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Shazam! (2019)
'A film that never quite lives up to its potential.'
In a cinematic era where comic-book movies reign supreme, Shazam! is the next in line to hurry out the gates and wow audiences. While the genre is taken a lot more seriously these days, Shazam! pokes fun at superhero tropes and stereotypes and for the most part there is a lot of fun to be had here. For many this will feel like a welcome change of scene from the DCEU's usual dark, gritty, dramas. While I certainly had an enjoyable time with Shazam!, I can honestly say that this is one of the weaker entries in the current DC franchise and ultimately a film that never quite lives up to its potential.
Shazam! tells the story of 14 year old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a rebellious orphan who is constantly on the run searching for his lost Mother. One day Billy encounters a mysterious Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who bestows upon him the power of the Gods instantly transforming him into the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi). The central plot of the film follows Billy's attempts to integrate into a new foster family, all while coming into conflict with the villainous Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong). In terms of the overall story there is nothing new to be seen here. The movie really excels, however, in Billy's personal journey for acceptance and the heart-warming relationships that he forges within his new foster family.
For the most part, Shazam! is a hell of a lot of fun, with laughs and gags abundant throughout. I really bought into the relationships found within the foster home. The clear stand-out was Jack Dylan Grazer, who portrays Freddy Freeman, the superhero-obsessed foster brother who helps Billy come to terms with his new powers. The sibling dynamic between Billy and Freddy is dynamite. It also goes without saying that Zachary Levi is simply outstanding as the grown-up Billy who lights up the screen with his child-like exuberance.
With all of that said, there are still many things that unfortunately failed to hit the mark. While Angel and Levi were both equally brilliant as Billy, I never once felt they were playing the same character. Angel's portrayal was much more serious and mature as opposed to Levi who is given one-liners and slapstick humour to work with. Though I get that this is supposed to play into Billy's character development, it felt jarring. The film walks the fine line between being a satire and a straight up generic comic-book film. This delicate balancing act feels tedious at times; it's almost like the studio were unsure which direction they wanted to take.
Overall, I had a great time watching Shazam! and I highly recommend going to check this one out. If you are someone who has been disillusioned with recent DC superhero films then you will probably fall in love with Shazam! It brings a great deal of humour and heart to the franchise that a lot of people felt was lacking. For me, however, this is not one of the more memorable superhero films in recent memory. A solid, entertaining blockbuster for sure, but no Man of Steel or Batman v Superman.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: B
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Us (2019)
'A terrific achievement in genre filmmaking'
What happens when a relatively normal middle-class American family face off against their evil doppelgangers? Us, the second directorial effort from Jordan Peele, goes above and beyond in answering this question and may have very well set a new benchmark going forward for the Horror genre. This is a film that will be talked about for decades and I will be absolutely astonished if another Horror movie in 2019 comes anywhere close to emulating the creativity, skill and invention on show here.
The main narrative of Us introduces Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) and Gabe (Winston Duke) who take their two kids down to Santa Cruz, California for their summer vacation. Unbeknownst to the rest of her family, Adelaide is hiding a dark secret which links back to a traumatic experience as a child at Santa Cruz beach. The vacation takes a dark turn when one night the family of four face off against another family of evil doppelgangers.
From the very beginning I was immediately drawn to the family and formed an instant connection largely due to the terrific performances from Nyong'o and the instantly likeable Duke. Nyong'o will surely be nominated in the Best Actress category come next year's Academy Awards. She is simply terrific in a dual-role which is, surprisingly, her first as a lead. What's more, for me, Us was a film that was greatly improved by the post-movie experience theorising and analysing interpretations from fellow movie fans online. For some this may be considered trivial and unnecessary, but for me was one of the main reasons I loved this film so much.
As much as I felt that it was a spectacular showcase of Horror, Us still had several moments that missed the mark. Tonally, the film takes a while to really find its groove. By the end of the movie the problem had solved itself but watching initially felt jarring at times with comedic scenes dropped in seemingly out of nowhere. There are other scenes where the protagonists behave unrealistically given their dire circumstances. Upon reflection, however, and now knowing how the plot unfolds, I imagine that this will feel different upon a second viewing.
Unlike most Horror releases, Us is a movie that makes you think and theorise for days on end. Some movie-goers may be put off by this, but I honestly believe that the film can still be appreciated as a pure home-invasion style Horror flick. There are plenty of scares and laughs scattered throughout which are sure to grab the attention of even the most pessimistic viewer. Us is a terrific achievement in genre filmmaking and props to Jordan Peele who is now 2 out of 2 in his blooming filmmaking career. Technically speaking this is another major victory where he once again oversees a masterclass in cinematography, score, acting and direction. I cannot wait to see what this highly intelligent and imaginative director conjures up next.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: A -
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Captain Marvel (2019)
'An absolute blast which comfortably triumphed my expectations.'
Captain Marvel stars Academy Award winner Brie Larson as the titular comic-book superheroine in the latest entry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Carol Danvers is first introduced to us as Vers, an intergalactic Kree warrior trained to serve in the ongoing Kree-Skrull war. Her journey leads her to Earth circa 1995, where she slowly begins to unravel her mysterious past there as an air force pilot. Through her buddy cop team-up with S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury, Carol discovers her true self and becomes the hero Captain Marvel.
First things first, I had very little expectations going into this movie, largely due to an underwhelming marketing campaign. Nevertheless, part of me also had a sneaking suspicion that Marvel were keeping their cards close to their chest as to try and not give away too many of the film's secrets. Thankfully for me the latter proved to be true. Captain Marvel is an absolute blast which comfortably triumphed my expectations. This is a true fantasy, sci-fi, superhero, action adventure epic which is exhilarating to watch and is sure to be a real crowd pleaser.
It would be a disservice for me to discuss the films merits without me commenting on the performance of lead actress Brie Larson. I was sceptical going into this film, certain that she had been miss-cast and would deliver a wooden, un-interested performance. I couldn't have been more wrong; Larson is fantastic and brings to life a character full of heart, humour, attitude and strength. The supporting cast are equally brilliant with Ben Mendelsohn a clear stand-out as Skrull General Talos. Like many, I feel Mendelsohn has often been type-cast in villain roles but thankfully here he is so much more than your run-of-the-mill comic-book supervillain. Talos is delightfully menacing but at times also wildly entertaining, with many of the film's best lines delivered by him. Samuel L. Jackson of course returns as Nick Fury, this time around much younger and more optimistic. Fury, along with fellow MCU alumni Agent Coulson, are welcome additions to the cast and provide much of the films heart and humour.
What I found most intriguing was how the movie served to fill in many of the blanks that existed within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, that's not to say you have to watch all 20 entries to appreciate the movie, but there remains a large number of Easter eggs for die-hard Marvel fans to feast upon. The film also has a number of surprises, which at times left me stunned. Without a doubt these moments greatly contributed to my overall enjoyment of the movie. Captain Marvel is far from a perfect film, however, and there are certainly a few elements that I could have done without.
As seen in the trailers, Captain Marvel is set in 1995 and the filmmakers go to every effort to remind the audience of that fact. Many of the film's more comedic moments are derived from 90s pop-culture references and feel extremely forced at times. Many of the films song inclusions are also odd choices that took me out of the movie, albeit briefly.
Going into the film I had several concerns and fears for the movie that were luckily proved to be unfounded, I therefore strongly recommend to re-evaluate your own personal expectations before checking this one out. I went into this movie with an open-mind and I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. That's not to say that Captain Marvel ranks as one of the all-time great comic-book films, it just isn't. I personally rank this one alongside other solid MCU origin stories such as Doctor Strange or Captain America: The First Avenger. On the whole this movie is one hell of a good time that is sure to appeal to audiences young or old, female or male. Remember to stick around for the post-credit scenes.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: B+
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Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
'A painful viewing experience.'
In the year 2563, cybernetics expert Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) discovers the discarded remains of a female cyborg (Rosa Salazar) buried within an ancient scrap yard. Alita is put back together and awakes with no memories to discover that she is in possession of a set of extraordinary skills including enhanced athleticism and combat expertise. Based on the popular manga series, Alita: Battle Angel is the long-term passion project of producer James Cameron, who has been trying to get this film made for decades. With the recruitment of director Robert Rodriguez, I was excited to see the collaboration between two of my favourite filmmakers, despite my minimal interest in the source material. Alita: Battle Angel certainly has its moments, but to be quite frank it was a painful viewing experience that fell short of my expectations.
During the closing credits, I was astounded to see both Cameron's and Rodriguez's names listed as co-screenwriters for the film. How is it possible for such talented filmmakers to lower their bar this far? This film features some of the worst dialogue I have ever seen in a motion picture. This is most egregious during the romantic scenes between Alita and her love-interest Hugo (Keean Johnson), a cringeworthy pairing that harkens back to Anakin and Padmé in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. The portrayal of the film's villains is also unintentionally laughable at times. Look out for Mahershala Ali, undoubtedly one of the most talented actors working today, really phoning it in during one of the film's more weighty scenes. The narrative of Alita fairs little better. All the key story threads have been seen before and the plot ultimately ends up going nowhere. This is only worsened by yet another desperate attempt to forge a multi-film franchise. With the lukewarm critical response and modest financial tracking predictions, I sincerely doubt that we will ever see another instalment of the Alita series. Thank heavens for that.
It wasn't a complete disaster however. I can't deny that this is a visual masterpiece that will make it worth seeing on the big screen for many. There are several action sequences throughout where these breathtaking aesthetics really show off the films $200 million dollar budget, most notably during the fast-paced Motorball scenes. The world-building of Alita is impressive and Cameron/Rodriguez have realised and brought to screen a terrifying vision of an apocalyptic future where law and order the way we know it no longer exist. The films remarkable budget has also enabled the producers to recruit no less than 3 Academy Award winners (Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly & Christoph Waltz). Overall I would say the cast does pretty well despite the lack of any compelling dialogue to work with. The stand out character for me is Alita, who is full of heart and instantly likeable, despite her cybernetic exterior and enhanced fighting skills. The father/daughter relationship that blossoms between Alita and Dr. Ido is sweet and provides the emotional core of the movie. Unfortunately these highlights are few and far between and don't make up for the film's numerous shortcomings.
Despite all this, I wouldn't necessarily want to discourage anyone from checking it out if they're at all intrigued by the film's premise. Fans of the original source material or of manga/anime in general, will probably get a better kick out of this more than most. Unfortunately this is a movie that just didn't work for me and despite its stunning visuals, left me flabbergasted that a studio would green-light such an appalling script when working with a $200 million budget. Must be that Avatar money...
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: C -
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Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
'Two movies merged into one'
Morph Vandewalt (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a cynical art critic who after the discovery of a series of haunting paintings, slowly begins to unravel mysterious secrets that lie beneath the murky waters of the art industry. The latest in a line of high profile Netflix original movies, Velvet Buzzsaw is a showcase of talented performers, with the likes of Rene Russo, Toni Collette and John Malkovich directed by Dan Gilroy, the mastermind behind Nightcrawler. It soon becomes clear that the paintings, which belonged to a recently deceased mysterious artist, are clearly of significant value. As the story progresses, they awake a supernatural force which sets out to enact revenge on an industry that has fallen to greed and cynicism. Velvet Buzzsaw is both an intellectual and fascinating watch, but ultimately turns out to be another case of style over substance.
Velvet Buzzsaw is essentially two movies merged into one. On one hand you have a dark comedy that focuses on a cynical portrayal of the art industry. On the other you have a horror/thriller flick that features art exhibitions and paintings coming to life. For me, the horror elements of Velvet Buzzsaw were a disappointment. These scenes felt very cliché and it became clear that executing horror is not one of the director's strengths. I was absolutely furious when a particularly tense scene led to a character being startled by a cat. Despite the horror shortcomings, Gilroy has a talent for crafting intriguing characters that are used to underline a social commentary, and for the most part, this film demonstrates that in abundance. He clearly has a flair for bringing out tremendous performances from an already talented cast. Collette, Malkovich and Zawe Ashton are fantastic additions, but it's really Gyllenhaal and Russo who stand head and shoulders above the rest. Gyllenhaal is just so effective at portraying slightly mentally unhinged characters and this film really demonstrates his versatility as an actor where he is able to shift emotional states from scene to scene. I enjoyed watching Morph attend a funeral, unable to resist his urges to critique every single perceived fault with the service. There are number of these darkly comical moments, all of which I felt worked well.
Despite all of its fun quirks and thought-provoking concepts, the film unfortunately falls flat in its weak narrative and lack of any real payoff to the story. If you have seen the trailer for Velvet Buzzsaw then you have essentially seen this film. The narrative stumbles at around the half-way mark and I was left feeling a little let down by the direction of the story and the lack of any real surprises. Dan Gilroy remains a talented writer/director and he has here once again crafted a stylish production with clear satirical undertones. If you are already a Netflix subscriber (or have a brother-in-law who pays for it for you), then I would definitely recommend checking out Velvet Buzzsaw, if only for its talented cast and snappy dialogue.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: B -
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Glass (2019)
'Flashes of brilliance are not enough to save the film from falling apart in an underwhelming final act.'
Glass is the newest film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and brings a conclusion to the surprise trilogy set up with Unbreakable and Split. 19 years after the first instalment, we are re-introduced to David Dunn (Bruce Willis), now operating under the vigilante guise of 'The Overseer'. David sets out to track down Split's Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), the psychotic custodian of 24 split personalities. The two individuals ultimately find themselves confined to a psychiatric hospital where they join criminal mastermind Mr Glass (Samuel L. Jackson). Dr Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) is the psychiatrist assigned to treat and convince the three men that their perceived super-human abilities are mere delusions. While Glass is certainly entertaining and even brilliant in some sequences, I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by the direction Shyamalan ultimately decided to take.
As a massive fan of Shyamalan's pseudo-superhero universe, I have to say it brought a gigantic smile to my face watching Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy all on screen together. McAvoy and Jackson give outstanding performances, with McAvoy the clear stand-out throughout. The film opens with some thrilling sequences that immediately bring the viewer up to speed with events that have occurred off-screen. While the initial setup prepares you for action, the film really finds its feet in the more dramatic and slower-burning middle section set in the psychiatric hospital. Here we are reminded that this is by no means your traditional super-hero story, with characters who are multi-layered and plagued with flaws. These sequences, and in particular the interplay between Crumb and Mr. Glass, are ultimately where this film succeeds. McAvoy once again delivers a powerhouse performance that is surely Oscar-worthy. Unfortunately, these flashes of brilliance are not enough to save the film from falling apart in an underwhelming final act. As with other Shyamalan movies, this is another ambitious production that walks the fine line between genius and idiocy.
While the performances and dialogue featured in the hospital scenes are certainly entertaining, they lack the thematic intelligence found in the series' previous entries. Despite being called Glass, this is really more of a Split sequel, with Willis and Jackson missing in large parts of the narrative. Other characters are also under-used, in particular, Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey Cooke, who was a fantastic addition to the Split cast. The final act of this film is certainly going to be divisive and the overall critical response so far has been nothing short of savage. As much as I enjoyed this film, I find it near impossible to defend the direction Shyamalan ultimately decided to take this franchise. If this film had been in the hands of a filmmaker less talented, then I probably wouldn't have ended up this disappointed. Shyamalan is a creative genius who once again shows for the large majority of this film how gifted he really is. His use of colour in scenes is creative and incredibly effective in setting a tone for the narrative. Overall, I am still torn on how I really feel about this film. On one hand, I love a good two-thirds of the movie but on the other, I still feel frustrated and let down.
If you are a fan of both Unbreakable and Split then I have to recommend you go see Glass. It is most certainly worth a watch, despite its obvious flaws and disastrous conclusion. James McAvoy's performance is worth the price of admission alone and once again contributes to some of the more memorable movie scenes of recent times. Glass is far from a satisfying conclusion to Shyamalan's pseudo-superhero trilogy, but nevertheless remains an intriguing character study that is sure to win over many people.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: C+
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Reign of the Supermen (2019)
'Another victory in a long line of successful animated DC films'
Reign of the Supermen is the latest feature film produced by Warner Bros Animation Studios based on the beloved DC Comics characters. Following the thrilling conclusion of last year's brilliant The Death of Superman (big spoiler, Superman dies), the city of Metropolis is left shell-shocked in the wake of their greatest hero's demise at the hands of Doomsday. Lois Lane and the Kent family are still grieving, and the Justice League are struggling to fill the void left by their talismanic leader. Meanwhile the world is suddenly introduced to 4 new 'Supermen', who each have their own unique characteristics.
Firstly there is 'Superboy', the cocky teenage clone of the original Superman who is brought on by Lex Luthor as his new Head of Security. Then there is 'The Eradicator, an emotionless embodiment of Kryptonian strength and culture. There is also 'Steel', the human engineer who takes on Superman's crusade to fight for truth and justice. Finally we have the 'Cyborg Superman' a half human, half machine hybrid who claims to be the reincarnated form of the one true Superman. With all 4 Supermen vying to fill the empty void left by the original, Lois Lane makes it her mission to investigate and uncover the secrets behind the origins of these new super-powered beings.
Reign of the Supermen is another victory in a long line of successful animated DC films. With a few exceptions, Warner Bros has rarely put a foot wrong and this time around there is no change. The voice cast is once again brilliant with Jerry O'Connell the stand out, this time voicing both Superman and his twisted 'Cyborg Superman' counterpart. Also fantastic is Rebecca Romijn, who voices Lois Lane, and is given a much more significant role this time around as opposed to the usual love interest sub-plot that Lois so often gets swept up with. Credit must also be given to director/producer Sam Liu who once again oversees an exciting and fun-filled adventure. Liu now has thirteen DC animated feature director credits to his name and I have to imagine he will have many more in the years to come.
While Reign of the Supermen is overall one of the better DC animated features there are still a few areas where the film falls short. Several key characters are short-changed, in particular 'Steel' and 'The Eradicator', who despite both having fascinating premises, never live up to their potential. Also the characters of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor are both reduced to powerless bystanders in the more action packed second half of the film, despite being stand-outs in the first half. It would have been nice to see Lois remain the audience's focal point for more of the film. Another area where I feel the film missed the mark was in the execution of the more emotional scenes of the movie, something the preceding film did so well. As a viewer I truly believed in the relationship between Clark and Lois, so when Clark fell in battle, the film had that much more dramatic impact on the viewer. In the latest film, however, these moments of sheer emotion unfortunately fail to hit the mark in any significant way.
If you are a fan of the Superman mythos and animated superhero feature productions in general then Reign of the Superman is a must watch. Action packed and full of levity, this is a film the entire family can enjoy. Make sure you stick around for the post-credits scene.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating B -
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