Barbenheimer: Part 1 of 2
This is the kind of film I really don’t want to criticize, because we don’t get nearly enough other stuff like it. However, mr. Nolan has been in need of an intervention for a while now, and unfortunately all of the issues that have been plaguing his films since The Dark Knight Rises show up to some degree here. Visually it might just be his best film, and there’s some tremendous acting in here, particularly by Murphy and RDJ. However, it makes the common biopic mistake of treating its subject matter like a Wikipedia entry, thereby not focussing enough on character and perspective. As a whole, the film feels more like a long extended montage, I don’t think there are many scenes that go on for longer than 60 seconds. There’s a strong ‘and then this happened, and then this happened’ feel to it, which definitely keeps up the pace, but it refuses to stop and let an emotion or idea simmer for a while. There are moments where you get a look into Oppenheimer’s mind, but because the film wants to cover too much ground, it’s (like everything else) reduced to quick snippets. It’s the kind of approach that’d work for a 6 hour long miniseries where you can spend more time with the characters, not for a 3 hour film. I can already tell that I won’t retain much from this, in fact a lot of it is starting to blur together in my mind. There are also issues with some of the dialogue and exposition, such as moments where characters who are experts in their field talk in a way that feels dumbed down for the audience, or just straight up inauthentic. Einstein is given a couple of cheesy lines, college professors and students interact in a way that would never happen, Oppenheimer gives a lecture in what’s (according to the movie) supposed to be Dutch when it’s really German; you have to be way more careful with that when you’re making a serious drama. Finally, there are once again major issues with the sound mixing. I actually really loved the score, but occasionally it’s blaring at such a volume where it drowns out important dialogue in the mix. I’m lucky enough to have subtitles, but Nolan desperately needs to get his ears checked, or maybe he should’ve asked some advice from Benny Safdie since he’s pretty great with experimental sound mixing. My overall feelings are almost identical to the ones I had regarding Tenet; Nolan needs to rethink his approach to writing, editing and mixing. This film as a whole doesn’t work, but there are still more than a few admirable qualities to it.
Edit: I rewatched this at home to see whether my feeling would change. I still stand by what I wrote in July, though the sound mix seems to have been improved for the home media release. It sounds more balanced and I didn’t miss one line of dialogue this time around. I’m slightly raising my score because of that, but besides that I still think it’s unfocused, overedited, awkwardly staged and scripted etc.
5.5/10
If this film is a cake, then it’s got the best possible frosting you could wish for. The cake itself, however, isn’t great.
I’ve always had a strange relationship with these films. I don’t really care for the Raimi films (I think they’re overly cheesy, poorly acted and dated, though don’t expect anyone from around my age to admit that), the Webb films are fine (really like the first one, second one’s a mess) and I’ve really liked the 2 recent ones (not as much as Into the Spiderverse, but still good in their own right).
Compared to the previous 2, this one pretty much ditches the John Hughes aesthetic as it goes along, and it goes into full on, operatic superhero mode.
Unfortunately, it is another one of those project that puts nostalgia and fan pandering over story and character, the kind of blockbuster we’re seeing over and over again in a post Force Awakens world.
This story is completely hacked together, consisting of so many contrivances, conveniences and established characters acting out of character that it becomes a bit of a shitshow ( Doctor Strange, a genius, is being tricked by teenagers; Peter not knowing about the consequences of the spell is a very forced way to set the plot in motion; Ned being able to open portals is quite ridiculous when the Doctor Strange movie made a point about how hard that is to learn; why is Venom in the universe given how they set up the rules of the multiverse, and the list goes on ). The problem is that they needed to take that bullet in order to make the film they wanted to make here (or rather, the film fans wanted to see), but that doesn’t make it the right choice by any means, because it leads to a nonsensical film with a rushed pace.
Look, you can nitpick this film to death ( why would a university publicly admit that MJ and Ned are rejected because of their connection to Peter? ), but that’s not even my point. It’s heightened and not meant to be taken that seriously, I get that, but you at least need some form of internal logic, you cannot just do these unearned things because the plot demands it.
It’s not all bad though, Holland’s Spider-man still has a very good arc with some great emotional beats in it, and they make some very bold choices towards the end that I hope they stick with. It’s very similar to the first Fantastic Beasts, so I hope they don’t pull a Crimes of Grindelwald by retconning everything .
The acting is great, Holland and Zendaya give their best and most mature performances yet, and the villains are all good. I really like that they toned Dafoe down a little bit.
It looks fine. It has some of the best cinematography out of the trilogy, but some of the action looks very animated (again, stop touching up the suit, just let it wrinkle ffs) and unfinished, which is probably because this thing was rushed out, as we know.
For instance, there are some really wonky shots in the scene where Spider-Man fights Doctor Strange, the close-ups with Benedict Cumberbatch look like a weather forecast on television.
The references to the previous incarnations are a bit of a mixed bag. I like that they progressed some stuff and did interesting things with the things they referenced ( for example, you really feel like time has passed with Tobey and Andrew, they’re not giving a copy of their original performances, which is also a great excuse to tone down the awkwardness and lack of personality in Tobey’s version. Also, the banter between them is very nice, of course ), but most of it plays like a pandering greatest hits compilation. I don't need Dafoe to say you know, I'm something of a scientist myself again, it is nothing but a cheap attempt to trigger my nostalgia button.
Finally, it also has some of the worst tonal balance and comedy out of the trilogy, especially with some of the lines that are given to Benedict Cumberbatch.
5/10
In summary/TLDR: great idea for Sony’s bank account, but the seeds for this needed to be planted much earlier in order to make it a good film.
Not only is Endgame the most ambitious movie Marvel has made, but it also is the grandest. Even more so than Infinity War. No other movie can utilise the emotional ties that have been embedded within our hearts over the build of 11 years. And boy does it use them well. Stringing together scene after scene of nothing but impactful tension in the third act. But this doesn't leave the other two boring or bland. It allows these parts to build off of the aftermath of Infinity War. Never once was I bored, or felt like I was sitting there for three hours. For the action is no letdown, lovely dynamics are interwoven for a fantastic spectacle.
I don't want to say much, but it is hands down the best Marvel can offer. It is not Infinity War, Part II. It's something much better, the true culmination of everything and I do mean everything. The fan service here is through the roof and done so damn creatively. Not one thing feels hammered into the story. Even some major elements in its plot stem from the smallest details of previous movies I would have never seen coming. Taking even lesser liked fragments and stringing them into a more meaningful poetic story than the original movie would have ever told.
Using style and grace to tell this bold epic is strong with this movie. Gone are the golds and purples of Infinity War. And in comes a bleak atmosphere with hope lingering yet far. Visual storytelling is a bit lacking, but that is not what you come here to expect. You have been supported with all the exposition you need in previous movies. Since this is the case, it must be judged as a singular part of a series.
The themes in this movie are unity, utilisation, and more importantly; revelation. Kevin Feige has given this movie a lot to work with through these themes and has finally made his magnum opus.
Yes, there are a few hiccups. But that's to be expected. Captain Marvel was not given her full potential again sadly. But worked well with what was given. There is an amazing moment within the third act that truly gives her and a certain cast of characters time to shine. Plus the time it takes to leave out is a bit jarring. Not to mention, that to me Thanos seemed less threatening than in Infinity War because of something that happens. Still great impact by Josh Brolin of course.
Everyone will cry. Everyone will laugh. Everyone will leave sad yet satisfied with this amazing conclusion to the MCU so far. It's no Dark Knight, but then again, that was more drama than superhero epic. But this is modern hero gold. Here is the Holy Grail of superhero cinema.
9.6/10
8/10 After second viewing - Hype obviously had its hands around my neck I admit. Review doesn't meet my current thoughts about the film
Check here for my rankings on the MCU:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/my-mcu-rankings?sort=rank,ascCheck here for my 2019 movie rankings that I've seen:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/best-to-worst-2019-movies-so-far?sort=rank,asc
The meanest thing I could say about this movie is ‘Has extreme Don’t Worry Darling energy’.
I have never seen a movie more desperate to justify itself. It’s trapped in this endless neurosis over what it is- a blockbuster Barbie movie in 2023 by an acclaimed art house director that is fun but also deep but also earnest but also self aware but also but also but also. Every point it raises it brings up a counterpoint to before the audience can, every frame is trying to prove it’s not just product but art. It’s never just Barbie. It’s never confident or even comfortable in its skin. You cannot for a second be immersed in Barbie because it’s not a story so much as a visual dissertation without a central thesis, it’s a student film riffing on the big dogs hoping it’s underdog audacity will carry it but given a budget in the millions. It so desperately wants you to like it, to know it’s in on the joke too.
Everythng is an ouroboros here: an endless loop of argument and counterarguement feeding itself. Isn’t it shitty how the Mattel boardroom is full of men? Ah, but isn’t it cool how Mattel’s acknowledged it with this niche? And it’ll mythologize Barbie’s creator but uh don’t worry she did tax evasion we know that, now let her impart into Barbie the experience of all women. Barbie helps women, Barbie hurts women, Barbie is told to be everything so isn’t she just like women, but it is better to be a creator than the idea, and in the end, hasn’t Barbie helped all these women? Oh uh why is this blonde white Barbie the centerpiece of it all and helping not only her diverse Barbie friends but a Hispanic woman and her daughter? Don’t worry we’ll have the daughter call her a white savior! But don’t worry we’ll have the mom say she’s not! It’s fascinating to watch, honestly. It’s a film that wants to prove to you so so bad that it works but it doesn’t and it knows it doesn’t and it knows you knows. It’s Gerta Gerwig wrestling with taking this job for an hour and a half.
The cast is more than game and able. Margot Robbie is doing her damndest to find the heart and soul in this role, and there’s one scene with an old lady near the end of the first act/beginning of the second that actually works, for just a moment, more than any of the big third act soliloquies or montages with emotional ballads. And as someone who’s seen Blade Runner 2049 and Drive, this is the best Ryan Gosling performance I’ve seen. The man commits and delivers a surprisingly compelling and entertaining antagonist. The movie can’t quite reconcile what he’s done with his ending, or tie it into the themes- is Ken letting go of Barbie and the need to define himself for or against her symbolizing the need for men to do the same, and if so, why play it so lightly and sympathetically?- but that’s not his fault. And the supporting cast are entertaining, but you just can’t have big laughs with a movie that feels like it’s constantly checking in the corner of its eye after every joke to see if you’re laughing, grin stuck in place. It’s not as funny or as smart as it wants to be, and the sad thing is, it feels like it knows that too.
There is some great set design, cinematography, dazzling choreography, popping colors, and some fun high points. But I can’t imagine many kids liking it. And we’ve seen how conservatives have taken this movie. And anyone’s who’s progressed beyond the politics of. Well. A feminist blockbuster Barbie movie will find it cloying or condescending or just incredibly basic. It’s aimed at a very specific crowd who will buy what it’s saying, the liberals who see corporate feminism as progress, who agree that it’s just about a little change sometimes, who are ready for something just a little more complex than a SNL sketch. I don’t regret seeing it, because I was deeply engaged the whole time seeing it struggle at war with itself, in pain for its whole existence. It’s not a boring movie by any means. It wants to say everything before the audience can say it first. It’s the endpoint of The Lego Movie and Enchanted- the corporations interrogating and justifying themselves, and the cracks in this formula are too large to ignore. It wants to be so much, and the attempt is as darkly mesmerizing as a fly thinking it can somehow and someway metamorphize into a butterfly and suffocating and struggling in its makeshift cocoon, but this is one Barbie that fundamentally just cannot break out of its box.
That was such an incredibly sad but perfect and correct ending.
I don't understand people who didn't like the ending because their favorite character didn't win. After 4 seasons with these despicable characters did anyone expect the Roy kids to unite and defeat the bad guy with the power of love and friendship? It was never going to end that way.
The three siblings just could never get over their egos. They all proved, through the 4 seasons, that they’re basically useless and the only reason they were ever in the discussion to be CEO is because Logan was their father. They'd rather destroy everything than have only one of the trio take the upper hand. Shiv just could not let her brother have a win, even if it meant her losing as well. Perfectly summed up their whole family dynamic and the show as a whole.
The siblings are so entitled and self-absorbed they never saw Tom coming. They’ve never had to work for a damn thing. I don't like Tom, but it makes sense for someone like Tom, who worked his way from the ground up and earned himself the position he was in.
The scene with the siblings making that awful smoothie and them watching their dad reveal yet another side of himself was so nice among the insanity that came in between.
That penultimate shot with Shiv and Tom in the car was phenomenal. Complete shift in the power dynamic. After marrying him specifically because she thought he was weak enough to keep holding power over.
Kendall not winning every season. That’s rough.
Willa revamping Logan's apartment with a cow print couch.
In the end Conor was the only one to have any kind of a relationship with Logan, the other kids are never shown having moments with him like he did at the recorded dinner.
Greg translating the Swedish in real time is the smartest thing he’s ever done. Four seasons and I cannot for the life of me understand why he would put up with that. His uncle offered him $250mil to get away from the firm.
But the biggest thing for me coming out of this episode is Kendall’s son isn’t really his. It really came out of nowhere and seemed more like a fact than a rumor the way everyone reacted to it.
All in all, Succession stuck to the show’s core till the end. In a way it’s a predictable ending but because it’s television and we expect some twist where a cool character comes out on top we don’t expect the expected. The outcome is pretty much what you’d expect from all the characters knowing their faults
What do you call a movie in which fantastic beasts have 15 minutes of screentime, and a character named Grindelwald commits 1 or 2 crimes? Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald? That’d be weird, right?
Pros:
- JK’s imagination. Even when a movie messes up as much as this one does, it’s still one of the most charming and imaginative universes put to screen.
- Pretty well directed with great performances
- Newt (gets more development here) and Jacob
- Queenie’s storyline (if you pay close attention, I think it all adds up)
- The beasts, who are reduced to tools for Newt here, are a fun and creative addition
- The climax, Grindelwald’s speech and motivation
- Visuals, score and CGI (this was especially improved after the first film)
- Action scenes (opening scene and bookstairs chase)
Cons:
- Incredibly incoherent (they really should’ve scrapped a lot of characters and their storylines, in my opinion: Leta, Nagini, the black wizard, and even Dumbledore, as they don’t contribute a lot to this particular story).
—> Also, a lot of scenes are pointless (like the underwater creature)
- Two characters are still incredibly annoying (in my opinion those are Credence and Tina), although I’m not sure it’s the writing or acting that makes me hate them so much
- The ending feels like bad fan fiction; good twists should have subtle hints, JK should know this above anyone else
- Too much exposition
- A few scenes are underlit, or too dark
- Some continuity errors (and no, I’m not just talking about the one that has already been reported everywhere)
- The CGI on those cat creatures wasn’t that great
4/10
Initial Reaction
The Good
• The sets and world design are hands down some of the best the series has to offer. Really above and beyond on how they could expand the amazing lore.
• Music is also good. Mixing with the old theme still carries on here from the previous film, and it works.
• The opening. It's amazing, truely a fantastic opening to what seemed to be such a promising movie. The best opening to any Wizarding World film.
• New creature designs are spectacular. Beautiful to behold.
The Bad
• The plot is awful. This is a set up film. It goes nowhere. Having a prequel means to expand upon something we don't know the ending too. Or at least be interesting enough to care about something else that we don't know the finale too. This movie does neither.
• Zero stakes.
• Predictable if you know how they screwed up characters.
• There is a serious lacking of motivation from every character. Except Dumbledore possibly.
• Continuity errors that the first film justified, but here they just forget about.
• Acting is ok but I really didn't care about these characters they are trying to make me love. The first film made me care. Here, it's just like they aren't the same people.
• Though, I will commend the dark tone it carries for the first half or so. Its comedy that it tried to slot it, didn't work at all.
Other
No post-credit scenes after the film finishes.
Conclusion
This is without a doubt, the worst film so far in the franchise. I say so far, because apparently there are going to be 3 more movies. Which I doubt after this. Truely a disappointment as I am left dissatisfied.
Eternals, the film where Robb Stark and Jon Snow find themselves in a love triangle with Sersi.
Besides that piece of ironic casting, I’m not seeing the hook with this film.
I’ve seen some people arguing that it’s boring because of its slow pace.
It’s not, it’s boring because it’s an empty wet fart of a film that doesn’t have one ounce of personality.
It feels like one of those long, drawn out, indulgent college lectures where you’re constantly asking yourself what the point of learning this stuff is, and you’re still not sure by the end of it.
The cinematography is great, it looks like a Denis Villeneuve film with its use of natural light, but that’s pretty much the only thing I can praise about it.
Most of these films are entertaining because of their interesting characters, comedy and ocassionally the action (if it doesn’t look like artificial crap).
This film doesn’t really have characters in the first place.
It tries to balance 10 leads, which results in most of these characters being reduced to archetypes.
Most of them have one or two quirks, but none of them develop into well rounded or engaging characters.
Even some of the acting, which is the one thing these films usually get right, is a little wonky and one note.
It tries to compensate for its lack of action with drama, which I’d welcome if it wasn’t the same, generic ‘monster bad, we have to fight them’ shtick we’ve seen time and time again.
The philosophical questions that it tries to pose feel tacked on and have no meat to them, not unlike a Zack Snyder DC film.
There’s also so much handholding in this, the amount of exposition is kinda insane.
You don’t need to dumb your film down to the point where your exposition dump that starts the film repeats itself two more times during other dialogue scenes.
The third act, as expected nowadays, looks like plastic and is filled with effects that already look dated.
Is it that hard to give us something subversive like Doctor Strange again, and to stop having these fake and obnoxious cgi battles?
Then you wouldn’t have to underpay your visual effects artists to animate a battle for which most people close their eyes during.
There’s still one good thing to come out of this: we can now definitively reject this narrative (which was floating around in some circles) that critics will go easy on a film because of diverse casting, the director being an Oscar favorite, the brand or a film being ‘woke’.
So at least there’s that, though I wouldn’t be surprised if these morons find a way to twist it into their narrative regardless.
I can already see some of them claiming that critics hated it because there wasn’t enough gay sex in it.
Frankly though, I agree: where was the sex scene between Angelina Jolie and Gemma Chan?
3.5/10
[7.9/10] The fashionable thing today is to complain about “filler” episodes. But you know what? I could watch Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze go on planet-of-the-week adventures until the banthas come home.
Part of what sets The Mandalorian apart is that it has a real sense of place. I’d argue that it’s done the most to expand Star Wars’ iconography since the Original Trilogy. So it’s invariably cool to see a Quarren spaceship where the captain spends most of her time in a big tube of water. It is badass to watch a pair of Mandalorians have an honor duel where they jetpack and grappling hook their way into action. And it’s especially engrossing to see them two of them get pulled into the internecine problems of one very distinctive local world.
That world is Plazir-15, an independent system that, I swear to god, feels like a Star Wars riff on Disney World, particularly Epcot and Tomorrowland. The aesthetics of the people-mover, domed city, and shopping/entertainment wonderland, the musical yet insistent welcome, and the sense of colorful people having fun above while grimmer and more quotidian business goes down below, all give you the strange sense of the Mando Duo being asked to police the Happiest Place on Earth.
What better place to feature some of the show’s most eye-opening guest stars. Jack Black! Lizzo! Christopher Lloyd! It’s fun to see the former two hamming it up as a colorful royal family who takes a shine to Grogu and wants Din and Bo-Katan to help solve their droid problem. And Lloyd is always a welcome presence, with his grave functionary-turned-culprit role being well-suited to his talents. This show has introduced or revived so many personalities that make Star Wars feel like a richer and wilder place, and “Guns for Hire” is prime on that front.
Part of why I can enjoy world-expanding jaunts like this one, though, is that the intra-episode storytelling is solid. Bo-Katan and Din have a clear goal -- to meet up with Bo-Katan’s former cohort. The pair have a clear obstacle -- The Dutchess and Captain Bombardier want them to solve the droid issue as a diplomatic favor before they’ll grant our heroes access to their private Mandalorian security force. So we having a driving premise for the hour -- the two Mandalorians solving a mechanical mystery, and clear stakes for the mission -- whether or not Bo-Katan will be able to reunite with her old crew.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it gives this episode a momentum that not every episode, or show for that matter, manages to pull off.
The mystery itself is intriguing! A rash of droids acting up is concerning, and the footage of them going nuts is both amusing and a little scary. As with Obi-Wan hunting down Padme’s would-be assassin in Attack of the Clones, turning Star Wars characters into noir detectives is a winning play. Watching them get the lay of the land from Commissioner Helgait (should have known it was him from name alone), ask for answers from the Ugnaughts who maintain the droids, get into a chase with a rogue B2 Battle Droid, follow the clues to a droid bar, use science to detect the problem, and piece the identifying marks on the offending nano droids together to figure out whodunnit, makes for an exciting set of causes-and-effects as they work their way through the case.
The mission asks much of them. They have to be sharp enough to follow the clues where they lead. They have to be strong and crafty enough to take down a malfunctioning battle droid. But most importantly, they have to be personable and emotionally intelligent enough to get the help they want from the people who have the information they need.
That last part is my favorite part of the episode. When the duo meet the Ugnaughts, Bo-Katan is insistent and demanding. She’s used to using a warrior’s touch and a leader’s confidence to get what she wants. But Din knows from his time with Kuiil that her approach won’t work with this kind. Instead, Din is respectful, deferential, speaking in their terms, and gets the help they require to move forward. It’s a nice reflection of how his experiences have changed him, and give him the kind of ecumenical understanding that allows him to get by in a wild and wooly galaxy.
And yet, Din has his prejudices too. He doesn’t trust droids, given his experiences, and so he’s not much of a gentle soul when it comes time to pump them for information. But Bo-Katan is, and her approach to treat them with respect, and not paint all droids with the same brush, earns them the trust from the bartender that allows them to figure this thing out. It speaks to why the two make a good team, and how the pairing gives them complementary strengths and helps them cover for one another’s blindspots.
But apart from the plotting, I particularly like that the droids want to help. Again, this episode is a treat for longtime fans of the aliens and automatons that populate Star Wars. From the royal tables to the back alley bars of Plazir 15, there’s plenty of articulated rubber masks and distinctive robots as far as the eye can see. But “Guns for Hire” makes the point that these droids are not slaves with restraining bolts, as L3-37 from Solo might say.
They want to give something back after being created by “organics”. They view human lives as short and the requests made of them minor. They want to help, since they still want to be useful and fear being “scrapped.” It’s an interesting and original take on the droids, whose seeming sentience yet menial servitude has long been a “just don’t think too hard about it” aspect of Star Wars. Giving a pack of them agency, making them willing participants in this society, is a fascinating choice.
All that said, I find myself once again asking what The Mandalorian is trying to say this season. There is an anti-authoritarian, anti-legal, arguably anti-civilization streak that runs through the show’s third batch of episodes. Once again, we run into a society that seems paralyzed by the strictures of its government. (Is the “direct democracy” aspect a dig on California’s referendums? It would fit if Plazir-15 is a stand-in for Disneyland.) Once again, we see those involved with leadership treated like aloof or oblivious ninnies. Once again we see the attempts to rehabilitate and reconcile with those on the wrong side of history, like Commissioner Helgait, turn out to be unfixable bad guys simply waiting for their chance to regroup and strike again.
Something about all of this sits uneasy with me. Star Wars has always had an anti-authoritarian streak. That's the core of the rebels versus the Empire. And maybe this is all just to set up how the New Republic was a hollow institution to show how it was unable to see the First Order coming. But there’s something about the show’s targets, and the virtues it seems to want to champion, that feel disconcerting in ways I can't quite put my finger on.
Nonetheless, it’s neat to see them pin this kerfuffle on Helgait, who turns out to be a Separatist Lost Causer and true believer in Count Dooku. Seeing them earn the key to the city and their ticket to meeting Bo-Katan’s old friend is suitably triumphant.
So is Bo-Katan’s shaky but, in the end, satisfying return to her one-time followers. As I mentioned, her fight with Axe Woves (silly name, by the way) is well-directed by Yaddle herself, Bryce Dallas-Howard. And it’s cool to see Bo-Katan, having found both The Way and her way, reasserting her command in the hopes of bolstering the Mandalorians writ large.
My only complaint is that it feels a bit like she regains her position on a technicality. The crew is still miffed she doesn’t have the darksaber. Din’s argument that a cyborg ambushed him, and she beat the cyborg, so she rightfully owns the storied weapon feels strangely legalistic and out of step with Mandalorian norms.
Even if I don’t care for the logistics of it, I like the spirit behind this idea. Bo-Katan accepts Din. Her crew wants to reject him because he’s not of Mandalorian blood, but she affirms him as a keeper of The Creed and someone as true to their people as any by deed. And in turns, when they’re skeptical of her leadership, Din affirms her as the rightful heir to his blade. It shows not only the bond and mutual respect they’ve formed, but the kind of broader understanding they’ve developed in their travels and mind-expanding experiences.
I’d like to think that's the point of this season. These little side quests work wonderfully as single-serving adventures with neat locales, unique problems, and nice character moments. I’d take them for that reason alone. But when you add them up, they show two people whose perspective keeps broadening, who recognize that Ugnaughts, droids, Children of the Watch, and even their fellow Mandalorians are worthy of more understanding and respect than they might have thought before. That is the foundation of a pluralistic society, and perhaps, a better one for the people of Mandalore, wherever their new home lies.
some things of note because i've made it a habit to point out things that half-assed critiques get wrong before saying what i actually think about a film:
this was not directed by jordan peele. he produced it. nia da costa directed it, and it has very much the same feel as her overall body of work. comparing this to get out and us is unfair to both peele and da costa.
the original candyman was a social commentary as well. a lot of slasher flicks are social commentaries with regard to topics aside from historical racism like disabilities, socioeconomic disparity, and mental illness. if you don't like social commentary in your horror? your horror options are pretty limited.
my advice is always this: if you can't enjoy a movie because it tackles subjects of inequality and oppression, then that's a you problem. it's a problem worth working through, all the same.
anyway, i loved this. so glad it was my first movie in theaters again since the pandemic started, it was highly worth it. the score was unsettling and stressful in just the right way, and fuck if the progression of the bee sting wasn't the most disgusting thing i'd ever seen. also: those of you who get really grossed out by trypophobia might want to avert your eyes a little in the church scene. the pattern is uniform, not irregular, but it's still real fucking weird.
Okay, more of a romance than a comedy.
Seems to be written and acted by people who have no idea about mmorpg's and think every game is GTA o.0
Story leans more towards what should have been a VRMMO at least then the chemistry would have made sense, kinda feels like someone told someone about a VRMMO novel and then they made up all the details around that. Not saying they should make a overgeared or legendary mechanic movie or better yet tv show.... but if they did, it'd be better than this. Not saying this is bad, just if you actually play any games beyond GTA you'd realise pretty quickly.. this game would be boring as hell, there's only one small city for a start. Player housing can be broken into, which would be an interesting twist... but not one many players would subscribe to as new players would just get tired of being robbed every 2 seconds and starting from scratch everytime they login... Hard pass
Writer's have zero clue about code, servers, network management, user management, GMs, streaming - though was surprised to see poki (only one I recognised) or even deleting things o.o Seriously the guy just had the old build running in the background?
I got too many complaints about the technical side to go into...
Anyway, not a bad movie. Well worth a watch, just try not to think too deeply when watching it.
We have here an atempt to make: a horror/action/drama/historical thriller, with a well know piece of literature that at the same time is one of the most iconic characters of all cinema history. Luke Evans don't even touch the surface of Dracula, managing to be worst than Gerard Butler in the also unlucky Dracula 2000.
All the motivations in the movie seems to misplaced (the villain is too evil, the hero is too good...) with a mish-mash of at least three recent big ass movies of the genre. We see Nolan's Dark Knight, Zack Snyder's 300 and Marc Webb's Spider Man, all compressed in the same plot.
The sets are good, but not good enough to work as a make up to the weak script we are served with. The transitions in the story are weird, making the entire movie an almost 2 hour trailer of something that appears to be good. This problem with the montage makes the movie empty and rely on the (maybe the great quality of the movie) visual effects, wich is a great mistake, once it does not translate the action with the proper dynamic.
We'll have to see about this expander universe of monsters, and wish that this mistake do not repeat with others beloved monsters.
First overall impression: As a standalone ? Why not. But as what appears to be the lead into the next big phase, pretty disappointing.
It has the defects of what used to be the DC style.
1) First It's trying to introduce too much too fast
Too many characters. Most of their powers are not so interesting that you would identify them with it, and some are not even named before pretty late in the movie. Sure it's more original than having an intro scene for each, but with that many I'm not sure that was the good choice.
The whole background of Marvel cosmogony. It is weirder, less known, more difficult to explain, harder to relate to, and less in sync with the more realistic tone they tried to give to the movies. Thor was already a bit hard, this is another level.
2) And then: name dropping.
A lot of basically out of nowhere references to Avengers here and there. HEY HO, WE ARE IN THE SAME FRANCHISE, DON'T FORGET, PLEASE LOVE US!
Note: They also name drop Batman and Superman, which is a bit weird.
It's still done better than in DC movies though.
So let's see the characters:
Serci Very bland as a main character. The whole "Am I fit to lead ?" trope is boring. Power is pretty unfit for action, luckily a lot of things fall on her.
Ikaris Most interesting character as an Eternal but we basically know nothing of his human life, betrayal is a bit expected but still works. Power is a sub Superman copy, but at least works very well in action scenes.
Sprite There's a bit of a story there too though it's developed a bit late. A non combat power that is under used.
Ajak Not really interesting as a character or a leader. Not sure how her power was supposed to be any help in the mission.
Kingo The comic relief, most developed character, best human story and still useful in a fight. The movie is a bit long sometimes, he's what makes it bearable.
Thena Mainly just the focused warrior, not much interest there. Specially as her violence issues conveniently disappear as soon as the one that stopped them dies... Real fighting power, but doesn't render too well in action scenes.
Gilgamesh Really cool character. Very basic power and just as luckily as for Serci, a lot of huge enemies have a tendency to blindly run at him so that he can punch them.
Phastos The most human, mainly for the funny interactions with his son. Weird power, but looks like Tony Stark using Jarvis.
Druig Could have been interesting, but seems boring, maybe comes from the actor, not sure. Another power that has no interest for their mission.
Makkari Almost unseen. Power is Flash, so not much more interesting.
The story itself is pretty straightforward, they go around the world gathering the troops. A big ellipsis on how they travel and never interact with human population though. Same with the main Deviant, that just swim from Canada to London I suppose ? And that is just conveniently here when needed for storytelling.
I think the Deviants are supposed to be more humanlike, with intelligence, personalities and powers, but I guess that would make the Eternals' initial job a little less palatable. They look ok as beasts, but even the one that becomes more sentient is just a detail in the end, and its final fight and death is very anti climatic. A bit of a waste.
The flashbacks are ok, but not always interesting. Several tend to drag the movie for too long.
An interesting point though, is the final moral dilemma. Was it really ok to save the Earth by killing a Celestial ? Not sure.
Action tends to be a bit too fast, with the camera moving around too much, while their power do not make for the most interesting fights. It's however very well done, as usual.
Post credits scenes show well that this isn't meant to be a standalone, but compared to previous phases, can't say it's that exciting.
(776-word review) I'm not quite sure what about this episode there is to love – and I'm saying that because there are probably people who loved it; on the flip side, many people likely found it tedious. If I had to throw an assumption out into the howling wind, it's because of the self-containment and simplicity compared to the commonplace unnecessary convolution. And I can understand that, on top of feeling the same way to an extent.
There's no doubt this episode was pivotal, as it dipped its foot into the inevitable reality of Ciri being at the forefront/"taking over" the show: she's alone, fending for herself by herself, and, from what I know about the novels, that's leading the way to an even more prolonged spotlight on her. Even though Geralt has easily felt like the main character, that's essentially her; she's undoubtedly the most important one, but now the time for her to fill Geralt's shoes in that regard is closing in.
Unfortunately, the impact is lacking because of the writing, and it's a shame. This was likely a significant moment in the novels, but it's been diluted by mostly everything that has led to it. There's still more to it – I remember reading about one thing that's close to happening concerning a particular group and something they did, probably at the beginning of the next season if the show's faithful regarding it, not to mention another character that comes along into that part of the story arc, who seems to be considered one of the best-written characters of the novels – and even more, I'm sure, throughout Ciri's solo, without Geralt and Yennefer, character journey, that I'm entirely unaware of, but a lot of faith in Freya Allan's performance (to carry that part of the show) and the writers' ability to do well is required to be optimistic for the foreseeable future/however long Ciri's character arc lasts.
Furthermore, the constant swearing is ridiculous, venturing into the territory of being childish and inadequate behavior, writing-wise (swearing, in general, isn't that upsetting, but this excessive usage is becoming insufferable); Ciri's fight sequence was laughable with how she seemingly has super strength now to rip off one of the monster's shell to then, also, beat it to death with said shell (not to mention that slow-mo was unnecessary), Falka's characterization was contrived (e.g., her banal dialogue about how "powerful women have been labeled insane since the dawn of time" and "the system"), topped by the actress' unconvincing acting, and this whole, I'm 90% sure, show-exclusive (or unnecessarily altered) 'Fire magic is forbidden' component is absurd.
I also liked how Joseph Trapanese's "Power and Purpose" track from the second season was reused, as it's a good score cue; however, that potentially speaks to an onslaught of sudden disinterest and decrease of a creativity spark on his part, especially considering the lacklusterness of his score this time compared to his work previously – the decline in his score is fascinating: why are score cues from a previous season (hell, previous seasons, as Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli's "The Time of Axe and Sword Is Now" from the first season was used at the end of this season's premiere) being used?
A specific female character's introduction stood out the most to me, and that's, yet again, due to some bits-and-pieces knowledge I possess of the source material. I know she'll become a member of a yet-to-be-formed group that includes two people we're already familiar with (one MUCH more than the other; if you know, you know), but more notably, someone that hasn't been introduced yet that, from what I know, is iconic and beloved within The Witcher medium – I suspect there's a member or two I'm forgetting. I knew this person would show up due to the announcement of new cast additions last year in April. It was a pleasant surprise despite that, as it's another reminder of where this show is heading: how, novel-wise, some exciting stuff is on the horizon, which may even be (or be around) the peak of them – I don't know.
The song featuring Freya Allan during the end credits stood out in second place, and I thought it was great – easily the best song; Joey Batey dropped the ball, and by Joey, I mean the writers dropped the ball concerning Jaskier's songs in this season. But I think he has a final song in the finale, which may rival Joseph Trapanese/Percival Schuttenbach/Freya Allan's "A Little Sacrifice" track.
TL;DR: A break from the usual convoluted storytelling makes room for appreciation, and Ciri's pivotal solo focus, while lacking in its effect, indicates what's to come.
