Category: Film Critic

Film Critic, Movie Blog, Movie Reviews

SHAZAM! (2019)

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SHAZAM! (2019) Runtime: 2 hrs 12 min Rating: PG-13  Studio: Warner Bros

Directed by: David S. Sandberg Screenwriters: Henry Gayden 

I’ll be honest, Shazam or Captain Marvel, as he’s also known in the comics, was never one I cared to know. Billy Baston is a kid who transforms into an adult with powers by saying a magic word. Sounds kiddish, right? I just found him so whiney, or that his actual age showed too much as his adult self. That’s the beauty of the design of him, though, isn’t it? What kid hasn’t ever thought about being super? Made up what powers or abilities they would have. I’m an adult, and I still think about it! 

This hero first came to be in 1939 as Captain Marvel from Fawcett comics (currently published by DC Comics). Years later, after being out of publication for a time, Marvel grabbed the available trademark for “Captain Marvel” in the early 1970s. Doing so meant the DC character could no longer be published under the name, so the comic book’s name was changed to SHAZAM! and the title of “Captain Marvel” within DC Comics stopped in 2012 when the superhero name officially became SHAZAM! as well. 

A version of Billy Baston’s origin story has him living with his uncle. In the “new 52” version, he’s a foster kid. This works better for this character overall, I think. Asher Angel plays the role of Billy Baston, the teenager, while Zachary Levi plays the adult/hero version. Mark Strong plays the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, who has been around since the original comics debut. 

Unlike most hero origin stories where loss of some kind is close to the time they suit-up, Billy Baston’s is not. He’s minding his own business when he finds himself before “the Wizard,” played by Djimon Hounsou. I like Hounsou’s previous work; he has a nice range of projects under his belt. However, I cringed at his costume. It looked like a low-level, Halloween Express attempt at cosplay. Still, Billy comes before him via magic into this cave, the Rock of Eternity—the vibe is anything but kiddish. 

The Wizard is one of seven who’s combined powers keep the seven deadly sins away. He is no longer strong enough to hold back what can be described as a version of Pandora’s box and needs someone new to take over. Enter Billy. Billy doesn’t know about Sivana or the sins, who look like unfinished concept renderings Constantine would fight. No, he seeks help from one of his foster siblings, a die-hard fan of comics, to help him figure out the alternate version of himself. 

While the film attempts to merge teenagers and kids’ youthfulness with a conflict that means the end of the world, the conflict portion falls flat. However, there are jokes and laughs throughout the film that sort of make up for it.

Mixed in with those components to the film are Billy’s newest foster parents and the other kids who live with them. The family scenes seem so forced, like it’s normal for a new foster kid to get along so well so soon. Sivana grew up to be the very type of person he hated as a child, uncaring and unloving. That sentiment of not being cared about parallels most foster kids’ feelings, yet I don’t feel for Sivana. That the display of family and togetherness Billy’s new foster family portrays is the crucial difference between being good or evil. Sure…

This is meant as a movie for middle-school-aged kids and up. It’s not designed to be completely logical, just a light-hearted journey into the DCEU without the gritty, testosterone-filled displays currently at work. 

For a movie about a kid, who becomes a super adult, who goes back to being a kid, there needs to be room to grow such a character. To start, kids are already figuring out who they are in the world. On top of that, Billy has to get used to being an adult hero without anyone else finding out he’s a kid in the adult’s body. 

So, should this be on your watchlist? Yeah, go on and do it. It is a lighter super film than anything else out there currently. It can be a fun watch if you accept that it will take more than just this one film for Billy/SHAZAM! to be fully realized. 

-a pen lady

Film Critic, Movie Blog, Movie Reviews

Wonder Woman 84 (2020)

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Wonder Woman 84 (2020) 

Director: Patty Jenkins Screenwriters: Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns, Dave Callaham 

Studio: Warner Bro. Runtime: 2 hr 31 min Rating: PG-13

Wonder Woman 84 was released on Christmas Day to the anticipation of many, myself included. It starts with a young Diana on Themyscria, with Lilly Aspell reprising her role with the same energy and dedication she had in the first Wonder Woman film. Viewers will get another look into a section of Paradise Island with visually stunning scene settings. The Amazons impress again with their abilities that make the Olympics look like a high school state gymnastics event. 

The opening scene has more to it than action, and while I won’t say what, it is the thread of rationale that Wonder Woman 84 is built around. 

Official Warner Bros. WW84 trailer via YouTube

Shifting from Themyscaria, the movie takes you to Washington, D.C., in 1984. 

Diana is out being Wonder Woman in an era where she can still show up, do her thing, and vanish. Why it had to be in the 1980s, I have no idea. Malls were huge then, and one of the scenes is shot at one, but it could have been elsewhere. Aside from that, the clothes and technology, there isn’t anything that cements a rational justification for choosing 1984. It’s in the title, but it has little relevance. Perhaps because cellphones (as we know them today) weren’t around to capture everything? The internet wasn’t even available publicly yet, so anonymity is her friend. 

Despite her 66-years of relative isolation, who she does befriend is Dr. Barbra Minerva, otherwise known as Cheetah. This iteration of the character sets her up as a cliche of films. She is fashionably stunted (a sharp contrast to the always put together Diana), clumsy, socially awkward, smart, and ignored by everyone she meets. Many of us can relate to that list, hell on most days, it describes me. The difference is that we don’t get to have a wish that gives us a glamor and personality makeover. 

Throughout cinema, animated or otherwise, we have been told that you only get one wish. Maybe three. That magic always comes with a price. Well, Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal, begs to differ. He’s the embodiment of a character in a magic lamp scenario where you want to trick him into the bottle; he’s so sleazy. In WW84, he is after the Dreamstone and will do anything to get it and everything else. 

After the stone comes to Diana’s attention, with the help of Barbra, they find out more about it. Like most people, Barbra can’t help but think about what she’d wish for. Diana, on the other hand, understands there is more at work than just a simple wish. 

The pace and set-up of this film are slow. Arguably the typical trap of a second film when you know there will be a third, but this wasn’t set up under that pretense. There are so many plot questions, holes, continuity errors that made me lose interest early on. This was not the movie I was excitedly waiting to see. There is little ‘wonder’ to be found in this film. 

While Gal Gadot reprised her role as Wonder Woman and certainly looked the part fantastically again, I wasn’t excited. Pedro Pascal pulls off a 1980s suit to accurately depict the scam artist, Max Lord. However, nothing in this universe will make me believe, magic or otherwise, that Kristen Wiig is as attractive as Gal Godot. Or Barbra to Diana. The Cheetah “costume” is okay until you get to her face. Her face makeup looks like it was stolen from Floki, the character on the History channels Vikings. Rebel Wilson and Taylor Swift’s heads as felines from the movie Cats looked more believable. 

Warner Bro. Films photo of Kristen Wigg as Cheetah in WW84 via Flickeringmyth.com 12-15-2020

For a movie whose pretense is that “…the truth is all there is,” there couldn’t be a bigger lie than the one the filmmakers ignore in how they bring Chris Pine’s character, Steve Trevor, back. It’s absolutely disgusting, really. It goes against everything Wonder Woman is. That, along with the other issues I won’t go into, (spoilers) are reason enough to avoid this film. This movie should not be on anyone’s watch list. 

-a pen lady

Film Critic, Movie Blog, Movie Reviews

Aquaman (2018)

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Aquaman (2018) Screenwriters: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall 

Directed by: James Wan Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 2 hrs. 23 min. 

Until now, people probably never gave the role of Aquaman in live-action a ton of thought. Excluding those in the industry. It’s a massive undertaking to decently portray a mythical city in the vast depths of the ocean. In real life, and in film and TV, we focus more on our planet itself, the center of it, and certainly space. Our oceans are not a realm we look at too closely until now. 

James Wan tackles the challenges of bringing Atlantis beyond comics and animated series with vast scale, explanation, and vibrance. Is it perfect? No. I have questions about continuity with other DC films, some cultural ones, and some have to do with physics. I don’t do physics… still, it’s an impressive first take on Atlantis and underwater film in general, in live-action. 

A lot of water, CGI, and creative camera work let you enjoy a perspective of underwater living, swimming, and fighting. How do you fight underwater? With tridents, if you’re Atlantian. Basically, a giant pitchfork. Some interesting contraptions are rigged up to help with this, which is its own form of movie-making-magic. Or torture…

The trailer for this film sets the tone for an action-mystery. It’s true. It’s a journey of discovery about many things and not just for the main character. The central conflict Arthur Curry/Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, faces is stopping his half-brother Orm, played by Patrick Wilson, from waging war on the surface world. He is aided in his journey by Amber Heard’s character, Mera. These supporting roles depict characters vital to Aquaman’s origin story and are excellent additions to bring this universe to life. A villain figure more prominent than Orm throughout the DC universe is Black Manta. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II takes on the iconic villain and costume of this character with gusto! 

Speaking of costumes, I appreciated not seeing Mera in a more revealing costume style, evident in other iterations. One, women don’t need to be half nude to be remarkable. Second, all that water work on set… that had to get cold. I know that sounds two-faced next to Aquaman, having no top on for most of the film. Yes, they’re Atlantian and are supposed to be able to tolerate it. The characters, yes, the actors, not so much. Between this film and Justice League’s water scenes with Jason Momoa, he might be part fish-man at this point. He brings a “don’t mess with me” presence to the character on screen, unlike past versions-but water doesn’t care. 

I had to stop writing at one point because I had this mental image of Jason Momoa in the original Aquaman costume design. I stopped to laugh. It couldn’t be helped. All of him in a green and orange spandex suit. It’s in your head now too. You’re welcome! Seriously, this film’s costume design is a nod to the original colors but gives him more of a presence, one that commands respect without being over the top. I dig it. 

So should Aquaman be on your watch list? Yes! It’s a fun watch. It’s not serious in the way the previous DC films are but can tie other things together. Really this should have come out before the Justice League movie. Could there be more character development in areas? Absolutely! That’s the benefit of being part of a universe with teams; it gives you more time to flesh out characters. Aquaman will be no exception, and I look forward to seeing his evolution on screen. 

-a pen lady

Film Critic, Movie Blog, Movie Reviews

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

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Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Directed: Zack Snyder   

Screenwriters: David S. Goyer & Chris Terrio Runtime: 2 hrs. 32 min

Rating: PG-13 Studio: Warner Bros. & Ratpac Entertainment

Cast: Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t the dawn of any justice. None for the characters’ many iterations over the decades. Nor for the fans of DC Comics who have only ever been given Batman up to this point. It’s like Warner Bros was incapable and unwilling to try anything other than Batman until now. Couple that and the direction the screenwriters took to create this movie with future projects in mind…there isn’t any point in trying to stay neutral in this review. I won’t spoil anything that’s not in a trailer or isn’t backstory to any character in a way that will ruin something. 

Warner Bros. Pictures 2015 Comic-Con trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice via YouTube

This film is set a year and a half after the battle over Metropolis occurs in 2013’s Man of Steel. (See Review) The movie starts off from Bruce Wayne’s perspective of being on the ground that day in Metropolis. From his point of view, Superman is just as culpable as the other Kryptonians. Like he did it on purpose. It’s the driving force that makes Bruce seek to destroy Superman before he goes bad. Take this mindset into consideration, along with the mommy and daddy issues that are repeatedly brought up. What has been created is an uptight man with resources in desperate need of anger management and PTSD therapy. I can’t decide if what I detest the most is Ben Affleck playing Batman/Bruce Wayne or how the character is written. 

Bruce wants to stop Superman based on the chance he might go bad one day. At this point, Bruce has been Batman for around two decades and is jaded and calloused. He’s not a cautious detective; he’s untrustworthy on an unhealthy paranoid level. There’s actually no detective version of him to be seen in this film. Okay, Gotham got to him. That mentality extends throughout the movie. Pair that with Lex Luthor’s mindset. Yep, Lex and Bruce think Superman needs to die. Honestly, that’s not a spoiler. What could go wrong? 

Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Credit: Warner Bros via the Guardian

Lex is played by Jesse Eisenberg, a considerably younger take on the character who has always been older than Superman/Clark. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. An older Lex has more years to be justified in his questionable life choices and the path that got him there. Here it also means his dad is dead much sooner. That doesn’t matter for this story, but it could be problematic for future stories. Eisenberg plays eccentric well and plays up the neurotic psycho angle here. His acting isn’t the issue, but his script is. Lex is all over the place with his attempts to stick it to Superman and others that get in his way. Including his weird and overly conversed god/devil and good/evil rhetoric. This Lex is all about the “paradoxical,” but someone forgot to tell the screenwriters what a real paradox is. So, Lex comes off as just manic instead of goal-oriented. 

Woven in all of this is Diana Prince cropping up in multiple places. That’s Wonder Woman to all you non-comic lovers out there. Gal Gadot was cast for this iconic character, and she is a fantastic embodiment of Wonder Woman. Her addition is done well, mysterious and not over-stated, but that’s okay, all things what they are. Honestly, her character’s place in this film is to help facilitate Warner Bros. dropping Wonder Woman’s stand-alone film after this one and setting up for the Justice League movie after that. 

Amy Adams and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Credit: Warner Bros. via slashfilms.com

Bruce and Lex are paranoid, and Clark is still dealing with his feelings about his place in the world, especially now that his Superman persona is out there. This film really drives that point as well. Should there be a Superman? Who is he accountable to, and should he be? Is he or is he not the savior figure some have put on him? Is he just a political tool or just some person out there to do good for the sake of good? My take-away from all that noise is, are you team Batman or team Superman in this version? Then ask yourself why. 

I have to say that the scene transitions in this film are lazy if done at all. The movie’s pace is continuously tripped up by this, and the BIZARRE and disjointed “dreams” of Bruce’s just thrown in. A disgusting reminder that Bruce has needed therapy for years, and ignoring one’s mental health is a self-destructive idea. These scenes had NO place in the film. It’s like someone copy and pasted in snippets from another version. I mention it because I don’t want you, the viewer, to feel lost or that you missed something. At one point, I thought about walking out of the theater—an action I’ve only done two times in 25-years of seeing movies on my own. 

Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Credit: Warner Bros. via denofgeek.com

Zack Snyder is the director of this mentally scaring, shit-car-filled train wreck. But he didn’t write the script, David Goyer and Chris Terrio did. Directors get all the blame. Goyer also wrote Man of Steel with Christopher Nolan. Nolan understands these characters, or at least how to do a great Batman. Someone, please, give Mr. Nolan the screenwriting reigns from now on. While I’m not a fan of Snyder’s entire body of works, it’s not fair to blame him for a horrible plot and unrealistic character development. 

This movie should have been the beginning of what DC fans have dreamed of for decades, especially in the shadow of Marvel’s cinematic universe, our own superhero team-up. You have the founding trio of the Justice League in this film, decades of stories to choose from and build upon, and this film is what fans got instead. 

Henry Cavill in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Credit: Warner Bros via CNET.com

So why should you put Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on your watch list? To help you follow along in the other movies after this. So you understand the backstories of how certain characters met, why they are together, or are against one another. However, don’t fall into the comparison trap of DC movies vs. Marvel ones. That’s a decade-old dance that started with the actual comics. Take each as they are and look at it as good and bad from within each respective universe. 

-a pen lady

Film Critic, Movie Blog, Movie Reviews

Man of Steel (2013)

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Man of Steel (2013)   Runtime: 2 hr 22 min Rating: PG-13

Directed: Zack Snyder    Screenwriters: Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer

Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Lawrence Fishburne Studio: Warner Bros. & Legendary Pictures

Henry Cavill takes on the role of the beloved and iconic comic superhero, Superman. In Zack Snyders adaptation Clark Kent seeks to learn where he came from and, ultimately, acceptance on Earth under the moniker of “Superman.” 

No story of Superman’s origin comes without Martha and Johnathan Kent. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner are perfect fits as the embodiments of the salt of the earth couple responsible for the humanity at Clark’s core. 

This re-telling of Clark/Kal-El’s origin story is presented in smaller nuggets of memories that feel organic as they weave in and out of the storyline. The viewer can see Clark’s progression and struggles. Clark learns as a teenager that he’s an alien- because, ya know, high school isn’t hard enough, but that only helps him understand why he’s ‘not normal.’ Logically, he still wonders where he comes from. The film starts with his adult self out in the world seeking answers to that exact question. That need to learn where he came from and why go hand in hand with the movies other driving questions, ‘is the world ready for me? Am I ready?’ 

Warner Bros. Pictures Offical Trailer #3 of Man of Steel via YouTube

Most humans don’t measure their lives on how their character is judged by the world. So they can’t imagine if their very existence was the embodiment of someone else’s hope and beliefs. That this existence, not life, will forever be judged on their choices, their character. The adversary to Clark/Kal-El’s internal struggles judges his choices too, and from that, we see the external conflict through fight scenes. 

A few of the things I really appreciate in this film are the rig and harness work for the choreography on the flight and fight sequences. They’re impressive if you think of how fast Kryptonians move on Earth. With all the shooting and explosions, you have to appreciate all that physicality and timing required to pull it off. What you thought I was gonna give specifics? That would have meant spoilers! 

Henry Cavill in ‘Man of Steel’ Credit: Warner Bros. via theverge.com

Compared to the Earth’s military forces, the Kryptonians’ technology and equipment are in stark contrast, yet not unbelievably. It’s not cheesy or over the top-it’s explained in ways that any viewer can follow along with. One scene/aspect of the story gave me a very ‘Matrix-like’ vibe. 

Henry Cavill as Superman, not just because he physically looks like a great Superman/Clark Kent but because of his presence. The way he delivers the character. His ability to take the script and what the character needs to do physically comes off so naturally. Yes, he looks good in the suit too. Honestly, I was distracted by his calf muscles a few times in that suit. Dang! He’s an ideal casting choice that makes you think there can’t ever be another actor who would do as well with a character with so many required layers. 

Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe in ‘Man of Steel’ Image: Warner Bros. via Popsugar

Clark is never without Lois, and Amy Adams is such a believable incarnation of her iconic character. She’s soft and human at all the right moments, but not delicate. Yet never loses the ‘never takes crap off of anyone’ attribute that drives Lois home as an award-winning writer. Some iterations of Lois have been too feminine, and others to tom-boyish. This version is an excellent mix of both critical aspects to her. 

So, is The Man of Steel worth your time? YES! It has drama, action, and charm rolled together in a well-told, developed story and a cast that is a perfect fit for their respective roles with great performances. Not sure yet because I don’t include details that spoil the magic? That’s cool. Just do an internet search for any of the three trailers that came out before the film’s debut. I’d recommend the second or third (the third one is below). By viewing them, you’ll get a much better feel for what I’m saying. Don’t worry if you’ve never read a comic before or know nothing about Superman; it won’t matter. This movie should be on your watch list! 

-a pen lady