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Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Crimes of the Future (2022)

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It’s weird that David Cronenberg has two movies with this title and yet they aren’t connected in any way. Putting that aside, a brief overview of the movie. In the future, mankind has dwindled in size and major parts of cities and civilizations are in ruins. While not specified how far in the future it is or what has happened, it is clear that society and people have changed in dramatic ways. Most people no longer feel pain. Those that do also have the ability to create new organs. In this world, surgery is the new sex as people experience relief and satisfaction from being cut open. Performance artists are the main example of this, such as Viggo Mortensen’s & Lea Seydoux’s characters. But a strange man approaches them to do a performance with a certain body and the new government is working with the Organ Registry to fight back against this man and his group.

I should start with my criticisms of the movie. For some reason, everyone speaks really softly. This isn’t that surprising as many Cronenberg movies seem to have characters speak softly. And there are scenes where that delivery works. But there are just as many scenes where it is difficult to make out what they are saying. There is one scene, where Seydoux’s character is speaking to the crowd watching the final performance of the movie. But the crowd are several feet away and are on higher ground. She should speak louder so they can hear her! There is a subplot that comes up in the movie that doesn’t really go anywhere. I do get what it is supposed to add to Mortensen’s character – someone who feels pain and grows organs only to have them cut out during his performances. It’s meant to push him towards where his character ends up regarding his personal beliefs. But the subplot just feels like it is unceremoniously killed off.

One thing I wasn’t expecting this film to critique is the art world. In this movie, anyone can do surgery. Which makes sense because the way it is done and is experienced by people, it is very much sex. But only certain people are seen as artists and seemingly give meaning to it. It took me a minute for me to adjust to how this is used to parallel the art culture of the real world. Mainly because it takes a while into the movie for the critique to become clear. And I think that might be my biggest critique of the film. You watch it for a while and it is definitely interesting and you want to watch where it goes. But for a while it leaves you wondering what exactly the point of the movie is. What is the message it is trying to convey? It takes until the third act of the movie for your brain to make the connection once Mortensen’s & Seydoux’s characters ask the mysterious man why he wants them to go through with his request for a performance. That request being to perform an autopsy on his dead son.

And from there, I transition to my biggest praise for this movie. When the movie gets to this point, your brain makes the connections very quickly. This movie is exploring how society and the world around us has affected the evolution of our bodies. The people growing new organs are seen by the mysterious man and his group as being the next step in what humanity is becoming. And while this mysterious man’s group has surgically altered themselves, the dead son is the first one to be born with the new organs and system. That is also when you realize that the new government and the Organ Registry want to discredit these people because if this revelation becomes known, who knows how people would react. Granted, by the time you reach this point in the movie, you would assume that everyone would actually not be too disgusted by that. But the way the government tries to find and shut down people in the performance art world or this other group is a form of control. And the government in the real world does have a history of wanting to control what can and can’t be done to our own bodies.

The third act revelation also adds more meat to a lot of characters – their journeys and their motivations. That’s not to say they aren’t good performances. Mortensen is great as always and Seydoux is just as good. Another standout is Kristen Stewart – all though, she doesn’t do a lot. In that way, her role is similar to Robert Pattinson’s in Cronenberg’s movie “Maps to the Stars”. They are definitely in the movie and they have some level of effect on the storyline. But they don’t have a lot of screen time and they do seem to be lacking some sense of closure. I would have liked one more final scene with Stewart’s character to gain a little more insight into her beliefs now that we know the full extent of what she was doing.

But Mortensen’s character journey is the main one to focus on. He is one of the most famous performance artists in this new world. But he is also secretly working with the new government to find and capture certain criminals taking things too far. He is a part of the world but he is in between how life used to be and what life is moving forward. There are multiple times where characters comment on how Mortensen’s character is trying to maintain control over his body through him letting his new organs be cut out before they take root. And when you get to the third act, you put together that this is him denying the changes that are already happening to him and mankind in general – whether he knows that’s why he is doing it or not. But when the end of the movie comes, he does find belief. He believes in what the mysterious group says about how their bodies are changing and what that truly means for them. And the movie ends with him making a decision that see shim embracing that ideology and finally experiencing total relief from the pain he has been feeling.

Sorry if this has been vague, I want to avoid spoilers as much as possible. But this is a movie where the main message is actually very provocative and it stays with you well after you leave the theater. It does unfortunately take a while for the message to be fully realized and there are parts that could have been improved on. But the good outweighs the bad in my opinion and is worth the watch.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Top Gun: Maverick

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Tom Cruise is back on the big screen in a movie many people are going to want to see. Decades after the events of the original movie, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell being assigned an important task. He must train and form a team of former Top Gun school graduates for a mission going into enemy territory. But one of the people he must train is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s wingman who died all those years ago. Tension runs high as Maverick confronts his past and makes sure these pilots are ready for their mission.

You might have noticed a trend going on in Hollywood in the last several years. A lot of films or movie franchises are being revitalized in order to cash in on nostalgia. Past movies that were active decades ago are now being followed up on in an effort to ensure a profit at the box office. A recent example of this, “5cream”, has coined the term Requel for this trend. A film that is both a reboot and a sequel. Mixing new characters as well as bringing in characters from the original or past movies in a film that is supposed to pay tribute to what came before but past the torch to a new generation. This type of movie became popular following the release of “The Force Awakens” and the trend has had mixed results.

But this is a bit different. This falls into a category that I like to call legacy sequel. Instead of this being a new long-awaited installment to a film series, it’s only serving as a sequel to one movie. And it isn’t meant to set-up more sequels but rather tell a new story in that world. An example of this subset of films is “Blade Runner 2049”. And this film does fit under that term. This isn’t a passing of the torch to a new generation as the main focus is on Tom Cruise’s character.

And in regards to Tom Cruise himself, this film is actually a solid reminder that he can still be a good dramatic actor. While most actors from his era would have started off doing action films then transitioned into more dramatic roles, Cruise has interestingly done the opposite. Gone are the days where he could have just as easily been in “Rain Man” or “Interview with a Vampire”. People watch him now to see him do his own stunts and to see what death defying trick he’s going to give us next. But Maverick in this film has dealt with and is currently dealing with a lot of complicated issues and baggage. Several moments in this movie you can see him put heart and sincerity into his lines and expressions. Don’t take this to mean he’s bitter. When we first meet Maverick in this sequel, he is still acting similarly to how he was in the original. But he has also matured in a way that makes sense. This is a performance that was treated with respect and dignity.

That’s not to say that everyone else isn’t doing a good job. All the pilots that Maverick is training put in the work. But we focus on a handful of pilots. Rooster is very good in this movie and the tense relationship he has with Maverick leads to some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie. But there is a pilot named Jake “Hangman” Seresin that does kind of steal a few scenes. You start off loving to hate this guy, but as the movie moves along he does end up being genuinely like-able and becomes a true friend and team player. Jennifer Connelly plays an old flame of Maverick’s who is back in his life and their relationship is also important to the story, but more relevant to Maverick’s character development. The love story in the original just felt like it was interrupting the movie and slowed things down. But in here, it does feel like part of the story and you enjoy the chemistry between the two.

And that’s part of what makes this movie better than the original. Yes, the flying and dog fights are amazing, a spectacle to behold and tense in the best way. But the story is actually better structured and improves on the weaknesses of the first. Despite the 1986 film being a hit, it did open to mixed reviews. And it is apparent why when you look back on it. There wasn’t a story focus to either tie in what was going on in the movie or even to push things forward. There is the rivalry between Maverick & Iceman, but they aren’t at Top Gun to train for a mission. Just to hone their skills. The love story as mentioned felt out of place and slowed things down. The volleyball scene – while iconic – just happens with no real reason why. And while there is a climax against some enemy pilots, that too just comes out of the blue with no build up.

But in this movie, all of that is changed. Right from the beginning we know that these pilots are being trained for a dangerous mission. The love story develops Maverick’s character. And while we might not have volleyball, we do get beach football. That scenes also surprisingly has a reason to be in the movie. This is a sequel that still carries much of the feel and atmosphere of the original, but has a far stronger dramatic element to enhance the story. It makes the aerial combat more intense to watch as you are invested in these characters and want to see them make it out in one piece.

One criticism of some of those requel films is that they oftentimes make the returning old characters bitter. That they are the old mentors who don’t want to be roped back in but must to help out the new characters. But that doesn’t apply here. Yes, Maverick does have regrets. But his personality is still intact. He does dangerous and reckless things, but with the purpose of preparing these new pilots. Trying to make sure they have the skills to make it back home. While some of the pilots are enjoyable and fun, the focus is on Maverick. This movie is supposed to show him finally finding closure and improving on relationships with people he cares the most about. Be prepared to go right along with him as he flies into the danger zone and come out happier on the other side.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review: Dark City

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Stop me if you’ve heard of this one. A man wakes up in a water-filled bath tub in a sketchy room, with no memory of how he ended up there. Throughout the film, he is chased by an all-powerful collective that wants to maintain the fabricated reality everyone else believes in while the main character realizes the truth and gains powers during his journey. I admit it is a bit of a stretch to say the opening shot of this film is strangely similar to the opening of “Saw”. But the main talking point of this movie in the following years is how similar it is to “The Matrix”. It doesn’t help both films were released only a year apart, they filmed in the same city, and even shared sets. But I assure you that they are entirely different films, with my personal favorite being this overlooked gem.

The aura of this movie is instantly distinct from the previously mentioned science fiction-action based blockbuster. A lot of this film is influenced by much older movies, primarily those from the Crime Noir genre. The old TV show “The Twilight Zone” was even a major influence. While this movie can also be classified as science fiction, there is a Horror element that makes the story even more unsettling. And as someone who has seen his fair share of “The Twilight Zone”, it would be easy to believe this could have been a story from that show. But it’s more important to focus on the Crime Noir influence since that is the source of the movie’s themes and plot structure.

Let’s take a moment to talk about the villains in this movie, The Strangers. It is revealed towards the end they are an extraterrestrial species that kidnapped some humans and placed them in a city of their creation. It turns out their species is dying and they are curious about the Human soul. Or in more practical terms, the essence of what makes each person unique while also showcasing what makes the Human race in general different. The decision for them to study that is logical since they shared a collective consciousness without much room for individuality, which could be part of the reason they are dying. This also connects to themes often explored in noir stories. A lot of those movies have the characters explore human nature, what drives someone to do certain actions. Those movies often focus on the darker aspects of humanity and the cruelty that we can find ourselves capable of doing if pushed far enough. And those movies can oftentimes end on a depressing note as the main character can find themselves disillusioned and hardened by their experiences.

But this movie cleverly switches that around. Yes, the main character – John Murdoch – sees through the fake reality that has been created by The Strangers. Learns of how his life has been manipulated and how he has been forced in a sense to do things he most likely wouldn’t do of his own choice. But while one can call this being disillusioned, the movie would most likely refer to this as being enlightened. Now that he is aware of what is happening around him, he can utilize his mind to take control of his own life and future. And while the movie does make this literal with him having psychokinesis, it’s still an accurate way of portraying how that idea can be utilized in the real world. Just don’t expect yourselves to actually be able to create building with the power of your brain.

Another way that this movie turns a classic Noir trope around is the conclusion the main character comes to about Humanity. A lot of Noir films will end with the main character having a more pessimistic outlook on people and the world at large. But at the end of Murdoch’s story, he proves that the unpredictable nature of people is actually a good thing. When left to our own devices, we have the capability of creating a world and future that is bright and full of possibilities. The Strangers trying to figure that out through their experiment were never going to be able to fully comprehend that due to their own nature. Their experiment was doomed from the beginning. Even when one of them tries to form some kind of individuality it ends up ultimately being incompatible and kills him. Our free will is what makes us unique and so interesting. And with it, who knows what we can be capable of?

Film Editorials, Movies

Why the Pet Sematary Remake is Important

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The 1983 novel “Pet Sematary” is considered Stephen King’s darkest novel. It’s a story that follows a family that moves to a new home and not long after that, one of their children is killed. It’s an exploration of the heaviest kind of grief, connected to a fear that every parent has and an experience that they hope to never go through. When it was first adapted into a movie in 1989, it stood out for being a Horror movie more focused on emotion than physical violence. Most people really like the film and is considered one of the best Stephen King movies/adaptations. However, when the remake came out in 2019, it has a more mixed response. But I don’t think many of the criticisms are valid.

It’s easy to dismiss a Horror remake and just say it isn’t good or as good as the original. Hell, you can say that about any remake. And there are plenty of examples where that turns out to be the truth. But I think it’s important we keep in mind the quality of the original film as it was. There is a sense of dread and gloom in the film. But there were plenty of times in the original where it came at odds with some of the more campy elements/scenes of the movie. A number of them revolve around Victor Pascow, or rather his spirit because he dies in the first scene he’s in. But he occasionally pops up to offer a more comedic feel to certain scenes. And that can sometimes feel a bit jarring compared to the feel the movie is trying to go for. And there are moments where the acting from some of the main characters are kind of flat.

Keeping that in mind, the remake is actually a better made film in that respect. This version still has a sense of dread but we still have moments throughout the first part of the movie where we get to know the main characters and connect with them. Only this time it feels like the tone of the movie is more consistent. And the acting is also more consistent. Jason Clarke as Louis Creed stands out more compared to Dale Midkiff. The rest of the cast also does a great job with the roles they are in. While John Lithgow is certainly a different interpretation, he is still very likable and feels organic to the way the story is being told.

But now let’s get to the stuff really worth talking about – the differences in this version. In this scenario, there are two major differences in this remake that sets itself apart and is the focus of criticism. The first is the character Ellie Creed. She is the oldest daughter of the Creed family. Unlike her younger brother Gage, who’s still a young child. Ellie though goes to school and hold conversations with her parents. Even talking about some of her fears and anxieties that are more abstract. We get the chance to create an emotional connection that helps us understand and feel for her. She’s a bit more developed in this version than she is in the original film.

And then she dies. Which is a major change since in the original movie and book, Gage is the child who dies. When wandering in the street and a truck doesn’t stop in time. I understand why it was originally Gage who dies, since someone so young – basically still a toddler – is heartbreaking and unthinkable. But from a narrative perspective, it makes more sense for Ellie to die. We’ve spent more time with her and she’s an actual character in the movie. The impact feels heavier. Some may point out that it feels more planned since she sees her cat Church, resurrected from the burial ground and abandoned by Louis a couple of scenes ago,,and goes out to try and get him. I’m all right with that since the Pet Sematary is supposed to have an influence on the people near it and push them to use the soil. I’ll admit though that while we don’t get a close look at her body right after the accident, it doesn’t seem that bloody of a corpse. But I can forgive that since that’s a nit-picky criticism.

That’s what makes the next part of the story that more interesting – the first human resurrection. In the first film, it doesn’t take long for Louis to decide to kill Gage after his youngest child comes back from the dead. But it takes a while for him to realize what he’s done after Ellie comes back. He tries to clean her up when she comes back, she still treats him like the dad she loves. He even goes as far as to think showing his wife Rachel what he did thinking she would be happy about it. Having Ellie be the first one back from the dead makes the confrontation with Jud more interesting. Let’s face it, having Gage being able to take down Jud or any adult in the original film is kind of silly. But this works because not only is Ellie small enough to still sneak around, but she has the intelligence to emotionally manipulate. Her face transforms into Jud’s dead wife and taunts him, intimidating him and eventually getting the upper hand and victory. That same kind of emotional manipulation is also used against her dad when he finally comes back to his senses and tries to kill her. It works well enough to get him to hesitate, leaving room for the opening kill against him.

And now comes the other major difference in this version that’s a source of criticism – the ending. The novel has it where Jud and Gage are dead, Ellie is in Chicago with her grandparents, and Louis takes his wife to the burial ground thinking this time it will be different. It ends with him waiting at home, a hand then rests on his should as he hears her call him “Darling”. The original film is mainly the same. But it ends with the two of them making out – which the resurrected Rachel uses as a distraction as she grabs a weapon and starts bringing it down on him just before the credits roll. But it is very different in this version. Jud is still dead, that’s the same. But as mentioned earlier, Louis is killed in his fight against his resurrected daughter. But Ellie had killed Rachel and dragged her to the burial ground earlier, meaning it is the resurrected Rachel that kills Louis. Mother and daughter drag Louis to the burial ground. The next morning comes and all three approach the vehicle were the still living Gage is sitting in, and the undead cat lands on the hood looking at the young child through the window.

A lot of people view this as kind of silly. Some say that this change was only made just o lazily subvert expectations. I understand that mind-set, especially when several movies or TV shows seems to want to subvert expectations without thinking of a way to do it that makes sense. But let me point this out. Both the original movie and the novel is an exploration of how a tragedy affects a family. How that grief spreads and destroys everyone. In this movie…the grief doesn’t destroy. Instead, it consumes them. And yes, there is a difference. In the original version of the story, grief destroys the relationships between all family members. But this version keeps them united, while drastically changing their personalities and beliefs by extension. While the heads of the Creed family may have lost themselves following Gage’s death, Ellie is actually in the care of her grandparents. There is still hope that she can make something of her life and move on in the years to follow. But not in this story.

All of them have been drastically altered by the tragedy that befell them. Regardless of if they brought it on themselves or if it was unavoidable, they are not the same. The trajectory of their lives are forever altered. There are plenty of people in real life that expect their lives to unfold one way, but then something happens that forces them down a darker path. And sometimes they don’t recover. They just can’t move one and try to grow. They succumb to darker emotions and perspectives. That’s what has happened to this family. Whatever comes next for them, it is objectively far worse than what would have happened to them before the trauma. And seeing how often opportunities have been presented that would have stopped this from happening, you have to wonder if they even wanted to be saved.

And that’s why I think this movie is just as good as the original. In some cases, even better. I know I’m in the minority about this. But maybe you should give it another shot. After reading this, you might view the film a bit differently. Might even realize that it wasn’t a mistake to bring this story back to life.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

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SPOILERS!

I have read a lot of comics. A large number of them deal with the more abstract and mind-bending elements that can be utilized and explored so well. And yet, my brain still can’t comprehend that there is a character whose legal name is…America. That has produced some funny lines of dialogue in the movie. And yet no one in the film acknowledges that her name is weird. That kinda works and leans into the unintentionally funny aspect of using her name. I just wanted to get that out of the way before diving into the review proper.

Doctor Strange finds himself protecting a young girl named America Chavez. She has the ability to travel throughout the multiverse and is being hunted by someone who wants her power. That person…is Wanda Maximoff AKA The Scarlet Witch. She desires her power to travel to a universe where she can be with her children and she utilizes the Darkhold for the dark magic that will help her achieve her plan. Strange & America try and find a way to defeat her as they travel through other universes.

One thing that has been talked about is how this movie is supposed to have consequences for Strange’s actions in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and even his first movie. That isn’t exactly true. Those events aren’t explicitly mentioned in this movie. But this movie is supposed to have Strange realize that his stubbornness and need to be in control has put other people in danger and drives others from him. There is even a brief scene in the beginning where someone asks Strange if his plan to defeat Thanos was the best one, that there was no other way. While the people snapped did came back, this guy mentions how his brother had passed during those 5 years in between. It’s a moment of clarity that there are still people who will never be reunited due to how Strange’s plan unfolded. This is something that Stephen realizes and confronts by the time the movie ends. And that makes Strange one of the highlights of the movie.

One of the other major highlights is Wanda. I loved her as the antagonist in this movie. She has some great, intimidating scenes, really shows off what she is capable of. There may be a few people who aren’t quite on board with this development based on the finale of WandaVision. And I can understand where they are coming from. Personally though, I thought it made sense. Especially since she was pushed in that direction by the corrupting influence of the Darkhold. The other character that has a major role in this movie is America Chavez. She is…pretty much what you think she ends up being. The movie doesn’t really give her much room to establish a unique personality or stand out beyond being the person being hunted. That’s not to say I didn’t like her. She was fine and I see the potential for her in future movies. I just hope those future movies have her evolve and develop into a more interesting character.

There are a couple of things about this movie that keep me from really falling in love with the movie. While the multiverse is in it, we don’t spend a lot of time in other universes. We see glimpses of a bunch, sure. But only spend significant time in a couple of them. The trailers also showed that Mordo – Strange’s former mentor turned enemy – is back in the movie. But it is one from an alternate universe. However he is still pretty similar to the main Mordo. Which just makes it a little more frustrating that we haven’t followed up on that character since the first Doctor Strange movie. Finally, the first half of the movie does have some of the MCU traits that people are criticizing a bit more in recent years. All though there isn’t a lot of it and they are passed by fairly quickly.

With all of that out of the way…I gotta say, I still found a lot to really enjoy. Like previously mentioned, Strange and Wanda are two big highlights and I love their roles and arcs through the movie. But this movie is truly at its best when Sam Raimi is allowed to be himself as a director. There are multiple camera shots and angles that are unique to his visual style. Scene transitions similar to some of the transitions used in his Spider-Man movies. And of course – the horror elements in this movie will please Evil Dead fans such as myself. This creates some great visuals in the movie. Hell, there are entities called Spirits of the Damned and I’m totally convinced those are just the MCU’s version of Deadites!

I can’t say that I loved this movie. But I did find myself really enjoying this movie. Definitely something that I would revisit multiple times in the future. While it was shorter than I expected, it is kind of refreshing to have a lighter multiverse centered story as opposed to some others that go for the more epic feel and weight. I also appreciate how after something horrific happens, they usually don’t follow it up with a joke. They will let the weight of what just happened just be felt. Overall, it was worth the wait.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

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I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a while. Nicolas Cage stars as himself, a National Treasure. A man who makes a lot of movies, but we find out he isn’t The Family Man he once was. While his daughter is thankfully not a Valley Girl, she’s someone who clearly needs the presence of both her Mom and Dad. But every time Nic does show up in his daughter’s life, he finds work and is Gone in 60 Seconds. But things change when Nic Cage accepts an offer to go attend a birthday party for a wealthy man at The Rock that houses his estate. After flying Con Air, they bond by watching a movie (all though it wasn’t filmed in 8mm) and they take drugs created by a Color Out of Space. But then suddenly, Nic is recruited by the CIA and becomes and Army of One to spy on his new friend who might be behind a kidnapping plot. This leads to an intense Face/Off that also requires Nic to Drive Angry and Kick-Ass. And then Nic Cage has to become a real hero, escaping the wrath of a master criminal while making sure no one he cares about gets Left Behind. Also, he starred in Ghost Rider.

Now that we got that mess of a paragraph out of the way, let’s talk about this movie. I always find it amusing when actors play fictional version of themselves. Neil Patrick Harris playing a version of himself in the Harold & Kumar movie was probably the highlight of that movie. But Nicolas Case playing himself…my mind is still trying to process the insanity a performance like that can create. And this doesn’t disappoint. There’s a lot about him that does feel truly authentic to how he is in real life. Including some version of how the internet views him. But this movie also uses that perception of him to create an emotional arc for Cage in the film. That being how him always working has created conflict with his family, especially his daughter. And that is properly focused on and given some resolution that feels fulfilling.

And while that is good, that’s not really what this movie is about. Nicolas Cage is an actor everyone knows and loves. A wide variety of people were in the theater that I was in when I saw this movie. And that should go to show that this movie is a celebration of the actor and his work. This movie doesn’t make fun of him in a mean way or discredit any of his movies. In fact, it actually puts a brief spotlight on a couple of his films that I don’t think many people even recognize. Cage gets to show us the many reasons why so many people love him. His comedic timing, his dramatic expressions, his action skills, and so on. The movie itself is a blend of several different types of Cage films. But when we get to the action focused third act and climax, it does actually feel organic and not a drastic tonal shift.

The movie is well shot, has solid pacing. Many of the supporting actors are good in this movie. Honestly, the only other thing I feel like I can expand on is Pedro Pascal’s character. I totally believe him as this Nic Cage super fan that truly loves his work. He gets both nervous and excited to actually meet him and spend time with his favorite actor. And the two of them end up developing this touching friendship that does become the heart of this movie. I think he might even be a stand in for everyone who is a fan of Nicolas Cage based on some of the lines he says in the film.

I know it seems like I didn’t really do a lot to analyze the film. That might be because I know a lot of reviews for this film are basically saying the same things I am. But trust me – this movie is funny, exciting, engaging, and filled with genuine heart. Every fan of Nicolas Cage is going to see this regardless. Even if you haven’t seen a lot of Cage films prior to this, I have no doubt this will encourage to dive deep into the actor’s filmography. Let’s just all appreciate this actor and watch him does what he does best – be himself.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – The Northman

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Robert Eggers is one of my favorite directors currently working. This is only his third film, but he has already established a distinct style and tone that can be found in all three of them. They all also touch on similar ideas and themes that help develop their own worlds as something more mature and complex. And while actors from his past two films show up in this one, this one is more epic in scale than the previous films. And it is more violent, intense, and arguably more engaging than the past films. That’s not meant to criticize his past films, but is supposed to show just how hard the director has perfected his skills.

This movie focuses on Prince Amleth. It starts off with him as a young boy who witnesses his father killed by his uncle who takes the kingdom and the Prince’s mother. Amleth flees, promising to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his uncle. The majority of the movie then focuses on him as a brutal warrior who puts a plan in place to destroy the life his uncle has created before finally claiming revenge. If any part of this plot sounds familiar, that isn’t a surprise. This movie is based on an old Norse poem that would later inspire the Shakespeare play “Hamlet”. But this movie makes sure to make the right changes to avoid obvious similarities and establish itself as it’s unique thing that’s authentic to the era it takes place in.

And that’s one of the strengths of this film. Robert Eggers spent a lot of time making sure this movie is authentic to the time period it is set in. Not surprising considering he has wanted to make a Viking themed movie for years. This authenticity also brings in a lot of bloodshed, which is wonderfully violent. When we see some of the things the older Amleth does, we see him commit acts that are as bad – if not worse – than anything his father or uncle have probably done. For example, for years he spends his time honing his warrior skills by joining the Berserkers. They are a group of Viking warriors that attack villages and sell prisoners as slaves. Not only do we see Amleth kill many villagers, including biting into the throat of an enemy, he watches as his fellow berserkers set one of the shelters on fire that is housing screaming children.

And I think that serves as an example as to why this movie is so interesting and more complex than it might seem. As time marches on and society progresses, what we determine to be honorable, courageous and morally right changes. I have no doubt there are people that can’t find anyone to root for in this movie. That they can’t find anyone they would call a good person. This movie’s protagonist hangs mutilated corpses on the side of a shelter as a scare tactic to psychologically get into his enemy’s head. But the time period this movie takes place in is not out time. Back then, it was seen as honorable to seek revenge on someone for killing your family, regardless of how much carnage it creates. Also, we are dealing with the same culture and mythology that has vikings. These aren’t the knights of the round table we’re dealing with.

Speaking of mythology, I do like the use of mysticism in this film. While a lot of effort was put into the film in terms of getting the look and feel down – as well as the culture and their practices – the mysticism does elevate it to that epic level. It kind of reminds me of some old Greek mythological stories I read back when I was younger. About how a hero would go on this epic adventure, overcome challenges, and claim victory with the aid of the Gods. And that’s how I view this movie. As a more brutal, realistic, complex, and intense hero’s journey.

Needless to say, everything about it is great. The acting is great. The characters feel real and they all keep my attention. Visually, it looks beautiful. And as mentioned, the violence is enjoyably brutal. It helps that the action is well done. This isn’t an action movie, but the way it is shot is intense and makes it stand out from how a lot of other movies film their action scenes. I honestly don’t know what else to say about this movie that hasn’t already been covered. If you are looking for an epic size film that is intense and dark, this is the one to go see.

Film Editorials, Movies

Dual has Two Viewpoints on Life

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SPOILERS BELOW!

I find it kind of ironic that the conflict of this film revolves around a battle involving the actress who plays Nebula. There’s probably something meta you could say that applies to her Marvel character in that franchise. Anyway, this story takes place in a world where clones are a thing. But they are usually only for people who are about to die and want to ease the pain of their loved ones. Our main character – Sara – gets one after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Ten months later and it turns out she is in full remission. That means according to the law, a duel must take place in a year to determine which one gets to live. Having two of them walking around would just be insane!

Before we get into the meat of things, I gotta say that I do enjoy the humor of this movie. You can call it deadpan. But I think there is a fair mix of ironic humor thrown in as well. And then you get something like a female doctor somehow mansplaining what a funeral is to Sara when she is first diagnosed with her terminal illness. I think the humor of this film is supposed to help us process the vaguely bizarre ideas and concepts that this movie touches on. Helps us find a way to relate to what is going on and make it easier for us to understand.

Something that I found unique about this movie is that it has a theme but it ends up having two different perspectives on it. When we meet Sara, she does seem like a person who might not be fully content or happy with herself. More or less going through the motions or just partially being in touch with her feelings. So when she finds out that she has to fight to death and essentially prove she has a right to exist, her journey can be applied to how we might feel about our own lives. We have no shortage of documentaries or books or whatever it is you consume for entertainment that shed a light on how machine-like the average person goes about their day. Maybe it’s because they have grown comfortable and feel no need to do something new. Maybe they are depressed. But the only way to break out of that is to be confronted with something that can fundamentally change how you view yourself and the world around you. And that’s what happens with Sara. We see her pushed to the point where she is exposed to experiences and people that reshape her mind. Her journey is ultimately about how even though our lives might not seem like it, we have to realize they are worth fighting for.

But then we have the journey of Sara’s double, which is how she is referred to throughout most of the film. We don’t get to see a lot of her own story in this film once the preparations for the upcoming duel get underway. Once she does come back in, however, we do see a different side of things. She confesses to the original Sara about how the problems she might have experienced with her boyfriend and mom are starting to take a toll on her. She even takes them to a support group for people – originals and doubles – that have survived their duels and how that has affected them. Some of this could at first be interpreted as manipulation to try and mentally attack her original. But that doesn’t dismiss the fact that the others from this support group do find themselves not living their lives the way they thought they would. Haunted by the actions they made and even dealing with the consequences of how their originals lived their lives.

It’s not until we get to the final stretch of the film that the idea is fully realized. Sara’s double is ultimately the one left alive. But when we see her some time after the original’s death, it turns out that she wasn’t exactly lying. She does seem to be negatively affected by things that might have pushed the original Sara to be potentially depressed and introverted. The culmination of various factors begins to stress her mind and take their toll. Even to the point where she just stops in the middle of traffic and have a breakdown. It’s Sara’s double story that we explore the idea of what is the point of living if your life seems to be nothing about stress and negativity. If all you are getting our of it is sadness with no fulfillment or joy, then why bother? We have two versions of the same character that both approach the topic of how precious life can be, but they end up coming to two different conclusions. And that is the meta duality of this film. It’s up to you to decide which one is the message you want to take away with.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Everything Everywhere All at Once

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Comic book readers are already familiar with the multiverse. It has opened up a variety of story-telling potential and has inspired the imagination of who knows how many people. But now it appears the TV and movies are starting to play around with the concept. Whether it’s to bring 2 different Spider-Men together or explaining why “The Batman” doesn’t connect to Ben Affleck, movies are now seeing the potential as well. But now it’s time to take a look at how an indie studio like A24 handles such a concept. And it is an insane – and touching – as you might expect.

We begin with Evelyn Wang getting ready for an audit by the IRS. There’s her husband Waymond, daughter Joy, and her estranged father referred to as Gong Gong. Which naturally means this is the right time for her husband to be taken over by a version of himself from the Alpha Verse! Jobu Tupaki is a threat that threatens the safety of the multiverse and it happens to be Evelyn’s daughter from the multiverse. She must now utilize verse-jumping to find the skills necessary to fight back.

I suppose we should start off with how the movie deals with the multiverse concept. It’s existence is explained by how different choices in the timeline creates a new universe, leading to really an infinite multiverse. It’s a common way of explaining a concept like this, something comics themselves have used a couple of times. But it’s important to remember that it isn’t limited to different choices Evelyn or her family make. We get glimpses of different universes that were not shaped by Evelyn or anyone in her family. As for verse-jumping, people from the Alpha Verse have tech and are trained to mentally access another version of themselves. Their memories, skills, and bodies. But this also runs the risk of them being distracted or pulled back by that other universe as their minds are kind of split in multiple universes. They are trained to deal with that fallout, but it affects Evelyn for better and for worse. Overall, this multiverse isn’t that different from ones people might have experienced in other mediums. But trust me when I say it is still a very unique film.

One of the main things that establishes this multiverse story as unique is how they are able to verse-jump. They have to perform random actions that allow them to access certain versions of themselves. The weirder the action the better chance of finding skills that are useful in your scenario. Examples include getting 4 paper cuts in between all your fingers, downing a 2 liter bottle of orange soda in seconds, or furiously humping a lamp. And those are the examples that don’t spoil anything in the movie! This obviously leads to a lot of funny moments and bits that really land. The way this movie is shot and presented is similar to a number of South Korean films. What I mean is that it blends a lot of different styles and emotions together into a single movie that shouldn’t work as well as it does. But you are going to have a blast all the way through!

As for an underlying messages, this is sort of a 2-in-1 situation. Let’s first look at the larger theme. Jobu Tupaki is a version of Joy from the Alpha Verse that gets pushed during Verse-Jumping training so hard that she is seemingly lost. But when she comes back, she is described as this entity of darkness and nothingness. She talks about how due to the overwhelming size and scope of the multiverse, looking at the morality of specific actions and choices in one single world seems pointless and insignificant. And chances are, we might make a new discovery that’s even larger and will make us even more insignificant. So she views existence from a “nothing matters” perspective and tries to get Evelyn to see things like she does before ultimately ending their existence.

But the movie ends up deciding to not take Jobu’s side. It is easy to see things that way, easy to fight back against an idea or concept that scares you. But in a multiverse as massive an insane as this one, the most important thing that remains constant is love. Caring for one another and showing compassion. There may be things that are massive and terrifying, but that means family and loved ones are even more important.

Time for the second underlying themes that goes hand in hand with the first. The importance of making Evelyn and her husband Chinese immigrants is to show the cultural divide that within their own family that can honestly be applied to any family. You have older members sticking to traditional ways of living and their own beliefs that don’t seem to account for how the modern world has evolved. The younger ons who have grown up with this world and end up being at odds with their own family about their beliefs and the way they live their lives. And some family members trying their best to bridge that gap but might be making things more difficult without realizing it. This movie is trying to show that institutions and old concepts and ideas can be limiting. They can damage our relationships with other people. But if you can realize that and try to move past it, you can work on fixing damaged relationships and find some deeper meaning.

And these ideas are told in the most entertaining of ways. This movie takes advantage of the multiverse concepts and shows off some wild action scenes and peeks into bizarre worlds. The actions required to verse-jump are incredible and the good kind of stupid. All the actors get a chance to show off their wide range, especially Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn. But in all of this madness, there is an emotional anchor that makes this an extremely relatable story. Please check this out in theaters while you have the chance. Or at least make a plan to seek it out and just watch the insanity unfold a touching human story. I promise you won’t regret it.

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.