|
Hello, fellow moviegoers! When the first “Deadpool” film hit theaters in early 2016, nobody expected it to be the cultural phenomenon that it was. Many hoped that it would be an entertaining movie, but the character had yet to prove that he was appealing to the general moviegoing audience. That film went on to become one of the most successful R-rated films in history, and the persona of Deadpool was widely praised and accepted by audiences around the globe. Work on the “Deadpool” sequel began quickly, but it got off to a rocky start when it lost director Tim Miller, who had been a massive driving force behind the first film. Director David Leitch (“John Wick” “Atomic Blonde”) stepped in to helm “Deadpool 2,” and he managed to craft a sequel that while arguably not quite as good, is sure to please any and all fans of the first film.  First of all, “Deadpool 2” undeniably recaptures the fun-factor of its predecessor. Wade Wilson is back in all of his quick-witted and fourth wall-breaking glory. While it has plenty of call-backs to the original, “Deadpool 2” establishes that this character isn’t a one-trick pony, and he is here to stay for a long time - provided the character survives the potential deal between Disney and Fox. Ryan Reynolds, once again, proves that he was born to play this character. He is able to perfectly portray all of the things that make this character what he is. He’s funny, he’s self-aware, he’s vulgar, and yet, on top of all that, he’s dealing with his own emotional problems. Reynolds presents all of these traits in brilliant fashion. He embraces the character of Wade Wilson, and cements him as one of the most unique characters to be seen on the big screen. “Deadpool 2” sees a lot of new actors and actresses join the cast of this franchise. Zazie Beetz plays Domino, a mutant whose superpower is the fact that she’s lucky, which works a lot better on-screen than I had anticipated. Julian Dennison plays a boy named Russell, a young mutant with fire powers who is being hunted by the time-traveling brute Cable, played by Josh Brolin. While all of these new additions worked well, the best was undoubtedly Brolin as Cable. He was tough, intimidating and, at times, even a little scary. Yet, Brolin also managed to bring a sense of heart and personality to the character. In this film filled with incredibly comedic characters, Brolin is able to hold his own with pure power and smugness. One thing that I was apprehensive about going into this film was how they were going to set-up X-Force, the new super-team Deadpool forms that was teased in the trailers. While I won’t spoil anything, the film handles the team in a completely unexpected yet hilariously welcome way, and I’m curious to see how the recently announced “X-Force” film turns out. I’ve seen “Deadpool 2” twice now, and I’m glad that I saw it again before writing this review. That’s because upon my first viewing, I didn’t think the sequel had as much emotional depth as the first. When I saw the film again a couple days later, I found myself much more emotionally involved, and I appreciated the films themes much more. “Deadpool 2” is definitely a film that requires multiple viewings. With many subtle jokes and hidden easter eggs, you’re sure to pick up on even more each time you see it. Thankfully, the film makes these repeat viewings easy by being a genuinely enjoyable action-comedy. If you didn’t enjoy the first “Deadpool” film, chances are you won’t enjoy this one. However, if you’re a fan of the character you’ll definitely have a good time here. Some might prefer it to the original, some might not, but the fact still exists that it’s in the same ballpark in terms of quality.  So what did you think of “Deadpool 2”? Are you at all interested in an “X-Force” film? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter! It really helps! I’ll be posting movie reviews here all throughout the summer, so be sure to check back for those and more miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Hello, fellow moviegoers! Spider-Man: Homecoming is directed by Jon Watts, and it stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr, and Marisa Tomei. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker is still trying to prove himself and his abilities to Tony Stark, who has become a sort-of father figure in his life. When his first big enemy, The Vulture, shows up, Spider-Man must balance fighting the bad guys and avoiding bad grades.  When this summer began, I started preparing myself for a decent-to-mediocre summer as far as film quality goes. Save for perhaps Alien: Covenant, there weren't any films in May that I found really enjoyable in the theater, Thankfully, that all has changed very quickly. Films like Wonder Woman, It Comes at Night, Baby Driver, and now Spider-Man: Homecoming have made this summer a truly fantastic one for movies. I wasn't sure what to expect from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Spider-Man has been a hit-and-miss character with his films in the past, and this film was a co-production between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, so I didn't know how exactly that would turn out. Thankfully, they gave us another truly great Spider-Man film, one that I believe many will consider to be the best one to date. Spider-Man: Homecoming was such a fun and entertaining experience at the theater, and I can't wait to see it again. Tom Holland as Spider-Man was one of the highlights of Captain America: Civil War, but in this film, he really proves why he was cast as Spider-Man. He perfectly embodies the type of Peter Parker they're going for in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's not overly awkward and nerdy like the Tobey Maguire version of the character, but he's also not the borderline cool kid that we got with Andrew Garfield. Holland's Peter Parker in this film is just a socially awkward kid that isn't sure how to really handle a lot of things, and keeping his Spider-Man secret definitely doesn't help. Peter Parker in this film legitimately feels like somebody you'd find walking the halls of a high school today. Holland's performance in this film was nothing short of outstanding. He really sells us all on that character, and we believe that he's just a kid trying to do the right thing. Holland's comedic timing was perfect, and it felt really natural. To put it simply, Tom Holland completely embodies who Peter Parker is in this film. Tom Holland isn't the only one who was a great casting choice in this film though. Michael Keaton as The Vulture was so much better than I was expecting, and I'm a huge Michael Keaton fan. I was excited when they cast him as the villain in this film, however, we all know that Marvel has a bit of a villain problem. Most of the villains in Marvel films are just two-dimensional characters that don't really serve any purpose except being the bad guy who punches stuff. Michael Keaton as the Vulture was one of the best parts of this film. Not only did Keaton really have fun with this role, but he really gave his all for it. The Vulture wasn't just some guy flying around in a bird suit. He had his own character motivations, and at times, he really caused some internal conflict within Spider-Man. He was doing what he believed he had to do to protect his family, and that made him a very interesting character. In addition to that, his actual suit was very intimidating. It looked alright in the trailers, but in the actual film, that suit can legitimately be scary at times. What really makes this film fantastic is the tone. Spider-Man: Homecoming knows what it wants to be, and it sticks with that through the whole film. At times, this film felt like something that would be directed by Jon Hughes. It really captured a sense relatability that is infrequent in many big budget films these days. Spider-Man: Homecoming is, without a doubt, the funniest movie I've seen this summer. What really makes that work though is how natural the humor felt. Not once in this film did I find myself thinking "that joke felt forced". This film had a really great sense of humor, but it never compromised the actual story being told. The only real flaw I can find in this film is that it had some pacing issues towards the middle. In the second act of this movie, everything seems to slow down a little bit. It never comes to a halt though. The film is still very enjoyable in that part, but it wasn't quite on the same level as the rest of the movie was. That's really my only gripe with this film. From start to finish, Spider-Man: Homecoming is well written, well acted, well directed, and most of all, well worth your time. I absolutely loved Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's probably the best summer movie that we've gotten so far this year. That doesn't mean it's the best film of the summer (though it's definitely in the conversation too), but it does mean that the film is a ton of fun at the theater, and anybody can watch this film and have a blast with it. It feels like a much smaller and more personal film than many of the other films in its genre. Tom Holland shines as Peter Parker, and he really reminds us why Spider-Man is so great. Michael Keaton as The Vulture made for one of the best villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. I would highly recommend Spider-Man: Homecoming, even if you're not a huge fan of the character. It's an extremely entertaining film, and I can't wait to see what Sony and Marvel do with this character moving forward. 9/10  So what did you think of Spider-Man: Homecoming? What's your favorite film of the summer so far? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don't forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and other miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Hello, fellow moviegoers! Wonder Woman is proving to be a success both critically and financially for Warner Bros and their DC properties. It's the first film of the new DC Extended Universe, otherwise known as the DCEU, to receive a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes at an astonishing 92% approval rating. It's beginning to look like WB and DC are finally getting on the right track as far as their cinematic universe goes. So what does Wonder Woman's success mean for the DCEU? What are they going to do next?  As I mentioned above, Wonder Woman scored a 92% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, which is great for several reasons. First of all, only two films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have either tied or exceeded that score, and those films are the original Iron Man (94%) and The Avengers (92%). So Wonder Woman is in pretty good company as far as Rotten Tomatoes goes. The second reason that 92% is a good sign is how it compares to the other films in the DCEU. Man of Steel scored a rotten 55% approval rating (which I still don't understand how, but that's an argument for another day), and Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad were far below that with 27% and 25% respectively. Wonder Woman is the first film in the DCEU that hasn't been divisive amongst audiences. At the very least, people are thinking it's okay, but most people out there are absolutely loving it. So what does this mean for the DC Extended Universe? Well, hopefully, it means they're on the right track. Last year Warner Bros brought on DC Comics' chief creative officer Geoff Johns and WB producer Jon Berg to take the reigns and run the DCEU. At the point they were hired, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad already had a lot of work done on them, so there wasn't a whole lot they could do there. However, Wonder Woman was mid-production with over a year until its release, so Johns and Berg probably had a lot of creative input on it. If it is true that Johns and Berg had a big part to play in Wonder Woman, that's very encouraging because they will also carry over into all of the DC films moving forward. Speaking of the DC Films moving forward, there are quite a few that are in some stage of development. If all the reports are to be believed, there are over a dozen films based on DC characters in development right now. However, there are only two of those films that actually have release dates and have begun filming. The first of those two is Justice League. Justice League is set for release this November and is currently in the middle of post-production and reshoots (keep in mind, almost every major film goes through reshoots). Justice League has had a big shake up recently though. About a month ago, it was announced that director Zack Snyder had stepped away from the project to deal with a family tragedy. Filling in for him to direct the reshoots and oversee post-production is Avengers director Joss Whedon. We've already seen two trailers for Justice League and will undoubtedly get a third by the end of the summer, probably during San Diego Comic-Con. Justice League is set for release on November 17th of this year. The second DC Film that is confirmed to be coming down the pipe is Aquaman starring Jason Momoa. Aquaman is currently filming in Australia. The film is being directed by James Wan, who is famous for directing such films as Saw, The Conjuring, and Furious 7. Not much is known about the plot of the film, and we haven't seen much from it yet, but I would wager a guess that the first footage will be shown at San Diego Comic-Con in July. Aquaman has assembled an all-star cast that includes Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Ludi Lin, Dolph Lundgren, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Temuera Morrison, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Aquaman is set for release on December 21st, 2018. As for the rest of the films DC has in development, some of them are definitely going to happen, some of them I'm not so sure. The ones that will definitely happen and it's just a matter of when would be The Batman directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn/War of the Planet of the Apes) and starring Ben Affleck, The Flash starring Ezra Miller, Shazam starring Dwayne Johnson as the villain Black Adam, Batgirl directed by Joss Whedon, and the recently announced Wonder Woman sequel. The rest of the films DC is working on, I'm unsure as to if or when they'll ever happen. Those films include a Cyborg film, Justice League Dark, Green Lantern Corps, a Justice League sequel, Man of Steel 2, Suicide Squad 2, a Harley Quinn spin-off entitled Gotham City Sirens directed by David Ayer, a Black Adam film, and a Nightwing film directed by Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie). The reason that, out of all of these films, there are only two actively in production is that Warner Bros and DC are being smart about their properties. They're waiting to see what reaction critics and audiences have to Justice League, then they'll make adjustments and move forward as they see fit. If I had to guess, I would say that the first film we'll see after Aquaman, would be The Batman sometime in 2019.  So what do you think about the current state of the DC Extended Universe? Are you excited to see Justice League? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don't forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and other miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Hello, fellow moviegoers! Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins, and it stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Neilsen, Robin Wright, and Danny Huston. It tells the story of Diana, an Amazonian warrior, and Princess of her home, Themiscrya. When the rampages of the fist World War come to the shores of Themyscira, Diana travels with a man named Steve Trevor to Europe in an attempt to bring an end to the "War to End All Wars".  The new DC Extended Universe that Warner Bros is attempting to build has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. Though I absolutely love 2013's Man of Steel, it was met with relatively mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. The two sequential films (Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad) both failed to live up to many peoples' expectations. So as a result, there is a lot riding on Wonder Woman to really get this franchise in gear. Thankfully, Wonder Woman delivers a film going experience that will both entertain you, and stick with you long after you've left the theater. The best thing I can say about Wonder Woman is that it is a lot of fun. From start to finish, this film never failed to be witty, original, and an overall joy to watch. The action scenes are exciting and fast-paced, but most of all, they're focused. By this, I mean that you can always follow what's going on. They're not like the fight scenes of the Transformers franchise where it's just a massive CGI mess all over the screen. No. Every move that Wonder Woman makes in her fight sequences can be tracked by the audience, and therefore delivers a full effect. Every gunshot fired by Steve Trevor and his companions is followed to show exactly what it was they were shooting at. The focus of the action scenes is best seen with the Amazonians themselves. When they fight, you can see and comprehend every swing of the sword and throw of a spear. The fight co-ordination in this film was nothing short of magnificent, and that's only a testament to the fantastic directing by Patty Jenkins. Contrary to what you might think given what I just said, this isn't an action packed movie. The fight scenes are there, and when they are, they're fantastic. However, it's between fights that this movie really excels, and that is due to all of the great characters. In Wonder Woman, we are presented with a cast of characters that everyone can relate to and route for. From the moment we meet the likes of Diana and Steve, the audience is automatically connected with them. You can't help but get attached to these characters. That's because they seem like actual people, not drawings ripped from a comic-book page. They have flaws, but they also have good things about them, and that's why we love them. There are a lot of really good themes to be had in this movie as well. Aside from the most prominent theme of female empowerment, there are big themes in this film about war, pride, and what it really means to be a human. Though she travels a lot, the journey Diana goes on in this film is ultimately one of her learning what humanity really is. This film shows the good and the bad about who we are, and the audience gets to experience that through the eyes of someone who has never experienced it. Gal Gadot gives a performance in this movie that is likely to be considered one of the greats in superhero films far down the line. Not only does she nail the physicality and strength of Wonder Woman, but she also brings a lot of emotion to her character. There is one scene early on specifically that the emotion of her performance really drove home, and I honestly started to get surprisingly emotional. Gadot loves playing this character, and it's easy to tell while watching the film. She's having fun making Wonder Woman, and in turn, we have fun watching it. Chris Pine, in my opinion, is the most talented of the Hollywood Chrises (Pine, Pratt, Hemsworth, and Evans). He proved that in Hell or High Water, and he proves it again here in Wonder Woman. This guy really sells every scene he's in. His comedic timing is fantastic, and the way he delivers his lines throughout the movie was always on point. The most admirable thing about Wonder Woman is its setting and the way it is handled. The film takes place in the heart of the first World War which, as you can imagine, is pretty bleak and depressing. However, Director Patty Jenkins is able to bring the colorful, innocent character of Wonder Woman into that setting and make it work extremely well. The contrast of Diana's hopeful attitude against the grim background of WWI ends up emboldening both of them and making the movie as a whole even more powerful. Wonder Woman is a great film, no matter which way you look at it. It features relatable characters, a compelling story, exciting action sequences, heavy-hitting themes, and above all, manages to be a lot of fun. The only real complaints I have are the visual effects were a bit spotty at times, and the villain was a little cliche. That's it. Wonder Woman is a fantastic example of how to make a superhero movie. It's the type of film that most strive to be. I'll definitely be seeing this one multiple times. 9/10  So what did you think of Wonder Woman? Did it live up to your expectations? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter! It really helps! Don't forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and other miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! |
Kyle Kruse
Follow Me for Updates!Twitter: @kruze_reviews
Categories
All
Archives
May 2018
|
RSS Feed