Aquaman Review

 

        Growing up, anytime I would see Aquaman on either Justice League or Superman: The Animated Series on Cartoon Network, I feel that there was an attempt to make him cool. It all stemmed from the classic show Super Friends, its animation made the hero more of a joke due in part of the tame sea animals he would command. Like summoning a giant sea turtle or the goofy looking seahorse he would ride with his partner Aqualad. Or just that, as a punchline in fandom he was useless in a land fight. It became apparent that now he would finally get his proper debut, instead of playing second fiddle with other heroes. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. A Bloated Story

        After the events of Justice League, we follow Arthur Curry played by Jason Mamoa, living in Maine with his father played by Tameura Morrison. He narrates in the beginning that his mother had escaped from a marriage and his father rescued her. They got busy and years later, Atlantean guards arrive to bring her back to Atlantis. She promises to his Dad that she’ll return. We sporadically get moments when Arthur was young such as when he figures out he can control the sea animals. 

        With that, he saves a hijacked Russian submarine that is being boarded by pirates lead by David Kane, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Arthur boards and stops the pirates, before killing Kane’s Dad, prompting him to have vengeance on Aquaman. After that, Mera played by Amber Heard tells Arthur that he needs to go back to Atlantis to take the throne. I was confused as to why she changed her accent from a faux-British to an American one. Anyways, she suspects that his brother Orm played by Patrick Wilson, wants to unite the other kingdoms to invade the surface. 

        One would think it would be just that, taking the throne from a family member, but no there’s more. Mera takes Arthur to meet the kingdom vizier Vulko played by Willem Dafoe, he tells them about a special trident Arthur needs to rule the kingdom. We then transition to how Atlantis got sunk. I find it hilarious that Arthur tells him that he knows the story, and Vulko just tells it regardless. 

        Eventually, Orm finds his brother and Arthur wants to fight to get the throne. It goes predictably south and Arthur and Mera escape. So that’s three things going on: Pirate wanting revenge, getting the throne, and obtaining the trident. Oh, but I forgot another thing, Orm wants to usurp power from the other kingdoms to invade the surface world. When you have four different things going on, it’s kinda hard to care since you’re transitioning from one place to another. You actually forget that the pirate is still there. 

2. Arthur Curry

        I was iffy on Mamoa being the title hero. When Zack Snyder uploaded the first picture of what he’ll look like, he reminded me of Rob Zombie the musician. With the dirty hair with blonde tips with armor that doesn’t at all look busy. With a trident instead of the usual three fork one. Not that I had doubts about him as an actor, since I didn’t get to see him in Game of Thrones, but he’s usually in action films. 

        He’s okay with what the script gives him. I feel that he’s a conflicted person by being hesitant on returning to Atlantis. Although, the thing that doesn’t do it for me is just his overall morale as a person. In the beginning, he beats the pirate and kills his dad, as he rescues the Russian sailors, he lets the pirate and his father drown. I feel as though there isn’t enough depth to him other than him being jaded by being a half Atlantean and half Human. 

        The moment of levity too is mostly just crude jokes and situational moments where he reacts to how things are in Atlantis. For instance, he jokes about how everyone gets in and why there’s a bridge. Which makes sense, why in an underwater realm does there need to be a bridge? There’s never a moment where he has moments of regret or he’s just nervous, only scenes where he uses his machismo to make himself confident. 

3. James Wan

        This was an interesting hire, James Wan is influential in horror for directing the first Saw film and establishing a franchise with The Conjuring. His horror background isn’t anything new in comic book films. Sam Raimi is famous for his Evil Dead Trilogy which proved to be enough for him to start the Spider-Man Trilogy in the early 2000s.

        He adds his own flare and technique into this film and it definitely shows. There are moments where the camera pulls back to make the characters small and the location grand. It tends to get annoying when an action scene starts and the camera revolves in a 360-degree motion, at least have a chance to spice it up. He does, one thing that I think is something different is when the guards are chasing Mera in Sicily. Parts of it is done in one take, meaning the camera is still rolling unless another angle is shown. 

        I think the one thing where he doesn’t shine is just the story. The blame is mostly on the writers given that the films that Wan made a name for himself just told a concise story with little overlap of what’s going on. Another thing, that isn’t much of a detriment but just a missed opportunity is the little time we get to spend time in Atlantis. 

4. Under the Sea, briefly

        Back in 2018, Aquaman and Black Panther debuted new worlds that have been isolated from regular contact. Now I can talk about just how Wakanda was used better but Atlantis’ world is interesting due in part that it’s based on mythology. I wished that most of the movie took more time to establish how the dwellers live in the city. Vulko talks about the technology that was established before the city sunk.

        It was odd just how the civilians evolved to crab people, fish people, and the Trench. A swarm of angler looking Lovecraftian fish atrocities that have a hive mind. They really just breeze through how the civilians transformed or deformed into various aquatic creatures. The hilarious moment is when Arthur and Orm are about to fight. Above them a screen is shown displaying their stats. What redeems it is an octopus playing the bongos.

5. Big Dumb, You Know Where I’m Going with This

        A recurring thing that I keep noticing is the big battles that always happen with these DC films. Wonder Woman had a chance, but it derailed a great movie to a good movie. Same with this one. Orm declares war against the crab people with help from the Atlanteans and fish people. My God talk about busy with the crab people charging towards the soldiers, with an even bigger crab. 

        With the overlapping storylines and this happening, I could care less with what’s going on. Arthur arrives with the new trident and suit and commands the sea creatures to attack Orm’s forces. I think the reason why it doesn’t work in terms of being invested is just that it’s another take over the world plot. Arthur talks to Mera on why the humans aren’t worth saving, since he defends them by saying some are good. I think it would work by saying someone has to tell them to stop polluting but not with force. Even before that, when Orm created a tsunami, Arthur couldn’t care less. 

6. Overall

        After the Justice League debacle, this is an okay movie. I guess because the bar was literally on the ground, a lot of people enjoyed it. Just the second DC movie to gross a billion dollars in the box office, something that a team up film with Batman and Superman couldn’t muster more. Part of it why it just didn’t relate to me is just the tone being all over the place and really not caring about the overlapping story. Jason Mamoa should continue to be the hero, potentially give him more than just being a rugged hero. 

        Aquaman gets a three out of five. 

50th Review: Justice League (2017)

 

        I never thought back in June of last year that this film would be my 50th review. After sitting for 2 hours, I want that amount of time back to watch something better. Regardless, this is what I think of Justice League. 

        It was no surprise that the succeeding DC slate of films would culminate with the formation of the Justice League. This was five years after Marvel Studios’ The Avengers, it already had a huge hill to climb to be on par with that film. Unbeknownst to me was the multitude of drama that was going on behind the scenes. I will talk about that later, but to put it bluntly. This film is probably the epitome of why this shared universe idea for Warner Bros. is a complete dumpster fire. And they have no one to blame but themselves. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        The film starts with a phone video of a couple kids interviewing Superman. Already, it reminded me of Peter Parker’s introduction in Spider-Man: Homecoming. We then transition to Gotham City as Batman ropes in a robber to attract a parademon. Those aliens that was seen in the Knightmare sequence in Batman v Superman. It attacks the dark knight but it explodes as the caped crusader sees that it left a distinct mark. As the credits roll in, the world is sad that Superman is dead, depressing as it is, a homeless man has the sign “I Tried” by him. I’ll explain that since it’s part of the filming drama. 

        From there, Bruce and Diana go out and recruit Aquaman played by Jason Mamoa, Cyborg played by Ray Fisher, and The Flash played by Ezra Miller. The part with Bruce attempting to recruit Aquaman and Flash felt very repetitive. By having Bruce listing their abilities and saying that a threat is coming to Earth. Aquaman declines and Flash joins. I felt the Flash has Autism due in part that, he goes on tangents that is very Joss Whedon. Again, I might as well say that this is a very Frankenstein film. 

        Between that, the big bad called Steppenwolf is looking for three cubes called the Mother Boxes. So throughout the film, the Justice League is hastily assembled. As they grapple with how to resurrect Superman since Batman believes Clark is necessary to stop Steppenwolf with terraforming the planet to match his. It’s no surprise that this film is compared to The Avengers. Since it involves cubes, a horned villain, a group of heroes assembling, saving the day and going their separate ways. 

        Not to beat the bush, but the reason why this film isn’t good regardless of who filmed what, was the whole approach being rushed. How do you go from a Superman film, to a fight between Batman, a team of villains with no bearing of what’ll happen in the future of the franchise. Then a Wonder Woman film that was unexpectedly good. Which leads to a team up film where three heroes have yet to be properly introduced. The Marvel approach is ingenious since it introduced heroes no one even heard of and making them relatable and worth caring. 

2. Frankenstein’s Movie

        With anyone who follows behind the scenes drama in Hollywood, but not aware of this specific instance, deserves a documentary about the making of this movie. Zack Snyder was on contract to make this film since he made two stinkers prior to filming Justice League and possibly this one would be the winner. A death in the family happened and Warner Bros. brought in director Joss Whedon. Who ironically enough directed The Avengers and its sequel, was brought in for reshoots. 

        Watching the film, it’s clearly apparent who directed what. The footage that was seen in the first trailer cobbled with the reshot footage is apparent that anyone who closely pays attention can make it into a game. For instance, Bruce arrives in an Icelandic village to find Aquaman, he is on a horse that oversees the village. The longshot has a flurry of snow and when it zooms further there’s barely any snow. His hairline of all things is inconsistent when he interrogates Aquaman and Flash.

        I can nitpick the various parts of the film that was reshot again, but I have to acknowledge Henry Cavill’s moustache. As he was filming Mission Impossible: Fallout, he was called back for reshoots. He has a moustache in the film and Warner Bros. wanted it to be shaved off. The execs at Paramount were petty since they urged him to have his facial hair. When he appears in the film, his upper lip just looks weird. There is even a photo of him that shows him in the suit with the moustache. 

        The list is bountiful for the very many reasons why this film was a stinker in 2017. I find it ironic that the Marvel films that were tied to the Avengers and Logan separately, were highly successful and outgrossed Justice League in terms of box office. The ultimate question is, who’s to blame for the film’s failure. Since I believe that there is equal blame, I will go at it one by one. 

3. Is Joss Whedon To Blame?

        As of recently, Ray Fisher has accused the director of having a toxic work environment during the filming of Justice League. I won’t divulge in that but I will say that in the end, he is not to be blamed for the film’s misgivings. I will defend him by saying that he was given a task to reshoot a film that is Zack Snyder's film. It’s apparently clear that when viewing a Zack Snyder film and a Joss Whedon film back-to-back, the level of quality couldn’t be more defined..

        I felt that he was a fall guy if the film didn’t do well. Since he was told that he had to rewrite specific scenes and to shoot them. The way the film looked doesn’t help, since it looks brighter than any of Snyder’s films preceding this one. More so on the dialogue which is filled with banter and comedic timing which is a staple of Whedon. Even before that, in the very first trailer that was debuted in San Diego Comic-Con, there were moments of comedic levity in Snyder’s earliest footage of the film. Like having those moments would save the shared universe from mediocrity. 

4. Is Warner Bros.- of course it is!

        It’s easy to bash the studio since it’s on them that they let this turd hit the screen. What most people don’t know is that they really had no choice but to make it very explicit to have a November release at that time. A lot was riding on this film to hit its release since many investors and shareholders would be paid plentiful regardless if the film did well or not financially. During that time, AT&T was about to buy Warner Bros. and they couldn’t risk wasting millions of dollars by cancelling or delaying the film. 

        Just those circumstances is such a schadenfreude of hilarity that it’s almost comedic to read on various Hollywood sites of just how this is just part of an even bigger story. With everything that happened, Warner trusted on Zack Snyder to present a shared universe to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At that point to now, the Marvel films are in a league of their own. With the release of Suicide Squad, the studio took the film away from director David Ayer to make the film comedic like Deadpool. The studio almost as a way to course correct shanghaies a movie so it can be like it’s contemporaries. 

5. The Future of the DC Shared Universe

        Going forward, the failure of Justice League appeared to make the films that follow it be mostly standalone features. Following this review, most of the films are just introductions to other characters albeit with the universe vision being just dropped in general. Although, still connected, if it really matters or worth caring. Warner Bros. even released the film Joker in 2019 as a love letter to Martin Scorsese, Joaquin Phoenix won an Academy Award but at the detriment of a promising film universe. Conversely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe still hit its stride which culminated with the event film Avengers: Endgame baring the title of highest grossing film, beating James Cameron’s Avatar.

6. Overall

        With all that said, there’s a director’s cut coming some time this year. After the film’s theatrical release, many fans wanted Warner Bros. to release Zack Snyder's cut, their cries were answered. With this one, I can’t help but reiterate what I have been saying when I reviewed Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. If they believed in the director, why not release their cuts into the theaters, instead of having the studio cut which alienated the general audience. I wonder if I should end this endeavor of reviewing the DC films, but I’ll forge on.

        Justice League, for the first time ever, gets one star. 

Wonder Woman Review

 

        I had low expectations for Wonder Woman. Not that I wanted it to fail but given with what came before it’s not entirely surprising. People aren’t aware that most comic book films that had a female lead didn’t do so well in the box office. Or with being liked at all. Some point to Supergirl, Catwoman, and Elektra as examples of how that sub-genre can’t work. Director Patty Jenkins managed to make Diana Prince the hero that Warner Bros. needed to help turn the tide with their reeling shared universe. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        We see Diana walking into Paris’ Louvre museum, trailing her is the Wayne Industries employee giving her the photograph that was shown back in Batman v Superman. She looks at the photo and we transition to her island called Themyscira. As a youth, she looks at the Amazon warriors training in a field. Diana tells her mother Queen Hippolyta played by Connie Nielsen, who doesn’t want her to be a warrior. When the Queen puts Diana to sleep, she reads her the story of how the Amazons came to be. 

        The Gods had created humans, Zeus’ brother Ares got jealous of them. He influenced the humans to fight amongst each other. Zeus created the Amazons to help the humans and the main God banished Ares from Olympus. Diana thinks Ares is still around and must be stopped. Years pass, and Diana has been training with the generals, a mishap occurs during the training, and she runs away. She sees an airplane going down and rescues the pilot. 

        Steve Trevor played by Chris Pine, meets Diana and asks where he is. Tailing him are Germans who invade the island, prompting the Amazons to attack. Few warriors are hit and one of the generals Antiope died on the princess’ arms. The Amazons question Steve with the Lasso of Truth, making him say that a war is raging far away, and he’s been assigned as a spy to investigate a new weapon being developed. From there, they both sneak out of the island. Steve is attempting to get back to his superiors and Diana trying to stop Ares. 

        I feel it’s a refreshing take on the hero to tackle World War 1. Since she was created during the forties and having her fight Nazis would lead to comparisons of another patriotic hero. Her entire back story in the comic books have been altered so many times, so I’ll say the film is taking some liberties. I’ll elaborate more and especially the last act. 

2. Wonder Woman

        Gal Gadot does a good job of playing Wonder Woman. I feel that with her Israeli accent, they had to hire other actress that had similar accents to make the island lively. This is probably the first time in a DC film to have a character be well rounded. Seriously, Superman and Batman have no character in their films preceding this one. Young Diana is focused on being a warrior so much so that she mimicked the fighting moves. 

        I think her defining trait that she has is her being stubbornly naïve. Now, that’s not a slight against her. She is so focused on stopping Ares that when she is with Steve Trevor, she thinks that General Ludendorff played by Danny Huston is Ares. She makes a compromise with Trevor to have him join her to kill the German general. 

        Since this film is a fish out of water type, there had to be moments where Diana is completely weirded out by human customs. Such as when she and Trevor are looking at clothes for Diana to wear. She questions if women go into battle with Victorian dresses. To which Steve finally picking the right ensemble for Diana to wear which makes her look like Clark Kent, especially with the glasses. None of it feels forced and genuine since she has no clue what humans are like.

        The signature moment that represents the film is when she and Steve Trevor’s small partnership enter into No Man’s Land. Steve tells her that no one has entered into the warzone. Diana enters the battlefield and manages to dodge every bullet from the Germans. This scene has been spotlighted by many female fans, some crying in this moment. Walking bravely and holding her ground when a gatling gun is hitting her shield. I think it works since the context is that she manages to help Trevor’s crew to beat out the Germans and advance to an occupied village. 

3. Steve Trevor

        He is the perfect example of the straight man the audience comes to expect with this film. Him and Diana have a good dynamic and the moments where they are together are the best moments in the film. The best moment is him attempting to get her to understand basic human customs of the times. Especially the moment where he compromises with Diana to help her. 

        The camaraderie between them ultimately leads to romance. It’s to be expected since, of course Diana would fall in love with him and one of the consistent aspects of the comics. His best moment is him telling her that when she killed the general, that the German soldiers were still following orders. He tells her that humans are just complex that Ares couldn’t have any part. I felt for this one moment that it would be a different step with other superhero films. Having to do away with the big dumb action final act that has hampered this film series. 

4. The Final Act

        With all that being said, this is possibly the worst thing in the film. After Steve’s speech to stop the new German weapon, Diana sees one of the British generals from earlier, Sir Patrick appears in the base. He tells her that she was dumb to think Ludendorff was Ares. The big twist is that Sir Patrick is Ares. I’ll say this, I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting that he would be Ares, but the way they had it was him being an apparition. 

        Alas, he was the one that influenced the German scientist Dr. Poison, that’s just a codename (but hey you got to reference the comic book), to give her the idea to create the weapon. From there, we get another dumb fight. Now, it wasn’t Patty Jenkins decision to have this fight in the film. She said that Warner Bros. made her put in this scene in the film. I never understood why this scene is needed since everything that Steve said in his speech to Diana, and his teams plan to take out the weapon felt appropriate with everything leading up to that point. 

5. Overall

        Aside from the frustrating final act, this is one of the best comic book films that I have seen. 2017 was loaded with them such as Logan, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor Ragnarok to name a few, since most of them are from Marvel characters. This one belongs in the top 10, it must’ve been a tall order to try to tell a story of an Amazonian warrior. I felt that changing the war was something new to the mythos and it paid off. Unfortunately, the follow up is one of the many follow ups in this failed film series. 

        Wonder Woman gets a four out of five. 

Suicide Squad Review

 

        Back in 2015, Warner Bros. announced that they were doing a Suicide Squad film. They released a trailer that was shown to the attendants at the San Diego Comic-Con. I was intrigued, it had a dark vibe to it which piqued my interest. As time passed though, the marketing changed with each subsequent trailer. The emphasis was more on the comedy and the banter between the group. The film was released in 2016 and just like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice it was torn asunder by critics. So far, Warner was going 0 for 3 with their shared universe. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        The film takes place after the events of Batman v Superman, Viola Davis plays Amanda Waller, who convinces her military associates that she has an assortment of villains in her disposal to combat threats that are Superman level. From there, we get a very haphazard introductions to the villains of Task Force X. We start with Deadshot played by Will Smith, he’s an expert marksman. Then we shift to Harley Quinn, a fan favorite of the Batman comic series played by Margot Robbie. 

        We get more introductions to such characters like Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, and the only normal person in the group Rick Flag. So, with them at Waller’s control, they are assigned to rescue a high-level target in Midway City. We find out that one of the characters that is around Waller, June Moone played by Cara Delevingne is possessed by a demonic witch called the Enchantress. She breaks free and contacts her brother who is stuck in an artifact. As typical with any one note comic book villain, she and her brother want to conquer the world. That’s it. 

        This is probably one of the worst stories that I have followed in any comic book film. It’s derivative for one thing since the villain is so one note. The characters are just stand ins, Will Smith and Margot Robbie are the only good parts in the film. El Diablo actually goes through a character arc but is killed in the end.

        Now, with every villain introduced to combat a Superman-esque threat, these are the villains to stop that? We're told that the squad is mostly comprised of meta-humans, think gifted people with powers. Although, one is a good marksman, one's insane, another is good with a boomerang. Only two characters have powers that affect them physically. I have to stress that this probably wasn't thought out clearer. I’m being way too nice, let me describe how exactly director David Ayer messed up big time. 

2. Wasted Opportunity

        It’s quite clear that this film is trying to be Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy. When the movie starts at the Belle Reve penitentiary, the soundtrack kicks in. It’s just sporadic and doesn’t tie itself to one character. With the film I just mentioned, it’s used smartly with the main character since it represents Star-Lord’s connection with his mother and where he is from. 

        Here though, it’s anything that can match the characters, because it’s “cool”. There’s no context with the songs since it’s plastered there. The most egregious example is the song “Spirit in the Sky” used when the Squad goes in the city. Out of all the songs out there, it had to be that one. Even “Bohemian Rhapsody” is butchered since it was used in one of the trailers and I thought it would appear in the film. The song appears but is cut off in the end. 

        Another example is the overall plot. Like I said, the Squad is set up to stop the Enchantress from taking over the world. As lame as the story sounds, the Joker is wasted as well. Played by Jared Leto, he does absolutely nothing and contributes squat to the overall plot. I thought that the Squad was assigned to stop him, making Harley Quinn question her loyalty. No, it’s the former and I can’t believe that director David Ayer had just 9 weeks to write the script.

        One last thing was just how big the actual Squad was. Again, to use Guardians of the Galaxy, that team was just five members. The main focus was on Star-Lord since he is the only human for us to focus on. The Suicide Squad has 9 members. Now, it would’ve worked if the team was divided so we can have equal attention for everyone. The overall focus was inconsistent, I thought it was mostly Deadshot’s movie. Then it focused on Harley Quinn. For all intents and purposes, Rick Flag might’ve been the one to humanize everyone, be the straight man for the audience. 

        It was clear that the overall approach was rushed. Now, the concept could work, but given the overall passivity the characters face and not given enough moments to care about. The biggest sin that I mentioned is that we’re told what the members do. Especially with member Katana played by Karen Fukuhara, she joins the Squad as they’re about to take off. Rick Flagg explains who she is and her gimmick. The whole moment is the laziest way to introduce a character, even worse is when Diana Prince is looking at surveillance footage at the future Justice League members in Batman v Superman. 

3. Editing

        Out of all the complaints that I have seen when reading the reviews or viewing them on YouTube, the editing is the real sticking point to many critics. A lot of the general audience won’t notice, but what happened is the overall neon moments that pop up in the beginning. More so when the characters get a “Baseball Card” stat shots describing who they are. I think it was embarrassing that Warner Bros. would hire an actual trailer editing house to work on the cut that shown in theaters. It is contradictory of the director route they are doing with their films. Which leads to my next point. 

4. Director Vision

        I can appreciate Warner Bros. going a different route than Marvel Studios by having their directors show their talents on adapting the DC superhero characters. The reason why Marvel has a string of successes is that the directors have to follow a strict outline of how their movies have to follow the Marvel formula. There can’t be any compromises since it might mess up the inevitable team ups or contradict the previous films. 

        It became apparent that Warner Bros. is staying true to the director’s vision, but at a price by releasing a studio cut to theaters. Then when it comes time to release the film on Blu-Ray, they advertise a “definitive” cut to a film that should’ve been released in theaters. The practice for one thing is shady and pretty disgusting since it’s apparent that the vision Warner is going for is for nothing since they’re hypocrites looking for profit.  

5. Overall

        This is without a doubt a bad comic book film. I mean it, this is bad. I often think about if the Suicide Squad will ever show up in any team up film in the future. I know for a fact that director James Gunn is doing a quasi-remake-sequel with the team called The Suicide Squad. The actors are the only saving grace but the roster is too cluttered to care for any of them. For as much as they’re the bad guys, them stating and rephrasing that assessment can get annoying. 

        Suicide Squad gets a 2 out of 5.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

 

For as long as the characters Batman and Superman have appeared in their respective comic books, they never met in any movie. Now, there are comic books where they star in, animated appearances where they show up or make a guest appearance. I remember watching the Will Smith film I Am Legend when a poster of a hypothetical Batman and Superman film popped up as a visual gag. More so when screenwriter David Goyer is quoted to say that the idea of a film is “where you go when you admit to yourself that you've exhausted all possibilities”. Zack Snyder found a way to have these characters appear, albeit sloppily. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        So the film starts during the fight between Superman and General Zod in Metropolis, this time we follow Bruce Wayne’s perspective. Before that, we witness the iconic and now tired death of the Wayne’s. We see the death in a Zack Snyder way such as seeing how the pearl necklace shatters from Martha Wayne’s neck. Speaking of, remember that name. Bruce Wayne played this time by Ben Affleck, zips through the city easily avoiding the debris crashing down and calling his employers to evacuate. The building is where Zod unleashes his laser beams on Superman and killing the Wayne employees. 

        Bruce runs to the debris and into the smoke covered damage. It’s kinda offensive that he isn’t covered in dust or coughing, since well if you read about the fight in my Man of Steel review, you would know. He helps an injured employee Wally and sees from the sky Superman and triggering his motive to stop him. 2 years pass, Lois Lane goes to an African country to do an interview, it goes south. Superman triumphantly saves her by ramming through the warlord general into the wall. 

        The overall story is a bit all over the place after that moment. Since it’s a versus movie, Clark Kent decides to investigate into Batman’s branding of criminals in Gotham City. Whilst Bruce Wayne is attempting to retrieve Kryptonite to kill Superman. It would be simple if it was just that but there’s more. Lois Lane uncovers an unknown bullet during the failed African interview which she visits the Colonel from the last film. 

        Meanwhile, we meet Lex Luthor and he is possibly the worst part of the film. Jesse Eisenberg is not a bad actor by any means. He was fantastic playing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. I thought he would be a cold and calculating businessman who wants to rub out Superman. Here, he reminds me of Daffy Duck with his verbal ticks, he was like a Looney Tune come to life. His motive to kill Superman borders on having daddy issues and not having God to stop the paternal abuse. 

        It’s kind of obvious that when the topic of Superman killing African terrorists with a gun is moot since why would he need any weapon. Also, having Lex Luthor be the one to stir the pot between the heroes was a dead giveaway since it’s in his character to do that. Anyone could’ve seen that without reading a comic book or watching an animated show. I felt that for the most part it didn’t work since this interpretation of Batman is old. I’ll explain why this dynamic didn’t work.

2. "The Dark Knight Returns"

        Any person who loves Batman stories know that this film takes its inspiration of the classic Frank Miller story, The Dark Knight Returns. It involves an old Bruce Wayne donning the suit to stop crime in Gotham City. Additionally, fighting Superman with a power suit. That story works due in large part that both characters knew each other. Bruce thinks Superman is a poster boy for the government while the man of tomorrow thinks Bruce Wayne has gone above the law to instill a sense of unwarranted justice in Gotham. The story is a classic and a must read, but I feel that Zack Snyder just combed through it and focused on the fight without the needed context. 

        The same thing that happened in the story was the television pundits giving their opinion on the heroes, respectively. I interpreted it as a parody due to the over-the-top nature of the commentary that was given. In the film, they are treating it as though how a Superman can exist among humans. Escapism is dead in this movie, since they use real news networks that have pundits’ debate and ask philosophical questions about if an alien with a blue suit and red cape can live with us. 

        Now, there is a way to have this type of film if it was historical and to put these television moments into perspective. When they are in a Batman and Superman film that tries to take itself seriously even though they dress pretty ridiculously is going to fall on deaf ears. It got annoying since they were asking questions that really had no effect to the actual film. 

        One last thing is that in the comic Bruce was already retired, he was a recluse and only reluctantly came back when a young girl decided to help him by being a new Robin. In the film, this is our first exposure to Affleck’s Batman. Having any sort of rivalry is way too early since the beef is just based on a stubborn hunch. I thought we would get a new Batman, but one who’s already aged doesn’t make sense in the least bit. 

3. Knightmare

        This part is the worse thing in the film. After retrieving some files at Lex Luthor’s charity gala, Bruce decodes and apparently his computer takes a long while to load them. He naps, I think, the film just fades to black and it becomes a Zack Snyder fantasy. Batman is wearing a duster and, there’s a reason as to why he looks intimidating at night. It’s pretty dumb having the mask and duster be the ensemble. 

        Apparently, Batman has a militia that carries a kryptonite weapon. He is betrayed and there’s like soldiers that are wearing robes but remove them and they look like Nazis with Superman’s “S” patch on their shoulders. Joe Shuster and Jerry Seigel must be rolling in their graves. So, Batman uses a gun. Now, anyone who knows him knows that he doesn’t use guns, ever. He uses it and honestly, I like that it pays tribute to the character’s early run, but it comes out of nowhere with this film. 

        Also, alien creatures start descending called parademons. You would have no clue to what exactly they are but you’re welcome. They come from the planet Apokolips, and it’s just fan service at this point. Batman gets knocked out and is taken hostage. His dream version of Superman appears and zaps the other hostages next to him. Superman says Lois was his everything and kills Bruce. 

        Confounding me, is then The Flash appears and gives a vague warning to Bruce. What does it have to do with the film? Absolutely nothing since it’s supposed to be a tease for more movies. This whole scene just summarizes Zack Snyder as a director. The only good thing he can do is make and choreograph a fantasy realm, but does it make sense in the film? No, the film just stops to highlight this segment and to show how cool everything is. He must’ve wanted to do a Mad Max film but this is the only comparable thing he was allowed to do.

4. Wonder Woman Doesn’t Do Squat

        Wonder Woman makes her debut in film with this overcooked movie. She graces the cover for some reason in the ultimate edition, which is the one I’m reviewing. Played by Gal Gadot, she contributes absolutely nothing to the film. The real reason as to why she’s in the film is that she’s trying to get back a photo from Lex Luthor. Diana Prince is just there in the film, she only meets Bruce Wayne to talk about what was in Lex Luthor’s file. 

5. The Title Fight, is Disappointing

        After sitting through two hours of mind numbing debates about the hypotheticals of Superman, the overall depressed nature of the hero, and Batman killing Luthor’s henchman to get the kryptonite. We finally make it to the final fight, the one moment that has been teased in trailers and tv commercials. And it’s the most disappointing fight that lasts just 10 minutes. I hate to compare it with the comic book, but everything worked its way to the fight.

        It’s one sided as hell and I can understand what the fight location is suppose to symbolize. None of it matters since Batman uses a sink to hit Superman on the head. You would think they would meet more times throughout the film, considering it’s a three hour “epic”. No, they meet once in their civilian disguise and twice in their costumes. There isn’t much to be said since it’s completely lopsided and the final moment is the most meme worthy sight that it’s the epitome of the film.

6. Martha 

        Remember that scene where the Wayne’s were killed for the someteenth time? Here is where we come back to that. As Batman prepares to kill Superman, he says that Luthor’s men are about to kill Martha. Then we flash back to the moment where his parents die and Bruce shouting at Superman as to why he said that name. Lois appears and says that Martha is Clark’s mother. 

        This scene has been made fun of, defended, analyzed to death. To me, it’s so stupid. Having the entire fight that was supposed to be epic in scale and to have it just end abruptly like that is such an idiotic way to end a disappointing fight. Clark’s mother’s name could’ve been anything and Batman would still stab him with the kryptonite spear. Now, I can understand that it’s supposed to be Bruce gaining his humanity and seeing Clark as an equal. Just the shouting and Lois appearing make it so astoundingly silly that, this is something that no director’s cut can ever fix. 

7. Death of Superman

        Just like Man of Steel we have to have a big dumb final fight. In between the movie, Lex uses Zod’s corpse to sneak into a downed kryptonian ship. He uses the alien’s corpse to create a monstrosity he calls Doomsday. Superman fights him but is easily overpowered due to him being able to resist any damage and grow spikes in various parts of the body. 

        Batman has the creature chase him and have it follow the hero to an abandon part of Gotham. I always found it odd that him and the military announce that various sites in either the city or an island that is between Metropolis and Gotham are abandoned. Anyways, Doomsday shoots down the batplane and is about to kill the caped crusader. Wonder Woman blocks the blast and music that doesn’t fit the character kicks in. Superman arrives and the three heroes fight the monster.

        Well, Batman just looks on since he only has a limited amount of weapons to stun the creature. After a couple of minutes of explosions and Wonder Woman smiling in the midst of combat, Superman tells Lois that he must kill the monster with the spear. He flies through and stabs the creature, it in turn stabs Clark. Killing the creature, Superman dies triumphantly. This moment, doesn’t work at all. This is Superman’s SECOND appearance in this film series. Killing him is ballsy, but really he had no depth at all. I didn’t feel anything when he died. For it to really be effective, have that be in film four or in a Justice League movie. Or you know, don’t kill him because it’s an easy out disguised as an edgy move. Heroes come back but to make it effective, have him go out with a bang, not with a whimper. 

8. Director’s Cut

        I said earlier that I’m reviewing the director’s cut. Having a director’s cut be the superior version of the film shouldn’t be a marketable thing to have. My idea of a director’s cut is for it to be a complimentary thing for a good film. Either include additional scenes that weren’t included due to time constraints or something for the fans to indulge themselves with the film.

This one had a version that was released in theaters and was eviscerated by critics. I feel that Warner Bros. did this since they still had a contract with Zack Snyder. They want to commit to his vision, or lack thereof, and put out an “Ultimate Edition” that was supposed to flesh out everything that the theatrical cut was missing in terms of scenes. Watching the “better” version, it’s like putting a band-aid in an open wound. 

        Pacing is what killed this cut and frankly this kind of thing would continue with the next film Suicide Squad. I feel it’s very shady in terms of making the general audiences buy the preferred version instead of sticking to their guns and release this somewhat but not really ambitious cut. I can understand that it’s a money thing but, when you’re investing everything on one director to compete with Marvel, why wouldn’t you release a three hour epic about two pop culture icons going toe-to-toe?

9. Overall

        The film was a waste to watch. Having a grievance with director Zack Snyder contribute to my problem with his vision with the DC superheroes. It’s just not thought out and he makes it as a think piece that demands respect or be looked at as art. The film isn’t art, it’s a commercial to sell more movies and action figures to the kids. That’s simply what it is, a piece of fluff that takes itself too seriously that it’s laughable to any film or comic book connoisseur. 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice gets a two out of five. 

Man of Steel Review

 

        I was excited for this film back in 2013. The only Zack Snyder film that I saw was his film adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300. For the most part it is a visual eye candy with intense action. Everything else is mostly not thought out much. It was concerning as to why he would helm a new Superman film. Overall, I was hooked when I saw the trailer and Christopher Nolan being attached to it. What could go wrong? I watched this one with my Dad at the AMC theater in San Antonio, I was excited for the most part. When the credits hit, I wasn’t a happy camper throughout the day. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        Since this is another interpretation of the Superman mythos, we begin in Krypton. We actually see Kal-El being born. In fact, they state that his birth was the first natural one in Krypton. We then transition to his Dad Jor-El played by Russell Crowe, pleading to a political counsel that the planet will explode, and everyone has to evacuate. As the council scoff at his proposal, General Zod played by Michael Shannon, barges in and attempts a coup. 

        I feel that this moment in Krypton goes way too long. I get that we have to introduce the villain since it’s a trope in comic book films. Even though the point is that Krypton explodes and Kal-El is rocketed to Earth. In between that, Jor-El grabs hold of a special skull called the codex and has it beamed on to the baby’s body. I thought it was an explanation as to how he got his powers. Later it’s established that the codex is a registry to give newborns an assigned duty. Which explains why the father wants Kal-El to bring in new Kryptonians that have free will instead of having a predetermined existence. Bottom line, this part doesn't go anywhere.

        As the planet is destroyed and Zod and his cronies are jailed to the Phantom Zone, the baby makes it to Earth. We then transition to the Deadliest Catch, really, Clark is now grown up and working as a crab fisherman. I’ll explain how this method of flashback and forward doesn’t work later. I can go on about the bloated story since it’s supposed to be about Clark Kent. You know, the Man of Steel? Why is there focus on Lois Lane, mind you she does a lot but it feels too convenient that she’s everywhere in the film. Like why exactly does Zod want to do with Lois Lane? 

2. Superman

        One of the problems is the actual hero. Played by Henry Cavill, he looks like he leapt from the panels and onto the screen. He has the body and can have the charm and charisma like the character. The problem is that he doesn’t. We’re mostly told through his two Dads, which I’ll get into after this, that he is destined to do great things. As Jor-El states and quote "Be an ideal to strive towards". Like he is being told what to do. 

        I think there wasn’t a moment where he thought about anything than being completely lost in the film. This interpretation of the character has always been compared to Christopher Reeve’s interpretation in his Superman films. Reeve's take on the character has so much depth that no one needs any imagery that involves religious icons to emphasize anything. I won’t say Cavill's take is the worst since there may be a film in the future where he can shine and be Superman. Here, he’s just a handsome guy in a Superman suit.

        The biggest missed opportunity is to have Superman try to be the exact opposite of those around him. Like in the first Superman film, having him be a completely different character when he is either Clark or Superman . Now, I can understand not repeating things since it would be derivative. The best Superman stories has always been about him being able to show his humanity in the midst of a cynic world. Having him come to terms of the outside world but have the humble mentality of Smallville, Kansas would’ve been welcoming for the most part. Depth is not Zack Snyder's strong aspect.

3. Two Dads

        I think this is one of the only heroes to have two Dads, one from Earth and from another planet. They contribute to the overall problem with this interpretation of Superman. In the beginning and when he appears, Jor-El is the more idealistic father who wants his son to be the bright light in the end of the tunnel. Johnathon Kent played by Kevin Costner, chastises Clark for almost revealing his powers. The scene which this is brought up is when the school bus that Clark is in has a flat tire and crashes to a body of water. Clark escapes from the bus, but rescues all of the kids in the bus including his bully who was under the depths. 

        Clark then asks his Dad if he would’ve let the kids drown and Johnathon says maybe. That part rubbed me the wrong way since why would he say that? I think in one lazy way to do it, is that to say maybe but ask if it felt good to save people. It would’ve redeemed his character. Another thing is when Pa Kent shows Clark the rocket he was brought in. He explains that Kal might’ve been sent for a reason, but it doesn’t go further than that. 

        I feel that the overall vibe I got was that Jor-El is supposed to be the idealistic one spouting glowing sayings that feel like a beginners philosophy class, while Johnathon is the cynic one. Especially since Johnathon contradicts himself. Such as when the flashbacks establish that he needs help with the family farm and Clark rebukes him. Then later saying Clark has to decide who he wants to be. Like, was there a lapse in character when he said that or did the writer intentionally wanted Pa Kent to be gray about it?

        The way Johnathon died didn’t make sense. Again, I might as well say that Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie is the definitive film about the hero. Since in that one, Pa Kent’s death is supposed to symbolize and remind Clark that despite all his amazing powers, he can’t rescue anyone. In Man of Steel, both Johnathon and Kal argue while a literal tornado is forming in front of them. They get out of the truck but forgot about the dog. The Dad rescues the dog and Clark is ready to rescue him. Johnathon holds his hand to stop him and dies by the twister. 

        I feel that the theme of choice is such a half assed way to develop Superman since this theme is tossed out since he rescued some oil drillers in a rig that was on fire. Having shown that scene and the father’s death does a poor job to show the character his morals. Or lack thereof. Clark just feels like a passive character since he never has a moment where he commits to be a hero. Like, this isn't the right way to show a hero's growth at all. It's like he's hesitant on being a hero.

4. “Batman Begins” or How To Copy What Worked But Missing The Point

        I feel like not watching Batman Begins was the thing I never noticed while watching this one. I was so confused as to why the film switched between the present and the past of Clark’s life. It got annoying and broke the flow of the film. Zack Snyder must’ve watched Nolan’s take on Batman and completely missed the point of why Nolan chose to have a nonlinear beginning of the caped crusader. For one thing, it was to show how Bruce got his morals and how he was able to adapt in a foreign land which leads to him becoming Batman. To think that Snyder’s take of the the dark knight was to have him be raped in prison to establish a broken man. I’m not making that up, he said it. 

        Here, the film shows Clark growing up while his powers pop up and getting a lecture from his Earth Dad about hiding his abilities. I feel it’s very sloppy since like I said in the last part, it’s supposed to show us the idea of choice. With the rescue in the beginning and the school bus scene, Clark made it an inherent choice to rescue those in danger but have that squashed by his Dad to tell him to not do that. It doesn’t connect and makes the character frustrating to care about since it feels like he has to do it instead of just doing it. 

5. The Third Act

        Any who, this part is bereft with wanton destruction that is evocative of the September 11th attacks. General Zod has his ship split in two to change the planet’s mass to be like Krypton. His ship lands in Metropolis, while the other one lands in the other side of the planet. Both ships turn into a dubstep machine and increase the gravity around the vicinity, resulting in everything being squashed. The Army sends the fighter jets to shoot missiles to the craft, only to have the missiles be misdirected and hit the buildings in the city. Even the damn jets fly too close to Zod's ship and crash to the buildings, like really? Did Michael Bay have something to do with this?

        It’s so damn loud like so many things going on including Lois Lane joining the Colonel character to stop Zod’s planet changing plan. My favorite part is when she’s struggling to input a jump drive stick to Clark’s rocket, but it won’t go through. Only when the scientist character Abraham Erskine decides to slightly nudge the thing then the stick goes in and ready to explode. And one would think that’s how Zod would go down, by being sucked back to the Phantom Zone as he was before. 

        No, we have to have a final fight. It’s standard comic book stuff but the destruction and me not caring for Superman since there’s no stakes since no one is getting injured just keeps going. Christopher Nolan actually wanted the ending to have Zod be sent back to the Phantom Zone but Zack Snyder overruled him and we have a big dumb action scene. 

6. Neck Snap

        Back when it was released, there was numerous articles about this one moment in particular. As the final bout winds down, Superman is holding on to Zod, he almost lasers a nearby family. He tells the mad Kryptonian to stop, he says never. Clark, with all his might and strength snaps Zod’s neck. I read every comment to see what people thought about it. Some liked it, some hated it. For me, with this new interpretation of Superman, I feel it was an easy out since the plot worked its way to the situation. 

        The film didn’t have to go this route. It would’ve been refreshing to not have a big dumb fight but to valiantly save the day. I can imagine this is Zack Snyder’s way to have a “grown-up” version of the hero by giving him a no-win option. Thus resulting in this scene. I feel indifferent since this isn’t how Superman is supposed to be. I can be open to any interpretation of the hero but any route the character takes has to be justified and earned. 

7. Overall

        This is probably one of the most disappointing films I have seen. I was so thrilled to see this one since I want a Superman film that is comparable to what my parents grew up with in their youth. What I got instead is a shallow interpretation of a beloved icon that is riddled with loud explosions with little depth to care about. The ultimate sin is having Superman be compared to Jesus Christ. That shot in the scene where he asks a priest for advice instead of going to see Jor- El for advice about someone who is like him would’ve worked. Instead, shoving and showing not so subtle imagery that you could have text appear saying that Clark is the Lord. This made me not like Zack Snyder’s directing style, but it gets worse than that. He made a follow up film. 

        Man of Steel gets a two out of five. 

State From The Top #6

        Howdy all, well we survived a pretty tumultuous year, and we survived by having a good six month supply of movie reviews. Quite frankly, I didn't expect to keep going this far on my creative endeavor. I felt I was limited with my Blu-Ray collection but managed to buck up and review any film in streaming services and yes, dipping into my collection to tell you how I felt about it. Throughout this process, I feel that anyone can review movies. It's not limited to having a pretty expansive education of filmmaking. but just having an opinion on if a film is good or bad. Elaborating on the aspects that can make or break the film. There are more ways than say I like it and I didn't like it. 

        I have been kicking around on what exactly to review for January. I thought I should review films that are great, but I want to delve deep into the ones that I truly dislike. Ones where I can compare one slate with another. With that, I will review the DC Extended Universe films. Mind you, there are two great films in there, but it's inundated with terrible films that are just appalling and offensive to the superhero connoisseur. With all that out of the way, here is the January Slate. 

Man of Steel 1/06/2021

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 1/09/2021

Suicide Squad 1/13/2021

Wonder Woman 1/16/2021

 

Justice League (2017) 1/20/2021

Aquaman 1/23/2021

Shazam! 1/25/2021

Birds of Prey 1/27/2021

Wonder Woman 1984 1/29/2021

The Post Review

 

        It was a chilly night that me and my friend were hanging out around Laredo that we decided to watch a movie in the theater. Out of all that were showing in the marquee, I saw that The Post was showing. We were both hesitant, but I remembered that Steven Spielberg directed the film and he could do no wrong. After we left, we both loved it, I believe it was us willing to watch something that we wouldn’t normally watch. With that, The Post is one of Spielberg’s best films in terms of historical dramas. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        The film takes place during the Vietnam conflict. We follow Dan Ellesburg who is typing about the progress of the war for Robert McNamara. On the plane back, Dan tells Robert that any chance of success isn’t going anywhere. As they land in the tarmac, McNamara lies to the press and it really rubbed Dan the wrong way. Later, as Ellesburg is now a civilian he alongside others copy the documents that show U.S. interests in the Vietnam era dating back to the Truman administration.

 

        Years later, Katherine Graham played by Meryl Streep is now the head of The Washington Post and has to take on the responsibilities of taking the paper to public but is bullied by the shareholders who try to restrain her next moves. Meanwhile, McNamara tells Graham that a story about him will pop up in The New York Times that will paint him badly. A court order immediately shut down the Times’ story on the leaked documents. 

        From then on, The Washington Post is gifted a partial set of the documents and begin to write about them. Ben Bradlee played by Tom Hanks, oversees the progress and is thrilled that something as massive as the documents are in front of him since he wants to grapple stories that shake down the political system. The rest focuses on Bradlee and Graham’s actions about publishing the stories as well as dealing with the friends they made that are involved in politics. 

2. Historical Films 

        Aside from the usual summer blockbuster films Spielberg is known for and creating, he nails the historical dramas to the dot. There is a level of authentic respect for the time that makes the audience feels like they are in the time zone wherever his historical films take place. Right down to how the look of the film is, with the old school cars and how The Washington Post looked back in the early 70s. 

        Like the actor who plays McNamara Bruce Greenwood looks like him. I think it’s a testament to have historical films be like looking at an authentic play since people think it didn’t happen or they just don’t care. How Spielberg makes the films engaging is by using the stakes like President Nixon trying to stop the newspaper from publishing the government secret. To me, it’s engaging since I like history and I was not aware that this thing actually happened. 

        One bit that I liked that doesn’t involve the drama is the actual printing process the newspaper does. It’s very kinetic and something about is interesting that I would want to stay in that room and just watch the papers being published. I have no clue if that process is still being used but it represents the overall authenticity that Steven is trying to go for in the film. 

3. Meryl Streep is a Queen who slays

        I feel like as the film goes on, it’s really more about Streep’s character attempting and trying to wrestle authority over her control of the paper. With the newspaper being cavalier with reporting on the secret documents. Katharine Graham has to really challenge her friendship with McNamara by telling him that lying to the people about the war is wrong and her paper has a justification to publish the documents. I really like the moment where in the beginning one of the shareholders is talking to her in Graham’s office. The low angle that is behind Streep’s character shows that he is domineering to her.

        As well as the reverse shot that is in the opposite point of view that communicates that as well. 

Eventually she manages to stand up to the shareholders and really assert her control by giving Hanks’ character to go ahead with the paper. This is one of Streep’s best performance other than playing Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada. Obviously there’s supposed to be an empowerment moment when she finally asserts herself but I think it works well since she tries to muster enough courage to speak out since we’re told she never had a chance to. 

4. The Post: Free publicity

        The movie explains that the paper is no longer the local paper, I feel that in one way the film is a big advertisement for the newspaper. The whole bullpen of writers and editors were willing to write about this damaging story that they bunked in Bradlee’s house to comb over the documents and pump out the story before the deadline. 

        I feel that it shames The New York Times as not being good enough to release all of the data, but I can understand that they were doing it by an issue release. One of things that Graham stressed about the Post is that it has to be were good reporting happens. That’s enough for any up and coming news reporter that wants to be employed by the paper. Regardless, The Washington Post gets free publicity and earns a place in history with evoking the 1st amendment.

5. Overall

        Steven Spielberg continues to pump out quality historical films. This one is no exception and it earned the academy award nominations even though it didn’t win any. Aside from the blockbusters that defined his career, his historical dramas is the ones that facilitate his success since anyone can watch them without the need to have any background knowledge. The Post feels like a prequel to the 70s classic All The President’s Men. And that’s a good thing. 

The Post gets a four out of five. 

Die Hard Review

 

        You can’t go anywhere in a big box store and not see a Die Hard film with a cover that looks like an ugly Christmas sweater. For as long as I remember, this is a quintessential action film of all time. It wasn’t until later that some critics and viewers declared that this film is the best Christmas film of all time. It always perplexed me how exactly an action film with blood and high intense thrills represents Christmas. With that, it’s now one of my favorite films of all time. SPOILERS will be in the review. 

1. Story

        Plot wise, the film is very simple. John McLane played by Bruce Willis, travels to Los Angeles to see his wife. He is a police officer who lives in New York City. Holly played by Bonny Bedella works in the technologically advanced Nakatomi plaza. They visit when the company throws a Christmas party.

        Meanwhile, terrorists storm the building led by Hans Gruber played by Alan Rickman. He and along with others crash the party and hack the vault to steal money from the CEO Joseph Tagaki played by James Shigata. As the terrorists take over, John hides from them, using the shafts to navigate the building and slowly pick off the extremists. 

        As that’s going on, he uses the radio from the dead killers to voice for help. He contacts a police office named Al played by Reginald VelJohnson. John updates Al on his progress and soon a wave of police and FBI attempt to storm the building. As McLane fights back the international rebels and attempts to get his wife back from Hans. 

        A lot of people including myself didn’t realize that this film is based on a book. It’s astounding how many great films are based on books. The novel “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Roderick Thorp is a sequel to the book “The Detective”. The film is loosely based on the book and some moments such as lines and scenes of action are lifted from the book.  

        I feel that the only complaint is the stuff that happens in the news channel. I feel that since the events that's happening in the Nakatomi plaza, the whole scenes with the snobby reporter go nowhere since we know what's going on. Like we have three things happening, do we really need this of all things to break the action? It's a small complaint and I love the comeuppance the snobby newscaster gets in the end. 

2. John McLane 

        As I mentioned in the Lethal Weapon review, the 1980s were littered with tons of action movies. It became clear that John McLane was different from his contemporaries like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. He isn’t muscle bound or incredibly gifted as a shooter. McLane is just a regular guy caught in between an extraordinary circumstance. 

        He manages to hold his own against the terrorist. What I really like is just him talking to Al about what’s happening inside the building. John doesn’t sugarcoat anything and is just an honest person. His overall bluntness when he’s talking to the 911 dispatch or the police chief is never exaggerated since they have no clue what he’s dealing with. 

        The absolute best moment is when he finally meets Hans. Throughout the film, McLane and Gruber talk on the radio and Hans being annoyed when the American keeps interfering. When both of them finally meet in person, Hans tries to act like a hostage. John goes along with it and gives Hans a pistol. When he points the gun to our hero, Gruber fires but its empty. McLane knew Hans was full of shit. 

3. Best Christmas Movie?

        So, yeah how exactly is Die Hard the best Christmas movie? Any countdown and any Blu Ray release always tie it with the holiday. Yes, it does take place around Christmas since the action takes place at night in the morning of the actual day. I just see it as a prime example of a great action movie. I think it’s blown up since it has to be agreed upon that I would want to see an action movie take place in other holidays. 

4. What Makes it Good 

        Everything feels grounded and authentic in the film. There’s never a moment where the action takes you out of the movie. There’s real stakes and the action can get gritty. Such as when John is running around barefoot. During one of the shootouts, Hans tells his accomplices to shoot the glass, McLane escapes but has glass shards on his feet.

        More so is that John is just a guy. Every explosion that happens around him, he reacts by saying Jesus’ name. When he messed up with his wife, he talks to himself by saying he could’ve done a better job than that. John McLane is just a likeable guy since he is a regular guy. He’s not muscled up and improvising his next move, he’s just a cop. The overall camaraderie when he talks to Al is the best moments since he’s being real. It gives him a humanity that makes him endearing as opposed to John Rambo or anything Schwarzenegger is in. 

5. Legacy

        As I said earlier, this is considered the best action film and it says a lot since the film is 30 years old. It spawned four sequels but where varying since it’s impossible to replicate the same success as the first one. Die Hard put Bruce Willis on the Hollywood radar as the next action star. Other than the video games and various pop culture merchandising, the film is part of an ever growing genre of action. 

6. Overall

        With all that said, this film is now one of my favorites. I knew the expectations for the first one is big due to the high popularity it has, and it blew me away. I think the Christmas element is blown to high heaven but as it is, it’s a good action film that happens to take place in the holidays. 

        Die Hard gets a five out of five. 

Lethal Weapon Review

 

        In the 80s, there were loads of great action films. Such as but not limited to Aliens, Commando, and They Live to name a few. This is the third Richard Donner film that I have seen other than Superman: The Movie and Scrooged. I know that he directed other acclaimed ones like The Goonies but I can attest that he is like the Steven Spielberg of action films. Lethal Weapon as far as I know may have started the sub-genre buddy films. It laid the foundation of how to do it perfectly. Only 21 Jump Street can be seen as a generational successor to the buddy cop films. SPOILERS will appear in the film. 

1. Story

        Right from the start it’s a Christmas film. “Jingle Bell Rock” plays which already tells us that the film takes place during the holiday season. Anyway, a woman jumps from a high-rise hotel. An old police officer Roger Murtaugh played by Danny Glover, investigates about the crime scene but realizes that the woman is related to a veteran friend. Meanwhile, we see Martin Riggs played by Mel Gibson, be a narc to some coke dealers. He manages to end the operation but there’s a mean streak about him. 

        In the police department, Murtaugh is given a new partner Riggs and they have a difficult time to adjust to each other’s style. As they continue to run in to criminals associated with the deceased, Riggs realizes that a member from his military past is the one pulling the strings in the drug racketeering. The overall film isn’t really about the investigation of the women’s death, but more so on how Murtaugh and Riggs figure out and stop the drug lords from bringing their brand of cocaine.  

2. Murtaugh and Riggs

        These two make the film. From the beginning, we get to see how exactly and literally different they are. We get to see that Murtaugh has a big family. It was kind of weird that they sing happy birthday to him while he is relaxing in the bathtub. On the beach front, we see Riggs be almost suicidal. The film and himself explain that he is crazy. We see why since he misses his deceased wife and tries to kill himself.

        I think the shot that symbolizes their personal lives is when Roger invites Martin to have dinner. While Murtaugh and his wife are in the kitchen, Martin doesn’t step in and sees the family with their kids. It’s a brief moment, but it just highlights that their personal lives are so different from each other. I feel that the main reason why Riggs is so crazy is that it’s a way to deal with his wife’s passing. 

        Riggs and Murtaugh are the quintessential buddy cop duo that has been shown in cinema. Many others have come along throughout the years such as Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour trilogy and Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in the Jump Street films. What those duos in their films have done is add a fresh comedic spin in the sub-genre that work. Riggs and Murtaugh work since it’s the cop who is by the book grouped with a cop who is a few screws loose. 

3. How does Christmas Fit In?

        So you may be wondering, how exactly does Lethal Weapon have to do with Christmas? Well, to be honest as I mentioned earlier it takes place during the holidays. You can see the various Christmas lights and trees in the film. Where we see Riggs first appearance is when he is a narc in a coke deal that takes place in a Christmas tree yard. I’m really stretching here but I noticed that family is a recurring thing that pops up in the film. We know that Murtaugh has a big family and his daughter gets wrapped up in the bad guy’s scheme. More so when Riggs’ only family is his pet dog collie who we see in the beginning. 

        When the duo investigate more into the crime. The woman is associated with Murtaugh’s friend. Michael Hunsaker played by Tom Atkins pleads to Roger to kill the people who killed his daughter. I feel that one specific thing is probably the only Christmas related motif that makes Lethal Weapon a Christmas film in a limited sense. 

4. Overall

        Lethal Weapon is a fun action film that came out before Die Hard. There are elements where there is comedy but it’s ostensibly an action film. It did spawn three sequels which I haven’t had the chance to see. More so a television show on FOX that ran for three seasons. It’s influence is shown in the show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia when the main characters create their own films of the hypothetical sequels. Since they’re all white, one of them had to be Murtaugh. It’s hilarious in an idiotic way.

        Lethal Weapon gets a four out of five.  

A Christmas Story Review

 

        12 years ago while in New Mexico, in the hotel room the tv was tuned into the channel TBS. Playing was the classic A Christmas Story, while I was watching the film, it was almost done. It interested me since I haven’t seen it before and what I could gather was a man remembering his youth. Little did I know that the channel was airing a whole days rerun of the beloved film. Looking at it now, it’s another classic of the holidays. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        As I mentioned earlier, the film is about an old man reminiscing on his Christmas time when he was young. The narrator is played by Jean Shepherd. He actually wrote the book the film is based on “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash”, which is a collection of fictional stories based on childhood. I found it was sort of meta that the author would voice the older character in the movie. 

        With that, the film is about the young boy Ralphie played by Peter Billingsley. Throughout the film he wants a bb gun. Not just any toy gun, he explicitly wants an “official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock”. Time and again he is told by his mother, teacher, and a mean-spirited Santa Claus that he’ll shoot his eye out. 

        The whole film has a very nostalgic feel to it. Since it takes place in 1944 in a fictional town in Indiana. It feels authentic with the old cars and Ralphie listening to the radio when his show was playing. All of it feels quaint and I think that was the whole point of it. You know it has that feel to it when the young boy uses a thing called a decoder ring.

2. Ralphie

        This kid is the star of the film. His face is plastered in the cover when anyone buys the film on Blu-Ray or in any medium. The actor does a good job with playing the character. Other than wanting the elusive toy gun. We see Ralphie in school and hanging out with his friends. Among them, he talks with swears sprinkle in. It’s authentic since people think that kids are sweet when in reality they mimic words they hear from their parents. 

        He does have a bully he faces. I find it funny where he talks about the bullies eyes being yellow when they are sort of squint like. Ralphie does go through a character arc, meaning he grows up. My favorite scene is when he actually stands up to the bully and beat him up repeatedly. What prompts him was when he gets hit by a snowball. Before that, his teacher gave him a C+ on an essay about what he wants for Christmas. 

        What makes him endearing is that he is a kid. Ralphie lies and swears like any kid. He lies to his mom when he uses his friend Flick when she asks where he heard the f-word. As well as saying that word when he helps his Dad fixing a flat tire. It would be one thing to have him be a good kid but he’s just a kid. His older self narrated saying he regrets doing it, but you can’t really blame his younger self for doing it. 

3. The Leg Lamp

        When talking about the film, I got to talk about the lamp. Other than being something that the Dad adores, for obvious reasons I think it means a lot more. When the Dad sets it up, the mom is utterly mortified by it. Right down to turning it off when the family goes tree shopping. To put it bluntly is that she does not like it. I find it odd that she has concerns when Ralphie wants the elusive bb gun. 

        I think the film is talking about the idea of disappointment. Bear with me while I explain exactly what I mean. When the Dad sees the lamp in pieces, he blames the mom since he thinks she was jealous. He tries to put it together but it can’t hold. The same thing with Ralphie when he gets the gun. Throughout the film, he fantasizes of using it against intruders, to act like a Lone Ranger type hero. 

        Eventually he gets the gun, he shoots at a target. The pellet ricochets and hits him. Making it worse is that he accidentally steps on his glasses. He avoids telling his mom the truth and lies about it. What I think all of those two sequences have in common is just being disappointed. The snap back in reality that the Dad and Ralphie go through fits the theme.  

4. What Makes it Good

        With any countdown lists of best Christmas movie, this one is usually in the top five. What makes it good is that utilizes nostalgia. The narrator is remembering his childhood in what could be his best Christmas he had. Before that, a lot of events happened that the older Ralphie comments on that had some significance in his life. It can be relatable to a lot of people since it’s the time where when they were little is probably the best because they got the things they asked for. 

        It worked with me since I had a real good time with my family during the holidays. With the film, most of the focus is on the entire family and not just Ralphie. Like seeing his little brother Randy being bundled in layers and Ralphie commenting the whole process as being ready to dive underwater. Which felt like that when I encountered snow in New Mexico. I feel that the childhood aspect is intrinsically tied with nostalgia. It doesn’t go and romanticize the time but keeps it to the family and wherever Ralphie goes. 

5. Legacy

        When it came out, it was considered a sleeper hit. What that means is that the film wasn’t successful but becomes a hit in the long run despite having very little publicity. Then when it became available on video, Ted Turner bought a majority of MGM Studios film library before 1986, which the film was part of the slate. It was from there that channels associated with Ted Turner such as TBS, TMC, and TNT started to air a 24-hour rerun of the film on Christmas day. 

        I think it was the airing that many people started to see the film for the first time. The merchandising has been everywhere as well. The horde of merchandizing is comparable to Star Wars. Around this time, you can’t expect to see anything associated with the film since it’s everywhere. 

        Little did people know was that it started a film series. Albeit with different seasons of the year. Such as a family vacation and a summer vacation. Most of the sequels are based on the same book. Now, I have to admit, 30 years later a literal sequel was based on A Christmas Story. It dares to have a number 2, I’ve seen the trailer and it looks terrible. Just an abomination to be honest, and I haven’t seen it. 

6. Overall

        This is one of the most beloved films involving Christmas. It is easily relatable since it taps into the childhood memory of Christmas. Most of the characters are enjoyable and they do their part good. If it wasn’t for Ted Turner, I wouldn’t have heard of this film or seen it. In terms of ranking this film in a countdown, it’s without a doubt a number one. 

        A Christmas Story gets a five out of five.