SUICIDE SQUAD Review

Don't believe everything you hear. That would be the first thing I would tell people if they were to ask what I thought about the latest entry in the DC Comics extended universe as funded by Warner Brothers. Don't believe everything you hear in that Suicide Squad isn't nearly as terrible as those early reviews have made it out to be, but don't believe everything you saw in those trailers that made you think this might be a new super hero masterpiece either. Suicide Squad has its flaws. Plenty of them in fact-the biggest perpetrator being the convoluted  story that ultimately does so many circles around itself that it becomes a pointless exercise in power for Amanda Waller (as played by the wonderful Viola Davis). Suicide Squad also has its fair share of highlights as well-most of them concerning the effort the cast is putting into making this group of misfits feel like a family when the script gives them little to work with. This is all very disappointing mind you as writer/director David Ayer (who wrote Training Day and who wrote and directed the likes of End of Watch and Fury) clearly has a knack for these types of characters and putting such characters in high-stakes situations that bring out qualities and traits viewers will find endearing and affecting despite potentially being revolting. The issue here is that Ayer seemingly felt the need to include so many characters that he let his storytelling techniques get away from him and instead decided to give us an introductory hour where we are presented with each of the ten (count 'em ten) main characters as well as how they all ended up together and walking into the plot device that is both meant to unite them and that could have also been completely avoided if the idea to bring them together was rejected in the first place. There is interesting ideas aplenty here and the film very well could have explored the difference between bad and evil and how many bad things one has to do or ends up doing before they cross that line. Instead, Ayer uses this opportunity to bring together his comic book version of the Dirty Dozen and expose them at face value, for what they are, and how they work together. Just so we're all on the same page-that would have been fine. I don't have an issue, especially at this stage of the game, with a DC film not leaning too hard on the philosophical stuff and instead focusing more on simply having fun, but even in doing this Ayer's story does itself no favors by making everything interconnected to the point the film renders itself irrelevant when all he really needed to do was give these usual foes a formidable one of their own.

Third Trailer for SUICIDE SQUAD Starring Will Smith

After what will undoubtedly go down in history if not the record books as something of a disappointing run for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice it seems Warner Bros. will not only be "releasing fewer films", but also focusing more on the franchises they already have in motion. The worst thing the studio could do at this point is administer a knee-jerk reaction and completely rethink their DC extended universe plans. So BvS didn't go exactly as they'd hoped critically or commercially-that doesn't mean you scrap your entire slate (which WB would never do, but they might certainly alter it significantly) and it shouldn't mean that you start trying to bend to the whim of every internet comments section, especially when you have something as unique and fantastic seeming as Suicide Squad on the horizon. By the time August comes around BvS will already be on home video outlets everywhere allowing more people to discover the film for the first time and for those who disliked it the first time, a chance to give it another shot and possibly warm up to it more. If Suicide Squad is indeed as good as its trailers have indicated so far Warner Bros. could essentially move the conversation in their favor and have people once again excited for next summer's Wonder Woman and possibly even next November's Justice League Part I. While the issue with director Zack Snyder is one that looms large over the Warner offices, Suicide Squad comes to us courtesy of acclaimed director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) so there is no reason to expect less than excellence from what Suicide Squad promises. Only time will tell, but I sincerely hope Warner Bros. doesn't take too much early action a la those "re-shoots" to make the film more "fun" and simply allows their films and the people behind them a little breathing room. Suicide Squad stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Joel Kinnaman, Cara Delevingne, Viola Davis, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adam Beach, Jay Hernandez, Karen Fukahara, and opens on August 5th, 2016.

New Trailer & Posters for SUICIDE SQUAD

It seems strange that after last summers Comic-Con fiasco where Warner Bros. attempted to have the first footage of Suicide Squad taken down after it was pirated and leaked that they would already be releasing another trailer for the film. Given they were unsuccessful in having the footage removed and ultimately decided to release the high-quality version and because the movie doesn't come out for another six more months one would imagine another trailer would be held at least until the release Batman v Superman, but here we are. The CW aired a special tonight titled The Dawn of the Justice League hosted by Kevin Smith and Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment, and in lieu of simply giving another thirty second TV spot for Bats vs. Supes DC and WB opted for this two and a half minute peek at the second film in their cinematic universe that runs the risk of feeling old by the time the movie arrives in August. That said, the trailer is pretty fantastic and it's clear director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) is really in tune with this band of anti-heroes whose story he is conveying. While I would have kept more of Jared Leto's Joker in the shadows as the first trailer revealed just enough I won't say I wasn't excited to see the footage I just know I'd have been more pleased if I hadn't seen it until I saw it in the context of the film. Suicide Squad also stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Will Smith as Deadshot, Jai Courney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Karen Fukuhara as Katana, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, as well as Jim Parrack, Adam Beach, Scott Eastwood, Common, David Harbour, Ike Barinholtz and opens on August 5, 2016.

Comic-Con Trailer for SUICIDE SQUAD

While many seemed to doubt the organizational skills of Warner Bros. when it came to their own comic book universe, their showing at Comic-Con this past weekend has certainly silenced many. With the one-two punch of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and now the first look at director David Ayer's (Fury, End of Watch, Training Day) Suicide Squad the DC comics universe is more than ready to stake their claim in todays cinematic landscape. The integration of both Batman and Superman into this world is already very much apparent as there are allusions to The Joker in the BvS trailer while we explicitly see that Ben Affleck's Batman is present in this footage. While I was concerned over how quickly WB seemed to put their plans for a rival comics universe in motion they also seem to have hired people who are very much in tune with the material and who share a common vision for the universe as a whole. It should be noted that WB attempted to have this footage taken down after it was pirated and leaked from Comic-Con on Saturday, but after being unsuccessful have decided to release the high-quality version. This move is defended by President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution for WB, Sue Kroll, who says they, "cannot continue to allow the film to be represented by the poor quality of the pirated footage stolen from our presentation.”  Suicide Squad also stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Will Smith as Deadshot, Jai Courney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, as well as Jim Parrack, Adam Beach, Ike Barinholtz and opens on August 5, 2016. 

CHILD 44 Review

Child 44 is a movie that seems to want to be one thing, but doesn't know how to be that thing. It has ideas of how to be this grand period piece/spy thriller yet it isn't sure how to convey the inherently intriguing story it is dealing with. There aren't necessarily too many facets occurring or even a lack of focus, it's simply put: a script issue in that the gripping story wasn't told in the most gripping of ways. It is actually somewhat impressive that what was seemingly used as the shooting script was able to make it to that stage in the first place. If the film I saw was taken directly from the screenplay, and it's highly unlikely there was any improv on this set, then one would imagine it would come to light pretty obviously that there were some major structural problems that needed to be reassessed. Instead, director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) and his exceptionally talented cast drift through this somber and distinctly cold film without seeming to notice that the pieces weren't congruent. There could be any number of reasons Espinosa and his crew didn't take note of these shortcomings while in the midst of shooting as I imagine there is a great pressure to get things done in a certain amount of time and under budget, but while something should have come of this in the editing room (where many directors admit the a film is truly made) the major issues still come back around to point their fingers at the script. Based on what the final product delivered this was more like the second draft of a screenplay rather than one further down the road, one that was able to find its voice and emphasis on particular themes. Adapted from a novel by Tom Rob Smith and written for the screen by Richard Price (who hasn't written a feature since 2006 and has tellingly worked more in television) the editors were unable to craft a slimmer film from the footage that was shot because each moment admittedly relies on a detail in the previous scene to move forward despite the two halves of the film feeling completely disconnected.

RUN ALL NIGHT Review

Run All Night is one of those fractured tales. The ones where each individual element is suspect to have greater implications than we might recognize upon introduction. The ones where we know how things must go and yet it is still able to somehow deviate from expectations allowing for the core proceedings of the familiar story to feel fresh. In essence, Run All Night feels much like a perfect storm of ideas and contributions from parties that have a similar goal in mind while each bringing something unique to the table. Obviously the biggest of these contributing factors is the presence of star Liam Neeson. Neeson has made a habit of annually presenting us with a run of the mill action flick that revels in B-movie territory and can be rather hit or miss, but most of the time are entertaining enough. I despise the Taken sequels yet have enjoyed his collaborations with Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, Non-Stop) as well as his excursions with Joe Carnahan (The Grey) and Scott Frank (A Walk Among the Tombstones), respectively. And while Neeson may still do his best work when he shows how eclectic he can be (The LEGO Movie) I always look forward to what his collaborations with Collet-Serra have to offer. Compared to their previous efforts Run All Night is much less mainstream and more in the vein of a different era. Whereas Unknown and Non-Stop were both polished and perfected to squarely fit into a genre Run All Night is dirty and grimy and while it fits into a certain type of film, it doesn't necessarily adhere to any one set of expectations. Expectations are key with this type of film though and I realize that. Call it what you will, whether it be that we have tapered expectations for these Liam Neeson actioners now or that this is a case of the film being so much better than the initial black sheep facade it was presented to us with that I'm over-compensating; either way, I really enjoyed myself as I sat and witnessed Neeson get more even than he's ever gotten before and might even call the film pretty great if it holds up under future viewings (which will definitely happen).

First Trailer for CHILD 44

Between The Dark Knight Rises, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Lawless and now Child 44 Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman might as well star taking roles in all of each others films no matter the lead. Still, the reason to be interested in the latest from director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), for me at least, is that it features a seeming intense performance from Hardy. Hardy is not only one of the most exciting actors working today, but one of the most diverse and, in my opinion, the best. Between Locke and the (underrated) The Drop from last year Hardy has established himself alongside the likes of actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender who are young, still feel up and coming and yet have the power and credibility to make their own creative choices and do the projects they actually want to do. With that said, I can't help but be excited for what Child 44 holds and what kind of year it might kick off for Hardy who will follow it up with at least three more major projects by years end. As for the film itself, this first full trailer gives us plenty to chew on as it dives deep into the plot taking place in Moscow of 1952. A disgraced member of the military police (Hardy) investigates a series of nasty child murders after his fellow soldier and his wife lose their son. There is a distinct style to the piece and an atmosphere that is almost irrepressible. More than this, the premise is extremely dour and feels right in line with the kind of mood Hardy typically thrives best in. Child 44 also stars Paddy Considine, Joel Kinnaman, Jason Clarke, Noomi Rapace, Charles Dance, Vincent Cassel and opens on April 17th.

First Trailer for Liam Neeson's RUN ALL NIGHT

With the release of Taken 3 this weekend it's no surprise we have a new trailer for Liam Neeson's next action affair. From what I've heard about the unnecessary third entry in the Taken franchise though, Neeson can only go up from here. Also upping the possibility of his next project being better than another round with Bryan Mills is the fact Neeson has re-teamed with director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown and Non-Stop). Sure, these aren't great movies, but I'd rather see Neeson do ten more original features with Collet-Serra than another Taken sequel that only tarnishes his pedigreed credibility all the more. At least the B-movie actioners Neeson has chosen to do outside the trilogy that gave birth to his new reputation know what they are and in some cases are fairly subversive of the genre we expect them to fall into (here's looking at you, The Grey and Walk Among the Tombstones). More than anything though, Neeson simply seems to be enjoying this time in his life by living up this opportunity he likely never thought he'd be afforded. It only helps that the guy is a great actor with as much presence as anyone on screen at the moment and seeing him step into these less serious roles is something of a treat even if the movies don't always fulfill their potential or aspire to much at all. In this latest collaboration with Collet-Serra Neeson plays a hitman who, in order to protect his son, must take on his former boss (Ed Harris) in a single night. The hook being the entire film takes place during the course of that single night. As for the trailer, I'm engaged and it looks fine though I can't imagine remembering much about it the day after I see it. Run All Night also stars Joel Kinnaman, Common, Vincent D’Onofrio, Holt McCallany, Beau Knapp and opens on April 17th.

ROBOCOP Review

Sometimes it seems critics are so intent on seeing themselves as more intelligent than popular entertainment, above it in many regards, that they cannot help but look for what might be implausible in those big action movies that, the majority of the time, do in fact place explosions over intelligence. At this point though, that is an age old argument and I think studios have come to realize that audiences know better than to accept big, expensive action flicks for what they are, but that we have come to expect a little more from our movies. It doesn't necessarily have to be biting satire, social commentary or even a story that breaks any new ground, but what we do expect is something that someone somewhere seems to have put a good amount of thought and effort into creating that, preferably, comes from a single point of vision as to why this feature should exist. Those last stipulations are especially true when we come to something like a re-make of a classic film that many people will brush off from the moment its greenlit or will immediately dismiss as never being able to live up to the original. With Robocop, one did have to wonder what more could there be to the idea of re-making the 1987 Paul Verhoeven classic other than to rip-off the well-known brand-name that would hopefully assure butts in the seats opening weekend? It would naturally be taken as nothing more than a cash grab initially, something that, like Robocop himself, was put together by a committee of studio execs looking through old properties that could turn a profit in todays market and hey, science fiction has been hot lately so why not go for it? While I never had much affection for the original film (it came out the year I was born) and because I couldn't really watch it given the R-rating and gratuitous violence until many years later I came to view it more as a fun, little 80's flick with a guy in a cool suit rather than appreciate it as many seem to that were old enough to enjoy it in its heyday. That being said, I didn't walk in with horribly low expectations, but I knew the story, knew the likelihood of why this was produced and therefore knew not to expect much, but after the great introduction to this new world we get from Pat Novak aka Samuel L. Jackson I began to slip comfortably into enjoyment and let those critical inhibitions go to where the implausibilities and plot hang-ups disappeared and I was simply having fun.

First Trailer for ROBOCOP Remake

I'll be honest, I've never seen Paul Verhoeven's original Robocop but likely only because I am the oldest child and I was born the year it arrived in theaters. There has never been any incentive for me to check it out, until now. Much like with his other futuristic sci-fi flick Total Recall, Robocop has received the remake treatment and so I will rent the original a few days before seeing the remake just so I know what to expect and what the internet will most likely be complaining about. Is it bad that we now have to refer to the internet as if it is a living, breathing thing? Are these the first signs we are entering the world Verhoeven's films always predicted?!? Anyway, my point is, I didn't know what to expect from this trailer or what the final product might offer as I have no precedent for what they should be. What I do see is a rather slickly made, if not generic looking, sci-fi flick that takes the fun/cool premise of putting a police officer in a machine and letting him run wild on the bad guys. The film seems to have plenty of sturdy support in the supporting cast members and a more than acceptable unknown lead for them to rally around. I haven't seen the TV series The Killing for which star Joel Kinnaman is most likely most known, but he seems to have a fair amount of charisma in the early scenes here which means it might be too bad when he turns all Mr. Roboto on us. And once again this first trailer seemingly goes through every beat of the film giving plenty away while there will surely be at least two more trailers that give even more away before February of 2014 even arrives. I hope I'm wrong and that the studio is holding a few plot lines and money shots back, but can't help but feel like they're selling this one as hard as they can. The film also stars Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Abbie Cornish, Jay Baruchel, and Jackie Earle Haley. RoboCop opens February 7, 2014.