‘Knives Out’ Rian Johnson’s Clever Retooling of A Murder Mystery

     Rian Johnson is a director who has been talked about with his line of work. Some were very mixed on his films over the years, most particularly his addition to the Star Wars franchise with Last Jedi. His track record may have been hit or miss for some, but his new film Knives Out, some of his critics may have to consider his talent now. Knives Out may very well be the best film under Rian Johnson’s name as it manages to be a very intriguing and very clever twist on the classic “who done it” type story. It takes all the elements that Johnson is good at and elevates them big time in one of the most unique and well written films of this entire year.

Twists and Turns At the Most Unique Times

     When a famous author named Harlan Thrombey gets murdered after a family gathering, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), has to figure out who has accomplished the murder of especially when every single member of his dysfunctional family is a suspect in their own right. The film has a basic set up for the classic murder mystery, however what makes this film excel even further is the execution. The film takes a turn of twists by showing the audiences a lot of answers to the key mystery at hand early on which could sound like the film is spoiling the audience too early. Yet this works for the film because the film still even more captivating as we become curious to see how these characters are involved with this crime and how some of them could get out of this situation that they are in. It throws the right amount of curve balls when it comes to how this story is structure at the right moments, making you very invested in what happens next. Not only that but the film also is enhanced by a solid script with a lot of really funny moments and a surprisingly amount of thematic depth in terms of the film being centered on racism and classism. If there’s any fault with its discussion on these themes is that sometimes it feels a little forced and heavy handed, but fortunately the film still keeps the majority of its focus on the murder mystery and even asks some very fascinating questions in regards to its theme of colonialism that makes for a very insightful commentary. It helps adds layers to what already is one of the most gripping murder mystery films to come out in quite some time in a film that is really enhanced by an incredible script attached to it.

This Year’s Most Stellar Cast

     You couldn’t name a non-blockbuster related film in 2019 with a cast as big as this even if you tried. There are so many fantastic actors and actresses here including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette and many more. To add to what already is a promising cast; every single actor in this film does a phenomenal job delivering some excellent performances that are all funny, expressive and memorable. The highlights of the cast might just well be Chris Evans who gives it his all being in his first major role since leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe being a very fun character that makes you wonder what his whole ordeal is. Other actors and actresses like Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, and Toni Collette to name a few also give it their all in their performances with many humorous and insightful moments to which they all have some great delivery to an already very well written script. Though maybe the surprising stand out performance is Ana De Armas who plays a key role in this film and her story is very enthralling with this character becoming a major player in the story in some unexpected ways. If there is any downsides to the cast is that Daniel Craig does take some getting used to in this. His character is still enjoyable being the main detective who’s very smart in his technique however; his character has a southern accent that is kind of jarring and hard to get used to at first. The accent becomes somewhat comical at points which could make some take the character less seriously than as intended, fortunately you do end up getting used to it and it ends up having a very funny joke later on relating to his accent that makes for some great pay off. The script is already pretty great on its own but the fact they got this stellar of a cast to deliver most of these great lines makes the film all the more fantastic.

Direction that Compliments the Story Choices

     If there is anything Rian Johnson is also good at, it’s creating a film that is aesthetically pleasing on a visual level. Knives Out is a very well-crafted film with most particularly the editing and the cinematography standing out. Both of these elements work so well not just because Rian Johnson can make an aesthetically pleasing cut and shot, but also just through how it helps elevates the story. Shots are connected very well to one another in a way where watching it unfold, the transitions from each shot are done very cleverly and aren’t just basic transitions from one scene to another. More often than not, Knives Out takes this style of editing and cinematography to its advantage, making a film that is so much better thought out than the average murder mystery story.

Refreshing in Every Sense of the Word

     Knives Out stands out big time as one of the most engaging and crafty films in an already fantastic year for film. Its style, characters and all around change up of famous tropes easily turns Knives Out into one of the year’s biggest surprises. Rian Johnson has shown to be very talented and can make a great original film outside of the typical studio system. Despite its faults at points, Knives Out is a must see for anyone craving for something original and entertaining this holiday season.

'Klaus': An Innovator of Traditional Animation

     2-D Animation is surely one of the most missed mediums in modern filmmaking. As advance CGI has advanced since the 90s, many have longed for a return of traditionally animated films due to a lack of them this past decade. Thankfully, Sergio Pablos decided to offer longtime animation fans a proper return to form with his new Christmas film for Netflix’s Klaus. Not only is it a beautiful return to form of an animation medium that’s lacking today but it is also stands on its own as a very creative and clever retelling of an iconic Christmas character.

The Importance of Childlike Wonder

     Klaus centers around a postman named Jesper, a spoiled man in his 20s whose father believes he needs a wakeup call. His father sends him to a little town called Smeerensburg that is filled with nothing but conflict between the citizens there. In the town however, Jesper meets up with a mysterious man named Klaus and discovers he has a knack for making toys. Knowing that Klaus’ talent can bring joy to the children of Smeerensburg, Jesper teams up with Klaus to bring peace of the town while also getting him out of there to meet his quota of delivering letters for his dad’s postal service. First of all the film works incredibly well as a new origins story for the Santa Claus mythos, taking some good creative liberties and ideas that fit very well with the iconic Christmas figure. More importantly though, Klaus understands the heart that a lot of Christmas films now a days often lack, particular the film showcases the significance one can make on doing something as simple as an act of kindness. It is a very optimistic outlook on the holiday as it shows the true spirit of how treating others with respect without expecting anything major in return can better oneself. It’s also a film that discusses how impactful the youth can have on the elderly. It shows that hatred isn’t born but it is actually taught as the adults refreshingly take note and learn a lot from the children in this film. It’s a rather mature idea to center have older audiences learn from children and while it is simplistic, it adds to Christmas magic that a ton of films often lack. It’s an over-all touching story that’s only real downside is that sometimes deals with some cliché story elements. These elements don’t harm the film too much as the film’s wonder and awe more than makes up for it, but it can lead into some predictability at points. Regardless, the film stands very well on its own as an incredible down to Earth story centered on the most iconic Holiday out there.

A Refreshing Take on Santa Claus

     Of course most people are familiar with the basic concept of Santa Claus, but in this film, they give him a very well defined origin that is fitting for the mythos of the character. Klaus himself is a very reserved and quiet character that grows to become the iconic Kris Kringle becoming one of the kindest versions of the character to exist in media. Not to mention, Klaus is voiced by the ever so talented J.K. Simmons who delivers a fantastic voice performance as well. The character is also elevated by having the real central character, Jesper being another very well defined and developed character. He is the typical character we see in other animated films like Emperor’s New Groove, where he starts out as a spoiled selfish person who grows later on as a character. However, he still is very appropriate for this type of story and unlike in other stories, you see the progression of him realizing his mistakes earlier on and what he does to improve himself making him a much more likable and sympathetic character. Jason Schwartzman provides the voice for Jesper and while his performance does make him feel more like Kuzco, Schwartzman provides a great performance that is still very fitting for this character. The rest of the cast is also very solid providing some good supporting roles that are both funny and add to the film’s importance of kindness that most of the characters have to learn in this film. It leads into a film that is very strong on characters and is a welcoming addition to the Santa mythos that everyone is familiar with.

Brings Back 2-D Animation Beautifully

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     Arguably the main and biggest appeal for this film is the way this film looks. The film is 2-D Animated which that in it of itself is an appealing factor considering the medium has been very rare for film with a majority of animated films this decade being CGI. There is something so pure about seeing the work on screen of so many talent artists who bring characters to life through there drawings but Klaus goes even further with how it looks. The way the characters and backgrounds are colored and shaded give them a ton more dimension compared to most 2-D animated films, giving the film a more three dimensional look that looks like a hybrid of traditional and CGI. Yet, the film is still traditionally animated with some CG enhancements here and there, though it still has the incredible charm of a truly great traditionally animated film from the likes of Disney. It also still has a distinct look in regards to its characters as while they move as fluidly as a Disney character, they have very unique and creative designs that scream so much personality to every single character. A movie this much charm to its story is elevated even further by how incredibly exceptional the animation in this film is as both a fantastic return to form of an rare style and a way of innovating and making 2-D animation new again.

The Most Well Crafted Animated Film of 2019

     Klaus is so refreshing and delightful in regards to animated films of the year that it might stand as the very best animated film of 2019. It may have a few clichés here and there but the amount of craft and talent put into this lovely work of art makes up for any minor shortcoming this film has. Klaus is a must see for anyone who is interested in the art of animation and filmmaking, and with it being so easily accessible on Netflix’s, there’s no excuse not to see it. If there is any film that could get anyone in the Christmas spirit in the best way possible, Klaus is that film. It is a film that should be watched not only during this Christmas but every Christmas after that as it is an instant classic for the Holiday season.

‘Frozen 2’ Disney’s Misguided Yet Ambitious and Talented Sequel

     If any property from the Disney company that has made such a huge splash within the past decade, it is without a doubt Frozen. As far as modern day animated films go, Frozen has done wonders for Disney by making millions and that success is actually warranted. The first Frozen was great update to the Disney animated fairy tale musical with some clever changes to the formula, beautiful animation, a memorable soundtrack and some very lovable characters. Now with the sequel here, there’s potential to expand on Frozen as a franchise and go further with its characters and maybe even improve on the faults of the first. Unfortunately Frozen 2 does fall short in a lot of aspects with a story that needed some more fleshing out from script perspective. Despite this however, Frozen 2 gets a ton of credit for not only making an effort to make a more mature film but also actually succeeding with some truly incredible moments that is every little bit what someone would want in terms of continuing Elsa’s story.

Mature Themes Undercut by a Rushed Story

     Taking place a few years after the first, Elsa and Anna discover this mysterious enchanted forest that they were told about through their parents when they were children. With strange magical occurrences popping up in their kingdom, it’s up to Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf to venture into the unknown forest, where they find out more about the past including their own past. The set up for the story is incredibly promising as having these characters discover more about their own selves through this journey is something that most sequels should do. This film takes characters like Anna and Elsa to darker places and attempts to expand the fantastical world of Frozen in very original ways. It seems like all the makings of one of the best sequels from Disney; however the journey there has some major missteps that make the film feel rather rushed when looking at it from a story perspective. Characters make decisions that feel a bit last minute and while some ideas and story elements are great, it feels like the story doesn’t focus on them as much as they should. Instead it has many moments of filler while cute and enjoyable kids, they feel a bit disconnected to the more mature themes the film is gravitating towards. The film still has breath taking moments that make this sequel feel more adventurous and epic than the first, but it makes you wish that the film would be more consistent in keeping up with its more serious tone. The film wants to have grand moments and it does, but the script needed a good rewrite to flesh out these moments making the audience truly feel the impact. Despite this though, it still holds on its own as an ambitious sequel and gets some respect for actually attempting to further its characters in a respectful way. It does have its shortcoming big time from a story perspective but its stories ideas still are fantastic and makes for a commendable film for not being typical cash grab sequel.

A Better Character Piece Than Anything Else

     Frozen worked because it introduce the world to a bunch of fantastic new Disney characters that have a ton of personality to them. One of the reasons why Frozen 2 works as mentioned earlier, is that it furthers its characters though some do work better than other. The film introduces a few new characters to the story however, none of them have too much development towards them and they’re mostly there to help establish the world of this story. Though fortunately, the film does take more time to focus on the first film’s main characters so the new characters not having as much to them doesn’t feel as bad. Yet this does lead to a downside with the characters of Kristoff and Olaf’s characters in this film. Their contributions to the story either feel cliché and nothing too special or obvious filler to pad out time. Kristoff’s whole story deals with the cliché trying to purpose to Anna and him struggling to find the right time and Olaf just tends to crack jokes about his existence. Even though it does feel a bit superfluous, there are some decent character moments with both Kristoff and Olaf as they do have some fun moments in the film with Olaf’s jokes landing fairly decently at certain points. Yet, the real stars of the Frozen 2 are most definitely the main two characters of the first film. Anna and Elsa are easily the most well defined and best written characters of the cast here, as in this film we get to see them learn more about themselves with both their past and learning to cope with change and their individuality. This is especially apparent with Elsa as she receives some of the film’s most powerful and breathtaking moments from a character point of view. If anything else, Frozen 2 does succeed as a character piece by expanding on a few of its already great character in very clever and unique ways.

A Film Elevated by Great Animation and Music

     Being an animated film from the most iconic animation studio of all time, Frozen 2 delivers on an aesthetically beautiful film. Coming out a couple of years after the first movie as technology progresses, it is expected that Frozen 2 looks more impressive and there are plenty of moments that are visually stunning. Everything from the characters, backgrounds and particle effects are stunning to look at and helps enhances the expansive world Frozen has to offer. This film is also of course a musical and most would hope that the soundtrack is on par with the first film in terms of memorability and well written songs. Fortunately the consistent talent from Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez still shines through as the music is just as powerful as the first at points. Some songs like Somethings Never Change and When I Am Older are decent o their own but are some of the weaker songs on the soundtrack as they feel very typical for the Frozen series. Then you have a song like All is Found, which helps sets up the mystical nature of what this sequel has to offer. Another highlight being Lost in the Woods which serves as Kristoff’s solo song and it is admittedly a bit jarring in terms of its inclusion into the series. It is more of parody of 80s rock ballads which seems unfitting at first but the song is so out there and different it kind of works in that regards, plus it does a decent job making fun of the type of 80s songs its parodying. Anna also gets a great solo number with The Next Right Thing serving as one of the song’s most emotional moments that also are elevated by some good character animation that’s very expressive and Kristen Bell giving it her all in her vocal performance. However, the real powerful performance and sequence in this film comes from none other than Idina Menzel as Elsa in regards to music. Elsa gets not one but two solo numbers and both do justice for her character very well. Into the Unknown is a great song being very catchy and a perfect set up to the adventure these characters go into. It does however fall short of being the next Let It Go as just as the song truly builds up to something great, it ends rather abruptly and felt it could have gone on longer. Fortunately, Elsa’s second song Show Yourself is by far the most jaw dropping incredible sequence in the film. It serves as an important song and true successor to Let It Go because of the raw emotion that goes into this song both in Menzel’s singing voice and Elsa’s learning of accepting herself that adds so much value to this film. Add the fact that visually this sequence is breath taking from an animation standpoint; Show Yourself is hands down one of the best moments in any animated film from this entire decade. As a whole, the entire soundtrack and visuals make this sequel immensely better than what any shortcomings the script had to offer and makes the film worth seeing on that level alone.

A Good Sequel That Is Almost A Great One

For all of the faults it has with its story being rushed, Frozen 2 still stands a fairly good sequel. The moments that have a ton of effort and care put into them show that this film has some passion and heart put into it. The character depth, visuals and soundtrack are excellent and help make this film a worthwhile sequel. The downside is when the film has the huge missteps in the writing department; it makes you feel that the film could have been easily one of Disney’s greatest films. With so much effort at points, it still stands on its own as a good Disney animated film, a good sequel and a good film in general, however it just falls a bit short from being a truly amazing one.