Movie Review: Eternals (PG13 – 156 minutes)

 

The Eternals were originally created for Marvel Comics by Jack Kirby in 1976. It was a sweeping, cosmic, weird, and a bit psychedelic story of superhuman warriors that came to earth thousands of years ago and are nearly immortal.  Because of their god-like powers and long life, they become the basis for many human myths in various cultures and civilizations.

This movie follows ten Eternals (Sersi, Ikaris, Thena, Gilgamesh, Ajak, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Makkari, and Druig) as they land on earth, battling Deviants as commanded by their… master? God? Director? Manager? … Arishem.  They battle the Deviants for several centuries with several of them getting a bit disillusioned by the genocide they witness by conquistadors in south America.  In fact, one has a full-out Eternal mental breakdown (they call it mind-weary, and what a perfect term for what many of us have gone through in the past year and a half). 

They decide to take a break and we pick up the story with Sersi in modern-day London where she is working at a museum and dating a local named Dane Whitman. Sprite is hanging out with them and seems to have told Dane just about everything about them because when a Deviant randomly attacks them, he knows what it is, but he hasn’t believed her stories up to this point.  This attack allows Sersi an opportunity for some exposition after they are rescued by Ikaris.  They decide to head off to check in with Ajak, because if Arishem is their manager, she’s the assistant manager and the only one who can talk with him.  This leads to a general rounding up of the rest of the team who is spread out across the globe. Once rounded up, they have to take on the deviants that remain all while unraveling their true purpose and deciding how they feel about said purpose.

Hiring Chloe Zhao to direct this movie was a perfect choice. For such an epic tale, her direction and the cast manage to make each of the Eternals feel intimate and relatable. It is very difficult to make a movie with ten leads and ensure each of them is given enough development that the audience understands their point of view. Coming in at two and half hours, this movie certainly has the time - even if I thought it should not have.  Of all the projects, this may have been the one that would have been better served by a Disney Plus show – you could have spent an episode with each Eternal, getting into their story, their powers, their state of mind, etc.  Zhao spent more time shooting on location than some other MCU projects and it certainly does show.  The movie is sweeping and gorgeous with impressive settings, costumes, and performances.

The movie may unofficially have ten leads but the true heart is Gemma Chan as Sersi. Her powers seem to be transmutation – changing one thing into something else. She’s the audience in and the one we spend the most time with.  She has learned to love humanity despite our flaws and her quest to ensure our safety at any cost is epic. 

Richard Madden as Ikaris gets the next most clock and his powers are Superman-like, flight, strength, and eye lasers.  He is very serious about doing the job they were assigned and not question Arishem or their directives. He and Chan have known each other for years and I felt that benefitted the chemistry between them, both when they are getting along (is this the only MCU movie with sex on a beach?) and when their relationship is strained. 

Angelina Jolie is perfect casting as Thena, the Eternal who influenced Athena from Greek Mythology. Her power is creating weapons out of nowhere with cosmic energy and using them with superior fighting skills.  She’s the one who gets the mind-weariness and while she is stoic for most of the movie, it requires an actress of her caliber to pull off painfully withdrawn and reserved with just a touch of snarkiness and engagement.  Easily one of my favorite characters.

Don Lee plays Gilgamesh, with super strength powers. He and Thena have an incredible friendship bond and take care of one another through battles and quiet times. His quiet power is fantastic and I love the sequence where he cooks for everyone.

Lia McHugh plays Sprite, and as you know from Interview with a Vampire and several Highlander episodes – anyone stuck in a child’s body for all eternity is pissed about being stuck in a child’s body for all eternity.  Her powers seem to be casting illusions and sarcasm.

Lauren Ridloff has been one of the best things on the Walking Dead for the last couple of years and here plays Makkari whose power is super speed.  Ridloff did get the opportunity to teach some of her co-stars ASL and they use it a bit throughout the movie. I would have liked a little more for her to do, or to learn more about her character, but again – so many leads.

Barry Keoghan plays Druig and his power is general mind-control?  He’s the one who is the most questioning of their mission parameters of non-interferences and originates the ‘walk away for a bit’ response after witnessing atrocities. He gives Druig a palpable frustration that at times felt like the right response and at other times felt like a threat. I loved the relationship Druig had with Makkari that was really more hinted at than developed.

Salma Hayek plays Ajak, the only one who gets to talk to Arishem. She watches over the other Eternals with her healing power and makes sure they all stay on task and do not go too far off the path.  She glides through the movie with an effortless elegance that centers the group.

Brian Tyree Henry plays Phastos and his power is engineering?  Tools, weapons, ships, you name it.  He helps mankind evolve, which he both relishes and reviles after seeing what they do with some of that knowledge. Eventually when the rounding-up begins, he has settled down with a husband and son and seems to be appreciating the quieter moments.

I mention Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo last because he stole every single second of this movie that he is on-screen for – which makes a decision Kingo makes late in the movie very puzzling. His power is literal finger guns – energy blasts from his hands. He has been excellent in a lot of things for a very long time (go watch the Big Sick if you haven’t) but my goodness, he is the best here. Kingo is an Eternal that loves being an Eternal. He has crafted a Bollywood star role for himself where he is just various offspring of himself so that no one questions how he had made so many movies for so long.  He is charming, fun, engaging, and so watchable that when he is not on screen, the movie suffers.  Also – Harish Patel as his valet is the best – providing some very human viewpoints on various scenarios.

Kit Harington is better here than he has been in anything else, giving Dane a likeability that makes me really excited for his (hopefully) future MCU appearances. Bill Skarsgard voices the head Deviant that begins evolving to the point where he can have a conversation. 

Overall, the movie is lush and beautiful and while I really enjoyed it, I didn’t love it. It certainly feels different than any other MCU movie while still fitting into the overall framework. Two and a half hours is way too long for any movie, even one this gorgeous. I really do think it would have been better as a series so that you could spend the time needed with each Eternal, although, I would not have liked any of the non-Kingo episodes as much!  As a random afterthought, I did love how anytime the Eternals encountered one another after a while, they tell folks around them, “These are my friends from college!”

8 out of 10

Movie Review: Dune (PG13 – 155 minutes)

 

Dune was written by Frank Herbert in 1965. Since then, it has been translated a few times to movies and mini-series. It is notoriously difficult to do as a movie or show because of the wide interstellar setting and the carefully included themes of colonization, politics, religion, ecology, technology and human involvement in all of those aspects. The story is set in a future where humankind has settled a great many planets and we have shifted back to a feudal-type system with various powerful families holding different areas to work and govern.

This version begins with a quick overview of the desert planet Arrakis and how it is the only place in the galaxy to harvest ‘spice’.  What exactly spice does is not covered in great detail here, but it helps with space travel, making it incredibly valuable. The people of Arrakis use it for what seem to be religious purposes but because of its travel value, others come in to harvest it.  Arrakis was under the power of the Harkonnen family, who were brutal and cruel to the Arrakans. The emperor (of the galaxy?) decides to pull the Harkonnens from Arrakis and instead sends the Atreides family to govern it.  From what I could gather, this seems to be a double cross because the emperor is not all that fond of the Atreides and is hoping the Harkonnens will get angry and eliminate the Atreides for him. 

Young Paul Atreides is studying with his mother Jessica who is a member of a religious organization, cult, or perhaps a coven. They are very powerful and have some extra-human skills.  Once they get to Arrakis, word spreads that he may or may not be some sort of savior that the Arrakans have been waiting for. Jessica seems to hint that she has been encouraging the rumor. Meanwhile, Paul’s father Leto has to deal with the mess the Harkonnens left behind in order to run the planet in a peaceful coexistence with the Arrakans.

The main reason I typed all that out was just to see if I had a grip on the plot of this movie. Admittedly, I have not read any of the books (there are a bunch of them) nor have I watched the Lynch movie or the mini-series from a few years ago, so the story is new to me.  I can see how it would be more clearly explained in a book and can be very difficult to convey these layers of political intrigue on screen. I think director Denis Villeneuve does a decent job, because I think I understood what was happening.  I know that he consciously was careful with this movie to try to avoid Star Wars comparisons, but it is tough to do any type of sci-fi epic and not feel similarities.  Villeneuve brings his trademark epic and desolate sci-fi stunning direction and sweeping landscapes to this movie. It is absolutely worth seeing in the theater because of the look of the movie. The story meanders a bit, but not enough to make it unpleasant.  The movie picks up action-wise just at the end as the Harrkonnens come to take back the planet and Paul has to go on the run.  Needless to say, this is just part one and I do find myself looking forward to part 2. 

I do not know, nor have I ever, understood the appeal of Timothee Chalamet.  I find him bland and boring.  I cannot tell if that was direction or choice here, but in my opinion, he lacks the charisma to center this movie – however, that may be accurate for this character.  I will say that everyone around him was incredibly watchable, which in a strange way makes his performance make sense – he’s the stillness at the center of the swirling and shifting performances around him.

Rebecca Ferguson is very intriguing as Jessica, making me almost want to read the books to know more about her character, their group, and where their loyalties lie.  I also found Oscar Isaac as her husband very interesting as a man who is going ahead with the duty he is assigned even when he is not that thrilled with it.  Josh Brolin plays his right hand man who is outwardly grumpy about the entire situation and does his best to keep Paul trained up and ready for anything.

Jason Momoa basically plays himself as a scout for the family that goes on ahead to the planet and embeds with the locals to get the lay of the land prior to the rest of the family showing up.  Javier Bardem is one of those locals and he has very few scenes here but he is engaging enough in those scenes to make you encouraged about what he will bring to the sequel.

Stellan Skarsgard oozes his way through the performance of the head of the Harkonnen clan. He is very creepy and weird and chews the scenery in a great way. Dave Bautista and David Dastmalchian play other Harkonnens who are equally creepy and watchable.  Are all the Harkonnens weird and bald and creepy or is it just these three?

Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Dr. Liet Kynes, a go-between of sorts helping the Atreides connect with Arrakis, the Arrakans, and learn just enough about the spice and the giant sandworms that wander around the planet.

Zendaya plays the girl Paul is dreaming of, mentioning all kinds of things about Arrakis to him in those dreams. So you can imagine his surprise when he finally encounters her.  Again, this is a character that I assume will have more to do in the sequel.

Overall, the movie looks stunning and is entertaining enough – although it is way too long and very slow in parts.  Those slow parts do look lovely and if you are a fan of Villeneuve’s style, that will not bother you.  I found it a little tedious. 

5 out of 10 – I can’t help but wonder if the sequel will raise this number once I see it. I also wonder if having not seen or read any other version was a help or a hinderance. 

Movie Review: Venom: Let There Be Carnage (PG13 – 97 minutes)

 

I enjoyed the 2018 Venom movie. It did require some mental gymnastics in accepting a Venom movie without Spider-Man in it.  Why is that so difficult? Well, I recommend checking out the series of Venom episodes from the 90s Spider-Man animated series – they explain Venom better than I could. 

But here’s a summary - Essentially Spider-Man picks up an alien symbiote that happily bonds with him – changing his costume black and enhancing his more dark & dangerous impulses.  Upset when he realizes what the symbiote could empower him to do, Peter Parker separates himself from it using sonic vibrations (really loud noise).  The symbiote falls to Eddie Brock – a reporter who has recently developed a world class hatred for Peter Parker for various reasons. So together, Eddie hates Peter, the symbiote hates Spider-Man, and they become Venom, united in their hatred of your friendly, neighborhood hero.  Since he’s the focus of their hatred, they pretty easily shift into anti-hero territory, willing to help out others as long as they can continue to hate Spider-Man.  So, if you can set aside all that backstory and cut out the Spider-Man from it (it’s really hard to do that), you can enjoy the movie. I particularly loved the bits of Venom just Venom-ing around San Francisco and being a ‘lethal protector’.  Plus, Tom Hardy embraced the over-the-topness of the Jeckel and Hyde bit of the story, creating a very watchable Eddie Brock.

Once the symbiote reproduces/splits, and a bit lands on insane serial killer Cletus Kassady, he bonds with the symbiote, causing pure chaos.  A bit I always liked was that Kassady bonded so completely, Carnage always uses “I” to refer to himself and Venom uses “we”, since Eddie and the symbiote remain individuals.

In this movie, we pick up with Venom doing what they can to protect the city as Eddie struggles to keep the symbiote fed – but they are getting on each other’s nerves.  After all, they do share the small living space of Eddie’s body.  Eddie gets to write a story on killer Cletus Kassady, and the symbiote helps him be observant enough to figure out where some additional bodies are buried. This pissed off Cletus, who requests one more meeting with Eddie prior to being executed.  In said meeting, he bites Eddie, picking up a bit of symbiote, which gets angry about the attempted execution and breaks them out of prison.  Carnage then goes to pick up his lady friend from the institution in which she has been staying and they set about on a very Natural Born Killers type rampage of chaos and revenge – forcing Eddie and the symbiote to patch up their differences so that Venom can try to save the day. 

The story is simple and straightforward and honestly, I liked it even more than the first – because here, we skip the origin part and get right to the adventure.  Since the origin is the iffy-est bit of the first, this was great. Adding Andy Serkis as director is a good thing because he understands how to help actors with the physicality of tangling with something that is not there. He kept the action swift, light, and maintains a sense of fun through the whole piece. The fight scenes are really entertaining even if they get a little CGI-heavy, and watching Hardy again embrace big and crazy as Brock argues with the symbiote is fantastic. Hardy gets a writing credit on this one and has already said he’s looking forward to what he can do in the next one and now – so am I.

Woody Harrleson goes to gleefully crazy, which he is very good at, and let loose as Cletus. I didn’t need all the justification in his backstory for his lunacy, but hey, I suppose it provides a why. It doesn’t make him any less of a threat. The Carnage effects are fine, but I do wish he was a little more red. And, not having Peter Parker around to deliver some science-y exposition about the differences between the two symbiotes is not something most will miss (I did, a little).

I appreciate Michelle Williams as Anne and how she is both patient and irritated with Eddie. I also like that she is willing to help when necessary and admits that occasionally bonding with the symbiote is fun.  Reid Scott as her fiancée Dr. Dan is still hilarious and unprepared for the situation – although he certainly steps up here when needed.

Naomie Harris plays Frances Barrison – Shriek – who in this version grew up with Cletus and is in love with him. She’s a mutant with big scream powers – interesting since the one thing the symbiotes hate is big noises. 

Peggy Lu’s Mrs. Chen provides a wonderful stable base for Venom to hangout.  Stephen Graham plays Detective Mulligan who may or may not at some point become Toxin – here, he’s the guy who shot Shriek years ago and is still dealing with that trauma.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and the run time is fantastic!  At just over an hour and a half, it’s a reminder that not every movie needs to be two and a half hours long!  Trim it up and deliver in the time you have.  The post-credits sequence certainly has me intrigued for what is next – perhaps they will find a way to solve all the issues of the first movie? Because I really enjoy Hardy’s Venom and want him to be around for a long time.

8 out of 10

Movie Review: Cop Shop (R – 107 minutes)

 

My goodness it is fun to see a quick little action flick.

Boss Level on Hulu earlier this year was great and raised Frank Grillo to a new level (check it out if you haven't seen it yet). Here, he reunites with director Joe Carnahan in Cop Shop.

The movie begins by introducing us to Officer Valerie Young, working at a police station in rural Nevada. Teddy Murretto is on the run from the mob and punches her in the middle of a wedding brawl to get thrown in jail, figuring he will be safe there.  Over the course of the evening, she gets to know Teddy, his pursuer, Bob, another hitman, Anthony, and has to figure out what the right course of action is to make it through the night.

This movie was such a pleasant surprise to me. The story is very straightforward and the setting is nearly claustrophobic. Everything happens in one night in the police station. Characters are given background and development through early conversations and actions.  Carnahan knows how to direct action and where I have seen him go a little over the top before, everything in this movie mostly stays contained and helps push the story. The cast is wonderful.

Frank Grillo continues to have a strong string here as Teddy Murretto.  Teddy is a little different than what I have seen him do in the past. First off, the wig is terrible, but whatever – it’s a choice.  And at no point does he lose his shirt to demonstrate his 3% body fat, which I feel like he started Boss Level doing.  He does seem to be maturing a bit and this role is a little more actor-y rather than action-y. It is certainly within his skillset and he manages to make Teddy layered with a shift at the end I was not prepared for.

Gerard Butler is better in this than I have seen him lately. Probably because he is playing an assassin who will not stop in terms of getting Teddy.  He gets himself thrown into jail so that he can get close enough to take him out and then both he and Teddy work on convincing Valerie to take their side.

Speaking of which, this movie is definitely an Alexis Louder vehicle and I cannot wait to see the next one. While the trailers try to make it seem like Butler or Grillo are the stars, Louder is the centerpiece. She is perfect as a wild west gunslinger who is too smart to fall victim to any nonsense the bad guys throw at her. She is dealing with their stupid and the stupid of some of her co-workers throughout the whole evening, bound and determined to keep doing her job well. She’s a fantastic lead, great in the action, better in the quiet parts, and really steals the show.

Toby Huss plays the crazy killer Anthony Lamb and while he is a real threat, he also managed to bring some comic beats to his scenes. Ryan O’Nan and Jose Pablo Cantillo play other police officers, along with a cameo from Keith Jardine. 

Overall, the movie is quick, contained, and very entertaining. It feels like a throwback action movie with just enough think-y bits to keep you guessing. Certainly good for an evening and big bowl of popcorn.

8 out of 10

On Daniel Craig’s Bond – or, He Knows What He Did.

 

A video surfaced recently and went viral of Daniel Craig thanking the crew of the latest Bond, appreciating them, and the movies they have made together – it was very touching, and a nice moment of genuine-ness from him.  He also mentioned a bit about how they ‘may have heard him say some things about these movies’... I wrote this post nearly two years ago when No Time To Die was first about to come out. I figured I would post it now. Just my opinion and some ranting – feel free to ignore!

 You may have heard me state that I don’t care for Daniel Craig and when asked why, I typically reply with, “He knows what he did.”  The short version of ‘what he did’ is that he has seemed ungrateful.  The long version is below.

In an interview in 2015 when asked about continuing to play the character of James Bond, Craig replied that living up to the image of Bond is “onerous”, that he had put everything he had into Spectre, and stated “I would rather slit my wrists than play that character again” (Reuters, 2015). I have three reasons why that statement is upsetting enough to me that I have carried a grudge about it since then. The reality is that it doesn’t matter – certainly my opinion of Daniel Craig does not matter to him and shouldn’t matter to you either. If you love his work and his performances as an actor, that’s wonderful! I am sure he will continue to make a variety of interesting choices in roles going forward. Knives out was incredible and very entertaining – his accent in it was not, but hey – whatever!  If you find him off-putting and could not put a finger on why, perhaps one of these reasons can clarify it for you?

Reason 1 – The fans.

                I have long believed that an actor’s only purpose is to entertain the audience. I once heard Ian McKellan say something to that effect and I have never forgotten that idea. From the first caveman who stood up and regaled his tribe with tales of their hunting party earlier in the day while the group relaxed around the fire - the purpose of the storyteller is to entertain the audience, or to put it more crassly – to put asses in the seats. In this context ‘entertain’ can take different forms and might be better served with ‘engage’ the audience, but you get the drift.  The instant an actor believes they are more than that purpose, or that they do not need the audience, that the audience does not matter, or that the ‘work’ is more important than sharing it with the audience – I believe they have lost the main goal of the occupation.  Now, this can be interpreted in various ways, and often there are actors who state they are there to elevate the material, rather than engage with the audience. That may be, but in that case, why are you performing it? Why not simply do that alone in a room?  Certainly performing on stage is the purest form of performance for an actor as they have one chance to take the material and execute it properly.  I feel like the stage is the actor’s medium. In that vein, TV is the writer’s medium, and films and movies are the director’s/editor’s medium.  This is why someone like Tom Cruise (as arguably crazy as he is) gets bonus points from me for always putting the audience first. He knows what the fans want and goes to ridiculous lengths to achieve it. That said, in general, Craig seems to have little engagement with the audience and does not care what they think of his interpretation of this character.

                In 1953, Ian Fleming wrote the first of his James Bond series of short stories and novels. Fleming was a former naval intelligence officer and used the character of Bond to tell many stories of the gentleman spy over several years through 1964. The first Bond movie was Dr. No starring Sean Connery as Bond and was released in 1962. Since then, there have been 24 films with a combined gross of over $7 billion. The movies have varied from silly to serious and drift from overtly racist and sexist to charming and fun (and more subtly sexist). As expected with a franchise that long-lived, there is a massive fan base that enjoys the films.  This is why most actors take the role very seriously and are thrilled when presented the opportunity.  Craig took the role in 2005 and stated he was aware of the challenges that came with it but wanted to bring more ‘emotional depth’ to the character. The fans were not thrilled with his casting, but other actors were.  Clive Owen was another name thrown around at the time and he praised Craig’s casting as a ‘proper actor’ – whatever that means.  Badmouthing the role and the experience disrespects the fans who enjoy the series. If he does not want to play the character, he doesn’t have to, there are plenty other actors who would love the opportunity. Which brings me to point 2.

Reason 2 – Sidelining others

                While Craig seems to spend the majority of time during Bond promotional tours bitching and moaning about being Bond, there are other actors who would love the opportunity.  Personally, I think Henry Golding would be fantastic. The last two movies I saw him in both included Bond mentions around him (Last Christmas and The Gentlemen).  David Harewood would be another excellent choice. Idris Elba has had rumors swirling around him for the last several years. After Craig first stated he never wanted to do it again, Elba said he would be happy to do it. There were comments from those around the product that Elba was “too urban” for the role.  If you’re confused by what “too urban” means, it means they are racist and didn’t want to be caught saying he’s “too black” to play James Bond.  Bond should be cocky, confident, capable, charming, fun, action-packed, and British. All things that Elba is and maintains.  In any case, many fans pushed for him to take the role and just as it looked like it might happen, Craig suddenly agreed to do another film. Which is mystifying for so many reasons.   Elba has shifted into other interests (he spends a lot of time DJing) and now may be too old for the role. There are other options. After seeing The Man From U.N.C.L.E., I think Henry Cavill would be a great Bond. Whoever gets the role next, there are hundreds of other British actors who would love to take the job and would not constantly complain about having it, so hopefully the next Bond will love being Bond.  At the very least, perhaps they won’t state they would prefer suicide to playing Bond again, which brings me to point 3.

Reason 3 – Suicide is not an appropriate analogy for your mild discomfort – ever.

                This reason is the most personal to me and not necessary a Craig issue but a more general one.  I lost my youngest brother to suicide in 2007 and it completely destroyed me. He was my best friend and losing him was devastating. That is one of the most heartbreaking side effects of suicide, it ends the pain for the person but it eviscerates those who remain leaving boatloads of unresolved guilt, anger, depression, and anxiety. It is fairly common to hear things like “I’d rather kill myself than do that” or see someone gesturing a gunshot to their own head, or mimicking hanging themselves. People who do this have never experienced a suicide of someone near them. Of course you wouldn’t actually rather kill yourself that do the action in question, and no doubt Craig would not rather slit his wrists than be handed piles of cash to put in the effort to play Bond again, especially since he decided to play him again shortly thereafter.  The use of suicide as an analogy for not wanting to do something is disgusting, horrific, upsetting, and needs to be removed from colloquialisms. Again, not specifically a Craig issue, more of a critique on those who do it in general. Hopefully eventually folks will find a different way to express their displeasure.

Overall, Daniel Craig is a gifted actor – that’s been demonstrated time and time again. He’s good, and he’ll continue to be good. For me personally, I love a big-budget, gigantic, summer tent-pole type movie. And I prefer actors in those that are well-aware of what they are making, enjoy that level of silliness and do not take themselves too seriously.  One step further, they understand how much the entertainment means to the fans and want to do right by them.  See: the Rock, Cruise again, or anyone working in the MCU.  If you only want to make gritty, deep, emotionally riveting art-house think-pieces that elevate the material and you truly do not care if anyone sees it, great – more power to you.  There is a place for that, and actually, a fairly large audience for it.  Let those who enjoy the big nonsense make the big nonsense. Keep your grumpy ass at home.

Reference:

Reuters. (2015, October 8). Daniel Craig says he would ‘rather break this glass and slit my wrists’ than play Bond again. Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.com/daniel-craig-says-he-would-rather-slit-his-wrists-than-play-bond-again-2015-10

Movie Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (PG13 – 142 minutes)

 

I waited almost a month to post this review – I tried to stay spoiler free, but there are a couple below – so spoiler warning up top!  If you have seen the movie, and you want to hear myself and a handful of other LAMB members rave about it, listen here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lambcast/episodes/2021-09-07T08_55_22-07_00

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to strive forward after its own Endgame, first with new stories with familiar characters in the Disney Plus shows and in Black Widow, and now with an origin story of a brand new MCU hero.

Shang-Chi made his comic debut in 1973, during the height of the martial arts craze.  The books were big successes, leading to several attempts to bring him to the screen – including Stan Lee’s idea to do a movie in the late 80s starring Brandon Lee. Now, we finally get Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The movie begins in a similar fashion to Black Panther, with Shang-Chi’s mother telling him as a child the story of his father, who found the ten rings and used them to conquer, accumulate power, and gain near immortality over a thousand years or so. After meeting her, he put them away to focus on his family and she stepped away from her village in a different dimension, setting aside her powers as well.  Her powers as less clear, but seem to be elemental?  

She gives the young Shang-Chi a pendant and we jump ahead to meet him as Shaun, a happy young man working as a valet in San Francisco with his best friend Katy.  On a bus ride to work, some members of his father’s crew, including the aptly named Razor Fist, show up to collect the pendant and threaten to go after his sister. Determined to save her, he comes clean about his past to Katy, who insists on joining him as he goes to see his sister. They head to Macao, but his sister Xialing is doing just fine for herself, running an underground fight club that features fights with ‘enhanced individuals’.  Just as Shang-Chi and Xialing are reconnecting, their father, Wenwu (or The Mandarin, or any of the other multiple names folks have been calling him), shows up to collect both pendants and both children – and Katy for some reason. At his compound, he reveals the reason Katy is there - to justify lengthy exposition of his history and new goal of rescuing his wife from behind a huge gate at her village. His children, having watched her die, know he is starting to lose his mind and set out to save her village from their father – with Katy.

I loved this movie. I have seen it three times and enjoyed it each time more than the previous time. It can feel a little slow in the middle where all the exposition is happening, but I am not sure how you could have skipped any of it because it helps to clarify and develop all the characters and their backstories. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the movie integrates flashbacks throughout the entire piece, creating a layered narrative that works really well for this particular hero. Several flashback scenes are used repeatedly, but with more information each time, filling in the story as the movie progresses.  This allows you to feel very connected to both Shang-Chi and Xialing by the time the climatic action sequence happens.  The look of the movie is stunning, especially when it shifts to Tao Lo, the village in another dimension, filled with various creatures from Chinese mythology.  The fights and actions sequences are spectacular, especially the bus fight early on.  But what really elevates this fairly straightforward comic-book action movie (like most MCU movies) is the actors and the performances.

Simu Liu is the perfect choice for Shang-Chi. He is so likeable and relatable. I appreciated that while being an origin movie, we didn’t get an intense training sequence for him – his training is conveyed during flashbacks and setups so that what would have been a training montage in other MCU origin stories is covered in pieces that enhance the story.  As a side note, if you have not watched Kim’s Convenience yet on Netflix, go ahead and binge all four seasons of that incredibly charming Canadian sitcom to fall in love with Simu all over again.

Meng’er Zhang is absolutely wonderful as Xialing. She has a compelling side of the story, but I almost wish there was a little more of her. She is a bit bitter at Shang-Chi for leaving her behind years ago, and as a result, has crafted herself into a bit of an underworld boss.  As a slight spoiler – stay through all the credits – I cannot wait to see what they have in store for her next, she was a true bright spot in an already bright movie for me.

Tony Chiu-Wai Leung is a legend in Asian cinema but this may be the first time some American audience members have seen him. On the surface, this version of the Mandarin could be pure evil, and written off as just another MCU throwaway villain. However, through some delicate touches and beautiful moments, he manages to make Wenwu sympathetic in moments, driven to desperation by how much he misses his wife. Only someone with his skill can pull that off. 

Awkwafina plays Katy and begins as regular Awkwafina (I do enjoy Nora from Queens on Comedy central, but mainly for B.D. Wong and Grandma), but evolves over the course of the movie to a pretty high-level sidekick. She functions as the audience “in” to the story, because everyone else knows what is going on, so she gets to ask the questions we would ask.  I love that she and Shang-Chi have a very strong platonic friendship with no forced romance. 

Of course, since the Mandarin is the villain, we are treated to the return of Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery – or “Fake Mandarin” from Iron Man 3 and the Marvel One-shot Short, “All Hail The King”, which is now on Disney+.  He is a treat and I love LOVE his buddy Morris, the Dijiang. Delightful.

Florian Munteanu, most recently seen as Ivan Drago Jr. in Creed 2, plays Razor Fist. He is a old-fashioned comic-book movie villain who is able to quickly adapt to a situation that gets out of his control. Plus, he has a pretty sweet car. Andy Le is great as Death Dealer, but I could have used a little bit more of him.

The incredible Michelle Yeoh continues to be incredible as Ying Nan, the siblings’ auntie who lives in the alternate dimension. She’s there to fill in any exposition holes that Wenwu missed in the previous scenes as well as clarify some of Shang-Chi’s abilities to prep him for the final battle. 

Overall, the movie is beautiful with fantastic action and great soundtrack and score.  I normally only notice the score when it is bad or really good. Here, Joel P. West’s score is noticeably epic, blending traditional Chinese instruments and sounds with modern Asian hip-hop beats and tempos. I love the music behind the final action sequence. I also love the cultural moments, yes, he’s the first Chinese superhero to have his own movie, but even more lovely are the smaller cultural moments in the movie. He goes to pick up Katy from work and has a discussion with Katy’s grandmother about how she is preparing to remember her late husband. Continued representation is key to allow all movie-goers the opportunity to see themselves, their traditions, and culture reflected in the movies we all watch.  The movie is a fantastic origin story – certainly one of the best in the MCU and I cannot wait to see Shang-Chi join up with other heroes in upcoming stories.

9 out of 10

In case you were curious how that Dijiang came to be and why he is so adorable! Spoilers! https://www.etonline.com/how-shang-chi-brought-morris-the-scene-stealing-chaos-god-to-life-exclusive-171995

Movie Review: Free Guy (PG132- 115 minutes)

 

Having played all the Batman Arkham games and the two Spider-Man games, I have a passing familiarity with NPCs.  These are the non-playable characters that populate an ‘open-world’ game. Basically they are the background folks, programmed to walk around and do/say the same things over and over. They provide filler to the game so that the ‘world’ of the game seems more real. In the Miles Morales Spider-Man game, there are a couple that you can high-five, which is of course, the best. 

Free Guy is a movie highlighting one of those NPCs in a popular game who is accidentally given Artificial intelligence programming and begins to evolve and get smarter and more skilled as he takes control of his own destiny.  While he does this, player Millie and programmer Keys work together to determine if game company CEO Antwan stole their game and code to build his empire.  Hijinks ensue.

Director Shawn Levy is the Canadian behind the Night at the Museum franchise and works the same level of action and comedy with just enough tender moments here. The world of the game feels familiar to anyone who has played an open-world adventure game, but the story is straightforward enough that even those who have not played one of those games will get the gist and be able to enjoy the movie.  The tone is just right, balancing the zaniness of the game world with the exasperation of the real world. The cast is perfect and elevates the material at hand.

Ryan Reynolds gives his all and proves once again that action-comedy is his sweet spot.  As the naïve and hapless Guy in the game, he is perfectly satisfied with the monotonous everyday drivel that he and his fellow NPCs are doing, until he meets Jodie Comer’s Millie and realizes that he is capable of more. Reynolds is perfect in this type of role, hilarious and genuine.  Comer is the perfect counterpoint as a woman focused on her own interests until she sees Guy’s potential. I also enjoyed how they played with her accent between her real and game personas. 

Lil Rel Howery is fantastic and slightly understated as Guy’s best friend, Buddy.  He is satisfied with their life as it is and cannot quite understand why Guy is beginning to look for more. But, like a true best friend, he is there when Guy needs him.

Joe Keery plays Keys, the programmer working for Antwan, who begins to suspect that Antwan may have stolen some of his work when Guy’s self-awareness becomes apparent.

Utkarsh Ambudkar plays Mouser, Key’s co-worker and not-quite-friend. There are also plenty of cameos, so keep your ears peeled for voices you may recognize, and if you follow Youtube gamers, you may catch some of them too.  No shock here, but Taika Waititi as Antwan steals several scenes. He is completely over the top and just this side of a mustache-twirling villain as he attempts to keep Keys and Millie from discovering the truth.  He is clearly having a ball being bad. 

Overall, the movie is very fun, and will satisfy gamers and non-gamers alike. It is perfectly charming and has a nice tight run time (no movie needs to be more than two hours long).  It is certainly worth checking out.

8 out of 10

 

Movie Review: The Protégé (R – 109 minutes)

 

Every once in a while, I appreciate a straightforward and simple action movie.

The Protégé tells the story of Anna, a woman recruited by a man named Moody in Vietnam when he encountered her after she killed a bunch of guys who killed her family and captured her.  He trained her as an assassin and together they had a very successful career.  Now, Moody is very sick and thinking about his legacy while getting affairs in order.  He asks Anna to dig into the son of a hit they carried out years ago.  Asking about the son lands Anna deeper into a mess involving shady characters, a return to Vietnam, and a man named Rembrandt who is both intrigued by Anna and prepared to eliminate her.

I really enjoyed this movie. Martin Campbell as a director is great with action – I enjoyed both his Banderas Zorro movies and The Foreigner, and for some reason I have always enjoyed Vertical Limit.  Here, he takes his action-directing skills to smaller sets and more hand to hand fights.  The cast is game and the story is simple with enough twists to keep the audience engaged.  The movie does have some questionable points – I’m not sure what it is saying about Vietnam, but it certainly does not feel complimentary.  The age difference between Keaton and Q is significant but I let that go because I felt like the chemistry between them was good.  And why is there a biker gang of mostly white guys roaming around Vietnam?  Maybe that’s a thing, I have never been there.

Maggie Q has been great for a long time, best known for her run on the CW version of Nikita, not the 90s Peta Wilson version, and not either of the film versions (Point of No Return, or the original La Femme Nikita). It was wonderful to see her as the lead here, and she was completely believable as a ruthless killer when necessary who also enjoys running her antique bookstore.

Michael Keaton is even better in this – it made me remember the 80s crush I had on him. As Rembrandt, he has great chemistry with Maggie Q, chasing her and becoming even more interested as she gets the better of him in a couple of instances. It was also wonderful to see him in an action piece again – but it did just make me want a Batman Beyond movie.

Samuel L. Jackson as Moody is really in this to provide exposition and guide the story.  He is basically playing himself and it was charming to see him attempt to set up Anna as he approaches the end of his life.

Ray Fearon plays the lead henchman of the security forces that Anna comes up against. He is perfect as the cocky and slimy villain.

Robert Patrick surprisingly shows up as a contact Anna has in Vietnam, ready to offer support and muscle when needed.

Overall, the movie is simple, quick, and entertaining. It was exactly what it promised to be and had some great action sequences along with a great deal of charming flirting between Anna and Rembrandt. It’s a sexy action thriller that maybe needed a more general nondescript setting.

6 out of 10