“Onward” Movie Review

    Traditionally, a joint effort from Disney and Pixar means big bucks for ‘the house of mouse’ at the box office.  2020 has been anything but traditional for Hollywood unfortunately and due to the deadly outbreak of the Coronavirus, the latest Disney and Pixar film “Onward” ended up doing rather poorly at the box office before the theaters ultimately closed down.  “Onward” seemed like a film doomed to fail due to circumstances beyond it’s control but it is fortunately found life again on Disney+.

    The film tells the story of two brothers, Ian and Barley, who are very different from each other.  The brothers live in a world that was once filled with magic and mythical creatures but that world, like our own, has been lost due to modern innovation.  The only thing seemingly connecting the brothers is the fact that they both miss their father deeply.  Upon Ian’s sixteenth birthday, the brothers are presented a magical staff that their father wanted them to have when they were old enough.  In addition to the staff, their father also left them a powerful gem and a spell to bring him back for twenty-four hours.  After Barley fails to be able to summon their father back, Ian is able to successfully make the spell work.  Unfortunately for both of them, the gem powerful enough to bring their father back explodes halfway into the process and they only bring his bottom half back.  After that, the group set off on an adventure to find another gem to finish the process before their twenty-four hour goes away forever.

    It’s really a shame this film fell victim to the forced shutdown of theaters due to the Coronavirus.  “Onward” just happened to be one of the last major studio films released before the theater chains were forced to shut down and studios scrambled to find new release dates for future releases.  Fortunately, Disney was wise enough to offer the film for digital rental shortly after the pandemic and put the film on their Disney+ streaming service roughly a month after it was released in theaters.  This has turned out to be a rather smart move for the company because their streaming service keeps getting more and more subscribers and “Onward” has been trending on social media since it’s digital release.

    “Onward” is the kind of film that I feel really would have had legs at the box office.  It’s unique and has the perfect amount of sentimentality to really get people spreading good word of mouth.  It is also a film that is relatable to many people on very personal levels.  Anyone who has had a sibling who turned out to be more of a parental figure to them or anyone who has lost a parent are going to have a hard time fighting back tears at certain parts of this film.  As someone who has lost both their parents, I would do anything to see them once more.

    A large part of the charm of this film comes from the vocal talent of the two main stars, Tom Holland and Chris Pratt.  Both actors are veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and automatically have a natural chemistry with each other.  Holland and Pratt are able to give very funny performances but also pull on the heart strings when an emotional scene comes up.

    I love the feel of this film and the nods to other fantasy movies as well.   “Onward” is basically what the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth would look like now with modern technology and it was incredibly entertaining!  Can you imagine if games like ‘Magic the Gathering’ or ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ were based on historical events?  Imagination like that is what gives Pixar movies their charm.

    I was very impressed by “Onward” and it was nice to see a new movie with some passion put into it from home.  During these troubled times, a sweet fantasy movie is just what we need.

Grade: B+

“Point Blank” Movie Review

    So I wanted to watch a new movie last week so I decided to see what Netflix had to offer and a movie called “Point Blank” was suggested to me by the streaming service.  I decided to take Netflix’s suggestion for a change and started watching the film.  I figured best case scenario I would enjoy it, worst case scenario I would have something interesting to say in my review.

    The film tells the story Abe as he flees the scene of a crime and ends up getting hit by an oncoming vehicle while waiting for his getaway driver (who happens to be his brother Mateo).  While in the hospital, Abe is treated by his nurse Paul.  When Mateo finds out Paul is treating Abe, he kidnaps Paul’s pregnant wife and informs Paul that if he ever wants to see her again, he will get Abe past security.  While Paul helps Abe escape successfully, things don’t exactly go as planned.

    I wish I had a lot of things to say about the film one way or another but the film was just rather bland to be honest.  I didn’t hate the film, but I didn’t love it either.  I can’t honestly say I expected the film to be a masterpiece, it is a Netflix original after all, but I still hoped I was wrong.

    Perhaps my hopes were heightened by the fact that two Marvel Cinematic Universe actors, Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie, star in the film.  The pair do a good job with the material they were given but that isn’t a lot.  Grillo and Mackie do have a good chemistry together however.

    I guess the thing I took away from the film most was the bizarre action set pieces featured in the film.  While some of them might have sounded good on paper, on screen they just came across as awkward a lot of the time.  For instance, the fight scene in a car wash might have seemed like an original idea but it just seemed a bit silly in the film.  The film also had a very generic music score which certainly didn’t help set the mood.

    “Point Blank” has a fine cast but the rest of the film coasts on their charm.  It’s not a terrible film, but at least if it was, it might be so bad it’s good.

Grade: D+

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” Movie Review

    Growing up, my favorite Marvel comic book character was (and still remains) our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  From the comics to the animated series and then the Sam Raimi movies, Spider-Man has always been one of the most relatable characters ever to grace printed comics and the silver screen.  Naturally, I was excited to see “Spider-Man: Far From Home” when it was released last week.

    The movie takes place after “Avengers: Endgame” and deals with how Peter Parker is trying to find his place after coming back to life post snap (aka the blip).  Peter Parker feels lost without his mentor Tony Stark and just wants to live a more normal life.  Peter Parker wants to tell MJ how he feels about her during a school trip to Europe but finds his normal life disturbed by Nick Fury who wants Peter to join Quentin Beck aka Mysterio in a new Avengers team to fight creatures from another dimension.  In what shouldn’t be a spoiler to anyone who has read Spider-Man comics, Mysterio isn’t all he seems.

    I really enjoyed this film and the film felt like a nice little epilogue following the universe altering events of “Avengers: Endgame”.  The smaller stakes felt more personal to the character and set the stage for the next arc in the character’s story.  As far as the film as a whole, it definitely like a step up from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” which I also enjoyed but felt a little underwhelmed by.  While “Spider-Man: Homecoming” felt like it tried to be a John Hughes movie more than a superhero movie, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” manages to balance the action and comedy more evenly.  The comedy also works a lot better in this film and I laughed out loud at more than a few parts.

    The cast was excellent with Tom Holland proving to be a delight once again as the awkward friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  Zendaya has great chemistry with Holland as his potential love interest MJ.  Samuel L. Jackson once again proves to be one of the most underrated cast members of the MCU.  Lastly, Jake Gyllenhaal was one of the best parts of the film as Mysterio.  I give credit to Gyllenhaal and the writers for turning a second rate character like Mysterio into one of the best villains of the MCU to date.  Jon Watts returns to direct this sequel and really steps up his game with this film.

    In a lot of ways, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” plays out more of a sequel to “Iron Man” than it does to “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.  A lot of the call backs and references relate to “Iron Man” more than they do to “Spider-Man”.  Tying the villain closer to Tony Stark also creates an interesting dynamic for Peter Parker that typically isn’t the same as in the comics between the hero and the villain.  While I adore Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, they all tend to have some direct ties to Peter Parker himself which can be repetitive.  Spider-Man’s villains are usually either his teachers or ex lovers or friends.  Using Mysterio as a villain also provided a chance for the filmmakers to showcase a lot of his ‘powers’ with a visual flair not often seen in the MCU.  The action scenes reminded me a lot of those ones showcased in “Spider-Man: The Animated Series” and that is a very good thing since they series remains fantastic.

    I do have a few slight gripes about the film even though I understand the creative decisions for these choices.  While I understand the emotional focus Iron Man’s death had on Peter, wouldn’t the rest of the world morn the apparent deaths of Captain America, Black Widow, and Vision just as much?  I mean Captain America was ‘the first avenger’.  Surely his ‘death’ would be at least on par with Iron Man’s death.  I also wish they had set up Norman Osborne or at least Oscorp in the film.

    While I still consider the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” films some of the best superhero movies, this is easiest the best “Spider-Man” movie made in some time.  You also need to stay during the two after credit scenes.  There is so much to unpack with the after credit scenes that you will be talking about them until the next Spider-Man film.

Grade: B+

"Wonder Woman" Movie Review

    The DCEU has had a rough time with critics and audiences as a whole since it’s conception with “Man of Steel”.  While I very much enjoy the films of the DCEU and I think critics have been too hard on them compared to the films of Marvel, it’s clear these films are very polarizing and not everyone’s cup of tea.  It seems like the first exception to this came in the form of “Wonder Woman”.

    The adaptation of the popular comic book takes place in World War I as opposed to World War II as often depicted in the comic book character’s origin.  When an American pilot happens to crash off the shores of Themyscira, an island consisting of only women, Princess Diana rescues the young man named Steve Trevor and learns of the troubles going on outside of their island.  After being told to stay out of man’s conflicts, Diana decides she must do something and goes with Steve to help put an end to the war.  Diana ends up becoming the superhero Wonder Woman and kicks a lot of butt along the way.

    I know you are all wondering what my thoughts on the film were, or at least I humor myself thinking you do, and it’s probably what you would guess.  I really enjoyed the movie and felt it showcased a female led superhero movie in a positive and progressive way unlike other attempts before while still being entertaining.  “Elektra” and “Catwoman” weren’t exactly game changers.  Although the MCU has managed to stay one step ahead of DC for the most part on the movie front, “Wonder Woman” is the rare win and manages to beat their “Captain Marvel” movie out the gates in wonderful fashion.

    The film stars Gal Gadot reprising her role of Wonder Woman from “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and she makes her mark on the role.  While Gadot isn’t the first person to play Wonder Woman and she certainly won’t be the last, she manages to take the role down a more serious route than the likes of Lynda Carter.  Chris Pine manages to be among one of the bright spots of the film.  As Steve Trevor, Pine carries many of the film’s more emotional scenes and his arc manages to pull at the heart strings by the end.  The rest of the supporting cast also shine through most of their scenes.

    “Wonder Woman” is beautifully shot and many scenes will remain iconic for years to come.  It’s almost hard to believe the film wasn’t shot during World War I at times because it is so captivating and realistic.  The score for the film is also captivating and serves as a great companion piece to the cinematography.

    With all the praise I have given this film, I will say that I wish the film had a stronger villain.  The villain of the film is revealed to be that of Ares, the God of War.  Ares in the comic book is Wonder Woman’s main arch nemesis but comes off a bit weak in the film as opposed to a serious threat.

    Being the fourth film in the DCEU, “Wonder Woman” certainly proves to be a bit of a course correction and proves DC could be a serious rival to Marvel given some time.  With a strong female lead and a solid story, “Wonder Woman” is an absolute wonder!

Grade: A-

“Avengers: Endgame” Movie Review

    I just got out of a screening of “Avengers: Endgame” and judging from the box office figures for the film, I think almost everyone in the world has already seen this film once already as well.  The tickets were purchased for my girlfriend and I by her friend Violet and I would like to take a quick second and thank her for that.  We were both very grateful for the kind gesture.  This review will not contain spoilers to the main plot or outcome of the film so no need to worry if you have not seen the film.

    The film follows the events of “Avengers: Infinity War” and details how the Avengers (and the world as a whole) move forward from losing to Thanos and the universe losing half of it’s population as a result of the snap.  Naturally, without giving anything away, the Avengers set forth a plan to find Thanos and try to undo the death and damage he has caused throughout the universe.  Refreshingly, the trailers and the television spots do not give a lot away and the main plot is kept largely under wraps.  Thankfully most fans have also been good about not posting spoilers online.  (Although I have noticed the spoilers are starting to creep in more and more.)

    I very much enjoyed the movie and I am still processing elements of it.  As of this moment, I am not sure which film I enjoyed more, this or “Avengers: Infinity War”.  This movie felt like a payoff to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s hard to see this movie (or Infinity War) being topped by any future movie Marvel makes.  If you have watched all twenty one films prior to seeing this, there are some amazing Easter Eggs and set pieces that feel like they were placed in the movie as a thank you to the fans.  The cherry on top of “Avengers: Endgame” has to be all the amazing cameo appearances.

    Clocking in at around three hours, the film doesn’t feel that long and almost leaves you wishing it was longer.  The pace of the film is benefited by the films heroes going on separate adventures before reuniting at the end.  While that helps make the film breeze by, it does affect the story structure a bit.  While “Avengers: Infinity War” somehow managed to incorporate a ton of characters and still form a very tight story structure, “Avengers: Endgame” is a little more messy.

    There are a few things that don’t really work well in the film but they are typically minor things that can easily be looked past.  There is no such thing as a perfect film after all.  The biggest misstep in an otherwise great movie in my opinion however is the inclusion of Captain Marvel.  For a character only introduced one film prior, her inclusion felt like Marvel was trying to force her down our throats.  I didn’t hate “Captain Marvel” but I think the focus of the film should have been kept on the classic Avengers.  That being said, Captain Marvel has only a minor role so it doesn’t hurt the film too much overall.

    On the subject of the original Avengers team, this movie feels like an amazing sendoff to many of those original members.  Each actor is given some great character moments and for a few of them, given emotional and fitting farewells.  While the door remains open for almost any of the characters to return somewhere down the line (this is a comic book universe after all), it is clear this film serves as a bit of a bookend to the entire film series as a whole so far.

    “Avengers: Endgame” is a film that works best if you have seen the first twenty one Marvel movies but is also an amazing film on it’s own and a rewarding follow up to “Avengers: Infinity War”.  While I said earlier that the film had a few parts that didn’t quite work out, the parts that do work are beyond incredible.  I hate the phrase fan service since it is typically used negatively but “Avengers: Endgame” embraces fan service and in the film it feels earned and like a reward.  The only warning I have for fans of the MCU is that they may want to bring tissues, it will be difficult to leave the theater with dry eyes.

Grade: A

“Captain Marvel” Movie Review

    I saw “Captain Marvel” last week and I am only now getting around to writing my review of the film even though I am pretty sure everyone and their mother has seen the movie already.  A downside of having a regular job (in addition to running my own eBay store) is that free time isn’t something I have in abundance.  Having seen all the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, I naturally had to check out “Captain Marvel”.

    To be absolutely honest, I wasn’t dying to see “Captain Marvel”.  The film looked decent but the trailer didn’t exactly ‘wow’ me.  I wanted to see the movie largely due to it tying into “Avengers: Endgame” to be completely honest (and I have a feeling a lot of people felt the same way).

    The film largely serves as a prequel to the bulk of the MCU (with the exception of “Captain America: The First Avenger”).  The film follows our hero Carol Danvers as she tries to regain her memories while serving as a member of the Kree military.  While on a mission fighting the shape shifting Skrulls, she is captured and the Skrulls manage to bring back memories she had of Earth while probing her mind.  After escaping, she lands back on Earth and must defend the planet from alien threats with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury.

    If the concept of a human joining an intergalactic space force protecting the Earth seems familiar, well, it’s because that is basically the same premise as DC’s “Green Lantern”.  I love DC and Marvel (I am not a fan/nerd that picks a side) and while “Captain Marvel” is overall a better movie than “Green Lantern”, I couldn’t help but feel that DC took some of the wind out of Marvel’s sails by releasing “Green Lantern” first.

    Unlike almost all the other films in the MCU, “Captain Marvel” wasn’t able to escape the kind of controversy that normally plagues DC films.  The star of this film, Brie Larson, made several controversial comments before the film’s release which angered a large group of individuals.  It is not my job to pick a side on such issues, but I have to wonder how such comments might swing reviews in favor or against the film.

    All that being said, what did I think of the film?  Well, I thought it was okay.  Perhaps I am being too harsh on the film because it certainly wasn’t the worst of the MCU (that dishonor belongs to “Thor: The Dark World”) but it also didn’t reach the heights of films like “The Avengers” or “Iron Man”.

    “Captain Marvel” is filled with a slew of excellent performances from it’s supporting cast but the same can’t be said about it’s lead.  While I know Brie Larson can be very good in some roles, I found her to be wooden in most of her scenes and one of the worst parts of the film sadly.  Luckily for us, the supporting cast shines.  Samuel L. Jackson returns in de-aged form to showcase the origins of Nick Fury.  Jackson is both bad ass and hilarious in the movie.  The weight of the film is really carried on Jackson’s shoulders in my opinion.  Clark Gregg had a small role which provided the audience with an understanding of the trust and friendship Nick Fury and Agent Coulson had with each other.  Ben Mendelsohn was also a scene stealer throughout most of the movie.  As the leader of the Skrulls, Mendelsohn was a slimy and excellent foil to Captain Marvel and I can’t say anymore without going into spoilers (though I will say I found his accent a bit distracting while he was in Skrull form).  Lastly, I will say I expected a little more from Jude Law.  It felt a little like Law phoned this film in.

    We have to talk about the best part of the film now, Goose.  Goose, at least to me, was the clear star of the film.  My only complaint about Goose is that there should have been more of him.  Goose provided much of the levity the film had and I would love to see some sort of spin off featuring Goose.  I know Hulu has a bunch of animated Marvel shows in development, I would love to see Goose team up with Howard the Duck.

    The film managed to have a unique 90s action movie feel to it that I enjoyed.  The touches of nostalgia with references  to businesses like Blockbuster and Radio Shack also were nice touches.  Like most other Marvel movies, it is nice to see how this ties to the bigger picture of films.  One possible good or bad thing about the ending of this film is that it left a lot to be explored in sequels.

    So, “Captain Marvel” is far from the worst two and half hours you could spend watching a movie.  In fact, I can say most people will find something they enjoy about the movie.  It is also far from the game changer the studio was hoping for considering “Wonder Woman” already led the female empowerment charge a few years back.

Grade: B-

“Venom” Movie Review

    Any one who knows me will tell you, I am a huge nerd.  One of my favorite genre of films are comic book movies.  Good or bad, I try to watch them all and I can find elements of joy in the biggest pieces of shit.   Yes, that being said, I will completely acknowledge some comic book movies are complete trash.  While I was intrigued by the notion of a movie based on Venom, I was a bit taken aback by the critic’s reception to the movie.  Critics so far have been rather savage towards “Venom” so I just had to know for myself.  Was it on the level of “The Avengers” or was it a train wreck like “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”?
    The movie plays basically like a modern day monster movie.  The film follows journalist Eddie Brock as he deals with unwillingly bonding with an alien symbiote.  The film depicts Venom as more of an anti-hero as opposed to a villain as he is often shown in Spider-Man comics.
    First of all, I actually did like the movie and I think it’s better than critics are making it out to be.  While the film has many illogical story beats, you just kind of go with the flow of the movie and you don’t really think about them unless someone brings them up.  The film isn’t perfect but it has it’s own charm.
    The thing I liked most that seems to be dividing audiences is the film’s humor and tone.  “Venom” doesn’t take itself seriously and plays like an actual episode of the 90s “Spider-Man: The Animated Series”.  I also like the nods to Spider-Man such as the spacecraft commander from the beginning being John Jameson.  The first after the credits scene alone is worth the price of admission as Woody Harrelson teases the epic Maximum Carnage storyline from the comic books.  It’s hard to imagine how the sequel could avoid an R rating with Carnage as the villain.
    The film is directed by Ruben Fleischer and it is his best work in awhile.  While “Venom” isn’t as innovative as “Zombieland”, it’s still better than forgettable films like “Gangster Squad”.  One of the biggest complaints I have against the film is how the fight scenes are depicted.  It is hard to make out what is going on when Venom squares off against Riot.
    As far as performances, I thought Tom Hardy was a delight to watch.  He has a great awkward energy.  The character Hardy plays is Eddie Brock and Brock was previously played by Topher Grace in “Spider-Man 3”.  Riz Ahmed plays the leader of the Life Foundation Carlton Drake.  Later in the film, it is revealed Drake has his own symbiote named Riot.

    The film contains no direct ties to the MCU and instead acts as a side universe exclusively through Sony.  It could still theoretically tie in at a later date but it doesn’t look likely right now.  I think it would be a smart movie for both Sony and Marvel.  The film isn’t perfect but it’s hardly terrible.  I would recommend “Venom” to comic book fans and people with an abstract sense of humor.

Grade: B-