MORTAL KOMBAT Review

I don't know if it's due to going without movie theaters and therefore big-budget blockbusters for nearly a year, but between this and Godzilla vs. Kong it has been a pleasantly surprising return to the tentpole extravaganzas that had become almost too common to pre-pandemic life. That isn't to say 2021's Mortal Kombat is anything more than someone with the loftiest of expectations might hope it to be, but it's an assured piece of both filmmaking and storytelling that knows what it is, embraces everything about its own ridiculousness, and runs with all of it to the point it almost forces viewers to genuinely care about what is going on with this silly yet compelling multi-dimensional death battle. Of course, one's level of enjoyment with the film may come from their affection for the now iconic video games and its catch phrases that have made their way into the everyday lives of an entire generation. Some enjoyment (or complete distaste for, honestly) may come from the nostalgia-tinted glasses those who loved the nineties movie adaptations still wear, but even if you're an audience member with little to no brand recognition or fondness for the property what is both slightly unexpected but also an advantage to this new iterations success is that Greg Russo (his first feature) and Dave Callaham's (2014's Godzilla, Wonder Woman 1984, and the upcoming Shang-Chi) screenplay makes it an accessible adventure for anyone inclined to see what all the fighting is about. That is to say, Russo and Callaham build out the worlds Mortal Kombat encompasses in a simple and straightforward fashion that doesn't overwhelm the audience with too many levels nor does it dig too deep into the politics of the tournament itself, but instead takes what everyone loved about the games and puts them front and center: the characters. I'll backtrack slightly on this point as the film does introduce a new character into the Mortal Kombat mythos with its main protagonist Cole Young (Lewis Tan), but other than providing this surrogate who will take the audience through and into this universe the movie is otherwise all about bringing these characters viewers will recognize to life in what is ultimately fun and entertaining ways. Sans a pretty impressive opening sequence that admittedly sets the bar too high for the nonsense that follows, nothing about director Simon McQuoid's film is what one might label as "good", but almost everything about what it does in service of re-capturing that feeling of sitting in front of your cousin's tiny TV in their bedroom and mashing buttons in hopes it will result in a combination that will defeat said cousin in a bloody battle to the death is one thousand percent enjoyable.         

AQUAMAN Review

Look, I get it, Aquaman was never going to be an easy movie to make-especially given the weight of the pressure on the film to make or break Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe. The losses certainly outweigh the wins at this point, but there was a hope that after the triumph of Wonder Woman and the hurried process of simply getting through Justice League (a movie already in production when Batman v Superman received its backlash and essentially completed when WW turned things around) that James Wan's Aquaman might be able to finally allow this rival to the Marvel Studios cinematic universe to settle on and find its own distinct tone. Aquaman somewhat accomplishes this as the movie certainly settles on its own tone-one that is arguably appropriate for a movie about a man who can talk to fish-but Aquaman also never seems to find its rhythm. Wan, a master of suspense and horror, translated his skills into the bigger, action-oriented realm fairly well with Furious 7, but while Aquaman features some of the best choreographed and executed fight sequences of the year everything around them feels like an exercise in trying to figure out how best to configure an underwater world that the movie still hasn't figured out by the time it reaches its final, climactic battle. So listen, I understand there is only so much one can do with an Aquaman movie, I really do, but while the ambition is there and the movie offers some genuine fun in fits and starts the product as a whole never gels in the fashion that it feels like a complete, satisfactory work. Wan's Aquaman, as penned by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, feels like if the Power Rangers series had decided to grow up with the generation Mighty Morphin premiered with, but never developed mentally past that of an eight-year-old's mindset. Meaning, the only thing growing with the audience was the budget while still retaining the mentality and most importantly, the sense of humor, of that core demographic of fourth and fifth graders. Aquaman is a Saturday morning live-action cartoon on steroids likely meaning a certain, large demographic of the audience will absolutely love and revel in what Wan has put together and to be frank, upon further re-watches I can see how it might become more endearing, but upon first impression Aquaman leaves much to be desired in terms of substance despite indulging its audience in eye candy and overwhelming them with silliness.

Final Trailer for AQUAMAN Starring Jason Momoa

Warner Bros. has dropped the final trailer for director James Wan's Aquaman. The film follows Arthur Curry who learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world. It feels rather odd we're finally upon the release of the character's solo outing given a year ago at this time we were just getting our first glimpse of the DC hero in the unequivocal failure that was Justice League. Never mind the fact we were only getting our first glimpse of Aquaman for the first time in what should have been an accumulation of individual films, but more that the result of this botched team-up would produce anything resembling hope seemed all but lost after this same weekend last year. And yet, as Warner Bros. announced with the release of this trailer today that fans, specifically Amazon Prime members, can see the film a week early in theaters which prompts one to think they certainly don't plan on hiding this one the way they did the Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon film. And there seems no reason to as this final trailer looks visually stunning. If this clip should suggest anything it is that Wan (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, and Furious 7) has delivered an action/adventure film in every sense of the word that looks to be about as fun as a film can be; here's to hoping that the pacing and energy of the trailer are notes that have been taken from the finished film. Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as the titular hero, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Patrick Wilson as Orm/Ocean Master, and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna. The movie opens December 21, 2018.

SDCC: Official Trailer for AQUAMAN Starring Jason Momoa

Warner Bros. has dropped the first trailer for director James Wan's Aquaman Starring Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Patrick Wilson as Orm/Ocean Master, and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna. The movie opens December 21, 2018.

POWER RANGERS Review

I was six years-old in 1993 when the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuted stateside and I could not have been more enthralled with the goofy series. It was as if someone had taken all the tropes and character archetypes I could have imagined in a super hero series and shot them at the screen with a paintball gun. The bright colors, the over-the-top antagonists, and the general playbook each episode followed may have both satisfied and informed what I thought the general public expected super hero lore to fulfill, it was so early in my life I can hardly remember what I knew prior, but whether it was one or both the fact remains that Power Rangers was a cornerstone of my childhood and one that I have always had a great amount of fondness for. I've even gone so far as to write a first draft of a novel based on an idea that spurned from the series and what it might have been like had it matured with its viewers a la Harry Potter, but now that we have this re-boot I may want to start in on the sophomore effort. Anyway, the point is-for this reason and everything else I've mentioned thus far I was beyond excited to see what this modern day interpretation of the material had to offer. Directed by Dean Israelite, the guy who made Project Almanac, this new Power Rangers movie essentially combines the conviction of The Breakfast Club characters with the plight of those in Josh Trank's Chronicle from 2012. And in similar style. Granted, this is combined with all the hallmarks of what made the original series so fun, but you get the picture. And so, how does this latest nostalgia-fueled re-boot fare in terms of satisfying a lifelong fan? Pretty damn well. In fact, far better than expected in terms of the aspect that will guarantee it the most staying power as a franchise-it's core cast of charismatic and ultimately formidable teens. It's refreshing, weirdly, for despite the fact everything in Power Rangers is more or less recycled from the series and other sources the movie as a whole manages to revitalize in the way it was no doubt intended.

New Trailer for POWER RANGERS

I continue to be extremely interested and now even more excited to see how this reboot of the popular Power Rangers TV series turns out. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a huge part of my childhood. As big as Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtles was when Power Rangers came along in 1993 when I was of the tender age of six it captured my imagination and everything I imagined comic books and animated super hero shows to be were they to come to life. With that in mind, we finally get a lengthy glimpse at what director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) has done with the property and how he has both made it new and fresh while drawing from the best (or at least most fun) parts of the series. At this point, Power Rangers was not only a part of my childhood, but the two or three generations that have come since. If all we'd seen from the promotional material prior had made you somewhat cautious much of that should seemingly be laid to rest as this official trailer throws everything a Power Ranger fan could want at you. Israelite and his main cast of unknowns have seemingly found a way to capture the charm and cheese of the original in ways that celebrate the original, kind of goofy series rather than damn it for those reasons. There is nothing but good intentions on display here and I'm particularly excited about Bill Hader as a tiny, sarcastic robot. The one major cause for concern is the same one it's always been and that is the six credited writers on the project. Granted. that list includes the likes of Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class), his writing partner Ashley Miller, as well as Max Landis (Chronicle), but it also includes the guys behind Gods Of Egypt, Dracula Untold, and The Last Witch Hunter...so, this really could go either way. Power Rangers stars Ludi Lin, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Dacre Montgomery, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and opens on March 24th, 2017.

Teaser Trailer for POWER RANGERS Reboot

For some reason I'm extremely interested to see how this reboot of the popular Power Rangers TV series turns out. The last time I was excited for something having to do with Power Rangers was probably when my Aunt was taking myself, my siblings, and my cousin to see Power Rangers Turbo at our local dollar theater in 1997. When I was ten years old. All of that said, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a huge part of my childhood. As big as Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtles was when Power Rangers came along in 1993 when I was of the tender age of six it captured my imagination and everything I imagined comic books and animated super hero shows to be were they to come to life. With that in mind, I can't wait to see what director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) has done with the property and how he has both made it new and fresh while drawing from the best parts of the series given that at this point in time Power Rangers has not only been a part of my generations childhood, but the two or three generations since. From all we've seen from the promotional material thus far and now this first footage it seems Israelite and his main cast of unknowns who are playing the "teenagers with attitude" have found a way to accomplish this in both a modern and super fun way that looks as if it will celebrate the original, very cheesy, series in the best ways. All I can feel from this teaser is good intentions and while Israelite and his crew have certainly changed a fair amount of the mythology and look of what I grew up with the major factors are still here and if through those they were able to find new avenues to explore I'm all for it. The one major cause for concern is the six credited writers on the project. Granted. that list includes the likes of Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class), his writing partner Ashley Miller, as well as Max Landis (Chronicle) it also includes the guys behind Gods Of Egypt, Dracula Untold, and The Last Witch Hunter. Given the teaser knows how to restrain itself I'll remain optimistic, but this is certainly enough to give pause on what otherwise seems to hold a lot of potential. Power Rangers stars Ludi Lin, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Dacre Montgomery, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and opens on March 24th, 2017.