Tag: movies

Ranking The Films of Zack Snyder

AdamLeave a comment

And here’s the ranking that is likely going to get me attack/cancelled from hardcore stans of this director!

Zack Snyder might be the most controversial big name director working today. While he is certainly a man with a vision and always has big ambition with everything that he makes, he has been inconsistent to translate that perfect vision he always has in his head properly in front of the camera. The action and visuals is always guarantee to talk the talk but the story and character development can never always walk the walk. Because of that, his films always tend to be divisive and even sometimes outright panned.

However, Snyder is no doubt an interesting filmmaker to talk about and do a ranking on. Despite everything I’m about to say with all 11 of his films, I can’t say the man has ever made a film that had me shrugging my shoulders. That certainly has to amount to something, especially in this day and age. I don’t know if I can call myself a fan of Zack Snyder as a whole but there definitely are films of his that I admire and appreciate. Just a shame that is an opinion that is hard to talk about on the internet without being dogpiled along with the so-called cult of Zack Snyder who view him a cinema Jesus!

Nevertheless, Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver has just arrived on Netflix (or at least some version of it that may or may not be Zack Snyder’s true film) and it’s time for my long awaited ranking of all 11 films in this man’s directorial filmography!

And fyi, I am NOT including the director’s cut of Justice League (A.K.A. JOSStice League)! I don’t care if he’s still the credited director for that crap, we all know for a fact that was NOT his movie whatsoever! Which is why only his four-hour long cut will be included on this list!

11.) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

I’m still in awe how you take a crossover like Batman and Superman and make it so dull and joyless. Dawn of Justice is a film that wants to comes across as the most grand and ambitious movie every made, but when you look deep into it, this movie actually doesn’t have much to say on anything it’s talking about. Other than trying to cram two to three movies worth of material into one film, there’s nothing really risky or daring here and it’s so-called themes have been done much better in plenty of other superhero films. The plot is a convoluted mess no matter which version you watch and the conflict between Batman and Superman is so incredibly ridiculous that it could have been avoided if they would just simply talk to each other.

Ben Affleck is fine as Batman and there’s a few standout moments here (The warehouse fight scene and Wonder Woman’s first appearance are all-timers) but that’s nowhere near enough to save this turd of a film. Even the ultimate edition which many claim “saves” the movie really just has more of the same things that were wrong in the first place, aside from being pacing. If there is a clear difference between ambition and aimlessness, then Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice certainly strikes the finest line yet between those two definitions with results that fit more of the latter than the former.

This is a movie so bad that it not only arguably killed the DC Extended Universe before it even got a chance to get going but also caused big damage to Zack Snyder’s reputation as a filmmaker! I know tomatoes are going to be thrown at me for putting this at the very bottom but I’m sorry! Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Both the theatrical and ulimate edition!) is an epic failure on every level!

10.) Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver

Part Two of Zack Snyder and Netflix’s answer to Star Wars and Seven Samurai could not have been more anti-climatic if it tried. While Part One was far from perfect, it did at least set some solid groundwork for Part Two to continue in good graces. Unfortunately, Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver fails to capitalize on that promise in just about every way.

The visuals are still nice and Sofia Boutella still makes for a compelling action lead but nearly every flaw from Part One is carried over and made even worse. You have a universe that still feels undeveloped, characters that still feel one-note, exposition dumps that are still tedious, slow-mo that is still nauseating, and inspirations that still feel way too on the nose. Not even the action and set pieces work this time! Despite Zack Snyder clearly wanting to make an original franchise of his own, he still has clearly not been able to find a voice that matches his own and those he is inspired by.

Speaking as someone who went easy on Part One, Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver crushes any hope for this IP to ever take flight. It pains me to say that because there is always room for more sci-fi that’s not just Star Wars and Star Trek and we should applaud for more creative voices. However, Part Two is a reminder that sometimes filmmakers need restraint and need to be surrounding by more than just “Yes” men! Refuse to do that and you get the Rebel Moon series as a result!

9.) Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch is the most bizarre and ill-conceived movie that Zack Snyder has ever made. On the surface (and considering it’s time), it just seems like Snyder just wants an excuse to hang out with some talented women that he has worked with it and make a movie where they all kick ass together. When looking deep beyond the surface, it also wants to be a commentary on Hollywood treating women like sex objects and violence against female companions is wrong. It’s the perfect example of a film trying to have it’s cake and eat it too but not at the end results it actually wants.

The action is dynamic, the cinematography is well done, and the main female cast all do fine work and bounce off each other very well. Unfortunately, it’s letdown by a script that couldn’t give two craps about the paper-thin plot, underdeveloped characters, and constantly contradicting it’s themes and messages. On one end, the film can be seen as a mildly entertaining action flick. On the other end, the film falls into the same trappings it’s aiming to avoid because it clearly wants to be more than that.

Sucker Punch is a film that can be enjoyable but not for the reasons that Zack Snyder has intended. It’s basically the exact kind of movie that it’s claiming to be critiquing. Yes, women deserve to be more than eye candy and male gaze but that’s literally all they are in this movie. The fact that Zack didn’t realize that before cameras even rolled here basically made Sucker Punch doomed from the start.

8.) Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire

Rebel Moon was a film that started off as a Star Wars pitch to Lucasfilm shortly after Disney bought them in 2012. It was a pitched as an R-rated Star Wars film made strictly for adults and would take itself more “seriously” than any other Star Wars film. What should be a shocker to absolutely NO ONE but Snyder himself, that pitch got denied and many years later, has now been made into it’s own “original” film.

There is plenty of interesting concepts and exciting moments throughout Rebel Moon. The visuals are as good as they can be for a Snyder film, the worldbuilding while familiar is intriguing, the action is pretty damn solid throughout, and Sofia Boutella is awesome as Kora, the most compelling character in the whole film. It’s just a shame that it can’t escape the trappings of most theater cuts from Zack Snyder where a good chunk of it is left on the cutting room floor. Because of that, you got side characters that are painfully undeveloped, an internal conflict that’s not as clear or fleshed out as it should be, and references to other sci-fi pictures such as Star Wars, Dune, and Battlefield Earth that is as obvious as clear daylight.

Even so, I still couldn’t help but be intrigued by Rebel Moon- Part One: A Child of Fire despite it’s major flaws. It lives rent free in it’s own sandbox and throws so many different ideas on the screen that it’s near impossible to be bored by it. That being said, Snyder seriously needs to learn how to make proper cuts of his movie that are able to work for mainstream audiences and not just for himself and his hardcore fanbase. Even though Part Two was unable to deliver on this films promises, it was at least fascinating to see what it was leading to beforehand!

7.) Army of the Dead

Snyder’s first Netflix exclusive is an aggressive mixed bag. On paper, this seems like the film that Zack Snyder has always been destined to make and act as the perfect successor to his film debut of Dawn of the Dead. A zombie heist movie with with a hard-R rating sounds like it would fit right in the man’s alley. While there are certainly elements here that do work, Army of the Dead never quite reaches it’s full potential.

The cast, action, and practical effects (especially for the zombies) are all there and do lift the film quite a bit. However, it’s bogged down by poor dialogue, characters that constantly make dumb decisions, and not going all the way with it’s bizarre premise. And don’t get me started with the bloated 150 minute long runtime and the ending which has the film completely trip and fall over the finish line.

The elements are there for Army of the Dead to be an instance Zack Snyder classic and a great zombie flick all around but it never quite comes together. If Rebel Moon is proof that Snyder desperately needs someone to handle the scripts for his movies, then Army of the Dead is proof that he desperately needs someone to handle the editing for this movies as well.

6.) Man of Steel

The DC Extended Universe kicked off in 2013 with one of the most polarizing superhero movies of all time in Man of Steel. Looking back on it nearly a full decade later, I can’t help but have INCREDIBLY mixed emotions when it comes to this film. In terms of casting, tone, action scale, scope, and score, this is everything that a modern Superman movie should consist off, with nearly single technical and sound aspect works absolute wonders. However, when it comes to the overall story, script, and structure, that is where the confliction comes in.

Most of the characters come off as plot devices and motivation for Superman than actual characters, the dialogue strikes a fine line between being poetic/inspiring and just plain pretentious, and it’s overall themes feel not so much explored but just told directly to the audiences. Even so, the action is dynamic, the cast do great with what they have to work with, and the scope and Han Zimmer’s soundtrack are off the charts that it’s almost good enough to convince you that you are watching a much better film than you actually are! The elements that work are absolutely great while the elements that don’t work really bring down the whole picture.

When looking at it’s own thing and the seeds it plants for the future, Man of Steel could have been considered a solid re-introduction to the character of Superman and one that could successfully redefined Superman to a new generation. However, due to it’s shortcomings and the movies which came after tripling down on the things that don’t work rather than what does, you can’t help but see wasted potential. As it’s own thing, Man of Steel is functional on a surface level but not on a depth level. Henry Cavill deserved a much better standalone film than this!

5.) Watchmen

Snyder’s first official DC film is able to perfectly capture the style and feel of what the source material of Watchmen has always been known for. The looks, aesthetics, and effects are all completely on point and help make the film’s fascinating world come to life near perfectly in front of the camera. If only the pacing and structure was able to match the quality of it’s outstanding visuals.

Aside from the pretty colors, Watchmen has also many other great things going for it such as the talented cast, brutal action, inspired song choices, and even having one of the most underrated villains in any superhero movie with Matthew Goode’s Ozymandias. That being said, the pacing is constantly grinding to a screeching halt just for the sake of Snyder showing off his wide angle shots and constant slow-motion sequences. Also, this film easily has one of the most laughable sex scenes of all time! Just saying!

Still, there is a lot to like about Watchmen than there is to dislike. Had it benefited from a tighter runtime and cut down on the needless slow scenes, this might have been Zack Snyder’s own masterpiece. Thankfully, the HBO Max series is able to expand upon the quality of Watchmen even further and make that a worthy adaption alongside this film.

4.) Dawn of the Dead

Snyder’s official directorial debut happens to be no other than a remake of 1978’s Dawn of the Dead with James Gunn as the main writer. With all the discourse surrounding Zack’s reputation as a filmmaker, you would think this would be the most divisive film in this man’s career. However, that is not the case whatsoever. It’s basically just a very faithful and well done remake and that’s about it.

It’s got a very likable cast, the action is non-stop, the humor is quick and witty, and it manages to be consistent with it’s tone the whole way through. The Zombie Celebrity is still to this day the main highlight of the movie and the opening credits themselves is an all-timer! I don’t know if it has to do with James Gunn’s involvement as a writer but Zack Snyder is able to get the right script that perfectly matches his skills and capabilities as a director with Dawn of the Dead.

Even if a lot that has come after have been polarizing at best, at least Zack Snyder was able to start his career with a solid hit with this surprisingly solid remake in Dawn of the Dead. If you want a zombie movie from Zack Snyder that is done right, look no further than with this movie.

3.) Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Because we live in some dark and twisted form of an alternate universe, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a real thing now. Truth be told, even if you remove yourself from the toxicity that is the Zack Snyder fanbase (I won’t blame you if you can’t!), it’s actually pretty good with a lot more to like than there is to hate. This is probably the one movie in the DC Extended Universe with Zack Snyder that doesn’t feel overly pretentious but more of just the man wanting to make the most epic Justice League movie he can possibly make. For the most part, he succeeds even if some of the faults from his other films are carried over here.

The first half is way too stretched out for it’s own good, feeling like Snyder is trying to get every single little frame of work that he desires in there regardless if it actually serves a purpose. There’s also the final fifteen minutes that feels more like a collection of post credit scenes rather than an actual epilogue. But everything in between that is pretty solid. There’s good action set pieces, a nice, riveting score, memorable gorgeous visuals, and some good character interactions between all of the Justice League members, with Wonder Woman and Cyborg being the main standouts. And this also feels like the first time in Snyder’s films that the superheroes on screen actually act and feel like superheroes instead of just being all sad and mopey all the time. What a time to be alive!

While there’s still faults from the theatrical cut that are carried over here (*cough* Steppenwolf and Flash *cough*), this is certainly an improvement over the theatrical cut and should most certainly be considered the actual definite version of Justice League. I might not call myself a fan of Snyder’s input on the DC Extended Universe but I’m at least glad he got the chance to finish what he started after having to originally step down due to the tragic death of his daughter. Warts and all, this is easily the best DC superhero film that Zack Snyder has ever made!

2.) 300

Considered Snyder’s best by many, 300 feels right at home with what the man has to offer. It’s able to put the action, visuals, and cinematography front and center while leaving the story and characters arcs to the wayside. In most films, that would be a set up for failure but thankfully, Snyder is able to make the very best of it by not going too far on either end of those spectrums.

The action sequences are absolutely great, the cinematography is a treat for the eyes, the performances all work here, there’s a handful of standout lines that are memorable, and this might just have the most impressive visuals in this man’s filmography. Even, the required slow-motion bits actually work here! Sure, as I mention before, the story telling and character development are nothing to write home about and the historical inaccuracies will certainly be infuriating to some but for those looking for a rock solid action flick will likely be more than satisfied with 300.

For years, I’ve argued that 300 is the kind of film that Zack Snyder should always inspire to make. A film that’s able to build greatly on his strengths as a filmmaker and not doubled down on all his weaknesses. If you are able to deliver solid action and visuals with a brain in its head that isn’t bogged down by tiresome exposition and mind numbing flashback scenes, then just stick to that and you will be seen as a reliable filmmaker that knows what they are doing. However, there is at least one more film that I would argue does in fact show that Snyder can be great with telling stories with his visual flare to back up perfectly.

1.) Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga’Hoole

That’s right! My favorite Zack Snyder film is the animated one about owls! Go, figure! In all seriousness, Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga’Hoole is one of the most criminally underrated animated films in recent memory! It’s able to match that sense of awe and wonder in scale that Snyder always aims for in this film while also able to tell a shockingly heartful and cohesive story with these birds despite taking inspiration by multiple different books. Not to mention, even nearly 15 years later, the animation holds up WONDEFULLY!

As much as I can give praise to the animation, visuals, action, and voice work, I think the thing for me that stands out the most about Legend of the Guardians is it’s able to capture that right amount of earnest feels that most of Snyder’s films lack. It doesn’t feel it’s trying to hard to break new ground nor talking down on it’s audience that dare question it’s director, it’s just trying to be an engaging tale about the endangers of owls and the importance of having your friends and family alongside each other. All the pros of most Zack Snyder films are still here but very rarely are his cons present.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga’Hoole is to date my favorite Zack Snyder film because it’s one that I can 100% get behind EVERYTHING that the man is trying to do here that I don’t need an extended cut or DLC in order to do so. That’s not to say this film is totally flawless (certain characters get painfully sidelined) but it has that perfect heart and wit to do it that it’s able to fully meet it’s grand ambition. Legend of the Guardians is not just Snyder as his best but also animation as it’s very best! Check this one out if you haven’t already!

Video Game Adaptations Are Good Now (And It’s Okay To Admit That)

Adam1 Comment

This month saw the release of the new Amazon hit series of the live action adaptation of the popular video game franchise known as Fallout. In about a week or two since it has come out on Prime, it has been quite a success for critics and fans alike! So much so that Amazon has already greenlighted a second season just one week after all eight episodes of the first season released! There might have been some trivial debate about releasing all the episodes at once or whether or not it retcon a certain Fallout game from existence but for the most part, the series has basically pleased the majority of viewers who have given it a watch thus far. And as you would expect whenever a new video game adaption turns out to be surprisingly good, you still get the typical question about whether or not this was the one that broke the so-called “video game adaptation curse”, despite them asking the exact same question about the previous video game adaptation that the media praised.

Never mind the fact that there has been numerous adaptions for video games in the form of movies and tv series that have been good to great for at least the past five years! Never mind the fact that there was a big popular and well received video game movie or show that got a rave response from everybody a year prior! Apparently, those never happened and Fallout is the one that broke the curse by being the first ever video game adaptation to not suck! I don’t buy that for a second and I don’t think even the people that have made this claim do.

The main reason I say this has to do with the success and praise that last year’s video game adaptation in Max’s The Last of Us received. And just like with Fallout, that was a video game series that led many people to say that was the first legit great video game adaptation to ever exist and the one that broke the video game adaptation curse.

Did we just forget about that all of a sudden? Did we forget that everyone and their mother put that series on a pedestal when it came out as that being the first adaptation to get it right? Or are we just going to ignore all of that entirely that just for the sake of propping up Fallout? I’m not gonna say I know the answers to these questions but I do remember everything that folks have been saying about Fallout was also said about The Last of Us. And the reason I know that was because well…..I wrote a piece about that as well.

As I discussed on that piece last year, I would strongly argue that video game adaptations have taken a HUGE step up in quality as least since 2019 with the releases of Detective Pikachu and The Angry Birds Movie 2. And there’s even an argument to be made that the year prior wasn’t so bad with the releases of Tomb Raider (2018) and Rampage. As a matter of fact, the last true bad year for video game adaptations was in 2016 and 2017 with the releases of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. That is a good seven to eight years ago since video game adaptations truly sucked! Since the 2020s rolled around, there have been more winners than losers!

In terms of movies, we’ve had The Super Mario Bros Movie, that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide last year, the two Sonic the Hedgehog flicks, with the third coming out this December to massive mainstream hype, the Five Nights at Freddy Movie which despite it’s poor critical reviews, was a solid hit for hardcore FNAF fans, the Gran Turismo motion picture that was a surprising crowd pleaser, and Werewolves Within which most didn’t even recognize it was an adaption because of how good it was at it’s own thing!

In terms of tv shows/streaming services, we got some pure quality and well made adaptation in terms of live-action and animation such as the masterful Arcane, the anime hit Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the perfectly live-action adaptation in The Last of Us, the unexpectedly fun and amusing Twisted Metal, and now we have the latest banger in Fallout.

And that’s not even going into the other upcoming adaptions in the works that have potential to be just as good as the examples mention such as the new Minecraft movie and the new animated Tomb Raider series from Netflix. Have there been stinkers and more to come? Absolutely! But literally, no genre of any kind is perfect and will always have a dud every now and then. However, it’s incredibly safe to say that video game adaptations have gotten much better since the 2020s rolled around and have shown fans of multiple video games franchises that these can in fact work in terms of movie and television form that works greatly as it’s own thing.

Which yet again makes me wonder why we keep having this same argument over and over again. Why is it that we are still shocked whenever a video game adaptation is good despite the many other proven examples that I just mentioned? More importantly, why is it that we keep devaluing them just to praise the newest one that comes out when it’s any good? The only answer I can come up is that perhaps people are just afraid to call a video game adaptation good because of all the missteps of this subgenre in the past.

Much like how there are certain folks afraid to admit they like a new Disney movie or superhero flick or whatever motion picture made from a so-called “assembly line”, maybe folks don’t want to admit that video game adaptations are good now. They don’t want to accept that this is a medium that can in fact be successful when giving the proper care and treatment. It’s no longer the kind of movies and shows that can be a whipping boy to everything wrong in modern entertainment. Because now, video game adaptations have proven that they can be just as successful as a movie or show as they are with a game. Video game adaptations can evolve and develop into something greater that does its source material justice to not just fans of the franchise but also to newcomers as well. Because of all the examples I have given and more, video game adaptations no longer deserve the scrutiny the get just based on past mistakes. And you know what, it’s okay to admit that.

It’s okay to admit that a movie or series based off a video game can be good or even great. It’s okay to admit that the creators of these recent video game adaptations have learned from the mistakes of other failed adaptions in the past to make something worthwhile in the present. It’s okay to acknowledge the shortcoming of new adaptations without tearing down the entire subgenre itself. And most importantly, it’s okay to admit that video game adaptations can be just as good as anything else. Not just in spite of being a video game adaptation but BECAUSE it’s a video game adaptation! It’s okay to admit ALL of that because it’s true, ALL OF IT!

The Fallout series certainly deserves all the praise and success it has been given thus far. It’s well made with excellent production values, a bonkers feel that seems the most appropriate, unique world building, and great performances from the cast, especially Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins. However, there is no need to put this one on a pedestal as being the one video game adaptation that got it “right” or claim it shouldn’t be as good as it is strictly because it’s a video game adaptation. Fallout works whatever way you look at it and not for the reasons you don’t. It’s a video game adaptation that is good just like many other recent video game adaptations have been good. And as I’ve been saying throughout this entire piece, it’s okay to admit that. I sure hope I’m not the only one that feels that way!

Please don’t screw up Borderlands, Eli Roth! I don’t want to have to make another one of these posts four months from now!

Ranking The Films of Alex Garland

AdamLeave a comment

Alex Garland is one of the most interesting filmmakers in recent memory. He tends to make film that is able to deliver beyond anyone’s expectations for both the better and the worse. Regardless of what you think about his films, you can’t deny the man is usually not afraid to go all in on controversial matters or explore hidden depths within the sci-fi genre. Results always vary but no doubt, it’s always compelling to see a filmmaker always swing for the fences even if it always doesn’t work off.

With what is perhaps his biggest film to date just coming out in theaters in Civil War, let’s take the time to rank his four films released up to this point that he has been credited as a full-on director.

However, I would like to give one honorable/unqualifiable mention to this list.

Dredd (2012)

Dredd (2012) is one of the most underrated/overlooked gems that has been released for the past decade. A solid, intense, and incredibly enjoyable sci-fi action flick that’s able to improve on nearly every shortcoming that the original Judge Dredd had and be something even more than that. The main reason I can’t add this to the list is that despite writing the screenplay for it and did help complete the film, Alex Garland did NOT get any credit as director, that goes to Pete Travis.

Still, Dredd (2012) is a gem and it tanking at the box office still remains one of the biggest cinematic tragedies in recent memory! Hopefully, the cult following for this remains so strong that one day a sequel will be greenlighted!

Now that mention is out of the way, let’s get to ranking the official four films in Alex Garland’s directing library!

4.) Men

Alex Garland’s first film set outside his comfort zone in the sci-fi genre attempts to explore the inner depths of toxic masculinity and the mental state that abused women go through when having to deal with it. It’s just a shame that Garland couldn’t think of anything compelling to go along with that or provide an engaging narrative to get this obvious point across.

Men is ego-filled filmmaking at it’s absolute worst! The message of toxic masculinity is thuddingly obvious and not well handle, sequences are way too drawn out and repetitive as hell, it’s own attempt at shock value gets old very quick, and the final act remains one of the most infuriating climaxes of a film that I’ve ever suffered through in theaters. Even commendable performances from Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear along with a handful of stand out sequences (particularly the haunting tunnel scene) can not save Men from being the preachy and pretentious mess that it is!

Men was always going to be a film that was controversial no matter what given it’s subject matter but the end results of Men just gives certain folks more ammo to support their own grift-filled narrative. Between this and the next film I’m about to talk about, it’s for the best that Alex Garland does more research on the subject matter he is tackling so the films don’t come across as distractingly obvious or inaccurate as it does. Plus, having a woman co-write or co-direct this film likely would have helped to! Just saying!

3.) Civil War

On the surface, you think you know exactly what you are going to get with a film like Civil War. In a year with yet another controversial election for America that is expected to arrive in the coming months, what better way for A24 to coast on this hot topical year than putting their own spin on what an effed up America would like? The kind of film that leaves no stone unturned and be unafraid to tear into every single realm of America politics and inner turmoil of the U.S. governments! The kind of film that is basically guaranteed to earn it’s F rating on Cinema Score like a pride badge of honor! The kind of film that would likely cause fights from hard core liberals and conservatives during theater screenings! However, when you sit back and look at Civil War with an open mind, it’s surprisingly as apolitical and pointless as they come.

It’s doesn’t amount to being the political cringe fest that most viewers envisioned it as. It doesn’t commit to being the overblown disaster flick that it constantly flirts at throughout the entire picture. And it doesn’t even seem to be interest on exploring it’s own take on what a civil war set in America could or would be like. Civil War just acts as a typical America murder porn flick with not much rhyme or reason do it and will likely leave viewers wondering what point Alex Garland was trying to make here.

It’s certainly as well made and well acted as you would expect from Garland himself but it lacks any creativity or boldness that this director is usually unafraid of showing off. I don’t know if this was because Garland was unsure which kind of movie he wanted to make or if he just didn’t want to piss anyone off but Civil War just seems as confused as all the people that are fighting in the movie are. Between this and Men, perhaps Alex Garland should remain in the sci-fi genre as that is clearly the field he is best playing on.

2.) Ex Machina

Alex Garland’s directorial debut that came out in 2015 was about as perfect of a first impression as you could imagine. Ex Machina is able to be an imagative, creative, and engaging tale about the emergence of A.I. and how the human race responds to being in a world with technology as their overall counterpart with the realization that there is not much different between the two. The film has big ideas that it executes tremendously well, while also leaving a lot of room for further analysis. 

You also have to credit the stellar performances given by the main players here which consists of Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and ESPECIALLY Alicia Vikander, who all carry the entire picture on their backs all the way through with little to no hassle. Seeing Ava’s transformation from being a mindless robot to an artificial intelligence that is perhaps more intelligent than either Nathan or Caleb realize is really fascinating to see play out and keeps leaving you guessing on what will come next. Even the somewhat iffy last stretch isn’t enough to derail the impressive achievement that Ex Machina is.

Ex Machina is the best kind of sci-fi. The kind that treats it’s audience like human beings and doesn’t need to rely on pure action and spectacle to make for a satisfying experience. Masterfully directed, smartly written, and wonderfully performed by it’s main cast, Ex Machina was able to start Alex Garland’s directing tendure on the best note possible. Even in a year that saw the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ex Machina remained as the best sci-fi film of 2015 that happened to star Oscar Issac and Domhnall Gleeson.

1.) Annihilation

For as great as Ex Machina is, I still don’t think it tops the absolute sci-fi horror masterpiece that is Annihilation. This still remains not only the best film in Alex Garland’s filmography but one of the best sci-fi films of the 21st century thus far. Even when facing release problems by Paramount and Skydance and criticism from the original Author, Annihilation is Alex Garland at his most creative, ambitious, and pure visionary!

This is a very engaging and complex story of a group of female scientists who are summoned to an enchanted forest to uncover a mystery as to what happen to a group of male scientists during this phenomena. The mystery as to what is happening on screen is intriguing and full of hidden details that beg for repeat viewings, the characters are well defined and engaging, the visual imagery is mind blowing, the slow pacing feels well utilized and earned, the tension is felt the whole way through, the score is absolutely mesmerizing, and the final 20 minutes contains one of the best and haunting climaxes I’ve seen in any film. It also feel refreshing to have an all-female cast done in a way that makes sense for the story it’s telling and not strictly to try to earn a few brownie points.

I understand it’s divisive to some but Annihilation still remains my favorite work from Alex Garland and one of my personal favorite sci-fi movies. It remains one of the most engaging and mesmerizing theater experiences that I could recall. There wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t blown up away by the visuals, tension, performances, plot turns, score, and just plain attention to details. I sure hope that author Jeff VanderMeer comes to his senses one day and realize the absolute brilliance that is the film, Annihilation. This isn’t just Alex Garland or sci-fi at it’s best, it’s pure filmmaking and cinema at it’s best! Annihilation remains a sci-fi film that I’ve gone back to many times and will continue to do so in the future!

Why 2014 Was The Most Important Year For The Marvel Cinematic Universe

AdamLeave a comment

Last week, Captain America: The Winter Soldier turned an unbelievable ten years old! This is a film that is considered a fan favorite among Marvel fans! It was able to tell a smart, complex and politically driven story about the dangers of trusting the government and your allies, it delivered some of the best and most unique action in the entire MCU, it gave side characters such as Nick Fury and Black Widow more to do than ever, and best of all, it just made Captain America an ultra cool badass instead of a Mr. Goody Two Shoes hero that the character was originally thought of as.

And in just about four months, we will also see the ten-year anniversary of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a film that is also considered a fan favorite among Marvel fans and perhaps their most surprising film they have ever made. It was able to be a super fun, action packed, heartful and hilarious movie about becoming a family while introducing five instantly memorable characters that turned out to be the most lovable group of misfits you can imagine want to following. Considering the fact that the guardians themselves were characters that very little people knew about outside of hardcore Marvel fans, Guardians of the Galaxy being as good as it is was quite simply a miracle.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy were two installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that were so good that I would argue helped turned the tide of the narrative of the MCU as a whole. A narrative that this franchise was more than just Iron Man and his best friends in The Avengers. This franchise could in fact rely on more than just one person with star power but MANY other people with star power as well. So much so that I’m willing to declare that 2014 still remains the most important year for Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe overall.

Yes, more important than 2008 which saw the release of Iron Man, the film that kicked started this cinematic universe. Yes, more important than 2012 which saw the release of The Avengers, the payoff to Marvel’s five to six year plan up to that point. And yes, even more important than 2018 and 2019, which saw Avenger: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the culmination and payoff to the entire Infinity saga, being two of the most commercially successful films of all time. While all off those were undeniably important and impactful, 2014 was where the Marvel Cinematic Universe was able to achieve it’s own level of peak.

Before 2014 rolled around, Marvel was still riding high off of The Avengers and the building blocks of Phase One. However, while every Phase One movie has their fans, it was mostly the first Iron Man and The Avengers that carried the weight of that entire phase and are the two films that are looked the most fondly of! Those two films were so good that it made the entire first wave of Marvel movies worth it, even with the indifferent quality of the other features!

Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off a year later in 2013. However, despite the financial success and solid reviews for certain installments, the fan response was arguably very mixed. Iron Man 3 was a genuine crowd pleaser but was controversial among hardcore fans due to the film’s portrayal of the Mandarin, A.K.A. Iron Man’s greatest enemy. Thor: The Dark World was seen a decent “filler” movie at best and a dull and forgettable movie at worst for critics and fans and is usually ranked as one of the lowest rated movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There was also Marvel and ABC’s first show in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which had strong ratings for it’s first two episodes but saw a steady decline with each episode getting less viewers as the season went on. Although the show would end up getting a following due to the improved quality of later seasons, the first season of the show was not looked to fondly.

When looking back at the state of the MCU in 2013, the reaction that got from fans was almost identical to the state of the MCU for the past few years. After a handful of subpar and lukewarm at best installments, it made people question whether or not Marvel still has it. Is that superhero fatigue setting in and that special bubble is about to burst? If 2014 had anything to say about, the answer was quite simply hell no!

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finished off its weak first season on a strong note and started a second season that was considered a HUGE step up in quality. So much so that most fans that stuck around felt that was when the show had finally found it’s footing and was well worth their time and investment. Even if the ratings did decline after each season, the show was still able to last for seven seasons, with the final episode airing in August 2020. What seemed like a questionable show to keep going in it’s first season was able to find a following and fanbase that helped pushed it to seven seasons!

When it comes to the 2014 MCU slate regarding films, we had Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy! After the mixed bag of a 2013 slate with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, these two films had a LOT to prove! Not only to prove that Marvel Studios was not slipping away in terms of quality but that these stand-alone installments could in fact exist on their own terms and didn’t need Iron Man or the rest of the Avengers to carry it. And man, did Marvel respond to 2013 about as good as they could have!

First up, we had Captain America: The Winter Soldier! This acted as a sequel to The Avengers and served as the next step of Steve Rogers’s development that started with Captain America: The First Avenger. While The First Avenger acted as a period piece flick, The Winter Soldier acts as a modern day espionage thriller. It was a showcase of Steve Rogers adapting to modern day events, discovering the corruption of a government that flew right under everyone’s nose, working and bantering along with his trusted allies, and seeing the pieces of his past come back to haunt him in present day. And it was all brilliant!

The Russo Brothers’ first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe was met with widespread acclaim from fans and critics, instantly ranked up there as among the very best installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! It acted as a perfect way to follow up Captain America’s story from his first movie and The Avengers while planting the seasoning for future installments in film and television for that universe.

Perhaps the most important thing about The Winter Soldier was not only how impressive it was in terms of story, characters, action, and themes but also how it stood strongly on it’s own without the notable successes of Phase One to bog it down. It shown that these side stories with these characters still had a purpose and they weren’t just being made just for the sake of buying time for the next Avengers movie. Important characters such as Captain America could carry his own film without the need of Robert Downey Jr. or the Avengers name alone. These stand alone entries could in fact stand on their own and play a big important role to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For as impressive as Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, one could still make the argument that Captain America was still a well known superhero that was going to have his well deserved due at some point. That is something that could NOT have been said about the other big movie to come out of Marvel Studios in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy.

I will die on the hill that Guardians of the Galaxy was the most risky project that Marvel has ever released. It contained a bunch of characters that mainstream audiences were unaware of, it had a space opera vibe that the MCU really never had up to that point, and it was directed by James Gunn, a man that tends to have a dark and twisty sense of humor and had a director vision that no other directors of Marvel had yet. If this failed, there was NO way Marvel or Disney was gonna try anything like this again and stick to strictly familiar names and brands for the future. Guardians of the Galaxy was a giant leap of faith……that ended up stick the landing big time.

Once again, Marvel Studios was able to strike gold with their most unrecognizable movie to date in Guardians of the Galaxy. It was met with the same love and acclaim that The Winter Soldier got just four months earlier. People fell in love with the characters of Peter Quill A.K.A. Star Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, and even a talking tree named Groot, people were enthralled by the visuals and set pieces, people were laughing at the jokes, people were crying at the big emotional beats, and people were rocking to the movie’s awesome soundtrack, which sold like GANGBUSTERS on Apple just weeks after the movie came out. It was so loved and adored that there are those that would argue that this is not only one of the best Marvel movies ever but perhaps their favorite Marvel movie to date, even more so than The Winter Soldier or The Avengers. It was that good!

Just like with The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy was a Marvel movie without the big main selling points of their biggest successes with Iron Man and The Avengers. There was no other recognizable superhero to be found or had a tied together plot that made it acquired viewing for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Sure, there was a tease of Thanos himself along with the setup of the Infinity stones but they were never a big focus or distraction that it took you out of the the movie. It was just the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves on their own space adventure and it could not have been better for it.

Looking back on the MCU ten years later to where it is now, I stand strongly on the statement that 2014 was the turning point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and when it was able to become something even greater! With the success of the MCU slate that year, it was prove that Marvel did have an identity of their own that wasn’t just strictly Tony Stark and his amazing superhero friends! They did in fact have other interesting characters with their own stories to tell and other unique brands that was worth drawing attention to. They could afford to go bolder, weirder, and riskier and it could all end up for the better!

It’s by being able to make lightning strike twice with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy that motivated to make other great installments later on such as Thor: Ragnarök and Black Panther along with multiple sequels with Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy. They didn’t need to rely solely on Iron Man, The Avengers, and Spider-Man once they formed a partnership with Sony to keep the franchise going. They could afford to try out other characters and untested properties to allow their brand to grow and evolve into other things. And I don’t think they would have gone that exact route if it weren’t for the success of their 2014 installments in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy.

2014 may not have been the most commercially successful or profitable year under Marvel’s belt nor even the one with the most cultural impact but without the success that Marvel was able to gain that year, there is a good chance the Marvel Cinematic Universe would have looked quite different in the past ten years that what we have seen! I sure hope whatever the future holds for Marvel, that they look back on 2014 as to why that got them to where they are now and NOT learn the wrong lessons from it!

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) & Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire (2024) Mini-Reviews

AdamLeave a comment

Here we go! Time for another mini-reviews with the two most recent big movies that just so happens to have the word “Empire” in their titles for some reason!

These two movies are two similar beasts but with one being executed way better than the other. The main reason for that is that one is at least well aware how silly and dumb it really is while the other thinks it’s telling a deep and dark story when it’s really not. The former movie I’m referring to is Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire while the latter is Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

To start off with the newest Ghostbusters movie, are we ready to basically come to a conscious that Ghostbusters really didn’t need to be a franchise?! I’m not just talking about the iffy to inconsistent quality of the movies with only a banger animated show and IP licensed video game to speak highly off. It’s more of the fact that it seems as though Hollywood and even the “dedicated” fanbase of Ghostbusters seems to have forgotten whole hardly what made the original Ghostbusters work in the first place.

The reason the original Ghostbusters work is that it embraces it’s silly and bizarre premise fully and made for a funny mix of comedy/horror with a great cast to boost. It was about as well executed as it could have been that basically anything following that was just always going to look inferior by comparison. Ghostbusters II tried capturing that same lightning in a bottle and failed miserably. Ghostbusters (2016) came closer with its leading ladies having excellent chemistry with one another but fell apart towards the end with forced cameos and gags, a needless CGI heavy battle and one of the lamest bad guys in recent memory. Despite the lacking results of those two films, they were at least more than well aware that the strengths of Ghostbusters came from it’s compelling cast and sense of humor throughout.

Then came 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. While having a very talented cast and a solid first act to the picture, it got weighed down entirely by its overreliance of fan service and taking the material far too seriously than it should have been. It’s almost as if you made a higher budgeted episode of Stranger Things but just added Ghostbusters elements to it. It felt so off that it’s hard to imagine the iconic Ghostbusters song being played in that exact same universe.

While by no means an awful or unwatchable film, Afterlife seems like a far cry for certain fans out there that refuse to let go of their favorite child’s properties as adults and believe Ghostbusters was always meant to be taken as serious as the goddamn Batman. However, it did at least have a beating heart of it’s own and still felt bittersweet to have the whole film being in the hands of the son of Ivan Reitman himself, Jason Reitman.

Now enter Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, a film that takes all those elements that fell flat about it’s predecessor and increases it TEN FOLD! You got a tone that’s even more jarring and out of place than before, you have so many different characters and plot points that the film has no idea what to do with, the callbacks and references to the original are even more awkward and forced, and even the actual Frozen Empire that the title would suggest really doesn’t play a role until the last third of the movie.

The cast of old and new do the best with what they have, with Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, and Dan Aykroyd being the main standouts. And even if every scene with the original Ghostbusters looks as though it was shot as a commercial, they all still feel passionate about playing their iconic characters and will likely delight longtime fans of this franchise. Not to mention, Kumail Ali Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt are always welcome to see no matter what they are in. Thank goodness for this cast because if it weren’t for them, there would be very little to recommend about Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Maybe I’m just overly harsh because I’ve never been a diehard fan of Ghostbusters nor do I have really nostalgia towards it. Plus, maybe I still have PTSD over the INSUFFERABLE discourse of Ghostbusters (2016) (which is better than this movie, btw)! However, I think even die hard fans will have to admit that it might be time to let this franchise rest on the big screen. There’s plenty of different Ghostbusters medium that anyone can refer to as the definite Ghostbusters follow-up to the 1984 original. Whether it’s Ghostbusters II, the 2009 video game, 2016, Afterlife, and that The Real Ghostbusters animated series, I think the world has had their fill on this franchise.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire might be to date the worst movie in the franchise because it seems to completely forget what made Ghostbusters special in the first place. It’s not the ghostbusting, it’s not the lore, it’s not the nostalgia bait, and it’s CERTAINLY not the dark and gritty tone! It’s that special spark of an iconic cast of characters, it’s the right mix of horror and comedy, and it’s that perfect execution of its perfectly unique premise. No amount of expansion of lore or trying to repeat the same dance over and over again is going to replicate that. And unless Jason Reitman and company realize that and inspire to make another movie that captures that entirely, then perhaps it’s time to stop with the ghostbusting and let the legends live on in grace!

Now, for Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire! There are many negative points that I just mentioned with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire that can be applied to this. It has a plot that is nonsensical and overstuffed, it has human characters that are thinly written, it has plenty of sequences made to revoke the nostalgia for monster fans, and it perhaps takes itself more seriously than it should. However, Godzilla X Kong doesn’t work in spite of those glaring flaws, it works BECAUSE of them and is able to make the very best of them!

Yes, the story is just an excuse to get all the monsters in action but it’s able to deliver them when it counts the most and in just the right spots! Yes, the human characters are thinly written but they are carried by a likable and charismatic pair of actors that are able to make the best of them (Please put Dan Stevens in more stuff!)! Yes, there are plenty of callbacks and references but it all feels earn and feels evaluate the experience rather than hinder it. Yes, there are times where it tries to be emotional but it never goes too far with it to the point where it’s completely somber. To put it simply, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is able to make the best of these traditional tropes, even if it doesn’t break or evolve them in anyway!

The action with the monsters connected to Godzilla and King Kong is awesome, especially with a final showdown that plays like the Captain America: Civil War of kaiju movies! The VFX and special effects are mostly impressive, with all the monsters looking completely buyable with not much shots that will take you out of the experience completely. There are some solid moments of visual storytelling with King Kong and his tribe, even if there are certain dramatic beats that feel too obvious and don’t ring home as much as say the new Planet of the Apes reboot. And even their characters are quite thin, the cast do make the best work with what they have and help make the human drama and moments salvageable and sometimes even making them land.

If there is one weak spot, it’s that there are times where Godzilla feels like an afterthought in his own movie despite being the first name in the title of the movie. Godzilla is gone for long stretches of the second act while most of the focus is on Kong interacting with his own kind. It makes me wish we could have had similar scenes with Godzilla visiting his kind or seeing that certain point of view with her but that focus is never really a thing. It’s almost as if Adam Wingard wanted to make another King Kong movie and then another Godzilla vs King Kong movie but Warner Bros wouldn’t let him so he had no choice but to mesh those two films together.

And while I am someone that enjoys a handful of these recent monster verse movies, they aren’t really movies I go back to a ton, only catching up on them whenever it’s on television. I mostly only remember my theater experiences with them and not much else. Heck, I couldn’t tell you what happened in Godzilla vs Kong aside from the title characters brawling if I tried.

Also, in case you are wondering, it is not on the same level as Godzilla: Minus One but I don’t think that it’s trying to be. Minus One was trying to be a smart, human driven story of how society can recover after being affected by a deadly war with a new threat starting to emerge. It’s the kind of movie that even if you took Godzilla how of the picture, it would still work entirely. It was one of the few Godzilla movies that you could describe as being smart and deep but it also had a function brain in its head, knowing when to let the human drama play off along with delivering the stellar Godzilla action when it counts.

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire doesn’t try to be like Godzilla: Minus One. It doesn’t try to have a point to make or a message to deliver, it wants to deliver exactly on the “kids playing with monster figures” mindset and it succeeds completely. Whereas Godzilla: Minus One felt like a movie trying to win awards, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is a movie trying to sell tickets to dying movie theaters. It’s okay to enjoy a well made, cooked, and nutritious steak meal while also enjoying a delicious, messy Big Mac meal every once in a while.

While Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire doesn’t do much other than what it’s overall title suggests, it still does make for a fun time at the movies and a movie that is worthy of a discount price on a Tuesday. The action is cool, the special effects are a treat for the eyes, the cast are a lot of fun, and that final monster showdown brawl is certainly going to be one for the ages for monster fans everywhere. I could have used with more Godzilla in a movie and maybe a better attempt at breaking some of these common tropes with movies movie but for what it’s worth, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is simply a good enough monster movie that I enjoyed watching. Take of that as you will!

Studio Meddling Has Gotten Out of Control

AdamLeave a comment

Kung Fu Panda 4 released earlier this month worldwide for DreamWorks Animation and has just passed $300 million worldwide, projecting to earn somewhere between $550 and $600 million worldwide on a $85 million budget. If those projections turn out true, this will undoubtedly turn a profit for DreamWorks and could potentially see a Kung Fu Panda 5 being greenlighted sometime soon. And considering how little marketing the film have with only main trailer being released, that’s quite impressive.

However, the response the film has gotten to those who actually watched it has been quite all over the place. Although the film’s reception from critics and mainstream audience seems to be generally positive, it has gotten a very mixed response from the fans of the franchise. Some saw Kung Fu Panda 4 as another solid entry to the series while others, such as yours truly, found it very underwhelming.

Most of the criticism of Kung Fu Panda 4 mostly revolved around elements that fans felt didn’t fit with what the Kung Fu Panda franchise normally stands for. Things such as feeling too inconsequential, relying too much on watered down humor, introducing characters and plot points that are barely explored, fan favorite characters such as Tai Lung and The Furious Five being sidelined or written out, and not pushing the series forward in any meaningful way. When watching the film, it’s easy to get the impressions that it felt like a mix mash of multiple different visions crammed into one, leaving the end product feeling rushed and unfocused as a result. And if a recent Q&A section with Stephanie Ma Stine is anything to go by, those impressions would turn out to be true.

In case anyone doesn’t know, Stephanie Ma Stine is the co-director of Kung Fu Panda 4. She’s co-directed the latest entry with Po alongside Mike Mitchell, who previously did Shrek Forever After and Trolls for DreamWorks. Stephanie is not a big name in the animation industry but has worked as a story artist on several things in that field such as the Big Hero 6 series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and Raya and the Last Dragon. Kung Fu Panda 4 happens to be her first credited directorial debut and perhaps the biggest project she has ever worked on. However, if you were to go by comments she said in her Q&A through Discord, you would be hard pressed to believe she was meant to be a co-director when it feels like she was anything but that.

I will leave links below to a video that showcased the full review on Discord along with notes taking from those that participated in that Q&A but I will go over some of the main points that Stephanie mentioned when answering questions from fans on Discord and how it goes into what this piece will be about.

So, if you watch that video or read through the talking points from @RickDaSquirrel that I just posted, it seems like Kung Fu Panda 4 went through quite a messy production. From the film’s lower budget to choosing a proper direction to conflicting with the overall tone of the story to constant changes in the script to multiple ideas that were suggested but scrapped completely. All of that and more might explain why it took eight years for DreamWorks to release a fourth installment for one of their top pole franchises. However, the main thing that has stuck to fans of the series was how shockingly ignored Stephanie Ma Stine’s role was in production despite being credited as the co-director.

If we are going by her own words, it seems like she brought a number of ideas to the table for Kung Fu Panda 4 along with wanting to go with a direction that likely would have aligned more of what folks wanted for the latest entry of Kung Fu Panda. These includes things such as Master Shifu having a much bigger role, Tai Lung’s return feeling more welcome, adding more emotion and weight to the story, the new characters of Zhen and The Chameleon being fleshed out more, and the most noteworthy component, wanting to reign closer to the quality of Kung Fu Panda 1 and Kung Fu Panda 2, often regarded as the two best films in the series. However, none of those things came to pass because poor Stephanie was dismissed as a “nobody” by the crew, despite being credited as the co-director of Kung Fu Panda 4.

Instead the movie that we got in theaters more aligned with what other co-director Mike Mitchell was wanting for the film. He was given complete creative freedom by DreamWorks and because of that, he chose to go in a more comedic direction for the picture and put the majority of the focus on the jokes and gags. So much so that Jack Black even referred to him as the “comedy guy”.

He also initially was against the idea of providing backstories to the new characters of Zhen and The Chameleon, with early versions including ZERO backstories for their characters whatsoever. Aside from possibly wanting to bring back The Furious Five in a big role (with the Q&A suggestion that there is a push for DreamWorks to make a spin-off with them), Kung Fu Panda 4 seems to be much more of the movie that Mike Mitchell wanted to make rather than Stephanie Ma Stine.

To make this clear, I do NOT think what Stephanie said in her Q&A session was meant to be a hit on Mike Mitchell himself. I’m sure she enjoyed working with him and isn’t trying to put the full blame on him for fans that were disappointed in Kung Fu Panda 4. She was likely just trying to go into detail on the full process of making a film and the obstacles that everyone working on the film has to overcome throughout development in order to make it to the finish line right on time. She just wanted to be honest and share her experience working on Kung Fu Panda 4. While I’m sure I and many others appreciated that honesty from Stephanie, I believe that painted quite a picture on how movies are being made nowadays and how much of that development can be pointed at the studio executives.

Am I the only one who finds it crazy how despite being credited as a co-director, it seems as though the development for Kung Fu Panda 4 was completely one-sided with the film largely being 90% of Mike Mitchell’s vision and like 10% of Stephanie Ma Stine’s vision? You would think with a co-director duo, it would at least be a 50/50, with both sides coming together to find a way to make both of their visions jell together properly. When it comes to Kung Fu Panda 4, that didn’t’ seem to be the case whatsoever, feeling more like Stephanie Ma Stine took a backseat in the director’s chair to warming it for Mike Mitchell exactly.

I don’t know if this is because Mike Mitchell is a veteran director with a ton of experience in the animation industry, making him someone that the crew felt more compelled to listen to rather than a much less experienced Stephanie Ma Stine. I don’t know if it’s just because DreamWorks wanted to prove how diverse they are to everybody by giving a woman like Stephanie Ma Stine credit as co-director, despite her mostly being anything but that during development. I don’t know if it had to do with Stephanie not standing up for herself enough and/or Mike just not having her back enough. All I know is that even being credited as director of said film does NOT guarantee you releasing the film you actually wanted to make for the studio.

It’s just bizarre to me how not even literal directors of films nowadays can admit that the film that is being shown all around the world was really their actual film. Even when you are a directing duo or group, it’s largely just one person that is taking charge. Even when you are a solo director, it’s largely just the studio that decides what kind of film they want to make. This is not only the case with Kung Fu Panda 4 but with how most franchise installments are being made nowadays. So much so that it’s become progressively harder and harder to put the full blame of a failed product on a director when it’s likely the studio that is more at fault here. As much as fans who were disappointed in Kung Fu Panda 4 are putting the blame on Mike Mitchell, there’s likely a chance that not even he was happy with some of the end results of the movie himself.

Perhaps he wanted The Furious Five to play an actual role in the story, much like how he wants to make a Furious Five spin-off. Perhaps he wanted to bring back not just Tai Lung but also other notable foes such as Shen and Kai and have all three of them play a big role in the story and give them the Spider-Man: No Way Home treatment. Perhaps he wanted a bigger budget that would allow for those story elements to actually be a thing. Unfortunately, those are the kind of decisions that is not up to him as a director but the studios of DreamWorks themselves. After all, they are the ones in charge of the budget and they are the ones to give the thumbs up on whether or not a finished film is even remotely releasable. When taking all those factors into considerations, can you always blame the director for when a big film turns out bad or the studio that told them that the big finished film is perfectly fine and it’s good for release?

If there’s one thing that is a miracle about Kung Fu Panda 4, it’s that it somehow didn’t turn up worse than it actually was. While I gave it a two out of four stars in my review, there were plenty of redeemable qualities to it such as the nice animation, solid fight scenes, and a commendable voice cast all around. Unfortunately, it was the script and direction that brought down the entire movie, the two elements which seems to be the biggest problem with development. The fact that was a struggle practically put this movie in peril from day one.

The reason I felt compelled to make this piece is to give viewers the heads up next time a big film comes out that turns out to be disappointing for you. Don’t just put the full blame on the directors of the picture but more point the fingers at the studio who gave them permission to release the film the way that they intended. With Kung Fu Panda 4, you would assume that the project was both Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine at the same time but it really wasn’t. It was either fully Mike Mitchell’s baby or fully DreamWorks’ baby but it really didn’t seem to be Stephanie Ma Stine’s baby.

While I’m sure she steered up controversy that she really didn’t intend to, I do thank Stephane Ma Stine for taking the time during her Q&A session to explain the process of making Kung Fu Panda 4. I think it gave plenty of folks good insight to making a film and how it’s not always about what you want your film to be but what everyone else around you wants it to be as well. Even if it’s not entirely what you want, it’s still a business at the end of the day.

I really hope that if a Kung Fu Panda 5 does happen, that Stephanie Ma Stine is giving much more control next time around along with bringing back Jennifer Yuh Nelson, story head of Kung Fu Panda, director of Kung Fu Panda 2, and co-director of Kung Fu Panda 3. I strongly believe if those two ladies are giving the shot to work together on the next one and are able to let their ideas blossom, it could be another triumph in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, up there with the first two films.

Even so, I do wish the very best for Stephanie Ma Stine and the other animators at DreamWorks who were recently laid off from the company. I do hope that the studio meddling of KP4 and recent staffing cuts doesn’t stop any of them for wanting to pursue greater talents and I strongly hope they are given better chances to display their talents in the future.

Why Not Taking Risks Will Kill The Marvel Cinematic Universe

AdamLeave a comment

Recently, an infamous source within the entertainment industry named DanielRPK confirmed what he has heard from the inside regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To answer to the underwhelming MCU box office slate of 2023 (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 aside), Bob Iger is looking to not taking as much risks with Marvel as before and is only looking to greenlighting movies that are a guarantee profit based off the names of the characters alone. That means that rumored sequels such as Eternals 2 and Captain Marvel 3 are no longer in development due to how disappointing they were at the box office. Instead, only guarantee recent successes, most likely films such as Shang-Chi 2 and Doctor Strange 3, will be given the most focus on in the future. This statement has led to many different opinions online and I might as well throw my two cents in there.

First off, we can’t even pretend to know what is going on from behind the scenes at Marvel Studios. Just because one entertainment source says something is happening does not actually mean it is indeed happening. The only way to know what is going on for ourselves is if we actually work at Marvel Studios, which I’m willing to bet that 99.99% of folks that are reading this piece are NOT. Or of course, if someone who works at Marvel explains the process of how a certain movie or show got made in an interview. Which again, I’m willing to bet that will NOT happen after uploading this piece. That being said, if these statements are accurate, that leaves me with nothing but dread for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If Iger’s response to the critical and financial disappointment to the MCU slate of 2023 along with a handful of content from 2021 and onwards is to take less risks, then he clearly forgot why the MCU became special in the first place. Marvel Studios didn’t become what it was due to cranking out content left and right from characters the mainstream audiences were already familiar with, they became what they were because they were FORCED to make content based off of characters that only hardcore comic book fans were familiar with. Because they didn’t have the rights to already proven mainstream hit superhero IPs such as Spider-Man and X-Men, that made them make films and shows based off of non-tested properties such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, and of course leading it all to The Avengers.

When looking back on it, Marvel Studios NOT having the rights to Spider-Man and X-Men from the beginning is the best possible thing that could have happened to them. Because they were forced to sell off those properties in the past to avoid going bankrupt, that meant they had to make films constructed around characters that never had a feature length film before. Yes, they had The Incredible Hulk who already had his own film and they would eventually partner with Sony to deliver Spider-Man movies as part of that universe but for the most part, the characters that made the MCU what it has since 2008 was NOT because it revolved around characters folks were familiar with, they revolved around characters which folks were NOT familiar with. And even today, the MCU is only better off for it.

Here is one counter argument I could see in regards to Iger’s direction for Marvel being more based around familiar characters instead of not so familiar ones. When a franchise is in a slump, it is wise to have a safety net of some sort. What I mean by that is it is best to have projects in the work that will have folks at least curious about and be good enough financial wise to at least to break even. In hindsight, it’s understandable to have another Doctor Strange, Thor, and Black Panther movie in the works because their prior movies were all considered to be profitable for Disney and Marvel. However, you need some fresh blood thrown in there, characters which audiences are not familiar with or at least haven’t been for quite some time. If you don’t, then not only does it expose the fact that you no longer have any tricks underneath your sleeve but that you also don’t trust your audience with something new. And that’s what hurts most of all, not having faith in your audience.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe would not be where it is today if they did not take risks. If they didn’t take a shot introducing characters that were not well known to mainstream audiences, they would never be as big or expansive as they are now. Rebooting Spider-Man and X-Men ten different times would not have gotten to where they are today. Otherwise, they would have likely been hitting brick wall after brick wall as DC and Warner Bros have constantly throughout the 21st century, constantly relying on Batman to get them out of certain slumps. If Iger and company thinks that mentality will get them out of their funk they are in, then he is delusional.

The bigger question here is that what if relying on familiar names does NOT work out in the long run with its current slate of movies. What if Deadpool & Wolverine does NOT become the billion dollar summer blockbuster juggernaut folks are claiming it would be? What if current events and production problems bring Captain America: Brave New World down at the box office? What if Blade and Fantastic Four aren’t the “familiar but not so familiar” brand hits that Disney and Marvel are hoping they will be? Most importantly, what if bringing back Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire for Avengers 5: and Secret Wars isn’t enough to make that even as close to profitable as the other four Avengers movies? If any of those unfortunate scenarios happens, that could be a sign that not only did refusing to take risks didn’t help your brand, it might have straight up KILLED it.

When thinking about it for the past few days, I can understand perfectly why Bob Iger wants to play it safe for the time being. It’s best to get audiences who stopped caring about Marvel superheroes back in the theaters with the remaining familiar characters they already know and like before taking other major leaps forward. However, I can only hope that’s not the ONLY strategy they have going forward. I do hope though that if the upcoming movies I just mentioned are profitable enough that it will inspire them to continue taking risks and introduce fresh new faces to the MCU roster. It’s only if they do that and do it successfully will the MCU continue to grow and expand, even 16 years later.

I’ve said in the past that as I get older, I’ve grown more welcome to having films take chances even if they don’t completely work out rather than constantly having films that play it safe all the way through with no risks being taken. And with the way PLENTY of big movies performed at the box office last year, I don’t think I’m alone there. The audiences WANT fresh and new takes on familiar material, not stale retreads that are scared of offending their audience. That’s why a film like Dune: Part Two has received massive praise and will have success at the box office while a film like Kung Panda 4 has underperformed critically and potentially at the box office. Audiences are NOT stupid and will accept new things done to things they love if it’s done well.

I can only hope these statements from Iger about the direction of Marvel are ONLY for the time being and NOT something they plan to thrive on for foreseeable future of superhero content. If that is the case, then it’s clear that Iger has forgotten completely why the MCU has been successful over the years and just thinks this plan will guarantee him easy, quick money. Well, *in Ron Howard’s voice*, it will not. And I sure hope he realizes that because if not, he would have killed the entire thing that he helped create.

It’s in your hands now, the merc with the mouth!

Ranking The 2024 Best Picture Nominations

AdamLeave a comment

Another year, another handful of Best Picture nominees to talk about. This year, the Oscars just so happens to take place on my least favorite day of the year aside from my birthday, Daylight Savings time! I find it bizarre how year after year the Academy Awards keeps flip flopping the date of which the Oscars happen. One year, it’s February. The next year, it’s late March. And the year after that, it’s early March. I don’t understand all of that one bit but whatever.

Just like the last couple of years, there are ten total best picture nominations to talk about and rank. I won’t lie, my opinion might be controversial because I don’t I was as over the moon with some of these as most others were. Part of that might be due to personal preference and/or rewatch value but be warned in case your favorites of the nominees didn’t make it high on my list. But anyways, let’s get on it with it and rank the ten best picture nominations from best to worst.

10.) Poor Things

Every year, you have to have at least one movie on the best picture nominations that you acknowledge is very well made and acted but you didn’t care for it whatsoever. That so happens to be Poor Things for me. Yes, the productions values are great! Yes, Emma Stone is as fabulous as ever! And yes, there are a handful of funny moments and unique shots here and there! But, that still doesn’t change the fact that this feels like a porno than an actual movie with a bloated runtime and an artistic vision that comes across as more pretentious than as a real, honest voice from behind the camera. Maybe I’m just not a Yorgos Lanthimos fan as he has yet to make a film that impressed me but Poor Things is the kind of Oscar bait getting nominated that absolutely annoys me. Try filling up that flash with substance next time Yorgos! Only then that I might be on your side!

9.) Maestro

And speaking of well made films that did absolutely nothing for me, Maestro is one that left me feeling cold. The makeup and cinematography are great and the actors do a fine job in their roles but I don’t think this movies does a very good job on giving you an indication as to who Leonard Bernstein is. He doesn’t seem all that different from any other musicians out there and for a movie that suppose to show otherwise, I feel like I would give more info about them by just looking up his Wikipedia page. Not the worst biopic ever but one that left plenty to be desired for me. And if Bradley Cooper really does win for best actor, this will surely be his “Leonardo DiCaprio winning an Oscar for The Revenant” moment! And no, that is NOT a compliment!

8.) The Zone of Interest

This is far in a way the most experimental film of all the best picture nominations. The Zone of Interest tells the story of Rudolf Hoss and his wife and their desire to build the ultimate dream life for themselves and their family. However, Jonathan Glazer just to tells this story in a rather steady pace, trying to get every lasting moment of getting you suck into the film’s atmosphere and get a clear glance of how crystal clear everything in the film looks. There is admirable ambition to be found here but I still can’t help but feel like it would have worked better as a short film than as a feature length film. The fact it takes about three full minutes for even the first shot of the movie to be seen really sets the vibe of the entire picture. While experimental and unconventional, The Zone of Interest is a film that will surely test your patience and it’s only if you feel like it is worthwhile by the end of it which will determine your perspective on it.

7.) American Fiction

Here’s a film about a black author that is under more pressure than ever to make his stories more “black heavy” to make it stand out for his publishers and other authors out there. American Fiction goes into great insight about how mainstream media can’t seem to make black art without involving the negative stereotypes and racism surrounding black folks. Led by a commendable performance from Jeffrey Wright, this is a tight, witty, and thoroughly entertaining drama that dives deep into its subject matter without being completely one sided about it. If it could have stuck the landing a little better, then it would probably be even higher on the list, While I don’t see American Fiction making too much noise at the Oscars, I do hope it encourages studios to make more drama comedy films like and give Jeffrey Wright more recognition for being one of the very best actors working today.

6.) Anatomy of a Fall

The tagline of Anatomy of a Fall is “Did she do it?” I would make a joke review by saying, “I don’t know about you all but I do think she did it” but the film itself is able to be about more than simply that ringing question that is constantly hear throughout the film. This is quite an intriguing mystery that is filled with constant ambiguity and tension throughout that allows for multiple different perspectives from each of the characters involved, so much so that you will likely find yourself switching sides throughout the entire film. I do wish the first half of the film was more interesting and it had 15 to 20 minutes trimmed out but Anatomy of a Fall does make for interesting and accessible film that those that love a good mix of comedy, drama, and mystery.

5.) Barbie

The highest grossing film of the year is also in the top half of best picture nominees! What easily could have been a by-the-numbers flick for little girls that would have been better off going straight to streaming, Greta Gerwig decides to go beyond that and craft a film about traditional gender roles, identity, and why there should be a proper balance between the matriarchy and patriarchy. Barbie is as clever, funny, and creative as you could expected given the talent involved, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling being a match made in heaven as Barbie and Ken respectively. The world-building is as strong as it could possibly be with a movie surrounding a toy brand that everyone is aware off, each cast member are clearly having the time of their lives, the soundtrack is one you are likely gonna have stuck in your head as soon as you leave the theater, and it feels so refreshing to see a new summer blockbuster that seems to have to same love and passion it does from both in front and behind the camera. It doesn’t all work 100% and there will certainly be plenty of folks that will take issue with the way it handles it’s themes and messages but for the most part, Greta Gerwig is able to make lightning strike a third time in a row and has made herself a new name to look out for. If you’re a woman, you probably already saw this movie and love it. And heck, even if you are a man, watch it yourself and you’ll probably have a good time as well!

4.) Killers of the Flower Moon

It seems like an unwritten role that every new Martin Scorsese film is a lock-in for a best picture nominee but man, does the man keep deserving that honor. Killers of the Flower Moon is once again a winner from the great Martin Scorsese himself. It’s an exceptionally well crafted and brilliantly acted picture that goes to show why Martin might just be the best when it comes to making these kind of period pieces. It’s as every bit of gripping, emotional, and impeccable as you heard, the 3.5 hour longtime while excessive is put to good use, and it’s another reminder why films like this are worth experiencing on the biggest of screens possible. And Lily Gladstone MORE than deserves that Oscar for Best Supporting Actress! It may not be his very best but it’s certainly a film that will leave an impact on you, one way or the other. As we reach Scorsese’s final chapter of his 80-year old life, this plays out as the proper beginning of the end of one of our finest filmmakers who has ever lived. As if we are starting to enter the final chapter of his filmmaking career. Because of that, it’s best to enjoy Scorsese pictures as much as we can while the man is still breathing! Let’s do that and STOP asking the man of his opinions on Marvel movies! Please and thank you!

3.) The Holdovers

While I certainly enjoyed The Holdovers on my first viewing, it VASTLY improved on me on my second viewing. So much so that this isn’t just one of the best films of the nominations, it’s one of the best films of 2023 period! This is a beautiful and heartfelt Christmas drama filled with engaging and lived in characters, a tremendous screenplay, spot-on direction, and great performances from the entire cast. As great as Cillian Murphy was in Oppenheimer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paul Giamatti pull up the upset and take home the Oscar for best actor himself. Anything to see him spotted again at a fast food restaurant with an reward in his hand. In all seriousness, The Holdovers is a genuinely excellent film that will resonate with you the more you think about it and watch it. It’s not just a film you will feel eager to watch every Christmas, but also one to watch for someone that don’t feel loved or appreciated enough in their regular lives. To those people, I can see this film feeling like one big warm hug. The fact this is only #3 on this list just says more about how superb the next two films are.

2.) Past Lives

Past Lives makes for a beautiful and touching tale about two friends, separated as children, being reunited as they confront destiny, their love for one another, and the choices they have made throughout the entire life. It’s a deep exploration of the connections we have with ourselves and the ones we care about along with our struggles that helps us define who we are. It’s about two dear friends that went their separate ways but might have an urge to try to relief the good old days in the here and now. It’s perfectly directed, beautifully acted, thematically relevant, emotionally engaging, and uses it’s slow-burn pacing to it’s absolute full potential. It’s a film where it’s ideas within the narrative are executed about as perfect as it could get. Even in an age where certain folks seem to decry the idea of films having important messages because movies just aren’t suppose to have that now for some reason, Past Lives is a reminder why we need films like that. We need films that teaches us the true meaning of life and why we shouldn’t take it or the ones we love for granted. Give Greta Lee the Oscar right now!

1.) Oppenheimer

If were going by pure objective quality, this would probably also qualify as the very best film of the year for me and not just strictly the best of the nominees. Oppenheimer is yet another masterfully made and directed film by the great Christopher Nolan himself, perhaps his biggest cinematic achievement to date. It’s able to tell exactly the kind of sprawling epic story that it aspires to be by acting as a character study first and a biopic second of the infamous man of J. Robert Oppenheimer himself. Every single member of it’s highly recognizable cast is able to completely disappear into their roles and captured their performances perfectly (RDJ better get that Oscar!), it does a great job of exploring the man of J. Robert Oppenheimer (played perfectly by Cillian Murphy) as not just “the destroyer of worlds” but as an impactful flawed man himself, the three hour runtime is put to near perfect use, the score is absolutely riveting and will haunt you in the best of ways, and is able to deliver fully on the theater experience in ways that no other filmmaker than Nolan can do. While it’s not quite my favorite film from Nolan (Inception and The Dark Knight will always be very hard to top for me!), this might just be his most important one to date, showcasing why he will always be a name to attract a mass audience with every film he releases! It’s currently the favorite one to win and if that’s the case, then it will be the second year in a row in which my favorite of the Best Picture nominees will take home Best Picture. It’s time for Nolan to get his due and he will greatly deserve it!

Ranking The Kung Fu Panda Movies

AdamLeave a comment

Kung Fu Panda 4 is now out in theaters and because of that, it’s time to rank all four films in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

This is a franchise that has always had a special place in my heart. I remember watching the original Kung Fu Panda in theaters and being utterly blown away about how good it was. It really gave you the notion as to why you shouldn’t judge a movie so harshly based off the premise alone. And while this franchise might have a different variation of quality in terms of movies and television shows, that core message still reigns true to this day.

I already did a marathon of the first three Kung Fu Panda movies and a review for Kung Fu Panda 4. I’ll put links to those at the end of the piece. But for now, here are my ranking of the four Kung Fu Panda movies we have gotten thus far.

4.) Kung Fu Panda 4

The worst Kung Fu Panda is unfortunately the one that just came out in theaters. Kung Fu Panda 4 feels like the kind of movie that people were expecting the original Kung Fu Panda to be before seeing it. Relying way too much on water down humor, barebone storytelling, and the most predictable outcomes for the characters imaginable, Kung Fu Panda 4 is a sign that perhaps that this franchise may have ran out of creative gas. Also, The Furious Five being written out to make room for the new player in Zhen certainly doesn’t help either.

For those that come to these movies for the action and some laughs, you might get your money’s worth. It’s competently made with great animation, enjoyable fight scenes, and solid voice work throughout but the clever storytelling and engaging resonate themes that have been a staple for this series is just not there this time around. There are moments where it feels like it’s going to get there and makes this stand proudly with the other three films but it instead chooses to take the quick and easy path every step of the way, which is not how the series was up to this point. It’s odd how for a movie that claims to be about change, Kung Fu Panda 4 does very little of that to the overall narrative of the franchise.

3.) Kung Fu Panda 3

Kung Fu Panda 3 is a film that is easy to dismiss when looking at it on the surface. From its familiar plot beats to its toned down humor, it almost feels as if it’s falling into the traps that the franchise has avoided up to this point. However, with seeing how Po’s journey concludes by the end of the movie and at the end of this trilogy, there is something to chew upon greatly here. It really feels like Po has fully 100% lived up to the Dragon Warrior name, just as Oogway hoped he would the moment he chose him.

Yeah, it’s a step down from the first two movies but I mean that in a respectful way. It still has the same heart and resonate themes that the first two movies have and it’s ultimately cool to see where Po basically was given birth at. Kung Fu Panda 3 is to the first three Kung Fu Panda movies what Return of the Jedi is to the original Star Wars trilogy, a solid B+ wrap-up/follow-up to its A++ predecessors. If this was the true ending to this series, it would certainly not be as definite as other series finales but it would have been satisfying all the same.

2.) Kung Fu Panda

If there is one movie out there that is basically the textbook definition of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!”, that would be Kung Fu Panda. On paper, this sounds like the dumbest idea ever. A big fat panda voiced by Jack Black learning Kung Fu?! That feels like an idea that came from the same person that thought The Emoji Movie would be a great hit! However, once the movie came out during the summer of 2008, we all could not have been wrong about Kung Fu Panda. This is a movie that is greater, smarter, and more interesting than it has any right to be.

It’s able to use that “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” mindset that not only acts what most folks thought of Kung Fu Panda when watching it but use that as the central theme throughout the film. And it’s that theme that makes for the perfect way to tell the story of the main character of Po, the titled panda that learns kung fu. We also got terrific animation, superb fight sequences, a wonderful supporting cast of characters, a riveting musical score and amazing character development all the way through. It’s those exact reasons and much more that makes Kung Fu Panda as good as it is and one that stands strongly as one of DreamWork’s absolute best.

1.) Kung Fu Panda 2

Was there every any doubt? Kung Fu Panda 2 is not only as good as the original Kung Fu Panda, it’s even better. It does EVERYTHING you want a sequel to do. It takes the characters into exciting and new directions, it expands upon it’s story and lore in the most logically way possible, the action and animation are taken to the next level, the villain of Lord Shen is given more focus and is used perfectly, and it’s able to act as the best possible next step for the journey of Po as oppose to do just retreating steps from his first go around. Also, the scene where Po discovers inner peace is the series true definite moment up to this point!

As much as folks were doubtful that the first film could work at all given it’s bizarre premise, I believe there was even more doubt that a sequel could work in any way, shape, or form. Clearly the first movie have to be a magical fluke and there’s no way DreamWorks could make lightning strike twice, right?! Right?! Welp, you would be wrong once again! Kung Fu Panda 2 is not only the best Kung Fu Panda movie thus far but it’s arguably the best DreamWorks movie to date and possibly one of the best film sequels ever made period. It’s so good that there’s a good argument to be made that this is where the series officially peaked.

There’s my list. Feel free to share me yours!

And here are links to my Kung Fu Panda retrospectives and reviews!

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) Movie Review- Not Enough Skadoosh

Adam1 Comment

If there’s one thing that stuck with me throughout my viewing of Kung Fu Panda 4, it’s how the movie kept reminding me why the initial idea of Kung Fu Panda was mocked to begin with. That premise alone gives the indication that a panda voiced by Jack Black learning kung fu would basically play out as just being a typical slapstick comedy with dumbed down humor made for the littlest of kids, paint-by-numbers storytelling, and the most predictable reveals and morals imaginable. However, the greatest thing about the Kung Fu Panda movies up to this point is how it takes those “judging a book by it’s cover” expectations and cleverly subverted it into something better, smarter, and greater than it had any right to be. While I’m sure there were intentions of that for this latest installment with the Skaddoshinator (I promise that is the only time I will say that!), Kung Fu Panda 4 is basically the exact kind of movie we thought we were getting from this series from the very beginning.

The idea of a Kung Panda 4 was certainly not one that felt necessary but there were plenty of ways that another entry could work. While Kung Fu Panda 3 did bring a satisfying conclusion to Po arc’s in becoming the Dragon Warrior that he had always dreamed of, there was never a feeling throughout the third movie that it was the absolute endgame for the series. A third movie could be a fine stopping point but there was definitely another train coming along the way if anyone wanted to take it. And DreamWorks decided to take that train with Kung Fu Panda 4. I only wish they found an actual reason to want to hop aboard it.

Premise: Time has passed since Kung Fu Panda 3 and Po (Jack Black) finds himself on his last remaining days as The Dragon Warrior. Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is ready to promote his panda apprentice to being the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, the highest ranking of all kung fu mastery. Before he does that, Po must choose a worthy successor to take the mantle of The Dragon Warrior.

However, a new deadly foe has emerged with a new shapeshifting sorceress known as The Chameleon (Viola Davis). The Chameleon is someone that has had her own ambitions of wanting to learn kung fu but never got the proper respect to be able to learn it. Because of that, she wants to take matters into her own hands and copy the kung fu from other notable warriors in the series rose gallery such as Tai Lung (Ian Mcshane), Shen, and Kai to become the kung fu warrior she has always inspired to be.

With the Furious Five not being available due to going on their own personal missions and Shifu supposedly aging, it’s up to Po to stop The Chameleon. However, he can’t find the sinister lizard without the aid of a wanted fox thief named Zhen (Awkwafina), who supposedly knows The Chameleon’s location and promises Po she can lead him right to her front door. Po and Zhen go on a journey together to put the new villain out of commission, where the former comes to the realization this might be his final adventure with The Dragon Warrior title and the latter wondering what side she’s actually fighting for.

Oh, and also Po’s two dads, Mr. Ping (James Hong) and Li Shan (Bryan Cranston), follow their son without him knowing because they are so worried that their son, who had already beaten the biggest named opponents out there up to this point, can’t handle a fight against this newest opponent for some reason.

When reading through that plot synopsis, it basically gives you the indication of where Kung Fu Panda 4 head is at every step of the way. Yes, Po has to learn to take his next step in life. Yes, he realizes he has a lot in common with his new wolf companion and new lizard foe than he initially thought. Yes, he has to learn the true meaning of change. And yes, who Po chooses to be the next Dragon Warrior is obvious the moment that character arrives on screen. However, whereas prior Kung Fu Panda movies were able to take familiar stories and add enough layers to it to make them stand out as fresh and unique tales, the plot of Kung Fu Panda 4 can be read like a book that you predict the expected beats five to ten pages in advance.

As I stated in the plot summary, The Furious Five are nowhere to be seen throughout the main film. Yes, there is an explanation given of their absence in an (admittedly) nice 2D animated sequence and they do show up right when the credits start to roll, but they have no presence in the story whatsoever. Whether this was because they wanted to put the spotlight on the new characters or the fact that the studios couldn’t afford to have Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, and crew return due to the film’s shockingly low budget is beyond me but fans who were hoping to see them in action in this one will be severely disappointed.

The newest player this time around is Zhen, played by Awkwafina. On paper, this casting make sense. The crew clearly wanted to hire a celebrity actress that has the same range of comedic chops as Jack Black provides to the titled panda himself. However, the reason why Jack Black has always been perfect as the character is how he is able to perfectly mirror the appearance of a fat comedic panda while still nailing the dramatic beats when needed.

Zhen doesn’t have that same gesture as she is just as feisty, parkour, and can handle herself in action as much as Po or even Tigress can. She basically plays out exactly how other characters voiced by Awkwafina have with nothing new added. She is yet another side character that’s snarky, wise-cracking, and might just have a heart of gold underneath. It’s not that the character herself is inherently bad but she’s not interesting enough to warrant having other characters being purposely written out just to make room for her. Zhen is mostly just your average “grey” character and doesn’t offer much to the Kung Fu Panda universe that other better characters in the series haven’t provided.

The main villain of The Chameleon does feel like more fitting character in concept but still feels like wasted potential. While she certainly has a resemblance to Kung Fu Panda 3‘s antagonist with Kai, with gaining the abilities of other notable kung fu warriors, her whole parallel with Po is the one aspect that Kung Fu Panda 4 provides that feels new and refreshing. Both of these characters were underestimated by society due solely to their appearances but went on to accomplish greater things. Whereas Po went on to become the greatest hero, The Chameleon went on to become the greatest villain. The perfect good guy/bad guy dynamic is right here and could be possibly the most compelling one in the series to date if enough time and care was given into it.

Unfortunately, just like with the most interesting ideas in the film, it doesn’t have much interest in exploring it. This matter is just addressed in a dialogue exchange or two and never is given much focus on beyond that. The character herself basically comes across as an excuse to revive other notable bad guys in the series in the hopes that would get more butt in seats.

It’s also strange how The Chameleon claims to have been denied of learning kung fu due to being “too small” despite one of the Furious Five members being Mantis, A.K.A. a literal grasshopper! I guess kung fu warriors are just as racist towards lizards as pandas.

When it comes to the returning antagonists of the series, Tai Lung is the only one that gets enough screen time to warrant being considered an actual role in the story. And by that, I mean he gets a decent action sequence and a couple of laughs and that’s basically it.

The other notable ones are just there for the sake of continuity and nostalgia, with Ian McShane the only one reprising his role. Not to mention, the scenes where Po is witnessing all of his foes in the same place but Tai Lung is the ONLY one that actually speaks is LAUGHABLY noticeable!

I don’t know if this was yet again done due to a lower budget or there was suppose to be an actual arc for Po’s first foe early on in development (which there really isn’t) but those who were hoping that the villains would get the Spider-Man: No Way Home treatment are destined for disappointment as well.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of Kung Fu Panda 4 is the way it handles the humor. If you are someone that felt that Kung Fu Panda 3 went too far with its slapstick humor, it’s unfortunately just like that here but even worse. There’s too many jokes that feel extremely forced and are just not funny at all. Too much of the humor feels like it’s only there to keep the toddlers entertained and not because it works in the heat of the moment for the characters. Yes, all of the Kung Fu Panda movies have plenty of humor but they always felt perfectly timed and made sense for the characters without feeling out of place.

With Kung Fu Panda 4, the jokes are nonstop and feel like they are only there because the writers couldn’t figure out how to keep the main story engaging so they just threw in some random jokes in the hopes that it would be good enough to push the whole thing forward. It’s like the worst kind of humor in Marvel movies increased ten fold. There’s only so many times where you can hear Po say skadoosh without it getting tiring real quick.

To gain to the more positive side, the animation is quite breathtaking, which is all the more impressive considering the film’s 85 million dollar budget. Everything looks bright and colorful, able to expand on the same art style from the previous three films while being able to modify it for this to be far in a way the best looking Kung Fu Panda film to date. All the locations of new and old are beautiful to look at, especially the scene with Po in the valley of peace. Even the distractingly out of place models for all the new characters (which feel like they came straight out of Zootopia) can’t take away from this film being a visual treat for the eye.

The action scenes themselves are as dynamic as you would hope for in a Kung Fu Panda movie. It still has that sense of choreography, rhythm, and pace that has always made the fight sequences in this series stand out as well as they do. I enjoyed some of the earlier bits of Po guarding the valley of peace along with the scenes involving him and Zhen fighting together or against each other. While I can’t think of a set piece here that holds a candle to the best ones in the previous three films such as the fights with Tai Lung and Shen or the one between Po and Shifu, along with wanting more lasting action in the climax, they do deliver when it counts the most.

The voice cast is able to do the best with what they have. Jack Black is as perfect here as Po as he always has been, clearly bringing so much love and passion to our favorite panda. Viola Davis gives a great and menacing voice performance as The Chameleon, making the character stand out more than the script will actually allow her. It’s neat to see Ke Huy Quan get a voice over role here for a character that feels like a mix between his characters from Loki and Everything Everywhere All At Once. Dustin Hoffman has shown age as much as the character of Shifu himself (Then again, the man is 86 years old!) but still fits the role like a glove all the same. Ian McShane seems excited to be back as Tai Lung, even if his role isn’t as big as I hoped it would be. Even James Hong and Bryan Cranston are able to get moments to shine in the film’s few funny moments as the two fathers of Po. And as I said before, Awkwafina as Zhen plays out exactly as you would expect a character voiced by Awkwafina to play out, so take that as you will.

I imagine there will be plenty of people reading this review that think I’m being too harsh and overly critical of a movie clearly designed for children. If you think that, that’s completely fine but Kung Fu Panda to me has always been much better than that.

The series’ greatest trick in the past was having you thinking it would play out like your stereotypical “critic proof” movies for kids but when you watch the movies themselves, there is something much more than that. Kung Fu Panda 4 feels more in line with what the series was originally thought of as being on the surface level, almost as if it was made by Illumination than DreamWorks.

For those that come to these movies for the action and some laughs, you might get your money’s worth. It’s competently made with solid animation, fight scenes, and voice work throughout but the clever storytelling and engaging resonate themes are just not there this time around.

There are moments where it feels like it’s going to get there and makes this stand proudly with the other three films but it instead chooses to take the quick and easy path every step of the way, which is not how the series was up to this point. It’s odd how for a movie that claims to be about change, it does very little of that to its overall status quo.

I don’t know if it had to do with a supposed rushed development, lower budget, or running out of creative gas but Kung Fu Panda 4 feels like it was only made to keep the franchise brand going and not because anyone had a unique enough story to tell for it.

If the series continues to stick to it’s initial six-movie arc plan that DreamWorks envisioned back in 2010, then they better find a way to spice things up for parts five and six if they want anything after Kung Fu Panda 3 to be worthy of existing.

As an animated film for kids, it’s passable at best. As a Kung Fu Panda movie, there’s just not enough skadoosh this time around.

Other comments:

  • Yes, Jack Black’s version of Baby One More Time is awesome and the biggest standout of the entire soundtrack.

  • There is actually a scene in the movie where Bryan Cranston has a little Walter White in him as Po’s biological father.

  • Who in a million years would have thought that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish would be by far the best DreamWorks sequel in recent memory and NOT Megamind 2 or Kung Panda 4?

  • Yes, I watched Megamind 2. It’s probably the most pointless sequel I’ve ever watched!

  • Oh and Mr. Beast makes a voice cameo in this one! That’s cool I guess!

  • Also, Po’s dads are so gay! Just saying!