The Shape of Water Review

     Every year there tends to be one film that has so much creativity and imagination to it that it will end up being inspiring to film lovers everywhere. A film comes out that’s incredibly original and refreshing but also treads on familiar grounds ever so slightly that it doesn’t feel foreign but instead feels both nostalgic and new at the same time. The Shape of Water is one of those movies, as it’s one of the most inventive and refreshing films to come out in the past year along with being a masterwork of film making.

     The film is about a mute woman named Elisa Esposito who feels unfulfilled in her life because she can’t do as much as the average person. Things take a turn as the facility she is working at ends up holding a strange humanoid fish creature in their building and she ends starting to build a relationship with this creature and thus a possible romance ensues. The story is a similar Beauty and the Beast type tale where a person falls in love with something that’s not human, but what separates this film from other stories of this sort is how subtle and down to earth it is. The film really takes its time to show this relationship and for something as outlandish as a woman falling in love with a fish man, it becomes one of the most romantic things seen all year. It also helps that The Shape of Water truly understand how this relationship affects these characters, showcase their insecurities but also help them grow as characters and all of this is accomplished through some very subtle writing, one moment in particular including Richard Jenkin’s character, that just might be one of the most subtle character realization ever put into a movie all year. It doesn’t spoon feed the audience anything or explain things to excruciating detail, it tells the story and let it unfolds so the audience can witness it on screen and because of that, it becomes one of the most investing movies all year.

     As mentioned earlier, the film has some excellent character moments and that is due to the fact the characters in this film are completely well realized and portrayed through some incredible acting. Sally Hawkins is amazing as Elisa, she may barely have anything to say but through her expressive body and facial language, she gives one of the most believable and likable performances of this year. Her character also benefits from being very sympathetic as she’s seen as an outsider and without saying a word; the film portrays this in a very relatable way, letting the audience witness all of her daily routines and her desire for more in her life. Elisa Esposito is one of the most well rounded characters in a movie in quite some time, and it’s the writing and performance of this original character that makes her such a unique and fascinating lead to watch. The rest of the cast also hold very well on their own, Richard Jenkins in particular might be one of the most subtle performance seen in this year. His character maybe more of a regular person than Elisa at first, but as the film progress and as mentioned through subtle ways, the film gives a great indication that he is no different to having this feeling of isolation from society as Elisa is. Jenkins plays this role flawlessly and with the help of some very subtle writing, makes this character just as engaging as the lead. Octavia Spencer does a great job providing the comedic relief and Doug Jones gives a very unique performance as the creature himself. The only possible downside to the acting is Michael Shannon as the film’s antagonist. Shannon does a great job with the material he is given, however out of all the characters in the film, he is the most over the top in the film, and while doesn’t diminish the quality of the film at all, there are moments were his performance can come across as a bit cartoonish. Other than that, the performance and character writing absolutely excels The Shape of Water as one of the best films of the year.

     The over-all writing and characters is fantastic but one could not ignore the beauty that is the Shape of Water on an aesthetic level. As to be expected with a Guillermo Del Toro film, the production design and special effects are all incredible to look at. The film gives a very classic Hollywood look and Del Toro’s direction pulls this off flawlessly. And also like Del Toro’s other work, the make-up effects are also incredible, making the main fish creature in the film look so realistic and believable to the world this film was in. The creature itself is a perfect combination of CGI and practical effects, making this one of the most visually appealing movie monsters in a while, especially considering that it’s not all CG like most creatures tend to be now a days in film. However, the beauty of this film doesn’t stop from the production and creature design, but also the cinematography and editing. The Shape of Water might be the best edited movie of this entire year alongside Baby Driver as every single transition from scene to scene is flawlessly executed and flows incredibly well to this stylized tale. As with the cinematography, every single shot in the film is done with such great care put into, it’s hard not to marvel at this film’s camera work. It might also have one of the absolute best ending shots of this entire year, summing up the film’s ending perfectly. Shape of Water excels not just a story film, but also as a visual marvel from beginning to end.

     Guillermo Del Toro not only made one of the very best films of 2017, but possibly the best film of his entire career. The Shape of Water is a masterpiece of art, that has everything a great film has to offer, an engaging story, complex and lovable characters, and visually flawless in execution. It’s one of the most original films to come out in a long time and it’s a movie that deserves to exist for everyone to see. It’s a work of art and quite frankly, there should be more movies like this, as it’s subtly and imagination is what all films should strive to be. Here’s hoping that Del Toro will continue to create original masterpieces like this.

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Review

     

     There is no denying that there has been no franchise that has such an impact on pop-culture as Star Wars. It transcends from more than just a phenomenon for some people but becomes life to them, which makes sense as to why whenever there is another Star Wars movie out, the opinions range drastically from love to hate. However that wide range of emotions will continue with the release of Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi. For justifiable reasons, The Last Jedi is easily one of the most mixed films of all time, especially for being a Star Wars movie.

    

     The Last Jedi does take place shortly after the Force Awakens with Rey needing to be trained by Luke Skywalker, that’s the basics of it, however since Star Wars spoilers have been the most controversial ones in existence, it’s fair not to reveal too much regarding the film’s plot outside of the basics. Although one of the main reasons why the film can be perceived as a mixed bag is partially because of the first half of The Last Jedi, which is an honestly rough act to sit through. It does have some moments of entraining spectacle with some of the action sequences and some decent character moment here and there, but it suffers from a lot of what modern summer blockbusters try to do. The first half of the film deals with numerous attempts at humor and very little of them felt genuinely funny and felt more like Star Wars is trying to be a Marvel movie. It makes sense that Star Wars has to have some levity, but the writing for the humor isn’t strong enough and it also goes way over the top at points which feels completely out of place for a film that is supposed to be the dark continuation of the franchise. Even outside of the humor, the film just likes to go to different subplots that aren’t that engaging. While there are some incredibly neat set designs in comparison to the Force Awakens and the characters still manage to be likable enough, some of these subplots feel more like filler and do not add as much to the story for as long as the audience spends time in these areas. Not to mention, the first act does have a moment that could have had potential to be one of the most emotional and bold moments in the entire saga, except it ends up becoming one of the most ridiculous decisions made in a Star Wars movie, making it possibly the biggest Deus Ex Machina moment of the franchise, it’s so laughably bad, that it’s hard to take seriously. The film is honestly weakened by so much of this first act being a downright disappointment and uneven mess.

     

     Considering that the Last Jedi’s first act is an uneven mess, one would think that this is one of the worst Star Wars movies, even though truth is told; it surprisingly becomes one of the best. The second half of The Last Jedi improves drastically in comparison to the rough first half of the movie. Even though there are still some questionable and shocking decisions that happen in the second half of The Last Jedi, the first takes a much needed shift in tone becoming a much more epic and dark movie than the first half was leading on. Everything from the action sequences, the character depth and just some outstanding moments that give the universe of Star Wars so much more meaning is everything a fan would want in a Star Wars film. It’s hard to really say what makes these sequences so good without spoiling it, but it can be said that if there is anything that makes this movie it’s the characters. Everyone manages to be likable in their own right; however it’s Rey, Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren that end up making this an amazing Star Wars movie. Rey and Kylo are some of most intriguing and well developed Star Wars characters the franchise has ever offered with some unique plot twists between these characters. There are very few moments where Rey and Kylo Ren are not interesting as their story is compelling throughout the entire film, even during its rough first act.  It is also amazing to see Mark Hamill in the iconic role of Luke and although his character is unexpectedly different compared to how fans were initially expected to see him, however Hamill’s performance and the over-all depth to the character makes him an overall joy to see return.

     Outside of the tone, moments and characters, there’s a little more to The Last Jedi than just these elements that make or break certain parts of this movie. For being a big budget blockbuster, the effects are expected to be overall stellar and for the most part they are. The designs and animation whether it be practical or CGI look very well intrigued into the Star Wars universe and it still makes the world feel very real. Outside of some questionable green screen at some points, the film has some pretty good effects, but what’s even more impressive visually is the cinematography. There are numerous shots in The Last Jedi that look outstanding, having excellent use of color and angles, making the film’s visual flare all the more impressive. As a whole the world of Star Wars despite some flaws with its visual aesthetic still feels real and it’s excellent to see this world expanded upon in this new series of films.

     Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi is the pure definition of a mixed bag. It’s a film with as much bad as there is good but ultimately it is entertaining and compelling enough to be an over-all good time. It is far from the next Empire Strikes Back for sure as it’s not a flawless movie and it really could have benefitted from a better put together first half, but when the Last Jedi gets good, it becomes on the level of quality as Empire was. It may be a bit of a mess at certain points, but when it’s cleaned up, it becomes an incredibly satisfying experience to sit through. 

The Disaster Artist Review

     The idea of the best of the worst can be associated with numerous films. Most of them ranging from 60s-70s B Movies from the likes seen on Mystery Science Theater or incredibly dramatic films that are executed in an unintentionally hilarious way, and then there’s The Room. A film so infamous in quality that it has gained a huge cult following and many are fascinated by the fact that a movie with such an enigma of a person like Tommy Wiseau exists. There comes many questions to this type of film and director James Franco attempted to answer those questions through film with The Disaster Artist. Luckily, although not the masterpiece it could have been, James Franco gave an admirable attempt to tell the insanity that was the making of The Room.

     It should be mentioned that the Disaster Artist is based on the book of the same name written by Greg Sestero, one of the major stars of The Room. The film follows in his first steps having the story be told through his point of view and his interpretation of Tommy Wiseau, showcasing everything from how they met, some of their life choices and of course, making the classic known as The Room. The film falters slightly in a sense where unlike other biopic about certain directors like Tim Burton’s own Ed Wood, there isn’t a real sense of vision to make this film stand out from other true story type movies from a stylistic perspective. The cinematography, music choices, and editing are all serviceable for this type of film, however nothing truly stands out, it all seems rather standard for a directorial standpoint. It could have benefited from more of an interesting stylistic flare, making the film stand out in the same way other movies do based on actual events or people. Although, while the directing doesn’t feel like the best at point, the film completely makes up for it at certain points, mainly within the moments were the making of the Room is happening and with the story and themes itself. The highlights of the film are when the audience is seeing Tommy Wiseau’s directing the Room, it feels incredibly authentic to the how it went down, and although there are some key moments that aren’t shown during the making of the Room that the original book of the Disaster Artist went into more detailed about It, seeing the whole process ends up being both frustrating and hilarious. Not to mention, it gives also a good theme of filmmaking during these scenes with although film can be in charged through one vision, there needs to be a collaborative process in film making, otherwise ego gets in the way and a film’s quality can be utterly butchered. It’s a great cautionary tale of what can go wrong, but also with the help of some other elements, it ends up becoming much more than just that.

    

     For a film being the making of another film with some of the most surrealist acting of all time, it’s fair to expect that the actors in this film could retain that feeling of confusion and luckily the cast serves very well for The Disaster Artist. Most of the cast just consists of relatively big names like Seth Rogen and Allison Brie having very minor roles, but the roles suit them very well, Seth Rogen in particular being a good voice of commentary about the making of such an insane film. Though the film mostly centers around two actors, the first being Dave Franco as Greg Sestero. The character of Greg Sestero in this film is very like, pretty chill and grows throughout the entire film, and it’s fascinating to see especially when this film is mostly from his perspective. Dave Franco portrays this performance adequately well, however near the beginning it felt like this portrayal could have had more of a personality to him and been the more laid back Greg we know in real life. Luckily though his performance does get better as the film goes on, with the only real issue is that Dave Franco looks a bit too young to be playing this character. Dave looks like he can be in his early twenties where even in 2003; Greg looks like he could be in his late twenties. As good as the actors are in this film, none can match the true star of this movie with James Franco. Considering how magical of a person Tommy Wiseau is, it’s a hard accomplishment for any actor; no matter how good he is to recreate the majesty that is Tommy Wiseau; however James Franco does it near perfectly. All of his mannerisms, voice inflictions and even look match Tommy Wiseau in a near perfect manner. The entire movie you believe you’re not watching James Franco but instead Tommy Wiseau himself, and at some points the resemblance between Franco as Wiseau and Wiseau himself is uncanny. Not only does Franco understand Wiseau from a performance standpoint, but he also understands him on a personal level. Even with all the wackiness that this person causes and acts like, the end of the day, Wiseau is still human, with passions and dreams like anyone else. Franco does an outstanding portraying Wiseau even for as unsympathetic and alien he is at some points as someone who never gave up and even with the outcome of the Room being what it is, it’s still an accomplishment that it was made at all. The theme gives the film a much more personal feel and makes the Disaster Artist go from a relatively funny making of the Room movie, to something a little more in-depth, and if it wasn’t for Franco’s love and understanding of Tommy Wiseau, the film probably would not have been as strong.

    The Disaster Artist is far from the Oscar winner masterpiece that some are claiming it’ll be, however with so much passion into the film’s theme and over-all authenticity to a story like this, it serves as an very good love letter to cinema, The Room and having passions in general. It does have those particular details that could have made it a masterpiece, but the love of this film still shines through Franco’s direction and performance enough to make it one of the most entertaining films of this year. 

Pixar's Coco Review

     

     Pixar has been recognized as one of the most prestigious animation studios of all time and for good reason. They have been involved with making some of the best animated films in over the past few decades, films that rather than just entertain kids, enlighten and gives them great insight and mature themes that go more in depth from a storytelling and emotional perspective. With their new film Coco, some were predicting that it wasn’t quite going to be that, but now that the film is finally here, that is far from the truth. Coco is another excellent animation achievement created by Pixar and proves that even with some weaker films here and there, they still have the magic touch.

     The story of Coco is about a music obsessed boy named Miguel, who feels like an outcast by his family as they don’t quite see the love and appreciation of music that he has. Eventually events unfold to where he ends up in the Land of the Dead during Dios De La Muertos and discovers the true insight behind his family history and how they perceive music and the relationships they have with it. The story is standard enough with some character and story elements that we’re used to seeing from Pixar before with outsider characters, the main characters are an unlikely duo and of course some incredibly important messages, but like the very best of Pixar’s movies, this movie excels from having a lot of heart. There’s a lot of passion and love dedicated to developing this story where even if someone could see where it’s going, there’s always a slight twist to it which helps gives it an edge. With its focus on family and music, it really takes the time to let some of the moments really sink in, especially the heart felt ones, there’s a couple of moments in particular are guaranteed to be some of the biggest tear jerker moments in Pixar, right alongside the opening to Up and the ending of Toy Story 3. Not only that, but when it comes to the culture of the movie, taking place in Mexico, the film really truly respects the culture. It doesn’t feel like this is an American made movie just cheaply referencing another culture for another audience, it feels incredibly authentic with nothing too out of the ordinary and also really giving insight to the importance of Day of the Dead. Considering this is coming out shortly after the Book of Life, it’s easy to assume that this might come across as an knock-off, but in reality this manages to expand more upon the discussion of Day of the Dead more than Book of Life did, giving real insight into the importance of the holiday without being a full retelling of the legends dealing with the Holiday. It is a film that not only respects its audience but also the culture it’s representing and does it incredibly beautiful.

     A Pixar movie isn’t a true one without some incredibly well realized and written characters, and this cast brings it all. Miguel is one of Pixar’s youngest protagonists but is also one of the most charming. The child actor voicing him does an excellent job all around both during singing scenes and regular dialogue. But the character is so passionate about his music that you can’t help but admire him and his journey to also learn more about his family and why that’s just as important and not more so. In fact, nearly most of the characters have to learn a message which gives the whole theme of family and passion more of an importance because rather than something that should be separate, it shows how well both can work with when the go hand in hand. Probably the best character in the film is Miguel’s friend Hector, a walking skeleton who wants to visit the land of the living. He’s not only a fun character that has a lot of great moments and is animated incredibly well, but his story becomes more so the heart and soul of the film and he’s definitely the most fascinating and sympathetic character to watch for sure. The film also doesn’t quite have an antagonist till near the end, but unlike some of the other Disney films where the antagonist comes in and it might feel like a last minute take or too obvious of a reveal, the execution of this character works for the story and this antagonist ends up becoming one of the most despicable Disney villains in quite some time and adds a lot of tension to the drama of the film. Not to mention the films’ characters do still have a lot of twist and turns to them which gives the film more of an unpredictable nature. Coco really makes sure that the audience takes away its characters in the midst of an incredibly heartfelt story.

     Like most Pixar films as well, the film has to be recognized on a visual level and Coco looks absolutely amazing from an animation perspective. Starting with the design, the film looks more distinct from other Pixar films, there is a bit of standard Pixar flare with its human designs and also in the real world the backgrounds tend to look more realistic, but all of that is executed well. What makes the film more distinct however is the land of the dead which looks outstanding from the whole film being vibrant with so many warm and cool colors, being true to what the culture of Day of the Dead is. With the building being more abstract and also the creatures in the film being some of the most colorful characters visually Pixar has ever made. Not to mention, the skeleton not only look unique in comparison to other Animated Skeletons but they also move very well, giving them a great look both in and out of motion. The film is absolutely beautiful to look at, making it one of Pixar’s best films artistically. But with a movie with a huge emphasis in music, Coco also delivers all across. The film isn’t quite as over abundant with songs in comparison to other Animated musicals however probably more so than other musicals, it feels very authentic. Where Disney movies the songs are incorporate into the film with pretty much no real context to them as why they are singing, Coco does it differently as the film gives a reason for the music to exist and for the songs to still exist naturally within the world of the film. But the music is nothing if the music in this film wasn’t good and luckily it is. Although most of the songs aren’t quite as catchy in the vain of something like Let It Go from Frozen or You’re Welcome from Moana, but they are a joy to listen to and unlike other non-Disney Musicals where they feel the need to just be cover of pop songs, this film has the luxury of giving us more original compositions for a change and they work. The main theme Remember Me might be one of the most heart-felt songs in recent Animation history and plays into this film in the best way. Aesthetically from sound and visuals, Coco delivers as one of the most appealing films to look at and listen to from this entire year.

     2017 may have been an amazing year for film but the one weak area it has been in is in the Animation department. Luckily with LEGO Batman being released at the beginning of the year and Coco being released near the end, it’s safe to say this year in Animation started and ended on a high note. Coco is another Pixar instant classic. It may have some story elements that have been seen before but the film’s characters, theme and emotions make it a truly magical experience. Pixar still has the golden touch making a film about the dead so much full of life. 

Justice League Review

     In a time where Marvel has been looked upon as the greatest franchise of all time by fans and audiences, nearly every other studio has tried to recreate that magic in some way with a certain time of characters. Some do it rather well with ideas that want to be seen like Warner Brother’s Giant Monster movies or Fox’s X-men, others fail miserably with ideas people don’t want with Universal Dark Universe and Sony’s attempts with Ghostbusters and Spider Man. Then there’s DC, the property that is probably the most wanted and desired franchise to see come to like in a cinematic universe the same way as Marvel. It makes sense considering the history of many of these icons have with people all over the world, however the DC Cinematic Universe has been arguably the most criticized, whether it be the films themselves or people strongly preferring Marvel, DC has been given a bad reputation. Things have been better now with the release of the fantastic Wonder Woman and now, while not quite better than that film; things are continuing to be good with Justice League, a film while heavy in its flaws, delivers in its satisfaction to fans of DC.

     The story of Justice League is Bruce Wayne becoming a changed man after the death of Superman wants to create a team with Diana Prince to stop an even bigger evil among them. The plot serves as a basic set up compared to some of the previous DC films and it works due to the fact that the film doesn’t try to over convolute itself in terms of plot, it’s straightforward and simple which is refreshing for those who criticized DC for being over complicated with its story. It’s a more light-hearted rom compared to the other DC films, which could lead for it to be overly jokey and just trying to copy Marvel. While not every single joke works, the tone surprising works due to the fact that it’s not limited to a joke every five seconds like some Marvel movies do, instead the films has a good amount of moments where it’s more dark and serious and the humor really only appears when needed, mostly when it involves with certain characters. It’s not quite perfect with its serious and humorous moments, but it balances it out enough to where it doesn’t feel like overkill. If there are some issues with the story and tone is mainly because the film does feel a bit rushed. While the audiences’ gets the jest of the story and it’s easy to follow, there are moments where it feels like characters could be fleshed out more and feel somewhat lacking in some story elements. The bigger issue though is more so something in relation to other comic book movies in the sense that one of the advantages DC has over other Superhero films is that they really try to make something with a bit of substance to it and Justice League while has a lot of heart to it, doesn’t feel like it has the substance akin to the Dark Knight. Even Batman vs. Superman and Man of Steel while weaker movies, attempted to give something with some substance and there isn’t that much here, it is more so fluff than anything else. It doesn’t tarnish the entertainment factor this movie has, but it would have been more powerful if the film expanded upon more ideas and themes instead of being a straight up action film, despite how amazing some of these moments are.

   

     The shiny moment of Justice League as a film are its characters, in comparison to nearly every other DC film, this movie gets its characters right. Justice League characters not only have a ton of personality but there are 100% the characters from the comics brought to life. Affleck’s Batman has always been one of the high point of the DCEU alongside Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and here, they are excellent.  Gal Gadot’s presence is incredibly large both as a the kind and always heroic Amazonian princess we knew from her solo film and Batman being not only more developed and having more of his trademark elements here compared to the previous DC films but also still having the bold bruiting presence that the character is known for. Henry Cavill returns as Superman in this and where many felt his character of Superman was too somber and cold, his performance in this shines as the true symbol of hope fans deserved, he may come later into the film, but his sequence is one of the most fantastic Superman moments ever put onto screen. As for the new cast, the highlight is easily Ezra Miller as the Flash. Miller’s Flash is where most of the comedy comes in as it should for a character like Barry Allen. There are some jokes that don’t work as well, but Miller’s snarky attitude really gives the character some personality and life to him. Ray Fischer’s Cyborg is another highlight, being the most serious of the group, especially in comparison to his Teen Titans counterpart, but his story manages to be quite tragic and he has the most development with a full arch to him, making him incredibly great to see. Of the team though, Jason Moamoa’s Aquaman is without a doubt the weakest link of the team. His character doesn’t have that much to offer asides from being the dude bro archetype that looks bad-ass, however even he has some good lines and moments for sure. Even with Aquaman as the weakest team member, he is excellent in comparison to the lacking villain. Stepphen has very little motivation and backstory to him and little personality outside of the typical, giant monster type creature who wants to take over the world. Outside of that character being a big blemish in Justice League, the whole cast is excellent and makes this movie a million times better than it was expected to be.

     Aesthetically, Justice League serves as an incredibly appealing film. The color palette is a bit brighter for a film with a more light hearted tone, but still has some good cinematography to boot, giving the film a cinematic flare that’s sometimes lacking in Marvel. The film feels grand and epic at points, especially during the action sequences. Every single action scene has a lot to them visually with every single character having at least one moment to shine, the highlight being their comradery and how they work together in the action sequences, giving fans the exhilarating feeling of seeing these characters interact on the big screen.  If there are any faults with the movie from a visual perspective is that sometimes the film gets too CGI heavy at points. A lot of moments of CGI work very well and look appealing, even better than initially thought like Cyborg’s design, while other times the CGI could use an extra rendering like some of the effects during the final action sequence. As for the music, DC tends to have a score that certainly rivals Marvel in terms of excellent soundtracks, and this time the score is done by veteran composer Danny Elfman. There are moments of Zimmer’s Man of Steel and Wonder Woman’s theme, but there isn’t much of it here, which is a bit of a shame considering how great his score was for Snyder’s DC films. Elfman score is quite serviceable but does feel a bit weaker in some regards to Zimmer; however his contribution to the film was worth it for nothing else to hear his amazing theme for Batman which hasn’t been heard in a film like this for over 20 years. Not only that, but the original John Williams Superman theme appears and it’d be hard to be a DC fan and not get some sort of chills down after hearing those themes again. If there is one last thing to mention about the film is that it surprisingly doesn’t feel as jarring with two directors attached. Snyder and Whedon are directors with two distinct styles and while there are moments that feel more like one director over the other, the film doesn’t feel like one single moment was taken over by a certain auteur’s style. It’s a DC film first and foremost and Whedon’s dialogue mixes quite well with Snyder’s direction for the most part. As a film with numerous reshoots and rewrites, it comes together much better than a mess, not fully clean but certainly works.

     Justice League is a satisfying film, certainly not the best and could have been improved in various ways, but as something that could have been disappointing, it serves as an incredibly enjoyable romp. It has enough character and spectacle to please any fan of blockbusters but also the heart and soul of the DC Universe that fans have been waiting for and deserve. By no means a masterpiece but is a film that definitely will get those excited for future installments, and here’s to more even better DC films after that.

THOR RAGNAROK REVIEW

     The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be considered the most critically acclaim film franchise of this current generation, but they haven’t always struck gold as much as fans claim. The Thor films in particular often tend to be a dark spot in Marvel’s great track record. The first was a decent film with some flaws in terms of making a movie about a god and bringing him down to Earth and the second one is considered by many to be the worst Marvel. With that in mind and also the stigma of third film, there could have been a strong possibly for the third Thor movie to be the worst Marvel movie. Luckily, Thor Ragnarok, while still flawed in some areas where the MCU can improve upon, manages to be an incredible enjoyment and unique route for a Marvel film to go through.

     Much like the first Thor, the plot of Ragnorak deals with Thor being a fish out of water story, however this time instead of a mythical god being in a world we’re familiar with, this time it’s a fantasy character in a science fiction world. As Thor ends up a part of a strange planet to which he has to escape in order to save Asgard from the apocalyptic event known as Ragnorak, and the on the way he meets up with new and older friends and foe on his journey. The film’s plot does serve as somewhat of an issue in regard to the film’s tone. Much like other Marvel movies, the film makes very little effort to have a ton of dramatic moments and instead uses this time to crack jokes. This serves as bit of an issue as since the film is essentially about the apocalypse, it does feel like the threat of it isn’t being taking as seriously as it should be. This would be a major issue for another other Marvel movie, however this film surprisingly works. The best way to describe this movie is take the story sci-fi elements of Samurai Jack but give it the humor and zaniness of Army of Darkness, and although Ragnorak isn’t nearly as good as either of those things, this combination serves as an incredibly entertaining one. Even though there are a couple of misses in terms of hit hard jokes, more often than not the film’s humor works incredibly well, mostly due to the actors giving it their all and having great timing with their jokes. This film got a director that is known for his comedy and the payoff is really good because it’s one of the funnier Marvel movies in recent memories. Thankfully Marvel was able to hire someone like Taika Waititi because if the film was made by anyone else with the same plot and attempt at humor, it would have fall flat on its face and most likely have Kat Dennings still making poor Two Broke Girls style jokes.

     As mentioned earlier, the cast of Thor Ragnorak does an excellent job working with Taika’s direction and sense of humor. Actors like Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Hiddleston have been great in their other movies prior but here they manage to have more fun with the material given to them. They’re given plenty of opportunities to improvising and play their characters in a way that even if the script’s jokes aren’t the funniest, their delivery of them easily makes them a million times better. As for the new cast of characters, they also work very well with their material, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie is very fun as the drunken yet bad-ass warrior she is, and Jeff Goldblum wasn’t so much playing a character as he was playing Jeff Goldblum but for the film’s bizarre tone, it was very fitting. Cate Blanchette comes close to being one of the best Marvel villains, although sometimes the scenes where she has to tell jokes do feel a bit forced given how serious her character is compared to the rest of the film. Never the less, her character still has a great design and she give it her all playing as the antagonist Helena. The highlight of the new cast is the character played by Taika Waititi himself, Korg. Korg might be the funniest character to the MCU, he’s given some of the best lines and humors and his character design with his voice is so mismatched it because one of the funniest jokes in the entire film by itself. Korg and the rest of the cast serves as a summary to why this movie works so well, it’s a bit mismatched, but it’s so strange and funny, you forgive it for being bizarrely entertaining.

    It would not be a Marvel movie without a lot of spectacle flare and Thor Ragnarok certainly has a lot of flare in that regard. However, if there is a downside to this film, it’s also the visual elements. It’s not to say the visual effects or cinematography is poorly done, in fact they’re quite well done. Where the film has it faults in the visual elements is how the film appears as a movie as something that the MCU films are criticized for are there lack of color in terms of filming. Something about most of the MCU films don’t look nearly as cinematic as they should look and Thor Ragnarok suffers from this the most. It’s unsure whether this is due to the lighting or camera being used, but the film looks as it needs to have a bit more flare and filmic look to it, something about how the film looks most of the time seems oddly lacking. It’s disappointing in a sense that this film has potential to look amazing with all the set designs, CGI and cinematography being all up to par on what is expected from a good blockbuster, however there is a feel that this film could have looked more cinematic. This wasn’t a problem with Guardians of the Galaxy 2 or Spider Man Homecoming so it’s rather surprising to see this problem here. Not to say that the film doesn’t have visually impressive moments that do look cinematic, in fact those moments are most definitely the highlights of the film. Even when it does have those visuals elements lacking, Ragnarok is still a visually appealing film as a whole.

     It’s amazing to see a film from what is the weaker of the Marvel films to have the third one be pretty damn good in its own way. Thor Ragnarok is unique, funny and an over-all delight to behold. It may have some tonal issues and some visual flare is to be desired but it still manages to be an incredibly entertaining film from Marvel. It is another solid Comic Book Movie to add to this year’s consistent record of good films with our favorite superheroes.

Blade Runner 2049 Review

     More than any other decade, the 2010s have been the decade of revivals in pop-culture. Whether it is a film from the 70s, a game from the 80s or a show from the 90s, revivals have been more prevalent in our culture than ever. In some way it can bring back the franchise to new audiences in a way that’s respectful to its original source material or sometimes they can pander too much either an their original audience or a new audience to the point where the creators of the revival seem to forget what the original was all about. Occasionally though there’s a revival that comes that not only ends up being the most respectable to its source material but also one of the most incredible unique experiences of watching a film that is a work from masterful artists. Blade Runner 2049 ends up as that film, not since 2015’s Creed has a revival film on a screenplay, aesthetic and filmmaking level excels at being a masterpiece.

The plot of Blade Runner 2049 has been mostly kept under wrapped, with most trailers basically telling the audience the basics. Agent K played by Ryan Gosling is on a mission regarding replicants and eventually ends up dealing with Harrison Ford’s character Deckard along the way, not much has been revealed outside of that and for good reason. This film gives audiences a chance to experience a story first hand with many surprises and twists along the way. There isn’t a clear moment where the audience feels like something is going to happen automatically because of something they’ve seen in the trailer, which is a moment that some, may feel is lacking in modern Hollywood films. More so than this plot being intriguing due to the surprise factor is also how it serves as a successor to Blade Runner. It doesn’t feel like a simple cash grab as 2049 manages to have just as much philosophy and intellect to it as the original film did. It still uses inventive ways of discussing idea of being human which is what the original was so well known for but adds some new concepts to the table of that idea making this film even more refreshing. Even when some moments may feel like it’s an easy route to create a revival in regards to story, the film cleverly turns it into a way while what may feel like a cliché seen in something like Star Wars the Force Awakens, can be seen as something much more clever than that. It does what a revival needs to do, make something true to its original source while also making it refreshing and exciting.

 Another aspect where Denis Villeneuve’s sequel exceeds is in the performances and characters of his actors. Ryan Gosling’s Officer K is one of the most complex and interesting characters in the Blade Runner universe. Gosling’s character has a lot of depth to his backstory but even personality wise with his sympathetic nature and his rebel attitude that makes him an over-all well rounded character that’s just as interesting to watch as much to learn about. Harrison Ford, while coming in late in the film also does an excellent job as Deckard. It could have been easy to see him phoning it in but he’s still the memorable Deckard that we knew from the original. Another element that adds to this character is how certain clichés that might have appeared in other revivals Ford has appeared have been also revitalized to be more refreshing. Not to mention, any ambiguity that has been made for his character in the original still remains with the film still encompassing the vague ideas of his characters in a way that will satisfy anyone on either side of the spectrum of their thoughts on Deckard in the original. The other actors and actresses do their job perfectly being authentic to the world of Blade Runner, nothing too over the top or under acting here. Dave Bautista and Jared Leto in particular, although not in the film as much as the marketing might have indicated, are also excellent in their respective roles. Leto in particular has some of the best moments in the entire film from both an acting and even visual level as some of his scenes have been ingrained in my skull as memorizing.

   One cannot talk about Blade Runner 2049’s superb quality without taking into account the directing of this film. Denis Villeneuve  has not only done the impossible by making what many would argue to be a sequel that could have never been made and made it a contempt film, his directing might even top the directing of Ridley Scott’s original. In terms of music, cinematography and over-all visual and audio presenting 2049 is near perfect. The sound design still retains that futuristic immersion and to have an excellence score by Hans Zimmer to boost. Zimmer’s score is enthralling giving some new musical nods that are a treat to the ears and also respecting the original classic score of the 1982 film. When comes to the effects, everything is top notch, with not only some excellence use of both CGI and Practical effects, but also some effects that are some of the most unique effects seen in recent memory in a big budget spectacle like this. As beautifully as the work the effects are, they are nothing compared to Roger Deakins amazing cinematography. The shots composed by Deakins are simply jaw dropping and gorgeous to look at, one shot in particular dealing with Jared Leto’s character that might be one of the most striking shots ever seen in a modern day blockbuster. With the help of this talent behind the film and all in charge by a director with possible the best track record in recent memory, 2049 is a master work of directing. 

     As stated earlier, Blade Runner 2049 is one of those rare films that not only excels at accomplishing what it sets out to do, but also manages to be a sequel and revival that surpasses elements of the first film but also other revival of older properties in the mix. It is a breath taking work of art from Villeneuve that everyone who adored the first Blade Runner or has a passion for film needs to see as soon as possible. It is every bit as inspiring and beautiful as it is genius.