Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Prey

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The Predator franchise is unusual in several respects. One of those being that there is more good than bad installments. While there is some debate over the 2nd and 3rd installments, they are still generally considered good overall. The 2018 film “The Predator” is the only installment considered genuinely bad, or at least poor. But for a film series that has been around for over 30 years, that’s still impressive. Luckily the most recent installment continues the trend of having more good films. In fact, “Prey” is an excellent film that has both gory action and great characterization.

The first prequel of the franchise, we focus on a story that takes place in 1719 in North America. We follow a young Comanche woman named Naru that wants to become a hunter. And while we do see early on she has some skills with tracking and weaponry, we also several attempts of her failing to actually kill the creatures she hunts. But then the Predator arrives and Naru goes out to hunt the creature in order to protect her tribe.

I think one thing many people might be concerned about regarding this film is that the writing for the female protagonist won’t be up to par. There have been many films in recent years with female leads where the writing does nothing to help flesh them out as real characters. Instead, the films often portray them as flawless from the beginning and end up being somehow even more flawless. But that is not the case with “Prey”. As mentioned, we see several instances in the first act where she is unable to actually land the killing blow against an animal. There is a deer and a mountain lion in the first act the film she goes up against but fails to kill. However, we do see her practice with her weaponry and work with her trained dog named Sarii. In addition, she has skills as both a tracker and as a healer. It’s just that she never seem to have been able to actually prove herself to her tribe.

However, her brother Taabe does show support for her and does help give her a couple of chances in the hope she will finally land the kill. Their connection does end up bringing a fair deal of heart to the film and help us care for both characters. As the film goes along, Naru is shown using the skills she has and observe the events happening to eventually become the hunter and warrior she wishes to be. Speaking of characterization, there is a fair bit of it for the Predator of the film. First though, the design of the creature looks cool. It does have a more primitive design and feel in a few areas. Not so drastic it is unrecognizable from what we’ve seen in other movies, but enough to stand out as unique to this story. In the first act, we see it hunt other predators native to the ecosystem. But it always waits to see those predators make their own kills uninterrupted. Almost as if it is waiting for proof they are worthy to be killed. And even though it has a variety of weapons, it starts with using just it’s hands and a couple of blades. Showing this is a creature that does have a more personal, up close fighting style a little similar to the Comanche tribe.

Obviously this film does a great job of having characterization for both hero and villain. And managing to do so with mainly visuals as opposed to the movie telling us. But don’t worry, we still have that intense gory action. There are several kills that are brutal and blood is spilled all over the great plains. Interesting thing to note is that as we move from fight to fight, Naru does pay attention to some of the details about the Predator. The way it fights, how it decides who to go after, the way it moves. As she gathers that knowledge, she finds a way to use her skills and the knowledge of her land to go up against the creature in a final showdown that is very enjoyable. It isn’t often we have an R rated action/thriller film that also serves as a coming-of-age story. But this film has found great success in the way it blends those different styles and executes the final product.

A couple of other elements that help suck you in to the movie are the visuals and the sound. Several memorable scenes and landscapes do stick out in memory and the sound helps engage you in the action unfolding. You will feel yourself get tense during certain scenes as you try and anticipate what will happen next.

After being in production for the better part of a decade, “Prey” finally releases and sticks the landing. It even shows the franchise and the direction it probably should follow. A series of anthology films taking place in various time periods, showing how the people and culture of the times dictate how we interact with the arrival of a Predator. One of the best things of the franchise is seeing how humans and Predators react to each other, maybe even work with each other on occasion. Regardless if they go this route or maybe continue with these characters, we can rest easy knowing the franchise has remembered how to entertain us and keep us engaged.

Comics

The Bizarre Meta Issue from Spawn’s Early Days

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It’s hard to predict what will become popular in the entertainment industry. There have been so many instances where studios tried using a movie to launch a franchise…only for it to die before it even got a chance. And then there are the movies and shows that became popular out of nowhere – or despite the obstacles they had to overcome. The same can be applied to the comic book industry. At the time, I imagine only Todd McFarlane believed that Spawn would have lasted this long and continues to go strong. But that doesn’t mean he kept that to himself. He let his belief become public knowledge in the tenth issue, released back in May 1993.

In the previous issue, Al Simmons had his first fight with an angel named Angela. Spawn managed to lure Angela into a trap and defeated her. But she had left her lance in the New York alley. When Spawn went to grab it, he is seemingly transported to another place. And that is depicted in issue 10 and it gets a bit weird. The issue has these narration boxes coming from Al’s point of view. Only, it also isn’t his point of view? He’s both the Al/Spawn of his world but also the one of this alternate world too. I think the narration continuously confusing us about this is supposed to enhance a dream-like feeling of this other world. But it only makes it confusing on who exactly is supposed to be telling us what is going on.

Moving on though, Spawn goes out and finds this cave that turns out to be a prison. One one side of the wall, there are a bunch of unknown people with hands behind their back and bags covering their heads. On the other side is the actual prison. Out from the bars are this arms for all of these superheroes. None of them are actually referred to by their official names. But the way Spawn describes this group of heroes and the designs of these outstretched arms clearly indicate they are heroes from both Marvel & DC. There is even a figure that falls just sort of outright confirming it’s Superman, but referred to as “He-Who-Came-First”. They all give Spawn their power so that he can try to free them…only to fail. Oh, and we also see a female version of Violator wearing a dress made of money. Not much else to say about that.

This also counts as a crossover because this character named Cerebus arrives in this issue. I’ve never read any of Cerebus’s comics so I don’t know enough about him to give an opinion about the character. But he explains to Spawn this is a world where superheroes have been sold by their creators. That is, with the exception of this world’s Spawn. Cerebus takes Al to a home that belongs to him and to this world’s Cyan. It ends on this bittersweet moment where Al goes downstairs holding his child to greet his – or this world’s – Wanda.

So…there are a couple of ways to view this issue. Let’s look at it as if it’s 1993 and this just came out. It must have taken big brass balls to release an issue like this – and for a series that’s still technically within it’s first year of publishing! But this actually does connect to why Image Comics was created in the first place. There were artists in the comic industry that were frustrated with how they were treated by the two big companies and how their work was owned by them and not by the creators. You could read this entire issue as a big middle finger to DC & Marvel. Doesn’t necessarily excuse the awkward writing, especially with confusing narration. But I’ll grant that this was written with courage.

Now, let’s view this from the modern era. And I have to say that this is…an amusing issue. Still has flaws when it comes to the writing. But it does read differently given everything that has happened with Spawn in recent years. Spawn has run for over 300 issues, even earning the title of longest-running creator owned comic book series. It has now launched 3 new titles in an effort to created a shared universe. And the first issue of each of those titles has broken different sales records. This is no small feat for this industry, where the two leading companies are constantly restarting series with new number one issues and struggling to maintain a consistent direction for any number of books.

This issue is by far the most meta Spawn has ever been. But it came out at an awkward time. Not only was the writing for a lot of comic books at the time – especially from Image – awkward, but it was for a comic that had yet to prove any staying power. Yet in time, it has actually become something of a prophetic story for the character. I’m not going to act that the Spawn title has been perfect for it’s entire history. I’ve had some issues with it from time to time. But I find myself still connected to this character and world. And that’s most likely because Spawn’s creator still owns him and is passionate about him. Cheers to whatever lies ahead! Just make sure the writing doesn’t get as awkward like it was in this old issue and you should be fine.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Nope

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When Jordan Peele released his first film “Get Out”, it became an instant hit. Audiences and critics were thrilled with the scares and engaged with the racial commentary the movie provided. It became one of the few Horror films to have been nominated for Best Picture. The follow-up, “Us”, was more complex for general movie audiences to digest. The feel of the movie was more reminiscent of Horror from the 1970s or 1980s. It actually felt inspired by the work of one of my personal favorite filmmakers, John Carpenter. Audiences still overall enjoyed it but critics and film fanatics had a ball dissecting the themes of Peele’s sophomore project. Now we have his third has come out and it’s time to see what it brings to the table.

If your looking for a film that is a spectacle to watch, then this is something you should check out. The story centers around a horse wrangler ranch in California, one that has historically worked on a number of movie sets. But the death of the family patriarch brings brother & sister home (Daniel Kaluuya & Keke Palmer respectively) and they try to financially save the ranch by taking a picture of a UFO that visits at night and selling it. Both of these actors bring strong performances to the screen. Kaluuya brings a quiet yet engaging personality to his character while Palmer brings energy that balance each other out and make them entertaining to see interact. All the performances in the movie are honestly fun to watch. From Steven Yeun who plays a rather interesting character during the first of the movie. To even Brandon Perea who plays the tech support comedic role that helps our main characters try to get evidence of alien life.

Several people have pointed out similarities between Jordan Peele’s movie & M Night Shyamalan’s movie “Signs”. Both take place on a farm/ranch and have the families deal with alien life. But that’s really as far as the similarities go. Shyamalan’s film was a dour movie, the characters devoid of any real personality. The aliens in the movie had standard designs and were taken out pathetically easily. Peele’s characters bring both depth and humor to their roles, making you both tense but can also make you laugh. And the reveal of what exactly is stalking their ranch is actually a fin spin on your typical Hollywood UFO flick. The climax of the movie is the most action-focused of Peele’s film career and that is where the spectacle of the movie takes center stage.

However, the one major flaw of the movie is the social commentary. Or rather, the movie’s failure to provide an easily identifiable connection between it’s commentary and the events playing on screen. The movie starts off with a rather tense and dread filled scene that connects to Steven Yeun’s character. You can feel that this backstory is in the film for a reason and that there is a connection between it and what’s happening in the present. But you will probably struggle to figure out what that connection is as your watching the movie. Of course, you can ponder it and do research following the credits. But it will ultimately be a distraction for you if that’s what you are going to this film to see. While “Us” is probably more abstract with it’s themes, it does provide enough clues and small details where you can at least start making the connections as you watch it. But there might be some people who will be initially confused by what this new offering has to say.

Overall though, this is a very enjoyable film. One that provides spectacle and commentary, even if the latter is a bit tricky to properly identify. A film that enjoys playing with tropes and the familiarity of this kind of UFO story that has tense scenes and entertaining performances. I would say that this is definitely worth going to the theaters for.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Saint Maud

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A24 has grown to occupy a unique standing in Hollywood. They are quite possibly the biggest independent film studio at the moment. But it does feel like they have grown into one of the biggest studios in Hollywood, along studios like Warner Brothers and Paramount. Their brand and style has become well known among critics and general audiences alike. They are best known for producing movies with a unique dramatic and/or horror focus. Even for films where they only acted as distributors, they often carry a style that’s pretty similar to other work A24 has been involved in. That can be seen with this British Horror film which had flown under the radar for a lot of people but has gone on to be considered a modern classic of the genre.

A former hospital nurse known as Katie has left her job prior to the film to become a hospice nurse, going by the name Maud. In addition to the professional change, she has recently converted to Roman Catholicism and takes her faith seriously. To the point where she claims to feel God communicate with her, although not with words but sensations that her body feels. She likes the work that she does but feels like everything is leading her towards some higher purpose that God has planned. This seems to take shape when she becomes the nurse for a sick former dancer named Amanda. Things seem to go well at first, and it appears as though Amanda might have an interest in sharing Maud’s religion. Maud takes that as a a sign that she could save a soul and takes it seriously. But when she becomes a bit too involved in Amanda’s personal life, things take a sharp turn downward. All of it leading to Maud making violent choices with no opportunity to turn away. Even if she wanted to back out.

This film serves as the directorial debut of Rose Glass. Watching the movie, you start to notice how the movie is influenced by Horror flicks of the 1970s. A couple of comparisons that have been made are to the films “Carrie” and “The Exorcist”. But I think another film that might have inspired Miss Glass’s movie is the Scorsese film “Taxi Driver”. Maud’s personal life is shown as being practically non-existent ever since she left the hospital and converted. Her personal apartment is very small with only the bare essentials. She doesn’t seem to have any friends, although one former friend that also worked at the hospital does make an effort to try and reconnect during the film’s plot. Maud is solely focused on her work that she considers noble. But finds bigger purpose with Amanda, despite her firing Maud following a physical altercation. She takes it on herself to become the savior of someone she sees as in trouble.

Based on that, Maud does have vague similarities De Niro’s character Travis Pickle. But adding in the influence from those 70s Horror films turns it into a more unique film. Maud appears to have some sort of literal connection to the supernatural, which she views as God communicating to her. However, if you pay attention to the scenes where the supernatural events occur, she is the only one actually experiencing it or reacting to it. The movie’s visuals play with the idea of what Maud is experiencing is actually happening or if she is imagining it. Of course, Maud truly believes that it is God. But Amanda, despite seemingly interested in converting, eventually reveals that she was just playing with Maud. Her reasoning being that dying is boring. There is one scene early on in the movie where you do get the feeling she isn’t being entirely sincere. But that scene also starts fueling the possibility that the other supernatural elements aren’t actually there either, serving a dual purpose.

A more recent film to compare this movie with that also was influenced by Martin Scorsese’s work is “Joker”. That film could be read as happening in a variety of different ways. It is heavily debated whether any of the events in the movie happened, if it was all real, or if some of it was real but actually played out differently. The movie leaves all of those possibilities and theories open. But with “Saint Maud”, despite playing with the idea of how much of it is actually happening, you get the feeling that the movie prefers you view the supernatural elements as all being in Maud’s mind. While not explicitly described, you get enough of Maud’s past to know that a horrible death happened at her old hospital job where she tried to save the patient’s life but failed. The former co-worker who tries to reconnect with Maud tries to re-connect and give her support. But despite latching onto the offer for a human connection, Maud continues to isolate herself and keep focused on what she views as her mission. All of Maud’s actions and choices since that day at the hospital could be her mind’s way of making sense of what happened. Quite possibly breaking down over a period of time.

And that’s what brings us to the overall theme of the movie. Maud’s passion in her faith and mission to save Amanda’s soul starts being shown as a woman losing herself in obsession. Someone who is trying to comprehend past trauma but ultimately succumbing to violence resulting in death. Maud would no doubt view her story as something similar to “The Exorcist”, a story of someone wresting with faith but ultimately winning over evil both internal and external. But to the audience, it’s a mixture of “Carrie” and “Taxi Driver”. Someone who has become socially isolated, views her environment as a decaying world and ultimately a distraction from her mission. And while human connection does seem to be teased and become a reality, it is ripped out from under her, and so she takes matters into her own hands.

If you are a fan of 1970s Horror and/or enjoy psychological suspense that plays with perception of reality, this is an easy pick to watch. You will become engaged with Maud as you follow her throughout the movie’s running time. And by the end, regardless of how you view the supernatural elements, you will feel both fear of Maud as well as pity for her. This is a hidden gem that deserves to be seen.

Film Editorials, Movies

A Reinterpretation of American History X

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This movie has gotten a fair amount of attention back when it first came out. Critics praised the themes and message that the movie was saying about Hate and the relation to Racism. It was even used as part of a campaign to raise awareness of Human Rights across several college campuses. There were debates about the film, with one group thinking the white gang (Disciples of Christ) were just a marginal group that only represented an extreme. I’m not going to dispute anything that has been previously talked about when others have analyzed the film. But I do believe that following the 2016 US Presidential Election and the aftermath of the 2020 US Presidential Election that there is a new layer of meaning that should be examined regarding the film.

By the end of the movie, the overall message we are supposed to take is that Hate doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t improve anything if we are making actions based on that emotion. And the final scene of the movie illustrates the kind of consequences that come from acting on said emotion. But there is another important lesson that has been pointed out that I want to expand on slightly. In various scenes of the film, Derek Vinyard is shown to be second-in-command of a rising White Supremacy organization thanks to the mentorship of a man named Cameron Alexander. A seemingly average law-abiding citizen with a clean rep sheet that teachers his racist ideology to Derek following the death of the young man’s father. Derek then spreads the ideology to a bunch of lost kids to build the Disciples of Christ. And it is assumed by the audience that Cameron is where that Hate comes from. But there is a flashback towards the end of the movie where we see the real origin.

Back when Derek’s father was alive, there is a conversation about the new history teacher Derek has and the new literature they have to read for the class. The father makes comments expressing his thoughts on what he perceives to be affirmative action. There is even one moment where he claims to black men on his team became firefighters over two white men who allegedly were more qualified. Whether or not that’s true is up for debate. But the point here that other critics have pointed out is that the movie is showing how Hate is taught to the next generation. A cycle of violence based on misunderstanding on only focusing on the pain being inflicted. But I want to point out that this is only part of the cycle that I think is overlooked.

Derek Vinyard had the seed of Hate in him before his father’s death. Following that tragedy, he began giving in more to that emotion and repeating arguments and logic that is fed to him by someone else. A seemingly normal guy from a position of power he has over him in order to spread his own personal agenda. Then Derek goes to prison and slowly begins to realize that the logic he has believed in up to this point no longer holds up. He has been abandoned by his leader – someone who claims to understand Derek and the people of his community. But is later confirmed that he doesn’t share their experiences – experiences that many of them have gone through due to his manipulation. Even though Derek finds people he thought believed in the same things he did, he ends up leaving them and sees them as traitors. Only for him to be (literally) f***** over by the people he believed to be on his side.

This is admittedly a slightly long way of getting to my reinterpretation. If you are ever curious about why so many people follow men like David Duke or Donald Trump…well, this movie shows how and why. Everyone has the capacity to hate and act on logic that is contradictory or flawed because sometimes we don’t know the full context or story. But then someone comes along who presents themselves from a position of strength and understanding. They give us easy targets to project our Hate towards and they can get us to support them and help support their own agendas. Which oftentimes includes plans and actions that the followers no nothing about and would probably perceive as going against what was spoken to them in order for those leaders to get our support.

“American History X” is a look at a huge part of real American history that people choose to ignore. When people were arguing over the topic of Critical Race Theory, they used arguments such as they don’t want children to know this subject matter. Or even argue that there isn’t anymore Racism because the country voted for Barack Obama twice as President. The same country that then voted for a man who ran on messages and promises that completely go against many of the ideas and beliefs Barack Obama was fighting for. All the while not acknowledging the finer details that poke holes in their arguments and not realizing that they aren’t looking at the complete story.

In the end, this isn’t a brand new analysis of the film. But rather one that points out how slightly more current events show how truly relevant it is. A story that shows the journey of how so many people can follow a leader that offers them an outlet for their rage and pain. And how said leader can leverage that into more power and influence that spreads ideas that go against the very same country they claim to be fighting for. This isn’t an easy topic to talk about. And there are no easy ways to start fixing things. But the longer we continue to acknowledge the details many people don’t know about or acknowledge, the longer we keep the cycle going.

TV

My Thoughts on All Members of The Umbrella Academy (Seasons 1 – 3)

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I really want to talk about this show. And I feel the best way to do that is by talking about the main characters and looking on their growth. Let’s be honest, the overall stories for each season is roughly the same. There is an abstract threat that will cause the apocalypse as well as a more physical threat somehow connected. That part of this show isn’t as important as the characters. As well as the trauma they are trying to resolve and their efforts to become better people. With that in mind, I wanted to air out my thoughts on all members of team.

I want to start with Luther & Diego. Because they actually do have a few things in common. Both have been driven by a subconscious need to seek their father’s approval. That usually means both end up focused on the mission at hand. Which often results in them making decisions without the input of their other family members and can cause more harm than good. But with Diego, I ended up really hating him when the third season came around. He is constantly trying to fight everyone and everything he deems a problem without considering any other way to handle the situation. He is focused on being a vigilante first and foremost. I will grant that at the end of the third season he does have something to fight for besides simply being in charge. But that doesn’t cancel out that is often at odds with what his other family members are doing to try and resolve their bigger problems.

Luther on the other hand doesn’t go that far. Yes, being a team is important to him. But he is more concerned about fitting in and actually being a part of the family. There is one point in season 3 where he feels that they really aren’t a family, but rather people connected through shared trauma. And you can understand why he wants to keep everyone together in the beginning of the show and fit in. After he is mutated by their father, he just ended up being shipped off to the moon where he was utterly alone. His journey to try and feel a genuine emotional connection with his family is understandable. And yes, there were times at the beginning of the show where he makes wrong decisions that risk splitting them further apart. But he does show some level of regret and remorse. That’s why when he gets a relationship in season 3, I do feel happy for him. OK, it does start pretty much out of the blue. But by the end I have come to care for that relationship.

Let’s then move on to Klaus. Easily one of my favorites characters on the show. The main thing to understand about him is that he just wants a peaceful existence. While there might have been times early on in the show where he seems to enjoy some of the drama playing out, there are more instances where he is trying to stop things from escalating. He ultimately just wants everyone to get along and find their inner balance. I’m tempted to say he is the character probably most in tune with his emotions. But then again, he is a drug addict that tries to ignore his own trauma than confront it. Yet he still ends up putting in effort to try and grow and deal with his own issues. And he is perfectly willing to help his other family members with their own problems as well as help with the bigger issues facing their entire unit. He is a delightful character to watch on screen for the comedic moments but also for his own personal journey.

And now we move onto Allison, Five, & Viktor. This batch…is a lot more complicated. Let’s start with arguably the easiest to talk about, which is Five. Another one of my favorites, and that’s partly because he is technically an old grouchy man in the body of a young kid. Something about that just speaks to my own personality. Anyway, he spent decades alone at the end of the world until he was recruited to be a time traveling assassin. He is obviously the most experienced, disciplined, and focused member of the Umbrella Academy. He makes the most progress in dealing with the larger threats and coming up with plans to save the world on multiple occasions.

But he is also arrogant, mean to his other family members, doesn’t communicate with his family about what he’s doing – simply put, not the easiest to get along with. A lot of this can be explained by his past. He spent years and years alone in a post-apocalypse landscape. It would make sense why he would often not communicate with his family about what he’s doing. But as someone who ended up spending just as much time working under the thumb of an organization, you would think he would come to understand when communication is important from a strategy viewpoint. Five has spent so much time being alone and doing morally questionable things that his philosophy is often mixed and a bit contradictory. That latter part we’ll circle back to. But there is a little time spent in season 3 where he does seem to let the fact he is reunited with his family sink in. Where he is allowing himself to feel instead of using cold logic and thinking to deal with everything around him. Definitely one of the most sympathetic characters on the team.

But then there is Allison. Poor Allison…she started off as one of the most like-able characters on the team. But then the third season happened and the show put her through some harsh struggles. Granted, some of that struggle is a result of what she went through the first first couple of seasons. But the main issue she has to deal with is that she is in a new timeline where her daughter never existed. This is the main thing that drives her character arc throughout season three and it’s understandable. But it is also frustrating to see what happens to her and what she ends up doing. She is mean and more violent in the third season. Picking fights in the middle of the night, using her voice power to force Luther to almost have sex with him against his will. Meaning she tried to rape him. And when she found out that Harlan – who used to be a young boy that Viktor helped raise back in the 1960s in Dallas and accidentally gave powers to – was the person who killed the mothers of all the Umbrella Academy members…she killed him. And she would later admit that she didn’t feel better or worse afterwards. She didn’t feel a thing when it came to taking a human life.

Here is one of the things that can be frustrating about this show. It can be argued that this is a deconstruction of superheroes. Or that it really isn’t even about superheroes, but just a dysfunctional family trying to deal with shared trauma. And there is a case for that. This show is based on comics from Gerard Way, who was heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol. Gerard would even go on to write for Doom Patrol for a short while. But there are multiple times on the show where it makes clear that most – if not all – of the Umbrella Academy sees themselves as superheroes. There is a conversation between Five & Viktor towards the end of season 3 that I found a bit…wrong. This conversation follows the aftermath that Viktor was hiding the revelation about what Harlan did – on accident remind you – and lied about turning him over to the Sparrow Academy who would undoubtfully murder him in retaliation for him accidentally killing a couple of their members. Viktor lied about turning over Harlan so that he could try and take back the power he gave him. Even though this would complicate the larger issue of gaining access to the source of the Grandfather Apocalypse within the Sparrow Academy and figure out a way to save the world.

Anyway, the conversation between Viktor & Five feels off to me. While Five admits that they are all worried about Allison and what she did to Harlan – as well as the way she chewed out Viktor in front of them – he is more worried about Viktor. This is understandable because he did technically go against what the rest of the family agreed on and risked the end of the world. But there is a specific part of this conversation that I’m going to paraphrase here. Five defines a supervillain as a superhero who works alone and doesn’t listen to anyone. And while he hopes Viktor never becomes one, he won’t be afraid to kill him if it ever comes to it.

This…really gets to me. Five isn’t technically wrong with his supervillain definition. Yes, villains do often work alone and they often become villains because they are so convinced that their stance on something is the only way and refuses to compromise. But the tricky thing about this definition is context. These specific traits don’t always apply to supervillains. The way I see it is this – supervillains are driven by selfish needs. Sometimes a selfish need to prove themselves over everyone else. And they do it at the expense of innocent people. Not caring if they hurt or kill them. Viktor risked a lot when he went against his family’s plan in regards to Harlan. But he was driven by a need to save someone from certain death. Even trying to take back the thing that has been a burden on him for his entire life. And keep in mind, Harlan didn’t mean to cause any harm. He was someone who struggled to keep in control of his powers. He had no training unlike the Umbrella Academy and he held onto a lot of regret and guilt that were the result of his actions.

There is a lot of nuance around the topic of when is it OK to take a life. Certain situations such as protecting yourself and wartime are considered OK for that, even if it is at best a morally gray area. But superheroes are meant to save people no matter what. The phrase “there is always another way” can be overused in this context, but it’s the truth. And it can applied in this case where Viktor didn’t need to lie to his family. The entire team could have realized that there has to be a better way to deal with their situation that doesn’t involve someone like Harlan dying. And let’s not kid ourselves, the Sparrows would have happily killed Harlan. I also want to point out that despite the argument some of the Umbrella Academy make about how one life isn’t as important as saving the entire universe, there came a time when several of them ended up saying no to a plan that could reboot the universe and save everyone. Yea, some of those same Umbrella Academy members said no to that plan and elected to just let everything end. This is why superheroes aren’t nihilists, it makes them make dumb decisions like that!

I do know some of the arguments about why some of them decided not to go with that plan. Doesn’t really make it right but I know and understand them. Which is why when you realize what does happen to get them all to go through with the plan, it makes them look selfish. I’ll concede that Viktor is one of the people who passed on the plan, which doesn’t mean it was the right decision. I just want to point out that Five – the same guy who argued that saving one life isn’t as important as saving the entire universe – also passed on the plan to reboot the universe and brings billions back to life. The same guy who in that conversation with Viktor identified himself as one of the superheroes. An assassin who killed people, regardless of motivation, and doesn’t communicate with his team or even sometimes listen to what they have to say in case what they have to say could be important.

The point of that long rant is this. Allison has become a villain. And despite a last minute attempt at redemption, I still view her as a villain for what she did, how she felt about it, and the way she treated Viktor afterwards. And Five, despite wanting to stop apocalypses, shouldn’t really be classified as a hero either and that he was willing to go through with decisions that went against his view of himself as a hero. Which finally brings me to the final member of the Umbrella Academy, Viktor.

And it’s here we need to address something important. In between seasons 2 and 3, the actor who portrayed this character came out as transgender. The actor formerly known as the woman Ellen Page came out as a man and is now Elliot Page. The people behind the show were very supportive of him and even incorporated this into the show for his character because his character had previously been a woman named Vanya. While there were concerns about how the show would handle this transition, they ended handling it with a lot of care and respect. It is acknowledged and other members of the Umbrella Academy where supportive when their sibling came out to them within the show’s season. I can be nit picky about how I think two characters should have switched their reactions to the revelation, I will still give the show a lot of credit for how it was handled. And it does make sense for the fictional character’s journey. The seventh member of the Umbrella Academy had felt overlooked and ignored their entire life because it was believed they didn’t have any powers. And when it turned out they did, they were at first seen as a threat to take down instead of a family member to reach out and connect with. And when given a clean slate via time travel, they were able to discover who they were away from the trauma and family. Being transgender wasn’t the only trait of this character. But it is an important part. The show did a great job finding that right balance.

Even if this wasn’t a part of the character’s journey within the show, Viktor still is my favorite of the Umbrella Academy. The entire focus of his journey from the beginning was to connect with his family. Which speaks to a lot of the issues that the other Umbrella Academy members deal with. More often than not, they split up and end up dealing with their own issues and problems alone with no supports. But Viktor wanting to make amends for some things he has done in the past and want to help out his family with their own makes him the most sympathetic and kindest character. Even when he was apparently at risk of becoming a villain according to Five’s bulls*** logic in season 3, he refused to believe that any amount of death was justifiable for the greater good. Which is exactly the kind of mindset a true superhero should have. Yes, he has issues in previous seasons where he has unwittingly become an obstacle for his family to deal with. But it is clear that unlike Allison in season 3, Viktor feels regret and guilt and wants to do better.

And there you have it. All my thoughts on all of the Umbrella Academy members. I even ended up going over some plot points that should indicate how I feel about the show so far. There is nothing left but to hope that the Umbrella Academy finally resolves their issues and start to feel and act like a real family.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – The Black Phone

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It can be tricky to review movies in the modern era. On the one end, there are a lot of movies that are easy to trash because they are lazily copying what more successful movies have done. Especially those trying to tap into nostalgia. Then on the other end, it is easy to praise movies that were doing something original or new. But that leaves a lot of movies in between that take familiar ideas or storylines, injecting their own ideas and details to make it stand out and on its own, but we tend to gloss over them. And I think that is especially true of Horror films. It all comes back to the perception of cliches and tropes. It is common, when giving a negative review of a movie, to mention how it relies on tropes. Truth of the matter is that tropes aren’t inherently bad. You just need to remember to focus on more than just the overall plot and do something with the characters. Add to the familiar to make it unique.

And that is exactly what we have with this movie. Based on a short story by Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son, you can tell what it has in common with other Horror movies as well as some of Stephen King’s own stories. I’m using his books for reference because I admittedly haven’t read any of Joe books. But it still works. A lot of Stephen King stories will have a person (usually a child) that has psychic abilities that have an unknown origin. Sometimes that is paired with another supernatural element at play with an equally mysterious unknown origin. And don’t forget the alcoholic! Yea, in this movie it is the father of the boy who gets kidnapped and his sister who has the psychic abilities. And the villain of the movie is a masked killer which you can find in a whole bunch of other Horror movies.

But as mentioned earlier, this movie stands out because it adds new details and focuses on the actual characters. It would have been so easy for this movie to just have the alcoholic father be mean and have the audience hate him. But through interactions with his daughter we see why he is a bit abusive and why he drinks. We get to learn a bit about their past and what happened. It fleshes him out and makes him seem like a real person. A similar thing can be said for Ethan Hawke as the villain, The Grabber. We don’t really know a lot about him. But as we pay attention to his methodology and the tricks he uses to play with his victims, we can actually piece together what might have made him the way he is. Even some of the things he says when interacting with the main boy – Finney – help clarify what his personality is like and what his mental state must be.

This all connects to various interactions between different characters seen throughout the movie. The way these people talk and act are realistic and authentic. Which is another trait you could connect to other Horror stories, especially those written by Stephen King. How they talk and think through their situations makes the story more engaging. As Finney communicates with the ghosts of the dead kids through the phone, you follow him as he starts planning his escape. The decisions are smart and logical. And because the movie knew to focus on the characters and flesh them out, we root for him and want to see him escape. More often than not, a lot of Horror movies end up making their protagonists stupid and annoying. So when the time comes for them to come face to face with the killer, we actually end up rooting for the killer. If they didn’t want to get killed, maybe they shouldn’t have make so many stupid choices or be such a**holes in general. This movie recognizes that and understands how to make us feel fear for the kid. It knows how to build tensions and suspense.

And this is why this movie is so effective and worth the watch. It is unique because it knows that the characters are most important. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what plot line is used or which tropes are put into the script. Everyone working on this movie was focused on the details to bring the story to life. The details are what make this movie strong. This isn’t another Horror movie simply going through the motions and relaying on similarities to more successful films to get by. A lot of care and heart went into this making of this movie and it shows.

Film Editorials, Movies

Which Version of “Superman II” is Better?

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Let me make one thing clear at the start. While neither version is flawless, both versions of “Superman II” are good films. Fun action, entertaining performances, and good character moments. But the reason two versions exist at all is because Richard Donner was fired and replaced with Richard Lester. We won’t get into the story behind production because that will be too complicated. Plus, it really isn’t all that relevant to what this piece is trying to explore. Looking at both versions and identifying what makes them unique, we have to ask the question. Which version is better?

I think the biggest, most fundamental difference between the two is tone. Richard Donner saw the Superman mythos as modern mythology. And I personally believe that all superhero/comics mythos as modern day mythology as well. Stories of Hydras, gods like Zeus & demigods like Hercules have now been switched out with stories about Spider-Man, Batman & metahumans. Admittedly, the two major superhero universes (DC & Marvel) also have Hydras, gods like Zeus and demigods such as Hercules, but you get my point. Back on topic – Donner approached his movie with a more dramatic approach. It still had moments of humor. This is still a movie that has to entertain audiences and he is adapting the Silver Age version of these characters. But Donner was continuing a character focused journey and the obstacles that Superman has to overcome.

Lester’s version had more comedy in it. Much of that comedy did overlap with what Donner’s cut had, but there are some notable differences. The third evil Kryptonian – the mute called Non – had a few more moments int he film that made him come off as more pathetically goofy early one. Some of that had been cut out of Donner’s version as the focus was more on him being pure brute force. In Lester’s version, there is more of a comedic banter between Clark and Lois. Especially when they are at Niagara Fall for a story. Clark himself is more of a klutz in Lester’s version in general. Him being a klutz is actually what helps Lois confirm that Clark is Superman. Donner’s version cut most of the comedic banter out, thought still some. And made sure that the two still generally worked off of each other well. And if we are specifically talking about Lois, well, she is suspicious right at the start that Clark is Superman in Donner’s Cut while in the theatrical it takes her couple of scenes before she gets suspicious. And as for how she determined Clark was Superman? Well…she shot Clark! Granted, it was a gun filled with blanks and she therefore tricked Clark to admitting the truth. But man, Donner really know how to adapt that aspect of Lois’s personality!

Aside from tone, there is a handful of differences you can pick up on. Donner’s Cut had Marlon Brando as Jor-El while Lester’s version had to cut him out and use Clark’s mother. Clark briefly gives up his powers in both versions, but Donner had it more explicitly stated why he chose to do that. Lex Luthor is in the film for roughly the same amount of screen time. Only major difference with him is that a couple of his scenes were rearranged in the beginning. Both versions open with the flashback of showing Zod and his henchmen being imprisoned in the Phantom Zone. Lester’s version included a terrorist attack at the Eiffel Tower where Superman had to launch a hydrogen bomb into space, where it went off and free them from the Phantom Zone. In Donner’s Cut, he used the beginning to show that Superman redirecting one of Luthor’s bombs from the first film is what freed them. Also, Lester’s version had a montage of scenes playing while the opening credits rolled. While Donner’s had a montage before the credits and that montage included audio while Lester’s just showed the visuals.

So you might be thinking that there isn’t too much of a difference between the two. While one might have more comedy, they still shared the vast majority of scenes and the plots are for the most parts exactly the same. But there is a big difference when it comes to how they end. Lester’s version had a big fight between Superman and the Zod’s crew in the city. Then they all went to the Fortress of Solitude where another fight happen. One that utilized very bizarre powers never before used in the film or past film and weren’t used in the following films. But then Superman uses a trick to get rid of his enemies powers and kills them. At the end of the film, Superman plants a kiss on Lois to wipe her memory in regards to his secret identity. Now…the Silver Age Superman did have a lot of bizarre powers. But I have yet to hear of a story where he does that. And it kind of ages badly.

In Donner’s version, he also includes the big fight in the city. And all the main characters do go to the Fortress of Solitude. But there is no fight in the Fortress. It goes into Superman’s trick and killing them. Superman then destroys the Fortress and returns Lois home…and then Superman flies around the world to turn back time just like in the first movie! All the events that happened are reversed and Zod and his crew are still in the Phantom Zone. My problem with this is not only does this repeat the ending of the first movie, but it’s kind of a middle finger to the audience by saying nothing that happened actually mattered.

With that in mind, I have to side with the Lester’s version – the theatrical cut. It does have more goofy stuff in the film and Donner’s does have more character focus. But Lester’s didn’t go so far as to wipe out the entirety of the film’s plot. Lois may no longer remember Clark is Superman but everything else is still intact. But Donner’s Cut is still a very interesting version to watch. And I still recommend you go seek it out. I’m always going to be interested in different takes on certain movies and how things might have played out. And this certainly satisfied my curiosity. You might have a different opinion but that’f fine. “Superman II” is always a fun watch, no matter which version you prefer.

Comics

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy Make Big Decisions

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We can all agree that “Heroes in Crisis” was hot trash. But unfortunately, we are forced to deal with the consequences of that story. One of those being the death & resurrection of Poison Ivy. This 6 issue mini-series follows her and Harley Quinn recovering from the events of that event and trying to find a way to move forward. But they find themselves wrapped up in a conflict, the results of resolving it will have major influence on the characters long afterwards.

One curious thing to note is that even though it stars both of them, Harley is the character with the most significant character journey. IN the beginning it is stated that she feels like being bad just isn’t worth it anymore. Sure, she hasn’t actually been a regular villain for some time. But she really only plays hero when she finds herself framed for a crime. The fact that a hero was behind the carnage in “Heroes in Crisis” was seen by her as a sign that the world is already broken and there is no joy in that. She genuinely wants to become a true hero. Ivy is still recovering from coming back in a body that seems mostly plant based now, a special gift from Lex Luthor seemingly helping her body stabilize. While she is herself unsure of what she wants moving forward, they are forced to play hero when the Floronic Man shows up.

The main conflict of the story is kicked off by Floro wanting to consume Ivy and take her power for his own. The two women do flee and find themselves on the run. But Jason Woodrue seemingly sends parts of himself to follow them wherever they go. Eventually, the two of them decide to go on the offensive until they finally make it to New York City to finish this. But it turns out, Woodrue isn’t the one that’s been tracking them. It was another copy of Poison Ivy! The special gift that Luthor gave Ivy ended up creating multiple versions of Ivy that were growing in the house they were originally hiding out in. But most of them burned in the fire during Woodrue’s confrontation. This was the only other version of Ivy that survived. And while the Ivy that was with Harley was supporting her in her efforts to be a hero, this Ivy is angry that she was abandoned and taunts Harley with this being another item on her list of failures and claiming that Harley doesn’t truly care about her. She just wants to fix her and turn her into the version Harley wants.

And it’s in this last issue where the majority of the character based developments occur. Harley has been focused on wanting to be a real hero. Of course she makes the occasional joke about it like hoping it comes with a good insurance plan or if she gets a business card. But it is fueled by a genuine desire to want to change and improve herself. The problem is that when Harley is passionate about doing something, she doesn’t always take into consideration the thoughts of the people that end being involved. Despite Ivy being pushed as an anti-hero in recent years – something that I personally actually encourage – Ivy still prioritizes her mission over everything else. She has stated this along similar lines in past comics to Harley. So her pulling Ivy into a cause like this right after Ivy has been resurrected and still recovering does feel like she is molding Ivy into something she hasn’t fully consented to.

But it isn’t intentional and it wasn’t with bad intentions. Harley still loves and cares for Ivy no matter what. That is what the Ivy that has been traveling with Harley throughout this story recognizes and protects during this final confrontation. This Ivy even suspects that the real reason this angry Ivy is attacking is because she is jealous of the moments and time that protagonist-Ivy had with Harley. Showing that no matter which Ivy we are dealing with, she also still loves Harley. The story ends with Harley crying as she drives off into the distance while the two Ivy’s merge and she figures out what she wants to do next.

Well…there is one more thing to talk about within the actual story. The two share a kiss in the finals pages of the comic. But it is Ivy kissing the forehead of Harley. On a splash page showing just those two. Meaning, it was presented like the two of them were supposed to kiss each other but it was changed for some reason. This got some backlash, questioning why the comic didn’t have the two properly kiss. And it’s not like they haven’t kissed in-universe before in past issues. The best reason I could pick up from it is that maybe Ivy couldn’t handle actually kissing Harley because she might end up not going through with merging with the other Ivy. But if that is close to the truth, then it was presented wrong. Don’t make it a splash page and have a bit more dialogue to set the mood as more somber.

Issues aside, this is still a fun read. And it has the two main characters make some decisions that will have some longterm consequences down the road. What happened to Harley? She would find herself back in Gotham City to help Batman during several conflicts, becoming an honorary member of the Bat Family. She got another solo title that explores her helping the regular citizens recover from trauma while being a crime fighter. As for Poison Ivy, that’s a bit more complicated. Despite merging at the end of this series, the times she would show up again for some reason reversed that action. Two versions of Poison Ivy cameoed in “The Swamp Thing”. The version that is more concerned with plant life above human life with seemingly no humanity left within her is referred to as Queen Ivy. Then in the pages of “Catwoman”, the softer and kinder Ivy shows up as she is rescued by Selina from custody. The two Ivy’s were reunited and merged together at the end of the Batman story “Fear State”. Where she and Harley had their proper kiss. If your a Harley and Ivy fan, this is still worth the read and I’m sure you’ll have fun while doing so.

Comics

The Gem that is First Thunder

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Going to make this declaration right now. I’m always going to refer to Billy Batson as Captain Marvel. I don’t care about Carol Danvers and Marvel Comics, Billy had the name first. Besides, it wasn’t until the New 52 that they stopped referring to Billy as Captain Marvel in-universe. And we can all agree that the New 52 was dumb. Anyway, this 4 issue story released in 2006 and depicted the first time that Superman and Captain Marvel worked together.

This story obviously takes place in the early days of the main DC Universe. Before Diana left Themyscira for Man’s World, before Batman had been operating for a full year in Gotham, the heroes of Metropolis & Fawcett City find themselves working together. I should note that back in the 90s, Billy had his own series called “The Power of Shazam!” which was a followup to a graphic novel with the same name. The graphic novel re-established an origin for Billy Batson as Captain Marvel which would remain until the New 52. I bring this up because in-universe at the time, there was a 4 year gap between the graphic novel and the beginning of the follow-up series. “First Thunder” actually does a great job of filling in the gap between the two and doesn’t contradict anything established in those projects.

But now let’s talk about the story itself. Billy is homeless and living in the subway, and there is a friend from school who occasionally visits him and knows about his superhero identity. Billy is still getting used to the unspoken costs that come with being a superhero, but that isn’t seen until later. Billy is still having fun with his magical powers and does some genuine good for his city. Superman ends up running into Captain Marvel when he follows a group of museum thieves who can conjure up magical monsters. The two team-up and work on the case together to figure out what’s going on. We get a scene where they are in the North Pole, assumingely near the Fortress of Solitude, and Captain Marvel is just asking Superman questions. Asking about his powers and other similar fan questions. But to his credit, he does just simply come across as a big fan of Superman, if slightly annoying. Still fun to see a more relaxed scene of two superheroes talking, even if is short.

We do get a few flashbacks to an even that happened some time before the beginning of this story. Captain Marvel stops what was secretly a scheme of Dr. Sivana’s to collect insurance money. So Sivana ends up reaching out to Lex Luthor in an effort to deal with Captain Marvel. The two bald men meet and their opinion of the other is exactly what you expect. But it is still cool to see these two similar yet very different villains interact. Their meeting resulted in Sivana getting in touch of a metahuman tracker to tail Captain Marvel and find out some information about the magical hero.

In the main story, they end up discovering what the plan is. The museum thieves are planning on creating a demonic equivalent of Captain Marvel while another magical villain – Eclipso – is unleashed in Fawcett City. While Captain Marvel fights his demonic equivalent named Sabbac, Superman must deal with Eclipso and the mind controlled people he sues to throw at the Kryptonian. Both heroes end up winning and congratulate the other. Superman goes back to Metropolis and Billy meets his friend in the subway to look at a newspaper talking about Captain Marvel. However, the third issue ends with the two of them being ambushed by a group of mercenaries holding guns against the two kids.

And this is where the story takes a surprising turn. That metahuman tracker successfully followed Captain Marvel for a while and discovered that he was Billy and was living in the subway. Sivana then dispatches mercenaries to kill the kid known as Captain Marvel. While Billy is able to successfully transform and knock out all the gunmen…his friend lies dead behind him. The sight of it shocks Billy. We later see Captain Marvel force his way into the police station and physcially abuses one of the mercs in custody. Threatening to kill him if he doesn’t speak. Luckily Billy doesn’t kill the gunman. Cpatain Marvel shows up in Sivana’s office, terrifying him and holding the old man in hi hands. Letting Sivana know that he has been trying to come up with any reason to not kill him, but fails to find that reason. For a moment, it does look like Sivana will be murdered. But Billy finds he can’t just do it and lets the villain go before leaving Fawcett City.

Superman sees the news coverage of this in Metropolis and finds Captain Marvel at the same North Pole location from earlier. Superman expects a tense confrontation, maybe even a fight. But he is genuinely surprised to see the champion crying and regretful about what happened. He tries to explain how a kid died, someone he considered a close friend. This of course confuses Superman. Captain Marvel then stands in front of Superman, says the magic word, and he transforms into Billy Batson. A moment of silence passes, but then Superman asks five words, and I swear you can feel the quiet anger when you read the dialogue. “Who did this to you?”

This brings us to a meeting between Superman and the wizard Shazam, the person who gave Billy Batson his powers. We see Superman yell at the wizard, condemning him for choosing a child to take on such power and an incredibly large burden. Throughout most of the conversation, Shazam stands firm and insists that Billy was the right choice and it was his fate. Superman yells back, arguing back how kids should be in school and enjoying their lives without the worries that heroes must deal with. At least someone like Superman had time to process and think about the costs before he put on a cape, at least it was his decision. Billy isn’t able to process something like what just happened in the subway. Shazam admits that Billy is new to something like this, stating that he needs guidance. But the look on his face is s subtle silent plead to Superman to help Billy in this dark moment. Realizing that Shazam himself isn’t the best person to help him right now and that as powerful as he is, he also needs Superman’s help just as much as Billy. The story ends with Superman finding Billy in an abandoned home and sitting down next to him as he reveals his identity with the young kid and they begin a talk.

For three quarters of this story, it is a pretty good story. Fun to read with some cool action and small moments of fan service. But this final issue includes a hard tonal shift that works in favor of the mini-series. It elevates it into a story that holds a surprising amount of emotional weight. It gives a moment where it imparts an important lesson. Everyone experiences hardship, no matter how invincible you feel. It is hard and feels overwhelming if you face it along. But you shouldn’t face it alone. It is OK to reach out to someone for help. Because it’s our connections to others that make us feel like we can take on anything.