The Disaster Artist Review

The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Cast Headliners: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, many many others
Original Release Date: December 1st, 2017 (limited)
   Quotes like “Ahahahahhaha, what a story Mark”  , “You’re tearing me apart Lisa!”, and of course” Oh hi Mark” define legendary movies. Or at least to those in the know, they’re from the infamously bad…yet so terrible it’s in a way good film, 2003’s The Room. The Disaster Artist is a film about the making of that film, and the enigmatic hilarious legend of its creator Tommy Wiseau. On the surface it seems like it could be as silly as its source, but within is a hilarious and heartfelt recreation and tribute to the situation that led to that…disasterpiece.
The story, mostly adapted from the biographical novel of the same name, details the meeting of the two friends, collaborators, and stars of The Room in Tommy Wiseau(James Franco) and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco). This is after (the first sign of this) a funny montage, likely true, of celebrity cameos commenting on the films importance from JJ Abrams to Danny McBride more. The focus goes from acting school to the duo’s bonding over old films to the insane idea of making a film together.. luckily that they did. 
What a story Franco rather, who (in addition to directing / producing it) embodies Wiseau so incredibly well in his performance. His look, his method of speech, his movement… he’s almost unrecognizable as his usual self and is nearly 100 spot on as Tommy. It’s a hard task as Wiseau is a one of a kind person, having a distinct accent that’s “New Orleans” and Franco lives it up wonderfully. The laughs come both from the famous circumstances in addition to original pieces to add to the Wiseau canon. Even when not causing humor, he’s sincere and endearing, angry and hateworthy… each moment doing what it needs to. The only time this falters is into some slight over-exaggeration of things, and when a scene calls for Franco to not have the trademark hair look on fully display. Otherwise he’s the perfect take a fan would want or would cause mirth to anyone.
The other Franco as Greg is a bit less spot on , with some cheesy makeup but he is alright in his dumb innocentness. What is believable, and funny, is how Greg is amazed and intrigued by Wiseau. Their friendship leads to some of the best jokes and drama of the film.  Great care was placed into giving the rest of the cast to the usual comedy crew. Particularly the likes of The Room’s Peter / Kyle (Nathan Fielder), Claudette / Carolyn (Jacki Weaver), and even Chris R (Zac Efron) and Denny / Phillip (Josh Hutcherson) are spot and slapstick. Lisa / Juliette (Ari Graynor) is of course a part although she is reserved mainly for jokes.
Characters that viewers of the Room have no prior basis on are good as well. Of course Seth Rogen makes his way to a James Franco / Evan Goldberg made flick, here as surprisingly more subdued than usual (for his roles) sarcastic script supervisor Sandy.  There’s so many minor original parts that show up… played by the likes of Sharon Stone, Hannibal Burress, Bryan Cranston, Randall Park, Bob Odenkirk,  and more. While purists of The Room may view these as unneeded, they are actually fine and for better worse momentary additions who often have extremely humorous lines to add to the script. 
   That’s the main thing about The Disaster Artist. Its primary audience to enjoy it the most will be fans of The Room’s cult status. There are plenty of moments that mock, or endear, parts of that film. However, the movie is funny enough to be enjoyable to any due to the inanity of Wiseau and peers around. The drama , sadness, and inspiration make it a (odd) inspiring story amidst some occasional melodrama. 
Of unique note is the effort placed into its setting and references. The late 90s / early 00s California are felt strongly from clothing to pop music. One will not hear at “Rhythm Of the Night” without a big smile after viewing.  The flow of it all works silly and swell.
       Just as its title implies, something wonderful is made out of a bad situation. The Room is known as one of the worst movies ever but at the same time one of the most iconic.  This film has taken its behind the scenes into something just as funny and with some deeper stuff as well. This is coming from a fan , but..for hoping what it should be… what a story Franco, 9.52 out of 10 

The Shape Of Water Review

The Shape Of Water
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Cast Headliners:  Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlberg 
Original Release Date: December 8th , 2017


Gullermo Del Toro is synonymous with “personal aesthetic”. His, almost always some level of fantastic, films have a distinct sense of style and technique. His fascination of the supernatural have  covered immersive topics from defending the world from aliens, gothic ghost stories, fairy tales amidst war, or fitting to his plate adaptations of the likes of Hellboy and Blade. His latest film, The Shape Of Water, is an original tale that distinctly sets itself in 1950s/60s Cold War Americana that showcases in nearly every aspect its sense of “beautiful”.
The protagonist of this dark romance is government facility cleaner Elisa (Sally Hawkins), who is mute. She lives a bit of a mundane but content existence, capturing the repeating sense of urbia in her daily commute and scrubdown. All performances in the film are of the highest caliber, but Hawkins is even more notable in how convincing she is. She uses ASL signage with no words , and she moves as one who was a real user would. Even without even hand dialogue, Elisa’s every expression, action, movement is endearing, humorous, or inspiring.  This makes sense for the prime premise… there’s a fish-like being in The Asset (Doug Jones), who she becomes attached to helping out. Jones is great (as always when paired with Del Toro’s vision)… the Asset is so realistic and at the same time, chillingly alien. Both practical and CGI, his appearance is cool while having a spark of charm. Together these two scenes are great. One wouldn’t think a romance with these circumstances  could be so moving, but it is. 
The supporting cast of this shady science saga range are great whether allies or foes. There’s Elisa’s kindly yet nervous father figure Giles (Richard Jenkins) and her co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer). There’s a surprising element of what Dr.”Bob” (Michael Stuhlberg) is doing behind the scenes. Minor roles like government aligned Fleming (David Hewlett) and General Hoyt(Nick Searcy) ride more along the line of being merely kooky stereotypes, but maybe that’s Del Toro going for the pulpiness he is often found of. 
To mess up this twisting, exciting tale (much more than meets the eye) is Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), who is more of a monster than the Asset could ever be perceived as. Shannon often finds himself in the villainous seat in his film career, but it is for great reason. Strickland is remorseless, demanding, occasionally very funny (the quality script aids in all situations). Shannon brings the utmost of fury and emotion to his scenes. Like the best villains, there’s a bit of sympathy for where he’s coming from and the audience surely is as interested in his scenes as the others. This is a role for him for the ages.
The plot is a slow burner at times but it adds to the mysteries of whats going on. The main arc of Elisa and the Asset finds its way to those around her, and is both emotional and exciting in its feels. Surprises aid to this and the less that’s known the better going in.  It’s long, but justifies itself by the end, allowing for side-stories and interactions that add to the drama. This makes action that much more intense when it appears.
Beautiful as a word most applies to the amazing soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat. It’s gorgeous in use of strings and choir, and has a fitting aquatic quality that helps with the immersion. There’s also choice uses of retro pop and etc music that add to the distinct Cold War, urban and suburban archetype feel that takes the viewer back.
Del Toro knows how to cast, knows how to excite, knows how to arrange a score but as always he’s best at a sense of magic visually. The directing and cinematography is crisp and quality. Wide shots give a sense of place. This is aided by fantastic set design that feels gritty realistic and at the same time slightly surreal.  This feels Del Toro more than ever.
Overall, because of that, this film is incredibly reccomendable. Great performances, immersion, audio/visuals, and emotional drama. There’s very little wrong with this, although one must know its not so much a horror as it is a charming romantic tale …between some bloody dark drama. The Shape Of Water’s shape is of a great film. 9.05 out of 10  

Thor: Ragnarok / JL Review

Thor: Ragnarok    . Edit: Nov Superheroes both with JL!
Director: Taika Waititi
Cast Headliners:  Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, many others 
Original Release Date: November 3rd,  2017

 Thor has been a core staple of Marvels Cinematic Universe. From a surprising and important debut to core parts in the first Avengers film, the Norse god of thunder's given an electrifying awesome , charming, and noble part to the saga along with his slippery brother Loki . However 2013's last Thor-centric film The Dark World was a victim, perhaps the nadir, of MCU sameness ...with awkward extraneous humor and generic tropes of villians / plots .  Thor: Ragnarok mostly addresses both problems for this third outing , and injects a wild dose of cosmic weird fun and ..the Hulk. 

    In what seems like tradition for Thor (Chris Hemsworth) at this point , the story opens with an exciting standalone action sequence in a far off realm. Thor confronts the firey demon Surtur ( Clancy Brown , adding what amounts to a stereotypical but fearsome voice ) to stop the supposed prophecy of Ragnarok . From the start the great strengths of this yarn are shown.... Great mystical backgrounds, awesome action against hordes of fire demons, and a soundtrack that jumps between Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song ( one of several smart influences of using pop music (although sparingly ) taken from Guardians Of the Galaxy along with the junky space aesthetic and dry humor ) and 1980s synth beats. Of course, this is far from the end of stopping Ragnarok or the only world that's visited. 

    It's a long, mostly epic , twisting tale of realms and planets and surprises. There's the golden city of Asgard with the likes of Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ) posing as the missing Odin ( Anthony Hopkins), replacement doorkeeper Skurge the Executioner ( Karl Urban) , the Warriors Three , an exiled Heimdall ( Idris Elba) . Be on the lookout for some great minor cameos here. Notably missing is Sif , and Jane and crew although Portman at least gets a mention . This is threatened by the sinister villian Hela( Cate Blanchett ), the goddess of death.  Earth and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) even show up in a short but hillarious and important way to tie the MCU together. 

   Primarily the main addition is the world of Sakaar in deep space , where Thor and Loki find themselves stranded. There is a former Asgardian Valkyrie ( Tessa Thompson), the incredibly unique tyrant The Grandmaster ( Jeff Goldblum) who runs an arena filled with  gladiators such as Korg (Taika Waititi, also director ) and ... the Hulk / Bruce Banner ( Mark Ruffalo) . Somehow this diverse godly / alien cast works great together as a whole .

    Hemsworth's Thor is similiar as usual, fierce , determined, and charismatic. Fitting with the tone of the piece he is even more funny than ever especially with peers. His arc is an expanded and mostly more nuanced version of what he's gone through before , such as with Loki. So too Hiddleston gives a similar take as ever but at this point one doesn't want much different either as he delivers moments of laughs and hate in his obviously ever-shifting allegiances. Elba's Heimdall has more of a role than ever in both importance and action . It's unfortunate that the likes of the Warriors Three are almost literally swept under the rug in their brief moments and Hopkins Odin just has a couple parts but it's a fast moving snappy piece .

     It's neat that Hela is the first female primary antagonist in the MCU and one of the few in the genre around. Blanchett is...decent or so if not the highlight by any means . Her spiky headdress and ability to throw daggers is cool in concept but leads to some cheesy CGI between the good action. She is best at being snarky and vile , at times to the level of hamming but her threat is mostly felt . So too is Skurge, as Urban comes off , fitting with the character, as pathetic more than fearsome with a little built endgame twist that redeems his role right out of the comics...underused otherwise .

  Sakaarians outshine their Asgardian, as they should. Thompson's Valkyrie too flits between friend and foe, and is great in both. She bring a surprising drunken, sassy take to the role that fits her intriguing arc ...funny and fierce in equal amounts . Korg and other charming aliens like Miek the bug add trademark New Zealand style bizzare humor right out of the directors other work.  It's no surprise that Jeff Goldblum is perfect for the material As Grandmaster...get ready as this is Goldblum at his most Goldblum.... Weird, hilarious, dry, narcissistic, awkward etc ... A highlight if one is into his style .

   This character showcases what Waititi has done so well... In making not just Thor 3, or Guardians 2.5 , but ... MCU Hulk 2. The humor in the film is great at nearly every turn. Often breaking audience expectations or tropes , aiming for the juxtaposition and the bizarre . It's a movie where Hulk talks, and smashes more than ever . His banter and fights with Thor are great , and with others. This applies whether he's a giant green barbarian or the geeky human Banner . Ruffalo shines in the late appearance , as confused and neurotic as ever . It's not perfect but nearly all jokes and pairings are almost always in the range of stellar .

  Waititi is a master of directing character centric dialogue and humor, but he is able to step into the shoes of cosmic superheroics quite well. The action scenes are great , from the arena to space dogfights right out of the best of the inspirations. Some are less effective than others, but the best are so good and literally sparking it's alright . So too with the music and visuals, being colorful and retro and believeable. Some are more jarring / cheesy  but they are few . That too may be a point. The synth pieces are seldom but great , with a typical string score between them.

   Perhaps the only other drawback is the pacing . A great story of a strange new world is happening with Thor and friends on Sakaar, but while Asgard is eventually brought back into things the plot of Helas shenngins and conquests is less exciting and a roadbump when they appear. The finale makes right for it but any earlier appearances are slightly weaker, as mentioned.

  Overall, this takes ingredients of past Thor and MCU typical fare and tosses some spice of Waititi style humor , GoTG colorful 80s weirdness, and alot of Hulk heart. It doesn't redefine the genre , but is a whole lot of silly fun. It redefines what marvel solo films can be if they need it , and they did it here . 8.65 out of 10

AND

(bonus mini-wanted to jot down quick thoughts) (Justice League: Alot of stakes went into this as it was the long-wanted debut of DC's famous team and the culmination of the DCEU to date. Its a noticeable mix / clash of the visions of the darker , typical Snyder epic material and the humor of Joss Whedon.. which on their own both would work wonders, tho at times there's a tonal and narrative dissonance.  However what the film gets strongly right is the team dynamic between all the heroes and their characterization in general... Affleck's wisened Batman, his mentor role to the fast talking , youthful comic relief in The Flash, his awkwardness with the (a bit too but understanding) brooding Cyborg in Fisher, the ever great Gadot as Wonder Woman and a late-game Cavill as Superman. Momoa's Aquaman is also a highlight, both funny and fierce just like his days as the Khal. Supporters range from the great in Iron's Alfred to falling more through the cracks in Lane's Martha or Adam's Lane or Crudup's Henry Allen.  The villian too has a menacing voice in Hinds but Steppenwolf is ultimately a generic , poorer CGI excuse to unite the team. The plot is simple, skimming DC references but works in the end.. something straightforward works for the cotnext. The action sequences, moreso when the team is together, are exciting and genuinely fun. There's a sense of brightness to it all that was needed. It could have been more, but the good is good..hope they're more like it . 8.05 out of 10 ))
   

Blade Runner 2049 Review

Blade Runner 2049
Director: Denis Villenueve
Cast Headliners:  Ryan Gosling, Ana De Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, Harrison Ford,   others
Original Release Date: October 6th, 2017

  Blade Runner is one of THE sci-fi legends of all time. Atmospheric beyond most before or since, its dark cyberpunk world showcased monumental technical achievements by Ridley Scott, perhaps Harrison Ford's most iconic role after Han Solo and Indiana Jones as Rick Deckard, and a nor-influenced, slow burning and deep story on what it means to be truly human. It stood alone in its story aside being a archetype of its genre, but its world provoked questions of what more stories could be told. Blade Runner 2049 answers that question with a film that faithfully matches the tone and nearly almost the quality of the original. 
The year, not surprisingly, is 2049... a far future from our own that is perhaps even more exotic (As the original took place in 2019). The primary setting of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas is either dystopian layers upon layers of cityscapes or the wastelands and junkyards outside of it. As is the original, there's humans, and then there's the bio-android “replicants” who are created for work.  The hero of the tale is K (Ryan Gosling), one of the Blade Runners... as with Deckard in the original a member of the LAPD tracking down replicants who need to be taken out. His mission to take down Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista) begins to unravel an intricate spider-web of lost people, miracles, action, and intrigue. 
As with the first the movie's primary joy is via visuals and audio. Director Denis Villeneuve once again delivers incredibly on this front. Modern budget and special effects showcase a breathtaking, dark, and beautiful future world. Landscapes astonish and seem so real despite likely being not so. The neon and blackness of Los Angeles, the sterile coldness of the LAPD, the alien-like wastelands and junk piles, the surreal and monolithic interiors of the Wallace Corporation, and later a trip to the Mars-like  red dusty abandoned city of Las Vegas are intensely memorable and artistic. This cinematography applies in closer scenes as well. Vehicles, robots, holograms are all so lifelike in their mix of futurism yet with an often appearance of retro looks right from the 80s that match that tone. 
Nearly even better is the audio. The score by Hans Zimmer brings to mind the best of Van Gelis' magnum opus of an original via synths, electronics, and strings. Moment to moment sounds pop and rumble no matter what's occuring. A fantastic example of this is during K and Sapper's first brawl, where a simmering pot of food can be heard quietly cooking throughout it all. 
This is an extremely long movie that can be slow moving and at times lost in its slightly philosophical side (as was the classic film). Revelations and twists take tons of minutes and scenes to unfold, slow scenes at that. But it is all for good reason because of the skill at play. Action is infrequent but memorable and exciting. The plot serves as a fitting legacy of the old film while being perfectly fine for newcomers, with some surprising turns. Sometimes the placement of certain scenes or choices is questionable, but these are minor mistakes on an epic great journey. 
They end up as just side dishes to the scrumptious cyberpunk immersion of the main course but the cast of characters and performances are solid as well. Gosling's K brings to mind his role in Drive....silent yet fierce while also being emotional when the time comes. He's likable and intimidating when he needs to be, and as he is a replicant himself that feeling comes through well. His chemistry with hologram girlfriend Joi (Ana De Armas) is great.  Armas is sweet, funny, loving and the two of them's ups and downs bring a bright cheerful core into a dark film.  
There's many bit players who bring it greatly with what they are. K's superior Lt.Joshi(Robin Wright) is commandingly fierce with the occasional stereotypical cop laughs when she appears. Bautista's Sapper is different than most roles...quiet and committed while also tough. Sylvia Hoek's plays a fearsome replicant foe called Luv who has an edgy likable sense to her. Various other, smaller and bit less memorable but still alright roles appear: Barkhad Abdi as black market dealer Doc Badger, Carla Juri as memory maker Dr.Stelline, Lennie James as junkyard owner Mr.Cotton, and even familiar faces like Edward James Olmos as Gaff and Sean Young as Rachel(also via old audio clips).
Two other characters who make the most impact are fittingly enough some of the most important. Jared Leto's Niander Wallace is quickly the villain of the film. He's blind, an CEO and inventor mastermind of an intergalactic company, and sees through hovering creepy drones that float around him. To add to this, he has a god-complex.,..talking wonderfully of “restorming Eden to re-take her”. He is chilling yet in just a few scenes.   Then, there's Deckard himself.
Audiences expecting a lot of Harrison Ford must be patient, as it takes perhaps too much time for him to actually join the epic events of the film . Once he appears every scene Deckard is in is great. Harrison Ford brings that same level of enthusiasm to his return as he did as Han Solo in Star Wars : The Force Awakens. He is tough, inquisitive, and funny.  He and K make a great team, once it finally happens. It's in a way a close and follow-up to the original Blade Runner with important and emotional consequences, yet also hinting at a possible future. It's good that he's in this to tie it all together.

Overall, this serves as a well deserved follow-up to the classic that Ridley Scott would be proud of... smartly done with someone with perhaps even more talent at general filmcraft in Villeneuve. It transports the viewer into a dark, sweeping epic tale of replicants and future cities whether they're a fan of the old or a first timer. It's been done before, but done again with new paintbrushes... it's a new kind of masterpiece. 9.05 out of 10

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle Review

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle
Director: Matthew Vaughan 
Cast Headliners: Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Jullianne Moore, Pedro Pascal , Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum,  many others
Original Release Date: September 22nd, 2017

 The first film in this series, 2014's Kingsmen : The Secret Service, was a pleasantly great surprise. It looked decent or so, but ended up being a greatly fun wild mix of action, humor, and larger than life aspects. Of course the announcement of a sequel has to leave one curious with excitement for where it can go. In this second film, Kingsmen: The Golden Circle, this potential is definitely reached as a whole.

The movie picks up some manner of time in the wake of the prior film. Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is now a more experienced and adept agent in the British covert spy society “The Kingsmen”. He works with the likes of his peers including technical support Merlin (Mark Strong), his old friend and fellow agent Roxy (Sophie Cookson), and new leader Arthur (Michael Gambon). Yet between his responsibilities he still has time to see his girlfriend.. the Princess Tilde of Sweden (Hanna Alstrom) and his various friends from his home area. Things seem great of course, but an epic , almost 2.5 hour plot unfolds that goes to some crazy, action-packed, and wild places.

Events eventually transpire to where the main team of Eggsy and Merlin must seek out their American counterparts, The Statesmen. This adds to the star-packed cast with their agents such as the charismatic Tequila (Channing Tatum), their technical support Ginger Ale (Halle Berry), leader “Champ” Champagne (Jeff Bridges) , and the badass lasso-wielding Whiskey (Pedro Pascal). They are needed to contend with the insane villain Poppy (Jullianne Moore) of the titular Golden Circle.

This expanded cast does two good things for the movie. It both expands the (ever-more-unrealistic) world's lore into interesting and epic places. It also leads to some interesting and funny dynamics between all the factions. An insane, wacky spy montage of people and places. For as prim and proper the Kingsmen are in their stereotype of England, the Statesmen are as “Murrica” as possible with their whiskey Kentucky operations, cowboy hats and revolvers, and sense of justice. The same hyper pulp applies to nearly every facet of this world.

The characters themselves are a mixed bag of use. Egerton's Eggsy is once again a likeable and cool protagonist, here being much more skilled in battle and dialogue but not forgetting his youthful arrogant roots. His friendship with Merlin is a highlight, and Strong is as wiseand helpful and occasionally as always too. Tatum's Tequila captures the gung-ho nature of his USA peers and has some coolness and laughs however he unfortunately is a bit of a smaller part. The same applies to the supporting staff on both sides of the pond, from Roxy, Arthur, Ginger Ale, Princess Tilde, and the dude Champ not having much more than the occasional drop of exposition or a joke.

There are luckily exceptions to this. Pascal's Whiskey is a highlight right up there with Eggsy and Merlin. He adopts a gloriously over-hammed and just on the borderline of cheesy “cowpoke” accent for this role, and has some action scenes and jokes that stand highly through what his role is. Marketing has spoiled that perhaps Colin Firth's Harry / Galahad may not be as dead as what was shown in the last film. The reveal of why and how is an emotional , and important feels story arc that must be seen firsthand. But be assured that this is done well and he is once again a highlight. Moore's Poppy is an insanely , funnily evil Martha Stewart-esque innocent exterior kind of villian...replite with an old-school diner and town filled with robot dogs and salonists in the middle of jungle ruins. She is a bit over the top , but often intimidates and charms. These aspects of the villianous side are of course more memorable than generic henchmen such as Engel (Tom Benedict Knight) and traitorous Kingsmen Charlie (Edward Holcroft...although who almost reaches Bond villian memorable tier with his metal rockem-sock-em cyborg arm). There is also Elton John as Elton John...who well, it must be seen but he's silly and amazing in what he adds. Various other characters show up as well such as the President (Bruce Greenwood) and Charlie's girlfriend Clara (Poppy, ironically enough, Delevigne) who add to the story in surprising ways.

The plot of the movie is long but as a whole worth it. There are many twists and turns, as with the first one and others of this genre, that keep the interest and stakes going. There's some deeper themes explore with the drug trade , relationships, and amnesia that are explored to various results. Some parts are a slowdown from what's around them, but when the humor , ridiculousness, and action come its worth it.

Without a doubt on those last two points, director Matthew Vaughan delivers once again. There's a style that has become a now-trademark for him via this series and Kick-Ass... Crazy, frenetic shots. Choice uses of popular and original music (even in less fast paced scenes). Constant “really now!?!?” kind of feelings. The scale has been raised from 11 to 12 for this movie in nearly every way, for better or worse. At times this surrealness once again leads to some less than remarkable backgrounds, but when it counts it delivers.

It's a sequel that tries to be “can lightning strike twice”. It almost does, and hits the same level of insanity, brutalness, crudeness, charm, and fun as one would want. Fans of the series will be delighted, and even as a standalone, it's a shiny, crisp, wild spy blockbuster that's packed with memorable moments. Mixing between cheesy and truly great, it's worth the time. 8.1 out of 10  

It Review

It
Director: Andy Muschietti
Cast Headliners: Bil Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis,  several others
Original Release Date: September 8th, 2017


The novel and 1990 mini-series It can be said to be one of author Stephen King's most iconic stories. The terror trip of a tale of an evil clown, a band of friends, and a mysterious town is both thrilling and influential on other things. It's understandable that this remake / reboot should be viewed with some manner of hesistance... after all, there's many bad horror and overall remakes of films out there. The horror genre has changed in the past 27 (what an intentional number) years as well, so how does this turn out. It's pleasing to say that this is a well deserved remake worthy of the concept.

The movie, smartly, does not cover the massive volume of the book (which was a multi-episode TV mini-series more than a movie) so thus is actually the first film in a planned two film adaptation. This may confuse casuals who were not aware and has a bit of an obvious “Chapter One” text at the end, but it is also in a way self contained. The film as expected takes place in the fictional town of Derry, Maine in 1988. A boy goes (quite horrifyingly) missing after he's attacked and dragged away by a sewer dwelling circus clown, Pennywise / “It” (Bill Skarsgard). This dark sequence is just within moments of the film, and it is far from the end of the terror train that follows.

Some short time later, the lives of a group of children in the town of Derry are followed. There's the likes of the missing boy Georgie's stuttering older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), and his various friends including fast talking jokester Richie (Finn Wolfhard), fearful Jewish Stan (Wyatt Oleff), and nervous Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) who are eventually intertwined in their lives with new friends in black farmboy Mike (Chosen Jacobs), chubby new kid Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), and the only girl in outcast Bev ( Sophia Lillis). There's also periphery characters in the gang of bullies led by Henry (Nicholas Hamilton) amongst some parents and townsfolk.

The film has an ensemble cast of mostly children, and they prove to be greatly casted. As with other incarnations of this story, the overall friendship...whether in juvenile (and often truly funny..at times stupid) jokes or the ups and downs of bonding , between the kids is a strong suit. Every kid has their moment to shine, whether through heroism or horrifying fright. Lieberher's Bill is a sort of protagonist who has some alright moments. Paticuliarly, the main peers in Wolfhard's (purposefully.,... a much different kind of role to his past work in Stranger Things!) annoying comic relief Richie and Lillis's stressed yet tough Bev stand as highlights. Slightly unfortunate is the fact that some kids end up just delivering a line or two and end up as a stereotype as “token black”, “token Jew”, “token sweet fat kid” etc but when they are featured they are alright... hopefully their characters get more to do in part 2.

The movie does a great job in both its whimsical joy and darkest of horror. The camera work and direction by director Andy Muschietti is commendable, with lush outdoor scenery or grimy skin-crawling houses and sewers the quest goes on. The effects on the various monsters and visions are also really, frighteningly real seeming and quality. This I contrasted by choice set design, costuming, and the occasional background music that takes one back to the 1980s. Not to mention that the film's orchaestral score is often solid too. The influence of It was felt in the television show Stranger Things, so its ironic but understandable that the same overall tone is matched here with its look, whimsy, and setting...it's only fitting and full circle that even includes one of the same stars. But on its own, it holds well.

This movie is thrillingly, often jarringly and pulse poundingly scary. At times the repitition of some tactics get old or some choices are silly (come on... that “Dancing” scene? The heavy metal rock fight?). However the film often finds ways to shock... both with (a moderate or so amount of) jump scares and creepy , more nuanced imagery as it should be. All the good things have been said of the film, and not even mentioning the titular Pennywise. Skarsgard is... great in the role for sure. His appearance both neutral and in the many forms he takes is unsettling and demonic. It's hard to compare to Tim Curry in the original, because that was so iconic. Smartly, it's a semi-different role... a darker look (in a darker toned film than its equivalent peers) in costume and more brutal of a character. He speaks much less, but when it does he gives a creepy voice and luckily rare terrifying laugh. His scheming , wretched cunning is a memorable highlight of the film that may haunt the viewer long after. This is alongside some close to taboo other themes that add to the dark tapestry.

The movie has a big name to live up to , but it comes really close to what it should be. The pulse pounding onslaught may at times be overwhelming and repitative, but the scares count when they count...and the heart in the daytime. As its own, it is a quality horror film... and leaves one wanting the next part. 8.2 out of 10  

Multi-Reviewmania: The Dark Tower/Valerian/Detroit

Multi-Reviewmania: The Dark Tower / Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets / Detroit:

 Every so often (it's been since 2013... hopefully I have enough thorough reviews to allow for this rare exception) I get
so caught up with life, including seeing movies, that I don't have time to break out thorough reviews for all of them. So, it's
the return of a combo review of some recent films, shorter than average... may some truly remarkable things break the article streak,
ahead, perhaps after some rest time... for now very casual.



- The Dark Tower: Context, I'm a fan... A dream to see come to life of Stephen King's transmedia magnum opus. That also carries with it expectations, and paticuliar
letdowns yet joys. In mainly a bad way, attempts to cram sequences and details from across 8 novels into a mostly too brisk
1h 40min while also being mostly an "attempt" at the first book with an extra scooping of the second... This can be messy
and may mess up things for sequels that are unlikely to happen. However, it's cool seeing these things brought to life more or less.
Idris Elba is pretty good as Roland Deschain the legendary gunslinger of alternate place Mid-World... but his badass demeanor
and combat skills fade as he is more of a bodyguard and sidekick to Jake Chambers, a haunted boy played by Tom Taylor to decent
regard but gets most of the focus in an obvious "young adult franchise appeal" move. Their relationship, and some fish out of
water moments that otherwise are the only charm in too much mundane reality, grows and is a highlight. The Man in Black, Matthew
McConaughey, is an accurately vile villian..... charming and devil-ish in demeanor and fearsome in power. It's a shame
so many other elements range from just decent to weak or worse. The "low men" minions are creepy but generic whether
disguised as humans or as beasts on the battlefield. Jake's family plot is muddled, cheesy, and hollow. The citizens of
Mid-World are just as forgetabble aside from slightly noteworthy minor parts like Arra (Claudia Kim), Pimli (Fran Kranz), or
Sayre (Jackie Earle Haley...too little). Mid-World is kind of gorgeous as is The Dark Tower itself, as is the other fascinating odd magic and technology, kudos to the
scenery and effects...but is barely dwelt upon. The action is decent and visceral...but amounts to just a couple sequences in what is
mainly alot of walking and weird lore that goes mainly mysterious.... a bit of a letdown to fans and dense for newcomers though an attempt is made.
Alright soundtrack. Decent stakes, but should have been more. That describes the film...an interesting if slightly cookie cutter
magical sci-fi adventure that could have been so much more if more of an attempt was put into crafting and accuracy. 7.4 out
of 10

- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Directed by Luc Besson of the Fifth Element and others, the French legend...
of course there was alot of hype in this as his return to true science fiction. However, while it has French style imagination and visual
spectacle in pretty good amounts it also has just as much or even more extraneous French cheesy whimsy. One imagines that if
this is just a taste of the classic comic series, there's many ideas to explore...and for sure it attempts to give a look at an
interesting universe. This is brought down by a film that is...mixed in its aspects to say the least. Commendable, unique
creativity in its plethora of places( a virtual reality dimension market planet! a planet of magical ocean pearls right out of a
Final Fantasy video game cutscene! The titular utopia of biomes and species!) and neat alien species, creatures, technology,
and spaceships etc. This leads to some wonderfully colorful and artistic views of beings, landscapes, and costumes. However,
at times this CGI overload (perhaps not since Cameron's Avatar has this much been seen) can appear low resolution or cheesy..
with some muddled people at closer inspection and hazy music. It's a fascinating world, but its plot is filled with useless
side diversions and hardly likeable characters. Leads Valerian (Dane Dehaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevigne) are... mediocrely
decent at best... no doubt with the cheesy script to blame if not also their questioonable talent as seen in other blockbuster work of late.
The likes of Clive Owen, Rutger Hauer, and Herbie Hancock mumble their way through exposition and mundane military chatter. When
the only memorable enthusiastic performances are (arguably diversionary) aliens by the likes of John Goodman and Rihanna, one knows there's a problem with
the kind of heart that lacks within this universe. Sam Spruell is a extremely minor gem as a noble General. Action and
excitement pops up but Besson uses too much whimsy with sometimes too much epic and flashbacks to give a dissonance of tones between
silly and dark. The ambition can be felt, and it has value, but it also has more than a couple weaker areas. 6.85 out of 10


- Detroit: The best movie on this list to be sur..to no surprise. Katheryn Bigelow is a name that always indicates quality.
This, shockingly very true, historical narrative is as dark and gripping as any of her best. Words like dark, dire, and
stressfull are understatements in this tale of race and police struggles. There is an interesting mixture of actual news and historical
footage with dramaticized filmed Bigelow footage (this latter part being the majority). This aids to make it feel real, especially
so given Ms.Bigelow's knack for great camerawork and pulse pounding action / tortue. It starts as a tapestery of moments
in different lives, but ends up becoming a story about the Algiers Motel Incident within the 1967 riots. Some performances
stick out as extra stellar ... John Boyega's committed and stoic security guard Melvin Dismukes, the happiest of youth and
deepest of sorrow in musicians of The Dramatics Morris(Joseph-David Jones) and Larry Cleveland Reed(Algee Smith), and veteran
Greene(Anthony Mackie who gives a familiar to his work in Bay and the MCU but memorable turn). The context is unfortunate, but
racist abusive cop villian Phillip Krauss(Will Poulter)(just like but most of all out of like minded
peers) is a chilling antagonistic performance. Some of the characterization may be extreme, but it adds
to the violent, dark almost horror / thriller tone of the piece. This is real events at the end
of the day though, which makes this drama not a fiction of terror but one people went through on all
sides... with deep lessons to be learned for today's age. Emotional, bloody, violent, tense (aided
by a dark pulsing score)... Bigelow transports the audience back into a long (perhaps a bit
too much..and with some narrow focus that may have been aided by a bit more context) intense
tale of what happened. 8.7 out of 10