Weekend Watch - A Quiet Place: Day One

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the latest film in the A Quiet Place franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One, the prequel directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig) and cowritten by Sarnoski and A Quiet Place director John Krasinski. The prequel looks at the start of the franchise’s alien invasion in New York City from the perspective of cancer patient Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) as she fights to survive and get herself some pizza. The film also features appearances from Joseph Quinn as a stranded British law student, Alex Wolff as hospice nurse Reuben, and Djimon Hounsou as harried father Henri. The film opened this weekend to mixed but positive audience and critic reviews. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B; while not as tension filled as the other two films in the franchise, it still finds those moments of terror and humanity that have made the series such a hit.

Should you Watch This Film? If you’re looking for a less intense horror film, this’ll definitely be one you can check out. The characters are strong, and their stories make it worth watching.

Why?

                I don’t know that A Quiet Place: Day One is going to be what everyone was looking for from the prequel film. It doesn’t set out to explain the aliens or their reasons for coming to Earth or even set up some initial fight against them. It simply wants to look at another story within this universe that happens to occur in the first few days of the alien invasion. For me, that’s exactly what I needed from it. I was so worried going in that it was going to try and do too much explaining and worldbuilding and lose any of the pieces that make the first two films so good – the human stories. Instead, this film leans harder into the human element, feeling almost more like a disaster/survival horror than the jumpscare-filled home invasion horror of the first or the postapocalyptic road trip of the second. It’s also helped in this endeavor by the strong performances from Lupita Nyong’o (Us and Little Monsters) and Joseph Quinn (Overlord and Stranger Things) who portray their struggle to survive as something inherently tied to everything that has come before them and their own humanity.

                Technically, the film remains on par with the prior films with a strong sound design, solid visual effects, and another bout of creative cinematography that you really only get from horror films. The oppressive silence isn’t quite as pervasive here as in the past films, but in the moments of true tension, it returns to amp up that heart rate just a bit more at each small sound. The creatures feature a bit more prevalently in this film, and any time you get to see them up close, the visual design holds up as something not quite knowable and immediately horrifying. The camera work continues to do a great job adding to the tension of the scenes, and it all comes together so well to give us another strong, if slightly less terrifying, horror film.

                By focusing on the characters, the film does lose some of that intensity that we’ve become familiar with in the first two films, and I think that’s why we’re seeing some of those less than stellar reviews. The first film really blended those two elements together better than so many horror films, and the second continued in that same vein. This one swings back and forth between the human drama and horror sequences more than actually blending them, but it still works because of how well-executed the human element is. Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn play well individually and off of each other thanks in large part to each of their abilities to emote, leaning into the gimmick of these films by communicating so well without words. Quinn plays the supporting character so well, portraying empathy and desperation in equal parts so well, and he really gives the story the extra oomph that it needs to really resonate. Obviously, though, Nyong’o is the showstopper here, showing us from the jump how versatile her acting bag is. Here, she plays Sam as this cynical, jaded woman without any real reason to hope, but she manages to find those moments worth celebrating even as the world falls apart around her, and we believe it the whole time thanks to the combination of solid writing and her amazing acting abilities. By the time the credits roll, we’ve seen her progress through a satisfying and believable character arc that reminds us all of why life is worth living – to eat pizza and connect with other people.

                A Quiet Place: Day One might not answer all the burning questions that we have about the start of the alien invasion, and it might lack some of the horror chops of the previous installments, but it still turns in a decently scary survival flick with a truly compelling story about people, which is the core of the Quiet Place films anyway. It’s probably not going to be what everyone wants it to be, but for me, I can now definitely say that I just want to keep watching stories of different individuals in this postapocalyptic world much more than I want to understand how any of it works. This film is currently in theaters, and if you’re looking for a solid thriller, this is the one to go see this weekend.

Weekend Watch - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the latest iteration of the science fiction saga – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – which opened in theaters this weekend. This newest film in the franchise remains in the continuity of the Rupert Wyatt/Matt Reeves prequel trilogy of the 2010s, but three hundred years after the end of War, bringing us an entirely new group of heroes and villains living on an Earth that has been increasingly dominated by the intelligent apes, with most humans having fully lost the ability to reason and speak. The film, directed by Wes Ball (Maze Runner) and written by Josh Friedman (Avatar: The Way of Water), stars Owen Teague as our new protagonist Noa, Lydia Peckham as his friend Soona, Freya Allan as the intelligent human Mae, Peter Macon as their travelling companion Raka, and Kevin Durand as the despotic ape Proximus Caesar. The film has received a generally positive reception thus far. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: C+; great visuals and new characters only take this film so far, as it doesn’t seem to have too much that it actually wants to say.

Should you Watch This Film? If you’re a fan of the other Apes films, this’ll scratch that itch for you, and if you’re looking for an easy to watch action/adventure film, this checks those boxes as well. If you aren’t really looking for either of those things, though, I can’t think of any great reasons to watch this film.

Why?

                Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a visually stunning but thematically hollow action/adventure road film. It does a good job of creating new characters that feel fresh and different from those in the trilogy that it follows without entirely separating itself from that trilogy, tying them together with a borderline religion established around the now-deceased hero of those original films – Caesar. Unfortunately, by tying itself to those films, it also accepts the expectation that those films created that, not only will it give us great visuals and an engaging action story, it will also have something to say about the state of the world and about humanity, and it’s just missing those aspects – the commentary on animal testing of Rise, the urging against xenophobia of Dawn, and the warning against demagoguery of War. At my most generous, I can say that the film had some ideas about religion and fate that could have turned into something worth exploring if they had done anything besides mentioning them and then abandoning them in favor of the third act’s action sequences.

                Don’t get me wrong, as a simple action/adventure film, Kingdom delivers a fun, if formulaic, take on those genres, combining tropes of road films, revenge films, and infiltration films into one cohesive piece that has characters worth exploring further. The visuals of the apes remain just as impressive as they have been, worthy of the awards that the franchise still hasn’t won in its rebooted iteration. The world, now three hundred years without human civilization, is full of creative landscapes reminiscent of the plant-covered post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us, empty but gorgeous. Noa and Mae make for compelling protagonists, with the mystery of Mae’s mission and origins keeping you engaged with her story and Noa’s quest for revenge, restoration, and potentially leadership feeling familiar but still gripping. The film’s action sequences don’t do anything too groundbreaking, but they’re fun and harrowing enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

                Again, though, the actual substance of Kingdom feels so lacking in the face of all of its style. The villain Proximus feels so generic when held up to the franchise’s previous villains of Koba and the Colonel. His desire for technology to help him establish rule among the ape clans doesn’t really feel that bad, and his despotism feels far less sinister than your typical evil leader type – I guess we’ve reverted to the simple statement that any desire for power is inherently evil. If it weren’t for the fact that the protagonists were basically after the same thing, that explanation could work. Instead, we’re left with a feeling of uncertainty of how to feel when the dust finally settles and everyone gets what’s coming to them. Again, if we had leaned harder into the religious fanaticism of Proximus and his soldiers, I think it would be fine, but instead, he’s just a pretender to empire whose motivations are not far enough removed from the protagonists’ to make his villainy feel earned.

                While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes fully delivers on the spectacle that we’ve come to expect from the franchise, its thematic shortcomings and generic villain hold it well behind the excellence of the trilogy that it seeks to follow. If you’ve been missing the apes on your screen, it’s still worth watching, but don’t go in with insanely high hopes. The newness of a new era of apes can only take the film so far, but it does look good on the big screen, so do with that information what you will.

Weekend Watch - Fallout

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the latest video game to television adaptation from Amazon – Fallout, based in the world of the highly successful video game series from Interplay and Bethesda. The show, set in a postapocalyptic, retrofuturistic version of our own world, takes place 219 years after a massive nuclear war and follows a menagerie of characters who are figuring out how best to survive in the new wild west that is the bombed out west coast. It stars Ella Purnell as vault dweller Lucy MacLean, Aaron Moten as Brotherhood of Steel Squire Maximus, Walton Goggins as mutated former Hollywood star Cooper Howard, and Moises Arias as Lucy’s brother Norm MacLean in addition to a roster of recognizable cameos and B-list actors filling out the rest of the cast. The show premiered on Amazon Prime Video last Wednesday evening and has quickly become a hit with both critics and audiences. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B+, it’s not a perfect show, but it captures the spirit of the games well without alienating potential new audiences with too much overreliance on lore and references.

Should you Watch This Show? It depends on what you’re looking for in a show. If you want gory, occasionally goofy, action with just enough heart and topical discussion of corporate greed and government infighting, this’ll be right up your alley. If not, I don’t know that the characters and world have enough to offer everyone to make it a universally lovable show.

Why?

                So much of Fallout’s highs and lows go hand in hand, with leading characters being hit or miss in their writing and how compelling their stories are, worldbuilding that doesn’t go too hard in its lore dumping but does require some suspension of disbelief, and action sequences that thrill but could feel excessive to some audiences. It captures the contemporary spirit of the latest Fallout games, embracing its kitschy 1950s meets wild west meets futuristic dystopian aesthetic and themes in every sequence. The music, production design, costumes, makeup, and visual effects (mostly) hold up really well and deliver what you’d want in a series based on these video games. They also don’t try to cater too intensely to the fans of the games that newcomers will be totally lost, which really helped my wife and me get into it from the jump – I have played probably ten hours combined of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, and she had no interaction with the brand before starting the show. I will say that I’m not sure if it offers enough to keep people who aren’t interested in the world and themes of the games super invested (i.e., this isn’t going to suddenly become your parents’ and grandparents’ favorite show), but it’s a fun one for its target audience of late teens to 40-somethings.

                As far as the show’s story goes, I’m not going to get too into it here to avoid spoilers, but I will say that they’ve done a good job with their characters (mostly). It’s really fun to see Moises Arias in a well-reviewed piece of media that’s not aiming for the YA audience, and his character has a surprisingly engaging subplot that allows him to flex some of his more serious chops without losing his snarky, jaded humor either. Ella Purnell shines as the series’ lead, playing the fish-out-of-water archetype so well as she slowly assimilates to the world outside of the vault where she was raised, serving as both audience proxy and compelling heroine at the same time. Lucy’s a really fun lead character for the modern era, and Purnell plays her well. So many side characters have such well-fleshed-out stories and characterizations that I don’t have time to go into all of them here, but it really does give the show that sense of being lived in that the best open-world video games seek to capture, and I’d argue that the combination of great casting and writing accomplish that even more so here. The true star of the show, though, is Walton Goggins, whose gunslinging “ghoul” is simultaneously the coolest and most loathsome antihero we’ve seen in a long time, especially in the world of sci-fi/action media. He gets to do a lot in both the present and in flashbacks, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him contend for an Emmy before it’s all said and done. The one character that I have some issues with is Aaron Moten’s Maximus. Moten does a good job of delivering the dialogue and playing up the character with his flaws and motivations. It’s just that the show takes way too long to flesh out his motivations, and in the time they take doing that, Maximus comes across as inexplicably incompetent, vaguely whiny, and generally not likable enough to be the secondary protagonist that they want him to be by the time we get to the back half of the season. I have faith that he’ll improve as a character in the show’s next season (hopefully), but his parts are definitely the weakest and slowest in this season – again, at no fault of Moten’s.

                Fallout manages to offer audiences an original story, fun world, faithful game adaptation, memorable characters, and strong performances in its retrofuturistic packaging, sure to please fans both old and new even if its story occasionally lags and it doesn’t necessarily have that universal charm needed to snag some of the older audiences. It’s so much better than I had any reason to expect, and I look forward to it getting that second season. You can currently watch this show on Amazon Prime Video, and I’d encourage you to do so.

Weekend Watch - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the latest of the rebooted Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The film is the follow-up to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and sees the return of many characters from that film and from the originals, including Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, and Logan Kim reprising their roles from Afterlife, with Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz taking a more prominent role this time around, and the additions of Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, and Emily Alyn Lind to fill out the main cast. This one is directed by Afterlife writer Gil Kenan who is again joined in the writing room by Afterlife director, and son of the original Ghostbusters director, Jason Reitman. The film opened in theaters this weekend. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: C-, a weak third act and overstuffed first bring down what is otherwise a fun and well-crafted movie sequel.

Should you Watch This Film? Maybe, it’ll probably please fans of the first reboot film, and doesn’t really have anything that’ll upset die-hard classic fans too much either. If you aren’t about that Ghostbusters life, though, I doubt this film will win you over.

Why?

                After taking a break from its usual haunt of the Big Apple in Afterlife, the Ghostbusters saga returns to NYC and the old red brick firehouse in Frozen Empire. An abundance of practical and digital effects return New York to its old, haunted self, in need of rescuing by a new generation of Ghostbusters. The characters, old and new, bring plenty of heart, if not necessarily humor, to this latest iteration of the films, which continues in the vein of its predecessor with McKenna Grace’s Phoebe Spengler taking center stage in the film’s narrative, again a solid choice, though weakened a bit by her continued fourth-place billing in the credits and attempts to create stories for the abundance of other characters filling out the film. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a film that fits the visual feel and overall vibe of the franchise with fun characters and cool, nerdy technology and ghost stuff, but it trips itself up by getting too convoluted for its fairly breezy hour-and-fifty-five-minute runtime.

                One thing you can certainly say in Frozen Empire’s favor, which goes a long way toward how much I liked this film, is that it maintains that same sense of practicality in all of its props, sets, and visuals that made the originals and Afterlife such successes. Obviously, not everything is practical, nor was it in the original, but their practical and digital effects alike remain very on-brand for the franchise. Slimer still looks like a weird puppet; there’s a lot of new ghosts that use that blend of practical and digital to great effect – some terrifying and others goofy or endearing; there’s a fantastic scene in the third act with one of the proton packs sparking up in the back that’s probably a simple effect, but it achieves this cool factor that gets you excited for what’s about to happen even if the story getting you there hasn’t. You can tell that Kenan and Reitman both care a lot for the franchise and that everyone who worked on the film wants to stay true to the originals.

                Unfortunately, love for the old films and past iterations keeps Frozen Empire’s story mired in an excessively long first act that’s mostly just exposition and setup interspersed with nostalgia grabs and reveals of new gadgets and/or ghosts. It’s a textbook first act, except for the fact that it takes up almost the entire first hour of the film. This leads into a fun second act, though, that jumps between storylines fairly fluidly and keeps you engaged with payoffs from the setups in the first act. The pace picks up and you start to remember why you like these films in the first place. However, by the time we get to the film’s final act, there’s only about twenty minutes of the film left, and we get a regrettably rushed climax that misses out on much of its tension and emotional weight by rushing things that could otherwise have had extended scenes devoted to them had it not taken half the film to get everything rolling. Couple that with an astounding amount of shoehorned nostalgia for the sake of trailer spots, and you’re left with a conclusion that feels just a little too empty to justify the amount of time spent setting it up.

                For whatever reason, they were trying to do too much. Much as I enjoyed the comedy of Kumail Nanjiani’s character, his inclusion and arc felt out of place and rushed alongside the rest of the film. It detracted some from both the screentime and character development of Phoebe, which in turn detracted from the overall impact of the film, since she’s the main character. On the other hand, relegating Finn Wolfhard’s Trevor to the role of comic relief might have been the best call they could have made – his arc in Afterlife wasn’t overly engaging, and he is absolutely the funniest part of this film, which gets me excited to see him do something more in that vein as his career develops. Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd get to fully step into the parenting roles (which Coon had in the first film as well), creating some odd tensions at certain points in the first half but paying off with some of Paul Rudd’s best scenes in the back half, so I’m mixed on that choice. Aykroyd getting some additional screentime probably shouldn’t have worked as well as it did, and don’t get me wrong, it’s no Blues Brothers or even O.G. Ghostbusters, but he makes for a passable secondary protagonist as Ray seeks purpose in his later years. Again, though, all of these extra plots and conflicts make that first act drag, when really all the film needed to work was the Spenglers (Grace, Wolfhard, and Coon) working with Gary as Ghostbusters for Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore, focusing on Phoebe’s relationship with Ghostbusting and her family, and it could have been a complete film. Everything else is fluff that drags this film’s potential down.

                All told, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a decent sequel that stays true to the formula and atmosphere of the original films that unfortunately gets bogged down in nostalgia and excessive storylines, limiting its overall impact. It definitely could have been better, but thanks to the care put into the details by the filmmakers and the actors, it manages to stay out of the abysmal territory of most of the films from the first quarter of the year so far. See it in theaters if you want, or don’t. I don’t have overly strong feelings on this one either way.

Weekend Watch - Dune: Part Two

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, an recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Dune: Part 2, the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s award-winning adaptation of the first part of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed science fiction novel of the same name. After a delay from its original November release date due to last year’s Hollywood strikes, the film finally released widely this weekend (plus some early screenings in various theaters over the past few weeks). It sees the return of Timothée Chalamet as protagonist Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Zendaya as Chani, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Dave Bautista as Rabban, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam, and Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen. They are joined in this continuation by Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Christopher Walken as the Emperor, and Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring, rounding out the all-star cast of this sci-fi epic. With stellar reviews from audiences and generally favorable returns from critics, this looks to be the best film of the year so far. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: A-; while not perfect, it delivers on so many of the promises of the first film in compelling fashion.

Should you Watch This Film? Yes! In the theater, with good speakers, get the full experience. It’s a thrill.

Why?

                Dune: Part 2 is the science fiction epic that we were promised in 2021’s Dune. Its action is bigger, its characters are more fleshed-out even with a wider cast of characters, and it’s just as visually stunning as the first installment. As character motivations become more apparent, so does the film’s true message about the dangers of “chosen ones” and issues with buying into your own mythos and the ills of settler colonialism – all the messages of Herbert’s original 1965 novel, made even more evident by its sequel Dune Messiah. The actors have all elevated their game in one way or another to give audiences a collection of memorable characters. The film’s sound and visuals continue to stun in every sense of the word – sets, locations, special effects, the “props”, costumes, Hans Zimmer’s score – everything working together to immerse the audience in the world of the film. It transports and grips you as its story unfolds in thrilling, tragic, and epic fashion.

                We’ll start with story and execution, since that’s where the film’s biggest issues lie. It’s troubling when a film that’s two hours and forty-six minutes in length feels like it could’ve told its story more effectively with an extra twenty minutes or so. It improves on the story issues of the first film, where if often felt that the audience were merely casual observers of these moments that carried weight for characters to whom we had little connection. This time, a combination of improved character development, legitimately compelling themes, and intense action sequences get the audience fully invested in the story from the jump. What’s missing this time around is the mystery and atemporality of the first film. Gone are Paul’s vague and confusing visions of unknown characters and uncertain futures, replaced by ominous looks at his mother walking past starving bodies, which feels much more heavy-handed in its messaging than the hints of the visions from the first film. It also does feel again as if we are jumping from moment to moment in time with the characters, missing out on some (though not all) of the film’s potential character moments and interactions not tied directly to the plot. Again, this is a loss to the film’s runtime, which does feel as long as it is and would probably not be abbreviated by any extra moments, so we’re left with a stronger story and film that nevertheless still feels like it’s missing something.

                Where obviously the technical aspects and score for this film are excellent, the welcome addition is a cast of actors giving committed, fun, and engaging performances, helping to cover the aforementioned story issues because of how easy it is to invest in their characters. Where the first film had some strong showings from Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson, you can feel the improvement from everyone in this film, making the most of their increased character development. Zendaya, who was notably absent from most of the first film, immediately makes Chani a rich and dynamic character, more than just a love interest, with some excellent character moments and really solid expressive work. Ferguson takes an even tougher role in this one as Lady Jessica steps into a more prominent position among the Fremen, and it’s again a captivating performance, if a bit more intimidating, that might just be her best yet. Javier Bardem takes on an ironically more comedic role in this one as Stilgar’s dedication to the prophecies of the Lisan al-Gaib come to the fore, giving him the opportunity to deliver lines with such earnestness that the audience actually erupted in laughter because of their ironic timing. While Florence Pugh and Léa Seydoux are satisfyingly welcome additions to the cast, the runaway favorite of the new characters has to be Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha. He plays the new villain in a chillingly animated fashion, crafting a memorable performance that’ll end up alongside the likes of Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, Tom Hardy’s Bane, and Ricardo Montalban’s Khan in the annals of film history. Finally, Timothée Chalamet has come into his own here, establishing his movie star status as he takes Paul through his journey from reluctant hero to willingly participating messiah. It’s a powerful performance, full of excellent vocal, physical, and expressive work that confirms his place as one of the best actors currently working.

                Denis Villeneuve has executed a phenomenal science fiction sequel that stays true to its source material and innovates with compelling characters, stunning production value, and memorable performances that supplement a story that could probably have benefited from a few more scenes but is nevertheless engaging. It’s the best film of the year so far by a fairly wide margin, and the theatrical experience of watching it is glorious – people laughed, they applauded, and some even called it “terrible”. It’ll probably be a while before I recommend a new release this strongly.

Weekend Watch - The Marvels

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and (now that the studios have agreed to pay their writers and actors what they deserve) recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers is Marvel Studios’ The Marvels – the latest release from the MCU, featuring the team-up of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Miss Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) who currently has no official superhero alias in the cinematic universe. In addition to its leading ladies, the film also sees the return of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury to the Marvel films, the big-screen debut of Kamala Khan’s family portrayed by Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh, reprising their roles from the Miss Marvel Disney+ show, and sees the introduction of the villain Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, and Prince Yan of Aladna, portrayed by Park Seo-joon. The film opened this weekend to what looks to be the lowest box office debut of any MCU film to date. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B-; it’s a great time at the movies, and the leads help make the film really fun, but many of the important story beats break down under any kind of close examination.

Should you Watch This Film? If you are a fan of any of these three leading characters from the MCU, this film does them justice, and you’ll find your fandom rewarded. I don’t know how much this film impacts the overall continuity of the “Multiverse Saga”, so it’s a “maybe” for any other Marvel fans. People who haven’t enjoyed the latest offerings of the MCU probably won’t have their minds changed by this one, either.

Why?

                The Marvels, like most of the MCU films post-Endgame, is a mixed bag of good ideas, fun characters, decent effects, and a thin story. In the case of this particular outing, the good ideas come in the form of creative action sequences and a very fun team-up. The effects feel a little bit more consistent than in some of the recent outings; though, at times, the CGI of Captain Marvel flying around doesn’t look overly lifelike. The characters don’t have overly complex arcs in this quick film, but their interpersonal relationships take center stage and make for some solid fleshing out of the three leads. In a broad sense, the story works – forcing Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers to actually address the fallout from her past actions and do her best to patch things up, both with the Kree and with Monica. Unfortunately, the finer details of the story are where it starts to fall apart with more plot-holes than even I am comfortable with in a superhero film.

                Starting with the positives, it’s very fun to see all three of these leading characters on the big screen, and having them work together as a team is the icing on that particular cake. Aside from a tertiary role in Wandavision, we haven’t gotten to see much of Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau, and in this film, she proves to be quite a welcome addition to the team. Beyond actually figuring out what her powers can do, she provides a human connection for Carol/Captain Marvel to wrestle with, which wasn’t as fully present in the first Captain Marvel film, and she brings more of a grounded perspective to the trio, acting as the voice of reason between Carol’s brashness and Kamala’s fangirling. She’s a fun character that has potential to be even more important as the second of the MCU’s sagas unfolds. Kamala Khan/Miss Marvel at least had her own show leading into this film, but Vellani’s character finds her stride here as she becomes part of a team, realizing that she has more to contribute than just being a sidekick to more famous heroes. While Monica is the brains of the operation and Carol is the main character and strength of the trio, Kamala serves as the team’s heart, reminding them time and again of their individual and collective greatness, becoming the best part of the film in the process. Her interactions with each member of the team, with Jackson’s Nick Fury, and with her own family serve as the comedic heart of the film but also the emotional core of the film, as her arc from fan/b-lister to mainline superhero comes to full fruition. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, in contrast with Kamala’s heart-on-her-sleeve passion, has to be brought out of her shell some in this film, benefitting greatly in this regard from Kamala’s outgoing nature and her emotional connection to Monica and her deceased mother. She’s obviously still one of the most powerful beings in the MCU, but her character gets to play in that space a bit more, as she’s forced to reckon with her inextricable connections to those weaker than her and to come to appreciate those connections rather than shy away from them and the vulnerability that they bring. Those connections offer a much-needed depth to her character that makes her a more integral part of the universe moving forward.

                On the flipside, the story surrounding these three great characters lacks a solid narrative framework and feels like a shell that was built around the awesome team-up. It’s a film that makes for a great time while you watch it, but when you look back and think about it, you’re puzzled by the logic and many conveniences that happen in the midst of it. Zawe Ashton does a commendable job as the villain Dar-Benn, coming across as the desperate world leader that she’s asked to portray, but many of the character’s decisions feel more like they were meant to bring the characters to certain locations and set pieces rather than the coordinated actions of the leader of an entire planet (empire?). Don’t get me wrong, those set-pieces are mostly pretty solid – the musical planet with Prince Yan, the cat rescue, and the initial entanglement sequence all make for highly entertaining film – but it’s again not the most logical in terms of story development. Likewise, I found myself wondering multiple times about how Monica just knew certain bits of information about the universe and physics that pertained to their specific situations and how the trio moved on so easily from witnessing multiple potentially world-ending events in pretty rapid succession. The processing scenes are either missing entirely or much too short to be fully satisfying. But that also speaks to my initial point that this film is here to showcase the trio rather than explore the universe that they inhabit, which may or may not work all the time.

                The Marvels is at its best when its leading team is on-screen, working together, and interacting in fun and fresh ways; unfortunately, much of that fun comes at the expense of a cohesive story, with the writing feeling more constructed around the characters as opposed to the characters developing around the story. It probably won’t work perfectly for most audiences, and a bit more time spent on story development could easily have made this one of the best MCU films. As it stands, it’s still a very fun superhero film with memorable characters, some original action sequences, and lots of heart that just misses the mark on some of its story logic. I think it’s worth your time if you’re looking for a lighthearted action flick that’s currently showing in theaters. Otherwise, you can probably wait for this one to hit streaming if you’re a Marvel fan or skip it if you aren’t because I’ve seen too many people dumping on this film for not being “cinema” for me to tell those people to watch it. They’ve already made up their minds because Scorsese told them to, and they’re not changing for a Brie Larson superhero film. If that’s you, just don’t see it rather than wasting time trashing people for doing their jobs.

Weekend Watch - Loki Season 2, Episodes 1 & 2

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the opening episodes of Loki season 2 from Disney+. This new season of the show (the first to get a second season from the MCU Disney+ shows) sees the return of Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson, Eugene Cordero, and Wunmi Mosaku in their respective roles from season 1, joined in this season by Ke Huy Quan, Kate Dickie, and Rafael Casal in the new roles of OB, General Dox, and Hunter X-5/Brad Wolfe, respectively. This season is releasing weekly on Thursday evenings on Disney+. Let’s get into it.

Rating: B+; it maintains the solid production design and frenetic pace of the first season well, and the performances have only improved, but a lack of direction has me hesitant to call this new season a full-on improvement from the first.

Review:

                As far as season openers go, Loki season 2 has had two solid first episodes in terms of introducing its new characters and resolving most of the unresolved threads from season 1; however, it has so far done very little to bring in a compelling new conflict to fill the void now that Loki and Sylvie have convinced the TVA to accept branching timelines. (Also, this is not a show where you can jump in at the start of season 2 without having watched the first season and be fully in the know, so there’s that as well.) It feels like we’re moving toward either a showdown with Miss Minutes and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Ravonna Renslayer or with some new version of Kang/He Who Remains, but all of those characters were notably absent from these first two episodes aside from a few statues of Kang (who seems to still be played by Jonathan Majors despite his arrest and accusations of abuse). On the positive side of things, the show continues to improve in its production design and casting/performances, giving audiences more of that dingy brown retro TVA vibe that they loved in the first season and more of Hiddleston playing the complex anti-hero that Loki has become.

                With the story picking up basically immediately after the end of season 1, we are thrust very much back into the middle of things and are introduced to a new complication for Loki – he is experiencing time slippage while in the TVA, jumping back and forth between the past and present. This comprises the main conflict of the first episode, as Wilson’s Mobius and Mosaku’s Hunter B-15 are able fairly easily to convince most of the TVA leadership (aside from General Dox and her hunters) that branching timelines are acceptable. Their quest to anchor Loki in the present leads them to Ke Huy Quan’s OB (Ouroboros) who runs all the tech for the TVA and knows a lot about the flow of time. The resolution of that episode then leads into the second episode’s conflict, which is stopping Dox and her hunters from getting Sylvie and reverting the timelines back to a single timeline. This gets the band back together as Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie have to team up to stop this from happening, which ends up being fairly easy – much easier than any of the resolutions from the first season, and with such limited consequences as Sylvie leaving again, I’m hesitant to fully commit to the rest of the season.

                What bolsters this season opener, though, are the performances from the characters – old and new. Wunmi Mosaku turns in another solid performance as Hunter B-15, this time on the side of Loki and Mobius, delivering her stoic but inspired lines with just the right amount of camp to match the show’s energy. Sophia Di Martino doesn’t have quite as much to do in these first two episodes as she did down the stretch in season 1, but her portrayal of Sylvie still holds up as the jaded, powerful, witty Loki variant that she is, and I’m glad she’s still in the show. Kate Dickie gets to do a lot with her limited screen time as the “villain” of the first two episodes, and it’s always frustratingly fun to see her get to lean into that loathsome side of herself (like in Game of Thrones and The Witch), which she does again here, giving the audience someone to root against in the early goings of this new season. Owen Wilson’s Mobius hasn’t gotten as much into the actor’s surprisingly complex bag this season as he did, especially toward the end, in last season, but his buddy cop repartee with Hiddleston’s Loki forms the backbone of the show, and it’s still just as good here. Ke Huy Quan joins the show in the role of OB, which feels like a character that’s always been there, showcasing how seamlessly the actor fits in with the energy and vibe of the rest of the cast and the show, bringing levity, lore, and some level of stakes to these first two episodes, and I look forward to seeing more of him as the season progresses. Hiddleston is in his bag here in these first two episodes, getting to be more villain and more hero than he was even in the show’s first season, really leaning into the anti-hero side of the character. In these first few episodes, he feels more established and in control than he’s ever felt as the MCU’s iteration of the Norse God of Mischief, and it anchors the whole show, offering (for me at least) the most compelling reason to see where the rest of this season goes.

                As the show leans more heavily on its namesake, Loki season 2 has opened with a solid foundation of characters, performances, and production value that helps it overcome its somewhat lackluster stakes and conflicts through its first two episodes. I look forward to it hopefully amping up as we jump into the middle third of the season, and if the performances are any indication, I think we’ll continue to see why this show was the MCU’s first to get a second season. It will release weekly on Thursdays for the next four weeks, wrapping up on November 9th if you’d rather wait until it’s all out to binge it.

Weekend Watch - Blue Beetle

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Blue Beetle, the latest origin story from the DC Universe of comic book films. The film stars Xolo Maridueña as the titular hero, Jaime Reyes, joined by his family – Damián Alcázar, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Belissa Escobedo, and Elpidia Carrillo – and love interest Jenny Kord, played by Bruna Marquezine, against the villains Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) and Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo). The film serves as the first unofficial entry in the new reboot of the DC Universe, now helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B+; it’s a fairly formulaic story, but the film uses that to explore new themes and fun characters in the process.

Review:

                Blue Beetle plays it safe with the familiar superhero origin story, complete with the evil version of the hero, comedic test-run of the hero’s new powers, and a shady corporation after the hero for his powers. Within that formulaic story, though, the filmmakers explore new themes, thanks in large part to the Latino hero and his family. The film features strong – and well-crafted – Latino representation, something that has up to this point been mostly sidelined in mainstream superhero films, and in that, it gets to dive into themes of immigration, microaggressions, American exploitation of Latin America and Latin American immigrants, and the privatization and militarization of police. It’s a surprisingly deep well of thematic elements to draw on and play into for a superhero origin film, but those themes are what keep it afloat and set it apart even as its plot and some of its visuals leave something to be desired.

                Blue Beetle’s other primary highlight comes in the form of its stellar cast. No one feels out of place, and each performance brings something fresh and fun to the film, keeping it light even as it delves into some heavier material underneath. Maridueña is a natural as the leading man, stepping into the role of Jaime Reyes with just the right blend of cool and hesitancy. His performance helps sell the audience on the character and sets the whole franchise up for future success on his charisma. Each member of the Reyes family also brings their own flair to the film, providing the film with the heart that it needs to connect with the audience. Marquezine gets to have some fun in her ample role as the love interest and unintentional catalyst for Jaime/Blue Beetle, serving as more than just a damsel in distress or a quest giver – giving a solid performance across from some of the film’s biggest powerhouses (Sarandon and Lopez) in most of her scenes. I don’t know that you could have cast a better villain than Susan Sarandon in this iteration of Victoria Kord. She plays entitled white woman, rich billionaire, and military industrial capitalist in such a loathsome way throughout the film, making her one of the simpler villains that we’ve seen in recent comic book films, but also the easiest to root against.

                A simple and too-familiar plot, along with some inconsistent visual effects, hold the film back from being an instant classic, but engaging and relevant themes and a cast that play their roles brilliantly help make Blue Beetle a passable and enjoyable introduction to a new hero and a new era of the DC Universe. The new universe feels like it’s headed in a fun and engaging, if a bit too safe, direction, and I look forward to seeing more of Jaime Reyes and his supporting cast in the future films from the movie studio.

Weekend Watch - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the latest reboot of the TMNT franchise, this time written and produced by Seth Rogen and written and directed by Jeff Rowe (of The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Gravity Falls fame). The film features the vocal talents of Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon as the four titular turtles, joined by the likes of Jackie Chan, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Paul Rudd, Ice Cube, Hannibal Burress, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, and Post Malone to fill out the rest of the mutant and human cast. The film opened last weekend to surprisingly high reviews but middling box office returns. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: A-; this is quite possibly the best Ninja Turtles content that’s ever been produced, and it deserves recognition for also being some really high-quality animation too.

Review:

                In a not-so-surprising turn of events, filmmakers have finally found a non-muppet-based winning formula for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, and that formula is to lean harder on those first two words than they do on the third one. Mutant Mayhem delivers what its title promises – more mutants than expected and some truly wild and crazy fight scenes utilizing them. It also brings with it a healthy dose of heart, humor, and authenticity (strange in an animated film about mutant turtles, I know) that wins the day for the film, making it my second-favorite animated film of the year so far.

                By leaning into the teenage and mutant aspects of the quartet of heroes, Mutant Mayhem sets itself apart in a fun, humorous, and heartfelt way from its predecessors. Featuring references to memes and pop culture that current 15-year-olds would reference and talk about, leaning into the archetypes of the four turtles and how they actually translate to real teens, and centering around the turtles’ desire for acceptance allows the film to follow the familiar beats of a high school comedy with plenty of mutant ninja action connecting its pieces together. In a lot of ways, this film feels more like the successor to Sky High or The Lego Movie in the ways that it blends realness with humor, action, and fantasy than it does a successor to the TMNT films of the 90s or even the television shows of the 2000s and 10s, and that’s a good thing.

                Mutant Mayhem also follows in the footsteps of its more recent predecessors – Into the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Across the Spider-Verse – by delivering some great animation, comedy for kids and adults, and some all-time needle drops to tie it all together. Where Disney and Pixar have embraced animation that blends realistic textures and images with fantastical settings, Sony and Paramount have stepped into this realm of stylized animation, with Sony copying comic book panels and art styles in its animated Spider-Man films and Paramount putting on displays of 2-dimensional meets 3-dimensional in a way that showcases the realness of the world in science fiction settings. In TMNT, that looks like oddly misshapen but highly detailed human faces, grungy buildings that match the sewers below, and mutants that look like monsters but still have hearts of gold. This animation carries over into the action sequences backed by some great songs, all of which feel fun, original, and well-directed for the target audience while still keeping the non-kids in the room happy.

                The only true knock against Mutant Mayhem (and reason why it doesn’t receive a higher rating) is that its stakes never get high enough to induce that high-octane thrill that the action scenes deserve. There’s great action front to back, but you never feel like the outcome of the fights is in question. Even when they get down, the turtles and their allies never quite stay down long enough to get you worried that they won’t be getting back up again. The downs don’t hit quite as hard as the ups, and they are overcome a bit too easily for the film to feel fully earned. I still love it and had a great time watching it, but I wish that the stakes had felt more dire. There’s enough humor to warrant a few more down moments, but they don’t come, so here the film sits at an A- with potential for an A+ somewhere (probably) on the cutting floor.

                Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem comes through on its promises of mutants, mayhem, teens, turtles, and ninja action in a glorious way, with plenty of heart and humor to carry it over the finish line, even if its stakes never quite get to a dire point that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Hopefully, the film does well enough to get the sequel that it deserves (and maybe a solid TMNT trilogy for once) because it really is a great time at the theater and so much better than anyone was giving it credit for going in.

Weekend Watch - The Flash

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers is The Flash, the latest offering (and last of the most recent iteration) from the DC cinematic universe. This film is the first to star Ezra Miller’s version of the speedster as its titular hero and also features Ben Affleck’s and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman/Bruce Wayne alongside Michael Shannon reprising his villainous role of General Zod and the newcomer Sasha Calle playing Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. With an increasing amount of superhero fatigue around seemingly throwaway films and the coming reboot of the DC Universe with James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm, the film has underperformed so far at the box office. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: C; this is a totally acceptable superhero film that you can see if you need to scratch that itch.

Should you Watch This Film? If you are firmly invested in seeing a Flash movie, I’m not sure when the next one will be coming on DC’s slate, so this might be your best choice. Otherwise, you can probably skip this and won’t be missing too much in the grand scheme of things – culturally and in the film universe.

Why?

                The Flash offers audiences a film that, at this point, we’ve stopped asking for and only cared slightly about to begin with, doing a fine job of showcasing its characters and story but leaving everyone wondering why exactly it exists, particularly with its box office returns being as poor as they have been so far. It feels like a poorly informed cash grab in the vein of Morbius but with slightly better story, action, and characters. For a film that embraces the story of Zach Snyder’s Justice League, this film departs strongly from the vibes and vision of that drab, plodding superhero film. Instead, The Flash presents audiences with a brightly colored, poorly CGIed superhero action comedy with more unearned fan service than should be allowed in a single film.

                Let’s talk highs first. As a standalone superhero comedy, The Flash works just fine. Ezra Miller has never really made it as a dramatic actor, so letting them go full manic comedy seems like the right choice for this film. It’s a film that never tries to be anything but itself, and for that I applaud them. The comedy hits most of the time even when it feels like a strong deviation from any superhero formula that we’ve yet seen. The jokes keep the whole film fairly light and keep the pace moving, rushing you through the film’s almost two-and-a-half-hour runtime at a pace that feels closer to an hour and forty-five minutes. Now, the levity does have one major drawback – it removes any feeling of drama and suspense that you might normally have given the situations unfolding onscreen. There’s so much humor that I never felt fully invested in any of the conflicts (that might also be because we know the universe is getting a reboot after this anyway) and the more emotional beats of the film only halfway landed.

                Performance-wise, Ezra Miller does the best with what they’re given, leaning hard into the multiple Barrys thing and delivering well on the comedy. Are they the best iteration of Flash ever brought to screen? No way, but I found them enjoyable enough to keep the film watchable in their role. Ben Affleck’s limited screentime works out fine, as this might be his most phoned-in Batman/Bruce Wayne performance yet, understandably so with it being his last time in the role as far as anyone knows. Michael Keaton is a welcome addition to the cast, and his Bruce/Bat makes a lot of sense in the film, given its lighter (borderline campier) tones. He gets to do more than Affleck, and that’s not a bad thing. If anything, The Flash actually helps cement Keaton’s take on Batman as my second-favorite behind Robert Pattinson’s. (That’s not a statement about any of their films, just how I feel about their interpretations of the Caped Crusader.) Calle’s Supergirl and Shannon’s Zod feel almost more like throwaway plot points than actual characters, through no fault of the actors, more due to the writing, but they work in their roles. Obviously, Shannon is a great actor, and his Zod is probably the best villain from this saga of DC films. Calle does great in her action sequences but isn’t given much to do in terms of character work, so I’m curious to see whether she gets to come back in the new universe or not – it could be good.

                The Flash is a bit of a mess narratively and tonally that works best when it’s not taking itself too seriously – not the worst superhero film of the year but nowhere near the best either. If you need that itch scratched or are just deeply committed to seeing Ezra Miller’s Flash on the big screen, this is the film for you. Otherwise, you can definitely skip its theatrical run and might even be okay avoiding it entirely. Tragically, in a world full of superhero universes, films that lack legitimate consequence within those universes end up being fairly skippable.

Weekend Watch - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Marvel’s latest film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film is the launch of Marvel’s Phase Five, introducing the new big-bad of the universe, Kang, to theatrical audiences after he received a soft-launch in the Loki series back in 2021. The film sees the return of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang/Ant-Man alongside Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Michael Douglas’s Hank Pym, and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne. In addition to Jonathan Majors’s Kang the Conqueror, the film also introduces Kathryn Newton as the new actress for the now-teenage Cassie Lang and features cameos from Bill Murray, William Jackson Harper, and Corey Stoll. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B; there’s no denying that the film has issues, but there’s a lot to enjoy here that makes it better than the current critic consensus.

Should you Watch This Film? If you enjoy the MCU or comic book films, this is a great watch for you. If you don’t like that type of film, there’s not enough here that will change your mind.

Why?

                Marvel’s introduction to Phase Five gives audiences a clear vision for the future of the franchise in the midst of a muddled story in the present, fitting for a film set predominantly in a region that exists outside of time and space. The film is unquestionably high on its new characters (the future of the franchise) with an excellent villain performance from Majors and one of the better “teen” outings in the franchise from Newton. Unfortunately, their performances and the rightly directed focus on Pfeiffer’s Janet can’t save the film entirely from the odd shift in direction for the Ant-Man films and a story shot full of holes.

                In terms of performances, Quantumania benefits from some of the best in recent MCU history with actors fully committed to their characters, even if their writing and story are imperfect. Rudd has truly come into his own as Lang and Ant-Man, making the character in his own image as a recognizably lovable celebrity who also happens to have saved the world a few years ago. He brings the same lightness to this film that we have become used to but also manages to rise to the physicality that this story requires with believable results. Michael Douglas is tasked with the role of comedic side character typically filled by Michael Peña in these films and actually does an admirable job. Is it as iconic or likeable as Peña’s Luis? Absolutely not, but Douglas manages to turn his supergenius into enough of a relief to keep the film moving. In my opinion, “the Wasp” referred to in this film’s title has to be Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne because she has so much more to do than Evangeline Lilly in this film and carries that burden well. Having played a fairly minimal role in the last Ant-Man film, Pfeiffer comes to the front as the expert on the Quantum Realm and Kang, giving plenty of backstory and explanation even as she struggles to cope with the consequences of her past mistakes. It’s easy to see that she enjoys the role and is fully capable of carrying the yoke of secondary protagonist. Kathryn Newton takes her role as Cassie Lang head-on, again managing to turn the loss of a fan-favorite character into a net neutral (and perhaps even gain in this case) as she serves as the heroes’ moral compass for most of the film, reminding Scott of what heroes are supposed to do at every turn. Finally, Jonathan Majors goes to work as the new Big-Bad of the saga – Kang the Conqueror. He plays the character as this malevolent force, offering to save the multiverse no matter how many people and universes he has to destroy in the process. His writing is perhaps the strongest, and Majors takes advantage, delivering line after line of despotic dialogue with weight and excellence.

                All the strong performances can’t do enough to salvage Quantumania’s overly expository and underwhelming Star Wars-lite story. From the first scene in the Quantum Realm, the inspiration from Disney’s other major franchise becomes clear, complete with desert scavengers, a cantina, and an evil empire fighting against rebels. From there, the story takes too long to get where it wants to go (introducing Kang) in order to get a frankly underwhelming Bill Murray cameo into the start of the second act. Unfortunately, for all of Majors’s greatness as Kang, the film’s third act does him pretty dang dirty – having him lose in fairly embarrassing fashion multiple times. His performance does enough to keep me excited for his future in the MCU, but the contrivance for the heroes to win in this film makes me wary of future underutilization of the villain’s genius, charisma, and physicality. We’ll see.

                Great performances from most of its leads don’t fully salvage Quantumania’s mess of a script, resulting in a mixed bag in Marvel’s first Phase Five film. Its visuals and charismatic leads help keep it enjoyable enough to warrant watching in theaters, and I think it probably would be pretty solid in 3D if you want to pay extra for that. As it stands, it’s not the best that Marvel has ever put out. It’s not the worst, either, and I think that with Bob Iger back at Disney, they’ll be able to return their focus to producing quality over quantity again.

Weekend Watch - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where, each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the follow-up to 2018’s wildly successful Black Panther. This film stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Dominique Thorne in what is easily one of Marvel’s best outings since the end of Phase 3 (Endgame and Far from Home). Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: A-; the overall feel of the film is great, even if there are some minor flaws.

Should you Watch This Film? Yes, and do it in a theater if you are able. It looks and feels great, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, even if you didn’t love the first one.

Why?

                Wakanda Forever is a culturally and emotionally rich film, paying beautiful tribute to the passing of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, while also giving its ensemble of characters plenty of space to establish themselves as the new players in the MCU. Its runtime can be a bit daunting at 2 hours and 41 minutes, but it fills its time well and never seems to drag. It paces itself well, bouncing back and forth between scenes of mourning, action sequences, introductions of new characters, and scenes of plot development, keeping its audience engaged in each with gorgeous cinematography, quality acting, a brilliant score, engaging characters, and fun action sequences. Visually, aside from some minor CGI issues here and there, this film is as stunning, if not more so, as its award-winning predecessor, showcasing director Ryan Coogler’s capabilities as a director on an even greater scale.

                The performances that go along with the visuals go a long way in making this film as great as it is. Most of them are not giving anything awards-worthy, but they play their roles well and make the characters come to life. Letitia Wright gives a performance that makes the character of Shuri legitimately likable with emotional depth and reasoning behind her decisions. Tenoch Huerta plays Namor with all the charisma, power, and even menace that the character requires. Even Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o bring real character to their portrayals in a way that some MCU side characters don’t always get. Dominique Thorne as the newly introduced Riri Williams might be the film’s low point in its acting, though not for lack of trying. Her character feels a bit more shoehorned in, and so her performance feels out of place and gets a bit lost at times, but her potential is definitely there. The film’s best performance comes in the form of Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. She dominates the screen every time she is on it, bringing a new weight to the character as a mother in mourning for her family who also happens to be queen of one of the most powerful nations in the world – it’s a brilliant performance that rightfully has been receiving some fringe-level awards buzz.

                Through all of its length and characters, Wakanda Forever’s through line is an engagement with the concept of mourning, which allows the film to serve as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman in the process. I was not sure how the actor’s tragic passing would impact this sequel going in, but having seen the film, I can say with surety that the filmmakers and performers pay homage to the actor and his character in a way that is both moving and true to the film’s story, weaving Shuri’s, Ramonda’s, and Nakia’s grief into the fabric of the narrative, celebrating Chadwick’s/T’Challa’s life without dwelling too heavily on his death. The film moves its audience, giving them the opportunity to mourn as well while looking forward to the next phase of the Black Panther saga – waiting to introduce a new figure to the costume until everyone has reached something close to acceptance.

                Wakanda Forever shines in this new phase of the MCU thanks to some of the best acting Marvel has yet produced, an engaging story that pays tribute to the past and looks forward to the future, and excellent technical work on the part of Coogler and the rest of the production team, all of which far outweigh the film’s perhaps excessive runtime caused by some mildly unnecessary additions to the plot. This currently sits in my top five films of the year. I anticipate some of the more “film-y” films to knock it out by the time it’s all said and done, but this was a phenomenal time. Go see it if you have the opportunity.

Weekend Watch - Black Adam

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the DC Universe’s latest feature film release, Black Adam. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero, with Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, Marwan Kenzari, Bodhi Sabongui, and Mohammed Amer in supporting roles. The film follows the return of Black Adam to Earth after years of exile and his conflict with other heroes and villains as he works to keep his homeland truly free. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: C, this film is fine, definitely nothing to write home about.

Should you Watch This Film? If you really want to see Dwayne Johnson playing himself again but with flying and lightning powers or are a fan of Aldis Hodge or Pierce Brosnan, this is probably a solid film for you.

Why?

                Black Adam’s action sequences are its crowning achievement, showcasing a solid mix of slo-mo shots, brutal kills, and decent visual effects. Black Adam, Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone are all given moments to shine in the various sequences in typically thrilling ways. Unfortunately, after their introductory fight scenes, the action doesn’t really try anything overly daring, becoming quickly repetitive. The dialogue doesn’t do a whole lot either, offering a few quippy one-liners and a plethora of dry exposition with not many truly emotional beats. Dwayne Johnson gets to be his same charismatic self, if a bit more one-note here because most of the humor comes from other sources. The film’s story is pretty basic with a few plot twists that would’ve been so much better if they hadn’t already been given away in the film’s virtually unavoidable marketing campaign. I really feel like if I had seen none of the film’s trailers that I would have enjoyed the twists and the film would be getting better reviews right now. As it stands, the fun aspects of new characters, Dwayne Johnson, and solid action moments often end up overshadowed by a spoiled plot that wasn’t even that complex to begin with and writing that focuses a little too much on exposition and not enough on actual character development. I am guardedly excited to see what they do with this character and the supporting cast in the future. Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher was a really fun addition to the film, and he could bring a lot to another team-up film. Pierce Brosnan’s Dr. Fate was arguably the coolest and most interesting aspect of the film, but even he isn’t given enough screentime to really connect deeply with his character, and if we’re being honest, the moments without Black Adam on screen were pretty consistently the best parts of the film. The coolest moment Black Adam gets comes not during the film’s run-time but in a post credits scene where we get some actual insight into how he is going to fit in the wider DC Universe going forward. Overall, Black Adam has a lot of potential, but left so much on the table and underdelivered on so much that it can’t be called much more than an average superhero film, on par with X-Men: First Class or Batman Forever. This film is currently showing in theaters if you want to go check it out.

Weekend Watch - Werewolf by Night

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s subject, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Marvel’s first “Special Presentation” Werewolf by Night. The hour-long special features performances from Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Kirk R. Thatcher in what amounts to an MCU Halloween Special that draws heavily on 1930s and ‘40s monster movie influences. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B+, heavy on style and content, but slightly lower on substance, this is one of Marvel’s most successfully unique offerings in a while

Should you Watch This Television Special? If you already have a Disney+ subscription, then yes. It’s imperfect but thoroughly entertaining for a quick spooky season evening watch.

Why?

                Werewolf by Night relies heavily on its stylistic flair to entertain with a fairly basic story and characters that may or may not interest you, depending on your sensibilities. The use of black and white film, a plethora of practical effects, limited CGI, intensely violent sequences, and simple sets allows the special to be a thoroughly original homage to the monster flicks of the 1930s and ‘40s that happens to also be set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (implicitly). The cinematography, fight choreography, and production design for this special are remarkably well-executed, immersing the audience well in the world and mood that the filmmakers wanted to create – particularly in the moment when the werewolf is finally revealed. Michael Giacchino’s direction and musical score come through beautifully, blending a few superhero tropes (generic armed guards, a crystal that’ll solve most of the problems, and a will-they/won’t-they relationship between the two leads) with a predominantly original concept, introducing Marvel fans to a part of the universe that had only been hinted at up to this point. With an entirely new cast of characters, most of which are throwaways, Werewolf by Night still manages to achieve buy-in thanks to its production value – something shows like Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel have struggled with to some extent. The characters that make it out of the special are certainly worth exploring further, and the performances across the board, while basic, were solid. Gael García Bernal shines as Jack Russell, bringing his own take to the character, hinting at his tortured soul while also delivering some of Marvel’s textbook wittiness. Laura Donnelly’s Elsa Bloodborne works well in the combination role of femme fatale and damsel in distress, succeeding at being both action star and potential love interest, it’ll be fun to see whether her character is revisited in the future or not. Finally, Harriet Sansom Harris fully commits to the role of Verussa Bloodborne, the host of the evening and seemingly sinister cult leader as well. I say that their performances are solid but basic because these actors are not given much to work with in terms of story, which is the special’s biggest weakness. Because they were shooting for that hour-long runtime, the story beats come quite quickly, and a lot of character development has to be told rather than shown to keep the action moving along. The story is not a total failure, however, because it does give the audience enough to care about the characters and showcases their roles in the universe well enough that by the end of its time, you do want to see more of them. Overall, Werewolf by Night is a successful introduction to this new style of production from Marvel thanks to its good casting choices and unique production design that pays homage to classic monster flicks. I’m excited to see where they continue to take these particular characters and to see what they do in the future with this particular mode of production. Check it out, now streaming on Disney+.

Weekend Watch - The Sandman

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give you a review and recommendation for watching it. This week, the subject is Netflix’s latest horror series: The Sandman, based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman. It features Tom Sturridge as the titular “Sandman” or “Morpheus” or “Dream” and also Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt’s voice, Vivienne Acheampong, Vanesu Samunyai, David Thewlis, and many others. It follows the story of the King of Dreams after he escapes one hundred years of imprisonment in the human world and seeks to set his realm and the things associated with it back to relative normalcy. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B+, there’s a lot of potential here, but it still needs some work to be great

Should you Watch This Show? If you are at all a fan of the graphic novel, yes! If you are looking for a dark fantasy show with really good worldbuilding, then also yes. I don’t think this show is as universally watchable as some of Netflix’s other releases (read Stranger Things) though.

Why?

                Let’s start with some of what makes the show good. From what I can tell, fans of the graphic novel are highly pleased with most of what the show has done with the source material, which is always a good sign for adaptations (we’ll see how Amazon fares next month with their Rings of Power series). The aesthetic of the art comes through well in the visuals, which are mostly phenomenal to behold – some of the more intricate CGI leaves a little to be desired, but for a television show, the effects are pretty solid. The world of the novel also comes through well in the worldbuilding of the show. The many realms and mythical characters come into the story naturally and with adequate explanation, leaving very little confusion as to the role of each new character. The worldbuilding also leaves you wanting more by the end of the season – at least, it did for me, the sucker for good worldbuilding. Unfortunately, because of all of the characters and story arcs that are brought into the ten-episode season, the story sometimes gets left by the wayside and then caught up with later, rather quickly. The two main stories that feature in this season are deeply interesting in their own right, but because of the exposition that also has to occur, the stories both resolve rather quickly and conveniently with little payoff of things set up earlier in the show. At the same time, it feels like this show wants to set up for an adaptation of the entirety of The Sandman, the graphic novel, as many characters have now been introduced who have larger roles to play later on in the greater story, so that’s promising. (That does mean that we need even more watchers when season 2 drops in the future so that Netflix doesn't cancel it as they so often do. In addition to the solid worldbuilding and oddly paced storytelling, the shows acting is at times great and, at others, only so-so. Vanesu Samunyai, whose first credit is this show, puts forth a valiant effort as Rose Walker, the Dream Vortex and focus of the second half of this season, playing to the levels of the actors in her scene. When across from Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, and John Cameron Mitchell, she brings a very solid A-game, showcasing the emotional and emotive range of a far more experienced actress, holding her own and even upstaging these more seasoned actors. At the same time, in scenes with Razane Jammal’s Lyta or Eddie Karanja’s Jed, the show reverts to acting more on the level with a CW superhero show (still entertaining in a popcorn-y way, but definitely with more cheese). In addition to the performances of Sturridge, Holbrook, and Mitchell, the true highlights of the show come from David Thewlis as the villain of the first arc – the very creepily unhinged John Dee, whom he portrays with just the right amount of menace – and Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Vivienne Acheampong as the two positive mythical influences in Dream’s life – Death and Lucienne the librarian respectively. Death’s one episode in the middle of the season serves as a high point in both the acting and worldbuilding of the show, showcasing its potential, highlighted in Howell-Baptiste’s subtly emotional portrayal of the avatar of Death, who is apparently Dream’s favorite sibling and the one with the most influence over him. In similar fashion, Acheampong plays Lucienne, the librarian of the realm of Dream, and the closest thing Dream has to an advisor or a friend in his own realm. Her acting is consistent throughout the show, delivering a lot of exposition without ever feeling unnecessary and while having a legitimately involved character arc at the same time, developing alongside Dream. All told, the first season of The Sandman is a mixed bag of great worldbuilding, inconsistent storytelling, and acting that is all over the board. The show’s potential to get better makes it worth watching, along with its skillful adaptation of the original source material.

Weekend Watch - Nope

                 Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week, we review and recommend a new piece of film or television media as voted on by the followers on the blog’s Instagram account. This week, the winner of the poll was Jordan Peele’s newest film, Nope, a sci-fi/horror film featuring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, and Keith David. The film is Peele’s third, following the widely successful films Us and Get Out. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look.

Letter Grade: B+; this film is by no means perfect, but most of it is high quality and really fun and original

Should you Watch This Film? I think so; it is a film worth checking out for its combination of original and homage filmmaking.

Why?

                Nope is a genre-blending film whose parts are probably better than the whole. It utilizes elements of sci-fi and alien horror films, psychological thrillers, classic westerns, and family comedies into its own unique package. Writer/director/producer Jordan Peele’s vision shines through most brilliantly in the moments when the film leans all the way into its genres and uses them to make commentary on the state of modern entertainment and “spectacle”. Whether it is exploring aliens and flying saucers, the phenomenon of society’s newfound UFO awareness, the issues with child stars, the dangers and potential of trained animals in film and television, or even a cinematographer looking for the perfect shot, Nope’s highs showcase some brilliant commentary, gorgeous visuals, and a refreshingly unique story. Of Peele’s films, this one is by far the most connected to the world of filmmaking, allowing the director to throw in bits and references to black cinema, and specifically westerns, rewarding some of his more faithful fans in the process. At the same time, Nope’s highlights are also what causes its message to break down by the end. A film critiquing the audiences desire for spectacle while presenting spectacle inevitably feels a bit too on-the-nose or not quite self-aware enough to accomplish its goal, and in watching the film, it feels as if Peele recognized that danger and, therefore, chose to conclude his film with a different note and story emphasis. Unfortunately, by the time the audience becomes aware of the turn, they have already become invested in the other story lines and themes, making where the film ultimately ends up into a bit of a disappointment. This is not to say that the rest of the film, especially its performers and sci-fi/horror aspects, is particularly bad. In fact, the rest of the film is arguably a top-three film to release this year. Its inability to stick the landing definitely leaves you looking for more, but that should not dissuade you from appreciating the rest of the film and its otherwise great parts.

Weekend Watch - Obi-Wan Kenobi

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give a recommendation and review of it. This week, we’re taking a look at the now completed Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries from Disney+. It started streaming at the end of May and just released its final episode on Wednesday. It features cameos and performances from many of the Star Wars prequel actors alongside some characters who haven’t yet been featured in live action or whose version has not yet been featured in live action and a couple of brand-new characters as well. Let’s dive in.

Letter Grade: B+, imperfect but highly enjoyable (Last episode is an A)

Should you Watch This Show? If you are a Star Wars lover, particularly of the prequel era, this show will make you happy. There are things for non-fans as well, but a lot of what makes it great is the connection to pre-existing content.

Why?

                Obi-Wan Kenobi does a few things extremely well and a few others much more poorly. For starters, Ewan McGregor gets to live in the character of Obi-Wan more than he ever did in the prequel films, creating a deeper on-screen Obi-Wan than we’ve gotten outside of maybe some episodes of the animated Clone Wars show and the final scenes of Revenge of the Sith. In addition, the show uses cameos from the prequel actors well, using them to provide motivation and explanation, not just as fan service (aside from maybe one at the very end of the show). Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Vader is also arguably better than the Rogue One Vader because he gets more screen time, more development, and even more opportunity to be the incredibly powerful and menacing figure that we all saw in that hallway scene – his moments are highly rewarding in this show. The show’s introduction of new characters/actors goes both ways with some very well executed and some less so. The child actress cast as young Leia is a revelation, holding her own with every adult on-screen and serving as a consistent reminder across every episode how much cooler Leia is than Luke. The new character of Reva, played by Moses Ingram of The Queen’s Gambit fame, is somewhat less consistently good – due in no part, as far as I could tell, to Ingram’s acting. Her character arc is highly predictable, and much of her dialogue feels more Phantom Menace than Empire Strikes Back, but at the same time, her character does a lot to make the action of the show happen, and she has some moments to shine, particularly at the end of the show’s second and fifth episodes. The young Luke actor is probably the weakest of the bunch, but he is kept off-screen for most of the show’s episodes and has very little to do when he is there, so it’s not a huge issue. Story-wise, the show’s first two episodes and last episode and a half are incredibly good, giving great action sequences, solid character development, and interesting locales to visit along the way. The middle two episodes drag somewhat in getting to the actual end of the show but do offer a good Vader moment and a solid enough break-out plot to keep you engaged for the show’s climax and conclusion. I’m going to close this out by highlighting what makes this show as good as it is – its devotion to character-driven story and lightsaber fight content. Both Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader get strong character development individually and relationally throughout the show’s episodes, and their dynamic game of cat-and-mouse is a big part of what makes the show so enjoyable even through moments of weak dialogue and occasional pieces of what feels like filler. And the lightsaber fights between the two help showcase the development of the two characters and their relationship. From their first encounter to their final epic showdown, we see both how both characters have changed from the end of the prequels and how the show is setting them up for their fateful meeting on the Death Star in A New Hope. All told, the show is certainly worth watching thanks to its faithful exploration of the character, quality performances from McGregor and Vivien Lyra Blair, and some phenomenal lightsaber battles. Check it out on Disney+ when you are next in the mood for some Star Wars content.

Weekend Watch - Lightyear

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where we take a look at a new film or show that is out right now and give you a brief review and recommendation as to whether it necessitates watching. This week, we’ll be taking a look at Pixar’s latest outing based on existing I.P. Lightyear. It stars Chris Evans as the titular Buzz Lightyear and is apparently the film the toy in Toy Story is a product of. Let’s jump into it.

Letter Grade: B-/C+; it’s a solid kid’s sci-fi film, but not quite the fare of your typical Pixar

Should you Watch This Film? If you absolutely need something in theaters and have already seen Top Gun and Everything Everywhere All at Once and Doctor Strange and maybe even The Bad Guys, this is a solid other option, especially if you have kids.

Why?

                As a children’s film, sci-fi film, and action film, Lightyear is passable, bringing decent comedy, solid voice acting, and an interesting world to the big screen. Unfortunately, Lightyear fails to live up to the hype that most of its Pixar predecessors have created. Its simple messaging about the importance of teamwork overshadows its more complex and less overtly delivered message about letting go of the past and challenging the status quo in favor of progress. In doing so, Lightyear becomes much more akin to the Cars sequels or Brave or even The Good Dinosaur but perhaps also even less ambitious and more cash-grabby. Lightyear’s entertainment value is high enough to warrant watching, delivering a solid combination of laughs, suspense, action, and human connection that kept me watching it for its duration. At the same time, its simplicity and lack of ambition left me disappointed with Pixar. When I look at Pixar’s other offerings of the last couple of years – Onward, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red – I see films that champion unique causes and characters and stories from all over the globe and from all walks of life. I see films that connected with the children and adults in the audience in meaningful and emotional ways. With Lightyear, I felt none of that and left somewhat disappointed. That being said, I do not believe that the film is deserving of its currently incredibly low 5.0 IMDB score that it currently has. That is due primarily to bombing from certain circles that were unhappy with Buzz’s original commander being a lesbian, which a completely ridiculous reason to review bomb any film, but it’s happening right now so… Don’t go into Lightyear expecting Ratatouille or Coco, and you most likely will not be disappointed. I have little doubt that the children in your life will really have a good time with this one, and you won’t be completely frustrated with the time that you have spent watching this film. Check it out if you want, or wait for the Disney+ release in a couple of months if you’d rather.