Friday, June 28, 2019

'Spider-man: Far From Home' is a Fun Ode to Tony Stark

We are used to seeing Spidey swing across the concrete jungle of New York City and it's refreshing to see him in a different environment. Marvel's most recent chapter, Spider-man: Far from Home exists to mix things up geographically, and most definitely for a reason. Like a person bouncing back from a breakup, it uses the rustic canals of Venice, brick roads and bridges of Prague, and the overall different vibe of Europe to change its look as if it is its way of purging the bittersweet outcome of Endgame. And it does so in a light-hearted way.

Columbia Pictures
Spider-man: Far from Home even begins with a movie-maker-made tribute for Tony Stark--complete with Comic Sans font style, fade-in and fade-out transitions, Whitney Houston background music, and other school-made cliché--establishing right away that there is no room for drama, and they're ready to leave it all to history, while paying respect to the superhero that made Marvel for what it is today.

In a way, it's really mostly about Tony Stark. That everyone--including Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a superhero in a green suit who comes from an alternate Earth--is living their lives haunted by the ghost of Tony Stark.

Even S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury and Maria (Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smoulders reprising their roles) return to track Peter Parker and give him a super assignment that used to be Iron Man's responsibility, which is a fun dynamic since Fury is now obliged to deal with a sixteen-year-old  superhero.

Emphasis to sixteen, since Peter is now facing a detour between living a carefree teenage life and a hectic superhero career. With the recent deaths and retirement of some of the Avengers, his obligations grow larger while his freedom to follow his bliss becomes smaller.

Columbia Pictures
But what I love about Far From Home is how it treats this never-ending superhero dilemma in a fun and light-hearted way. Director Jon Watts, who also directed Homecoming, levels up the youthfulness of his cast to overturn the saccharine vibe of the previous Spider-man films. Here, Peter Parker is never 'emo' despite his problems, his classmates act like normal teenagers, and MJ is not the stereotypical popular girl.

Which brings me to the cast who all brims with youthful energy that flips over what could have been a bleak episode of coping up with death to an innocent story about friendship and young love. Angourie Rice and Jacob Baton are hilarious side-characters. Even the veterans Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, who is in love with Marisa Tomei's Aunt May, harmonizes with the youngsters tingles. Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio is also an interesting character, and Gyllenhaal, almost as if acting as himself, is awesome to watch. It's refreshing to see him in a Marvel movie, and I thought he would disappoint.

Columbia Pictures
I'm impressed with Zendaya the most, though. Her deglammed MJ is fascinating to watch, and everything we know about the MJ character is rejuvenated by her new approach which is cute, interesting and fun. Her scenes with Tom Holland are also a delight to watch. No toxicity whatsoever.

I'm happy that there's a balance between the MJ-Peter Parker scenes and the Spider-man-as-a-super hero scenes. But because both sides are just as exciting to watch, one would want more of each story. Then again, what seems to be the goal here is to pay homage to Tony Stark. There's a big shoe to fill for both Spider-man and the succeeding Marvel movies. But with Far from Home's promise, with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger of an ending, we are definitely in for another wild ride.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

'Annabelle Comes Home' is Scarily Familiar

We are living in a world where cinematic universes are already common that it has found its way even in the world of ghosts and spirits. We now have what we call The Conjuring universe, which just a few months ago, released another spinoff in The Curse of La Llorona. In all fairness, the films and spinoffs that came out of this franchise by James Wan seem planned from the get-go as evident by the clues and integrated Easter eggs that connect each one to the other. I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming The Conjuring 3 will be their version of Endgame, with the demonic doll Annabelle--dubbed in this film as the beacon of evil spirits--being their Thanos. And now with Annabelle Comes Home, it's definitely a set-up for, hopefully, an epic outcome.

Warner Bros. Pictures
 Annabelle Comes Home begins with an extreme close-up pop-up of the sinister ragged doll--still creepy despite having been acquainted by its several spinoffs. Behind her are demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren (reprised by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) planning to keep her away from wreaking more havoc by locking her in a sacred glass among a myriad of haunted artifacts in their own home. This and their expertise make it look like everything will be fine, but when they leave their only daughter alone, with a nanny and an inquisitive friend, Annabelle is once again awakened, and all the other evil spirits follow.

There are a lot of scary things in Annabelle Comes Home. It's undocked with all the horror set pieces we've previously seen in the franchise, regenerated with new demonic ghosts, characters and a slice-of-night format. Almost the entirety of horror in the film happened overnight, and while goofy and slightly uneventful, it hasn't lost its ability to scare.

But with its repetitive tactics, their formula is becoming the scariest of all. First-time director Gary Dauberman, who also wrote the story, sticks with what the other Conjuring movies thrived on--making the most out of small room doors, walls, mirrors and windows to create horror, excessive use of smoke, lady ghosts wearing veils, etc.--that his work pales in comparison to the franchise's earlier output.

Warner Bros. Pictures
Dauberman's central characters don't help either. Horror films are commonplace for frustrating characters but some have sensible reasons behind their actions. First, in a house filled with evil objects, it's completely irresponsible to leave it with youngsters. In this case, even the most disciplined character love to snoop in so there goes one root cause of how things can go wrong. There's a little room for sense in their actions and to say it's frustrating is a bit of an understatement, especially when we talk about the above-mentioned inquisitive friend, whose personal intention makes her the culprit of why unnecessary things happened in the Warren household.

The plethora of evil spirits are definitely rejoicing with joy because of the characters' sheer negligence. And speaking of them, the objects they possess are characters in itself. Among the additional items playing key roles in this story are a piano; a bride; a ferryman corpse with coins and a pouch; a Victorian mourning bracelet; a weather vane; a Philco Predicta television; a Feeley Meeley game; a Remington typewriter; a cuckoo clock; a floor model radio; a rattlesnake; a telegraph; and a mariner’s compass. Believe it or not, each of these has its own airtime terrorizing the characters. I'm pretty sure we're going to see them again in the future.

Clearly, Annabelle Comes Home is contented in being familiar. It has worked for the franchise for so many years, and their fans continue to dig anything new that they have to offer. The risk of being repetitive, however, will always be there. And it's only a matter of time to determine if it will work for them or not.

Friday, June 14, 2019

'Men in Black: International' -- A Fun But Riskless and Calculable Revamp

"Here come the Men in Black, they won't let you remember."

That lyric in the 90s bop by Will Smith (add International in it) rings true to this Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson-starred installment of the franchise that once was charmed by the iconic men in suit duo of the actor-singer and Tommy Lee Jones.

Columbia Pictures
Still active and running, the alien-friendly company driven by men and women in slick suits have expanded to cover and protect the planet from alien invaders. Smith and Lee's Agents J and K now serve as MIB heroes, where their portraits illuminate the agency's wall of achievements. Along with them is another victory portrait of High T (Liam Neeson) and Agent H (Hemsworth) after defeating 'The Hive', a group of alien invaders that attacked Paris which prompted them to travel and protect the other parts of the globe.

This successful franchise has always been about these men, despite being led by their female head reprised briefly by Emma Thompson. So this revamp feels especially fresh now with Tessa Thompson's presence. She plays Agent M, the rookie, who as a young girl, had an encounter with a cute and harmless visitor from another world.

The introductions of Agent H and, especially Agent M, are actually really engaging. But once they were forced to work together, not so much--even when they've already shared comedic scenes in another not-so-recent superhero movie. They're not to blame, though, as most of the jokes are just difficult to land and they were given a story that's a bit riskless, considering this is about defeating dangerous aliens. The calculable plots and twists don't help either.

The move to different locations such as Paris, Marrakesh, and Naples are fun and new, but there's an element of dryness on how these beautiful and colorful locations are utilized. Even the aliens living in them are too weird even for extra-terrestrial standards. One even lives on a man's face camouflaged as a beard. It's Kumail Nanjiani's Pawny that saves this film from being a drag. Apparently, the written jokes are more apt for a tiny, diminutive alien disguised as a Pawn chess piece.

Men in Black: International is still very much true to its franchise. It just lacks its predecessor's charm. Yes, even with Tessa Thompson's likable character and Hemsworth's screaming magnetism. With a regular and predictable blockbuster story, there's no way to redefine this franchise even if they put a woman on the forefront.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

'Rocketman' - Taron Egerton Dazzles as Elton

A few minutes right after the end credits rolled, I immediately heard another viewer comparing Rocketman to the Rami Malek-top-billed film, Bohemian Rhapsody. The man even added that Freddie Mercury and Elton John were best friends, and their personas are a bit similar. So it's really neat that we get to witness two biopics, musicals to boot, of these music legends. Needless to say, the analogy between them is inevitable and the 'Rocket' beats the 'Rhapsody' by a mile.

United International Pictures
First and foremost, Rocketman avoided what Bohemian Rhapsody was criticized for. Director David Fletcher is not interested in sanitizing his lead. Instead, he builds on Elton's struggles and flaws, addictions to drugs, sex and booze, identity crisis, and his deep yearning for family, resulting in a more emotional and touching memento of one of our greatest living musicians.

An added bonus is Fletcher's eye for a dazzling and vibrant musical, reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann's style, that altogether mirrors the flamboyant pianist's life. Fletcher maximizes the endless possibilities of a musical through abstract images--including a Rocket Elton which could or could not be viewed as corny or too on-the-nose, an emotional underwater sequence of the musician's redemption to the tune of Rocketman, a dance routine inspired by Gaspar Noe’s Climax, a bar with zero gravity, and other interesting out-of-the-box choices that make this semi-formulaic biopic stand out from the normal.

Rocketman is also not purely about Elton John's music career. While his most popular songs are prominently played throughout the musical, it's more focused on his life with his family and colleagues via flashbacks from his time in rehab. His life for the most part is depicted as tragic or, at the very least, bittersweet. But that's where Taron Egerton’s star dazzles the brightest.

Physically, Egerton's resemblance with Elton is not uncanny, but the Kingsman actor embodies his ways and style that everything else goes along with his portrayal. And, among other things, he does all the singing and his own additions to the tunes are legitimately impressive. The highest point of the film for me is him singing a simple but magical and tender version of Your Song. Too bad it 's in the first half because the film wasn't able to match its magic in its succeeding numbers.

United International Pictures
Other worthy of mention are the Tiny Dancer and Goodbye Yellow Road numbers which involve Egerton's leading man Jamie Bell as Bernie, Elton's lifetime songwriter and friendboth songs pivotal to their relationship. The Tiny Dancer scene, for one, showed how he got friend-zoned by Bernie, and it's cute and heartbreaking at the same time.

United International Pictures
But yes, there are all-out gay kissing and sex. As Elton himself said, he fucks everything that moves. And that's when Richard Madden enters the picture, as John Reid, Elton's lover-turned-manager-turned enemy. Their whole fiasco revolves around erotic sex, arguments, and hatred, and both Egerton and Madden are game to commit to their situations.

Overall, Rocketman soars despite its shortcomings. It has pacing issues especially with the last half where every life phase transition, as stagey and amusing as they are to watch, seems rushed compared to the balanced momentum of the first half.  It's astonishing in his highs, and it can get overwhelmingly emotional in its lows. I would have loved to watch more of his story post-rehab but I guess they’re saving up space for a future sequel since he’s still alive and kicking ass. In the end, it's purely a celebration of Elton John's life, not only as a singer but as a person. And thankfully, they got the representation right.

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Sophie Turner Rises Above a Terrific Mutant Ensemble in 'Dark Phoenix'

X-Men has been retold countless times in films, that it's already difficult to differentiate each and every one of them. All, with the exception of a few like James Mangold's Logan, focuses on all mutants, their superpowers and their struggles coexisting with normal human beings. So Simon Kinberg's take on another X-Men story,  putting one of their most complex characters on the forefront, is a welcome addition to the growing number of superhero origin movies there is.

20th Century Fox
Fresh from the recently wrapped-up Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner stars as Jean Grey, who has shown she can lead a bunch of veteran actors purely with her star quality, and her acting prowess even. Here, she joins the old-schoolers of actors and actresses who are terrific on their own.

Starting off with a flashback of how Charles "Professor X" Xavier (James McAvoy) adopted an eight-year-old Jean after being hospitalized because of an unexplainable car crash with her parents, it fast forwards to Jean Grey among with other mutants led by Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) in a space rescue mission ordered by the US President. Things went wrong when they accidentally left out one of the astronauts in rescue and, despite Mystique's hesitance to push through, Professor X nudged Jean Grey to control the destructive solar flare approaching the space ship. And there, right at the beginning, we learned how Jean Grey got her glowing extra superpower aside from her telekinetic ability.

That whole space sequence, bolstered by outstanding space visual effects and Hans Zimmer's dramatic score, spirals into a gripping series of events of Jean Grey and her influence with the rest of her team, and while they are successful, several conflicts arise after they realize the uncontrollable effects of the solar flare in Jean.

20th Century Fox
What's more impressive is, Kinberg's screenplay never overutilized each and every character's arc in the story. It's consistently moving without undermining all the important characters in the film. For one, we were not bombarded with Scott/Cyclops' (Tye Sheridan) romantic angle with Jean even if he served as Professor X's bait to calm Jean Grey's hysteria. Even Jessica Chastain's introduction as the main villain felt seamless despite being a random human just spending a night with her family and friends popping out of the story.

No one appeared to be a filler. Even the young Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Storm, (Alexandra Shipp) and Quiksilver, (Evan Peters) whose combined superpowers paved way for showcasing some of the film's incredible display of visual effects.

The familiar foursome of McAvoy, Lawrence, Hoult and Michael Fassbender gets some of the juiciest parts of the film. The drama surrounding them provided great substories and even surprises, apart from Jean Grey's rebellion from the mutants. It helps a lot that they portray characters that we already love and these feelings will come into play. Lawrence and Hoult's heartfelt scenes alone felt like they're using their real-life emotions as ex-lovers, but that's probably just me prying.

20th Century Fox
Still, Sophie Turner remains to be the true star. While she didn't carry the film on her own, she commandingly encapsulated the hero and villain side of Jean Grey. Her climactic scene with Jennifer Lawrence is a standout. It's as if you're watching a passing of the crown from one lead actress to another. Both grounded and filled with respect.

It’s Hans Zimmer's score and the action set pieces that completely got me. Almost every scene is atmospheric because of Zimmer's prominent, hair-raising, both metallic and orchestral compositions, that maximized the intensity and poignancy of every scene. It's enveloped by his genius that there's only little to zero scene where it's music-less. The action scenes, on the other hand, are exciting. There are at least five different major action sequences, and each one is pulsating and magnificent to watch--from the space mission to an electrifying showcase of superpowers in an old suburb; a telekinetic showdown between Magneto and Jean Grey, and a hectic battle involving a subway train, to the final showdown in a moving train that involves a stiletto-stomping Jessica Chastain, aliens moving like speedy zombies combating the mutants working as a unit.

Excuse my Avengers hangover, but it has several parallels with the film especially in the third act. Even Jean Grey's penultimate look before she unleashes her destructive superpower reeks of Captain Marvel's superhero qualities--from the glowing skin to the gleaming hair. Both share the same intense aura.

Dark Phoenix is not a game-changer, but it pushes the X-Men story forward. Especially with its
recent move to Disney, it's only the beginning of who-knows-what. Even if it will only serve as a
footnote for its future saga, it's a super fun watch and an unforeseen superb origin story.

Monday, June 3, 2019

Every Pet Gets Their Own Story in 'The Secret Life of Pets 2'

Illumination's tenth film, The Secret Life of Pets 2, is super cute, finely animated, and hilarious to boot, that it almost relies too much on these. Which is not so bad considering this movie is really about the cute pets, and how they live, struggle and play while their owners are away.

It's still filled with Illumination's slapstick and mocking humor--this time exploring the emotional growth of our lead pets who each have their own struggles in the world they're living in.

United International Pictures
Terrier Max (Patton Oswalt) faces major life changes when his owner gave birth to a baby boy named Liam--who he initially thought would be a hindrance to his loving relationship with his master but turned out to be his favorite person ever. Cutie but rowdy Snowball (Kevin Hart) starts to believe that he's a real superhero after his owner kept on dressing him up in cute superhero doggy costumes. Fat cat Chloe (Lake Bell) helps Pomeranian Gidget (Jenny Slate) unleash her inner feline so she can sneak into a cat lady's apartment filled with a bunch of catty (no pun intended) pussycats after she lost Max's favorite toy, Busy Bee.

Each of them gets their own story that it got a bit too disconnected and a little less engaging for the viewers. Max's story revolves around his owner's enlightening family trip to the farm, where he bonded with Duke, his adopted brother, and friend, where they immersed with poultry animals who don't reall behave the way they do. There they met a big strong-looking farm dog named Rooster (Harrison Ford) who pushes Max to release his inner hero and letting Liam experience life on his own.

United International Pictures
These new characters are good enough as they are, but Max's interaction with other pets was minimized to the core. It's Gidget, Chloe and Snowball's stories that are more intertwined and their adventure is far more interesting and hilarious than Max who's supposed to be a part of their gang. It really helps that they are joined by a fearless Shih Tzu named Daisy, who is distinctively voiced by Tiffany Haddish. They all only come together at the third act though, which gave us limited time to be invested in their friendship.

Even Max's relationship with Liam wasn't fully fleshed-out after a touching montage of they way they met at the beginning. There's too much going on between him and his self-esteem that they almost forgot the pet-owner story.

Then again, this is about the secret lives of pets, and in terms of the title, they pretty much created a great and entertaining fable for these furry leads. Each get to have their own arc and they're all successful in achieving it. It's just a little inconsistent and disconnected.