“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+

The 2019 Next Level Blockbuster Awards Notes

• The “Best Inspirational Picture” category was added to acknowledge spiritual related films that would most likely not be nominated in other categories.  I am not an overly religious person but with studios like Pure Flix releasing more and more films, it is a film genre I feel can no longer be ignored.

• The “Best Home Video Release” category honors past and present movies and tv shows with stellar DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K releases.

• Despite being the first Next Level Blockbuster Awards, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga both managed to take home two awards.  Cooper won for “Best Director” and Gaga won for “Best Actress”.  The pair shared the “Best Song” award.

• Speaking of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, Cooper managed to gather four total nominations making him the most nominated person so far.  Lady Gaga and Michael B. Jordan are tied in second place with two nominations each (though Gaga holds the edge having won in both categories she was nominated in).

• With so much original content coming from streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, DC Universe, Crackle, and YouTube; the category of “Best Digital or Direct or Video Picture” seemed like a must.

• “Avengers: Infinity War” was the most nominated film this year with a total of eighteen nominations.  It went on to win four awards including the top prize.

• “Bohemian Rhapsody” won the most awards this year with a total of five awards.

• Netflix films were nominated for a total of twenty nominations.  The streaming service went on to win two awards.

• Comic book movies dominated the nominations and wins this year, unlike most other award shows.  I do not discriminate against genres and this year proved to showcase that any film can be nominated.

• Films based on Marvel comic books received a whooping forty-seven nominations and won seven of those awards.  Among the films were “Avengers: Infinity War”, “Black Panther”, “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, “Venom”, and “Deadpool 2”.  DC comics only had one film based on it’s characters but still received a respectable nine nominations and won an award.

“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-

"Man of Steel" Movie Review

    I remember seeing the first trailer for “Man of Steel” attached to “The Dark Knight Rises” and the preview sent chills down my spine.  I am a huge Superman fan and seeing the names Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan attached to the project brought me much hope and delight.  When the film came out, I remember thinking Warner Bros and DC had a hit on their hands because it had everything the critics complained about “Superman Returns” lacking, namely a fresh more realistic take and more action.  I was extremely surprised at the time to see the same critics also panning “Man of Steel” for delivering exactly what they wanted.  After the dust settled, “Superman Returns” ended up getting better critical reviews than “Man of Steel”, although “Man of Steel” did manage to do slightly better at the box office.

    “Man of Steel” proved to also be just as divisive among fans.  It seems like some people wanted a more classic take on the character while others were extremely happy with the vision Zack Snyder had for the film.  I very much enjoyed both “Superman Returns” and “Man of Steel” but after awhile, it became more and more clear that Bryan Singer wasn’t going to be allowed to make a sequel to “Superman Returns”.  The studio wanted a reboot and they hired Zack Snyder, hot off of “300” and “Watchmen”, to direct the film while “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan would act as a sort of figurehead to the film.

    The film tells the story of Kal-El/Clark Kent and his journey to becoming Superman once again.  The film opens on Krypton with Jor-El sending his son Kal-El to Earth in order to escape the planet’s destruction.  As Kal-El is sent into space, General Zod’s rebellion on Krypton is stopped with the help of Jor-El and General Zod is sent to The Phantom Zone.  When Kal-El arrives on Earth, he is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent who name him Clark.  Clark Kent grows up with amazing powers and soon realizes he is more than a typical man, he is a Superman!  Just as Clark starts to feel comfortable with new powers, General Zod arrives on Earth having escaped the Phantom Zone with one goal, start a New Krypton on top of the ashes of the Earth.  Only Superman can stop him!

    At the time it seemed like a wise decision to launch the DC Extended Universe with it’s oldest flagship character, the last son of Krypton himself, Superman.  I think making General Zod the main antagonist of the film was wise due to his ties to Krypton.

    As far as casting goes, this remake took a cue from the Richard Donner “Superman” movies and cast Hollywood heavyweights around a lesser known lead.  Henry Cavill steps into the role which Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh had played before him.  Cavill was a fan favorite for the role and was almost cast years before when McG was still set to helm what would become “Superman Returns”.  Cavill is a capable Superman but can be wooden at times as Clark Kent.  Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play Jonathan and Martha Kent with the weight you would expect from two iconic performers.  Michael Shannon plays a creepier and more menacing version of General Zod than seen before.  Still, I have to say I personally prefer Terence Stamp’s quiet nobility as the evil Zod in the original Donner films.  Amy Adams doesn’t hurt the film as Lois Lane but doesn’t vastly enhance it either.  Rounding out the main cast is Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Crowe is one of my favorite performers in this movie.

    Now, aside from the visuals, one of the most memorable aspects of the Superman movies was always John Williams fantastic score.  Everyone and their mother knows the main Superman theme so when I found out that Snyder wasn’t using the theme, I was a little angry.  Imagine my surprise when I hear the theme Hans Zimmer delivers and I really love that score as well.

    Looking back, I personally feel like “Man of Steel” was a fantastic start to the DCEU that hit a snag when all the critics decided to unfairly dump on it.  It told a solo Superman story well while including Easter eggs setting up future movies and characters without being in your face.  I guess every film is truly subjective though, with this film continuing to divide critics and the fan base.  Count me as someone who was all aboard for future DC films.

Grade: A-

"Superman Returns" Movie Review

    After Christopher Reeve was tragically left paralyzed following a horse riding mishap, it seemed like Warner Bros. could only remake a film version of Superman.  Indeed, plans for a remake were in various stages for a number of years at Warner Bros. with everyone from Tim Burton to McG to J.J. Abrams attached at various stages of development.  It wasn’t until Bryan Singer took the director’s chair that things finally started seeing progress.  Singer was fresh off of two highly successful X-Men films and sought to reintroduce Superman to the world.

    “Superman Returns” follows the events of the first two Superman films while ignoring what transpired in the last two Reeve Superman films.  Erasing only two films from continuity while still acting as a sequel to the first two films proved to be a confusing and needlessly confusing move.

    The plot was simple enough, acting as a character piece with some romance and a little action sprinkled in.  Superman had left the Earth before the events of this film to search for any remaining life from Krypton.  Upon returning to Earth, Superman has to find his place in a world that has moved on without him.  While trying to find purpose, Superman must stop a new real estate scam from Lex Luther that could kill numerous people.

    “Superman Returns” serves as Singer’s love letter to the Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve Superman films.  Unfortunately, the Donner Superman films balanced the humor, action, and romance better.  Donner’s Superman film was set up into a three act play with act one taking place on Krypton, act two taking place in Smallville, while the final act takes place in Metropolis.  Singer’s Superman film is a little more all over the place.  It is also about thirty minutes too long which definitely effects it’s pacing.

    Now, this isn’t to say the film is bad, it is still a pretty darn good movie.  It’s just it could have been a masterpiece with a few tweaks.  The easiest move for the movie would have been to add a few more action pieces.  The few action scenes that Singer filmed will leave you dropping your jaw.  The airplane rescue scene is beyond amazing.

    As far as the cast goes, Brandon Routh makes for a fantastic Superman.  He really embodies the big blue boy scout of the comics.  I would say that I personally preferred the performance of Routh over Henry Cavill.  Kate Bosworth added little as Lois Lane and makes you long for Margot Kidder.  Now, for the elephant in the room, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor.  If you can divorce yourself from all the gossip and all the terrible allegations surrounding Kevin Spacey, I thought his performance was fantastic.  Out of all the actors to have played Lex Luthor on the big screen, Spacey is my favorite.  The film also uses archive footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El.  Seeing Brando once again added a sense of continuity to the film.

    Speaking of elephants in the room, Bryan Singer did an amazing job directing this film.  Yes, there are flaws and the film needed some of the filler trimmed, but the visuals are incredible and the character study of Superman was an interesting approach.

    It’s a shame that “Superman Returns” didn’t receive a sequel because it could be argued that this film was as good or better than the Zack Snyder remake “Man of Steel”.  The film isn’t perfect but deserves to be seen by true comic book fans.

Grade: B+

"Supergirl" Movie Review

    Following up a successful franchise is never an easy task.  Sequels are hit or miss in terms of successfulness and spin-offs tend to fail more often than sequels.  Still, the notion of a “Supergirl” film had (and still has) promise.  Supergirl has always been one of the most interesting characters in the Superman mythology and has had numerous successful solo comic book runs.  Plus, The CW has a hit in their own “Supergirl” show currently so clearly a movie could easily be a run away classic.

    Unfortunately, “Supergirl” doesn’t fly to the heights of it’s potential.  The film follows the events of the Christopher Reeve Superman films and features Marc McClure reprising his role of Jimmy Olsen.  McClure is the only returning cast member which is a shame since a cameo from Christopher Reeve could have went a long way.  Reeve was actually going to film a cameo at one point but bowed out before production began.  A scene was written which would have featured Supergirl having to rescue an ill Superman from the clutches of the film’s villain.

    The film remains a landmark because it was the first mainstream superhero movie to feature a female lead.  Before “Wonder Woman”, “Captain Marvel”, or even “Catwoman”, “Supergirl” was the first out of the gates. It’s just a shame that it wasn’t a better film.

    The movie follows Kara as she journeys to Earth in order to recover the power source for the Kryptonian community of Argo City.  Upon arriving to Earth, she adopts the mantle of Supergirl and follows in her cousin’s footsteps in fighting crime while on the planet.  The power source is found by a witch named Selena who uses it to perform “real” magic.  In order to recover the power source and protect the Earth, Supergirl must stop Selena.

    Helen Slater is a delightful Supergirl.  It’s a shame that she wasn’t in more films after starring in this because she had a real presence.  The rest of the cast doesn’t deserve the same acclaim however.  Faye Dunaway plays Selena and she is easily the worst part of the film.  Dunaway is typically a very good actress but she just seemed out of her element in this project.

    The film is rather dull and feels like a less enjoyable version of the previous Superman films.  As a huge Superman fan, I had high hopes for this film upon rewatching it and I remember really enjoying this as a kid so I was disappointed to revisit it only to be mildly enjoyed.  That being said, there are worse ways to spend a few hours.

Grade: D

“Aquaman” Movie Review

    I am a big comic book nerd and I make it no secret that I tend to prefer DC over Marvel.  Both DC and Marvel have had great movies adapted from their pages and also some near dumpster fires.  Going into “Aquaman”, I knew there probably wasn’t going to be a middle ground with this film.  I just had to hope for the best.
    Luckily, the film turned out to be a fun popcorn flick.  “Aquaman” is basically an adaptation of Geoff John’s “New 52” origin story.  The story focuses on Arthur Curry having to accept his lineage and fight for the crown of Atlantis in order to save everyone from an all out war.  It’s a simple story with elements of adventure and action thrown in.  I would say that out of all the DC movies, this movie feels more like a Marvel Studios movie.  It serves to be a crowd pleaser even if it means abandoning weightier issues that have had mixed success for Warner Bros. (“The Dark Knight” has themes that connected with audiences while “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” missed the mark with most movie goers).  Making a softer in tone and safer picture was probably the best move for Warner Bros. after how badly they handled “Justice League”.
    “Aquaman” is a visual fest for the eyes and feels part “Raiders of the Lost Ark” meets “Avatar”.  James Wan does an amazing job of delivering an overall fun crowd pleaser.  Wan does initiative things with his action set pieces and scene transitions.
    Jason Momoa and Amber Heard serve their roles but don’t exactly elevate the movie as a whole.  Momoa’s strength as an actor actually seems to be his sense of humor and comedic timing which isn’t showcased a lot (due to it being an action film).  Momoa and Heard don’t share much chemistry together in my opinion.  The pair seem to be cast mainly for their looks.  All that being said, I think Momoa has a lot of promise and will be more comfortable in the role by the time he reprises it next.  Patrick Wilson ended up being the true stand out of the movie performance wise.  Patrick Wilson chews up his scenes while still being reserved enough not to go over the top.  He makes for an interesting villain and one I would like to see more of.

    One major complaint I had about the movie is the music.  Music can elevate a movie to near epic proportions (case in point: Star Wars).  The music in “Aquaman” is just a pain in the ears at times.  Guitar riffs are not needed everytime Jason Momoa looks into the camera.  We get it, Momoa is a bad ass (case in point: he has tattoos and facial hair).
    The movie is about the spectacle and amazing visuals.  In that respect, it doesn’t disappoint.  “Aquaman” is a fun summer movie that comes to us during the cold winter months.  I am excited to see where future adventures lead the hero.

Grade: B+