The Mask of Zorro (1998) Film Review: A Nice Reintroduction To A Classic Character...

 

The "Zorro" character has been around for more than a hundred years and has also been an inspiration/predecessor to the superhero genre. So, it felt right for a big-budget adaptation of the character to be made after many serials and shows and even parodies. Don Diego de la Vega is Zorro, a Spanish noble who fights for the oppression of the Mexican people in California. When his long-time enemy, governor Rafael Montero, finally captures de la Vega, the vigilante is thrown into prison after his wife dies and his infant daughter taken as Montero's own daughter. Twenty years later, de la Vega escapes from prison upon learning of Montero's return from Spain and plans to get his revenge and reunite with his grown-up daughter. In the process, he plans to pass the mantle of Zorro to a young thief named Alejandro whose brother was killed by a captain working under Montero himself. The story is both a revenge drama along with a classic comic book-esque origin. Both narratives surrounding the two Zorros actually balance out well, which is mainly thanks to the characters. The story is cliche at times, but it's not a huge factor seeing how the tone is meant to be far more on fun and thrills. It's very much like a prototype to "Pirates of the Caribbean" in regards to the swashbuckling adventure.

Antonio Banderas makes his career-defining role as Alejandro/Zorro, a performance the actor constantly parodies and emulates in many of his films. Banderas plays Alejandro as the reluctant, but eager hero who at first only wants to seek revenge, but later learns about Montero's plan and abuse to his people that turns him into an honourable Zorro. Anthony Hopkins is quite good as de la Vega, considering his lack of action or campy roles. Even though Hopkins is far from being a convincing Spaniard, he slays the physicality and the mentor needing someone to carry his mantle. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Elena, the daughter of de la Vega and the love interest for Alejandro. Zeta-Jones is decent for what is a rather cliched and shallow role. She can be enjoyable at times mainly when she's onscreen with Banderas or Hopkins, but the character of Elena is a bit awkward in regards to her lust for Zorro and a weird moment where Alejandro cuts off her clothing for PG-13 nudity. Stuart Wilson as Montero is pretty convincing as the Spaniard governor and although a rather generic villain, Wilson plays it with both a sleaziness and bit of humanity. The last character to mention would be Captain Harrison Love, the historical lawman who killed Alejandro's brother, played by Matt Letscher. Again, Love is a rather generic villain who serves as Montero's muscle and commander, but it's Letscher's slimy performance that sells both his evil nature and as a great rival for Alejandro. Also, he has one of the best death scenes of the 90's to boot. While the characters themselves are on the more campy/cliched side, but the actors are giving it their own both by the stunts and their charming charisma they lead onscreen, especially to the likes of Banderas and Hopkins.

If there's one thing that you can take away out of Martin Campbell as a director, it's that he's a talented action director that also has a sense of scale and epic feel to them. The fact that Campbell chose to shoot entirely in Mexico shows that he takes both the aesthetic and Spanish nature of Zorro seriously. The daytime scenes feel hot and dry, while the nighttime scenes feel cool and relaxing. The set design is also aesthetically gorgeous as it offers tons of lavish and detailed interiors and locations from Zorro's lair to Montero's palace. The cinematography by Phil Meheux is pretty good with the use of tracking and panning shots with clever angles here and there. It's not the most ambitious or striking aspect of the film, but it's still good, especially during the action sequences that captures the theatrics of the titular character. The score by the late James Horner is mainly just various Spanish/Mexican beats that fit the appropriate tone, whether it's action, romance or drama. It clearly works for this type of movie, but it's by no means Horner's best work. The action sequences are as engaging as it can be for a PG-13 swashbuckling venture. It's very much helped by the stunts and choreography from the main characters. The swordplay with Zorro and the various people he fights with are energizing, the horseback sequence is clever and well put-together, and the climax offers not only a great villain death from Love, but also a lot of pyrotechnics and on-screen explosions. I still think the best action Campbell has done is in "The Foreigner", but this is a close second in regards to scale and technique. 

"The Mask of Zorro" is just a really fun movie at the end of the day. It's not perfect as the story and characters can be too cliched or underdeveloped for some with Elena being a good target for some, but I think it's a really effective action-adventure flick. From the dual narratives of Alejandro and de la Vega, the lighthearted and over-the-top tone that allows comedy to flow naturally with the characters and action, Banderas as Alejandro is iconic in its own field, Hopkins offering a nice change of pace with his performance as de la Vega, the villains being just hammy and despicable that the viewer wants them dead thanks to Wilson and Letcher's performances, Meheux's camerawork is good, Horner's Spanish-inspired music perfectly fits the film's setting and tone, the action sequences are filled with energetic stunts, swordplay, and explosions, and Campbell's direction allows the film to offer the aforementioned action while also showing off the Mexican landscape and lavish set and production design to the film. If you are a fan of superhero/comic-book movies or even just the swashbuckling adventure epics that have yet to make a grand return in recent years, "The Mask of Zorro" will quench that hunger.

Verdict: 8/10. About as good as even modern superhero films can get, save for some specific beats and tastes. Give it a watch, especially if you love the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie!

Do The Right Thing (1989) Film Review: Still Relevant More than Thirty Years Later...

 

As BLM protests and recent murders of African-Americans by the hands of corrupt, racist cops still continue to plague the U.S, I would like to review a film that continues to hold up to this day. It's the hottest day of the summer and a black neighbourhood in Brooklyn is experiencing it all. The colourful and unique residents of the block are either trying to make a living or have a good day. The title, "Do The Right Thing", is a piece of advice offered by the drunk, humble bum known as Da Mayor to the young pizza delivery boy named Mookie. However, as the day and film goes on, it appears that none of the characters, aside from Da Mayor, seems to want or do the right thing. There's not really a story per se. Yes, there are characters who have motivations and goals, but the narrative is tied brilliantly by the title and moral of the film, which is to do the right thing and always deescalate any conflict. It all boils down to the chaotic ending, which I won't spoil even though it can easily be figured out. The tone, for the most part, is actually quite upbeat and fun to an extent as the characters are very energized. However, the dark undertones rise when you realize both the flaws of the characters and how their ignorance and refusal to do the right thing spirals out of control. There's humour to be had, but there's also a strong message and severe consequences that will show up.

Although it seems like Spike Lee's Mookie is the central character, I actually think Ossie Davis as Da Mayor is the true protagonist of the film. Not only Davis is such a charming actor in making you want to spend time with Da Mayor, but the character is the only one to show some sense of morality and good will despite his reputation and sad past. It's also sweet to see Ruby Dee as the bitter Mother Sister who begins to open up to the Da Mayor and his good will, despite initial disgust. What really works about the cast and characters is that they are all relatable and human and aren't seen as good or bad, save for the otherwise despicable police. Mookie is a young man who works in a dead-end job and just wants to get paid and spend time with his nagging girlfriend, Danny Aiello's Sal is an arrogant business owner, but still likes being around his loyal customers and otherwise warm neighbourhood, Giancarlo Esposito's Buggin' Out is a customer-turned enemy due to poor service and wanting some African-Americans on Sal's "Wall of Fame", John Turturro's Pino is the racist son of Sal who simply doesn't like having to work in a neighbourhood that he's not comfortable in, Bill Nunn's Radio Raheem likes listening to his music on his boombox that people of his colour don't mind, but others do, the list goes on. There are so many side or minor characters that all have some sort of depth that I can't even begin to name or go over, yet they are all related to the theme that they can't do the right thing, aside of Da Mayor, Mother Sister, the mentally-challenged Sammy, and eventually a work-in-progress Mookie. Another thing I love about the cast are the multiple then-unknown actors and actresses from Espositio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Martin Lawrence. Overall, the characters are excellent in how they are connected to the overall theme of the film and although they can be a bit over-the-top, you can still get behind them as people.

Spike Lee is one of the most under-appreciated filmmakers in the industry, as only recently did he win his first Oscar for the screenplay of "BlacKkKlansman". Despite this being only his third film at the time, Lee shows that he's one of the most gifted directors working in the industry today. Using a few blocks of the Bed-Stuy neighbourhood not only makes the location have character in and of itself, but it also keeps the Brooklyn/New York setting low-key so that the events and characters feel like they can exist in your own community. The use of colour is also nice and subdued by the clothes and accessories of the characters, allowing the late 80's setting and summer weather to pop off the otherwise brown and grey setting. The cinematography by Ernest Dickerson is excellent in the ambitious tracking and panning shots that is seen throughout the film. Dickerson's best work is seen in the middle of the film as a long tracking shot following Mookie as he crosses the street to go to his apartment while capturing all of the major African-American characters that are featured in the film, whether or not they talk to Mookie or not. It's actually dumbfounding that he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar that year as he clearly put so much effort and time for some of the camera movement. The score by Bill Lee, Spike Lee's father, is on the more softer side as his son tends to not overpower the film with music in every scene. Bill offers some nice jazz pieces in the subtle moments, mainly for an establishing shot or when Mookie or Da Mayor is contemplating or talking with their loved ones. The soundtrack also includes a few licensed songs from the rap and hip-hop genre with Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" being the most frequent song played throughout the film as it's featured in the opening credits and is the only song Radio Raheem seems to play. 

"Do The Right Thing" is an important masterpiece for such an often bleak world. The story is minimal yet universal thanks to its themes of racism and ignorance, the tone is both upbeat yet intense, the large cast of characters are reasonably portrayed and developed in regards to the film's moral, the actors/actresses involved are so engaging to watch by their talents and their early performances prior to stardom, Dickerson's inventive cinematography, Bill Lee's jazz score, the licensed songs and the use of "Fight The Power", and Spike Lee's direction allowing both warm colours and creative personality given to just a few blocks on a neighbourhood. Honestly, there's barely a flaw with the film, aside of a really long credit sequence and an odd edit or cut here and there. The film is both extremely entertaining and powerful at the same time, which makes its lack of Oscar buzz or nominations at the time both ridiculous and poetic.

Verdict: 10/10. Spike Lee's own timeless masterpiece. Check it out as it's the right thing to do!  

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) Film Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back...

 

With "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" performing well, a sequel was quickly greenlit to release three years after. Although it caused the director, Rupert Wyatt, to leave the franchise, the sequel managed to not perform better than the first film critically, but has managed to even become the highest-grossing film of the entire franchise. Taking place ten years after "Rise", Caesar is ruling over his colony of apes outside of San Francisco after a deadly pandemic. The highly-intelligent ape is surprised to learn of a human colony that still thrives inside the ruined city and are actively searching in the forest to power up the city via a dam. While the tension between the two species is high, Caesar and a human negotiator hope to hold some peace as they try to activate the dam. However, Caesar's ally, Koba, still holds a hatred towards human for torturing him years ago and plans to unleash conflict between the two colonies. The story doesn't carry head-smacking plot holes or moments of stupidity compared to the previous film and it does a good job in painting the world, the tribes of apes and humans, and their overall feelings and grudges toward one another that has occurred all these years ago. When it focuses on the tension and eventual conflict between the two species, it's great. However, the story suffers in regards to some of the human characters and their relevance in the narrative. I will go over more in the character section, but it does affect the plot to an extent. The tone is much more mature than the previous film, while also retaining a few moments of humour and drama.

The human characters are sadly what's truly holding the film back from being excellent. Jason Clarke plays Malcom, the co-leader of the human colony and is the one who's trying to befriend Caesar in the hopes to both get power back to the city as well as avoid any future conflict. Malcom is by far the weakest human character in the trilogy simply due to how he acts like a perfect angel in trying to be this all-good hero. If he was replaced by Will from the first film, it would be far more natural and even emotional as it reconnects the chemistry between the two. But I find it so cheesy when Malcom and Caesar talk about how close they were at being friends. Keri Russell as Ellie is extremely pointless and only serves as a plot device due to her status as a nurse, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Malcom's son is also an odd addition because he doesn't even interact with Caesar's son. Aside from the forgettable side characters in their group that simply vanish in the third act, the only human character that I managed to get behind is Gary Oldman's Dreyfus. He's the leader of the human colony that has suffered from losses in the past and is doing his best to just save his people from the apes. Oldman does such a good job at playing this reasonable, but cautious leader of the scared humans. I think the film should have been rewritten to have Dreyfus be the human protagonist while keeping the moral-grey nature of his leadership as the film paints him to be a bad guy at the end for trying to blow up the tower the apes are residing in. You can still have the events play out in a similar fashion, but rather than Malcom and his family be negotiating, it will be Dreyfus as he slowly learns what's going on with the apes and the conflict. Despite the disappointing human characters, the apes are still characterized wonderfully by the motion-capture. Caesar, voiced by Andy Serkis, is now a hardened leader that seems cold to the humans, but does want to give them a chance due to his upbringing with Will. Koba, voiced by Toby Kebbell, is such a great villain. You understand his deep hatred for the humans and how he can never trust them compared to Caesar, but you feel such pain when he and Caesar begin to lose each other's trust in the process and his full dark shift to an aggressor. Blue Eyes and Maurice, performed by Nick Thurston and Karin Konoval, are also good at playing otherwise mute characters that speak a lot from their body language and eyes. So, the apes are still good characters, but the humans are completely wasted due to how bland, unrealistic or underused they are despite otherwise great actors behind them.

Matt Reeves takes over from Wyatt as the director for the final two films of the trilogy and as much as I think he's a great action director, I actually prefer the genre-bending direction that Wyatt offered in "Rise". While I do like how Reeves portrays the settlement the apes construct in the woods, Sans Francisco is frankly uninspired as it's just a bit rusty and some overgrown weeds. I also think that Reeves barely spends any time in the human colony in regards to how their new society works or why we should care for the humans. The sequel spends so much time in the ape colony that the only reason they made for the viewer to care about the humans is that there are women and children there. Again, I really like Reeves as a director, but what made "Rise" so effective was that we care for both the human and ape characters, whereas Reeves spends too much time on the apes and barely on the humans or even creating good characters that are human. The cinematography by Micheal Seresin is really great though with some nice tracking, wide, and establishing shots of the environment and characters. One of the best moments Seresin offers is a 360 wrap-around one take when Koba hijacks a tank as it crashes into the front gate of the human colony alongside the sequence where the camera tracks Malcom frantically evading being seen from the apes in the human colony. The score by Micheal Giacchino is fairly good at drawing out the suspense and intensity of the tone and film, particularly with the action and emotional beats. The visual effects have actually improved from the first film, thanks to the larger budget and the ability to render multiple apes with realistic textures and movements. Obviously, the apes that are motion-captured look better than the non-motion-captured apes, but it's not as jarring as before. Despite the marketing and trailers, there's surprisingly not that much action in the film. There's really only two big action sequences along with smaller skirmishes. The first action sequence is when Koba launches an attack on the human colony. It's so over the top with the various explosions and Koba duel-wielding LMGs while riding a horse, but it's frankly so satisfying to watch and even cheer on the villainous ape. The climax involving the showdown between Caesar and Koba on top of a tower under construction. It's decent, but it's only memorable with the final moment of Caesar dropping Koba with Giacchino's somber score in the background. Overall, Reeves does a great job, even if there are things he can learn from Wyatt's work.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is a sequel that manages to improve on the first, but does fail in making the human characters likeable, the minimal world-building, or even making the viewer care for what becomes of the human survivors contrast with the previous film. Still, the story is far tighter than before, the tone carries the suspense and dread of the impending conflict, the human cast do a good job despite their poorly-used characters, the apes are fully characterized and fleshed out thanks to their performers and motion-capture effects, the camerawork by Seresin offers some of the best tracking shots of the 2010's, the score by Giacchino helps add to the drama and intense action, the CGI on the apes adds much needed detail and fluent motion and the few action sequences present are quite memorable in their own right thanks to Reeves's direction. Honestly, if they just rewrote the film to have Dreyfus be the protagonist and just spend a bit more time in the human colony for us to care, this might have been the best film of the trilogy. As is, it's still better than "Rise" thanks to the tighter writing, but it's just barely better.'

Verdict: 8/10. Great, but the human element completely sinks the film from being an all-time classic. Still a strong installment in the franchise. 

Wonder Woman (2017) Film Review: Finally, A Good Female-Lead Superhero Movie!

 

With #RestoretheSnyderVerse trending, I should probably talk about one of the films that Zack Snyder had some involvement in the DCEU that some might not have realized. Despite not directing it, Snyder did help write and influence story elements with the first live-action outing of the most famous female heroine. Diana is born on the island of Themyscira, the home of the female warriors known as Amazons. One day, a pilot crash-lands into the island named Steve Trevor, warning the women about the Great War after a battle with German soldiers. Diana is convinced that the war is caused by Ares, the god of war, and aids Steve to finish the war by killing the leader of the German army, who Diana believes to be Ares himself. There's a lot riding on the story that really works. From the fish-out-of-water aspect of Diana experiencing the outside world, to the unique setting of WWI, the blooming romance between Diana and Steve, and the theme that explores the morality of mankind. There's one issue with the story and that's of course the climatic battle between Diana and Ares. While I personally don't hate it as much as others tend to do, the problem is that the climax ditches the established theme as well as rush the rivalry between Diana and Ares and killing off the god of war in the first film. It's been stated that this third act was added in from executives and while we may never know how the film originally ends, it was obvious that it was far better than what we got. Tonally, the film offers a nice balance of lightheartedness and grittiness. The humour, characters and homages to the 1978 "Superman" lets you know that this is a comic-book film in heart, while the setting, themes, action and dramatic consequences show how reality can change or break even the most optimistic of heroes. It's honestly a perfect balance that steers away from the Marvel formula while having everything that appeals to a variety of demographics.

Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman is a good choice to play as the Amazon warrior, despite some awkward lines and thick accent. What makes her character so likeable in the film is that she's optimistic and curious of the outside world while not forcing her power or viewpoints to others. It's not like "Captain Marvel" where the heroine is so stoic and full of herself because she's a powerful woman, but rather chooses to help others and throws herself to battle because, to her, it's the right thing to do. Chris Pine as Steve Trevor is charming as the love interest who is taken back by Diana's skills while also showing her how society works for the newcomer. Pine and Gadot's chemistry helps make the romance between them both heartwarming and tragic. The villains on the other hand is pretty underwhelming. Danny Houston as Erich Lundendorff is the generic evil German general that wants to continue the fight as well as serving as the red herring because of how bad he is. While I like Houston's over-the-top performance, Lundendorff is just a really lame villain because he barely serves a threat to Diana and the sub-plot of the performance-enhancing drug is completely wasted by the time he dies. Elena Anaya as Isabel Meru/Doctor Poison, despite her performance, is also a very boring villain as the chemist who supplies Lundendorff with a very deadly gas weapon. Lastly, there's David Thewlis as Ares/Sir Patrick, the British ally who reveals to be the god of war. While I like how Ares himself isn't controlling the Germans and that he just relishes in humanity being pitted against one another, Thewlis is simply an awkward choice to play as this character. He acts fine as the identity of Sir Patrick, but he can't be taken seriously when he reveals himself to be Ares as well as wearing the comic-accurate armour while his climatic battle with Diana. The female supporting cast is really good on the other hand with Robin Wright's Antiope as the supportive aunt of Diana, Connie Nelson as Hippolyta, Diana's caring and restrictive mother, and Lucy Davis as Etta Candy, a secretary who enjoys seeing the empowered Diana. However, the same can't be said for the male supporting cast as Trevor's army friends are extremely one-note and pointless. The prime example is the "arc" for Ewen Bremner's Charle, a Scottish sniper who is paranoid and refuses to shoot due to some personal baggage. This "arc" is never paid off and the characters of Charle, Chief, and Sameer are just there for the sake of being there. If they had a far more stronger bond with Diana or were interesting like the proposed crew of various soldiers from various countries and religions, they would be really likeable. As it is, Gadot, Pine and the female side cast balance out the weak villains and male side cast.

Patty Jenkins's first outing in the action/superhero genre managed to surprise everyone for the otherwise limited filmography she had at the time. The island of Themyscira is so vivid and bright, presented as an exotic paradise. As Diana exits the island and enters the outside world during the final year of WWI, everything is grey, industrial, kind of depressing to showcase the tonal shift and misery that the war has caused. The cinematography by Matthew Jensen is fairly solid with nice sweeping and tracking shots that is akin to an epic adventure. I feel that his work really improves for the sequel, but it's still good here as well. The score by Rupert Gregson-Williams pales in comparison to Hans Zimmer's contributions in the sequel, but it's still decent for putting an emphasis on inspirational music that fits the hopeful nature of Diana as well as making a score that feels pulled out of a war film. The visual effects are fine, but pretty noticeable with the use of green-screen and CGI elements during the action. It's not bad CGI per se, but they don't have the most convincing effects. The action sequences however make up for it with some great stunts, choreography and Diana's warrior-style combat. Not only do the action sequences such as the No Man's Land, Battle of Veld, and the Ares fight show how Diana is a force to be reckoned with as a godly figure, but it almost replicates Snyder's style and visualization such as the signature slow-motion. Jenkins shows that she's a worthy director not only by making a good superhero film, but also one that feels both in nature and distinct to the DCEU Snyder built up from his previous films. 

"Wonder Woman" is a good, but flawed, installment that could have made due with a rewrite or two. Despite the issues regarding the climax with Ares, the villains being generally weak, and the male side cast being fairly pointless for the lack of chemistry or pay-off in their involvement, the film still shines in various ways. The story is strong as the character of Diana is challenged by the reality of the outside world, the tone is a very nice balance of lighthearted fun and a gritty war film, Gadot captures the naivety of the titular hero in a way that feels genuine, Pine as Trevor is a nice romantic lead who bonds with Diana as well as being a capable fighter, the female supporting characters are nicely acted and portrayed to work off of Diana's personality, Jensen's cinematography does capture the boots-on-the-ground warfare with a hero disobeying these "rules", Gregson-Williams's score works in regards to the inspirational and war themes alongside Zimmer's theme for Wonder Woman, the effects are decent for what it is, the action sequences are kinetic with the visceral combat and Snyder's inspired shots and style, and Jenkins's direction offers both the warm colours that the kind-hearted hero is known for, while also dominating said colour by the gritty war-torn Belgium and miserably-crowded London. Although both this and its sequel are kind of tied quality-wise, I actually prefer the sequel more so than the first, even though both films are balanced by their pros and cons.

Verdict: 7.5/10. Pretty good installment, but could have been better if they stuck the landing and made the villains more compelling. Still the best, stand-alone, female-lead superhero film to date!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Film Review: Monsters Galore, But A King Of Them It Is Not...

 

With "Godzilla vs Kong" out, it's time I review this long-awaited rematch... If I could. Sadly, the Canadian city I live in is in a bit of a pickle. Not only is the film not on any streaming service, but the theatres are closed as we enter a month-long lockdown. So, I guess the alternative option is for me to review one of the other films from the franchise. Despite being a highly anticipated follow-up, the sequel to the 2014 Godzilla reboot managed to become a box office disappointment and a mixed bag for the critics. But, is it deserving of this reputation? Well, the story doesn't help much. Dr. Mark Russell is approached by Monarch, an organization that studies the newly-emergent Titan creatures, as his wife and daughter have been kidnapped by ecoterrorists. Upon joining a rescue mission in Antartica, the group is shocked to learn that Mark's wife, Emma, has sided with the terrorists and has used her and her husband's invention called the ORCA to awake an ancient Titan from space known as King Ghidorah. Ghidorah's reawakening also relights a long battle between the alien dragon and Godzilla, which Monarch must relay on for both the fate of the human race and the world as they know it. The issue with the story isn't really the core narrative, but rather the sub-plot regarding the ecoterrorists and Emma Russell's motivation to release Ghidorah. Instead of just having the monster be released by human error or lack of knowledge, it's because Emma and the ecoterrorists believe that humanity should die from the Titans so that the world can thrive. Not only is it a ridiculous motivation and a lazy attempt to get some morals and themes, but the film is ballsy enough to make Emma a sympathetic character. On top of that, ecoterrorism is just simply a silly idea in concept as I find it hard to believe that people with that extreme ideology exist. Regardless, when the story focuses on the monsters and Monarch trying to figure out how to aid Godzilla, it actually works. There's a sense of dread, stakes, consequences and inner drama for certain characters that I think really works. What doesn't work is the forced humour by the lame comic relief characters. It's not painful, but it might as well not be in the film as it should be on a more serious feel akin to the 2014 film.

The characters is where things get really messy, since the majority of them are simply generic or unlikeable. The sad thing is that you can tell that all of the actors and actresses actually gave a shit about their performances, despite how one-note the characters are. First, there's Kyle Chandler's Mark Russell, the protagonist who is hesitant to aid the monster that killed his son, but later proves to be a supporter for Godzilla while also trying to get his daughter back. Mark isn't an awful character, but just a simple one. A really bad character though is Emma Russell, played by Vera Farmiga, the wife of Mark who reawakens Ghidorah and sides with the ecoterrorists. I already said enough as to why she's a terrible character, so let's move on. Millie Bobby Brown plays Madison Russell, the daughter of Mark and Emma who spends the film being rightfully pissed off at her mother for the atrocity she has committed. Brown does a good job, but there's not really much to her character. As for the side characters, it's also a mixed bag. Bradley Whitford's Rick Stanton and Thomas Middleditch's Sam Coleman are the annoying comic relief, Charles Dance does a chilling villainous performance as the unrealistic ecoterrorist leader, Alan Johan, and Aisha Hinds as Diane Foster is good at playing the typical military leader. The only characters that are actually likeable, aside from the monsters, are Ken Watanabe's Ishiro Serizawa and Zhang Zhyi's Irene Chen. These two have such great chemistry with each other as the scientists in touch with the Titans and Godzilla's role as the protector of the planet, with Watanabe being the highlight of the film just as much as his role in the 2014 film. The monsters of Godzilla, Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan are also well characterized mainly thanks to the performance capture of their respective actors. It's really nice seeing the monsters have a sense of personality despite a lack of dialogue or subtitles, very much like the Japanese films. So, the characters are underwhelming overall, despite the strong cast and few likeable exceptions.

Micheal Dougherty takes over from Gareth Edwards as director and it's both a stylistic difference and an improvement in some cases. While I appreciate Edwards's more grounded approach with Godzilla being depicted as a natural disaster, the problem was that the film was both aesthetically ugly by how dark it is and that Edwards refused to show a lot of action with Godzilla. Dougherty ditches the grounded bystander look, adds more action and cranks up the vivid colours. Although the film is still dark in certain sequences, there's an attempt to offer more of a unique colour palette than ever before with each monster reflecting certain colours. The cinematography by Lawrence Sher is a mixed bag. While the action, adventure and suspense sequences have some great visual moments and pacing, the camerawork during conversations are just very flat and standard. The score by Bear McCreary is perhaps the best work he's done for film. From the rearranged iconic theme of the character to the foreboding, horror-esque score, McCreary nails the musical cues and additions to the franchise. The visual effects are extremely solid as well. While it never looks like the Titans truly exist on the same plane as the people, the CGI is really good in their movements and textures even though some environments do tend to look really fake. The action sequences act as a step-up from both the 2014 film and "Kong: Skull Island", but it does have a minor issue. While the fights between Godzilla and Ghidorah along with Rodan's rampage in Mexico is entertaining as all hell, the environments tend to obscure the action at times due to how dark, rainy or snowy it is. I understand that it's more of an atmospheric choice, but it can bother those who just want to see the action far more clearer. Regardless, Dougherty did a great job in covering for Edwards, with his only problem being the added humour that is well-known in his horror-comedies.

"Godzilla: King of the Monsters" is such a conflicting movie for me, much like the constant fighting between Godzilla and King Ghidorah. On one side, the main story is engaging both by the human and monster-level threat, the tone works when it focuses on the catastrophic danger that's coming, the characters of Serizawa and Chen are enjoyable along with the memorable monsters, the cast as a whole is very well acted no matter how thinly-written the characters are, Sher's camerawork during the action set-pieces are fantastic, McCreary's score is the composer's personal achievement, the visual effects are as good as they need to be, the action sequences are just as engaging as ever, and Dougherty's direction offers a more cinematic approach and vivid colours to the franchise that wasn't seen before in the previous American films. On the other side, the plot elements surrounding the ecoterrorists bog down the story to the point of stupidity, the forced humour and comic relief takes away from the seriousness of the dire story, majority of the characters are simply one-note and generic despite the talented actors and actresses, Emma Russell is, by far, the worst character in this franchise in regards to her actions and the film wanting the viewer to sympathize with her, the camerawork during the slower moments of the film can be quite mundane and bland at times, and the action sequences are always obscured by the environment. At the end of the day, it's an above-average monster flick that delivers on the kaiju action and spectacle while sacrificing the characters and aspects of the narrative. It's far from the worst "Godzilla" film, but it's nowhere close to being the king amongst them.

Verdict: 6/10. Decent, but covered in flaws. Still a blast to watch in regards to the monsters and visuals.

American Psycho (2000) Film Review: A Thought-Provoking Satire About The Inner Darkness That Lays In Everyone...

 

Patrick Bateman seems to have it all. A well-paid job, beautiful fiancee, and a lifestyle that only the upper elite can love. However, Bateman isn't satisfied whatsoever. He despises his co-workers, his fiancee, and anyone that appears to be below him socially all because it ruins his own self-image. In fact, whenever something is done to embarrass him or put him down compared to others, he needs to take his anger out by inflicting harm on others. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film adaptation to one of the most controversial books ever made had a polarizing response back when it was released, but has managed to achieve a growing fanbase. While the story, for the most part until the end, is fairly typical in the psychological thriller genre in regards to following a psychopathic killer with the viewer wondering when he will get caught, it's the tone of the film that really makes it unique. The mixture of black comedy, psychological thriller and horror allows the satirical elements to shine in the surrealist moments while the narrative serves as a character study for Bateman as well as dissecting some cliches of the genre that is meant to overly confuse the viewer. The humour as a whole is really strong, mainly thanks to Bateman's eccentric personality, quirks, and trying to hold this higher status by analyzing music or the petty grudges he holds to others.

Christain Bale as Patrick Bateman is simply iconic. Bale both hams it up while also taking the role seriously at the same time, much like the mentally unstable Bateman, who he himself is confused on whether or not he enjoys harming others or not. At times, he tends to sound a bit like Jim Carrey, but it honestly works for the character. Bateman is interesting as he surprisingly represents the everyman and their mental thought process regarding their desires and ego, despite the character's social status and psychopathic tendencies. Bale practically steals the film, which is quite noticeable considering how minor the side cast is. Willam Dafoe as Detective Kimball is only in three scenes, but so well done thanks to Dafoe's skills as an actor and the use of multiple takes where the character has conflicting opinions on Bateman interspaced in his scenes is great. Jared Leto as Paul Allen, Bateman's rival, is also barely in the film due to the plot revolving around the mystery of his death and whether or not Bateman really did kill him. Chloe Sevigny as Jean is really good as the timid secretary who falls for Bateman's charisma, but isn't relevant to the plot much. Reese Witherspoon as Evelyn, Bateman's fiancee, is also good as the oblivious and emotional girlfriend that is sort of the dumb blonde stereotype that Bateman can't stand. Lastly, there's Cara Seymour as "Christie", a prostitute that Bateman uses for both pleasure and abuse with Seymour being so sympathetic and awkwardly funny in every minute. There are other characters such as Bateman's co-workers and his fling, Courtney, but they aren't really necessary to the plot or even that memorable, aside from a hilarious moment with the gay co-worker. The cast and characters are both a huge win and a small loss in a way. All of the performances are good in some capacity, with Bale being a good example of a snubbed nomination for Best Actor, but the side characters as a whole aren't that engaging either due to how they are barely used in the film or just not being very likeable or engaging. Bale as Bateman is the highlight as he's practically in every scene and he's a fantastic character to boot, but it comes at a cost to having the side characters being quite meaningless as a result.

Mary Harron is perhaps best known for this film on her resume along with her being a feminist, which is funny given the film's extreme violence towards women. The setting of 1987 is actually done in a way that feels like the film is timeless to an extent. Yes, the references to videotapes and Bateman's giant cell-phone are dead giveaways, but the nature of the upper-class lifestyle and the representation of Wall-Street brokers essentially doing anything but work is brilliantly captured in a way that it's universal and aged perfectly well. I also love the opening credits where it tricks the viewer into thinking that they are seeing blood, but is revealed to be fine dining. Speaking of dining, the food and menus of the upper-class restaurants are also a nice piece of character Harron showcases as she makes the idea that the elite lifestyle is so snooty that even some of the food we are described sounds quite nasty or implausible. The cinematography by Andrzej Sekula is very much like his work on "Reservoir Dogs". The camerawork can feel amateur, but it's meant to be grounded and gritty in the lack of style and flair. On top of that, there are some great one-shots, pans, and tracking shots, specifically whenever the scene is set in a sense of luxury. The close-ups of Bateman's face though is iconography at its simplicity, regardless if it's clean, sweaty, coated in make-up, or covered in blood. The score by John Cale is all over the place, but in a good way. Because of the clash of genre and tone, Cale manages to provide various themes for various circumstances. From the peaceful, yet, haunting instrumentals, the suspenseful horror/slasher music, the more awkward comedic upbeat tracks, Cale is known for his experimentation as a musician and although it's by no means the best of the genre, the original score fits the film's nature. The licensed soundtrack though is extremely memorable by using some great tracks from the time period such as New Order's "True Faith", Huey Lewis and the News's "Hip to be Square", Phil Collins's "Sussudio", and Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All". The last thing to mention about the film itself is the level of violence and sex. The novel is far more explicit to Bateman's crimes and actions, while the film is not only lighter on, but tame in regards to portraying the violence and sex. I know it's strange saying this as the film not only has Bateman partake in threesomes and kill victims with axes and chainsaws, but it never gets overly gory or even sexually graphic by showing a penis or vagina. Despite not being overly strong on these elements, the sequences themselves feel explicit in nature mainly thanks to both the performances and direction of said sequences.

"American Psycho" is such a unique film in both its existence and execution. While the plot is fairly typical of the genre and the side characters are extremely overshadowed by the lead, those are necessary flaws to make the rest of the film stand out in its quality. From the tone and blending of humour, psychological thrillers and slashers, Bale as Bateman is undeniably one of his crowning achievements of his career, the performances from all of the characters are generally pretty good despite said characters being underused, Sekula's cinematography reflects both the upper-class nature via his camera tricks while the simple close-ups of Bateman ensure instant iconography thanks to the framing and performance, Cale's score has plenty of range and experimentation with various genres, the licensed soundtrack is a great collection of the underrated 80's hits, and Harron's directing does a wonderful job at not only having the 1987 setting and upper-class lifestyle still feel timeless in a way, but having a tamer approach to the violence and sex that still feels effectively uncomfortable. There's simply so much to analyze in the film along with some memorable sequences that I don't want to give everything away, especially in regards to the film's biggest questions and theories. It's something to be experienced rather than ruined.

Verdict: 9/10. One of the best psychological thrillers in the genre as well as a clever satire regarding said genre, the elite, and the people we are capable of being. Check it out if you can easily stomach some of the intense sequences and be captivated by Bale's performance as the infamous Patrick Bateman.

Deadpool 2 (2018) Film Review: Both Better And Worse Than The First...

 

With "Deadpool" being a box office smash hit, it was no question that Fox wanted to green-light a sequel as fast as possible with a bigger budget that will complement the more zany nature of the comics and character. Although the sequel managed to make around the same amount as the original in the box office, the response from fans and critics was a bit more divisive in regards to if the sequel was an improvement or a downgrade. The story does lean towards the latter in ways. As Wade Wilson continues to be a hired mercenary, his fiancee, Vanessa, tragically dies after he fails to kill a target earlier in the day. Going though a heavy depression, Wade is forced to work with the X-Men in an attempt to turn a new leaf and find a way to heaven. His calling is found when he meets a young mutant named Russell and tries to help the kid before he gets to kill an abusive headmaster as well as protecting him from a vengeful cyborg from the future named Cable. While the story does indeed get bigger and crazier thanks to the increased budget and various new characters, the choice to kill off Vanessa and the focus on Wade trying to help Russell tends to leave audiences in a bit of a sour taste in their mouth. Vanessa's death feels practically unnecessary as they could have revealed her mutant status, while the plotline surrounding Russell feels a bit lacking as Wade and Russell didn't really show a strong bond and it would have been far more satisfying to just have the plot be about Wade stopping a notable villain from the comics or something. Regardless of the story direction, the tone and humour has actually managed to improve. Since the film isn't bogged down by the typical origin story and flashbacks, it allows the tone to be far more over-the-top and the humour to be plentiful throughout with the same vulgar, fourth-wall breaking and meta jokes the first film is beloved for. Not every joke or dramatic moment lands of course, but it still delivers on all fronts effectively, perhaps even a bit more than the first film.

The characters are also divisive in a way in regards to their representation or usage throughout the film. Starting with the positives, Reynolds as Wade/Deadpool still knocks it out of the park as he goes all in on the goofiness of the character. While some may feel that it's not as natural or balanced compared to his first outing, I think it makes sense in regards to the passage of time and how Wade has gotten use to his powers and zany nature. Julian Dennison as Russell/Firefist is a nice addition regardless of the lack of chemistry he shares with Wade. Dennison is just having a blast in being a wannabe punk and gangster who wants to take his rivals down. Stefan Kapicic as Colossus is great as usual for the polite giant chrome mutant who is beginning to lose patience and tolerance for Wade's violent ways. Zazie Beetz is wonderful as Domino, the mutant with luck on her side who knows how to counter the cynical Deadpool. Reynolds also voices a more comic-accurate and meat-headed Juggernaut who steals the final act of the film in regards to the surprise appearance. The returning comic relief such as T.J Miller's Weasel, Leslie Uggams's Blind Al, Karan Soni's Dopinder, and Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead are also as good as before with Soni's Dopinder managing to have some of the funniest moments of the film. Despite a large portion of the cast and characters being enjoyable, there are also some mediocre characters involved. Of course, there's the aforementioned Vanessa, played by Morena Baccarin, who gets killed and appears as a spirit in the afterlife. Josh Brolin as Cable does do his best in regards to the performance and the humour, but the personality and depth of the character is practically removed and the chemistry between him and Wade is extremely minimal and forced. The character could have been far more benefitted if the story was centred more around him and Wade. Jack Kesy as Black Tom Cassidy was a pointless addition as he was supposed to be the original antagonist before budget concerns were addressed, so he's just used as a race joke. The abusive headmaster played by Eddie Marsan is pretty one-note and generic evil with no real personality to him. Aside from Juggernaut, the villains are pretty weak because of the narrative decisions the sequel offers. Shiori Kutsana as Yukio is just there to serve as NTW's girlfriend with a bubbly personality and barely shows up during the film. The last group of characters to address are the X-Force members assembled by Wade including Terry Crew's Bedlam, Brad Pitt's Vanisher, Lewis Tan as Shatterstar, Bill Skarsgard as Zeitgiest, and Rob Delaney as Peter. Despite the charisma and bizarre nature of the characters and performances, they are only used to be essentially killed off as a joke during the second act. While the joke itself is actually pretty funny in the film, it's a bit disappointing that the characters might never show up in a future X-Force film or even just share more screen-time in the film in general. Overall, there's a fair share of enjoyable and likeable characters, but the antagonists and side characters are fairly one-note or just underutilize throughout the film, something that the first film did far better due to the smaller cast.

Tim Miller didn't return due to creative differences in the approach for the sequel, so David Leitch replaces him and offers a new direction for the franchise. Because of the $110 million dollar budget along with the various comic elements used throughout, Leitch has the sequel to be far more vivid in the aesthetic and colour department than ever before. The first film always carried this industrial, grey look that works with the small-scale nature of the story and characters. The sequel has a more varied colour palette that reflects in the various scenes, set-pieces and locations. Much like the first film, the interior locales are well-designed and characterized such as Wade's apartment, the Ice Box, the Essex Mutant Re-education centre, etc. The cinematography by Micheal Sela manages to improve over Ken Seng's work as he tries to incorporate long takes and shots in various set-pieces, while also utilizing the slow-motion, close-ups, wide shots and sense of enclosement that Seng mastered in the first film. What's not an improvement is Tyler Bates's score. While Junkie XL's offerings were standard as the action sequences used a lot of synthesizers that get old real fast, I can't recall anything Bates composed for the film, aside from the softer, instrumental themes from the original song Celine Dion provided, "Ashes", as well as Juggernaut's menacing choir theme. Speaking of the songs, the licensed soundtrack is just overwhelming with memorable hits in both the theatrical and extended cuts. The extended cut does have some questionable changes to the music beats in certain action sequences, but both versions of the film offer great tracks from the pop genre such as "9 to 5", "All Out of Love", "We Belong", etc. The visual effects are good yet again with Colossus and Juggernaut and the action visuals being the highlights, even if it's fairly standard given the average budget. The action sequences go for a more stylized approach with the violence and set-pieces rather than the grittier beatdowns and shootouts from the first. Every sequence has a grand, comic-book esque feel to it. From the montage of Deadpool killing various gangsters (the extended cut offers a fantastic one-track, wrap-around shot in the Japan scene that should have been in the theatrical version) to the quick apartment ambush, Cable's attack in the Ice Box,  the convoy hijack, and the final showdown with Juggernaut and the orderlies. The action is not much of an improvement, rather than a spectacle in ways. As much as I do wish and wonder what Miller's film would have been like, Leitch did a great job in covering the sequel and giving it a distinct flair compared to the first film.

"Deadpool 2" is a weaker, yet, effective follow-up from the first film. The flaws include the questionable narrative decisions with Vanessa, the lack of chemistry given to Wade, Russell, and Brolin, the antagonists, aside from Juggernaut, are really one-note and boring due to the frantic narrative, some side characters feel pointless or underused in their inclusion, and the score by Bates is fairly forgettable aside from a few original songs. Despite these problems, the sequel does actually offer not only positives akin to the first, but even some improvements. The story does feel like an escalation for stakes and world-building despite how messy it is, the tone and humour gets far more moments to shine because of said narrative, the returning cast of characters are just as great as before with Reynolds, Soni and Kapicic working off with the lead so naturally, the newcomers of Russell, Domino and Juggernaut are great additions in regards to the performances and their usage during the film, Brolin still offers an awesome performance for the otherwise underdeveloped Cable, Sela's cinematography only improves from Seng by having tracking shots, the licensed soundtrack offers excellent songs throughout both cuts of the film, the action sequences have a larger scale and sense of style with some memorable highlights, and Leitch's directing has a distinct approach in regards to the aesthetic and feel to the film in contrast to Miller's directorial debut. Overall, I can see how some might see this as a downgrade, but I can also see some saying it's better. Regardless, both films are a blast to watch, though the first one just feels more tight and contained compared to the sequel's bloated comic-book nature.

Verdict: 7/10. Good sequel, but probably needed more time in the writing department rather than a two-year write-up. Still funny and entertaining regardless if being compared to the first film.