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Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Castle in the Sky

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No, that’s not Superman. That is indeed a flying castle. Part of me wonders if this had any influence on those flying rocks in James Cameron’s “Avatar”. He admitted that “Princess Mononoke” influenced his movie, so it’s not that far of a stretch. But let’s not waste any time on that movie and actually get to the one at hand. With more action than most of Studio Ghibli’s work, this still holds most of the traits and hallmarks of what they are praised for.

A young boy named Pazu comes across an unconscious girl as she floats down from the sky with a glowing necklace. She is revealed to be Sheeta, a descendant of the royal family of Laputa – a flying castle capable of a lot of power due to the amount of Aetherium it possess. They are chased by both pirates and the army lead by a government agent also a descendant who seeks the power of Laputa for himself. This adventure movie has plenty of action, humor, and charming characters to keep the viewer entertained & engaged.

I did find several small things about this movie to be funny. When Pazu & Sheeta try and get help from the town when being chased, the people don’t really react and just get right to fighting. Several people Pazu & Sheeta ask for help from don’t really act with surprise or shock at the news. Their attitude is mainly just proclaiming that’s neat, as if they were waiting for something exciting like this to happen. But I think more humor comes into play when Pazu & Sheeta end up joining the pirates in finding Laputa and going against the army. The characters that make up most of the pirates really aren’t mean or evil. They have that kind of awkward quality that makes them relatable. Plus it’s really humorously weird to hear them call their captain Mom.

Speaking of the captain, Dola is an interesting character. We first see her in the opening scene where she is inly concerned about losing the crystal as she falls Sheeta fall from the airship assumingely to her death. Yet later on when the two kids join the pirates, she eventually becomes something like an actual mom to them in a vague sense. Honestly, the interactions between the kids and pirates from that point on is fairly funny. They even end up cheering when they see the two kids survive the climax. It’s also weirdly refreshing to watch a movie where orphan kids just live by themselves and people around them don’t give them special treatment. Pazu & Sheeta are put right to work and don’t even try to make them comfy or anything like that. I mean, it’s logical considering their living arrangements. But feels nice to not have a movie where the supporting characters treat the main characters like chosen ones or legendary heroes.

For most of the movie, I didn’t think there was some deeper message to this movie and I was okay with that. But there is a line of dialogue at the beginning that does get called back to during the final twenty minutes. While Laputa is a floating city, the people left the place long ago and it has been reclaimed by plant and animal life. This connects to an early piece of dialogue about how the Aetherium is a reminder that all things return back to the Earth, even people. So you can say there is a message about how despite the accomplishments mankind may achieve, the planet will outlive them and and reclaim what was unrightfully taken.

But even if you don’t see a hidden message, this is still an enjoyable film. Exciting action, plenty of relatable humor, charming characters, beautiful animation and thrilling music. Get on your airship and go above the clouds for a great time.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – My Neighbor Totoro

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In addition to being one of the earliest films from Studio Ghibli, it is also one of the most iconic and well known. Totoro himself ended up being the image for representing the film studio. Many people have fallen in love with this film. And it’s easy to see why. With great music, charming characters, and great animation, this is a treat. A film that is fun, if not exactly the most engaging, to check out on a lazy day.

A father moves to the countryside and brings his two young girls with him, Satsuki & Mei, ten and four years old respectively. This is to be closer to the hospital where their mom is at, but the two daughters seem to fit in and get to know the people. Including the forest spirits of the area, which includes Totoro. And…that’s really it. This is one of those films that doesn’t have anything driving the plot forward. It’s sort of similar to films like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, where you are just supposed to follow the characters as they live their lives. And to this movie’s credit, the characters are charming and very like-able. While also remaining realistic and relatable.

One thing I’ve noticed is that multiple Studio Ghibli films will have supernatural elements and characters and/or creatures. And the response to them within their world is just for everyone else to go on as usual. They acknowledge their existence, and will ask questions every once in a while. But they aren’t left in awe or fear of them. They just treat them as part of their normal life. The same is kind of applicable to this movie. While the adults can’t see the spirits like Totoro, they don’t disbelieve the children when they talk about meeting them. One of the characters – and elderly woman – talks about how she could see such creatures when she was their age. It can be a little weird at first if you haven’t seen multiple films from this studio. But it does make more room for us to focus on the characters and their journey. That is, if the characters have one. Yet I don’t really think this film has one.

The problem with films like this is they run the risk of feeling like they don’t have anything to tell. In the last 20 minutes of this film, they throw in some tension when apparently their mom gets sick and can’t visit them this weekend. This causes Satsuki to yell at Mei for acting like a baby, which gets her to run off and go missing. Not surprised something like this in here, but it does feel a bit forced. It ends up getting resolved and they secretly visit their mom at the hospital. They head back home and the movie just ends. Yea, the movie technically isn’t even 90 minutes long. And it feels like a short movie. But maybe this could be on purpose.

I think the movie is trying to say something about adulthood. Adults in this movie don’t doubt the existence of spirits, but they can no longer see them. There is a line of dialogue of how the father mentions how Satsuki feels like she has to act more grown up since their mom is in the hospital. By the way, they never do mention what illness the mom has. Maybe Cancer or some sort of auto-immune disease? Anyway, even though that’s mentioned, Satsuki doesn’t particularly act like a grown up. She runs and plays around with her little sister as expected. But I think the movie is trying to let us know it’s all right to indulge in some fun and have a little bit of wonder. If that is what’s going on, then I do think that adds a little bit to the movie. Not a whole lot, but still. Regardless, this is still an enjoyable movie to watch. Even though a smiling Totoro is unintentionally horrifying to me. But I feel like I’m in the minority. I’ll still side with everyone else in saying you should check this out.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Princess Mononoke

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It feels like an understatement to say that Studio Ghibli has made some special films. Chances are you grew up watching a few of their films. But there’s something unique about this film. It definitely feels the most intense and deals with the most mature films that any film from this studio has tackled. Many have praised how much of a landmark it was at the time it was released. All these years later, it still earns all that praise.

The main story focuses on a brewing war between Lady Eboshi – the leader of Iron Town – and the Forest Spirits which are lead by the Wolf Clan and their human member Princess Mononoke. We explore this world and conflict with Ashitaka, a young prince and fighter who has been cursed by a demon that was once a Boar God. It’s transformation was brought on after a bullet from one of the guns from Iron Town lodged itself in it’s body. While it gives him super strength, it feeds on hate that Ashitaka must fight. But he knows it won’t be long until it destroys his soul and body. However, that won’t stop him from doing what he can to end the conflict as peacefully as he can.

An easy thing to praise about this movie is the visuals and world. The way it is shot feels more grand in scale compared to most of the other movies from Ghibli’s filmography. The visuals leave us in awe of some of the fights, sights, and spirits themselves. And the world has some eerie parallels to our own in terms, especially in terms to the cost our progress has had on the world around us. Yet the story is one that gives us a message of hope that both human civilization and the natural environment can find a way to coexist. I’m glad this isn’t a movie that takes the easy route and has the message simply be that saving the environment is good. Because the characters of this story help show that this isn’t simple. Lady Eboshi is willing to fight and kill spirits. But we also see how she has taken in people considered outcasts in regular society and helped make them feel welcome and fulfilled. Princess Mononoke feels the only solution is to kill all of the people of Iron Town which is definitely going too far. Yet you can understand why both sides feel so strongly about their cause.

But let’s talk about the character the movie is named after. Abandoned by her birth parents, the Wolf God took her into her clan and made the human child her daughter. On the one hand, I’m somewhat let down by how she is used. She isn’t the main character in this story. We follow Ashitaka throughout the movie. Yes, Mononoke is an important and essential player. But it feels odd that the character the movie is named after isn’t the main focus. And she is shown to strongly on the side of the spirits. There doesn’t seem to be any inner conflict within her about fighting others from the species she was born as. There is one very brief moment where one of the Apes insults her by calling her that, and you see that does hurt her and maybe makes her have a deep thought. But nothing like that pops up again.

However, that lack of an inner exploration might be the point. Because there does some to be a lot to dissect about her. Someone can view her as an example of a terrorist. Someone who goes too far in their beliefs and doesn’t care who they kill – guilty or innocent – in order to see them fulfilled. But someone else can also view her as the embodiment of every indigenous person or tribe that has been on the destructive end of society’s progress. Fighting to hold onto her home and push back against those that she sees an invaders. So even though nothing in the movie might show her as the most conflicted character, there is still a fair amount to study about her. And I think that is on purpose. Probably the real reason her face is so iconic.

Going back to the movie’s main theme, I appreciate how it goes deeper than most Hollywood made films would go regarding the environment at that time. I think the best example of that is by looking at how Ashitaka does eventually lift the curse. It is only after he and Mononoke return the head of the Great Forest Spirit together that the curse is lifted from. The thing that fed on hate and even tried to spread hate within Ashitaka disappears once he reaches a hand out towards the other side of the conflict in an effort to find mutual peace. This doesn’t mean everything goes back the way it was. Iron Town will find a way to rebuild, but Eboshi does seem willing to try and make changes for the better. Mononoke will still be with the Wolf Clan but she will regularly meet Ashitaka who will help make sure Iron Town isn’t as destructive as it was. It might only be the start to finding a balance, but sometimes finding that start is the hardest thing to do. One of the most complex and mature films from Studio Ghibli is one that deserves to be watched multiple times to soak in everything it has to offer.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Doctor Strange

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is both impressive and frustrating. When you look back on what it’s accomplished – in terms of story-telling, making unknown characters/actors household names, and box office – there’s no denying it’s a huge achievement and should be praised. But when you have a franchise that lists this long with so many films )and now TV shows), a formula is created. One to help ensure their future installments become successful. And while the MCU should stray further from the formula and expand, it can still be executed well and enhanced by direction and acting. “Doctor Strange”, one of their installments from 2016, is a great example of that.

Dr. Stephen Strange is a neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands to perform surgery in an accident. He ends up coming across Kamar-Taj in Nepal and meets the Sorcerer Supreme known as The Ancient One. There he learns the mystic arts and becomes involved in a conflict where one of the Ancient One’s former students attacks their Sanctums so that a being known as Dormammu can conquer Earth. Dr. Strange manages to defeat the being from the Dark Dimension, but with the iplication that the way he did it will have repercussions down the road.

This movie shares several traits that can be seen in other MCU origin stories. Several people have pointed out how Strange’s personality is similar to Tony Stark. There is truth in that. But I would argue that it takes Strange longer to move away from his more narcissistic thinking in the movie and that in future appearances he still struggles with his more arrogant nature. But he is still very like-able in this film, thanks to the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch. He also has an ally/kind of love interest, Dr. Christine Palmer. But they don’t go all the way with their romance. The closest we get is that they were once lovers before the events in the film and she gives him a kiss on the cheek before the climax. They could have changed that to just a hug, but I appreciate that the movie doesn’t have them end up together like most other MCU movies.

And that actually connects to one thing that makes this movie a little more unique. There is a supporting character named Mordo, one of Strange’s teachers in the film and allies. But by the end, he becomes disillusioned by the world of Sorcery. He is a strong believer in maintaining the natural order. But when he learns that the Ancient One uses power from the Dark Dimension to extend her life and watching Strange tamper with Time to save the planet, he ends up leaving Strange and the other sorcerers. Him leaving with the implication that he and Strange will go up against each other down the road is a little dark but in a good way. It does show some of the complexities or different philosophies when it comes to how people like Mordo or Strange should use their power. Most of the MCU films have the villains more clear-cut evil and easy to hate. It’s only in more recent films that we are getting more complex antagonists. And while Mordo wasn’t a villain or antagonist in this film, I completely get why he thinks the way he does and I understand his fears. And when he and Strange do go up against each other later on, I can’t really hate his reasoning or motivation.

But going back to Strange manipulating Time, that’s another thing that makes this film unique. When it comes to the final battle of Strange vs Dormammu, you would expect a big battle with great visuals. And while CGI is used to depict the Dark Dimension and there is action, it doesn’t play out like you think it would. The trick Strange uses is that he puts Dormammu in a time loop. So even though he is killing Strange, Dormammu is in actuality Strange’s prisoner. Eventually, he agrees to make a bargain with Strange to leave Earth and escape the loop. It’s actually a clever way to handle the final climax of a Marvel movie and I have to give credit for that.

But honestly, I just really like this film in general. I’ve always found myself more drawn to the supernatural characters of comic books. And some of the dialogue in this film reminds me why I like reading the comics I do, as well as just the types of stories I gravitate to the most. Exploring ideas and themes not usually talked about, or familiar ones from a unique perspective. And this film has some of the best visuals of any MCU film. There are several scenes that do look similar to “Inception”. But there are so many other visuals that are truly awe-inspiring. At the end of the day, this is one of my personal favorite films from this long running franchise.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Morbius

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Marketing is very important for a movie. They can help ensure how many people are going to see a movie once it premieres. Back in the day, “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” didn’t make a lot of money when it opened in theaters despite how great of a movie it is. But that can be blamed on the lack of marketing there was for the movie. Both in terms of how much there was and in the low quality of the film’s marketing. And the marketing for “Morbius” wasn’t exactly stellar. Of course the numerous delays didn’t help. But now it’s out and people are already tearing it apart. And now it’s time for me to see how well the movie ended up being and it it matched how I expected it to turn out.

Overall, this movie is…all right. I know that all the trailers and TV spots probably make this movie seem lame. And there is stuff to not like about it. If you were to read the script for this movie, it’s clearly underwhelming and bland. But the main reason this movie is elevated to it being fine is thanks to the performances. While Jared Leto tends to play eccentric characters, he is more restrained and actually gives a good performance. Nothing amazing, but he does what any actor should do and get us invested in the title character. All the actors in this film give the performances they should and end up being good or good enough. Of course, Matt Smith is a stand out as he is clearly having fun. His character, Milo, grew up with Michael Morbius and they shared the same blood disease. And early on it clearly establishes their connection and you do enjoy how they interact with each other before they eventually turn on the other.

So performances all around are good. The effects are hit or miss, with admittedly more misses. Morbius has this echolocation ability that does look kind of interesting when used. The effects used to show his more monstrous form is okay. Nothing particularly memorable but I’ve seen worse. And it does have a vague vampire-like quality to it. But whenever he moves fast or jumps/glides through the air, he creates this smoke around him. Or I guess you can call it mist, I’m not sure what it should be called. There’s really no reason in-universe why it’s happening, but I think it’s used to cover the bad effects used for the action scenes. But the action overall is also okay. I’ve seen far worse when it comes to action so this didn’t really bug me. The story outline is very similar to other comic book movies from the 2000s, but it again executes it fine.

And that’s ultimately the film’s biggest failure. That it’s only fine. If this truly was as bad as most people saying it is, I would have a lot more to talk about. If this movie had tried more to add something unique or even eccentric – regardless if it worked or not – I would have something more to talk about. But I really don’t. Outside of the post credits scene – which is a clear example of how Sony has the poorest organization skills when it comes to mapping out their cinematic universe – I just don’t have much to say. There are small moments and scenes that do show the potential it could have been. But it really plays it safe all things considered. Take that for what’s it worth. Maybe not good enough to buy a ticket, but good enough to rent it or check it out on streaming.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

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It’s kinda weird that Kevin Smith created one of the earliest modern cinematic universes. Yes, the Raimi Spider-Man films & the first couple of X-Men movies were popular around the time this film came out. But those were still just regular film franchises. Kevin Smith had movies that on the surface weren’t connected to each other. But a lot of the actors would pop up and reprise their roles from different films, maybe play multiple different characters in the same movie. His movies would reference events from those other movies as well, establishing it’s the same world. And of course, you got the two characters that back in the day showed up in all of those films – Jay & Silent Bob. It was only natural to give them their own movie.

Let me put it like this. Any movie that has a line where the woman yells “Call me Boo-Boo Kitty Fuck, bitch!” during a fight scene is doing something right. This actually might be my favorite film Kevin Smith has ever made. I always loved the characters he and Jason Mewes play and the dynamic that’s displayed on screen. I also like how their motivation is to stop a movie being made about comic characters based on them so that people online will stop insulting them and ruining their names. It’s surprisingly grounded. But make no mistake – there are scenes and interactions that could only have been produced by Hollywood back in the 2000s. Overall, the movie has a grounded approach. But it will also do some ridiculous goofy and far out stuff to get a good laugh. And it typically works.

There are a couple of jokes that have surprisingly gotten a little more relevant. Early on in the movie, the internet is described as a place where people can complain about movies and share pornography. The latter half is always relevant, but the internet has also kind of leaned into the former in recent years. The first trailer for the 2020 Sonic movie had a very different design for it’s title character. And people complained so much that the studio delayed the film so they could have time to fix the CGI for Sonic. That joke from this 2001 film feels all too true today. There is a scene later on where Jay thinks about pulling his thing out for the love interest of the movie. But the angel character that pops up makes a solid and surprisingly relevant argument about why he shouldn’t. Which is ironic because this movie was released by Miramax and Harvey Weinstein was a producer for some of Kevin Smith’s earlier films.

A lot of the jokes in this film go back and forth between being genuinely smart to being enjoyably stupid. But they all ultimately work, if to varying degrees. There are also a bunch of small & quick jokes you might not catch right away. There’s a scene where the Wildlife Marshall – played by Will Ferrel – makes a very quick joke about how he is only a man on the outside. It’s never addressed again and the context of when that pops up makes it so random and bizarre that you just have to laugh. This film is maybe the perfect example of how people should make a film that is simply a comedy. Doesn’t have to be a satire, doesn’t have to be really insightful and talk about hot topic issues. But it’s still smart and entertaining.

And the people in this movie! You got the Smith regulars like Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Matt Damon & Chris Rock. But you also have George Carlin, Carrie Fischer, James Van Der Beek, Jason Briggs, Tracy Morgan & Mark Hamill. They all do a great job, regardless of how long or short their screen time is. Also, there is a shot of when Silent Bob uses his mind to pull a lightsaber to his hand and the way it is shot and played out, I swear that JJ Abrams copied it for “The Force Awakens”. We know from the opening of “The Disaster Artist” that he watches films like “The Room”, don’t tell me that’s impossible!

If I have to point out anything that could be considered a major flaw…I guess we should address the gay jokes. To be fair, a number of these gay jokes are used in a way that do end up being clever. And none of the jokes are meant to make fun of the LGBT+ community or are hateful in nature. It’s just another trait of it being a comedy from the 2000s, for better or worse. There is one scene though where Jay & Silent Bob try and escape the police and the Wildlife Marshall by pretending to be a gay couple and dressing an orangutan as their child. Will Ferrel’s character then freaks out because he doesn’t want them to bad mouth him to the “liberal media” as he puts it and lets them go. I feel like that could be used to describe a lot of dumb decisions that the government makes in order to get out of some bad publicity.

This movie is still one of my favorite comedies of all time. The performances are great, a lot of jokes that still hold up well, and scenes that are always entertaining. I would classify this as a must-watch film for everyone.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Deep Water

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I’m a simple man. I see a movie starring two actors I really like, I’m going to watch it. Ben Affleck has always been an interesting actor to watch. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Kevin Smith film, if he’s Batman, or he’s just having fun like he was in “The Last Duel”. I want to see what kind of stuff he does. And Ana De Armas has been making a name for herself over the last several years. Sure, she’s been acting for a little while. But thanks to her roles in “Blade Runner 2049” & “Knives Out”, she’s becoming something of a big name. I was hoping that this movie would be a benefit for both of them, especially since it’s Ben Affleck returning to the thriller genre. But unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

Both of them do a good job in their performances. I don’t have any criticisms there. But the writing isn’t great, especially when it concerns Ana as Melinda. She is always coming off as the low-key villain in this story for me. I get what the movie is trying to go for, but it just makes her seem like she wants the events of this film to happen despite the emotion she gives in certain scenes. The writing for Affleck’s Vic is stronger. And despite everything that happens in the movie, I’m strangely always hoping he comes out all right. I guess that’s just the Affleck charm.

But I can’t sympathize with either of them in this film. The movie shows them as a couple who really only stay together because of their daughter. If I’m being honest up front, I’m not a relationship expert. I’ve never been in this situation, I don’t have any kids, and I understand the emotions between two romantic partners can be complicated. But if a relationship is only held together because of a child – and the relationship is BARELY held together like it is in this movie – that’s unhealthy and it needs to end. It may be hard for a child to watch their parents get divorced. But If these two just pulled the trigger on that process, NONE of the events of this film would happen. And they would quite honestly be happier because of it.

Even putting that aside though, this just isn’t a very interesting movie. Most of the supporting cast I completely forgot about. Hell, most of the supporting disappeared altogether around the halfway point. There is still one character who is doing his own investigation regarding the film’s plot, but it’s for selfish reasons so I’m not rooting for him. People have been saying that this movie was buried by going to Hulu after being pulled from a theatrical release and given minimal marketing. I can understand that thinking after watching this film. But…I can’t act like I’m not entertained in a sort of guilty pleasure kind of way. I do think the film does have good atmosphere. And like I said, the performances of the main leads are good.

Look, if you are looking to be entertained for two hours by an erotic thriller that isn’t that bad, then you can check this out. Just don’t be expected to be impressed by much of anything. But chances are you might still find something to enjoy about it or even laugh about.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – X

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I still hate it when you have these reboot sequels that have the exact same film as the original. Blumhouse’s new Halloween film that’s a follow up to John Carpenter’s original is also called “Halloween”. Or how the Jordan Peele produced sequel to “Candyman” is also just called “Candyman”. But at least they had more than one letter in their title? All I know is that anyone looking for a review of this movie is going to have some trouble finding what they’re looking for. As you can tell this is a little more casual than most of my other posts but let me still try and give some insight.

This little flick comes from film studio A24. They’re the ones that are behind films like Spring Breakers, Ex Machina & The Witch. Basically films that embrace their weirdness but also turn out pretty good. And while this film has a little bit of weird, I can’t say it’s on the same level as the ones I mentioned. Without getting into spoilers, it’s about a group of people who set out to make a porn movie. There are a few actors, the producer, the director & the director’s girlfriend who does sound. They stay at this guest house owned by this elderly couple. The old man doesn’t know they are doing it so they try and do it in secret. But it turns out it’s the couple that has a secret and then the scares happen.

In case you were wondering, the “X” of this film refers to the X factor that makes someone a star. And that’s the main deal with the main actress of this film who believes she will become a star. But honestly, I don’t think she is that great. This is a movie with Jenna Ortega and yet their biggest name is more of a supporting character. She starts off as the shy girl they call Church Mouse. She kinda has a story of sorts but not really. But screw it, I’m using her character poster as the featured image of this review. Because she was the only one I cared about. It’s not because the protagonists of this film are horrible people. They might have a couple of moments that make them look like assholes. But they’re okay people. Which unfortunately means they just leave an okay impression.

And the scares are kind of hit and miss. A couple of jump scares that are obviously and just annoying. However there are a few moments that are pretty decent. The first kill that happens includes some audio of the song “Don’t Fear The Reaper” so I might be a little biased when it came to that scene. But I liked it. Looking on it now however, I think this film went in the wrong direction with it’s execution. I feel like this could have been a movie that should have been a horror comedy. Something of a satire. It has the potential for that. And while there are a few moments of dark comedy and chuckles, it’s hard to tell if those were on purpose or not. Or maybe they could have dropped the horror angle altogether and make it an insightful movie about the different views of sex & love between generations and various backgrounds. Again, it does have that material. A24 doesn’t always do Horror, they could have gone this route.

But nope, this is what we got. And it’s fine honestly. Nothing really obviously wrong with it. Some scene transitions that are weird is the biggest offense. At least I can appreciate this is something based off a new idea instead of being another sequel or reboot or remake or whatever. Nothing inherently wrong with any of those, but with so many of those being made right now, this is a little refreshing. If your a little curious about it, there’s no harm in checking it out.

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.