Turning Red (2022) Non-Spoiler Film Review: The Most Non-Pixar Film From Pixar...

 

If there is a film that I have been looking forward for, despite poor advertising, it's this latest Pixar film. Not only is it because Pixar makes a lot of great movies, but this is one of two movies this year from Hollywood that is set in Canada, particularly in Toronto. As a Canadian, I was completely intrigued, but what can the movie offer me aside from just a familiar location? The answer is a lot. Set during 2002, 13-year old Mei Lee is a hyperactive tween girl who is constantly trying to appease the sides of both her traditionalist mother and her school friends. When a family curse suddenly awakens inside Mei, she discovers that extreme emotion turns her into a giant red panda. While she and her mother plant to perform a ritual to be rid of the panda, Mei prays that she and her friends are able to see their favourite boy band, 4* Town, perform in their city before it's too late. If you can't tell, this is a far smaller-scale, coming-of-age film that is more akin to "Luca" rather than a "Toy Story". It's clear how the film is inspired by Studio Ghibli in its execution and the metaphor of the red panda works in regards to adolescence and the choice of letting your true self exposed or bottling it up for reputation sake. The red panda element of the story can however be carried away a bit too much for some, particularly by the climax. The tone is the most distinct I've seen of a Pixar film, which is that it doesn't feel like one. Because of the setting, characters, and time period, the film feels oddly modern and wacky, almost as if another studio made this film. The humour relating to certain pop culture and the personalities of the girls can be hit-or-miss for some, but I personally enjoyed myself, since I found it quite charming.

Mei is a loveable protagonist thanks to her expressive animation and range of emotions. Her personality can be a bit annoying for some, but given her age, it makes sense for the character and the tone of the film. Her mother, Ming Lee, is also a well-written character given her relationship with Mei and her perspective of her family and what makes a woman. Mei's friends, Miriam, Abby, and Priya, are a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, they show to be really supportive and enjoyable with their chemistry with Mei. On the other hand, their humour involving 4*Town and pop songs can be pretty irritating at times. Lastly, Tyler is a pretty fun bully archetype, since he manages to grow as a character throughout the film. There is Mei's father and extended family, but they don't have much screentime to really worth mentioning. All of the voice actors do their job great and I do find the characters enjoyable for the most part with Mei being a great character to follow due to her personality, despite the negatives that go with her and her friends.

The animation style has been the film's biggest punching bag ever since its marketing. People hate the simplistic art design the film is going for, despite "Luca" doing the same thing last year with no criticism. Calling the animation simplistic is an insult as it's top-tier Pixar animation quality as always. Not only are the colours vibrant and the city and characters given so much detail, but the facial expressions make the simplified character designs work extremely well for this movie and tone. There are a lot of fun character animation details to highlight that you can easily make a montage of all of the over-the-top expressions made. In regards to if the city of Toronto and Canada as a whole was given justice, I would say that the film uses a perfect amount of iconography that Canadians are aware of Toronto and their country as a whole along with using the setting of the city to the story's advantage. Although it's odd that the CN Tower is never name-dropped nor involved in the climax, it was still so much fun seeing this film and recognizing the details distinct to Toronto and Canada. The score by Ludwig Goransson is nowhere near his best, but is an effective score for the multicultural film using a mix of oriental music and pop songs. Not only does the film have original songs made for the fictional boy band that sounds like it could be sung by a real-life boy band, but the 2002 setting also allows it to feature some songs from the era such as "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper and "Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child. It is so surreal to hear licensed pop songs in a Pixar film, let alone a Disney film, but that is simply the uniqueness of Domee Shi's directorial debut.

"Turning Red" is another strong addition to the Pixar library. While the climax gets a bit too out there, the tone and humour can be a bit alienating for some, and the tween girl characters can get a touch annoying when they don't shut up about 4* Town, these issues aren't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. The story mostly works as a low-stakes, coming of age story that will resonate with adolescent girls and just finding your identity as a whole, the tone and humour is so distinct that it's admirable coming from Pixar, Mei is an enjoyable female lead, Ming Lei is a understanding obstacle and mother figure, Mei's friends have their moments of levity and charm, the voice cast all around does a great job, the original score by Goransson is solid, the original and licensed songs perfectly fit the early 2000's, and the animation demonstrates how talented Pixar is in not only creating expressive and vibrant character movements, but fully realize Toronto as a distinct city that has its own identity and pays it with great respect. It sucks that Disney hasn't treated this film well by putting it on Disney+, since I would not only have wanted to see this in theatres, but a financial success could prompt more films to use Canada's setting to their advantage.

Verdict: 8/10. Great, but probably not top ten material for Pixar. Please check it out when you get a chance and watch the most refreshing and unique title from the best animation studio! 

Uncharted (2022) Film Review: Soon to be Forgotten As The Treasure Itself...

 

Video game adaptations are slowly becoming more and more mainstream thanks to the success of films like "Tomb Raider", "Detective Pikachu" and "Sonic The Hedgehog". Sony is seeing this success and has opened up their own production company to make their own video game adaptations, starting with one of their most beloved franchises, "Uncharted". Serving as a prequel to the games, the film is a mostly original story that follows a younger Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan teaming up for the first time and seeking the lost treasure of Magellan. While the story itself is original, it does feel like it belongs to that franchise unlike the story of "Sonic the Hedgehog". The tone is also very much like the games in being this fun, peril-increasing adventure. It's not meant to be super serious and that's the point, even if it can get a bit over-the-top at times. The humour however leaves a lot to be desired. Very few jokes land, mainly due to the choppy editing and pacing that ruins the delivery of the joke. 

Tom Holland as Nathan Drake is divisive to say the least. While it is a prequel and the film is focusing on a younger, less experienced Nate, Holland will never look like the character because he will always look like a babyface. Still, Holland did the best he can in this miscast role, offering his awkward charisma and dedication to the action. Mark Wahlberg is also miscasted as Sully, who is more gruff and a wiseass in the game, compared to just the jokester in the movie. Wahlberg does a fine job though and the two leads have decent chemistry. The side cast is also good with one exception. Sophia Ali is spot-on as Chloe, a backstabbing, no-nonsense treasure hunter from the games, and Tati Gabrielle is also good as Braddock, a mercenary racing against Nathan and Sully for the treasure. The one character I had issues with that's not tied to the portrayal is Antonio Banderas's Santiago Moncada. While Banderas is great in the role and adds character and motivation to an otherwise cliched role, the film makes the stupid choice to be killed off halfway in the film by Braddock for no reason. I understand that Braddock is the more threatening role, but she is also a generic one. Banderas adds some needed charisma and a bit of development to make him a potentially entertaining villain, but the script just demands a twist in the story. Regardless, the actors and actresses give it their all and it's up to the viewer whether they can be fine with Holland and Wahlberg's performances.

Ruben Fleischer has proven to be a competent director in his "Zombieland" films and in "Venom". However, this is probably the one film he sort of went on autopilot for. While Flesicher knows how to shoot a competent, slick production, he fails to inject a sense of style or flair to this film compared to his previous works. This is probably due to the choppy editing by Chris Lebenzon and Richard Pearson. Their editing is probably mandated by Sony to keep the film under two hours, which results in the film to have the jokes be cut short, scenes end in awkward places, the action being hindered, and the ending to have two mid-credit scenes back-to-back with one being a more appropriate ending than the ending itself. The cinematography by Chung Chung-hoon is adaquate. There are some neat shots and angles used, particularly in the action, but a part of that is hampered by Fleischer's lack of direction. The score by Ramin Djawadi is uninspired for the most part as it mostly sounds like stock adventure music. The only time the music is memorable is when Djawadi actually uses the motifs of the "Uncharted" theme, which is renditioned well. The soundtrack is also forgettable, using modern music that I can't remember for the life of me. The visual effects are decent with the set-pieces of the cargo plane being the standout and transitioning to live-action well. The action sequences are mixed though. While the set-pieces and choreography is creative, the editing is so choppy that it's almost trying to hide the action at times. It's watchable, but it feels underwhelming at parts sort of like Fleischer's directing.

"Uncharted" is one of the better video game adaptations made, but that's not saying too much as a movie. While the original story work fine enough, the tone captures the fun of the franchise, Holland and Wahlberg are enjoyable to watch, the cast in general does a good job with their roles, and the visual effects are good, that's really all the film has going for. The humour is poorly executed, the portrayals of Nathan and Sully are inaccurate, Santiago is killed off so the generic Braddock can fill the villain role, Chung-hoon's cinematography is standard, Djawadi's original score is bland, the soundtrack is Sony fluff, the action is hampered by Lebenzon and Pearson's editing, and Fleischer's directing is uninspired and felt made out of committee. The film suffers from the same problems as "Sonic the Hedgehog". There's clearly potential to deliver great things in a sequel, but the first film must be cheap and streamlined to make money in order to deliver on these promises, which is simply not a good way to make these adaptations.

Verdict: 5.5/10. Average, but nothing special. A sequel can be better, but that's not how franchises should be made.

The Batman (2022) Non-Spoiler Film Review: The Best Batman Film Yet...

 

When a serial killer dubbing himself the Riddler is killing Gotham's elite, a freshly-suited Batman must figure out the villain's plan and motivation before more and more victims are made. This is all I will talk about the plot, but the story itself has its fair share of twists and turns along with some great themes surrounding the hero and villain. Unlike previous films, this is very much a detective, film noir-inspired story rather than a typical superhero blockbuster. Don't expect any jokes or positivity in this movie, it's as dark and mature as Batman can be. However, it's surprisingly tame enough that younger viewers can watch fine, even though they might want something that has more action.

Robert Pattinson does an excellent job at becoming the titular role. While I think Ben Affleck is my personal favourite, Pattinson is great at playing the distant, tortured, and reserved vigilante and heir to Wayne Enterprises. Zoe Kravitz is a dazzling femme fetale as Catwoman, a thief who has her own agenda amidst Batman's quest. Jeffery Wright as James Gordan is as great compared to Gary Oldman as the aging authority figure who trusts Batman in his work. Paul Dino as Riddler is just perfectly over-the-top that it's both funny and creepy. Colin Farrell is fantastic as the Penguin along with the excellent make-up effects attached to him. Andy Serkis as Alfred is humble and assertive, but doesn't match Jeremy Irons's portrayal. John Turturro as Carmine Falcone is also great as the mob boss with confidence and sliminess to his name that it makes his casting even more effective. All of the cast do their best and make their interpretations of these characters work, but it's Pattinson's performance that steals the film.

Matt Reeves is a director that is slowly becoming one of the best filmmakers in this generation with this film being a great example of his talents. Gotham feels like a living, breathing, gothic city that feels like its own, rather than just being a New York City backdrop. The sets are given extreme detail and While the colour scheme is on the darker side, there is a bit of brightness that helps contrast in some of the scenes. The cinematography by Greg Fraiser is fantastic with the creative angles, tracking shots, and iconography. It's practically a comic-book coming to life.  The score by Micheal Giacchino has cemented his place as a rising star in the musical scene. His theme for the Batman is memorizing with the orchestrated, gothic and heroic motifs that feels like its own and appropriate for the character. Along with using Nirvana's "Something in the Way" and "Ave Maria" as both songs and interconnected tracks into the original score, Giacchino knows how to make an atmospheric score. The visual effects are pretty solid, given the limited use of CGI. The use of the StageCraft technology is noticeable in a specific location, but it's fine given the fact that they filmed this during the pandemic. Lastly, there is the action sequences. While the fights and action feel very much like Batman with precision and brutality, it's not the most exciting action that has starred the character. This is primarily due to the film being more of a crime thriller than an action movie, but I expected a bit more scale and creativity from Reeves given the Apes movies. Still, this is very much a master-craft production that is all tied by Reeves's visionary mind.

"The Batman" is a top contender for being one of the best Batman and superhero films for years to come. Aside from the action being underwhelming, everything else is done to the highest regard. From the story, themes, tone, Pattinson's portrayal, the rest of the characters and performers attached, the cinematography by Fraiser, score by Giacchino, the effects, the stunts, the sets, and direction by Reeves, there's really not much wrong with this film aside from preferences being the obstacle. I'm looking forward to more films in this universe and can't wait to see what Reeves and the others will bring to the table.

Verdict: 9.5/10. Practically perfect if the action is more unique, but aside from that, nothing else needed to change. 2022 has started off with a banger before a third of it has even finished!

Death On The Nile (2022) Non-Spoiler Film Review: The Destination Matters More Than The Journey Getting There...

 

After the events of the first film, Detective Hercule Poirot is assigned to travel to Egypt in order to attend and work undercover to monitor the honeymoon of Simon Doyle and Linnet Ridgeway, which includes a cruise on the Nile River. When a murder occurs on deck, it is Poirot's job to learn what's going on before the murderer can strike again. While similar to the first film in structure, the sequel does a far better job in the overall mystery and conclusion. There's also an underlaying theme of love and what people will do for it that makes it a fitting film for the Valentine's Day week. The pacing on the other hand is a huge problem. The first half of the film moves at a snail's pace without the murder happening and just has the cast indulge on this vacation. There is a reason for the slow pace though as it does a far better job at establishing the characters and environment compared to the first film. The tone is also very much like the first, with very few jokes and a serious mood, but the latter sticks even by the end, unlike the first film's ridiculous sappy and cheesy conclusion.

Kenneth Branagh returns as Poirot to still be the most charismatic character in the film. Poirot is far more subdued in this film as the tone is far more consistent, but still has his quirks with sweets and social skills. Much like the previous film, the ensemble cast are talented and do their best in the film, but do their characters improve from the underwritten tropes from the first? To a degree. There are some characters that are underwritten and basic such as Armie Hammer's Simon the newlywed, Rose Leslie as Louise the timid maid, Emma Mackey as the crazy-ex Jaqueline, and Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French as the two bumbling British elders that are enjoying their time and are insensitive to Egyptian culture. However, there are some characters that are given a bit more depth and personality than the others such as Gal Gadot's high-class elite Linnet, Tom Bateman's Bouc, the loyal friend of Poirot, Annette Benning's Euphemia as Bouc's overcaring and possibly racist mother, Russell Brand's Linus, a doctor who was a fiancee to Linnet, Ali Fazal as Andrew, Linnet's envious cousin, Sophie Okonedo as the blues singer and cool-as-a-cat Salome, and Letita Wright as Rosalie, Salome's niece and lover to Bouc. So, the cast is much improved over the previous film in the regards to the characters. Even though not everyone is as good as Poirot and the others, at least they all still do their best in their performance.

Branagh directs once more and while his directing is as great as ever, it's far more engaging in this film. This is primarily thanks to the location and environment of Egypt and the boat. The train and snowy Alps in the first film were fine and the cold and moody lighting and colours helped with the atmosphere of the film. Here, the warm and vibrant colours of Egypt and the Nile are not only more distinct to look at, but carries its own sense of dread as the paradise will soon be viewed as deadly rather than dreamlike. The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos is just as good, if not, better than before thanks to creative tracking shots of the ship, the panning over the river, and some dynamic cinematic birds-eye view shots. The music by Patrick Doyle has also improved. I couldn't remember anything from the previous film, but the more dramatic and dreading score helps fit the film and make things more memorable as a result. However, one thing that didn't improve was the effects. The first film wasn't heavy on visual effects as the train and environments were digital and were well rendered given the budget and limited use. However, Branagh tried to push the effects and sets with the increased budget and while the sets and recreations are pretty impressive, the issue is that the green-screen and compositing shots look dreadful. They are so obvious and unlike a train where it's easier to hide the effects in the environment, a small boat with tons of open space isn't as easy. Despite the effects though, Branagh's direction is as sharp as it can be.

"Death on the Nile" is an improved sequel that has some overbearing luggage of its own. The pacing in the first half is abysmal, some of the characters are just as underwritten as the previous film, and the visual effects are even more obvious and worse to look at. However, the murder mystery is far more compelling and interesting than before, the tone is perfectly serious and contains light levity, Branagh's Poirot is just as enjoyable as before, some of the newcomers are given character and a touch of depth, the acting all around is great from all of the talented cast members, the camerawork by Zambarloukos is visually creative and interesting, Doyle's score is more memorable than before, and Branagh's direction allows the warm sunny landscape of Egypt to carry a sense of dread and unnerving atmosphere. If they just fixed the issues they had, this honestly would be a top contender of the genre. As is, it's a solid detective film that's unfortunately burdened with a painfully slow set-up.

Verdict: 7/10. Good, but could have been far better. Watch this week if you like your spicy murder mystery adventures. 

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) Film Review: Murder Of Precious Time...

 

With "Death on the Nile" finally coming out this week, it's time that I look back on the first film. While the marketing and pre-release was a big deal with the various big names and slick production, the remake of this classic story got mixed reviews when first released, but earned enough money to have a franchise. So, five years later, is it worth going back to? Short answer: Not really. Detective Hercule Poirot is invited to take the luxurious Orient Express back to London for a three-day expedition. When a con-artist named Edward Ratchett asks Poirot to be his bodyguard, the detective refuses, resulting in Ratchett to be murdered in the first night. Poirot now must discover the truth behind Ratchett's murder and learn who's the culprit leading to a shocking reveal. While the premise alone sounds interesting the problem is the conclusion, which many found disappointing. It's revealed that all of the suspects admitted to killing Ratchett due to him causing so much pain and misery in their lives. Poirot then decides that he will let everyone go as there will be no justice for the case. This ending is one of the most infuriating I've ever seen as it not makes the mystery not worthwhile, but having everyone get away with it just makes Poirot a spineless person as a detective. The only positive thing I can say about this ending is that I doubt that the sequel will use it again, because that would be dumbfounding. The tone of the film takes it seriously for the most part up to the ending as well, as the reveal makes it cheesy and childish, not just for the depiction of the murder, but for everyone to be let go. You can't make a film that takes itself pretty seriously and have an ending that is ripped from a children's movie.

The cast and characters is where things get complicated, because the actors are all highly talented and commendable, but the characters themselves are underdeveloped or cookie-cutter. Kenneth Branagh as Poirot is by far the only charismatic performer of the film, since Poirot is a very expressive and cunning man who knows how to put the pieces together. The problem with the character is that he lets everyone go off the hook at the end, which is just dumb. As for everyone else, I'm not going to go in depth for every character, but they all carry the issue of a talented actor over a bland character. Johnny Depp as Ratchett is underused and is just treated as a filthy criminal, Josh Gad is a devoted assistant, Judi Dench is just the old family relative of a crucial character, Willem Dafoe is a European professor that's hiding a secret, Michelle Pfeiffer is the aging femme fetale, so on and so forth. The problem with ensemble casts like this is that everyone ends up being underdeveloped, so you don't really get attached to any of them. It sucks, because the actors and actresses do a fantastic job with the limited material. At the end of the day, every character aside from Poirot is meaningless, only a directive to uncover the full underwhelming mystery.

If there's one thing that Kenneth Branagh can do, it's to direct a slick-looking movie. The 1930's is depicted with elegance and luxury and every detail and set is carefully made to feel welcoming with the set design and ominous with the grand Alp Mountain landscape. Branagh also knows how to carry an intense and suspenseful mood with the more enclosed personal scenes. The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos is excellently handled with methodical movement and wide shots of the environment and subtle tracking in the interior scenes. Close-ups of various actions and objects are also shot with perfection. The score by Patrick Doyle is pretty generic though as nothing really resonates or stayed with my memory. The effects are also standard for the most part with the train and landscape being the notable elements. They aren't the most convincing effects ever made, but they are acceptable for the modest budget and production values. Overall, Branagh always does his best when he makes a film. Even if the material isn't the best, he tries to throw eye candy whenever possible to distract you.

"Murder on the Orient Express" is a frustrating experience. On the one hand, the majority of the story is given a great tone and suspense, the character of Poirot is charismatic, the acting all around is superb, the camerawork by Zambarloukos is exceptional, the effects are decent, and Branagh's directing continues to show just how much of a visionary he is in the art of cinema. However, the film is botched from an awful ending that ruins the credibility of the mystery, tone and characters, the extensive ensemble cast is underdeveloped and never grow to be fleshed-out or endearing, and the score by Doyle is rather forgettable. The film is so close to being considered good or even decent, but the third act practically ruins what could have been a great mystery film. 

Verdict: 5.5/10. Just above average, but not really worth a watch if you want a great murder mystery. Hopefully "Death on the Nile" can stick the landing?

The King's Man (2021) Film Review: The Best From The Franchise And Vaughn Himself!

 

It's been more than a month since my last review, which is primarily due to a lack of new movies releasing at the time of January as well as the theatres being closed in my area. I never had intention to see this movie, mainly since I wasn't in love with this particular franchise and director, but with a dry spell of movies for the first two months, I guess it wouldn't hurt watching this box-office dud. For those who aren't familiar, "Kingsman" is a spy franchise that is about colourful characters battling over-the-top villains. The first film was a solid introduction, even though I wasn't in love with the main lead and the cliched story formula. The second film, while not bad, damaged the brand due to its ridiculous writing, weak drama, and a continued use of racism that is depicted in these films along with other Matthew Vaughn films. As for the long delayed new installment, this film goes way back into the past as it covers the first World War and the man who would eventually find the espionage service in the attempts to stop Germany from winning the war due to the aid of a shadow organization. While the story does appear predictable, the film does incorporate some nice twists and turns that keeps the film far more fresh than it is. What really stands out from the story though is the tone. The first Kingsman had a balance of seriousness and over-the-top comedy and scenarios, while the second film doubled down too much on the craziness and comedy. This film is the most serious of the franchise, while incorporating few moments of absurdity and humour. It not only helps ground the film more in reality than the others, but it makes the dramatic aspects far more potent as it never once feels shallow or empty, unlike the previous films. Despite the seriousness, it's still a fun movie for the general crowd.

Ralph Fiennes as Orlando Oxford is the best protagonist that the franchise has received, not only due to Fiennes's acting, but also Orlando's distinct personality and growth. Orlando is a pacifist who must learn to make the hard choices in life and is overprotective of his adult son due to a family tragedy. The way the character grows and deals with the story throughout the runtime is resonating while also providing a bit of charm and wit. Harris Dickinson as Conrad, Orlando's son, comes off as a pretty bland character who just wants to do the right thing and make his father proud. Conrad however serves as a perfect red herring of the film as he is shockingly killed off in the second half of the film, which lets his character serve a huge deal to Orlando and the plot, but make his inclusion more interesting because of how vanilla his character is in these type of films. Djimon Hounsou as Shola is a great supporting role as the badass butler to Orlando and escapes the usual black guy dies trope in the process. Rhys Ifans as Rasputin is fantastic for the limited screentime he has by making the figure so over-the-top and enjoyable as a secondary villain. Matthew Goode as The Shepard is also a fun yet generic villain whose petty motivation is made up for his energetic performance. Aside from other supporting roles such as Tom Hollander as various historical leaders and Charles Dance as Kitchener, there are two characters that sink the film down. Gemma Arterson's Polly is a very generic"strong female" archetype that's over-confident and acts badass without given much depth, despite a lazily-forced love angle with Orlando. Aaron Taylor Johnson has a bit role as Archie Reid, the man who Conrad trades places with in the war and a founding member of the Kingsman, but he does nothing at all to gain that position, not even joining the climax to make up for Conrad's sacrifice. Lastly, the choice to kill Rasputin early in the film is a mistake as it not only serves as marketing fodder, but it does make the climax a bit one-sided to an extent. Despite this, the cast of characters are great with well-done performances all across the board, with Fiennes and Ifans stealing every scene.

Matthew Vaughn is a director I both love and hate. While I can't stand some of his films in regards of storytelling and writing, he always knows how to direct a film. So, imagine if you get the best parts of Vaughn as a director and a writer. Well, this is the film we get. The stylized, comic-book esque mixed with a sense of realism and restraint is the norm of Vaughn, but is best used in this film due to the setting and tone. Ben Davis does a fantastic job with the cinematography as the camera zooms or pans to various locations while tracking specific subjects or people. It makes the action have spectacle, but keeps the somber scenes untouched to savour the mood. The score by Matthew Margeson and Dominic Lewis is good for a typical action film set in that era along with some great dramatic cues. The soundtrack is also restricted to that era, primarily using classical music, until the credits which is a nice touch. The effects are good for the budget it has, as Vaughn tries to make his action in camera as much as possible, so the effects are used for locations, green-screen or objects that wouldn't be pulled off with a limited budget. Lastly, there's the action. While the church scene in the first film will always be the most recognizable sequence of the franchise, this film carries the best action in regards to consistency and memorability. The Rasputin fight is the most over-the-top combat in the film with the music and choreography, the fight amongst the covert ops in the trenches is well-shot and paced with no music to match the intensity of the situation, and the climax is a typically robust way to end a movie like this with brutes, sword-fights, and gory deaths. It completely overshadows the action from the second movie and the majority of the action from the first. It has taken me a while to get around, but I now can't wait to see what Vaughn does next as a director.

"The King's Man" is the most refined of the franchise to date. While a few characters are underdeveloped or under-utilized, the film has the best story due to its serious tone, themes and historical context, Fiennes's Orlando being the most compelling character in the series, Ifans and Goode as Rasputin and the Shepherd are enjoyably over-the-top villains, the side cast is strong with Dickinson, Honsou, Hollander, and Dance to name a few, the camerawork by Davis is just as great as it gets, the score by Margeson and Lewis is good and fits the movie well, the effects are well-implemented, the action sequences are fantastic, and Vaughn's directing continues to show that he is a gifted filmmaker in the visuals and style. It's a shame Disney went out of its way to make this film bomb in order to not finance more movies with these characters and feel. Here's hoping that the third Kingsman learns from this prequel.

Verdict: 8.5/10. The best film from the franchise to date. If you want a clever, emotionally-packed action movie that's not Spider-Man, this is a good one to see during a rather slow February. 

Encanto (2021) Film Review: Disney's Best After Five Years?

 

Ever since "Zootopia", Disney Animation hasn't really been putting their biggest effort in their films. "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Frozen 2" were insulting follow-ups to respectable films and "Moana" and "Raya and the Last Dragon" had their moments, but didn't have a sharp script or strong enough theme to complement the film. Much like "Raya and the Last Dragon", I barely noticed the advertising of the latest film from Disney and expected something that was going to be average, but was pleasantly surprised by the time the credits rolled. In a rural town, the Madrigal family are the most talked-about, mainly due to their magical house and candle that grants each member of the bloodline a special gift. One member of the family though, Mirabel, never received a gift and is treated like the black sheep because of it. When Mirabel starts to notice signs of the house losing its magic, it's up to her to learn what's causing it and the true nature of her family's struggles. Throughout the story, I was sucked in to the growing mystery and narrative from a lost family member to uncertain outcomes to the themes of the story about families needing to work through toxicity and not holding the status quo. While the story did hold my interest for the entire runtime, it sadly falls by the very end. Not only does the film never explain why Mirabel doesn't receive powers whatsoever or if her being the only one without powers has a greater meaning, but the ending actually makes everyone loses their powers and magical house only to give everything back to them by the final minute, just for the sake of a happy ending for children. The ending really needed to have been changed or expanded upon in my opinion. And while I like the more mature tone that fits with the themes and storytelling along with the solid emotional and character moments, the comedy is pretty mixed in the use of good and bad jokes. I watched it in theatres with a good amount of families and the laughs are very uneven to say the least. When the humour is focused on the family dynamic, it's pretty good. When it's focused on animals or outsider characters, it's not.

Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, is on the same level as Judy in regards to loveable Disney protagonists. She's quirky, wholesome, a bit of a klutz and just has a great range of personality and emotional range. Her acceptance of embracing herself despite lacking a gift is a great arc, even if that whole plot point can be frustrating to me. Abuela Alma is a very interesting character that I'm surprised a Disney film would cover. While at first a supportive, if stern, grandmother, Alma reveals her true colours at revealing her vile side in making both Mirabel and Bruno the black sheep of the family in order to hold that perfect reputation for her family. She's extremely realistic in how much she loves her family to the point that it starts to hurt them, but is not evil or completely unredeemable. She's just a toxic family member that needs to be put on the same page as others. Uncle Bruno, voiced by John Leguizamo, is a bit of a retread of Hector from "Coco", but he's such a fun and tragic character that I honestly wouldn't have minded if the film copied that whole plot-line from the Pixar masterpiece. The rest of the family are also well-developed and have their moments of chemistry and growth with Mirabel for the most part with the muscle-bound Luisa, the super-hearing Dolores, and the innocent, animal-loving Antonio along with more minor, comic-relief family members, particularly the male characters. However, not everyone of the family is as fleshed out as they could have been or even likeable. Julieta, Mirabel's mother, is the typical supportive mother who doesn't have a unique conflict with her own mother, which is something that felt oddly left out. Tia Pepa is just the stressed-out and annoying family member that never really connects with Mirabel or even her own son. Lastly, Isabela, Mirabel's sister, is far too mean to Mirabel for literally no reason when the film could have made her envious by making her wish that she lacked her gift and be in the background like Mirabel. Still, the cast is very enjoyable with many characters competing for being a favourite, much like the conflict of the film.

The animation is fantastic as usual coming from Disney. Not only is the film bursting with vivid colour and even a moody atmosphere on occasion, but the detail is just spectacular. The character designs are a nice balance of cartoonish and realistic with a touch of exaggeration, but they look just like how they act like real people. The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda are pretty good with "The Family Madrigal", "Waiting on a Miracle", "Surface Pressure", "We Don't Talk About Bruno", "What Else Can I Do?", and "All of You" being respectable numbers on their own right. Although his work on "Moana" is probably more memorable, the songs he writes here are inherently better as it not only feels like Miranda wrote them, but it ties a lot more into Columbian and Latino music as a whole. Overall, the animation and songs are top-tier in Disney's line-up.

"Encanto" manages to get up to the top ten best that the studio has offered, but could have easily been in the top five or even three. The ending, along with unsatisfying aspects of the plot and characters, just hold the film back from being a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean it's not a strong effort. The story did a great job in unfolding a mystery, the themes and morals are resonant, the more mature tone is balanced off with the more juvenile humour, Mirabel is a fun protagonist, Alma is a unique deuteragonist, the rest of the family member mostly add to the fun or even have some great development with Mirabel, the animation is beautiful, and the songs/musical numbers Miranda and Disney has offered for a while. I was very pleased to know that this film was as good as it was, flaws and all.

Verdict: 8.5/10. A great Disney classic in the making, but so close in being their next masterpiece. Looking forward for their next project to come...