"Wonder Woman" Review
With DC’s recent track record, it was hard to be any more than cautiously optimistic going into Wonder Woman. But in the end, it is one of their best films! I’d say it’s my favorite DC comics movie since Christopher Reeve. It might not be a coincidence that Gal Gadot embodies Wonder Woman in a way that’s reminiscent of Reeve. Reeve showed a Superman who actually enjoyed being a hero, even if it was difficult. Gadot’s Wonder Woman is the same and it’s always refreshing to see that on the big screen.
There’s been a trend lately where movies feel like your glass is half full or half empty. But Wonder Woman has moments of intense sadness and despair mixed in with feelings of humor and love. This isn’t just an action movie with some jokes, it’s a film where the central theme is that pain and joy are often never far apart. Some of that comes from the setting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film that even tried to capture “the war to end all wars,” but it really works here. The setting and the narrative intertwine very well.
Love is one of the main themes of the film, but it was also clearly a driving force behind the production. Nearly every aspect is put together with a sense of pride and skill that has been missing from quite a few summer blockbusters of recent years. The fight scenes were not just enjoyable, but you could actually see and follow most of the action. When you watch Diana fight, you'll be able to really appreciate her skill and power. The art direction and costume design are perfect, and the soundtrack is fantastic! All the performances are really good, though Etta Candy is underused and several of the villains are not particularly three dimensional.
Director Patty Jenkins giving Gal Gadot instruction.
Everyone is going to be looking at Patty Jenkins as a barometer for the future of women-led blockbusters, which is an unfair and unnecessary burden to place on her shoulders, but what are superhero movies about if not unfair burdens? Jenkins rises to the task, and honestly I’d like to see DC give her a lot more to do in the future.
There are things to quibble with, as always. While it’s the best use of slow motion I’ve seen in years, it is still overused. There’s a framing story that could have been left out, but I could see why some audience members would want it, especially if they’re coming in from the more recent franchise films rather than a comic book background. But none of that takes away from a film that is incredibly enjoyable, and one of the best of its genre.
Rating: A
"Star Trek Beyond" Review
In today’s world, where daily demonstrations of violence, hatred, and fear offer us an uncertain vision of our future, we need an escape. We need movies that take us to worlds that are not our own. Movies that depict people of different races, backgrounds, and sexualities working together in harmony. Movies that thrill us, make us laugh, dazzle us.
We need movies like Star Trek Beyond.
Taking over the captain’s chair from previous series director J.J. Abrams, Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) has crafted a vessel that’s just as sleek, fast-paced, and exciting as its predecessors. Make no mistake: this is not cerebral, thought-provoking sci-fi; it’s a full-speed-ahead action flick. However, there is something notable about Star Trek Beyond in how it celebrates the series’ fifty-year history and how it honors its enduring characters. This film was made with so much love, warmth practically radiates from the screen.
While on their five-year mission to explore the far reaches of space, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise fall under attack by a hostile alien threat and find themselves marooned on an uncharted planet. With a damaged spacecraft and no means of rescue, the crew must find a way to get back home while evading the grasp of Krall (Idris Elba), a mysterious enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy them.
This film really is the total package. It has terrific action set pieces orchestrated by Lin, a witty script co-written by Simon Pegg (who also plays Scotty), and an impressive new character in the form of Jaylah (Sofia Boutella, Kingsman: The Secret Service), a badass alien warrior who aides the crew on their journey.
Beyond also has something unexpected: genuine heartstring tugging. In touching ways I will dare not spoil, the film pays tribute to the memories of two legendary Star Trek actors: our Spock Prime, Leonard Nimoy, and our Chekov, Anton Yelchin. Seeing Yelchin, who tragically died just last month, onscreen—so youthful, so energetic—is melancholy indeed.
But Beyond also engages us emotionally in another way: it furthers the development of these characters we love so. There is a very tender and heartwarming scene involving Spock and Bones (Karl Urban) that reveals layers to each character that were not even hinted at in the previous entries. And Captain Kirk, Scotty, and Sulu (John Cho), who were all so lacking in any kind of character growth in the last film, Into Darkness (2013), all have their moments to shine here. These actors embody their characters so thoroughly and work with each other so well that they transcend any shortcomings the film might have.
And Star Trek Beyond does, indeed, have its shortcomings.
While it is an entertaining and well-made film, Beyond doesn’t seem bold enough to break away from the established formula. Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) continue their lover’s quarrel that seems to never end, and we are treated to the now-routine sight of seeing the Enterprise get totally wrecked yet again. Idris Elba’s Krall—at first an imposing screen presence—is drained of all menace or intrigue once his “motivation” is revealed in the third act. It’s here where the film completely deflates, for what begins as a tale of adventure and survival takes a turn for a plot we’ve seen before.
Despite these flaws, Star Trek Beyond is still a rousing—and as I said before, necessary—entertainment, and until that third act twist, it’s true to the spirit of discovery and camaraderie established in the original series. When Gene Roddenberry first created the Star Trek television series in 1966, he envisioned a future of unity and optimism. Fans will be happy to discover that Star Trek Beyond is very much in keeping with that vision. It encourages us to boldly go… and to look beyond to a bright and beautiful tomorrow. Happy fifty years, Star Trek. Here’s to fifty more.
Grade: B
"Z For Zachariah" Review
When you’re out on the lake fishing, you have to be patient sometimes, but the wait is worth it when you catch one. “Z for Zachariah” is the type of slow burn thriller that slowly gets you invested in its characters and hooks you in without realizing it. With a stellar cast, and breath stopping tension, it’s certainly a film to see!
After an unknown disaster wipes out most of civilization, Anne Burden (Margot Robbie) survives on her father’s farm, an unaffected sliver of the world. She hunts, works the land and stays busy with her dog. As far as she knows she’s the only person alive, until a man named Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) comes along in a laboratory made, radiation safety suit.
After mistakenly bathing in polluted water, Anne nurses Loomis back to health. It’s just the kind of kind act that can create a spark of romance in a world left to two people. Loomis is an intelligent man. He helps the pure hearted and deeply religious Anne around the house by doing things like getting her plow running. Just as their connection starts to grow into love, a mysterious wanderer named Caleb (Chris Pine) comes upon the farm.
As a love triangle starts to take shape, a competition between Loomis and Caleb does as well. The linchpin of the film is superb performances from its cast and pace. Director Craig Zobel is no stranger to unnerving tension. His 2012 film “Compliance” certainly was filled with it, and with “Z” he’s honed it. Zobel knows how to let a scene breathe and not only direct his cast, but his audience’s thoughts and emotions as well in what he chooses to show.
Robbie, Ejiofor and Pine bring three uniquely different and fleshed out characters to the film. It’s never about what they’re saying so much as what they’re thinking or omitting from their conversations together that really pulls you in. You’re left without a doubt that Margot Robbie is more than the beautiful face that recent blockbusters have sold her as. In this role, she looses the makeup and gives an excellent performance as a woman stuck between the world before disaster and after, and eventually the two men. Ejiofor brings his usual polarizing presence to the flawed Loomis. Pine has just the right amount of boy next door charm, sprinkled with just beneath the surface darkness that makes his character a worthy wrench in what appears to be a happily ever after between Anne and Loomis.
“Z For Zachariah” shows what you can do with a talented storyteller in the director’s chair, and an equally talented cast. It’s a good reminder that sometimes a simple, minimalist approach can entertain more than crowded, action sequences and explosions! The fact that only three characters make the story, should be an instant grab for any indie filmmaker. Yet, the film’s ability to entertain on various levels of complexity and evoke near tangible suspense, makes it one to see for anyone!
Rating: A