Tag: movies

The Insane Development History Of Frozen 2

AdamLeave a comment

Moana 2 is soon to hit theaters just in time for Thanksgiving, like most Disney films around this time of year! This is an upcoming animated sequel that has been receiving it’s fair share of hype while also sharing it’s fair share of skepticism as well. The main reason for the latter is not only so much of Disney’s rather iffy track record with sequels but more of the development history that has been reported with Moana 2! That development history being about how the film was originally going to be a streaming series for Disney Plus until it was reworked to be a theatrical sequel, around nine months prior to release. Disney may deny publicly otherwise but this was clearly done in the response of last year’s Wish being a massive flop at the box office, leading them to release their next film on a familiar IP in the hopes of making quick bucks to make up for losing hundreds of millions of dollars of that failure! And if early projections says otherwise, they might get exactly what they were hoping for, with having potential to making Inside Out 2 level box office numbers worldwide!

As much as I am looking forward to Moana 2, I feel like I’m more interested of hearing what went on from behind the scenes that lead to the development state that it’s been in than I am of the actual film itself. Not only because of the recent horror stories about the development of big animated films such as Across the Spider-Verse, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Inside Out 2, but what we learned over the years about what happened to another recent Disney sequel with an insane development history. That film I am referring to is no other than Frozen 2!

Frozen 2 released around five years ago. Despite not getting the same amount of praise that the first movie did, it went out to become a MASSIVE box office success, grossing over 1.4 billion dollars worldwide, becoming one of the highest animated grossing films of all time, only passed by Disney’s own The Lion King (2019) (Yes, that technically counts!) and Pixar’s Inside Out 2. And while those successful numbers are quite crazy, I don’t think it was anywhere near as crazy than the reported development history from it. A reported development history that was confirmed by no other than the Disney Plus exclusive documentary of Frozen 2 titled, Into the Unknown. The documentary that basically straight up admitted that the entire film was basically being made up on the fly, with the entire cast and crew being crunched and rushed for time in order for the film to make it’s Holiday 2019 release slate.

Now, I know the big question that most folks likely have is how Frozen 2 could have been rushed exactly? After all, the first film came out in 2013, six years before the sequel and it was confirmed by Disney that a sequel was in the works in 2015. That would have at least been four to six years of development time in between each movie. Well, just because something was ANNOUNCED to being in the works does NOT mean that’s when the active development of the film started.

Before they could get around to Frozen 2, Disney Animation have to work on films that were already planned for release slates beforehand such as Zootopia, Moana, and Ralph Breaks The Internet. There was also having to deal with the mess involving John Lasseter being forced out of Disney and Pixar after sexual allegations came about him in 2017, forcing Jennifer Lee to take over as Disney’s CCO the following year in 2018 and up until this year, where she stepped down to focus solely on Frozen 3 & 4 and will now be succeeded by Jared Bush. Because of all that and likely more, I would imagine Frozen 2 didn’t start any actual development until either late 2017 or early 2018. And even then, that was likely only the pre-production, with the actual production not starting until even later than that.

One last element you have to keep in mind was that 2019 was originally set to be Bob Iger’s last year as CEO of Disney before he would step down and let someone else take over. Of course, we all know that plan completely fell apart so hard to the point that Iger had to come back to fix the mess that he inherited/created but before that, 2019 was suppose to be the swan song for his time at Disney, with Bob Chapek acting as his successor. Because of that, he wanted to go out with a complete bang if not for the audience but also all the higher ups and stockholders as Disney.

In 2019, Disney had an ABSURD slate of theatrically released films from their IPs they owned that were set to come out that year, many of which had potential to be billion dollar grossers. You had the Marvel Cinematic Universe which was set to end the Infinity Saga with the likes of Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. You had Star Wars that was set to end the Skywalker Saga with The Rise of Skywalker. You had Pixar releasing yet another installment of their most critically acclaimed franchise with Toy Story 4. You had the live-action (or not) remakes/adaptions of beloved Disney animated classics such as Aladdin and The Lion King. And of course, you also had Disney Animation themselves releasing their long-awaited sequel to one of their most successful films ever in Frozen 2. Because of that, Disney was able to end the pre-covid era of cinema with SEVEN billion dollar grossers that year, with every single one of these films that I’ve mentioned cracking at least one billion dollars worldwide. While not all of these were critical successes, they certainly were successes in the eyes of the higher ups and shareholders at Disney.

Once you take into the context of the sky high expectations that fans of the original Frozen had along with the Disney corporation demanding that the sequel be out by the Holidays of 2019, you likely get a sense that this was going to be a nightmare of a film to make with so much pressure in and out for everyone involved. And if the Into the Unknown documentary is anything to go by, that was exactly the case for Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, and everyone else making Frozen 2.

I’m not going to go into every single specific mentioned in this documentary but there are PLENTY of points worth bringing up in the form of cliff notes. I will also share a link at the end of this article with Schaffrillas Productions’s video about this exact documentary and even repeat a few points he stated during it. But here we go:

  • The crew didn’t fully know the plot or even premise of the film at the start and would only figure out major key things later on down the road.
  • They initially had no idea who the voice was that kept calling Elsa, with many conflicting opinions on who the voice was and what it was suppose to mean for Elsa.
  • Songs were written before knowing how they would play a role in the story.
  • Show Yourself languished in development hell and almost got cut from the movie entirely because of how vague it was and unsure what it was suppose to mean for Elsa and the audience.
  • Lost in Woods came together really well, with little to no issues making it.
  • By the time the first trailer came out, no animation had actually been completed for the film outside of the bits shown off in the trailer. This was literally just NINE months before Frozen 2 was set to premiere.
  • The very first test screening that took place in May 2019 gained very mixed reactions from the audience. While adults liked it, kids were very confused about it.
  • This led to numerous rewrites to make the movie clearer towards kids and to answer questions that the crew still didn’t really know the answer to.
  • Additional rewrites included scenes of extra comedy, most notably the stand out sequence where Olaf is recapping the events of the original Frozen.
  • The ending got changed constantly, with the crew only deciding that the voice would be Elsa’s mom just a FEW months before the movie was supposed to be released.
  • Tons of scenes and shots that had been worked on for months got thrown out entirely because they were considered to be too “boring” for younger audience.
  • The crew were constantly crunched throughout development, especially in the final few months For ex.) Editor Jeff Drahiem had to constantly wake up at 3 AM to clock in and work from 14 to 15 hours a day during the final stretch of development to make sure the film got done on time.

So, yeah! I think you can understand why the reported development history of Frozen 2 was just INSANE! What makes it even more insane is how Disney had the audacity to release a full documentary of this, where the cast and crew are being as directly honest as they come with their experience of working on Frozen 2. What was likely treated as an absolute triumph with Disney patting themselves on the back for the movie turning out as we all it did instead basically explained entirely why the film turned out as uneven and all over the place as it did to many people that watched it.

And yet, none of that really mattered to Disney or even anyone working on Frozen 2 because the film turned to be a complete success anyway. It still made over a billion dollars, it still sold plenty of merchandise during the holiday season, the franchise is still moving forward with additional sequels, and Disney is still repeating the same song-and-dance routine they did back then and do this very day. The fact that the production was rushed and the crew was overworked to complete exhausting doesn’t matter at all. All that matters is that the movie made money and that’s the only thing that Disney cares about.

To make matters even worse is the fact that Disney did not learn their lesson at all from Frozen 2 and continues to double down on their mistakes to this very day. So much so that it’s not shocking in the year 2024 to hear stories about a big new animated film from ANY animation studio having a rushed and crunched development cycle! From Across the Spider-Verse to Wish to Kung Fu Panda 4 to Inside Out 2, animators are getting crunched and overworked beyond repair in this day-and-age with likely little to no extra aid or even remorse to go along with it. It’s all that and more of is what is leading the animation industry to go on strike in order to get the respect and fair payment that they deserved.

Which honestly makes me concern for how Moana 2 will turn out. While I’m sure the film will be as visually stunning as the original and the cast and crew will give it all their best efforts, I can’t help but feel like we are seeing yet another rushed development cycle for an upcoming Disney sequel, especially in the wakes of this originally starting as a Disney Plus series and only being announced that it was turning into a movie just NINE months before the film is set to release. Regardless of how the actual quality of the film turns out, I DREAD having to hear the behind the scene stories as to what everyone was put through in order for Moana 2 to meet it’s Thanksgiving 2024 release slate.

I will say one thing! After hearing about the development history for Frozen 2, it has given me a TON more respect towards animators and the people that worked on this film. They are all clearly giving it their all and trying their very best to make the best film they possibly can. It’s only the mega corporations and higher ups that keep giving them ridiculous deadlines that keep holding them back from realizing their full potential. I honestly think it’s because of them that the finished film actually turned out to be watchable and even mostly enjoyable. It just makes me wish they were able to get the proper amount of time they needed and a better work life balance which could have led Frozen 2 to be as much of a classic as the original was.

Now, we must all embrace ourselves for Moana 2 and the Disney Plus documentary for it that will to come out next spring, where we will discover that they couldn’t figure out who the main villain was suppose to be until the day before the actual premier of the film. I sure can’t wait to watch the Moana 2 documentary subtitled How Far I’ll Go about six months from now.

  • Seriously! Look at this poor man, he look so nervous!

Here’s the video from Schaffrillas Productions:

Streaming And Television Is Carrying The Superhero Genre

AdamLeave a comment

Venom: The Last Dance has just arrived in theaters and much like every other comic book film property released in 2024 that doesn’t star Mr. and Mrs. Blake Lively, it has massively underperformed critically and commercially. I was gonna do a review for it myself but I really couldn’t think of much to say that would make for a good review. It’s about as incoherent, disposable, and all over the place as the first two films except this time, it actually tries to have a deep and heartfelt story with emotional beats that doesn’t feel earn in the slightest. Also, Knull doesn’t do jacks*it in the movie and seemed to be saved for the future for…….whatever. Also, NO, there’s nothing in here that has potential set-up for Spider-Man 4 with Tom Holland that makes it worth watching. Unless you were actually a fan of the first two Venom films or have absolutely NOTHING to do at that moment, I don’t recommend this film whatsoever.

I do believe the worst part of Venom: The Last Dance is that it acts as a perfect reminder to how terrible of a year 2024 has been with comic book/superhero movies, possibly the worst year it has ever been in my life. Madame Web was a trainwreck with it’s only saving grace being it’s absurd amount of camp value and unintentional laughs throughout (Also, Sydney Sweeney!). Joker: Folie à Deux was an overlong and tedious slog that wanted to punish the audience for every caring about this iteration of Mr. J in the first place. The Crow was a competently made but ultimately pointless remake that didn’t do anywhere near enough to justify it’s existence. Hellboy: The Crooked Man was just……a thing that exists and nothing more. And while the year’s billion-dollar grossing blockbuster in Deadpool & Wolverine was a success in the eyes of Marvel fans and mainstream audiences, it really felt thematically empty and severely lacked the rewatch value that the first two Deadpool movies had once you got all the callbacks, easter eggs, and references. It’s really saying something that the actual best superhero film this year was The People’s Joker, an independent film that gave such a queer and punk rock take on Batman’s rose gallery of iconic villains, which tackled the kind of commentary and subtext that 99% of studios nowadays wouldn’t dare to greenlight.

To be fair, outside of Deadpool & Wolverine, I don’t think anyone had much faith in comic book films for 2024. I mean we were getting not one, not two, but THREE Sony related superhero movies that involved Spider-Man villains that no one asked for with ZERO Spider-Men to be found in it. The Crow and Hellboy: The Crooked Man were just newer versions of familiar comic book properties that just….existed without anyone really knowing. And The People’s Joker gained such a small theatrical released in theaters and film festival that it didn’t catch anyone’s attention until it hit digital. And considering the fact that James Gunn’s DC cinematic universe isn’t set to kick off in film form until next summer and the MCU will be back to releasing three films at a time next year, 2024 seemed to be as much of a filler year for superhero movies as it was for basically movies in general.

Many folks have claimed this is a sign of superhero fatigue, with the cast and crew of today’s superhero flicks no longer having any passion and mainstream audience no longer having any desire to watch them. I would take those words for it if it wasn’t for the superhero genre MASSIVELY evolving in the realm of streaming and television. If 2024 was a sign that superhero movies can no longer carry cinema, it should also be a sign that superhero shows and series can now carry streaming and television.

When it comes to Marvel, 2024 offered us Echo, Agatha: All Along, and X-Men 97. Echo was a complete mess in terms of pacing and structure but it did have an interesting dynamic with it’s two main leads in Maya Lopez and Wilson Fisk along with fight scenes and tone that perfectly resembled the beloved Marvel Netflix series that made it worth a watch. Agatha: All Along has been able to act as a proper follow-up to WandaVision while perfectly embracing it’s queer vibes and camp value that makes for the right watch at the right time of the season. And X-Men 97 was about a good of a revival as it could get, perfectly translating the traditional values and roots of X-Men into the modern times with beautiful animation, fun action sequences, and giving plenty of time for each cast member of the X-Men to sign. No offense to Deadpool & Wolverine and the two shows I just mentioned but I think most would agree that has been the best Marvel-related thing to come out in 2024, if not the best superhero-related thing.

When it comes to DC, 2024 gave us Kite Man: Hell Yeah, Batman: Caped Crusader, The Penguin, and a second season of My Adventures with Superman, with a fifth season of Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos set to arrive later this year. Kite Man: Hell Yeah made for a solid spin-off of Harley Quinn, fully utilizing it’s bizarre as hell premise to make it stand out for the better. Batman: Caped Crusader made for a nice reiteration of the beloved Batman: The Animated Series with a few modern tweaks to it, even if couldn’t escape the corrupted shadows of the series it’s clearly inspired by. My Adventures with Superman was able to carry the momentum of the first season, making it easily one of the best iterations of Superman in entertainment medium since Christopher Reeves. And The Penguin was able to be the perfect example on how to do a “grounded” superhero series correctly, with fantastic production values, intriguing world building, engaging characters and plot, a great central performance by Colin Farrell (who is still unrecognizable as Penguin) and a scene stealing turn by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, making for perhaps the best superhero property of 2024. While the quality of the newest season of Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos remains to be seen, I wouldn’t be surprised for these series to at least meet the quality of the majority of the successful DC shows thus far.

And of course, you also have to mention what is cooking over there at Amazon Prime, with Season 2 of Invincible and Season 4 of The Boys. Invincible Season 2 was able to deliver more of the same action, blood, and carnage that the first season had along with so much more. And while Season 4 of The Boys was intentionally controversial with politics that was COMPLETELY in-your-face, it was so bizarre, controversial, and in-your-face that you actually had to see it in order to believe it. And it was even able to predict the Trump assassination attempt before that even happened, which once again shows how disturbingly accurate that show is to real life.

There might be a show or two that I’ve missed but for the most part, that makes for the majority of superhero tv and streaming content released in 2024. While there are definitely some series that some like more than others, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that there have been more hits than misses in regards to superhero tv and streaming this year and that has been the kind of medium that has carried the superhero genre not just in 2024 but possibly the last couple of years.

Which once again begs the question as to whether or not the reason superhero movies are underperforming critically and finically right now really has to do with superhero fatigue or is it just because that is no longer the best medium in telling superhero stories with comic book characters? Fans of Marvel, DC, and Amazon seem to enjoy the majority of these shows with minimum fandom controversies involved in it and don’t seem to be worn out by the superhero genre that the media claims they are. I’m gonna go with it’s not so much superhero fatigue but more of a fatigue with mediocrity and repetition. Outside of a handful of exceptions, the 2020s era of superhero movies fits into that criteria and audience just no longer have any tolerance for it.

I don’t deny there has been a cultural shift in consuming products in entertainment since covid hit. Folks no longer have the time, money, or patience to see a film in theaters that will likely be dropped to digital just two weeks later. Yes, there are definitely exceptions but that’s all they are….EXCEPTIONS and NOT the main course. However, that doesn’t change the fact that recent shows and series with superhero and comic book properties have been able to make for the very best of the medium it is adapting, more so than the recent film adaptions. Because of that, it’s superhero television and streaming that has been getting the love and praise it deserves instead of the superhero movies.

There is a chance that this narrative could change in 2025 and beyond. Maybe James Gunn will be able to deliver the consistent and beloved cinematic universe for DC he has envisioned. Maybe Matt Reeves will be able to continue his own Batman crime saga with the strong quality of The Batman and The Penguin with The Batman: Part II, Part III, and whatever villain spin-offs await. Maybe the MCU will be able to close out the multiverse saga in good graces, sticking the landing to what has been quite a bumpy ride for the 2020s. And hopefully Sony will just give up on their dumb villain cinematic universe experiment and just stick with more Spider-Verse content for the immediate future. There are definitely plenty of cinematic projects in the works that can help turn things around for superhero movies.

However, as of right now, if you really want to see the best kind of modern superhero and comic book medium, look no further than streaming and television with any of the examples I just mentioned.

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) Spoilers- Unmasking The Clown

AdamLeave a comment

Joker: Folie à Deux is now out in theaters and you can say that everyone has (no pun intended) CLOWNED on this film over the past weekend! As the time of this writing, it has a 33% critically rating and a 30% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. PostTrak had audience giving it a 1/2 star rating in a survey, with only 24% of folks recommending the movie. It’s also the first ever comic book film to receive a D rating on Cinemascore (even Madame Web this year received a generous C+ rating). It’s quite baffling how just a month before we have to endure the most controversial election in America history, it’s a freaking Joker sequel of all things that actually managed to bring the country together for possibly the last time……ever. The critics don’t like it, the fans don’t like it, and not even the easy to please general movie going public seems to like it. There’s certainly a loud minority on Twitter that have singed their praise for it and it will no doubt receive the “reappraisal” substance a few years down the line but for the most part, Joker 2 is not being well liked by the majority of folks that have seen it.

What the hell happened here?! How is it that a sequel to a popular mainstream film that made a billion dollars and was nominated for a bunch of awards managed to misfire THIS badly both critically and (likely) financially?!

Even taken away the fact that Warner Bros NEVER attended for Joker to have a sequel or how Todd Phillips is the KING of making bad sequels (See The Hangover: Part II and III), there was potential for a Joker 2 to deliver. You had a bold (if not odd) direction to make it a musical, you had a masterful singer/growing actress in Lady Gaga as Harleen Quinzel, and it provided a chance to explore this world with the clown prince of crime in his early days of being the clown prince of crime in a way that no other Batman medium ever has. Unfortunately, it seemed like delivering ANY of those elements in a satisfying way was the LAST thing on Todd Phillips’s mind when making this sequel.

Before I start to (also no pun intended) unmask the clown in the room, I want you to close your eyes and imagine being Todd Phillips. You just made a movie that managed to be a genuine crowd pleaser that grossed a billion dollars and was nominated for a bunch of big awards, including the Academy Awards, A.K.A. the Oscars. Your career has initially skyrocketed as basically any studio is bounding to come knocking at your door in the hopes of securing you for their latest major IP. You have all the reasons in the world to bask in your own glory. You are at an all time high in your career, putting yourself on the map everywhere!

However, you have a certain group of folks that watched and loved Joker that seemed to have enjoyed it in a way that you didn’t attend for. Sure, it didn’t lead into a major uprising of incels and losers empowering themselves to become a threat to society like mainstream media predicted but there are many folks that seem to claim that the Joker was in fact intended to be a hero that was able to take matters into his own hands. They are in the mindset that he did NOTHING wrong in that film and all of his actions were COMPLETELY justified! And considering we are now living in a timeline to where there’s a DISTRUBING amount of praise for Nazis and Adolf Hitler, that has to be in the back of your mind with looking back at the success of your film.

Fast forward to the Oscars, while Joker was able to secure the awards for Best Actor and Best Score, it lost the Best Picture to Parasite. That in of itself causes a major portion of the fanbase you created to be OUTRAGED. Typing out angry tweets and making RANT videos about how the Academy Awards are rigged and Joker deserved to win over Parasite. Hell, even former president (at least at the moment) Donald Trump made a comment about how “odd” it was that a foreign film won Best Picture and he likely would have preferred for Joker to win (It was reported that he watched Joker and enjoyed it!). And of course, do I even need to mention this bizarre rant from infamous YouTuber Robert Storms about Parasite winning Best Picture over Joker.

So, you basically have two distinct ways which you could look back on the success of your film take on the clown prince of crime. You can either just be proud of the fact that it made a billion dollars, was nominated for a bunch of awards and won some, and that the majority of the (sane) public was able to enjoy it when it came out during the Fall of 2019. Or you can be embarrassed at the fact that so many folks took the “wrong” idea on how the Joker was portrayed in the film, being a major reason why the film received so much pre-release controversy, and made nothing but rage videos when it didn’t win for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Warner Bros comes up to you and confirms they want a Joker 2. Even if the original plan was for Joker to be a one-and-done kind of film, the success of that film was too massive that studio execs are demanding for a sequel. In the back of your mind, you really don’t want to do it because you originally signed up for just one. Not to mention, if a Joker 2 is even remotely successful as the first one, they will no doubt demand a Joker 3, 4, 5, along with a bunch of spin-offs that you will be stuck having to make for the rest of your life. You also don’t want to go through yet ANOTHER tiresome press tour, answering the same questions as to whether or not the Joker is “dangerous” to society and if certain folks are still getting the wrong idea from the character. At the same time, you don’t want someone else taking over because you will have a much higher salary than with any movie that you’ve made nor do you want to risk someone else “tainting” your masterpiece.

It’s then you decide, “Screw it! I’ll make another one!” Not because I HAVE it, but because it’s what literally EVERYONE else wants. However, I’m going to do EVERYTHING in my power to make sure I don’t go through the same experience as last time. I will NOT leave a cliffhanger for a Joker 3, I will make sure to have the entire plot centered around telling those certain folks they were wrong for liking Joker the way they did, I’ll make it a musical staring Lady Gaga just to stick it to does that HATE musicals, and best of all, I’ll make a film that undoes EVERYTHING the previous film established, that is guaranteed review bombings and low Rotten Tomatoes, just so there’s NO way the studios will ask me to come back for another one. That sounds like a plan!

I’ll get the highest salary of my career, I will make a film that spits in the face of those idiots that actually thought Joker was suppose to be the “good guy” in all of this, I will make sure to have the entire film build up to an ending which makes a Joker 3 or ANY other film in this universe impossible, and I will be FREE of having to do anymore of these movies. Who cares if it makes fans or critics angry? They are the ones that asked for it, even though you didn’t whatsoever. Because of that, let’s make this whole sequel THEIR problem too and make them feel stupid for even imagining a Joker 2 of any kind.

To be sure, I can’t say for certain this was the mindset that Todd Phillips had going into making Joker: Folie à Deux. Perhaps he did attended to make a genuine crowd pleaser that the mainstream audience would be “smart” enough to understand. However, when watching this dreaded sequel, you can’t help but wonder if Todd Phillips’s only motive for making this film is to tear everything down as punishment to those that enjoyed the original Joker the “wrong” way. To prove those claims, now it’s time to get into the major spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux.

*Warning! The rest of this articles contains MAJOR spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and/or don’t want anything spoilers, then you might want to click off the article right now! You have been warned!*

We started off with an odd animated sequence that feels like it was ripped straight out of The People’s Joker (A.K.A. the best Joker film and even best comic book film of 2024), which sees the Joker being impersonated by his shadow. It’s his shadow that takes his place to perform the singing number for a tv show and then abandons him on stage half-undressed, before three policemen arrive and beat the shit out of him. This opening in of itself sets the stages of what’s to come for Joker: Folie à Deux, highlighting the difference between the Joker and Arthur Fleck. And it also even foreshadows the most awful and disturbing scene in the film which we will get to later!

Once we get to real time, we revisit Arthur Fleck, who has been in custody at Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for the crimes he committed two years ago. His lawyer, Maryanne Stewart, seems to suggest that Arthur himself has dissociative identity disorder, which is basically a split personality. There’s the the normal, innocent Arthur Fleck side of him and there’s his evil, chaotic “Joker” side of him. She plans to argue to the judge that it was the “Joker” side of him that was responsible for committing the crimes he did and NOT Arthur Fleck himself.

Arthur meets another patient, Harleen Quinzel, or just strictly going by Lee, because this universe needs to be more serious and grim and the name “Harley Quinn” is too fun and jolly. Lee, much like a certain group of those that love the first film, felt empowered and inspired by what Arthur did in the previous film, while also looking up to him deeply. Much like Mr. Fleck, she grew up in the same neighborhood he did, had an abusive parent figure who died in a car crash, and went as far as to burn down her parents’ apartment building, which is what let her to be imprisoned at Arkham Asylum. She did all of those things just so she can one day meet her idol.

Lee wants to run away with Arthur, where the two can start a life together. Arthur, believing that he has finally found someone who loves him for what he is, wants to try and escape with here. Lee starts a fire to free the two of them from the prison but both are caught by the guards. While Arthur is put in solitary confinement, Lee has been released to avoid his influence. She promises to attend his trail and be there with him during his trial. All before they have the most awkward sex scene you have ever seen in your life, which makes you NOT want to look at the first officially released pic of Joker and Harley together EVER again!

*insert barf meme*

On the day of trial, Harvey Dent (who I completely forgot to mention in my review because of how irrelevant he is for the majority of it) calls witnesses to those dismiss Arthur’s claims of insanity, hoping this will leave to the death penalty for him when all is said and done (even though this film takes place in 1983 and the death penalty didn’t get reinstated in New York until 1995). With former co-worker Gary Puddles (who witnessed Arthur beat the death out of one of his co-workers) and neighbor Sophie Dumond (who was Arthur’s imaginary girlfriend in his hallucination) being brought forward to speak, Dent rest his case.

When getting back to Arthur’s relationship with Lee, his lawyer Maryanne reveals that she has lied to him quite a bit about her history. She was someone that grew up in the Upper East Side, NOT in Arthur’s neighborhood. Her father is a doctor and is still alive. Plus, she voluntarily committed herself at Arkham, checked herself out, and never burned down an apartment building. Because this is a film that is by design done to remove any sort of ambiguity from the first film, Lee tells Arthur that she lied to him because she wanted to get close to Arthur, hoping the two can one day be together. She also states that she’s pregnant and has moved into his old apartment building to create a home for them. Even though Lee literally JUST admitted to lying, Arthur believes her anyway and will make his best efforts for the two of them to be together by the end.

After going through uncomfortable sequences with Arthur getting brutally assaulted and prison raped by the guards (Yes, really!) and his friend Ricky being strangled to death for stepping up to them (Again, yes really!), Arthur reminisces about the aftermath of his actions in the first film, finally realizing all the terrible things he had done.

He killed people in cold blood, he led an army of supporters that were inspired by his Joker persona and not for his Arthur Fleck persona, there’s great many people in Gotham that want him dead, and worst of all, everyone now has the wrong idea of who Arthur Fleck is. He was able to be seen in the public eye the way he wanted but not in the way that he ever imagined. People still don’t like Arthur Fleck, they only like Joker.

In court the following day, during his closing argument, a devastated Arthur comes to terms with the fact that it was himself that was responsible for his actions, NOT his Joker half. In a statement that almost seems like Todd Phillips himself is directing a sincere apology and/or “F**k you!” to the audience of the first film, Arthur Fleck renounces his persona and takes full responsibility for his actions. There was never a “Joker” half of him, there is not even a Joker at all. It’s just Arthur Fleck himself, a sad, broken man with a tragic backstory and mental illness and NOTHING more!

At the exact moment that I imagined 90% of audience left the theaters, Lee storms out of the court room, enraged and disappointment. The Joker that she looked up to and worshiped doesn’t exist. This is NOT a movie which Lee and the audiences get to see Arthur Fleck be full Joker, this is a movie where they see the Joker in his cosplay make-up only, leaving just Arthur Fleck. The jury finds Arthur guilty of first-degree murder.

Out of nowhere, a car bomb explodes outside the courthouse, which injures and kills numerous attendees. In the process, it also scars HALF of Dent’s face, turning him into Two-Face supposedly. Two of Joker’s followers helps him escape from the courthouse. Once he regains his conscious, Arthur flees from the Joker supporters, realizing they only see him as Joker and not his actual self.

Arthur wanders through Gotham and makes way for his old apartment only to find Lee right outside of it. Arthur confesses that he’s ready to start a live with her but Lee rejects him. She admits that she only loved him as Joker and NOT as Arthur Fleck, stating exactly what the audience are feeling at that exact moment. She also claims that her pregnancy was another lie because……of course. As she leaves, the police apprehend Arthur and return him to Arkham.

It’s at this point where Arthur is basically right back where he started at the beginning of the film. The main difference is that he no longer has the Joker persona within himself. All of that love and support that Arthur got not as himself but as strictly Joker is all gone, leaving him sad, lonely, and broken once again.

As to add more salt to the wound, there’s a young patient that arrives, who Arthur has bumped into already a few times in the film (even kisses him at one point). He begins to tell him a joke, which is suppose to mirror the “joke” that he told Murray Franklin in the first film. And just like what happened during that moment when Arthur told his “joke” to Murray, the young patient tells Arthur that “YOU GET WHAT YOU F**KING DESERVE!” and proceeds to kill him. He stabs Arthur repeatedly in the stomach, leaving him to bleed to death. Just like that, Arthur basically got killed by his own original joke.

So the movie ends, and right before Arthur is 100% dead and one last song plays, the patent is seen in the background carving a smile on his own face while laughing hysterically. This moment is suppose to resembled Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight (Fyi, NO I do NOT think those films are connected with one another whatsoever!). Even if Arthur Fleck was never the Joker, that doesn’t change the fact that his now dead persona has inspirited others and will lead to actual Jokers in the future. Arthur Fleck himself may be gone but his infamous legacy of the Joker will continue on.

So, yeah! I think you can now understand entirely why this film seems to be pissing people off! Instead of doing the most logical thing a sequel can do which is basically take the character to their next step forward, give the audience more of the same things they enjoyed about the original, and throw in a few new elements for good measure, Joker: Folie à Deux is a film that basically refuses to meet any one of those expectations whatsoever.

It doesn’t want to take the character of Arthur Fleck in a new and proper direction, it doesn’t want to commit to being labeled as strictly a musical, courthouse drama, or love story between Harley and the Joker, it doesn’t want to see Joker being on the top of it’s game, and it doesn’t want to expand upon this version of Gotham City in any meaningful way. All Todd Phillips seems to want to do is to sit the fans and critics of his previous film down, lecture them about how wrong/right they were with how they reacted to the previous film, and have it led to a resolution that prevents the general public’s wants or needs for a Joker 3 to happen.

To be sure, these elements themselves COULD have worked. After all, we are living in a time where superhero movies need some extra variety to them if they are to continue to dominate Hollywood blockbusters. Not to mention, fandom in any form of media have become more toxic and hateful than ever before, almost feeling appropriate to annihilate the “wrong” kind of fans that this stuff way too seriously. The problem isn’t so much that it chooses to go against the grain, but so much the film doesn’t necessarily know what grain it is trying to go against. It claims to be trying to avoid all these tropes yet still commits to them whenever the film requires it.

It doesn’t want to have a Joker in his prime and the big man of crime at Gotham City yet they keep showing fantasy sequences which hint at what a prime Joker would look like in this universe. It doesn’t want to be label as a musical but there are plenty of musical numbers here and has the presence of Lady Gaga that warrants calling it a musical. It doesn’t want to be the standard sequel that folks would have expected for a Joker sequel but ends up following the same beats from the original film regardless, right down to having the titled character being right back where he started before he even became the Joker, only to then be killed off in an unsatisfying way.

This isn’t so much a film that’s trying to have the best of both worlds but achieve the WORST of both worlds. It’s a film that basically fails at failing. No matter what way you look at or examine it, Joker: Folie à Deux doesn’t work in any form of capacity because it’s not trying to work in any form of capacity. When you do that, that’s how you get a low 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest scored comic book film ever on Cinemascore, and a opening weekend that is looking to be on par with Morbius (only there will be no memes to save it this time).

Todd Phillips after this weekend!

To tell you the truth, for as bad as Joker: Folie à Deux is and deserving it is for all the hate it is getting, I can’t help but grimace about how much of a bomb it’s going to be at the box office. Not strictly because of the narratives of superhero fatigue and theaters dying along with this being Todd Phillips’s plan so Warner Bros don’t ask him back for a Joker 3 come Monday morning but more how studios will take the wrong lesson from the film’s mostly negative reception. That being that filmmakers should have less creative control on their projects and more creative influence should be given by fans and focus groups.

I am of course talking about the recent reports of studios constructing superfan focus groups to evaluate various projects for franchises to avoid severe online backlash. With toxic fandom being at an INCREDIBLY all time high, studios are now looking to be much more careful with constructing their latest installments for said franchises in the hopes that it doesn’t lead to review bombings on big movie sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, online harassment of it’s main cast and crew, and countless hate YouTube videos made by mostly alt-right grifters. Films like Joker: Folie à Deux are the kind of ones that would have likely played out INCREDIBLY different if these so-called superfan focus groups were able to contribute. I mean, there’s NO way in hell that these groups would have approved of Arthur being killed off by the supposed “real” Joker at the end of the movie.

Because of that, I can’t help but feel like Joker: Folie à Deux as being the beginning of the end of this current era of blockbusters we are living in. Instead of getting filmmakers to make films based off their own desire, voice, and ambition, the majority of big films now will likely get completely reworked because it might make Super Fanboy #172 too angry since it didn’t have enough jokes, references, callbacks, or lightsaber fights. We are on the verge of living in an era of big movies being written directly by Reddit and ChatGPT. And that’s an absolutely BRUTAL future to think about!

While I highly doubt this will lead to a massive removal of characters that are black, person of color, female, or identify as LGBT+ as many folks have been speculating, it makes me think that blockbusters are going to be much more dumbed down than usual, even more so than they already are. Strong storytelling, great character development, and bold filmmaking will be abandoned for the sake of spectacle, easter eggs, and “fan service”, for those that don’t want to think during a film but just be strictly pandered too. I want to be more optimistic and believe this will lead to more quality mainstream films and franchises installments with studios being more open to feedback from real and honest fans but this is literally Hollywood we are talking about. They ALWAYS learn the wrong lesson for all their successes and failures, just like how I imagine they will for the likely box office failure that Joker: Folie à Deux will be.

Still, if Todd Phillips’s goal in all of this was to really waste 200 million dollars that Warner Bros gave him, while that company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and potentially put a final nail on the coffin to this rather bleak era of cinema we are living in to make for ANOTHER bleak era of cinema, then mission accomplished! It’s only then might we look back at Joker 2 as being the last special kind of bad movie that we will be getting for a very long time. Because of all that and more, who would have guessed that it would be Todd Phillips of all people that would get the last laugh in all of this!

Help us James Gunn, you are our only hope!

The Wild Robot (2024) Movie Review- DreamWorks’s Odyssey

AdamLeave a comment

DreamWorks Animation has had quite a history and reputation throughout it’s existence. They are probably the most hit-and-miss major animation studio out there. Whenever they have a hit, it’s up there with among the best animated features out there, rivaling the very best of other big animation studios out there such as Disney, Pixar, and Studio Ghibli. Whenever they have a miss, it’s down there with some of the very worst animated features out there, rivaling the very worst of infamous animation studios such as Sony Animation (the Spider-Verse movies and the original Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs aside) and Illumination (the Super Mario Bros Movie and the original Despicable Me aside). Regardless of what you think of DreamWorks personally, they are certainly…..an interesting company to say the least.

However, things are changing MASSIVELY for the company with the release of The Wild Robot. It’s set to be the final film to be animated entirely in-house by DreamWorks, with every future animated release moving forward being operated heavily with outside animation studios. They also got an animation legend in Chris Sanders to helm this picture, the man who directed animated classics such as Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon and has writing credits for many beloved Disney classics from the 90s such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Mulan. Putting those two important, distinct factors side-by-side, you would think that DreamWorks and everyone involved with The Wild Robot will want to end this wild, uneven in-house run of theirs with an absolute bang! Well, I’m proud to claim that they did all of that and more!

The Wild Robot is my favorite film of the year and is easily one of the best DreamWorks films ever made. It represents the pinnacle of DreamWorks Animation, delivering one last final triumph before they have to rely on other tools and resources for the immediate future. The animation is jaw droppingly gorgeous, the characters are all engaging, endearing, and wonderful to follow, the voice cast is all terrific with everyone being 100% committed to their role, the musical score is mesmerizing and carries the film on it’s own on several occasions, and the way it tackles the themes surrounding survival, parenthood, kindness, purpose, and coexistence is nothing short of marvelous. If you are looking for an animated film that is manages to cross that fine line between being fun and entertaining for kids and smart and engaging for adults, look no further than with DreamWorks’s latest masterwork, The Wild Robot.

Plot Synopsis: We find a robot known as ROZZUM Unit 7134 (Lupita Nyong’o), A.K.A. Roz, that has been abandoned on a deserted island full of wild animals, with no memory of who she is or where she came from. These wild animals don’t take too kindly to Roz’s arrival, believing her to be some sort of monster that was sent to exterminate them. As she learns to adapt to the wilderness with these other estranged animals that don’t seem to like her or even each other, Roz finds herself having to take care for a little gosling (Boone Storme), due to the death of his parents, which Roz may or may not have been responsible for. All the while she casually meets a mischievous red fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), who, despite his sneaky and snarky attitude, helps the two of them with their battle of nature vs nurture among the other animal presence on the island.

Roz makes it her mission and purpose to be the mother of this goose, which is named Brightbill (Kit Connor), and raise him to be one with the other birds before she can return to where she originated from. However, the more that Roz spends time on the island with her batch of furry friends, family, and foes, the more she begins to realize she might just be more than just a soulless mindless A.I. robot that she was initially programmed to be. It’s then Roz must decide where her true home lies! In the wild forest with the animals or back with Universal Dynamics, the production company where she was created from?!

On the surface, you can probably guess all the impressive achievement that The Wild Robot is able to accomplish! Yes, the animation is BEYOND gorgeous with perfect artwork, character models, and texture to boost! Yes, there is plenty of funny gags and emotional beats that both kids and adults will react the way they are intended to! Yes, the voice cast and score is incredibly strong and should get numerous nominations for every award show out there! And yes, they manage to make another film about A.I. but never EVER feeling like it was written by one! But the most impressive achievement of The Wild Robot for me is how complex, multilayered and thematically packed it is for a story that, if we are being honest, has been told many times before!

There definitely are story elements throughout The Wild Robot that contains DNA of earlier animated pictures such as The Iron Giant, Fly Away Home, Ice Age, Wall-E, and even Chris Sanders’s own How To Train Your Dragon. However, it’s these themes and layers that The Wild Robot presents that helps make this story stand out as it’s own unique thing. So much so that it feels like we are seeing this story being told for the first time ever despite it being told several times before. Instead of borrowing plot elements from other beloved animated films and doing nothing else with it, it’s CONSTNATLY throwing curveballs at you with the way it goes about these traditional tropes and story beats. This is makes certain predictable story beats actually feel unpredictable in the way that it’s actually done and told throughout the film. This is something that Sanders himself did greatly in How To Train Your Dragon and he perhaps has done it even better here with The Wild Robot.

The Wild Robot is a story of many things! This is a story about the means of natural survival in an estranged, nurtured wilderness. This is a story about discovering our own purpose while helping others discover theirs along the way. This is a story about technology and animals co-existing with one another in a more futuristic Earth. This is a story about how the pros of A.I. can outweighs the cons of A.I. if we allow it. This is a story about unexpected parenthood and how your child grows up fast right before your eyes. This is a story about the needs to come together in a time of crisis or else all will be lost. And at it’s heart, this is a story about the odyssey that DreamWorks Animation has created throughout it’s history and how it will never be the same after this movie.

There’s not a single theme here that feels half baked or put together, there’s not a single setup that doesn’t have a proper payoff, there’s not a single plot thread that doesn’t have a connective tissue, and there’s not a single character arc that gets lost in the shuffle. It’s able to juggle so much while somehow not managing to feel disjointed or loose. Regardless of what overall story arc you like the most, you should no doubt be satisfied with the way that specific arc wraps up by the end. Even if at times I did question a story direction or two, it later on answered it in a satisfying and logical away that it wiped out any mild concerns. The amount of plates is able to spend in the air at once and how many hoops it dares to jump through is able to make the film stand out in ways that it had no business of doing so. This is animation and multilayered storytelling at it’s finest and The Wild Robot might just be the next prime example for that.

For as much development that Roz herself is giving throughout the film, it simply wouldn’t work without the excellent vocal performance from Lupita Nyong’o herself. She is able to evaluate every sequence of the film where she is required to. It’s that perfect sense of optimism and joy she brings on display that bring that extra two dimensions to the character, especially when Roz becomes more human and less mechanical as the film progresses. You just know the exact moments when Roz is still in her “A.I.” form as she was initially programmed and the moments where she grows beyond that while living among the wilderness with the other animals. All of that is thanks to Lupita Nyong’o, that is able to provide heart and soul to a character that by designed is not suppose to have a heart and soul, at least until she actually does. If the Academy Awards didn’t have a such a hate boner for animated films, I could definitely see her be nominated for Best Actress come next Spring.

The rest of the voice cast is genuinely terrific as well. Pedro Pascal brings plenty of energy and levity to the character of Fink, a fox that believes himself to be selfish at the start but then becomes more selfless as he evolves with Roz, Brightbill, and the others. Kit Connor as Brightbill is able to share the beating heart of the story with Nyong’o’s Roz, a young goose who, like Roz herself, is trying to adapt with the others as someone more “special”. Boone Strome also does good as the younger, more joyful version of Brightbill. Catherine O’Hara fits well in her role as Pinktail, the mother figure that Roz needs to learn to fit into in order to complete her mission. Bill Nighy as Longneck and Ving Rhames work well as the wise elder goose and falcon who helps Roz teach Brightbill how to fly high in the sky. Stephanie Hsu’s Vontra is incredibly suited as basically the closest thing that this film has to a main antagonist, even if she really only plays a major factor in the third act. And while Mark Hamill and Matt Berry’s characters of Thorn and Paddler aren’t in the film nearly as much as you would expect with big name actors, they blend together just well and even unrecognizably with the rest of the cast whenever they appear on screen.

There’s not enough great things you can say about the animation in The Wild Robot. It is purely stunning and a treat for the eyes from the beginning to the very end. There are so many beautifully done sequences that will take your breath away from both a visual and emotional standpoint, so many frame shots that you will want hung on the wall in your room, and so much imagery that adds to the pure visual and layered storytelling on display. Sanders has gone on record that he took inspiration from traditional Disney classics and the works of Hayao Miyazaki and he’s able to find that perfect balance to make the animation stand out in it’s own, unique form. Even in an age where just about every animated movie looks good, The Wild Robot shows that there is still plenty of room for animation to grow and push unexpected boundaries. This proves once again why animation is a medium that needs to be taken more seriously. You could not tell a story this good without the stellar animation to back it up every step of the way.

And of course, a special shoutout has to go to the composer Kris Bowers. The Wild Robot has one of the best scores of any film this year and perhaps any animated film in recent memory. It’s able to fit the tone and mood of every single scene, managing to find the right tune that perfectly captures the emotion that the characters and audience are suppose to feel at every given moment. In some ways, the score kinda feels like a character of it’s own, being able to fit right in with Roz, Brightbill, Fink, and the others, as they learn to grow and adapt into something of their own. That is about the best possible compliment you can give a film score and Bowers certainly earns it with his tremendous work here.

For a film where at least 99% of it’s cast is not human, The Wild Robot manages to be the most human feeling film I’ve seen in 2024. That one glimmer of joy and optimism in a world that is filled with sadness and despair. It’s one of those rare films that manages to be about everything but also is able to make room for everything at the same time. Just like with any movie I give a 4 out of 4 star rating to (Yes, that is the rating I’m giving this film!), there are definitely nits you can pick such as certain side characters being too sidelined and the pacing feeling a bit too breakneck at points, but the journey that The Wild Robot takes you will make everything feel completely whole by the end of it.

The most bittersweet part of The Wild Robot is how the overall arc of Roz can be seen as the direction DreamWorks plans to take moving forward. Even when being controlled by a mechanical and soulless corporation like Universal that is taking advantage of them for one distinct purpose (A.K.A. making money) and nothing more, there will still be a heart and soul DreamWorks will find within themselves that will make them continue to stand out in ways that go beyond what Disney, Pixar, Sony, or Illumination are capable off. The lows will still remain but the highs will make it all worth it by the end.

Thank you to all the folks at DreamWorks who worked in-house for the company and I hope the very best awaits you in the future!

Other comments:

  • I STRONGLY recommend staying through the credits. Not only because there is in fact a post credits scene but as a dedication to all the hardworking folks at DreamWorks, as they will now be outsourced by other animation studios overseas. It would mean the world to the animators and artists that worked on this masterpiece!

  • I’m relieved how we can have an animated kids film in 2024 that actually makes jokes about death and isn’t afraid to have characters say “kill” all the time.

  • This feels like the kind of animated film that I would watch with my brother and mom during the summer theater kids/family marathon that would always play at my theaters. I’m sure this film will be replaying CONSTANTLY throughout the next several summers!

  • Lupita Nyong’o has probably the most soothing voice ever!

  • We seriously need to talk more about Chris Sanders and all the amazing things he has contributed to animation. He has been responsible for several of our favorite Disney and DreamWorks movies since we were a child. The man just deserves more respect!

  • Also, one random fact, did you know that Chris Sanders also does the voice of Stitch as well? That is just……remarkable!

Transformers One (2024) Movie Review- Perfectly Meets The Eye

AdamLeave a comment

When it comes to how the Transformers themselves has fared in the world of medium, the one area where they managed to fit themselves the most admirably is with animation. Between the classic 1984 cartoon and the 1986 animated feature film, those were able to bring out the best in the Autobots themselves. By placing colorful characters in colorful environments with bright textures and imaginative cybertronic worlds, that is the area which best suits the Transformers we all know and love.

All of which is quite odd how it has taken literally 38 (!!) years before we FINALLY got a proper theatrically released animated Transformers film. We’ve gotten SEVEN live-action Transformers film, all of which (outside of the superb Bumblebee) ranged from decent to guilty pleasure to outright bad to downright abysmal. And at least 90% of those couldn’t come close to topping an animated flick from the 1980s, which basically acted as a toy commercial for the animated series. Nevertheless, director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4) has finally stepped up and gave us all an animated Transformers film in the year 2024 with Transformers One….and it’s actually pretty darn good.

It’s certainly no masterpiece and not gonna change anyone’s viewpoint to those that have never been fond of the brand but for longtime fans of the franchise and even newcomers, Transformers One should definitely leave them with a smile on their face. It’s able to avoid most of the trappings that most prequel origin stories fall victim to, the world of Cybertron has never been more intriguing to explore, the main autobots we follow get their own unique development and moments to shine, and it’s able to stand strong as it’s own unique, enjoyable flick while leaving room for potential sequels and spin-offs. I don’t know if this is my absolute favorite of all the Transformers movies (I still have more of a soft spot for the Transformers meets E.T. and The Iron Giant riff known as Bumblebee!) but it certainly comes close and will make you realize the full potential of an animated Transformers cinematic universe.

Premise: Brothers-in-arms Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Bryan Tyree Henry) become sworn enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The most unique aspect of Transformers One is how it’s willing to tell it’s origin story of the early days of the Autobots without making the required plot elements feel like things that need to be checked off of a list that has to happen in a Transformers prequel. The major turning points we already know is going to happen such as Optimus Prime turning into a noble leader, Megatron turning into his villainous self, the war on Cybertron, and all the Transformers turning into their iconic selfs, is all in the service for it’s central story about betrayal, deception, and gaining optimism when both of those things occurred.

So much so that the overall premise of seeing Prime and Megatron going from allies to enemies is actually pushed to the wayside. The major of the focus is centered on Orion Pax, D-16, Elita-1, B-127, before they become Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee (Elita is still the same!), looking to retake Cybertron having it’s been corrupted by Sentinel Prime, a leader that they once looked up to and respected from down below. The actual evolution of Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively, seeing the former growing into the ultimate hero and the latter growing into the ultimate villain, is more of a psychological conflict as the events of the war of Cybertron are happening around them and the ways they respond to it. It’s done so well that I was shocked how invested I was when that relationship does take an inevitable dark turn during a key turning point moment. That in of itself allows the majority of the runtime being spend on fleshing out the main Autobots and fleshing out the world of Cybertron in ways that hasn’t been done before in a Transformers movie.

It does start off a bit rough though, mostly leaning into the water-down comedy and slapstick that the trailers and marketing put a major focus on. There’s only so much one can take of seeing Optimus Prime in his more kid friendly self and being unable to actually transform before it gets tiring. It’s elements like that that let many people question, including myself, of whether or not an animated Transformers prequel could actually work. Thankfully, once the ball starts rolling, and the grand mission gets revealed of what needs to be done, the film committees to it’s drama to a surprising degree without letting it’s more family friendly tone and humor weigh it down.

The animation is beautifully done, being able to portray Cybertron as a very colorful landscape environment that makes one all the more curious to explore that world. The film’s unique animated style also helps the Transformers stand out much better with their designs, making one clearly different than another and very rarely making you feel like you forgot which Transformers is suppose to be which. The Autobots have never looked more appealing in film form. Not to mention, the action is able to stand out pretty well with plenty of fun fight sequences and spectacle battles, although you can tell the animators do clearly like them robot parts coming off. This was clearly a labor of love from Mr. Cooley and he shows once again why animation can and should be viewed as a top tier art form.

When it comes to the voice cast, it’s….adequate for the most part. It will definitely take getting used to hearing our beloved autobots and eventual deceptions before they grow into their badass vocal cords. Not to mention, the celebrity heavy cast is clearly on display, with hardly anyone sounding any different than these actors usually are in anything else. Even so, you can tell most of them are having fun, which makes it slightly more forgivable.

Chris Hemsworth is having a good time at playing a younger version of Optimus Prime and subtlety does start to sound more like the iconic Peter Cullen as the movie goes on. Brian Tyree Henry gives one of the funniest and most unique voice performances of 2024 as D-16/Megatron. Scarlett Johansson stands out in incredibly amusing ways as the girlbot Elita-1 (including one big plot beat or moment designed to trigger die hard cultural warriors). Keegan-Michael Key’s Bumblebee can get a bit tiring after awhile but he’s able to make his typical brand off humor work with the character. Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime is exactly what you expect for any role that Jon Hamm takes with a character in complete control of power. Also, did you know that Soundwave is voiced by the Honest Trailer voice guy.

While it does fall short in being the Into the Spider-Verse/The Last Wish/Mutant Mayhem animated gamechanger it clearly wants to be, Transformers One delivers the action, laughs, and heart you could possibly want from an animated Transformers movie. The origins story of the early days of the Autobots is told remarkably well with hardly any beats feeling like they are in there just because it’s an origin story, the animation is gorgeous, all the Transformers get there own moments to shine, and the overall theme of different ideologies can get the best/worst out of us all is one that surprisingly works wonderfully for a Transformers movie. Plus, unlike Transformers One, you can jump right into the story and not feel lost.

It does take a while to get going and the celebrity filled voice cast, while fun, definitely doesn’t hold a candle to previous voice cast for Transformers but for those that want an animated flick with our favorite Autobots that has them front and center with no human presence to wear it down, Transformers One is definitely the Transformers movie for you.

Other comments:

  • Also, I think parents should beware that there is quite a bit of swearing in the movie. It’s mostly mild swear words such as “hell”, “damn”, and “ass” but they are in there.

  • Like Bumblebee spends over half of the movie referring to himself as the BADASS-ATRON!

  • I imagine parents will be as stunned of such swearing as the parents in my screening for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish were.

Best Movies of 2023- Updated List

AdamLeave a comment

Just as I promised at the beginning of the year, I’m going to give you all an updated list of my favorite movies from last year. I didn’t catch up on as many movies as year’s past but I did find a few new entries along with finding more appreciations towards other ones to justify making an updated list. Unlike before, I’m going to go with my top 15 favorites movies of 2023 as oppose to just top 10 and I’m not including any honorable mentions as I just want to go straight to the list. If you go back to my list in December, you will know what my honorable mentions are and which ones may have even found a spot on this updated list.

Nevertheless, let’s get right down to it!

15.) Air

Air isn’t may not reach the levels of other films of it’s kind such as Moneyball but it’s good enough to stand on it’s own as a well-done biopic with a sharp script, great performances, and spot-on directing from Ben Affleck to make it worthwhile. It can’t quite escape it’s surface level feeling and certainly could have done with an actual appearance of Michael Jordan himself but it’s able to give anyone that is interested in this movie exactly what they want and expect with no interest in deceiving expectations whatsoever.

14.) Evil Dead Rises

Who would’ve thought that 40 years after the original Evil Dead that the series would still have plenty of juice left in it? Evil Dead Rise is able to continue the franchise momentum in pushing itself forward to new territory while still sticking to the roots of what Evil Dead stands for. Here we see mum Ellie getting possessed by the spirits with her sister and children in the fight for their survivals! The characters themselves are engaging, the kills still deliver in fresh and exciting ways, and the creativity that the series is known for is still on display! Even if it’s not quite the very best movie in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise still succeeds greatly at reintroducing Evil Dead to a new generation. Five movies in and it doesn’t seem like Evil Dead is losing momentum anytime soon, making for perhaps the best (or at least most consistent) horror movie franchise out there!

13.) Nimona

Disney’s trash turned out to be Netflix’s treasure with this animated fantasy adventure in Nimona. A movie made for kids that pulls no punches and will likely find a bigger audience with teens and young adults due to the film’s own subject matter and mature themes that come to play. It’s beautifully animated, incredibly engaging, has messages and representation that feels genuine, stellar voice work from Chloe Grace Moretz and Eugene Lee Yang, and Nimona herself is one of the most generally lovable protagonists in recent memory, managing to being the right kind of an “obnoxious” character. If this truly is Blue Sky Studio’s last film they ever do, not only is it grateful that they got to see their final work in a complete form but they were able to save their best film for last in the form of Nimona! Disney will certainly regret letting this film get away from them!

12.) Barbie

The highest grossing film of the year was also one of the year’s best! 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!

11.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Of all the feature films that have we have gotten so far involving the TMNT brand, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is probably the movie that has gotten the most things right, aside from the 1990 original. While the animation and art style does take obvious inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it’s able to learn the right lessons from it by creating exciting set pieces and inventive visual storytelling. It looks amazing, the turtles themselves are all well-utilized, bounce off each other perfectly and actually FEEL like teenagers, the story feels fresh yet faithful to the turtles themselves, the score is absolutely killer, the action is a lot of fun to sit through, and it’s able to exist in it’s own sandbox as being the kind of thing that can stand proudly on it’s own two feet along with being among the best of what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have offered throughout their history. While I won’t go as far to say that it’s a perfect film in it’s own rights, it’s certainly a perfect TMNT film and one that will likely be the one to get a new generation into this successful running franchise. And if the next film and the new 2D series that’s in the works is as good as Mutant Mayhem, then this next wave of TMNT fans will have plenty to be spoiled by!

10.) Talk To Me

No horror film this year was able to impact me and hit me harder than Talk To Me. This is a thrilling and frightening tale about a group of friends led by Sophie Wilde’s Mia that uses an embalmed hand as a way to talk to the dead, taking the cast on a wild journey that makes them connect to spirits in ways they would never imagine and will soon learn to regret. It’s able to take it’s genius horror premise and does just about everything you possibly can with it, creating haunting visuals and imagery that is guarantee to stick with plenty of horror fans alike. The story is gripping, the set pieces are incredibly inventive, the scares are absolutely heart-racing, the tension is felt in every second of the runtime, and the visuals metaphors still live rent free in my head to this day. A24 is certainly not the most mainstream friendly studio out there but when they deliver, they deliver HARD! So hard that even the mainstream audience that give their films a F ranking on CinemaScore have to appreciate it! Talk To Me doesn’t just stand as my favorite horror film of the year but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was able to make room for it on my favorite films of the year period. Just superb entertainment all around!

9.) Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is once again another winner from the great Martin Scorsese. 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! I don’t know where this ranks among 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. 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!

8.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is able to successfully hit all the beats it needs to give fans and audiences a very satisfying ending to it’s trilogy of what is perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most surprising and consistently great franchise, along with showing how Marvel can still find ways to deliver quality entertainment, even when it might seem like they’ve reached their limits. It’s able to be funny, dark, sad, engaging, and deliver the highest and most personal stakes of all the three Guardians films that helps make it stand out as possibly the very best in trilogy. I don’t think there was a scene that was as heartbreaking as Rocket watching his friends die right in front of him or as thrilling when the Guardians got together for that one kick-ass action scene with No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn playing. I don’t know what the future holds for the MCU or what awaits for the team members that are still around to fight galactic wars but in the case of this movie, I don’t really care. All Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 needed to do for me was to deliver a conclusion that felt definite, right and satisfying all the same. And on those terms, it was no doubt able to deliver a famously huge third (Pun entirely intended!) I’m glad James Gunn was able to end his run with Marvel on a high note and leave me awaiting his future with DC. A fitting farewell to these lovable a-holes!

7.) 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, which is the best possible feeling for one to have during the holidays.

6.) 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, Past Lives is a reminder why we need films like that, films that teaches us the true meaning of life and why we shouldn’t take or the ones we love for granted. If this is not a least nominated for Best Picture, then the Academy Awards can simply suck it. Give Greta Lee the Oscar right now!

5.) John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is an exceptional achievement of not just the John Wick franchise but for the action genre in general. Not since The Raid movies has there been a series of action films that dares to go as big, bold, and as over-the-top as this film does. Yes, the action has never been better choregraphed and executed than it has been here. Yes, the cinematography and pure scope have never looked and felt better than it does here. Yes, just about every noteworthy person in the cast get a moment to shine and scenes that stand out so well you can’t wait until someone uploads them to YouTube. Yes, the near three-hour runtime does not feel daunting in any way. Working perfectly as John Wick himself getting pushed beyond his reasonable measures along with director Chad Stahelski and crew of pushing themselves to make the most unbelievable and badass film imaginable. Even if Chapter 4 does bring a logical stopping point to John Wick’s story, it leaves plenty of room of other characters in the series to have their stories to continue if anyone wants to go that route. I’m not one that likes to claim when a movie is “perfect” but when it comes to John Wick: Chapter 4 and is able to deliver the goods with an absolute bullet point, it’s hard to bring up any flaws that bring the experience down. 

4.) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shows that the Spider-Verse could in fact make lightning strike twice! Everyone involved with the making of this movie wanted to take everything to the next level without holding anything back and they are able to exceed greatly with a sequel that manages to be as good as Into the Spider-Verse and in some ways, even better. The animation might be the very best I’ve ever seen in any film, the entire cast is perfect with everyone feeling like they are absolutely in LOVE with their roles, Miles and Gwen are some of the most best, engaging, and most layered protagonists in any comic book film, the themes and morals of the story still resonate and fits the core elements of Spider-Man perfectly, and there’s plenty of well earned fan service throughout that never gets in the way of the main central storyline. There has not been a film this year I’ve rewatched more than Across the Spider-Verse and I will certainly continue to do so in the future. While it does end on an obvious cliffhanger, it will no doubt make anyone excited to see how they will wrap up the story in the third and final installment. This is the kind of film that not only proves that superhero films are still important (even after the year the subgenre as had) but animation is as important as well! Bring on Beyond the Spider-Verse!

Also, to Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and the those at Sony Animation, PLEASE treat your animators right this time! Don’t put them through hell like you did with Across the Spider-Verse! 

3.) Oppenheimer

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. Even if this is Nolan going for his Oscar, he’s able to do it in such a perfect and organic way that it feels more earnest than forced (Take notes, Alejandro González Iñárritu!). 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 Christopher Nolan will always be a name to attract a mass audience! Speaking as someone that was underwhelmed by Dunkirk and Tenet, Oppenheimer is a glorious return to form for Christopher Nolan and one of the best films of 2023!

2.) The Iron Claw

Talk about a film that will hit you hard in all of the places you don’t want it to and earning every single bit of it! The Iron Claw is a powerful, devastating, and tragic true story about a group of brothers who go through hell and back together. This works as both a heartbreaking family drama and an energetic sports film, with director Sean Durkin being able to find the perfect balance of these two distinct elements. The wrestling scenes are very well directed and choregraphed while never being afraid to being brutal and unhinged as they were in real life. It’s able to tell the story of the Von Erich brothers while not 100% accurate (which was intentional according to Von Erich themselves), is still able to remain translate those events of what took place between the tragic outcomes of this family as about as respectfully as you possibly could. Beautifully directed, beautifully written, and beautifully acted (Zac Efron impresses me with each passing day!), The Iron Claw is one of the best films of 2023 and one that I’m glad I was able to catch before making this updated list. I’m gonna go and cry some more!

1.) Godzilla: Minus One

Perhaps the most surprisingly film to come out in 2023. Who would’ve thought that after so many different Godzilla incarnations over several decades that the character and brand can still find new ways to craft great motion pictures? Godzilla: Minus One not only makes for an instant kaiju movie classic but it’s perhaps the best the character has been on screen since 1954 original. It’s able to pull off that perfect balance of offering exciting Godzilla action and a compelling story with human characters you actually care about, the aspects that many recent Godzilla films have failed SPECTACULARLY at! Even when Godzilla isn’t on screen, you don’t mind as much because of how compelling our main human lead is in Ryunosuke Kamiki’s Kōichi Shikishima. The visual effects are excellent, the sound design is off the charts, and the third act is so tense that it will have you on the edge of your seat. I have a few nitpicks that keeps this from being higher on the list (mostly the detour between the end of the second act and beginning of the climax that dragged for me) but this is DAMN good cinema regardless of those gripes! Between this film, the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series, and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire movie next year, Godzilla fans have a LOT to look forward to in the future!

Top 20 Best Movies of 2014

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It’s been ten years since 2014! Let that sink in for a moment! TEN YEARS SINCE FREAKING 2014! I got nothing else to add than that!

In all seriousness, when looking back on 2014, I can never stop to think about just how much amazing films that came out of that year. No matter what genre of movies you like, there was something for you about everybody! Action, drama, comedy, horror, suspense, thriller, and also some superhero stuff! I would go as far to say that 2014 was the best year for films since I’ve been alive. Yeah, it was THAT good!

And maybe it was just me but I also can’t help but feel like this was the last “tolerable” year when it came to discourse surrounding films and entertainment! Before it was all about what’s woke and what’s not and something something something “cultural war”, the conversation surrounding film was more on what the medium itself was about and NOT the politics behind it all, both from a studio standpoint and social/cultural standpoints! Yes, we did unfortunately get a sneak preview with what was to come for the next decade with the infamous geek culture movement that was GamersGate but at the time, it was easy to ignore that and just judge films for what they actually are!

And if I were to judge 2014 in film form, I don’t think you could get much better than this! There were bangers after bangers scattered throughout the entire year, from a promising spring to a knockout summer movie season to a worthy Oscar season. There were so many great films to come out in 2014 that I couldn’t narrow it down to just 10 or 15 movies! No, I had to go with 20 of them, TWENTY! And there were also ten other honorable mentions that I couldn’t squeeze but desperately wish I could! That should give you an indication of just how incredible 2014 was for movies!

Let’s not waste anymore time and dive straight into this list! Starting off with my TEN honorable mentions!

Honorable Mentions:

  • Enemy
  • The Theory of Everything
  • 22 Jump Street
  • A Most Violent Year
  • Locke
  • The Boxtrolls
  • The Drop
  • The Imitation Game
  • The Fault In Our Stars
  • Frank

That’s right! Not a single one of those was able to crack my top 20! You starting to see why I keep saying that 2014 was an AMAZING year for films! Anyways, now my top 20!

20.) The Babadook

Starting off the list is was my favorite horror film to come out in 2014 with The Babadook! Jennifer Kent is able to start her directing tenure with a bang with with this creepy and terrifying thriller, acting as perhaps the scariest film at the time since Sinister. The performances from Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman are stellar, the atmosphere is as haunting as it could get, and the Babadook itself is one of the more scary antagonists in recent horror movie history. It’s not quite a film that I go back to rewatch often but it’s undoubtedly a must watch for any fan of horror there!

19.) Fury

One of the most compelling war flicks in recent memory, David Ayer is able to deliver a film about the horrors of war and the atrocities that come with it for those that are involved in it. Despite all the stellar things about this film such as the intense action sequences, great cinematography, and spot-on direction, it’s the performances from the cast members such as Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, Jon Bernthal, Logan Lerman, and Michael Douglas that is able to evaluate the picture even further to make it stand out as well as it does. It may not break any new boundaries for war films and there is a near half hour long detour that could have been trimmed down from time but aside from that, Fury is a damn solid war flick.

18.) Life Itself

Back in 2013, we lost one of the best and most respected film critics in the industry with Roger Ebert. One year later, we were able to get a great documentary that did this great man justice in Life Itself.  A beautiful and emotional dive into this iconic movie review, showing his incredible legacy in a powerfully moving narrative among other critics and filmmakers out there. He was a film critic that earned the respect from every one around him and this documentary gives a great showcase as to why. RIP Roger Ebert! Cinema would never be the same without you! Two thumbs up!

17.) The Grand Budapest Hotel

While Wes Anderson can be a hit or miss filmmaker for me, he was able to hit big time here with The Grand Budapest Hotel! Anderson’s style is able to fit perfectly throughout this film, delivering his most striking visuals to date alongside an uncommonly fast-paced and engaging story. The cast members are all on top form here, the script is witty and full of charm, the production value is absolutely outstanding, and there’s even a very engaging and moving narrative at center, making everything matter more in the grand scheme of things. I do imagine most Wes Anderson fans would have this rank much higher on this list but The Grand Budapest Hotel is still more than worthy of landing a spot among the top 20 best films of 2014.

16.) Selma

If you’re looking for perhaps the most personal film of the year where you can hear the director’s voice throughout the entire picture, Selma would likely take the cake as the best of the year in that regard. This is a film where you can feel the weight of every scene, line, & moment that Ava DuVernay shows on screen. This is the kind of biopic that likely has and will be shown in schools so that generations never forget the message, spirit, power, and importance of the man that is Dr. Martin Luther King. It may not be the most comfortable watch but Selma is undeniably one of the most important watches of 2014.

15.) Snowpiercer

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was not the only 2014 film that had Chris Evans being a badass, that honor also is shared with Snowpiercer, directed by the brilliant mind of Bong Joon-ho. It’s a film that is able to exceed at being an action flick, a sci-fi epic, and a post-apocalyptic film all at that exact same time without losing any sort of cohesion. Filled with awesome set pieces, a memorable ensemble cast, and plot twists thrown at you at every turn, there is not a second of Snowpiercer that isn’t remotely entertaining or engaging. Even if the third act left a little bit to be desired, this is still a damn exciting ride that you should not miss! Just stay away from the tv series!

14.) Interstellar

What might be Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious film to date, Interstellar makes for one of the most interesting and intriguing sci-fi films of the 21st century. The film goes into great lengths about mankind’s place in the universe and what we are willing to achieve for the survival of the human race. The effects are a feast for the eyes, it’s superbly acted, the emotional core between Cooper and his daughter is very well done, and the first two acts is able to execute it’s themes to near perfection. It’s only the bumpy as hell ending and the way a certain subplot gets completely handwave by the conclusion that prevents this from being up there with Nolan’s very best. Even if it’s not able to stick the landing as well as it could have, Interstellar makes for one engaging ride that is worth experiencing at least one time.

13.) John Wick

Before the sequels would go even bigger, bolder, lore-heavy, and dive into traditional world building, John Wick was largely a smaller-scale self contained story about a hitman coming out of retirement to avenge the death of his dog, the last piece of his late wife that remained. It may be a rather straightforward and simplistic motivation but that’s all that’s needed. Because what matters most is that we get to see Keanu Reeves kicking ass once again and become even more of a badass than he ever did in The Matrix films. With elements such as the glorified action, awesome stunts, superb lighting and cinematography, an excellent supporting cast full of recognizable talent that all get their moment to shine, and of course, the awesome Keanu Reeves delivering cheesy one-liners in a direct but cool way. While some might take issues with the simplistic plotting /characterization along with needing to tolerate corny puns and having to suspend your disbelief, anyone else that is able to accept the tropes that have become common with action movies while also wanting something fresh and new should think John Wick is right up their alley. It’s one of those movies that is able to deliver exactly what you would ever want in an action movie and even more.

12.) How To Train Your Dragon 2

Fulfilling it’s role as the dark middle chapter of DreamWorks’s most critically acclaimed film series, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a strong example as to why they can be counted on to deliver strong middle chapters for stories when they count the most. Taking the next level in terms of animation and technical achievements, this sequel is able to exceed for the same reasons that the very best sequels out there are able to do. It takes the characters to the next step of their development by putting them on a journey which makes them challenges who they are and why they do what they do. The voice work is also particularly strong here, especially with Cate Blanchett acting as Hiccup’s long lost mother. Not to mention, the surprising fate with one of the characters stands as one of the most bold moves that any DreamWorks film has every made. While the antagonist himself is a weak line and it lacks the freshness and novelty the first film had, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is still a very impressive animated sequel that is worthy of praise.

11.) Nightcrawler

One of the most gripping and unique thrillers to come out in 2014, Nightcrawler makes for one of the most fascinating character studies in recent memory! This is a film where the main character is basically an antagonist but he’s so interesting and menacing on screen that you just get engaged whenever he is on screen regardless. It’s a nice deep look into the inner meanings of being a reporter and the lengths one will go to in order to get the news and footage that they need. Jake Gyllenhaal is exceptionally excellent here, perfectly balancing the charisma and chaotic nature of it’s character. Complemented by dark and striking visuals, a strong supporting cast, and a rather haunting atmosphere, Nightcrawler delivers greatly as a unique, intense thriller! The fact it falls just shy out of the top 10 is criminal but that’s only because of how genuinely great these next ten films are!

10.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

If Captain America: The First Avenger was a perfect period piece flick, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a perfect flick for the modern times. Not only a very well done espionage thriller with plenty of thrilling action, character development, and important subject matter, but it managed to make certain characters more interesting and badass than ever before. Captain America became cool to like in this one, Black Widow was more interesting and developed this time around (along with having the best hairstyle here), Nick Fury actually gets to do something here than just try to motivate the Avengers through pep talk, and man does Winter Soldier make for an intense and threatening presence whenever he is one screen. This was the Russo Brothers first film in the MCU and they were able to make one hell of a first impression! Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an absolute game changer for the MCU when it came out back in 2014 and it still remains one of their very best films to date!

9.) Edge of Tomorrow

Perhaps the most surprising summer blockbuster of the year, Edge of Tomorrow (or Live. Die. Repeat as it was later changed to….I think) was significantly better than it had any right to be! This is a time loop film that is able to do everything it possibly can with it’s Groundhog Day-like premise! It’s able to be action packed, entertaining, funny, well-acted, perfectly paced and be able to surprise you at basically every turn! Although Tom Cruise shows he’s still able to be a convincing action star outside of Mission Impossible, it’s Emily Blunt as Rita Vrataski that steals the show entirely, fondly earning the name the Full Metal Bitch! Yes, it’s a shame this film didn’t do that well at the box office (likely due to the film’s rather lackluster campaign) but that doesn’t change the fact that this is an absurdly great and clever sci-fi action thriller that is MORE than worthy of your time!

8.) Gone Girl

Even when you think that David Fincher has run out of ways to tell compelling stories, he proves us all wrong with Gone Girl. This works near perfectly as not just a faithful adaption of the novel which it is based on but it also works as terrific social commentary on the politics surrounding media and the consequences of coming to a general consensus without having all of the information. Ben Affleck might be damn good here but Rosamund Pike is absolutely INCREDIBLE here, giving perhaps the best performance out of any actress this year. With a fantastic script, great cinematography, an engaging cast, and a narrative that will keep you intrigue and guessing throughout, Gone Girl is a fantastic thriller and one of the very best films to come for the great David Fincher.

7.) X-Men: Days of Future Past

While there’s definitely a strong argument to be made that Logan is objectively the best X-Men film ever made, Days of Future Past is by far my absolute favorite “team-up” X-Men film in the series. From the superb character development to the amazing action set pieces (The Quicksilver scene is still an all-timer!) to the warm, dark tone to the resonate themes to the inventiveness of the time travel storytelling to the inspired score, this is basically everything you can ask for in an X-Men film or in basically any superhero movie in general. But the one thing I believe is most important to take away from Days of Future Past is how just because you are course-correcting your franchise does not mean the overall product has to suffer because of it. I can’t really recall any movie in recent memory that was able to be a kind of course-correcting movie without feeling the need to sacrifice it’s own quality for a brighter future. As curious as I am with how the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles the X-Men property from now on, I can’t imagine them topping this film or craft something as creative and inventive as this, at least in terms of live-action (X-Men 97 is MAGNIFICENT btw!)

6.) Birdman

The film that won Best Picture at the Oscars may not quite be the very best film that I saw in 2014 but in many ways, it’s pretty damn close! Birdman remains one of the most unique and original films in recent memory, giving a great insight into a legendary actor passed his prime, how film critics observe film, and the way that Hollywood operates in chasing successful trends. The one-shot gimmick is unique and never wears out it’s welcome, the screenplay is excellent, the narrative is engaging, the cinematography is more than Oscar-caliber, and the performances from Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, and Edward Norton is among the very best in all three of their careers. Even if it does have a tad sense of smugness throughout, almost as if director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is shouting his frustrations at the way superhero flicks are taking over anything, Birdman is an extremely impressive cinematic achievement that it’s too hard to care about any potential shortcomings.

5.) Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

If you want a textbook example on how to do a proper summer movie blockbuster, this would be exactly what you find in that dictionary. Released in a loaded 2014 movie season that was serving constant bangers, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was able to stand greatly among them. This is a layered, three-dimensional, and at times unpredictable film that is able to tell a cautionary tale about the roles that two different species play and every single one of them looking for the best possible outcome for themselves. Instead of going with a conventional “apes good, human bad” approach, Dawn instead shows the pros and cons of both the humans and apes, highlighting the gray area that is consuming both sides, as the two sides are trying to make for the best possible future for themselves in the worst possible times. We also can’t forget the spectacular visuals and motion capture of the apes that has never been better than it has been here, great action, perfect tension throughout, and one of the coolest and underrated villains in recent memory in Koba, played perfectly by Toby Kebbell. Perfectly paced, perfectly written, perfectly directed, and perfectly acted (Give Andy Serkis an Oscar already!), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is blockbusters at it’s absolute finest, giving me all hope that we are still capable of making great franchise installments.

4.) The Lego Movie

One of the most genuinely surprising films in recent memory, The LEGO Movie was able to defy any logical odds and become an instant classic! This is a movie where you have the LEGO people be actual characters who get development, it’s own unique animation style, tons of exciting and inventive set pieces, incredibly funny and original jokes, poking fun at movie cliches, subverting expectations at every turn, and has a heartfelt message that can appeal to both kids and adults that have played with LEGOS at some point in their lives. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were able to fully realize their vision when sitting comfortably in the director’s chair and used this premise to create this magnificent animated picture. While I’m sure the movie was able to help sell tons of LEGO sets the way that stockholders hoped it would, The LEGO Movie was able to be something much more than simply be a movie exist to sell toys, even if that was intention with stockholders. It showed that just because you’re a brand doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the artistic integrity and creativity to make something special. 

3.) The Raid 2

You wanna talk about an action filmmaking TRIUMPH, that would be The Raid 2! Gareth Evans is able to take everything that made the original Raid so good and crank it up to ELEVEN here! The action is constantly non-stop, throwing one amazing fight at you after another with constant blood and carnage throughout, the shock value is off the charts, every single frame and set piece feel expertly crafted, the pacing is absolute rapid fire, and even the story and characters are quite engaging, helping make every fight scene that more gripping and suspenseful. I don’t think I have ever seen an action film with better fight sequences, more convincing stunts, and more superb fight choreography than this! There is nothing here that feels half assed, restricted, or unconvincing! Even if nothing that happened in this movie happened in real life, it will FEEL like that when you are watching The Raid 2! There’s been a lot of great action films out there but when it comes to the pure action itself, I don’t think I’ve seen a film that delivers that any better than The Raid 2!

2.) Guardians of the Galaxy

While this may not be technically the best directed, acted, or written MCU movie, I don’t think there’s any other MCU movie I would rather rewatch than the original Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s incredible how a movie with this different of concept and characters and play barley over two hours yet it still feels like the complete package. Every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy is instantly iconic and lovable, with the big standouts being Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, the story is familiar but also refreshing with it’s own unique identity to it, the action scenes are well-crafted, it’s incredibly funny as hell, the score is kick-ass, and there’s some hard hitting emotions that feel just right. Even the one-note villain of Ronan the Accuser, is actually quite functional in his own way as being the space equivalent of Hitler. There are definitely Marvel movies that are better made and might be better objectively but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s as fresh, surprising, and flat-out more entertaining than Guardians of the Galaxy! This is a film I can watch time and time again and NEVER be bored with!

1.) Whiplash

There are rare times when films feel more like than just films but feel like experiences! I don’t think I can think of a more fitting example of that than Whiplash! There was no film in 2014 that was able to enthrall me, challenge me, have me on the edge of my seat, or keep me engaged than Whiplash! This is not just a film about music but it’s about pushing yourself beyond measures to be the best version of yourself you can possibly me. It’s about the lengths you will go to accomplish your dream goals and what you are willing to sacrifice along the way! It’s about a professor trying to get the very best out of his student in ways that are unconventional and absolutely anxiety inducing! Best of all, Whiplash is about filmmaking at it’s finest! Damien Chazelle’s directing is spot-on, Miles Teller turns in the best performance of his career, J.K. Simmons’s Terence Fletcher is one of the best film antagonists in recent memory, the screenplay is as air tight as they come, the score and editing is sublime, not a single moment feel wasted, and the third act is one of the best and most satisfying climaxes of any film I have ever seen! When it comes to all the films I saw in 2014, there is not that stuck with me the most and had me appreciating the more I thought about it than Whiplash! An absolute masterpiece on every level and legit one of the best films I’ve ever seen period!

Ranking The Mad Max Franchise

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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now out in theaters! Because of that, it’s time for another new ranking on this blog. This time, we will be ranking the Mad Max franchise! However, I’m not just going to rank every single film installment. I will also include the Mad Max video game that came out in 2015! Why you may ask? Because it’s a dope game and deserves to be included in this messed up canon of a universe?!

Anyways, let’s hope right into the list of the Mad Max franchise from worst to best! Also, Happy Memorial Day!

6.) Mad Max

Yes, the worst that the Mad Max universe has to offer is in fact the original Mad Max, which is also the only film in the series to put the full spotlight on him and not those around him. This is when George Miller had yet to find an actual identity for the franchise that he created along with discovering his own talents as a filmmaker. The pacing is sluggish, the action lacks tensions because of how rubbish it’s filmed, and despite being considered a “revenge” movie, it’s not until the last 20 or so minutes when Max does in fact give revenge for his family’s death. While those sequences are awesome, it happens way too late in the film, delivering little payoff to a whole lot of setup. Thankfully, it’s by the end where Max finds himself in the wasteland, which is also when the franchise finds it’s own identity.

5.) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

There are many folks that point to Beyond Thunderdome, the final film in the series with Mel Gibson as the title character, as the low point of the series, sighting it’s cartoon-like nature and more kid friendly tone as being the reasons why. Oh, and the annoying little kids don’t help either! While all of that is partially true, it still delivers in terms of car chases, production design, costumes, and Mel Gibson’s beautiful hair in it. Not to mention, Tina Turner singing “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” It’s undoubtedly cheesy but at least there’s always something happening on screen that makes it hard to be bored by, as compared to the first movie. It’s definitely a mixed bag but the good news is that the post-Mel Gibson Mad Max films (and one game) would go on to learn the “right” lessons from this and ignore all the wrong ones.

4.) Mad Max (2015) Video Game

Yes, there was a Mad Max game that came out in 2015. The main reason you might not know about it may have to do with the fact that this released the same day as Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (A dull and boring game btw!). What stinks because this is actually one of the better IP exclusive games in recent memory. Taking cues from hit games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Grand Theft Auto V, Mad Max (2015) the video game really makes you feel like the title character. You just have all the fun in the world driving the Magnum Opus, beating up war boys, collecting scraps and goodies, and taking down the enemies towers along the way. Also at his heart is a core story about Max trying to fight his way through the wasteland and find somewhere where he can be at peace at long last, leaving the memories of his fallen loved ones behind him. Oh, and the main bad guy in this game is Immortan Joe’s son, who also showed up in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. It’s far from the most revolutionary gameplay out there but if you need your Mad Max fix after Fury Road and Furiosa, this should do you well!

3.) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

This is the first film in the series to not have Max himself in a main role (although he has one glorious blink-and-you-miss-it cameo and instead acts as the origin story of the star from Fury Road in Furiosa. Even so, it still remains a superb action packed spectacle that offers a further expansion of the Furiosa character and more depth into the insane world of Mad Max itself. It manages to tell a compelling origin story for it’s lead heroine that stands strong in it’s own right, Anya-Taylor Joy is able to fill in the shoes for Charlize Theron greatly, Chris Hemsworth is having the time of his life playing the main bad guy in Dementus, and it just makes for a perfect counterpart to it’s already perfect successor in Mad Max: Fury Road. Oh, and some nice little easter eggs and nods to the Mad Max (2015) video game is always welcome! It may not quite reach the height of Fury Road (or even The Road Warrior for that matter) but oh man, is it fun to watch George Miler try to top himself the whole way through. If this really is the beginning of the end of movie theaters as we know it, then I’m at least glad we are going out with bangs like like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. 

2.) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Before Fury Road managed to raise the standards of actions movies in the 2010s, The Road Warrior was able to do that first for actions movies in the 1980s. This was when you can tell that George Miller was fully at home with this franchise and Mel Gibson had slipped comfortably in his role as Max Rockatany. The story structures feels more much organic, the action and chase scenes have more weight and energy to them, the exploration of the post-apocalyptic wasteland is intriguing to explore, and it does a great job of leading into the sheer madness and craziness that would become a staple for this franchise. This is also what set the formula for the sequels of the stories not actually being about Max himself but the others that are around him and how he goes about helping them through others troubles. Max might not be able to prevent the tragic past that he had to endure but that doesn’t mean he has to let others have the same faith. It might have took a second try but The Road Warrior is when the series was able to unlock it’s true potential with it’s action, set pieces, and world building. However, it still only walked so that the next one could run over 30 years later.

1.) Mad Max: Fury Road

If you want to talk about the Mad Max series at it’s finest and just action blockbuster filmmaking in general, look no further than Mad Max: Fury Road. This is hands down the best film in this franchise because of the high near impossible standards that it was able to reach and lead by examples. The action is absolutely spectacular in every sense of the word, there is tension, suspense, and momentum felt throughout it’s entire runtime, the practical effects is able to blend together with the VFX work perfectly, every single cast member is on top form here, the stunt work and editing is some of the best I’ve ever seen for a blockbuster, the score is absolutely mesmerizing, Tom Hardy is able to take over for Mel Gibson as Max without much shortcomings, and Furiosa, played perfectly by Charlize Theron, is one of the best female protagonists in cinema history, so much so that it’s basically more of her movie than it is Max’s but you don’t care one bit because of how great and compelling she is. Mad Max: Fury Road is a film that is perfect no matter what way you look at. Whether it’s as an action-packed spectacle, a visual and character driven story, a further look into the wasteland of Mad Max, or as a feminist think piece, Mad Max: Fury Road remains one of the best and most perfect films of the 21st century. Even if Mad Max: The Wasteland or another Mad Max film never gets made, let’s at least be glad we got to witness George Miller craft a Magnum Opus of his own. And we all could not be better for it!

Why Animators Need To Go On Strike

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It has been announced that Pixar will be laying off 14% of current employees due to Disney’s cost-cutting measures. This will be the biggest restructuring in Pixar’s history. Even after undergoing similar layoffs last year, which included Galyn Susman, the woman who helped keep Toy Story 2 at bay during production, yet another restructure is occurring at the offices of Pixar. Never mind the fact that last year’s Elemental was able to squeeze a profit after it’s incredibly strong legs or that Inside Out 2 is set to have the biggest opening weekend at the box office in 2024 so far! Neither one of those elements were enough to continue letting talented animators get the hammer!

Unfortunately, this has not been the only layoffs in recent memory within the animation industry. Back in March, shortly after Kung Fu Panda 4 had a strong opening weekend at the box office, DreamWorks had announced massive layoffs with their company as well. Even more so than the ones with Pixars, DreamWorks confirmed that many departments were cut in half and the creative staff on movies were to be reduced at least up to 50%. Yes, around HALF of the creative staff at DreamWorks were laid off a few months ago. Never mind the fact that Kung Fu Panda 4 had a solid opening weekend at the box office and has managed to gross over 530 million worldwide, becoming the second highest grossing Kung Fu Panda sequel domestically and even outgrossing the previous Kung Fu Panda installment. Not to mention, the lower 85 million dollar budget that certainly allowed for higher revenue that perhaps any other Kung Fu Panda movie to date. None of that was enough to save DreamWorks from being forced to clean house and restructure their entire company.

There are multiple reasons why this is all occurring to not only within the animation industry but nearly all forms of entertainment in general. Mediums underperforming or tanking at the box office and/or sales, bloated budgets that makes return outcome nearly impossible, rushed development cycles which artists are constantly overworked and crunched for times, etc.. However, I do think the #1 reason behind all of this has to do with the higher ups of these studios. In the cases I just mentioned, Disney and Universal.

If you have been seeing how technology is becoming more advanced by the day, you likely are familiar with the way A.I. has been playing a bigger role now than before. With artificial intelligence features such as ChatGPT becoming more common in every day use, it’s clear that studios are looking to have that be more incorporated to the way entertainment is made now. Not for the sake of quality but for the sake of quantity. Companies want A.I. to play a big role now because it will save them extra bucks in not having to hire more animators or artists. That way, more and more money can be made that can light their own pockets and NOT be spend on actual content themselves.

Many people find it blasphemy that big studios and companies are still trying to convert A.I. into their products at the expense of actual human beings after going through at least two major strikes because of that push. However, it just doesn’t matter in the eyes of the higher ups. They don’t know how to shortened the budgets of their content that doesn’t involve laying off a good portion of their employees. They just think A.I. is the big answer to all of their problems. Not because they want to experiment on different ways to make new forms of entertainment but because that will save them a few extra pennies. It’s about as greedy, corporate, and cynical as they come.

All of those reasons and more is why whenever the contract inevitably expires this year between the Animation Guide and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a strike is going to 100% occur. It’s not a WANT per se but an absolute NEED for both sides, if the future of animation is to thrive in the best way it can. Companies need to learn that they can NOT take animators for granted and needs them to provide quality entertainment.

Even if you take out the constant push for A.I., the animation industry has been infamous with it’s troubled production with films in recent memory. You have Across the Spider-Verse which had animators being treated extremely poorly by Phil Lord, causing hundreds of animators to leave the project. You have Kung Fu Panda 4 which had plenty of back and forth between the creatives and being rushed out of door during the multiple strikes to get out by spring. And do I even need to bring up the development history surrounding Frozen 2, which had a Disney Plus documentary in which the people who made it unironically state that they were overworked, crunched, and was basically making the whole movie up as they went along. And I can only imagine the stories we will be hearing about Moana 2, the Disney Plus series turned movie, during the holiday season this year?

Working in the animation industry or any entertainment industry is certainly hard and requires you to be working a TON to get each project out on time. But it should never come at the cost of someone’s mental health, insanity, or skills as a human being. You might be able to get away with that once or twice but to have EVERY production in animation going this way is a big no-no. That’s how you wind up with something like Megamind 2, that was litter with animation errors that became noticeable to anyone once the very first trailer dropped. Not only is the poor treatment for animators along with this constant push for A.I. to take over is affecting the work-life balance of animators but also the quality of animated motion pictures. And once you got so many of those poor quality animated films in a row, eventually people will catch on and your movies will end up bombing at the box office. Just ask Disney with Wish!

Yes, there has been plenty of great animated work as of late, regardless of their production history, but more times than not, these rushed developments cycles, harsh treatment of animators, and wanted to replace them with robots is causing major harm to the animation industry. At some point, you as an animator has to put your foot down and stand up to the studio saying “No! You will just not tolerate any longer! Treat us with the respect we deserve or we go on strike!” While it’s unlikely that will occur on it’s own, the soon-to-be expired contract between the Animation Guide and the AMPTP will certainly make the voices of animators be heard. And there is not better time for them to start speaking up than now!

Just like how actors and writers had every right to go on strike last year, animators deserve that very right! With big companies performing layoffs within the industry in the hopes of avoiding a strike, that is only going to throw more fuel into the fire. Laying off hundreds to thousands of animators in the hopes of giving those extra bucks to those that deserve it is NOT the answer! Replacing those animators with robots is NOT the answer! Putting the animators through hell with every single animation production is also NOT the answer! The only answer is to give them the proper care, treatment, and respect that they deserve to deliver the best quality creative product that they can!

It’s only then that animators may not have to strike. However, in this case and under THESE circumstances right now, they have more than earn their right to do so once they get the chance!

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) Movie Review- Apes Remain Strong

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It would be quite strange to consider the new rebooted run of Planet of the Apes as “underrated”. After all, every ape flick that has come out since 2011 has been received with high praise from critics and audiences alike. But yet, despite all the love these films tend to get at the time of its release, they usually tend to get swept under the rug shortly after release. I don’t know if it’s just because these are the kind of films that just come and go with no ill will geared towards them or it’s just that everyone agrees these movies are good and then proceed to move on with it their lives but that has mostly been the case with every recent release of the Planet of the Apes franchise. It’s not so much underrated but more overlooked. There’s a different between those two words.

I bring this up because when it comes to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I think it’s about time we stop pushing these movies aside and just start accepting that the Planet of the Apes franchise is legit one of the best and most consistent film franchises out there. Despite Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves no longer being behind the camera and Caesar no longer being the main ape protagonist we follow, director Wes Ball is able to continue this rebooted series with grace with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in the best and most logical way possible.

The new apes we focus on are as likable and compelling as the apes in the last three movies, the action is thoroughly entertaining and thrilling throughout, the world building has never been more intriguing in these movies, and of course, the visuals and motion capture is completely off the charts and should be recognized greatly at the Academy Awards. It may not be quite as impressive from an emotional and depth stand point as Dawn or War or as the surprise/wow factor that Rise had but it’s able to stand strongly as it’s own engaging ape film while planting the seeds for what the future for the apes and humans can hold if the story shall continue.

Plot Synopsis: 300 years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

The main strength that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has going for it is staying committed to its whole “back to basics” feel to it. It’s not interested in raising the stakes and topping the scales of Dawn or War, it’s not trying to reinvent the wheels like Rise, nor is it even trying to be the “real” ending to Caesar’s own trilogy. Despite this technically being the sequel to the last one, it has more interests in telling it’s own story and potentially blazing a path towards it’s own distinct future while acknowledging the impact that Caesar has had even 300 years later. Much like with Rise, there are plenty of hints of where to go from here if the series shall continue from here with the new characters we follow of Noa, Soona, Korina, Nova, and others. While the jury is still out whether or not this newest group can hold a candle to the likes of Caesar, Maurice, Koba, and others, the newest characters of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are compelling enough in their own right that their presence isn’t missed too much.

The main ape Noa in particular has an arc about carrying the right side to Caesar’s legacy while making sure to forge his own identity. Particular because it’s his actions throughout the film that can serve as a major turning point between the lives of the apes and human beings. Whether you see that as a metaphor of Kingdom being yet another legacyquel about newer fresh blood being passed the baton or just the main theme of evolution that has always been a staple for this series, it does work wonder and makes Noa all the more compelling to follow on screen.

Which could not make the antagonist as Proximus Caesar any better. Not only because he can be seen as another subtle metaphor of learning the “wrong” lessons from his ancestor and the overall lack of media literacy nowadays but also is a good contrast to Noa’s arc about being careful of his actions since it could potentially turn the tide between human and apes. I don’t know if Proximus is on the same level as Koba but he works perfectly as the antagonist of this movie, acting as a brilliant mirror to Noa and the legacy that Caesar himself has left beyond many generations later.

The performances remain as stellar as they usually are with these films! Owen Teague is able to fit in the big shoes he’s require to fill quite well as Noa, even if he can’t quite escape the shadow from Andy Serkis’s groundbreaking work in these films. Kevin Durand is able to make just as strong of impression as Proximus Caesar, going two for two this year, following Abigail. Peter Macon is able to add an extra bit of heart to the picture with Raka. It’s nice to have more female presence among the apes with Lydia Peckham’s Soona and Dichen Lachman’s Korina. And even if I’m not completely in love with everything done with Noa/May, Freya Allan fits the role very well and is quite believable in the action.

Speaking of action, they are just as well done and choregraphed as it usually is with these movies. Being able to get full advance out of the motion capture and move sets of the apes, the set pieces are completely thrilling throughout, with the final third delivering exactly on that action that is set up with the first two thirds of the film. The visuals are just as top notch as the previous movies, with plenty of beautiful cinematography and location shooting that helps enthralled the world building throughout the movie. The score is quite strong with not a single track feeling out of place. And it even has more of a sense of levity than the prior three films did, adding a bit of light of what might be considered a more calm tone than before.

If there is one major thing that holds Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes back from reaching the standards of it’s predecessors, it’s that sense of familiarity in terms of the characters and themes. It’s understandable in the sense that it has to update the status quo in this world but four movies in, you are able to recognize the bits throughout. From the new heads of the cast to the new prisoners set to the characters from both sides yet again questioning their place in this worlds, it makes the hitting beats from the previous films more noticeable than before. I’m not gonna say it’s a rehash of the last three films since it has enough of an identity of it’s own but it could have afford to step out of the shadow a little bet and tread less familiar ground.

I also would have like to see more of the human’s point of view with the limited human characters we have throughout, particularly Noa. Not that I needed a good chunk of a movie to centered around them but just enough time where it makes the actions that Noa makes in the last third of the movie feel more justified. Also, more of William H. Macy would have been nice as well.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is able to carry the momentum of this rebooted Apes movies by both paying great tribute to the Caesar trilogy while also expanding the world dominated by apes in fascinating ways. Time will tell if this film and the inevitable follow-ups will live up to the high standards of Rise, Dawn, and War but for what it’s worth, it’s good and compelling enough in it’s own right that it’s worth seeing where this franchise can go for here. Four movies into this reboots and apes continue to remain strong! Caesar would indeed be proud!

Other comments:

  • I have more faith in the live-action Legend of Zelda movie now but I still don’t get why that needs to be live-action, especially after the ANIMATED Super Mario Bros movie made a billion dollars last year. At least, it will look nice with great landscape shots!

  • The only real Elon Musk comparison I see with Proximus Caesar is the fact that he’s played by Kevin Durand, who legit looks like Elon Musk’s twin brother except he’s actually a good hearted person.

  • I honestly thought Raka was a 320 year old Maurice once we first saw him.

  • Also, please for the love of god, bring that character back that was supposedly killed off. I don’t care how or why, just bring them back because they are too precious and likable and shouldn’t be wasted like that. It may for a nice emotional moment in the film but please bring them back!