All posts by Eric Thompson

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Alita: Battle Angel

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If I’m being completely honest, I had no interest in seeing this movie back when it first came out. Part of it had to do with me not being familiar with the original anime or manga. But some of the clips and trailers used in advertising gave me the impression it was going to write the main character the same way Blumhouse’s “Black Christmas” remake wrote all of it’s female characters. Over a year later and I gave in and checked out this cyberpunk action film. And I’m happy to be proven wrong about my assumptions.

Alita is a cyborg body containing a human brain with no memory discovered by Dr. Dyson Ido in a scrapyard. She wakes up to a world where the wealthy live in a floating city named Zalem and the rest live in Iron City. One thing to note about this movie is that while we do get a little history about past events of this world, we aren’t explicitly told about important events such as “The Fall”. But later on we can gather the gist of Alita’s past and more history about the world that gives us a better understanding. Thankfully, the details this movie is focused on is not long backstory but rather in the visuals and the little complexities of the main characters.

It is kind of crazy how much care and attention is given to certain moments and scenes. The little changes in facial expressions convey the wide variety of emotions someone like Alita or Dr. Ido go through. The CGI used to bring Alita to life is also impressive. And while some may be a little freaked out by the large eyes, they do weirdly help define Alita as her own person. It also helps that she gives a strong performance. Every character gives strong performances throughout the film. Whether it’s Hugo, Alita’s new friend trying to survive or Dr. Chiren, Ido’s ex-wife who starts off as an enemy but ends up helping Alita at the cost of her own life.

But the movie isn’t flawless. I have gathered online that certain scenes in the movie have more of a punch in the manga or anime. Such as when Hugo has an emotional breakdown and tries to crawl his way up one of the tubes connecting Zalem to the ground in an effort to get in the city. Another part of the movie that isn’t particularly strong is the plot involving Rollerball. While it is one that connects all the characters in some way, Rollerball itself doesn’t leave much of an impact visually or emotionally. But that part does at least lead us into some fun action. There are several times in the movie where if the people being hurt and bleeding where regular humans and not cyborgs, it would have definitely been rated R. Which is pretty damn cool.

I’m glad I finally got around to watching it. Alita herself is charming and goes through complex emotions and situations where I root for her. There are so many other characters that also give charming performances. Visually, the movie is a marvel to look at. Especially when it comes to bringing Alita to life. The story is simple and helps gives us what you want to see from a movie like this. And it resulted in the only good Hollywood anime adaptation. One that I find myself liking a little but more every time I look back on it.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Black Christmas (2019)

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The original 1974 film is one of the earliest Slasher movies. It’s influence can be felt in other classics such as John Carpenter’s “Halloween” & Wes Craven’s “Scream”. It had smart writing, a tense atmosphere, and one of the most ominous endings from the genre. In 2006, the first remake came out and it was decidedly not as good as the original. It wasn’t scary, smart, or subtle. But it was unapologetically sleazy and had some solid gore. So if you were looking for a version that had that, this would certainly entertain. The reason I’m informing you about these other films is to help illustrate how Blumhouse’s remake has no redeeming qualities.

Right off the bat, the PG-13 rating needs to be addressed. I’m a big fan of Horror and I will be one of the first to tell you that a film doesn’t have to be rated R to be good. But you need to know how to utilize it with the right sub-genre. Supernatural Horror films rely more on unsettling imagery which doesn’t have to be drenched in blood or gore. Psychological Horror films force us to watch the mental torture of a character without having to be graphic. But Slasher films are famous for how much blood and violence they have. Even if you were to watch one of the most standard by the numbers Slasher film, there’s a good chance you can still find enjoyment in the kill scenes. But with this version of “Black Christmas” having a PG-13 rating, the kills have no bite/impact.

But to be clear, that is the least of this movie’s problems. It’s clear that the primary focus while making this movie was to have social commentary. Badly written and executed commentary. Thereby leaving us with a bizarre story with dull characters that have no personality. I don’t even remember any of their names. Also, there are a few characters that we are supposed to root for that I don’t even like. One of the main characters has active social causes to pursue. Such as starting a petition to get one of the college professors fired. She pushes one of her friends to do a talent show performance purposefully meant to get a reaction from the fraternity members hosting the show. One of them being the guy who sexually assaulted our main lead, Riley. But then Riley’s friend posts their performance online without consent from any of her friends, which has lead to them being harassed online or getting threatening calls. Why am I supposed to root for her when she does something like that?

The dialogue of this movie is also a huge concern. We get a few different conversations/arguments regarding sexism in society and in institutions, which is what you would expect going into this film based on the trailer. But everything they say are just surface level statements and buzz words. When they do get into arguments, they don’t go into any deep discussion. It’s just phrases you could pull from a similar argument from any social media site. But let’s put the social commentary aside. There are several scenes where we get huge exposition dumps that have to explain everything that is going on. In a manner that insults the intelligence of the viewer, as if we can’t follow along and make connections ourselves. And several points in these exposition dumps make you wonder how even the person explaining the movie has come to those conclusions for parts that didn’t witness themselves.

And then there’s the climax. It starts off with the main lead, Riley, being kidnapped and brought forth a secret society made up of the fraternity and lead by the college professor her friend was trying to get fired. In another exposition dump, it is established how the founder of the school apparently knew how to do Black Magic and enchanted his bust to have future followers of his beliefs to be possessed by his spirit. Actually scratch that – since it’s black goo the movie clearly is showing it’s supposed to be a stand-in for toxic masculinity. And of course the leader of this society goes into more detail about how they plan to “put women back into their place” and establish man’s rightful place once again.

This…this is the part of the film where everyone should be insulted. For the average movie watcher, this plot and the commentary is so painfully obvious and ham fisted, the only way they can enjoy it is a “so bad it’s good” film. But it is also an insult for anyone who has seen the original “Black Christmas”. The original movie included a plot of how one of the character’s was pregnant and how her boyfriend who wanted to drop out and marry her becomes angry she doesn’t want to do that. That subplot was integrated into the other mysterious happenings that made it seem like that person was the killer until the climax when it was confirmed he wasn’t. The way that movie approached that topic and wrote it is a great way of showing how a Horror movie can be smart. This film has no room for subtlety or nuance as it devolves into this big action fight scene. And it ending with the girls locking all the guys in the burning building as Riley looks at it and smiles. Except…during that climax, we saw that when some guys broke free from the supernatural influence, they didn’t have any idea what was going on. Implying that they weren’t actually in control of their actions or consented to any of this. And they were left to burn alive with the rest. And how do you think they are going to explain what happened to the police? They have to be involved when a college is set on fire. And that shot of Riley smiling at the sight just makes her seem like a psychopath.

Here is the best way I can show you the difference between the original and Blumhouse’s remake. Both share a scene of a character going to the police to report a disappearance of a friend. In the original, the place is full of people and a couple of officers trying their best to get through as many of them as possible. When the girl tells an officer about a missing friend, the officer suggests possible scenarios that in theory are plausible but continues to not fully listen to her. This could be interpreted as a form of sexism in not taking a woman’s claim seriously, it could be interpreted as just a busy officer going through as many people as he could on a busy night. But the movie leaves it open for how you view it. In the Blumhouse film, it is a completely empty station save for one police officer. She has his full attention. But when she tells him she thinks her missing friend is in danger, he just laughs and comes up with flimsy scenarios for what he thinks is going on. Are there officers in real life like this? I don’t doubt it. But it is on the nose and painfully obvious what the movie wants you to think.

This was a painful movie to watch. Not scary in the least. A lazily written story with uninteresting characters. Insane logic and twists that you have to laugh it in pity for the film. It’s frustrating on every level.

TV

His Dark Materials: Season 2 Review

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The second season of the BBC adapts the second book of Philip Pullman’s trilogy, “The Subtle Knife”. And it’s this season where we see multiple characters travel across multiple worlds. There is Lyra’s world, Will’s world which is a stand-in for our own, and the world of the seemingly empty city called Cittàgazze. When Lyra & Will meet, they quickly realize they can help each other and work as a team while the Magisterium works to find both kids and the items they possess.

The performances of all characters involved are solid. Dafne Keen continues to play a faithful version of Lyra as well as a realistic kid of her age. Amir Wilson does a good job of portraying Will Parry, a young kid who kills an agent in self defense. The agent in question is one of many working with the Magisterium to find information regarding Will’s father who appears to have found his own way to travel between worlds. But Will himself becomes a target once he comes into possession the subtle knife which can open portals between worlds. While people searching for Lyra are looking to steal the alethiometer – a golden compass that can answer any question – it turns out Lyra herself is somehow integral to the fight between the Magisterium & Asriel with his supporters.

In this season, new yet similar themes are explored. During Lyra’s time on Will’s Earth, she comes across a physicist named Dr. Mary Malone. The golden compass points Lyra towards her because Dr. Malone is researching Dark Matter which Lyra identifies as Dust. And surprisingly enough – all though faithful to what happens in the book – they are able to find a way to communicate with Dust itself. This is the part of the story that introduces the idea of approaching a subject from multiple different viewpoints. The Magisterium only allows their interpretation of Dust to be considered the right one and suppresses any thoughts that contradict that. But here we see that progress does get made when coming at it from a more unbiased perspective. Thus feeding into the established theme of seeking out knowledge and learning to think for yourself instead of what corrupt authority says to think.

We also see the further exploration of the morally gray areas that both sides of this conflict operate in. On the one hand, the Magisterium is valid in the belief that if the truth comes out regarding how the universe truly operates, it could send society into chaos and destruction. And Asriel and his allies will often go to drastic lengths to achieve their goals regardless of whose lives are lost. But while The Church seeks to control everything and hold onto power for selfish reasons, Asriel does seek to have people become independent and free from the control of The Church & The Authority, which is this world’s equivalent of God.

Season two is a strong continuation of the show and does a good job on adapting Pullman’s work. The characters remain enjoyable and interesting to watch with a well written story that explores ideas that most other young adult books/adaptations only vaguely touch upon. Here’s to seeing how season three closes out the story.

Comics, Film Editorials, Movies

Film Editorial – The Best Villain for The Batman 2

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The latest film version on the Caped Crusader has opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences. With early talks for a sequel already underway, many people are trying to guess who the next villain will be. Most Batman fans and actors from the film have their money on The Court of Owls. A recent addition to Batman lore, they are a secret society of Gotham’s most powerful controlling everything from the shadows. They are also a group of villains that have been growing in popularity thanks to their appearances in other media. As exciting as they would be, it runs the risk of repeating the same story of corruption that the previous installment covered. Which is why, if you ask me, the best villain is a guy who used to wear a potato sack on his head.

Dr. Johnathan Crane is a psychologist at Arkham Asylum and a professor of Psychology. His experiments relating to fear and the effect they have on the human mind lead him to becoming the villain known as The Scarecrow. He has appeared in video games and various animated Batman shows over the years. But his most well known appearance was in the Christopher Nolan film “Batman Begins”. There was potential in him in that film, certainly not a bad performance. But it’s safe to say he was underutilized, especially when it came to showing what people see while under Crane’s fear toxin. But it is because of this lack of focus and development that Scarecrow can receive the same treatment as The Riddler. But what kind of story would work with this kind of character?

There was a recent storyline in Batman comics that focused on Scarecrow as the main bad guy. Known as “Fear State”, Dr. Crane took advantage of a city trying to recover from two back-to-back city wide traumatic events by using the media to intensify the sense of fear throughout Gotham. He even manipulated city officials into turning against Batman by framing him for terrorist attacks, forcing him to team up with a group of people – The Unsanity Collective – who try to move past their traumatic past by wiping their memories clean and losing all sense of fear. The entire purpose behind this plan is to push Gotham into what Dr. Crane calls the Fear State. His theory is that once they confront and push beyond the limits that fear puts on the human mind, people can grow and become better versions of themselves.

This is a storyline that can be used effectively in the next Matt Reeves film. After The Riddler kills several high profile officials – including the mayor – and then uses bombs to flood Gotham where his followers attempted to attack Gotham’s citizens, there would be fear that more people like The Riddler will start appearing. Dr. Crane could be inspired by what the serial killer was trying to accomplish and tries to help the city in his own way. Through a series of attacks and the spread of his fear toxin, he would push Gotham’s citizens into a state of panic in an effort to have them let go of their fear and become new people. The movie could even do justice when it comes to what people see when under the toxin’s influence. While the first movie had a psychological element and a Horror atmosphere, the movie could create truly disturbing visions and hallucinations that – if presented the right way – can make you question what is real in the scene you are watching. In this way, it can take inspiration from “Joker” by using subtle choices and framing to keep you guessing what’s really going on until the very last second. There can even be a way to adapt the Unsanity Collective where they are formed by Dr. Crane to help him in his mission.

This is admittedly my suggestion for where The Batman 2 could go. But it’s a direction I believe would help further the themes and story of Matt Reeves’s universe.

TV

His Dark Materials: Season 1 Review

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Studios can’t seem to get enough of Young Adult novel adaptations. Of course, it’s easily understandable why. The success of the “Harry Potter” films show that they can be great franchises. But aside from a couple of series, there aren’t a lot that have nailed the landing. One such attempt was when Hollywood tried to adapt Philip Pullman’s trilogy “His Dark Materials”. But when the first movie “The Golden Compass” came out in 2007, it wasn’t well received by audiences and criticized for watering down or even cutting out the best commentary and themes from the original book. But now the BBC have decided to adapt all three books into a TV show to be aired in both the UK and the US.

Welcome to the world of His Dark Materials! The world is ruled by the Magisterium AKA The Church, an international theocracy that rules the civilized part of the world. Outside of their influence are witches that possess a variety of supernatural abilities and a kingdom of talking bears that wear armor. And yes, that does sound as cool and as fascinating as it sounds. But regardless of where you live in this world, every person has what is known as a dæmon. These are the physical personifications of a person’s soul that can talk and interact with the world. However, the rule of the Magisterium is threatened when a scholar named Asriel comes across the possibility of multiple universes. But the story follows a young girl named Lyra and her dæmon Pan when she discovers Asriel is not her uncle but secretly her father and she goes on a journey to find where he is hiding and find her kidnapped friend. Along the way she joins a group of people who are also seeking answers and looking to fight back at the Magisterium.

First off, this is a well written show. It stays loyal to the ideas presented in the novels and the characterizations of the main players. Any major changes made have less to do with changing the message and more so with just having the show be a little more practical. While the books have people with a wide variety of dæmons with different forms, we don’t see a lot of them in the show. A line of dialogue establishes that people don’t feel the need to have their dæmons be visible all the time. While that does bring up the question of how far a dæmon can be from their person or how many different forms they can actually take, it doesn’t affect the quality of the show. There is a subplot in the first season that takes place on a parallel world, one that is supposed to be a stand-in for our own world following a young boy named Will. While this doesn’t show up until the second book, including it makes sense on a couple of levels. First, it helps establish what the main story will be in the next season. And second, it helps show the power and agenda of the Magisterium.

And the larger focus on the Magisterium in the first season is another change from the first book. “The Golden Compass” doesn’t spend a lot of time with them as it stays more with Lyra and the people she directly interacts with. But focusing on them in the first season not only gives the viewers a better understanding of who they are, but it also firmly established the main threat for the entire show. A big focus of both the show and the books is criticizing the behavior and methods employed by organized religions. How people with power are often corrupted and make decisions that contradict their own religious beliefs in order to advance their own agenda and rise up in the ranks. It also shows how The Church will suppress ideas that contradict the beliefs of their religion, even though a couple of members do know the existence of multiple worlds and even travel to them in secret. This is used to show the lengths an organized institution will go to in order to hold onto their power and keep knowledge they consider dangerous a secret. The show takes it’s time to explore it well.

And while there are good and bad sides, the show and the books do show there is still a lot of gray areas. Lyra discovers her mother, known as Mrs. Coulter, works for the Magisterium on an experiment concerning Dust. This is considered to be the result of Original Sin and the Magisterium hide it’s existence but allow experiments to be made. Mrs. Coulter believes it could be related to a person’s dæmon and conducts experiments in trying to separate the connection between a person and their soul. A lot of people have died, mainly young children. And yet when Lyra is about to go through with the experiment, she stops it from happening. And Asriel, while framed as a good guy throughout most of the story, goes through with the severing the connection between a young boy and his dæmon in order to open a door to another world, killing the child.

One of the main themes of the show and books is seeking out knowledge and thinking for yourself, which is well displayed in the first season. But another idea focused on the first season is realizing that nothing is as it seems and sometimes the morally right thing to do is not the easiest or the one you think it is. The first season does a great job at adapting the first book and I look forward to the future seasons.

TV

The Boys Presents: Diabolical – There Will be Blood

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WARNING! This contains spoilers!

Amazon’s adaptation of “The Boys” comic books have become a massive hit for the service. With two seasons already released, it has become insanely popular. With that popularity naturally comes discussions of how to expand the show and it’s universe. The first one out of the gate is this animated anthology series. With people like Seth Rogen, Awkwafina, Anthony Starr, Don Cheadle, and even comic book creator Garth Ennis working on this series, you can expect to see a wide variety of stories that will satisfy you until the next season of the main show comes out.

There is a wide variety of animation styles used for these stories. From a style influenced by classic Looney Tunes shorts to styles heavily influenced by Japanese animation, this show will try a little bit of everything. Some visual styles might be more to your liking than others, but that’s okay. Because all of the stories features in this anthology can fit right into the tone of the main show.

In the first episode, no dialogue is spoken and it takes it’s influence from Looney Tunes to tell the story. A scientist trying to free a super baby from Vought before she is terminated, a lot of physical comedy can be expected. Physical comedy that is drenched in blood of course. But there are a couple of episodes that have more of a dramatic leaning. One of the final episodes focuses on an elderly couple, the husband works as a janitor for Vought and steals Compound V in the hopes it will cure his wife with Pancreatic Cancer. The episode has a lot of death as it has an unintended effect on the cancer within the wife’s body. But it is arguably the most human episode of the entire series. You do feel the desperation and the sadness of the two main characters, as well as how much they care for each other. Even though the husband doesn’t want to loose her, he does realize that in order to do the right thing that he must let of his feelings and come to peace with loosing the love of his life.

But there is one question that does need to be addressed. Even though this is an anthology, does it actually take place in the main show’s universe? The answer is both yes and no. It really does depend on the episode. The final episode shows a young Homelander just joining The Seven and going on his first mission. It contains both Stan Edgar and Madelyn Stillwell to establish, with the latter especially showing early signs of grooming him and establishing the relationship we later see in the first season. We also see how Homelander starts off wanting to be a genuine superhero but ultimately loses control. The only other Supe in the episode, Black Noir, helps him cover it up and tell a story that earns the newest Supe support and admiration. This also establishes a level of respect for Black Noir that we see Homelander briefly show in a couple of episodes from the main show.

Another episode that can easily exist in the main universe is one that sees the debut of Groundhawk. But the focus of the episode is on the young daughter of two Supes, Nubian Prince & Nubia. The two of them are on the brink of divorce and the daughter seeks out Groundhawk to recreate the first battle her parents had together that began their relationship. While it does briefly rekindle their romance, it comes at the cost of the two of them seemingly killing Groundhawk as well as leaving emotional scars on their child who witnesses the entire thing. Ultimately pushing her to get her parents to sign the divorce papers.

But there are episodes that make it a little tricky to see existing in the same universe as the original show. There is one particular episode that, while definitely well done, basically makes it impossible. Written by original comic creator Garth Ennis, Billy Butcher confronts a guy who sells drugs for the Supe community and gets him to inject something into the drugs that he plans to give to a Supe about to be entered into the Hall of Fame. The events of the episode don’t contradict anything from the live action show. But character inclusions and appearances do go against what has already been established. Hughie shows up in the episode with a look that’s more in line with the comics than the live action show. And The Seven includes the Supe known as Jack from Jupiter, an actual alien. The live action show doesn’t have any indication a character like that was on the team in the main show, nor does the show have any signs that aliens actually exist either. Meaning that this episode does have to take place outside of the show’s universe in order to exist.

But at the end of the day, that’s for the best. A few episodes that can’t take place in the live action show’s main universe with a couple that could feasibly be integrated in. The rules don’t have to matter as long as an interesting and entertaining story can be presented. And that’s what you get with all eight episodes. With all the characteristics and trademarks that helped Amazon’s main show become a smash hit. The good, the bloody, & the nasty.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Clerks

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If you are a fan of comedies and/or comic books in general, chances are you’ve heard of Kevin Smith. He’s known today as a skilled filmmaker who talks a lot about movies & comic books. Maybe you’ve already checked out his Youtube channel or listen to his podcast. It’s hard to not like the guy and the energy he injects into his conversations. But like a lot of well known people in Hollywood, his beginnings as a filmmaker are pretty humble and ordinary. And it all goes back to this 1994 joint.

Set in New Jersey, it’s a buddy comedy film that focuses on two store clerks. Dante works at the Quick Stop which is kinda like a convenience store but focuses mainly on selling groceries. His friend Randal works as a clerk in the video rental store next door and spends a lot of his time with Dante while he is on the clock. They interact with a variety of people who come by, including Jay & Silent Bob, drug dealers who loiter outside of the two stores. They will be become staples of Kevin Smith’s future films and will eventually become icons in their own right. But in this film, just as ordinary as everyone else in the film. And that’s the best way to describe the movie. Ordinary people doing regular, boring stuff to pass the day with no real goal in mind.

That is both the strength and the weakness of “Clerks”. Finding a film that doesn’t have a plot that drives everything forward can be hard to find, and films that successfully pull that off are even rarer to find. For this movie, it kind of flips back and forth. There are moments where the casual approach to the story and characters does work. But other times, it can come off as awkward. One of the contributing factors is that this film does feel like a student film project being presented in class. It’s shot in black & white which, while gives it a unique stylistic choice, does reinforce that perception. There are also title cards inserted for when it transitions to a new scene or new part of the day. And the dialogue goes back and forth between being realistic and being unnaturally forced. You do have conversations that do sound like something real people will actually say. But then in another scene you might have a guy rapid fire a bunch of dialogue at once that will go more in depth than naturally expected for that specific character.

But that awkwardness of the film can also help the movie stand out a bit more. And while this isn’t the best film in Kevin Smith’s filmography, it has probably served as the first film a lot of people watch where they have seen this kind of casual movie the first time. The first time a bunch of people have seen movie characters talk about the same stuff they probably do with all of their friends. And that’s the reason why this has become a cult favorite. And thankfully, his next film “Mallrats” improved a lot of the weaker elements of this film, showing Kevin Smith’s growth as an artist. But if this film has escaped you or your feeling a little nostalgic for it, it’s worth watching again.

Comics

The Eternal Nature of Spawn

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The mid to late 1980s saw the release of a couple of graphic novels that would forever change the comic industry. Both “Watchmen” & “The Dark Knight Returns” had dark storylines that integrated mature themes not usually associated with comics, as well as explored complex philosophies/ideologies. After receiving widespread acclaim from within and outside the comic book community, comic book editors and creators took the wrong lessons from those books. Working under the assumption that comics need to be more dark and include intense violence, we got a lot of stories and characters that would define the industry for the early to mid 1990s.

If you read comics during this time period or you sought out books from this era, you are probably familiar with the most common traits across various titles. You have characters carrying these huge overdrawn guns. Ones that make you ask how the Hell can that guy hold that with just one hand. Characters that are constantly growling or expressing anger and never showing any other emotion to help you truly connect with them. The rise of the anti-hero, characters willing to kill or do ethically questionable things to achieve their mission. While the concept of the anti-hero isn’t inherently bad, it was over-exploited during this time and not always well executed. And while the industry always had an issue drawing female characters sexy and not fleshing them out, it was probably at an all time high during this time. Basically, these years weren’t the highlight of comic book history. While some good did come out of it, there is a lot of underwhelming. A lot of titles and characters created during this time have mostly fallen into obscurity.

But why has Spawn prevailed? After 30 years and now attempting to create it’s own universe like DC did in the 1940s and Marvel in the 1960s, he is still around with a strong fan base. To answer that question, you have to look at his origin story. For most people who don’t read comics this is the probably the only part of Spawn they would be familiar with. But it also touches on the best stuff of the character. Al Simmons was a solider and special agent serving his country. But he was betrayed by the people he worked for and killed by his own during a mission. He gets sent to Hell where he is offered the chance to see his wife again. But it came at the cost of serving as one of that realm’s soldiers, a Hellspawn. And when he does return to Earth, five years have passed and his wife has remarried his best friend and they have a kid. He also has to regain his memories as he fights against foes – human and supernatural – who try to manipulate him for their own ends.

The story of Spawn is one that touches on a few universal themes. Mainly the idea of second chances and redemption. Al isn’t a perfect person, as many different issues over the years will showcase. But he is someone who tries to do what he thinks is right. Which is what all of us aspire to. And even though his life has been destroyed and he has lost everything, he finds a way to move forward and make the best of his situation. Making better choices and break free from the influence others have had on him, before his death and now as a Hellspawn. This universe also establishes that Heaven isn’t all what it appears to be either. The relationship between Heaven and Hell reveals that it doesn’t truly matter if your an ethically good or bad person. Where you go to once you die is random…for most people. But it is revealed that Al and his ancestors have been manipulated so that he follows a destiny of becoming the Hellspawn to start Armageddon. And while that war does come, Al takes on both Heaven & Hell and wins Armageddon in defense of mankind, who are used only as soldiers by both forces. Years after Al beats them, he ends up closing the doors to both realms. No more angels or demons can come or leave Earth. Their influence on a cosmic/supernatural level has been taken away. And now Spawn is there to take on who remains and make sure that humans have the freedom to make their own choices and be free of manipulated destiny.

Spawn is the story of realizing you don’t have to be perfect to be good. You could make questionable choices but as long as you do what you feel is the right thing to do, you will be all right. As long as you get to decide what you make for yourself and not let someone else decide for you. These ideas, accompanied with some truly great artwork and imagery and the writers realizing what works for Spawn while getting rid of the weaker elements, connects with everyone and has made sure Spawn has endured for so long. And hopefully he keeps being a strong presence for many years to come.

TV

The Universal Themes of Cobra Kai

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Of all of the crazy & awesome films from the 1980s, who would have thought that “The Karate Kid” would spawn a TV continuation years later that would become a pop culture phenomenon? That’s not to say that “The Karate Kid” is by any means bad. While it had a familiar sports story, it integrated in themes of Eastern Philosophy and had a uniquely engaging mentor character that helped the film stand out. And it was popular enough to get 3 film sequels. But how do you continue a film series when the one character to appear in all films – Mr. Miyagi portrayed by Pat Morita – can no longer be used? The answer is simple. Make it about the villains.

Decades after the events of the original film, Johnny Lawrence – played by William Zabka – is barely getting by in life. Just got fired from his job, hasn’t seen his son in who knows how long, barely keeping everything together. One day his car gets wrecked and he ends up at one of many dealerships own by rival Daniel LaRusso. This sparks a fire inside Johnny that pushed him to reopen the dojo he used to train at, Cobra Kai. He gets the anger and attention of LaRusso, but with the help of his first student Miguel, Johnny brings back his dojo and the lessons taught him as a child. And with them, the consequences they create.

While this show does show a redemption arc for Johnny, it’s themes go beyond that. Johnny is someone who remembers the past fondly, from his own perspective. The way he views the events of the original film is different from how Daniel recalls it. But the longer he dwells in the past – such as teaching the same lessons to his students taught to him – he begins to realize that not everything was exactly how he remembered it. He sees the growing anger and aggression in some of his students that turn them into the bullies he was helping them to fight back against. And when his old sensei John Kreese returns and Johnny accepts his offer to help train, he begins to fully realize that he needs real change. Not simply repeat the past.

And that is ultimately what the show explores. How nostalgia and wanting to recreate it only creates a cycle that can’t be broken. How if you try to only pull from what you know, you will only repeat the same mistakes over and over. The history of violence and aggression once taught to Johnny by John Kreese simply returns to a new generation. Once again creating an aura of violence and hostility in the community that thought they had moved past.

But there is a bright side to this exploration. Johnny does end up recognizing what is happening around him and tries to find a new way forward. Even working with Daniel LaRusso and learn some of his teachings. His bond with his first student Miguel also pushes him to grow into a better person. And while Terry Silver may be keen on keeping to Cobra Kai’s lessons, John Kreese is also seemingly experiencing a chain of heart as well. Characters that were once fully committed to Cobra Kai are now beginning to question themselves and start a journey of self discovery. These themes are surprisingly relevant, especially in a Hollywood culture that seems stuck on reviving past movies and shows. But Cobra Kai sets the standard of how to do a revival, mixing in old and new, while also teaching valuable life lessons in every episode.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – The Batman

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It’s been a long journey to get to this point. When this movie was first announced, Ben Affleck was attached to direct and star in his own film following “Batman v Superman” and “Justice League”. Long story made short, Affleck ended up walking away from the film and the role entirely and the new director Matt Reeves was given the freedom to come up with the story he wanted to tell. And now it is finally here. The Dark Knight returns to the big screen.

Let’s start by taking a look at the man wearing the cowl. Robert Pattinson has worked hard since “Twilight” to work on his acting, taking roles in indie films. And you can see the result of those years of dedication in his performance. When he first shows up in the movie wearing his Bat Suit, he gives off a menacing aura. The way he moves makes him come off as someone like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees. He intimidates all the criminals he comes across. The first time the Bat Signal turns on, the movie lets us see the reactions of the criminals who take notice. They look to the shadows in fear of seeing the Caped Crusader walk out. Robert Pattinson puts forth terror. His Bruce Wayne is a version that is addicted to this lifestyle, who has almost given up entirely on having a life outside of the Bat Cave. But over the course of the movie, we see him interact with those he considers allies, creating new relationships and deepening old ones. The story forces him to rediscover his humanity, remember the true reason he put on the suit and go out into the night. You see his emotions in every looks he gives, in every movement he makes. Robert Pattinson does right by the role and gives one that leaves a dark yet complex impression.

But that’s not to discredit the the quality of the other acting performances. Jeffrey Wright as Lieutenant James Gordon is a standout in this film. The partnership between the cop and the vigilante is unique from the other film versions and you can tell that there is respect and some trust between the two, especially as they go against a corrupt city in order to solve the case. It is arguably better than the chemistry Robert shares with Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Their interests and goals align for most of the movie, which is when we see the spark between the two slowly grow between the two. Since this is the first time meeting each other, the relationship isn’t as intense as one might hope for. But that doesn’t mean you will be disappointed. You will see the beginning of a deep connection that would hopefully be revisited and deepen in future installments. Paul Dano as The Riddler reinvents the character from practically every other popular version in past movies, TV appearances & comics. Taking influence from both The Zodiac and Jigsaw from the “Saw” franchise, Dano’s character is truly disturbed with a dark sense of humor. You carefully watch and follow him as you want to know what his endgame truly is. Lastly but certainly not least, Andy Serkis as Alfred is a strong choice. The relationship between the butler and Bruce is more distant than in past iterations, but their relationship is also an indicator of how Bruce slowly reconnects to his humanity. And Andy shows genuine love and affection in those later moments, but you will also be impressed by the more stern posture he gives off early on as he subtly displays the role he played in creating the young Batman.

There is one character that has shown up in every film version of Batman that doesn’t always get the proper attention – Gotham. While Tim Burton gave us a city with beautifully gothic visual style, Christopher Nolan gave us a version that’s as realistic as it could be. Both have their strengths, but both ultimately don’t truly portray an authentic Gotham. But Matt Reeves takes the best of both versions and gives us the best portrayal yet. You feel the grit whenever you follow Batman out into the night, the aura of crime that is a part of every brick. A version of Gotham that makes you wonder why does anyone choose to live here. This is enhanced by the strong visual direction of the film, letting scenes speak with very little or no dialogue. The action is also well choreographed and displayed, allowing you to see what is happening in style and let’s you feel the weight of the vigilante’s punches. All of this accompanied by a beautiful musical score. One full of terror, beauty, and even hope. If you fear that the length is too long, you will probably forget that once you follow the along with the protagonists working to unravel the mystery put in motion by Gotham’s newest serial killer. Every scene feels like it has a purpose or reason for being in the movie.

Here you have it. A Batman movie with a strong Horror atmosphere, a story that has psychological effects on all those involved. Performances that keep you glued to the screen and a menacing Batman that reconnects with his emotional side by the end of the movie in the hopes of better serving his city. This is a film that you can’t miss.