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!