“Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” Movie Review

    I have always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the characters of Jay and Silent Bob.  Perhaps it is due to the ease the characters fit into silly movies (such as “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”) or films with a more adult flair (their appearance in “Chasing Amy” remains a standout).  Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes have such a natural chemistry that their friendship almost transcends their films.  Smith and Mewes are the definition of ‘friendship goals’.  Naturally when I heard that Kevin Smith was making a new film featuring the characters, “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot”, I marked it down as a must see.

    The film plays as a sort of sequel to every film set in Kevin Smith’s View Askew universe but ties most directly to “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”.  The movie starts with Jay and Silent Bob learning that a studio is planning to make a reboot of the Bluntman and Chronic characters that were based off of the pair and that the studio now considers their actual names (Jay and Silent Bob) part of their intellectual property as well.  Once again, the pair set off to stop a Bluntman and Chronic movie from being made in a cross country adventure which unites the pair with a slew of familiar faces as well as some surprising new additions to the View Askew canon.

    Jay and Silent Bob have become unlikely pop culture icons over the years despite most of Kevin Smith’s film being modest box office successes at best.  Smith’s fans are a very dedicated group and I count myself among them.  Jay and Silent Bob have become a new generation’s Cheech and Chong which is quite the torch to carry.  Perhaps it seemed like a bit of a no brainer for Smith to fill this film with none stop fan service.  Unfortunately, it’s this same fan service which hinders this film slightly.  While I very much enjoyed catching up with familiar characters, I feel like more fun could have been had with the satirical reboot concept.  

    While one can complain that too much of the humor of this film was recycled, I do feel like Kevin Smith often isn’t given enough credit for his character development and that strength continues with this film as well.  Perhaps it is due to his personal relationship with the characters, but Smith manages to progress his character’s lives as a reflection of his own and that helps make his films (including this one) more compelling.

    Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith headline the film, naturally, as Jay and Silent Bob and the pair continue to play well off each other.  I do feel like perhaps the weight of a whole movie might be a bit much for Jason Mewes, but he doesn’t sink the movie either.  Joining the pair is Kevin Smith’s real life daughter Harley Quinn Smith playing Jay’s previously unknown of daughter.  Harley Quinn Smith does a solid job in the film and I am excited to see what the future has in store for her.

    The rest of the cast is primarily filled with cameos, some being more impactful than others.  Due to the huge cast last, I will only cover the few cameos that I feel deserve a special mention.  The best cameo comes from Ben Affleck and his cameo mirrors his real life relationship with Kevin Smith as well as providing some closure to the film “Chasing Amy”.  Affleck and Smith were once good friends and frequent collaborators but had a falling out years ago.  The pair reconnected after Smith nearly died of a heart attack and the sense of lost time can be felt heavily in this scene.  Jason Lee has a solid cameo that helps expand his “Mallrats” character some.  Matt Damon returns as Loki from “Dogma” for a brief appearance which helps wraps up “Dogma” and is one of the funniest moments of the film.  Chris Hemsworth has a pretty hilarious cameo.  Screen legend Val Kilmer appears as Bluntman, making him the second ex-Batman to feature in this movie.  Ex-WWE superstar and current AEW Champion Chris Jericho has a fairly surprising appearance in the movie.  Lastly, though the film was ultimately filmed after his passing, footage of Stan Lee looking over part of what would have been his role at San Diego Comic Con played during the credits, drawing a tear from every comic book fan’s eyes.

    “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” actually had a fairly successful non traditional theatrical run which just wrapped up this week (on Kevin Smith’s birthday I believe).  The film never opened wide, instead Kevin Smith took the film on a literal road show which I actually find very charming.  Smith and Mewes were both personally at every tour location, providing his fanbase a unique experience to enjoy along with the film.

    While I felt like the film fell short of some of it’s comedic potential and should have focused less on fan service and more on a new adventure, I do admire Kevin Smith at the same time for his relationship to his fans.  Smith legitimately could care less about the critical reception his film’s receive as long as his fans enjoy it.  That is a very admirable trait for a filmmaker these days.  “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” won’t change the ways films are made, but it will provide enough laughs to satisfy it’s fanbase.

Grade: B

“Joker” Movie Review

    When “Joker” was first announced, I sort of wondered what the reasoning behind green lighting this film before other DC property was.  After reading that it was separate from the new DCEU and after watching the trailer, I understood “Joker” was envisioned as DC Comic’s prestige picture.  My suspicion was quickly verified when the film premiered at film festivals to praise and awards.  It seemed like critics were all going to love this film upon it’s release.  Things didn’t turn out so clear cut though.  While many critics still praised the film, some decided to take issue with the reflection it takes on society.  You can’t please everyone but with more and more critics (and some audience members) raising this criticism, I wondered how I would feel when I finally watched “Joker”.

    The film revolves around a man named Arthur Fleck who has multiple serious mental illnesses and is struggling to get by in Gotham City.  Arthur lives with his mother and dreams of making it as a standup comic but his crippling laughing disorder makes it impossible for him to succeed.  Arthur slowly descends into madness more and more as he tries to discover the truth about his father and his past in general.  As Arthur is pushed more and more, he is reborn into the iconic Joker we are all aware of.

    I sort of loved this movie far more than I expected I might, especially the third act, and I was pleasantly surprised by how sympathetic the film made the Joker seem.  What makes this film feel different is the realistic approach the filmmakers took in telling the story of a man suffering from a mental breakdown. Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness is both tragic and frightening.  It should also be noted that this film does not follow the comic books, since Joker has no official origin, but draws a lot of inspiration from “The Killing Joke” and “The Dark Knight Returns” graphic novels.

    I enjoyed the many themes of the film including class warfare and the importance of helping those suffering from mental illnesses and how issues like those can become intertwined.  The class warfare aspect seems especially timely in today’s troubled economic times.  I also appreciate how they approached the struggles of mental illness and how seriously they treated the subject matter.

    Of course a lot of the strength of the film came from the amazing performance of Joaquin Phoenix.  Phoenix elevates an already strong script into something akin to high art.  While I personally still feel Heath Ledger was the best Joker, Phoenix plays a different version of the character that is equally strong and definitely gives the late Ledger a run for his money. Phoenix is just fascinating to watch on screen.  I would be completely shocked if Joaquin Phoenix isn’t nominated for an Oscar for this role.

    As good as Phoenix was, he also had some great supporting actors around him.  Robert De Niro actually gave a great performance as Murray Franklin, a Johnny Carson like late night television host who Arthur sees as almost like a father figure.  De Niro’s addition to the cast was also perfect since much of the film was inspired by “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy” which both starred De Niro.  I really liked Frances Conroy as Arthur’s mother Penny.  Conroy gave a more restrained unhinged performance that is getting largely overlooked but I loved it.  I do want to mention that I liked Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne but I think the original actor cast, Alec Baldwin, would have owned the role a little more.  Baldwin ended up passing on the role because he thought the role was too similar to his Donald Trump character on “Saturday Night Live”.

    I was surprised by how well Todd Phillips managed to craft this movie and I was completely blown away by his directing choices.  I was never a big fan of “The Hangover” films (although I have a soft spot in my heart for his “Starsky & Hutch” remake) so I didn’t expect a lot.  True to the influence, Phillips invokes Martin Scorsese unlike any one else I have seen recently.  I also liked the gritty feel of the film which reminded me of the Christopher Nolan “Dark Knight” trilogy.

    The film itself looked amazing with the cinematography and score being a highlight.  The film was beautifully shot and the string music gave it a slightly off putting feel.  All the foreshadowing and Easter eggs made the film extra special for fans of the Batman comic books.

    As a film lover, I enjoyed that the theater at the end was playing the movies “Excalibur” and “Zorro: The Gay Blade”.  “Zorro: The Gay Blade” is a nod to “The Mark of Zorro” which is the film young Bruce Wayne was watching with his parents the night his parents were killed.  It was also a comedic take on Zorro which seems fitting with this take on the Joker origin.  Lastly, “Excalibur” was the film featured in the opening credits of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”.  It could also be a reference to King Arthur seeing as the main character was Arthur and became the new king of crime by the time the film ends.

    “Joker” is a masterpiece and will likely change the way superhero or super villain films are told for years to come.  I can not recommend this movie more.  This film is the definition of ‘must see’.

Grade: A+

“Shazam!” Movie Review

    When this project was first announced, I was very excited about “Shazam!” because I knew how amazing it could be.  The comic book featuring the character is original and heartwarming.  Plus the prospect of DC expanding their film brand outside of proven commodities like Superman and Batman was a refreshing sign of faith in their own properties.

    The film follows a young foster child named Billy Batson who keeps running away from his foster homes in an attempt to find his biological mother.  After defending his current foster brother from bullies at school, Billy is teleported to a magical realm where a wizard named Shazam transfers his power to him.  The primary job of the wizard is to keep the seven deadly sins imprisoned.  Billy is challenged from the get go by Thaddeus Sivana.  As it turns out, Sivana was actually rejected by the wizard Shazam to be his champion which led Sivana on a quest to release the seven deadly sins.  Can Billy Batson stop him now that he is the new Shazam?  No spoilers from me.

    Now I can finally discuss my thoughts on the movie and I loved it!  It was everything I hoped it would be and more.  The film was both hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt at times.  “Shazam!” isn’t your typical superhero movie and works largely because of that.  At it’s core, “Shazam!” delivers pure wish fulfillment, which is why comic books were made in the first place.  What kid doesn’t dream of becoming a superhero?

    “Shazam!” has an interesting comic book history.  Before Marvel released their “Captain Marvel”, there was Fawcett Comics’ own Captain Marvel, the character later renamed “Shazam!”.  In the original comics, Shazam was the name of the wizard who provided Billy Batson with his powers by saying his name (like in the film).  This may be hard to believe now, but at one time, the comics featuring Shazam outsold the likes of Superman.

    This isn’t the first film adaptation of “Shazam!” made to the surprise of some.  In 1941, “Adventures of Captain Marvel” serial hit the silver screen and delighted audiences.  A few decades later, the tv show “Shazam” ran from 1974-1976 and was about as corny as corny could get.  Speaking of films, this modern “Shazam!” also references many other films in fun ways.  The best reference to me was the “Big” reference, seeing as “Shazam!” is basically “Big” crossed with “Superman: The Movie”.  I also enjoyed the several nods to “Rocky” since the film was also set in Philadelphia.

    A large part of the success of “Shazam!” comes from the cast.  Zachary Levi does an amazing job as Shazam and channels his inner kid amazingly.  Asher Angel is also a great find as Billy Batson.  Angel and Levi do such a good job channeling each other that it seems perfectly feasible that Billy Batson and Shazam are one in the same.  I thought Jack Dylan Grazer did a phenomenal job as Freddy Freeman, Billy Batson’s foster brother.  Mark Strong did a good job capturing the tragedy behind Sivana and his evil doing.  Director David F. Sandberg delivers a special superhero movie that really separates itself from the pack.

    The movie is a treat for all ages.  It features many amazing special effects and imaginative visual gags that will delight the entire family.  It is also full of surprises, from cameos to nods of things to come.  Much like “Iron Man 3” and “Batman Returns”, this film also makes for a fun new non-traditional Christmas film.  Be sure to stay after the credits for a treat, but don’t get your hopes up that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam will appear.

    “Shazam!” marks yet another success for the DCEU as it tries to course correct after “Justice League”.  At this rate, the DCEU might just become the juggernaut of a franchise the MCU has become.  So, if you are looking for a great movie, just say the word.

Grade: A-

“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” Movie Review

    From straight out of the toy box comes “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”, the eagerly awaited followup to the original smash hit.  When the first movie was announced, I thought the concept was silly to be honest.  I didn’t trust Hollywood to tell a creative story with arguably one of the most creative toys on the market.  Luckily, the creative team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller delivered one of the smartest and self aware films of 2014.  Could the sequel live up to the original?

    The film takes place directly after the first film and shows how differently the young boys and girls play with their legos through the point of view of the toys.  After Bianca (the young girl) destroys everything, the film time jumps five years and we learn that everything is no longer awesome for our lego friends as Finn (her brother) no longer feels he can build nice things.  Bianca uses her Duplo legos to try and play with Finn but he has no interest in doing so.  So, Bianaca’s creation Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi and General Sweet Mayhem kidnap a group of Finn’s legos including Lucy, Unikitty, MetalBeard, Benny, and Batman in an attempt to ‘unite’ the two group of toys through marriage.  Only Emmet and his new ally Rex can save the day.  Perhaps everything isn’t as it seems for Emmet however and his actions have consequences that reach beyond the lego world.

    While the first movie had somewhat of a twist in revealing the father and son dynamic that was behind the movie, this movie instead shifts the focus to be on sibling rivalry as hinted at during the final moments of this film’s predecessor.    The movie ultimately finds it’s heart by showcasing the bonding between the two children by the film’s climax.

    The movie isn’t as original as the first film but it would be almost impossible and perhaps foolish to try and recapture the same magic of the first film.  The film’s strength is in successfully shifting the dynamic of the theme and by being incredibly funny and witty.  The film features several references and Easter eggs.  It is unfortunate that Will Ferrell was reduced to such a small, voice over only, role in this particular film.  Maya Rudolph instead fills in the void left by Ferrell’s absence by playing his wife and the mother of Finn and Bianca.  The film once again features impressively witty music that is hilarious in the context of the movie.

    “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” ultimately falls just shy of the greatness of the first film.  That being said, it is still a very worthy sequel and a very enjoyable film overall (something that isn’t common for sequels).

Grade: B+

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 3

    As C-3PO once said, “Here we go again.”  Yes, here are the results for the third round of my superhero movie instagram poll.  Once again, there are some upsets and some underdog wins!

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 2

    So, here are the results from the second round of the superhero movie challenge from my instagram account.  There were definitely some surprises but that is what makes this poll so fun!

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 1

    So I decided to do a poll on instagram asking my followers which superhero movies they preferred and here are the results from the first round...

WHAT IF TIM BURTON DIRECTED A THIRD BATMAN FILM?

    When a project is killed or changed in a drastic way, it’s impossible to know how the original vision would have played out.  We can gather some information here and there about the development of a project and get a feel for what it might have been however.  One of these projects I am going to discuss is the film “Batman Forever”.  Now, “Batman Forever” did actually get made, by it was originally developed with the idea that Tim Burton would once again direct the sequel.  Tim Burton had grown tired of the Batman franchise and his clashes with Warner Bros. over his vision of what the films should look like.  Burton preferred a more adult and gothic theme while the studio wanted to veer towards a more kids friendly direction.

    Warner Bros very much wanted to cross market the film.  This had proven successful for Batman in the past but business like McDonalds and Kenner reportedly didn’t feel comfortable with the direction Tim Burton went with “Batman Returns”.  A latex fetish inspired Catwoman and a disgusting perverted Penguin weren’t ideal figures for kids toys.  They wanted Warner Bros. to make a toned down “Batman Forever” and Warner Bros. wanted that sweet licensing money.  A compromise had to be made but Burton ultimately did what he felt best for all parties and walked away from the project.  Warner Bros. then hired Joel Schumacher and the studio got their tie-in money.

    What if Tim Burton had stayed on though?  Would have the film have changed that much?  Let us look at everything we know and go from there.  First of all, Tim Burton would have had to reach some sort of compromise with the studio.  That being said, they probably could have settled for something more in line with his first “Batman” film which has a marketing juggernaut.  It would have ratained the gothic style but with some of the more disgusting and adult oriented themes toned down a notch.

    We also know the film would have only featured one main villain, The Riddler.  In the Schumacher film, Jim Carrey played the role in a very over the top and campy fashion.  One has to believe Burton’s Riddler would have been more or a deranged and calculating mad man.  He was set to have a question mark shaved into his scalp if that gives you any indication on his visual appearance.  The characters of Scarecrow and a returning Catwoman were also slated to appear at various states of development.

    As for the overall film, no script to my knowledge has leaked online which would tell us how everything would have played out.  It is possible no definitive script was written and the Tim Burton version never made it past brain storming.  We know that Tim Burton wanted this to be his last Batman movie and intended on capping everything off.  The film would have focused on themes of fear, redemption, and moving on from tragedy.  We also know he wanted the film to be called "Batman Continues" as opposed to "Batman Forever".  "Batman Forever" always sounded like a better title for a fourth film anyway.  Imagine the marketing department getting to design "Batman 4 Ever" merchandise.  I would also imagine it would have been very likely that Danny Elfman would have once again scored this film.

    Now if Tim Burton had returned, there is a very good chance Michael Keaton would have returned as Bruce Wayne/Batman as well.  He was attached to the project until Joel Schumacher took over and he disliked his direction of the franchise.  I liked Val Kilmer in the role but it would have been nice to see Micheal Keaton receive a proper send off.

    Michael Keaton would not have been the only returning cast member.  Michelle Pfeiffer was also expected to return as Selina Kyle/Catwoman at one point.  Warner Bros. were even developing a spin-off for Pfeiffer which later became the Halle Berry starring train wreck.  Billy Dee Williams would have also likely returned but only as Harvey Dent since Two-Face wasn't set to be a villain in is version.  Tommy Lee Jones was later recast in the role.  Also, like in the Schumacher films, Michael Gough and Pat Hingle would have returned as Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon.

   Despite not loving the character, Tim Burton had plans to include the character of Dick Grayson/Robin as far back as his first film.  He would later get cut from both films but his inclusion was so close to happening in "Batman Returns" that an actor was cast for the role and signed for a contract which included "Batman Returns" and "Batman Forever".  Marlon Wayans was ultimately Tim Burton's actor of choice.  The part later was recast with Chris O'Donnell as Robin but Wayans still got a sweet paycheck as part of a play or pay deal.

    The new characters the film was set to introduce was The Riddler filling in as the main antagonist.  Now only two names were thrown around as serious choices for Tim Burton, Robin Williams and Mickey Dolenz.  Robin Williams would likely have turned the role down since he turned it down for Schumacher as well.  He was upset at being used as bait to score Jack Nicholson in the first "Batman" movie.  This leaves Mickey Dolenz as the likely person to have been picked by Tim Burton.  Mickey Dolenz is most famous as a member of the group "The Monkees" although he is actually a pretty great actor as well.  Would Warner Bros. have been okay with a member of an older rock band as their co-lead?  I can't imagine they would be happy.  (Although I love the choice).  The secondary villain of Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow was being eyed for Chucky himself, Brad Dourif.  Dourif plays creepy so well that this would have been a fantastic choice.

    Lastly, Burton had actually cast a new lead actress in the role of Dr. Chase Meridian.  Rene Russo was going to star opposite Micheal Keaton.  Unfortunately for Russo, when Keaton was replaced with Kilmer, she was deemed "too old" for him and Nicole Kidman was later cast to replace her.

    There is so much mystery revolving this project but it is still fun to think what might have been.  In another world, "Batman Continues" would have been released over "Batman Forever".  It's hard to say if it would have been good but it would have definitely been different.  Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoy the rest of my blogs.  Have a good day!

SOURCE: www.imdb.com