SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Review

What makes a spider-person the hero they are? Or the person they are? Just as Miles Morales feels like an anomaly among his own, this film is very much that in both today’s comic book movie and cinematic landscape. Utilizing every element at its disposal to convey character feelings and better distinguish each of the many universes it creates, every aspect feels organic despite being completely constructed out of oblivion. Themes resonate more than the sometimes confusing plot, but the care and love evident in every decision makes all the multiverse talk more semantics than linchpins. It’s something special even if it’s not completely clear what it is; though, instead of considering it the anomaly it is we might simply recognize (appropriately) that it goes beyond anything we’ve seen before. 

As breathtakingly beautiful and boundary-pushing as it is visually it also attempts some rather daring narrative choices by upending the peace Morales (voice of Shameik Moore) found in becoming Spidey at the conclusion of the previous film and more specifically, the peace in being part of a tribe that finally understood him. Speaking of conclusions and daring narrative choices, this is definitively part one of a two-part story and thus there isn't a resounding completeness to all of the themes and arcs that Across the Spider-Verse puts forward (and it's a lot). Knowing this is set-up for a third film due next year the cliff-hanger of an ending didn't bother me but feels worth mentioning due to the multiple groans heard in my screening when that "To Be Continued..." hit. It was the only part of the experience that evoked the current state of comic book movies.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Review

Though a fan of science fiction I'm not familiar with Yukito Kishiro's 1990 manga comic Battle Angel Alita that inspired the latest Robert Rodriguez picture as produced by James Cameron. I'll clarify that I truly enjoy science fiction largely for the genre's ability, whether it be in the writing or when translated to the big screen-the concept artist, director, or costume and set designers-ability to create a new environment and/or new world's altogether. Further, to apply a structure to this environment where an advanced, and if not advanced at least futuristic society, exists where the world follows the rules of this implemented structure is inherently fascinating as it undoubtedly takes cues from our present world and applies what the creator might think will be to the human races benefit or ultimate detriment. Such prophecies within the genre over the years have created an amalgam of tropes, motifs and clichés, but while the dystopian future has been a familiar trend over the last few years especially it does well to establish a compelling backdrop or habitat, if you will, for the kind of people we come to know in Alita: Battle Angel. Cameron, Rodriguez, and Laeta Kalogridis's (Shutter Island) screenplay shows early on that it has the aforementioned innate ability and, more importantly, a strong desire to construct a world centuries ahead of our present time that is not only inventive, but feels fully realized and lived-in. What the screenplay doesn't do and arguably fails to do is follow through on the promises of this world in which it builds. Meaning, that while it's not automatically a negative to utilize familiar sci-fi and action tropes there does need to be a unique take on whatever traits your movie or story might be adopting from the genre and there are certainly flashes of as much in Alita, but most of it comes from the investment in our main character rather than any kind of investment in the beats she is following. You want to know more about the character, you want to live alongside them because this world that has been created feels so alive and so layered and so interesting, but it's almost as if you also wouldn't mind checking in on and seeing what other characters are up to because as much as we like Alita, there isn't really much depth or surprise to the video-game structured script that is pitting her against the ultimate final boss in the sky.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Review

In the sixteen years since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man first debuted we've had seven different Spider-Man films featuring four different incarnations of the webslinger. And while each of those incarnations have their own unique qualities that make each effort commendable (even the less successful ones-I'm a fan of the Marc Webb Amazing films, even), with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse we get something that would seemingly be the nail in the coffin as far as originality in blockbuster cinema goes. I mean, "Seven Spider-Man films in sixteen years? That's a new Spider-Man every four years and didn't we just get a new Peter Parker last summer? Why do we need another Spider-Man let alone another Spider-Man movie?" These are all valid questions and concerns, but somehow-rather than being the tipping point that sends audiences over the edge into full-on superhero saturation directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman have crafted a superhero film that does the complete opposite and reinvigorates the genre over and over again with its brisk two-hour time frame. What Spider-Verse does to separate itself from the past incarnations of the character is not only introduce a new Spider-Man in the form of Miles Morales (DOPE's Shameik Moore), but to also offer a completely new origin story that also offers a new perspective on what it's like to be a superhero. The movie, which comes from producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie, 21 and 22 Jump Street) with Lord getting a sole screenwriting credit, knows exactly what it is and if you've seen any of Lord and Miller's previous work then you know how aware and how smart they are about recognizing the genre they're operating within, completely lampooning that genre, and then creating an experience of a movie that exists within that genre that is somehow simultaneously one of the best examples of that genre. For instance, if you were to pool this year's list of superhero films (a very strong year to boot) Spider-Verse would still be among the very best of them despite the fact superhero fatigue and references to past missteps in the series are explicit within the film's DNA. By executing the tropes audiences have become accustomed to in such expert fashion and placing this fresh twist on our expectations of the genre, Spider-Verse is able to stake claim in the fact that while viewers have seen plenty of superhero movies before, they've never seen one quite like this.

GREEN BOOK Review

There isn't a person you wouldn't love if you could read their story. I tend to try and not speak in absolutes and there may or may not be some exceptions to this rule, but the point is an obvious one: all the races and people with different sexual orientations or different religious beliefs can get along once we really get to know one another; that we're not really all that different after all. That's all well and good, but it's also a tried and true formula that at least one Hollywood production trots out every awards season to try and make us all feel better about ourselves. One might think, given the current cultural climate, that any movie attempting to bring people together might immediately be dismissed as one party's agenda to corrupt another into actually having a conversation with a person of opposing views, but maybe that's ultimately why Green Book feels so good right now and ironically, so needed. There isn't a damn thing here you haven't heard or seen before and director Peter Farrelly (one half of the brother directing duo who brought us comedy classics like Dumb & Dumber and There's Something About Mary, but also brought us Dumb & Dumber To and The Heartbreak Kid) directs with the eye of about as mainstream a filmmaker as it gets meaning there is nothing glaringly unique or interesting about the way in which he captures these events, but this does mean it will undoubtedly speak to a very large audience. There was some slight hope that Farrelly might utilize his experience in his years of making broad studio comedies to infuse the many predictable formulas this movie utilizes with a more striking tone or presence, but while taking on a project like this might have been a bold thing for the filmmaker to do given his past credits he alas decides to do nothing bold in the execution of this change in pace, but instead plays it right down the middle. Fortunately for Farrelly, the story has such a great inherent hook and given he's hired two more than capable talents to lead his film it hardly matters how he's saying what he wants to say as long as it's competent enough to capture how Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen are saying what they want to say. It's largely through these two performers that Green Book transcends the calculations of a movie such as itself, eclipsing every predictable note it plays that could have so easily rung false to become something genuinely endearing; a true crowd-pleaser in the least cynical and most delightful of ways.

New Trailer for ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

It's kind of hard to think that Alita: Battle Angel isn't going to be huge. I mean, besides the fact it's been in the works for a long time and the guy who made Titanic and Avatar (as well as Terminator and T2) is behind it-there is something rather innovative about it all and whether the quality is ultimately better or worse the closest thing I can equate it to in my lifetime is the buzz prior to the release of 300 in 2007. I can remember being in one of my college film classes and the professor along with many of the students talking about how excited and curious they were about that new Zack Snyder film. The visual medium of film was given something of a shot in the arm by 300 and its new take on how far those visuals could be pushed in the age of green screen and visual effects. If he was to be outdone in buzz, James Cameron certainly wasn't going to be outdone in box office and thus 2009 came along and Avatar was released upping the ante of what was possible with visual effects even if the film didn't make as lasting an impression on pop culture. It seems prior to beginning work in the world of Pandora though, Cameron was close to directing this adaptation of the graphic novel series "Battle Angel Alita" by Yukito Kishiro that revolves around an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by a doctor, rebuilt, and then set on a path of hunting down vicious criminals in the 26th century. Cameron is still involved as a producer and co-writer on the project while Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) has taken over the director's chair. Rodriguez falls into that school of directors who are always looking to push boundaries and if this new trailer is any indication it looks as if the director may very well have his first hit in ten plus years on his hands not to mention a new franchise. This thing looks spectacular as the blend of real photography and motion capture effects is flawless, the action is staged in a very visceral fashion, and the story, while coming with shades of Ghost in the Shell and no doubt other material I'm not aware of, piques my interest due to the seeming connection the titular character has with this item from the past and the fact it may indicate what the future holds; stuff like that always gets me. Not to mention, this thing has a hell of a cast with Rosa Salazar taking on the role of Alita and co-starring the likes of Eiza González, Jennifer Connelly, Michelle Rodriguez, Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earle Haley, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, and Casper Van Dien. Alita: Battle Angel opens December 21st, 2018.

First Trailer for SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Sony Pictures Animation isn't necessarily the studio everyone looks to for the next great animated movie, but they do well enough. I watched their latest Smurfs movie with mild enjoyment as my three-year-old found it entertaining and fun and the same can be said for their recent holiday offering, The Star, as it had its moments, but by the looks of this trailer I'm really excited about what the studio has up their sleeve next. While Sony is currently allowing Marvel Studios to "borrow" their live-action Spider-Man rights and in production on their own movie centering on supervillian Venom (which is rounding up quite the cast in Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, and possibly Woody Harrelson) Sony Pictures Animation has taken to furthering the Spider-verse with this animated adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis' run of Spider-Man comics that sees Miles Morales, a young African-American man, take up the mantle of Spider-Man. This will undoubtedly be an attempt to produce a whole new line of Spider-Man films as Sony is naturally looking at every avenue they can with this property, but much to my surprise this latest endeavor looks to be genuinely inventive and a ton of fun. Featuring The Get Down and DOPE's Shameik Moore as the voice of Morales, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will follow the newly minted Spidey as he attempts to juggle his high school life with his status as a superhero in the classic Spider-Man mold. And while the narrative prospects for such a film probably shouldn't be set too high it is the style of the animation and the visual prowess this film seems to encompass that has me really intrigued. Not since something like 300 have I been so immediately enamored with the look of a movie and so willing to see it based on little more than what is hinted at visually. In fact, this is the first time I've ever actively hoped a film will be released in 3D due simply to the fact it seems the cityscape shots and having Spidey swing through such in the style this is rendered would be the perfect use of that tool. In short, I can't wait to see this thing on the biggest screen possible and hope that while Sony is taking advantage of the web-slinger in every way they can, that they keep remembering to put as much innovation into each project as has seemingly been done here. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also features the voice talents of Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Liev Schreiber, and debuts in theaters on December 14, 2018.

HIDDEN FIGURES Review

Hidden Figures could have easily been one of those films that plays things right down the middle. Mainstream to the max. A standard structure with a likeable cast delivering an uplifting and equally heartwarming story that inspires us all to live our lives in something of a better fashion and to many ends-it is exactly that. That may sound as if I'm coming out the gate reducing the film to cliché via expectation, but it is how Hidden Figures both uses such identifiers to its advantage without reducing itself to those overused thoughts that make it charming while still routine. Exciting while ultimately a little obvious. It is a film with just the right amount of sass and just the right amount of authenticity to meet somewhere in the middle between a made for TV movie and that of a larger budget biopic, but this time with three central characters rather than just one formerly famous person. What Hidden Figures does so deftly is suggest how well-known its three protagonists should be rather than playing off how well known they clearly aren't. That their accomplishments are far greater than anything any musician or actor might be able to contribute to society, but due to the fact their profession is much less attractive (and their circumstances even less so) than performing on stage they seem fated to go down in history with little to no recognition. As these things tend to go though, Hollywood can't ignore a good underdog story, but when this is true in terms of something as large as the legacy of both the three individuals whose lives this film chronicles as well as all the women and women of color that these three stand to represent, such Hollywood reliabilities aren't always such a bad thing. From the director of the safe, but pleasing St. Vincent comes another competently made piece of cinema that exercises its big heart and sentimental streak in ways that are familiar, but that are executed so well and with such strong characters that it's impossible not to find yourself drawn to the satisfying journey Hidden Figures takes us on. Juggling three individual arcs with multiple facets within each and a scope that deals in the space race of the 1960's Hidden Figures is certainly a much more ambitious project than that of director Theodore Melfi's previous film, but one that he handles with assured grace as in only his second feature Melfi has proven he has the rare talent of crafting movies that are unabashedly feel-good while not allowing the saccharine aspects to overstep their boundaries forcing the story and the characters that craft that story to be as authentic as the beats are familiar.

MOONLIGHT Review

Moonlight is one of those films that anytime your mind tends to float back to it inevitable feelings of great sympathy and understanding come with it. It is a film that both simply and oh so complexly transcends all barriers of politics and beliefs and presents a bare bones human story that just so happens to deal with being black and being gay. It's always been clear, especially from the outside looking in, that the culture that forms young black men is one of the most high-pressure environments for one to be tough, hard, or essentially show little to no feeling at all. "Toxic masculinity" as it has been labeled in recent writings. There has long existed the stigma that to be hard or worthy of being a man one must be largely indifferent to those things that naturally give us weaknesses in the world. By tackling this idea and how it affects the growth and development of one underprivileged youth is at one time to present exactly what it promises while at another-painting a much broader picture of this toxicity that has been constructed by society for which many young men are led to believe there are certain actions that have to be taken or certain attitudes that must be adopted in order to make them worthy of being a man. This doesn't have to necessarily deal with sexuality, but more this condition is about those stereotypes of men-emotionless, dominant, violent-that society has relayed to determine certain levels of masculinity. That Moonlight addresses such expectations and the baggage, the torture, and the living hell such expectations can carry when not met in the judgmental environments of the projects or of high school or even of one's mother who knows the essence of her son, but isn't strong enough herself to stand up to such stigma's thus leaving that child for the wolves of the world is powerful enough. That Moonlight is able to explore these largely ignored aspects of manhood in such poetic and provocative ways as through the lens of a young man growing up black, poor, and gay only makes these points that much more enlightening and subsequently-that much more powerful. Moonlight is a film that, anytime you think about, are reminded of, or even consider the ground it covers and the essence of what it embodies not only in its ideas and themes, but in its nearly flawless execution inevitable feelings of great sympathy and understanding come as well. More than anything, writer/director Barry Jenkins understands the human element at the core of these issues and by parlaying as much through the single perspective of Chiron at three different stages of his life we are delivered a fleshed out portrait of the true internal tendencies versus the ideals we're taught we should become.  

First Trailer for HIDDEN FIGURES Starring Taraji P. Henson

Hidden Figures is going to be one of those late Oscar contenders that most of the country won't get to see until after the holidays, but that the critics will seemingly have been talking about for months-that is, if the movie turns out to be as good as this first trailer promises it is. Based on the little known true story concerning three African American women who worked at NASA in the early sixties and were integral to making the launch of astronaut John Glenn, and his being the first American to orbit the Earth, happen. At over three minutes the trailer hues dangerously close to feeling as if it spills every beat of the final film, but there is clearly a lot of ground to cover and hopefully 20th Century Fox is aware of what it potentially has on its hands here and are thus kicking off this marketing campaign accordingly. As far as trailers go we need to see little more, if anything at all, but rather the film would do best to promote the historical accuracy of the piece and the fact this is indeed based on an incredible true story. Focusing on highlighting the lives and real-life struggles of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson would seem most beneficial as it would not only make audiences aware of the story, but garner interest in these characters. These women, whose calculations were crucial to NASA’s space program, but who still faced discrimination as African Americans and women is enough to get people to the theater without giving away everything the film has to offer. This trailer does a fine job of highlighting why the movie will be worth watching as the leading trio, portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, look to have strong chemistry with a plethora of solid supporting cast members. Hidden Figures also stars Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and Glen Powell. The film has been directed by Theodore Melfi (St. Vincent) and was produced by Pharrell Williams who also collaborated on the score with Hans Zimmer. The film opens nationwide on January 13th, 2017.

FREE STATE OF JONES Review

It is difficult to know where to begin when discussing the new Matthew McConaughey film, Free State of Jones. The film encompasses such a large canvas spanning nearly fifteen years from the heart of the Civil War in 1862 up until 1876 illustrating how, despite the war being over, many people-especially freed black men and women-were still fighting battles every day. If Free State of Jones is anything it is an admirable piece of work, a beautiful disaster in some ways, but more than anything Free State of Jones doesn't seem to know what to do with or how best to convey all that it so strongly desires to say. Writer/director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, and the first Hunger Games film) has created a two and a half hour epic of sorts, but in the end it still feels as if the movie has more to say. This isn't a good thing and it certainly doesn't do the audience, who have already sat through that extensive run time, much consolation if not some satisfaction. In many ways, Free State of Jones should have been an HBO or FX miniseries that simultaneously chronicled the life of Newton Knight and how he seemingly lived for others as well as his family tree that came about after having children with Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an African-American who was once a slave. That the feature film version of this story even attempts to go back and forth between the actions of Knight himself as well as eighty-five years into the future where one of his great grandchildren stands trial for being a small percentage African-American and is thus charged with breaking the law for marrying a Caucasian woman is nuts. Sure, the parallels between what Knight was fighting for in 1875 and what his descendants were still dealing with in the 1950's is effective and certainly makes a strong statement about how little has changed despite a considerable amount of time passing-making the main idea of the movie more relevant than ever today-there just isn't room for it here. Going from the midst of the Civil War to our protagonist hiding out in a swamp, to him building a community that forms the basis of his rebellion and eventual secession from the Confederacy, and then going even further into the continued struggles during the Reconstruction period Free State of Jones leaves itself no room to breathe. That said, because there is so much there is a lot of stuff to find interesting as well. It is almost the opposite of that mantra that goes, "It's not what's being said, but how it's said," as Free State of Jones is more focused on what's being said given how it's being said is something of a mess.

First Trailer for FREE STATE OF JONES Starring Matthew McConaughey

In my most anticipated of 2016 article posted last week I placed writer/director Gary Ross's Free State of Jones at number eleven and so one can imagine how pleased I am to finally see some footage from the upcoming civil war drama. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as Newt Knight, a Southern farmer who led a rebellion against the Confederacy during the war. Knight's opposition to both slavery and secession, led the farmer and soldier to launch an uprising of poor white farmers that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a "Free State of Jones." Knight's relationship and post-war marriage to a former slave, Rachel Knight (Consussion's Gugu Mbatha-Raw), effectively established the region's first mixed-race community. While the nearly three minute trailer more or less seems to give away large portions of the films story that same story is so compelling it is difficult to deter my anticipation for the full film. McConaughey looks to be in full McConaissance mode as he leads the film with the charisma and layers of depth that crafted his resurgence a few years ago. Visually, the film looks stirring and I have enough faith in Ross alone (whose directing credits outside the initial Hunger Games film include Seabiscuit and Pleasantville while he also penned the screenplay for Big) that both his screenplay and his final product will be worthy of attention no matter how much the promotional material tends to give away. That said, I'm more than eager to see how the final product turns out and can't wait to see what drew Ross to this material. Free State of Jones also stars Keri Russell, Mud's Jacob Lofland, Mahershala Ali, Room's Sean Bridgers, great character actor Gary Grubbs and opens on March 11, 2016.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 Review

Ultimately, The Hunger Games films as well as the books are about sacrifice and that this final installment of the film franchise encapsulates this theme to it's fullest while still maintaining a clear narrative drive that is moved along by several exhilarating action sequences allows it to be nothing short of wholly fulfilling. In all honesty, as a reader of the books, I don't know that one could have asked for a better interpretation of the novels. Even in retrospect, the splitting of Mockingjay into two parts now seems a genuine decision rather than a financial one as it allowed more time to fully grasp the multiple changes and conflicts our protagonist, Katniss Everdeen (the ever-steady Jennifer Lawrence), would experience while also allowing plenty of space to develop the idea that both sides of a war use the same kind of propaganda to strike fear into their followers hearts. This development as well as the fact both parts of the Mockingjay films were not shackled by the narrative constraints of the actual games make for a much more involving and complex set of moral decisions and real world repercussions that don't typically apply to young adult literary stories. Whether it be through the casting of the terrific Donald Sutherland as President Snow who makes the overriding threat seem all the more vile as he eloquently executes his intentions of power over the classes of Panem through his politics or the unexpectedly layered Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) that brings about not only an epiphany in Katniss concerning the vicious circle that human beings naturally put themselves in when systems inevitably become corrupted, but also in realizing the necessary differences in the two men in her life that will finally bring about a peaceful decision. As much as The Hunger Games series is about sacrifice it is also about holding true to ideals no matter the sacrifice it takes to keep such principles relevant. Some may counter Katniss with the argument that there is no need to fight for ideals if there will be no one left to carry them on and if that is to be the result it seems Katniss thinks we might not deserve to exist at all. It's a bold statement, one that the films could have easily smoothed over with a toothless and sentimental final act, but instead they embraced the complexities and let them play out in an honest sense only making it all the more interesting to watch come to an end.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 Review

I've always been a fan of second chapters, but this new trend of first halves of last chapters is an unfortunate one that doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon given the extra dollars to be made from it. Not only does it completely contradict the reasons studios use to justify these splits, but they often times present glaring weaknesses in the story that otherwise wouldn't be present if the intention was the same as with the first two or however many predecessors there were. In the case of The Hunger Games, having read the books, I would have much more preferred they split Catching Fire into two parts than the rather lackluster and somewhat disappointing third book in the trilogy. Of course, as the finale, it is the one that gets the big to-do. There is a case to be made and an essay to be written for why studious should consider breaking the book that deserves it most into two parts rather than the concluding chapter (one that might ultimately agree with their story justifications in the press release that we all know are just covers for double the profit), but that is for another time and head space. While we may eventually get to a place where every book is broken into two movies right now we are here to discuss the beginning of the end for what has been the middle ground between the more credible Harry Potter series and the laughable, niche that was Twilight. The Hunger Games has served as a bridge between these series, uniting the tween and teen girls that flocked to the Bella Swan soap opera and the fans of varying degrees that grew up with J.K. Rowling's boy wizard in a way that melded the female heroine with the gritty realism of a fictional world. These films are, in a way, the ultimate composition of young adult literature combining every successful element that have come before and garnering the masses all the more for it while also sporting its own line of imitators. I wouldn't necessarily say I enjoyed The Hunger Games, either in the books or film series, but I am no doubt intrigued by them and fascinated not only by the role they play in pop culture and the brand they've etched out for themselves, but for the actual intentions of the story and how that has somehow been maintained in the feature adaptations. With that mindset I went into Mockingjay - Part 1 with a hopeful optimism that director Francis Lawrence and his unbelievably impressive cast might have crafted a game-changer.