Wonder Woman

I saw Wonder Woman on opening night and while I thought it was pretty good, it has definitely taken me a while to ascertain my true feelings. I often have this problem in life, just not usually with movies. Rotten tomatoes gave it high praise, and while poignant and entertaining, I'm leaning towards the fact that perhaps it was given a little more praise than it deserved. However, I am in it for the long haul (development of the DC universe), so I'm primarily happy that DC didn't squander their first chance to delve into the origins of one of the Justice League's core characters. After all, Marvel's introduction of Iron Man, and subsequent Avenger movies was pretty brilliant.

Firstly, let me start off by saying that I am a D.C. fan. In fact, I'm still upset at the cosmos for not having been born as Bruce Wayne. And while Superman Vs Batman (BVS) received undue criticism from fan boys and critics alike, in contrast, I think Wonder Woman may have received a slight boost in its rating assessment. However, when juxtaposed with the rushed, poor plot-driven, character soup that was Suicide Squad, this movie may have well been Lord of the Rings.

By the time Wonder Woman's release date was eminent, I had gotten over the fact that they casted a slightly skinner Amazonian demi-god warrior princess than I would have liked, ultimately because her cameo in BVS was spot on. Gadot, a former Israeli soldier, is buff enough for a slender 5'10" frame I suppose, but more importantly, she is stoic, elegant, and believably concerned with defending mankind...a staple sentiment that is shared by all heroes...although in a way, unique to the Princess of Themyscira. I think Gadot accurately portrayed the perfect combination of innocent and warrior.

Unlike the destruction of Krypton, or the murder of the Waynes, Princess Diana's upbringing is a

lesser known story, and for the most part, the establishment of her warrior roots was apropos, although I think a little more could have been done to illustrate that Wonder Woman is arguably the best comic book combatant in existence.

As a family hero movie, Wonder Woman was mostly perfect. Chris Pine stated in an interview that it's a different comic hero movie than its Marvel counterparts, as some of it is both a love story, as well as a coming of age story. Some of the scenes deviated from the overall feel of the film teetering on the verge of being campy (e.g. picking up a tank during a fight as her hair flows in the wind and fire consumes the background), but otherwise the action sequences were well choreographed, there was strong chemistry among the characters, and as much light-hearted humor as one can expect during World War I.

I think my biggest issue with this movie, and I'm beginning to realize that this could be a systemic issue with all of DC's movies thus far, is either the selection and/or characterization of the villain. One of the many problems with Suicide Squad, was that there were two antagonists, only one of which had a plausible purpose, and neither had a particularly compelling final battle. Similarly, Wonder Woman's foe was both a little far-fetched, and equally anti-climactic. Without divulging too much, I feel as though Diana was never in any real danger and the director, while admittedly having a lot to balance and live up to, didn't quite create the necessary suspense and sense of urgency analogous to a super villain intending to unleash a dangerous gas on humankind, or one in tune with the capabilities of the God of War.
 
All that being said, the cinematography was striking and the fight/battle sequences were well-timed, credible, and engaging. The creativity in demonstrating Diana's powers was sufficient, although I felt some was left on the table with truly displaying her full battle potential (e.g., boomerang tiara). However, her naiveté aligns with the idea that the Amazon princess is still discovering who she is, and is not yet fully battle tested.

In the end, Patty Jenkins and Zack Snyder delivered a solid origin story that successfully lays the ground work for subsequent DC movies and a firestorm of consumer paraphernalia unrivaled since Batman Begins. Wonder Woman is definitely worth the cost of the ticket and its battle cry sets the tone for the season of summer blockbusters. I give this movie a rating of three and half out of five brownie points, and I think I may be lassoed into seeing it again...enjoy!

Butterfly Effect

I love movies. The visual art of story telling. The depiction of raw emotion, life, and circumstance. The quintessential portrayal of detailed, human expression. I immerse myself entirely...feeling the weight of despair, the weightlessness of space, a tree's leaves being gently carried across the screen, a pencil's scratching upon the surface of paper, a freckled smile, the sound of lips. Details, which in and of themselves, can hurl atoms through space, causing worlds to collide.

I saw two great movies this weekend. Gravity and Blue is the Warmest Color. While I normally would write an entire blog post dedicated to a single film, both of these movies, which are polar opposites, evoke similar feelings. Thus, I am compelled to address them together. One was a film about an engineer's experience in space, as well as her personal struggle, the inability to let go of a past trauma. I found it poignant and simultaneously fascinating that her experience was so traumatic and indelible, that she was unable to let go of it even in the most remote, quiet and vast locales imaginable. To carry a weight so heavy that even in the vacuum of space's weightlessness you cannot wiggle from underneath it, is a powerful thought.

Conversely, Blue carried with it a weight we've all had to bear, and with which we are intimately familiar....that of breaking up, or losing our first love. The parallel of helplessness in both movies was palpable and salient, even though the path of each female protagonist was, for lack of a better description, on entirely different tangents. One, a young woman gripping with the harsh realities and intricacies of maturation, sexuality, and the dynamic of relationships while navigating the emotional oceans of life. The other, of a woman who's life has lost all meaning and is devoid of feeling, except for one that blinds her to even the magnificence of a bird's eye view of our amazing planet. Both characters faced the eminent danger of losing air or being eternally lost in the cosmos at any moment.

Both movies were fantastic, equally moving, and powerful. Admittedly, however, they are a little stressful, but entirely worth it. Just be warned that Blue is a French film with subtitles, and has a few scenes of graphic nudity that can only be found on Cinemax or HBO. Also, it's just shy of being 3 hours long.

Although I've never been in space to watch a sunset, to witness the glow of Aurora Borealis hovering over the North Pole, or to bask in the radiance of infinite stars and the blue shimmering brilliance of Earth...I hope that if given the chance, I shall choose to stop and appreciate the view.

Skyfall

Although gadgetry, ego, and explosions are Bond staples, Skyfall was refreshingly scant on all but the latter. Mendes paid exceptional attention to detail, imbued subtlety in the too-often one line zinging hero, and allowed viewers to peel back layers of 007 where his predecessors feared merely scratching the surface.

With the exception of high stakes poker in Casino Royale, this was a much more cerebral Bond flick than its predecessors, one that kept us on edge as it explored the inner workings of both the villain and the resurrected.

Bardem embodied a virulent, violent, and crazed psychopath with a cool exterior. Motivated entirely by revenge, and possessing all the skills of a double zero agent, Silva was like an atomic bomb with a faulty detonation switch. His bleached blonde hair and overly calm demeanor were the only indicators to his underlying lunacy. The brilliance in his character was that we expected him to explode at any moment, to be overcome by his emotion as Bond so often does. But we never quite get to see Silva angry or flustered, even when his plans do not yield the expected results. As bumpy as the ride gets, the bomb never goes off; its destructive potential well known, even secretly desired.

Another refreshing element to Skyfall is that the plot does not revolve around world domination, rogue military generals hellbent on genocide, or giant freaking lazers. In fact, with the exception of a perfectly timed derailed subway train being summoned by Silva and almost crushing 007, this film appeared quite realistic. Skyfall's action sequences were plausible and plot driven, not bombastic and random.

Daniel Craig's grittier and less charismatic archetype of the historically and egregiously over-exaggerated spy is a welcome repast, and Mendes ingeniously lets audiences feast on more than merely car chases, shoot outs, and chiseled physiques. This bond is wounded, humbled and even doubts himself for a time. We learn that 007 is human after all, and as Q put it, "less of a random killing machine, more of a personal statement."

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I watched the new Planet of the Apes movie last night, and I must say I was quite pleased. As a fan of the originals, I was highly anticipating the remakes. Even though I am not a fan of James Franco (I feel he is a little monotone and limited as an actor), the movie was still an excellent prequel to the rebooted series.

There is a considerable amount of action, but what was most fascinating to me was the intense psychological undertones at play. I don't know if being a communication major had much to do with the that particular observation, but it was rather amazing in the way that communication was portrayed in this movie. If you have ever watched a show on chimps or monkeys on National Geographic, then you will definitely appreciate the subtle non-verbal communication within the film. The premise, as the title of the movie implies, is basically the story of how the apes became intelligent and overthrew the planet staking claim as the dominant species. The movie's protagonist, a Chimpanzee appropriately named Caesar, is exposed to a drug that boosts intelligence and allows the brain to repair itself. The drug was created by Franco's character as a cure for Alzheimer's, and is given to chimpanzees for testing.

After undergoing a significant amount of abuse, from both humans and his fellow apes, Caesar plots his escape from captivity as well as positions himself as the leader of the simians. Although all of the apes are computer generated, they are remarkably realistic looking, and their facial features accurately captivate the broad range of emotion and thought processes capable by apes and humans alike. I was particularly impressed with the methods Caesar implemented upon his own kind to establish hierarchy, and ultimately his superiority.

In short, I think The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was a great summer movie. I generally scoff at the length of today's movies, but I thought that in this instance the extra time was well used and was appropriate for the development of the story. However, any longer, and the movie would have overstayed its welcome as the film's plot is linear and obviously predictable. I would recommend that parents heed the movie's viewer rating, as there is a considerable amount of violence. Monkey see, monkey do. Now go watch it!

Toy Story 3

Okay, so if you haven’t seen Toy Story 3 yet, you need to work that out. It’s worth the 60 15 dollars. I think, dare I say it, that it is the best one of the series. Don’t get me wrong, I do think the first one was incredible, but it is very possible that the third installment is either as good, or even better than its predecessors! Poppycock, you may be thinking, but I assure you it is quite the stellar film.

In this third Pixar adventure, Andy is going off to college and obviously no longer plays with his toys. Woody, Buzz, and the gang, are forced to deal with having to go into preservation mode and presumably wait in the attic until the day they are called upon to bring joy to Andy’s children. His mother has tasked him with packing what he wants to take to school, putting in the attic what he’d like to keep, and either donating or throwing away what he doesn’t want. Of course, there’s a mix up, and Andy’s toys end up on the curb, under the impression that Andy no longer cares for them and was throwing them away.

The toys end up at a day care center that isn’t exactly what it appears, a toy’s paradise of infinite adoration and endless playtime. The toys have to try and figure out how to get back to Andy’s before he goes off to college. They have a battle of will and wit with an unlikely villain, and face their most perilous mission yet. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack all reprise their roles as the three main characters, and one of my personal favorites, Michael Keaton, joins the cast as Ken (Keaton’s one of my favorites, not the Ken doll).

This movie is exceptionally well thought out. The Pixar group stays with the formula that made the first one such a success. The plot is a suspenseful and entertaining rocket ride, sparked by unbelievable imagination that makes this movie soar. You will definitely laugh, maybe even cry, but you will undoubtedly enjoy Toy Story 3. "To infinity......and beyond!"

Iron Man 2

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the witty, volatile, and insanely rich Tony Stark. Along side him are Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. Gwyeneth Paltrow returns as the perpetually worried Pepper Potts and continuing his career revitalization campaign, is the often underrated Mickey Rourke, as Ivan Vanko, the film's antagonist.

I won't go into plot details, because the synopsis can be found on-line, and I don't want to spoil the movie for you. I will say, however, that the plot, one of revenge, was overshadowed and driven by the purpose of introducing characters for the upcoming Avenger films. For those of you who are not comic book nerds, the Avengers are a group of Marvel comic book superheroes brought together to fight evil forces. Among them, is Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, The Scarlett Witch, and Thor (a mythical Norse God), just to name a few. In later issues of the comic, Spider Man and Wolverine join the group.

Generally, I don't have a problem with a film setting up a sequel, however, Iron Man 2 is so targeted with the introduction of its future films, that it, pardon the pun, takes on a "comic book" feel. Although, entertaining, I feel that Iron Man 2 didn't follow the successful formula of the first film (one of my biggest pet peeves and the number one reason for unsuccessful sequels) and even though it had great performances by Rourke and Downey, it wasn't enough to ignore the cheesy and contrived implantation of random characters. Setting up the Avenger films was such a concern, that the final battle scene was slightly anti-climactic, and short-lived.

Scarlett Johansson's character was virtually emotionless, save for a few flirtatious one-liner exchanges with Downey. Jon Favreau, who also directed the first Iron Man, did manage to successfully introduce some comical elements, but he also managed to lose my attention at times with the outlandishly, overplayed, annoying character of Justin Hammer, who is a weapons manufacturer, and Tony Starks' competition. I did like the clever "Captain America" reference in the movie, but you unfortunately have to sit through the painstakingly, long credits to catch a short clip of Thor's landing on Earth.

All in all, the film was visually stimulating and entertaining, but I ultimately feel that it could have been better. My overall assessment for this movie is three and a half stars out of 5, worth the price of admission, but not good enough to make it to my movie collection. Younger children will enjoy the action, but will definitely be lulled to sleep by the middle of the movie until the real activity starts. Enjoy the film and I look forward to your thoughts.

The Punisher

So, a third movie was made about the Marvel Comic book character, the Punisher, and let me tell you . . . .testicle pulling torture more adequately describes having to watch this cinematic pile of cow dung than anything else. This movie instantly became one of the top 3 worst movies of all time. It had every action movie cliche' and made movies like DareDevil and Electra look like Academy Award Winners.

I knew this movie was going to be bad during the first action sequence (okay, well before that even). The Punisher enters a mansion where a mob family is meeting and a blood bath ensues. After killing every mobster in the room, he climbs atop a chandelier, drapes his legs over, and while hanging upside down (and spinning), draws two weapons and proceeds to terminate all the mindless bodyguards who subsequently enter the room. How he even got the thing to spin in the first place is a mystery, but not nearly as enigmatic as how accurately he shot every bad guy while upside down, whilst performing a trapeze stunt. Circ de soleil apparently has nothing on the Punisher.

The movie just got progressively worse with facially deformed mobsters giving themselves sobriquets such as Jigsaw and springing relatives from local mental institutions to assist in creating mayhem and ultimately bringing down the mob killing protagonist. Seinfeld's nemesis Norm, (ever wonder what happened to him?) played the weapons supplier to this unbelievable vigilante and seemed to be his only friend. (if you can call him that) The movie was devoid of any real characterization, and attempts to insert comic relief would have been more successful had they used mimes and banana peels. Everyone from the writer to the editor should be cryogenically frozen and sent into outer space for creating this film making masterpiece of vomit inducing excrement.

Everything in this movie was predictable, from the plot to the script. One of the most offensive things about this film was the painfully exaggerated gore. The Punisher literally punched a guy's face in and nearly everyone he shot either lost a limb or half of his face. At one point in the movie, he even resets his broken nose with a pencil. That's right, not the old fashion, "Let me wiggle this thing back into place" move; oh no, that would be too easy. I need to shove a pencil halfway to my brain and perform a violent, caveman rhinoplasty without so much as a grimace or a drop of blood.

Save yourselves the punishment and skip over this piece of shit when you're perusing the shelves of your local video store. I sure would have, had the movie I originally wanted had been in stock. Oh well, another one of life's little ironies I suppose. Where the hell is Dolph Lundgren when you need him? I'm just sayin'.

Quantum of Solace

I really wanted to love this movie. I was so excited to see it, that being let down was the farthest thing from my mind, even after I had discovered they weren't going to keep the same director as it's immediate predecessor, Casino Royale, which was brilliant, edgy, and refreshing. So much so, that I never resist watching it over and over again when the opportunity arises. The director got it right, the casting was spot on, and the actors stepped up to the plate. Most importantly, Daniel Craig hit a home run.

Quantum of Solace needed to be an equally hard hit line drive, but fizzled embarrassingly short of the outfield like a pop fly. Even the opening song was out of place for this movie. Madonna was criticized for her theme song in Die Another Day, to the point where it was left off the movie score entirely. I was amazed to find out that Alecia Keys was on this collaborative piece of crap with Jack White, that was extremely difficult to listen to. It was a rough start from the beginning my friends.

The bond girl was a perfect choice, the pouty Olga Kurylenko, who was in Hitman. However, her part was transparently staged and it seems as though they were trying to make her something the movie did not require her to be (a sniveling head case with daddy issues). Unfortunately, her part could have been extracted all together and we would have never noticed. Speaking of which, 007 didn't even seem remotely attracted to one of the hottest Bond girl's ever, although she was so notably distracted by her own childish antics, that I doubt she would have noticed being hit on anyway. They also tried too hard to make Bond this cold hearted killer on a vengeful rampage of retribution, but never once did he ever show any true emotion toward the woman who's death he was avenging. Actually, he couldn't have been more cavalier about her nonexistence. Is that irony?

On a positive note, all the action sequences were seamlessly executed and very exciting. I enjoyed all of them except for the end when the characters found themselves in some fuel cell powered hotel, (without any people in it mind you) going up in flames, in the middle of a remote desert in Bolivia. Lame. And to top it all off, the main villain in the movie could have very well been an angry Deer Park executive with desires to monopolize the world's water sources. Gee, so eerily sinister. No! You mean to tell me that we will all have to . . . . no, don't make me say it . . . . I refuse . . . . .have to . . . .have to . . . .BUY our water from YOU and no one else? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Bitch please, can't I just get a ridiculously insane Eastern European villain with female issues and penis envy to build an over sized laser, and want nothing more than to disintegrate largely populated areas for no apparent reason other than his own maniacal amusement?

Even after all of the problems I had with this movie, it still wasn't awful. I guess that says something in itself. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go watch it again. I want to be sure my initial assessment was right. I mean, even I miss a few details from time to time. Besides, I really want to believe that it wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm hoping my expectations were just too high, and that after seeing it again, without being as critical, that I will enjoy it more. You know, sometimes movies have to grow on you. So, with all those things in mind, I think I'll give it another try. Perhaps I shall be the one needing a quantum of solace after watching it again, but let's hope not.

Zodiac

Well, since nobody could figure out the movie references from my last post, I suppose I'll have to tell you now. Not that anyone was hounding me to spill it or anything, I just figured in the midst of a an economic meltdown that people should have their movie quotes in order. Better yet, because I like to drag things out for my own twisted amusement, I will offer a couple of obnoxiously obvious clues, to assist you in providing the answers. Commencing obnoxiously obvious clue description now:

The first movie reference (rounded to the nearest decimal point) had been taken from a much larger monologue by a pet lover standing in an empty swimming pool, investigating the kidnapping of a bottle nose dolphin, or Tursiops Truncatus. Gee, I wonder who that could be.

The second, (It is my purpose to know) was said by a man who is known simply as the Key Maker. His purpose, as his name fittingly describes, is to make keys. He has keys for everything, Ducati motorcycles, Doors leading to the source, etc. Unlike some of his friends, he did not possess the ability to dodge bullets. But then again, some of his friends didn't have to.

Please tell me you know these. Pretty Please?

Bonus: I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.

Meet Joe Black

I've been meaning to incorporate a weekly Movie Review segment in my blog, but being that I wouldn't be getting paid, it all just seems like a lot of work really. And as much as I may like most of you, I don't feel as though I need a part time job at the moment. So, in lieu of having some formal weekly column, I'll try to review them as regularly as possible in hopes of saving you from foolishly wasting your money on going to the theatre to watch crap. Who knows, after awhile, you may be inclined to just give me the money instead.

Although I've been slacking on the movie watching as of late, I've also been putting in double time furiously trying to catch up. Not only do I subscribe to Netflix but I occasionally roll into the local Block Buster to flirt with the hot assistant manager rent the flicks that flew under the radar. Keeping me from staying on top of new releases is a disorder I developed as a child that forces me to watch classics on cable regardless of how many times their contents have been imprinted to memory. Case in point, I'm watching Unforgiven as I type this. One of Eastood's best by the way, along with Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River. I have yet to check out his latest though, Letters from Iwo Jima.

Here's a quick rundown of what's been on my plate: Juno was a cute movie, even funny at times, although I won't be buying the soundtrack any time soon. And by that I mean I'd prefer to hear epileptic whales having sex for two hours. Notes on a Scandal was intriguingly good and both Kate Blanchett and Judi Dench were brilliant as usual. Hands down though, Daniel Day-Lewis delivered the best acting performance of the entire year in There will Be Blood, but this movie is definitely not every one's cup of tea. If you're not into "artistic" pieces or can sit through an entire stage play, skip this one. I rented Gone Baby Gone a few weeks ago, and I thought it was fantastic even though Ben Affleck was in the director's chair! Very Mystic River-ish with a nice twist. Definitely worth renting. I'm half way through Vovler (that foreign flick with Penelope Cruz) and lying next to my DVD player is Michael Clayton which I also hope to knock out by tomorrow. Among some of the movies on their way are: No Country For Old Men, Into The Wild, Eastern Promises, Elizabeth; The Golden Years, and Saving Ryan's Privates.

By the way, if you want advice on a great rental I have just the movie for you. Despite being out for a while, a lot of people still don't know about it; Stranger than Fiction. I'm not a huge fan of Will Farrell, but this movie was wonderfully clever and will not disappoint. Happy watching.

That concludes this week's edition of Critic's Corner . . . . if there's something you think I need to watch that's not in my movie que. . . Holla atcha boy! (for those of you who grew up watching John Wayne, that means Let me know)