Author: And Palladino

  • ‘It Chapter 2’ closes the book on Pennywise

    ‘It Chapter 2’ closes the book on Pennywise

    Jessica Chastain in It Chapter 2

    “Wa-ha, wa-ha, wa-ha; that’s It, folks!” – Doug Walker

    Beyond all odds, It 2017 beat the remake curse to be well-received commercially and critically. Coming now to conclude the tale is It Chapter 2, but the air in this balloon has leaked out.

    Twenty-seven years have passed and Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) is back terrorizing Derry. Mike (Chosen Jacobs in flashbacks, Isaiah Mustafa in the present), who remained there, remembers the promise the Losers Club made as children and decides to take action. He reaches out to Bill (Jaeden Martell, James McAvoy), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer, James Ransone), Richie (Finn Wolfhard, Bill Hader), Bev (Sophia Lillis, Jessica Chastain), Stan (Wyatt Oleff, Andy Bean), and Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jay Ryan) to get them to come back and stop It once more.

    Now that the story is complete, is the whole endeavor better than the 1990 effort? Mostly no, but in some important places, yes. Making two parts with considerable running times gives ample breathing room to the events and by comparison makes the other feel rushed. The movie-level budget ensures that the production design and effects are on point. The ghouls, monsters, and gore terrify, and the environments feel just as threatening. 

    But the things it does worse are rather big. One huge blunder is with Bill’s wife Audra. This character who is supposed to have a larger role and play a part in the climax is reduced to a brief cameo at the beginning. What makes matters worse is that cast in the role here is Jess Weixler. A phenomenal actress who has been seriously undervalued (see Teeth, The Big Bad Swim, Sister Cities, Free Samples, The Lie…), she would have been a major asset to the third act. Such a massive waste of character and talent is just unforgivable.

    Flaws from the preceding film carry over as well. The change in time periods, in my view, was the wrong move. So much of what’s in the story does not seamlessly translate 30 years forward, not to mention the commentary on those specific eras is now lost. A few pretty big characterizations and plot digressions were things that the filmmakers pulled from their rear ends. And while Skarsgård does creepy well, he’s nowhere near as good as Tim Curry.

    McAvoy comes the closest in matching his role’s previous actor, evoking Richard Thomas at nearly every turn (though I do miss the ponytail). The rest are decent fits – although they do correspond well to their younger counterparts in this film – but won’t make you forget the prior versions. That said, Hader does shine surprisingly strong and shows promise for more dramatic roles.

    After this and Pet Semarary, the time has come to give the unadapted stories some attention. Doctor Sleep is due soon and Lisey’s Story is on the way, but where’s From a Buick 8 or Joyland? As for Pennywise and the Losers Club, let’s just hope it will be a bit more than 27 years (at the very least) before we see them again, if we absolutely have to.

  • ‘Scream’ Season 3 slices cleaner

    ‘Scream’ Season 3 slices cleaner

    Tony Todd in Scream

    “Our life is made by the death of others.” – Leonardo da Vinci

    A property going from movies to television can be a real crapshoot. Sometimes you might get a M*A*S*H or Buffy, but quite often it’s a real dud. Whatever middle ground there is between the two would be where the Scream show lies.

    Season 1 was predictable at times (if the actor is credited as a guest star and not part of the main cast, it’s a safe bet they’re a goner) and what happened in-between the pilot and finale was not very memorable. The motive in the end worked for the central character, but did not explain why some of the first few characters to die were targeted. Season 2 was much more forgettable, as was the Halloween special.

    The long-delayed Season 3 is an improvement on both (an odd reversal of the Scream films, where the third is seen as the weakest). Leaving Emma, Audrey, and the rest behind to focus on a new crop of teen stereotypes at the mercy of a sadistic killer (or more?), the episodes here are tighter and leave more of an impression. Still not on the same level as the movies of Wes Craven (who is credited as an executive producer, despite having passed away several years ago), but a step forward nonetheless.

    Deion Elliot (R.J. Cyler) is starting senior year of high school and things are looking bright. His prime spot on the football team gives him a good chance of being given a scholarship. But he is hiding a pretty damning secret: as a child one Halloween night, he and his twin brother (Jaden Robinson, also playing past Deion) were fooling around on the property of Hook Man (Tony Todd) when he ran off scared and left the other to die.

    Somehow, someone is aware of this. Phone calls start to come in to Deion demanding that he come clean, or else. Moreover, the students he shared a detention session with are also targeted. They’ll need to put aside their contrived differences to stay alive.

    While the Ghostface costume is finally back – complete with Roger L. Jackson as the voice on the other end of the phone – this story seems to take place in a world where the movies never happened. If it did, the characters would recognize the costume from the Stab films and news stories about the events. One character continually refers to their situation as a “reboot” scenario, but this makes no sense when nobody has any knowledge of the Sidney saga. A re-anything needs to have something to refer back to.

    Which brings us to a big issue from the previous seasons that is here yet again: the self-referentialness doesn’t sync up. The film characters discussing their plight like a horror movie worked because the product itself was in the form of a movie. This, however, is a television show, and thus should be going off of TV rules. Moreover, the types of shows they should be following – law enforcement procedurals (Law & Order, CSI), serial killer dramas (Criminal Minds, You), and dark teen mysteries (Riverdale, Pretty Little Liars) – are never brought up. If these characters realized that this was their lot, they could work to build a profile and identify the unsub(s?).

    But to its credit, having just six episodes this time around does wonders for the show. It could probably have been streamlined just a little further, but there’s much less filler (and thus unmemorable) content and more momentum to its flow. Kills are properly vicious and gruesome, stretching the limits of what one might expect to see on basic cable before 10 PM. The story’s turns and reveals, while one or two can be predicted somewhat, are much more satisfying and pay off better. It will stay with the viewer longer than anything from the previous seasons combined.

    Another strong point in Season 3’s favor is the cast. The first two seasons gave us a good grouping of interesting young character actors and this one continues that streak. Cyler, Keke Palmer, Jessica Sula, Giorgia Whigham, Tyga, C.J. Wallace, Tyler Posey, and even Paris Jackson are here. The central group has a more interesting dynamic than most, often pairing characters that work well together. Those in the core cast perform sublimely in elevating their characters above the stock types they’d otherwise fall into. Todd is a such a compelling presence and natural fit for the franchise that it boggles the mind why they never reached out to him before. Plus, the one and only Mary J. Blige is on hand as Mrs. Elliot.

    The likelihood of this is up in the air (much more so than it was the last time a renewal was in question), but Scream really should continue on into a fourth season. It should, however, perhaps follow the example set here and focus on a new setting and characters with a slim episode count. But if this really does turn out to be the end for this show, it was a decent enough run all things considered, and this season was a good note to go out on.

  • ‘The Hunt’ and a New Era of Forbidden Films

    ‘The Hunt’ and a New Era of Forbidden Films

    Betty Gilpin in The Hunt

    “Hollywood is racist. What they’re doing, with the kind of movies they’re putting out, it’s actually very dangerous for our country. What Hollywood is doing is a tremendous disservice to our country.”

    United States President Donald Trump spoke these words recently. Regardless of whatever his other thoughts and policies might be, on the matter of film racism, the President is absolutely correct. Even nearly two full decades into the 21st century, example after example after example after example show Hollywood to be as racist as ever. Ethnic groups repeatedly portrayed as subhuman and what few humanizing roles they have available given to white actors, as said, are indeed very dangerous things.

    But presumably, his words are in reference to The Hunt, a movie about a collection of people kidnapped and forced to run for their lives against a band of hunters. It has sparked much coverage and outrage from the news media (mainly politically-focused outlets), but that vitriol against the film may have come from a misunderstanding. While the premise sounds much like numerous other films, television shows, or even real life incidents, an added element here is that the villain characters are coded as liberals while the heroes are conservative types. The latter are even referred to as “deplorables” by the former in dialogue.

    In any event, The Hunt was due for release on September 27, but Universal has pulled it indefinitely. While the on the record reason is for sensitivity given recent high-profile criminal activity, some believe that to be untrue, seeing as how every other film with gun violence has been unaffected. The prime counterexample is Ready or Not, which is also a violent human-hunting movie, but was released as planned. Regardless of why it ended up there, The Hunt has now joined a list of films that have been deemed forbidden.

    One of the go-to books in my collection is Forbidden Films by Dawn B. Sova. It details the censorship histories of 125 films that raised controversies over their content. Some fell victim to the Hays Code, others to the social mores of their eras. Across the decades of the 20th century, the reader sees how guidelines for censoring have changed, and in some ways how they haven’t. From Birth of a Nation to Amistad, The James Boys in Missouri to Natural Born Killers, Lolita 1962 to Lolita 1997. While many of these films are easily found today, a number of them remain quite rare. 

    In recent years, studios have become very censor-happy. Earlier this summer, Disney removed a scene from Toy Story 2 which they believe implied sexual misconduct (this is going to be a common theme with most of these). Show Dogs was altered while it was still in theaters to remove lines that some considered evocative of child molestation. The Predator dropped a scene when the press got wind that one of the actors in it is a sex offender. All the Money in the World was ready to go, but reshot at the last minute to remove Kevin Spacey from a sizable supporting role. An American release has been all but denied to I Love You, Daddy and A Rainy Day in New York (incidentally, that’s a film I had somewhat of a hand in making, since it had some shooting done at Drew University and I was the operator who fielded the call).

    Television isn’t immune either, and may in fact yield some more egregious examples. The Simpsons episode “Stark Raving Dad” in which Michael Jackson guest starred has been removed from syndication and any further circulation (DVDs, streaming, etc.). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which is also from Universal, saw its episode “Unstoppable” banned from airing. Sister series Law & Order: Criminal Intent had the Olympics-themed “The Glory That Was” pulled (never even making it to ancillary markets) some years back, and though the 2016 games have come and gone, it has yet to resurface. Over on Netflix, the first season finale of 13 Reasons Why had its suicide scene edited down long after the fact. Alabama Public Television refused to run an episode of Arthur because it featured homosexual characters.

    Yes, going back to revise films is nothing new. Yes, the studios have every legal right to make these alterations or withhold their products from release. However, speaking as critic, consumer, and collector, this trend is a rather distressing one. As much as we’d like to think that we have the freedom to choose which films we’d like to see in their original forms, instances like these serve as reminders that such thoughts are greatly mistaken. The increasing shift towards digitalization and away from physical media is only making things worse. Without hard copies, there’s no guarantee of preservation. As video game fans can well attest, anything can be yanked at not even a moment’s notice and be lost forever to the digital void.

    Sure, filmmakers can try to craft their works to be released safely intact, but there’s truly no telling if that will happen. Virtually all of the banned or censored items mentioned found themselves there due to unforeseen circumstances, and that will most certainly be the case with more to come. With all manner of events playing out every day and any resulting changes in societal norms, what will or will not be considered acceptable for release can hardly be predicted.

    All one can really do is wait it out. Maybe The Hunt will be released in some manner down the line, be it months or years. Maybe it will quietly go direct to video instead of having a theatrical run. Maybe someone from the studio will leak it. Odds are this won’t be as extreme an occurence as The Day the Clown Cried.

    A number of cliches could be used in summation – “don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” “take nothing for granted,” “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” – but this whole situation really cannot be so neatly moralized. It is rather fitting that the original release date of The Hunt falls within this year’s Banned Books Week (September 22-28). Perhaps on that day, now that going into the theater to watch the film is no longer an option, a would-be viewer might want to seek out a different movie or book that’s had a similar history and reflect on what it went through. 

  • ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ needs a tune up

    ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ needs a tune up

    Vanessa Kirby, Jason Statham, and Dwayne Johnson in Hobbs & Shaw

    “It is a mistake to think that moving fast is the same as actually going somewhere.” – Steve Goodier

    I must be the only person on the planet who is getting less on board with the Fast and Furious movies as they go on. The more they steer away from their street crime roots, the more they lose me. The latest is Hobbs & Shaw, which teams together two of the supporting characters from the past couple films for an outing that’s bombastic and fleeting. 

    Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham) get drafted into action for a new mission where they’ll have to work together despite not getting on particularly well. Said mission involves the latter’s younger sister (Vanessa Kirby), an MI6 operative who’s intercepted a lethal virus but has been framed for the deaths of her teammates and is on the run. They are tasked with finding her, but she is pursed by the terrorist group responible for the situation who want the pathogen. They are led by Brixton (Idris Elba), a cybernetically-enhanced super soldier who has history with Shaw.

    Considering the (once) grounded series the movie is playing out in, this is all just so utterly ridiculous and stupid. Granted this kind of shift can happen when things go on for so long – just look at Death Wish compared to its sequels – but the absurdities just pile. Partway through, we find out that the bad guys are somehow able to spread fake news about our heroes that the public believes at face value. Then we have the reveal that these villains are actually one part of some larger organization, complete with a supreme leader shrouded in mystery. One’s mileage may vary on whether this is the “good” kind of stupid, but I didn’t take to it.

    Also, the film draws itself out too much and goes on for too long. I don’t know when exactly it was that this franchise decided it was so self-important to warrant such a length, but this has no business having such a high runtime. As for what all that time is filled with, it’s a whole lot of short-lived. This really is the kind of disposable movie that leaves very little, if any, lasting impression. I remember more about the Statham film I saw 6 years ago than I do this one.

    What I can recall is that Kirby quite good and the standout of the film, although flashbacks show her and Statham’s characters as close in age while as adults they very much are not. Johnson, Statham, and Elba are their reliable selves, as are a few supporting players that pop up here and there. And the fight direction, now under the eye of David Leitch, is noticeably sharp. 

    The “Fast and the Furious” is becoming “The Slow and the Tedious.” Going back to the series roots is most likely not the game plan for the next installment, but if they somehow can manage to un-jump the shark, things could rev back up.

  • ‘Lion King’ fails to roar

    ‘Lion King’ fails to roar

    Timon, Simba, and Pumbaa in The Lion King

    “A lion is called a ‘king of beasts’ obviously for a reason.” – Jack Hanna

    As a kid, I had an odd disliking for The Lion King. Sure, perhaps I thought it was fine the first time through, but it quickly got overplayed. I just couldn’t see why it was so special the way my peers did.

    So no, I am not coming at this with any deep reverence for the 1994 film. Nonetheless, when watching the 2019 CGI (not live action) version, I feel the same pain that fans of that one likely feel.

    Young lion Simba (JD McCrary as a child, Donald Glover as an adult) just can’t wait to be king. The current ruler is his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) who presides over a region of the African plains. But Simba’s naievite and thirst for adventure get taken advantage of by his uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who sees his chance to at least seize power.

    As you can see, this isn’t a radical departure from the Kimba ripoff of 25 years ago. I suppose this is a more tolerable version for those who find the other one annoying or too cutesy, but with that trade off comes a picture having far less vibrancy.

    As now customary, some of the more objectionable elements are dealt with. The queer coding on Scar is gone, the stars no longer spell out “SEX.” Not everywhere, though. The male hyenas come across even more as stereotypical hoods than they did before, especially since both actually talk here instead of having one who only psychotically laughs. And if that sounds like a dumb change, there’s more ahead.

    It figures that the best (some might say only good) song from the original is the one that gets screwed up the most. The “Be Prepared” done here is barely sung and the sequence lacks any of the excitement and sinister imagery from the first time. Fans of this song are going to feel very insulted.

    The other numbers also suffer by comparison. They are far less, well, animated, eschewing the theatricality and memorable stagings. Trying to make the proceedings so “realistic” only highlights how what worked before did so because of the fantastical wonders of traditional animation. Oh, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is done in the daylight. Yes, that happens.

    The whole film is drained of vitality. Half of the cast seems bored (though not Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, by far the best thing about this movie; I would love to see these two team up again in true live action some time) and the visuals are not a fraction as colorful as the cartoon. To their credit, the photorealistic graphics are quite impressive. They slip in a couple instances, but for the most part do their job. As a result, however, this leaves the picture just so drab.

    Now this kind of thing could work if done for a purpose. Christopher Robin started with a Silent Hill form of the Hundred Acre Wood while Pooh and friends took on weathered appearances. But that film was specifically about the joylessness in the characters’ lives and the aesthetics reflected the mood (and, of course, changed as progressions were made). Here, though, the tone is supposed to be the same as it was in the previous telling. Sure it should be sad in parts, but there’s times where it needs to be bright, too.

    With their number of existing animated properties which have nostalgic value running out and the highly ill-advised decisions that have been made about ones in some state of production (really, a Cruella origin story?), this whole Disney “live action” version trend may mercifully be nearing an end. The company has now released four of them in this year alone, and the best of them was Kim Possible. Maybe it’s time to put more faith in hand-drawn animation and/or original properties.

  • ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’ is a trip worth taking

    ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’ is a trip worth taking

    Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal in Spider-Man: Far from Home

    “The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” – Joseph Conrad

    It’s been a busy year for Spider-Man. After a major PS4 game, beloved animated film, and stint assisting the Avengers, he’s now back to another live action solo film.

    Not as good as the Sam Raimi trilogy or Into the Spider-Verse but an improvement over Homecoming, Far from Home might bring our friendly neighborhood hero out of his comfort zone, but doesn’t take audiences too much out of theirs.

    It’s summertime and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is going on vacation. With his classmates like best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and crush Michelle (Zendaya), he heads to Europe for a tour of various countries. Touching down first in Venice, his fun time is ruined by a giant water monster on the rampage. But rushing in to help fight it off is Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).

    Shortly thereafter, Peter finally finds himself eyes to eye with Nick Fury Jr. (Samuel L. Jackson), who had been trying to reach him regarding this matter. Through Fury he officially meets Mysterio. Real name Quentin Beck and claiming to be from a different dimension along with that monster, he tells them that there’s more to come. 

    Much like Peter’s inner struggles in one of these movies, I’m feeling conflicted. There’s certainly some glaring problems that we’ll get to, but it is more fun and weighty than its immediate predecessor. The tension is higher and comedy is funnier. The direction from returning director Jon Watts is stronger – some truly nightmarish scenes are absolute standouts  – though noticeable filming goofs appear here and there (boom mic visible, water splashing on the lens). 

    While monumentally stupid miscastings and mischaracterizations remain monumentally stupid (looking at you, Flash and Aunt May), Holland continues to shine. Facing the fallout from what happened during his last screen appearance and coming to terms with his new place as a hero spawn quite a few big emotional moments which he handles admirably. Equally adept is he at the comedic parts in the character’s civilian life as well as the stresses of being a teenager on top of everything.

    However, a number of things are rather haphazardly incorporated. There’s one character who’s introduced as not having been dead the last five years, but somehow he’s still in Peter’s class. That he’s made a rival for the affections of the still underage Michelle adds an element of sleaziness that doesn’t seem to have been intended. Speaking of Peter’s feelings for her, those have come from out of nowhere. Last we saw of them, their interactions were minimal and they didn’t even appear to get along all that much.

    And then there’s the whole “MJ” issue. It is extremely obnoxious that they would choose to continually call her this (in fact, not once in this film is “Michelle” ever said) when it instantly brings to mind the Mary Jane Watson character, who this one is nothing like and was never meant to be. Not only does this immediately invite comparisons which won’t turn out favorably for the newbie, but it constantly makes the viewer miss and want to see MJ proper return. It’s really too bad, because on her own this would’ve been a great character and performance that’s getting better (her quips this time are less activist caricature and more Dale Gribble). But as good as she might turn out, chaining her to such huge figure in the mythos is casting a huge shadow from which she’ll never escape.

    But a big saving grace is Gyllenhaal. After doing a string of less mainstream and darker fare, it’s a wonder they managed to rope him in for something like this and a great coup it is. Not quite so deliciously bonkers like his turn as Dr. Johnny, but when it’s time for him to cut loose he really delivers. While comic readers will know what Mysterio’s deal is, when watching even they’ll fall under his spell.

    There’s other notable supporting players too. Angourie Rice as Betty Brant is fantastic; pairing her with Batalon here was a stroke of genius. The always hilarious JB Smoove is very welcome as a teacher chaperoning the trip and has a good dynamic with Martin Starr as the other grown up. And one truly shocking appearance at the tail end of things is worth the price of admission alone.

    Far from Home gets Spidey through what could’ve been a sophomore slump with a great deal of fun and excitement. It’s up in the air who he’ll be facing next (Scorpion perhaps? Kraven? Tarantula?), but I’m very interested to see where it goes and what variation on “home” will be used for the subtitle.

  • ‘Child’s Play’ is defective

    ‘Child’s Play’ is defective

    Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Chucky in Child’s Play

    “It stinks.” – Jay Sherman

    Wrong. This was the first thought that occurred to me when watching Child’s Play 2019 and it stayed the whole time. Nothing about it was right. Not in regards to the 1988 film, not in regards to modern reality and sensibilities, not even in regards to its own logic. 

    The latest in technological wonders is Buddi (Mark Hamill), a small robot who can talk, walk, play music, turn on the television, search the web, make video and sound recordings, and so on. It’s been really successful, with a new version due for release soon.

    So right off the bat we have a huge issue in that something like this in current year is not going to resemble a Good Guy doll in this slightest. This type of device would be designed to be futuristic and sleek, fitting right in with the smartphones and TVs it interfaces with. Ashley Too is how this kind of thing is supposed to look. The model this time is redesigned a bit too and it’s far from an upgrade. It’s just really awful looking and makes you long for the original.

    Department store clerk Karen (Aubrey Plaza) works where these things are frequently sold and are preparing to receive the newer models. When a customer returns an existing one for being defective – little do they know it actually had the failsafes removed by a disgruntled employee at the Vietnamese sweatshop where these things are made – she takes it home for her son (Gabriel Bateman). 

    Andy’s aged up to a teen here, another change not in any way for the better. It seems to be just so he can swear at and talk back to his mother. Also in the mix are mom’s abusive boyfriend (David Lewis) and troubles with bullying peers. It’s like they looked at the first act of the Rob Zombie Halloween and said “This, but edgeless and even more cliched.” 

    Now we start to get into Chucky’s motives and demeanor. As this version is a blank slate AI and not Charles Lee Ray, it should not have any personality or goals. But eventually, he somehow gets to behaving like classic Chucky. The laughing, taunting, one liners, all of it. This of course should not be the case in this new context, and is clearly only here out of obligation. Without being a serial killer by trade or needing a new body, what (mostly, since he does show a propensity for violence earlier on) makes him a murderer is watching Texas Chainsaw 2 with Andy and his friends. I wonder what his behavior would’ve turned to if they’d watched pornography instead.

    There’s such a mess of more contradictions and nonsensities. Everyone is aware from the start that Chucky can talk and move around on his own, but disbelieve Andy when he tells them that Chucky did this or that. One character should know all that has been happening, but apparently doesn’t when it’s convenient for the plot. The musical score with its young child toy sounds is not only incredibly intrusive, but does not fit seeing how the story is no longer about young children or toys.

    Not even the name makes sense here. The original Chucky doll is called that because that was his actual name as a human. This time it’s just randomly spurt out by him as a sign of malfunctioning when Andy tries to give him a different name that sounds nothing like it (as sly an in-joke though that was). Again, this is really only here because it has to be. 

    But worst of all, this gives the franchise a black eye when the original series is still going strong. New movies from Don Mancini and with Brad Dourif in tow have been trickling out the past couple years, and they have plans for more (a Syfy channel show in development at present). I can only hope that these official projects won’t now be derailed or that this film won’t be held against them by the public.

    The 2019 one had absolutely no business being a Child’s Play movie, or even being made at all. Toss this on the scrap heap.

  • Tune out ‘Loqueesha’

    Tune out ‘Loqueesha’

    Jeremy Saville in Loqueesha

    “I still walk down the street in the black side of town. Mousey and Chops and all the boys at 13th, and — I can walk in those pool halls, and quite frankly don’t know another white man involved in Delaware politics who can do that kind of thing.” – Joe Biden

    As demonstrated by the above quote, discussions on race can get very awkward (to put it mildly) when addressed tactlessly. Loqueesha manages a bit better than the Vice President (not to mention a few big name actors; you know who you are), but still stumbles hard.

    Creating a storm on Twitter for its trailer before a quiet release on Amazon, Loqueesha comes from star, director, writer, and producer Jeremy Saville, who bites off way more than he can chew.

    Bartender and single dad Joe (Saville) is informed by his ex-wfie (Susan Diol) that their son (Thaddeaus Ek) has been accepted at a fancy private school with impossibly high tuition. Still, he vows to get him there. Not long after, Rachel (Tiara Parker) – a bar goer who was very impressed with the advice Joe regularly gives out to people, herself included – informs him of a local radio station looking for new talent.

    Joe sends in a demo of himself and gets rejected. But when he looks closer at the ad, it says that women and minorities are encouraged to apply. After seeing two black women argue on a Jerry Springer-ish show, he gets an idea. He sends the radio a new demo, but this time he is impersonating a black woman he names Loqueesha. The station, of course, falls for it and hires him (though not knowing the truth), precipitating efforts on Joe’s part to keep up the ruse. 

    One of the biggest things off here is that the premise is flawed from the start: Joe’s Loqueesha voice really does not sound like a black woman. It would have been a better idea to (as was the case with Sorry to Bother You) dub over those parts with an actual black actress. That, however, could only go so far in mitigation.

    Is Loqueesha racist? There’s certainly worse – this definitely would not crack the top ten most racist films in this decade alone (probably wouldn’t even make the top twenty) – but that’s not really saying much, is it? However, there was certainly some potential here, even with a white star and this idea. It could have been something along the lines of Bamboozled where the character intentionally creates something offensive to make a point and the film then serves as an indictment of the people and culture that perpetuate racism. But as is, this one does not do that and wouldn’t have nearly enough self-awareness to pull it off. The idea that the Loqueesha character is a harmful stereotype doesn’t surface until the very end, at which time the movie is wrapping and so it doesn’t get properly addressed. 

    Another interesting angle would have been to lean into the greater concept of a disguise and how it could be more freeing for the person who puts it on. It’d be one thing if Joe felt he couldn’t be totally honest as himself and invented the persona as a way around that. But since he is normally direct with people (why trying out was recommended to him in the first place), that can’t really work as things are.

    There is actually a pretty unique twist that comes in about halfway through – one so ingenious and fitting that it’s a wonder it isn’t already used frequently – but then promptly gets resolved and dropped. Some sitcom-style lines (not race-related) are worth a chuckle or two. And aside from not grappling with the larger issues, the ending does produce a satisfying result.

    Loqueesha seems to be a movie only put into being to create a brief stir, inspire some memes, and be promptly forgotten. If so, mission accomplished. Buy try for something more substantive next time.

  • ‘Aladdin’ is low on magic

    ‘Aladdin’ is low on magic

    Mena Massoud and Will Smith in Aladdin

    “Arabs are the most maligned group in the history of Hollywood. They’re portrayed basically as subhumans.” – Dr. Jack G. Shaheen

    During the cinematic reckoning I underwent in my undergraduate years, one of the films that impacted me the most was the documentary Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, which starts out with those lines. In the years since its release, the list of movies that have had Arab/Middle Eastern/Desi characters depicted as negative stereotypes, brownfaced/whitewashed out, made background in their own stories, or any combination of the above could fill a new documentary. Prince of Persia, Rendition, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Devil’s Double, Argo, Iron Man, Vampire Academy, The Last Airbender, God’s Not Dead, The Dictator, American Assassin, The Hurt Locker, Sausage Party, Postal, The Kingdom, Gods of Egypt, Body of Lies, The Social Network, Zero Dark Thirty, The Mummy, American Sniper, 7 Days in Entebbe, The Dark Knight Rises, Star Trek Into Darkness, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, The Simpsons Movie (the character in which did get a whole documentary devoted to him) – and that’s just off the top of head (to say nothing of the “contributions” made by other media like television, video games, and comics).

    Aladdin 2019 – the 1992 animated film itself featured prominently in the documentary, saying that it “recycled every old degrading stereotype from Hollywood’s silent black-and-white past” – is certainly a step up and heads things in the right direction. Alas, that’s pretty much all it does. 

    Centuries ago in the Arabian city of Agrabah, Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street thief who falls for Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) when she disguises herself as a commoner, but soon discovers who she really is. Eventually, he’s intercepted by, Jafar (Marwan Kenzar), an evil sorcerer and vizier to Jasmine’s father the Sultan (Navid Negahban), and tasked with retrieving a magic lamp from the selective Cave of Wonders (Frank Welker once again, also returning as Abu the monkey and Rajah the tiger). Of course, he ends up with the lamp and unleashing the Genie (Will Smith), which gets him three wishes.

    There’s a greater effort in curbing the offending bits. The “where they cut off your ear” lyric is long gone and being made with flesh and blood actors means the view that the bad characters are drawn as racist caricatures doesn’t apply. However, in virtually every other regard, this is an inferior copy of the 1992 film. It does a decent enough job of recreating some of that movie’s signature moments, but none are done better than they were the first time.

    Also, it comes off as cheap in places. The exterior of the Cave is completely static and its insides pale greatly to the animated counterpart. More of this corner-cutting comes up, particularly regarding Jafar. There’s no old man disguise, no “Prince Ali” reprise, the climax lacks the giant snake and hourglass trap, and Iago (Alan Tudyk) is just a regular parrot that says only two or three words at a time. Oddly, this seems to extend to the actor himself. He is quietly menacing, but holding back really doesn’t suit this part. 

    Where the budget did go appears in the costumes, which are impressively lavish. The song-and-dance numbers showing them off prove that the cast can move and sing well, particularly Scott. There are a couple of new songs for Jasmine, but they are very much not in the style of rest and stick out. One exception, though. Playing over the end credits is a version of “Friend Like Me” with new lyrics that Smith raps. This I actually think should have been used in the film proper instead of retreading the original. Smith is much more comfortable in this mode and it really shows.

    Which brings us to the Genie. No, Smith is not as good as Robin Williams was and won’t make you forget about that version. Yes, the attempts to mimic that style only bring more attention to this. However, he does do well when he’s allowed to be laid back (mostly when in human form) and be something more like Hitch. In territory that could have gone very wrong, he ultimately manages to acquit himself.

    Not so much for Billy Magnussen, in a performance that calls to mind Just Go with It when Nick Swardson is doing his “Dolph Lundgren” (it’s really not what it sounds like; if you’ve seen that movie, you know what I mean). Much has been said about how unneeded this reverse token role is and, well, they aren’t wrong. His part could have been cut completely and nothing of any real value would be lost. This character could possibly have been redeemed if they said he was from Arendelle, but no such luck.

    A Nostalgia Critic episode waiting to happen, Aladdin 2019 does well for representation, but very little else. If Return of Jafar is indeed to follow, then they need to do what that movie infamously did not: put some budgeting muscle behind it.

  • ‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ is good sleuthing fun for all

    ‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ is good sleuthing fun for all

    Detective Pikachu artwork by Scott Straka
    ScottStrakaArt.Storenvy.com
    @ScottStrakaArt
    Scott Straka (@scottstrakaart)

    “Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.” – Carl Jung

    The transition of the Pokemon franchise from video games to the film world has been rocky. Starting with a seizure-inducing anime series and features based on that series which were excoriated by the press, things weren’t looking up. But for over 20 years it has persevered, with frequent new animated works and now a live action picture.

    Although Pokemon Detective Pikachu doesn’t provide anything all that deeper or meaningful, it’s great fun for kids and even adults might find themselves caught up.  Based on one of the more recent games where the title character can speak in English to the protagonist (as opposed to just its name over and over), it’s about solving a mystery rather than catching them all.

    Suburban insurance salesman Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) gets a call one day that his father, a detective in Ryme City, is presumed dead. He heads there himself to find more information and sees that the city is a place where the Pokemon are integrated among humans. As such, his father’s partner Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) soon crosses his path and the two set out to uncover what happened. 

    Another flaw of Avengers: Endgame that I forgot to mention in the review is that those unfamiliar would be completely lost. For a series like Pokemon which has gone on for decades and featured hundreds upon hundreds of creatures, the risk of that is certainly here. Ultimately though, Detective Pikachu is quite accessible to those outside the fandom since the mystery plot guiding the film stays its course. At most, there will be moments where a Pokemon is put in a certain situation in which anyone without prior knowledge would not understand why that would be fitting or funny. 

    The onscreen looks of the creatures are a mixed bag. While Pikachu himself and a few of the other Pokemon types are very well-realized, the rest come off as too artificial. Fortunately, the rest of the effects are more than up to par and the action-y parts are plenty exciting. Director Rob Letterman, late of the also surprisingly delightful Goosebumps, keeps things moving at a good clip while slowing things down at the appropriate times. 

    As brought up earlier, this movie is one that plays best to a younger crowd. Older viewers may be wise to where some things are headed (there are, however, still some things to throw them off) or be familiar with certain plot elements and tropes used. This is a straightforward old fashioned mystery instead of a subversion or deconstruction of one, and as such it’s a great gateway into the genre for the uninitiated (i.e. kids). Having said that, the swearing (mild though it may be) and innuendos (particularly one for suggesting some dark violence) should have been done without.

    The voice work from Reynolds is quite good – with a friendly cadence suiting the vibe –  but he seems to have been cast primarily because of Deadpool and gets tasked with retreading that kind of schtick. Sometimes the lines can be funny, but the self-referential moments feel off here since this really isn’t that kind of material. Part of me also feels that a character/voice actor without a celebrity presence (or for that matter the game’s actor Kaiji Tang) might have been a better choice. Although a mismatch to his game counterpart, Smith is a capable anchor. The real standout is Kathryn Newton. Filling an Emilia Christie-esque role as a wannabe reporter, she’s endearing, funny, and all business, a perfect match to the tone.

    While not quite bringing about a Silent Hill or Rampage sort of revelation that films based on video games can be good (granted, that’s mainly due to those paving the way), Detective Pikachu is miles ahead of its ilk in that regard. Move over, Strokemon; the true live action version has arrived.