy1, horror1, m-night-shyamalan, science-fiction1, super-hero1
