THUNDERBOLTS* Review

Like many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe lately, the heroes of Thunderbolts* have felt unfulfilled. Yelena (Florence Pugh), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Red Guardian (David Harbour) don't have much in common besides the loneliness that being assassins, science experiments, and super soldiers has led them to yet somehow (and somewhat ironically) this shared strand of abandonment is what brings them together. This film in particular finds itself at a crossroads of a moment where the MCU is both trying to redefine itself as well as figure out what direction it goes after being lost in the void of content inundation that has occurred since Endgame. Again, not unlike this band of "disposable delinquents" who are unclear where they fit into the grand scheme of things in a post-blip world where the Avengers are no more, Thunderbolts* seeks to carve a new path forward by essentially attacking the anxieties of the heroes, and by default - the fans, head on. The good news is that this is a strong step in the right direction. 

I’m sure there's a solid analogy to be drawn around how once and current Disney CEO Bob Iger, in the Valentina Allegra de Fontaine role, tried to lock these characters that debuted under Bob Chapek (sans Bucky) away in a Disney vault somewhere but ultimately decided to reverse psychologize by pushing them to the front of the next phase in a Guardians of the Galaxy/Suicide Squad-style team-up that he then sells as “the first and best example” of the studio’s new focus on quality over quantity, but I don’t know that I have the energy to investigate beyond those surface parallels. The point being, it feels pretty bold to make the biggest issue your biggest cash cow is facing not only the main theme of your Avengers re-brand, but the villain itself as Eric Pearson (a Marvel vet) and Joanna Calo (a frequent TV writer) more or less literalize the depression and loneliness these characters (and by extension, the audience members) are feeling through the existence of Lewis Pullman’s Robert Reynolds character. What Pearson and Calo’s screenplay does so deftly though, and I’m sure it is aided by director Jake Schreier’s execution, is how clearly and directly it addresses these subjects without ever making it feel heavy-handed.

New Trailer for TOP GUN: MAVERICK

It has been some time since I've sat down and actually watched Tony Scott's 1986 action/drama centered around students at the United States Navy's elite fighter school who competed to be the best with one daring young pilot learning a few things not taught in the classroom and yet I'm still anxious to see how that once daring young pilot has evolved in what will be thirty-four years since the original. Tom Cruise is obviously reprising his role in the long-awaited follow-up to Top Gun, but after Scott's untimely death in 2012 it seemed the sequel became even more of an uncertainty. It's kind of amazing that everything aligned in order for this film to have come into existence, but here we are with all the music, motorcyclin' and volleyballin' still intact for a legacy sequel in the vein of Creed that will hopefully earn its place along the highly adored original. Director Joseph Kosinski (who worked with Cruise on Oblivion, but also made Tron: Legacy and the severely under seen Only the Brave) has a knack for slick visuals and, as can be gleaned in this new trailer, has seemingly put an emphasis on the practicality of the flight sequences for-even as I watch the trailer on my iPhone-I know without a doubt I have to see this movie on an IMAX screen this summer. Besides the fact it was penned by Peter Craig (12 Strong), Justin Marks (Counterpoint), and Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle), with additional edits by long-time Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie next to nothing is known about the plot of the film and this latest trailer tends to keep things that way. We do know that Val Kilmer will return as Iceman, Miles Teller will be playing the role of the now-adult son of Anthony Edwards' Goose and that Glen Powell impressed producers so much during his initial audition that they created a new, different character just for him. Next to these scant details, this presumably official, but definitely not final trailer for the film merely gives us more of a glimpse at the tone and aesthetic Kosinski has captured as it leans heavily on the familiar imagery that will play on the nostalgia for the original and (hopefully) put the butts in the seats. Cruise seems to be relishing in the opportunity to even make this movie while I'm anxious to see what he does with exploring this character who has seemingly been afraid to move on, but is finally being forced out of said comfort zone by the changing world around him. Top Gun: Maverick also stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris and opens on June 26th, 2020.

First Trailer for TOP GUN: MAVERICK Starring Tom Cruise

It has been some time since I've sat down and actually watched Toy Scott's 1986 action/drama centered around students at the United States Navy's elite fighter school who competed to be best in the class, with one daring young pilot learning a few things not taught in the classroom and yet I'm still anxious to see how that once daring young pilot has evolved in what will be thirty-four years since that original next summer. Tom Cruise is obviously reprising his role in the long-awaited follow-up to Top Gun, but after Scott's untimely death in 2012 it seemed the sequel became even more of an uncertainty. It's kind of amazing that everything aligned in order for this film to have come to exist, but here we are and less than a year from now everyone who loved all the music, motorcyclin' and volleyballin' of the original will seemingly be in for another treat as director Joseph Kosinski (who worked with Cruise on Oblivion, but has also made Tron: Legacy and the severely under seen Only the Brave) has included all of this and more in his follow-up. As penned by Peter Craig (12 Strong), Justin Marks (Counterpoint), and Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle), with a little help from long-time Cruise collaborator, Christopher McQuarrie, who was brought in after the fact to work on the script next to nothing is known about the plot of the film, but what we do know is that Val Kilmer will return as Iceman, Miles Teller will be playing the role of the now-adult son of Anthony Edwards' Goose, and that Glen Powell so impressed producers during his audition for the role of Goose's son that they created a new, different character just for him. Next to these scant details, this first trailer for the film gives us a real glimpse at the tone and aesthetic Kosinski has captured and while the imagery is familiar it possesses a modern sheen-especially in the aerial shots that place us right alongside Cruise's Maverick in the cockpit-that give it that Kosinski trademark look. Cruise also seems to be somewhat relishing getting the opportunity to play a more hardened version of this character as this clip hints at a narrative concerning a man unable to move on and a world that is set to leave him behind. I can't wait to see this thing in IMAX. Top Gun: Maverick also stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris and opens on June 26th, 2020.

New Trailer for BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE Starring Chris Hemsworth

One of my more anticipated movies of the fall is writer/director Drew Goddard's follow-up to his critically acclaimed Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale. The film re-teams Goddard with (a more famous) Chris Hemsworth, but adds in a plethora of top tier talent around Hemsworth who was only glimpsed in that initial teaser with the God of Thunder's role seeming to be much more prominent given what's presented in this new, full theatrical spot. The film is said to follow seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, who meet at a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of a single night, everyone will have a shot at redemption before everything goes to hell. There is a certain energy to the trailer as it introduces more of the plot elements and makes the mystery aspect that much more prominent. While I wasn't as big a fan of Cabin in the Woods (which Goddard co-wrote with Joss Whedon) as the rave reviews might have suggested everyone should be it's clear Goddard has a knack for writing scenarios in which groups of people present themselves as one thing, but tend to have their true personalities arise sooner than later or have secrets exposed about one another that shift the dynamic dramatically and that looks to be where Bad Times at the El Royale will really succeed. Sure, the mystery/thriller aspects will work and hopefully work really well, but mostly in service of the character interactions and what looks to be some dynamite back and forth between a number of different combinations of the characters. Both trailers so far have also used music effectively not only in suggesting what we, the viewer, should be feeling at any given moment, but more importantly in conveying the mood and tone of the images we're seeing and hopefully this is a cue taken from the completed film. The trailer is pretty stellar and sells this thing the way an original, big studio production should be sold these days meaning it covers the wall with intrigue, style, familiar tunes, and a multitude of familiar faces. Speaking of familiar faces, Bad Times at the El Royale also stars Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman, and opens on October 12th, 2018.