"Dark Phoenix" Review: Bring the Reboot Already
The real hero in Dark Phoenix is Hans Zimmer. His score elevates the film to a darker, more somber mood. It’s just unfortunate that the writing doesn’t quite match the composition, because if it had, this would be an excellent final bow!
The X-Men have elevated themselves to friends of humanity thanks to Professor Charles Xavier’s (James McAvoy) crafting. After a mission to space goes awry, the team is sent up to retrieve the astronauts. Of course, no mission can go perfectly and rather than letting the solar flare hit her team, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) absorbs it. Fortunately, she doesn’t die, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a solar flare she absorbed either. As time proves, it’s something more powerful.
This franchise is known to have horrible or half baked villains. Enter Vuk (Jessica Chastain). I wish I could tell you what she is and the depth of her power, but the movie didn’t tell me. So all I know is that she’s an alien life form who came to Earth with what was left of her fledgling empire and took the body of a bleach blonde woman. Their goal is to retrieve the power that went in to Jean, rebuild on Earth and they will stop at nothing to get it.
Where Dark Phoenix soars is in the action sequences. Seeing certain characters’ power on display is entertaining. Magneto (Michael Fassbender) shines with some of the sheer might he possesses. Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) gets to go ham for a moment of line of sight teleportation at it’s finest. The climactic train sequence is definitely of note.
The problem that we’ve come to expect with these films is its character development. You just don’t care. Jean’s backstory is shown, but her family is nothing more than a setup. Quite frankly, for this to be the classic ascension of Jean to the Phoenix, she barely gets to do much on screen. There was an opportunity to make her really dark, but that didn’t happen. They could have put her full power on display. She can wipe out planets in the comics for goodness sake! Instead, you could call her the Accidental Phoenix in this film because many of the bad things she does aren’t necessarily on purpose. They come from an “oops I did it again” motive. Wins and losses are just beats on a screenwriter’s page here. The big bad Vuk is certainly just an antagonist in the film whose team seems invincible without explanation.
I’ll give co-writer/director Simon Kinberg credit for trying here. This was an effort in the right direction. The tone felt right, the costume design tried, the cast tried, Hans Zimmer infused his superhuman score, but alas, they just couldn’t get this up the hill of good filmmaking. Did I mention Hans Zimmer’s score is awesome? It’s entertaining, but if you wait to catch it when it’s streaming you’ll probably do yourself and your wallet a favor this weekend!
Rating: C-
"Deadpool 2" Review
Deadpool 2 wasn’t the film I was expecting it was going to be, but in the best way possible. After the first film just over two years ago went on to exceed everyone’s expectations, Wade Wilson is back with his misbehaving ways. For a minute, I thought that the trailers were giving you a general view of the film itself, but they only hint at the insanity that the film entails. It’s bigger, bolder, and a whole lot of fun. In short, if you like what you saw the first time around, be prepared for something more outrageous, including something that might just be the funniest thing I’ve seen so far this year.
Without going into too much detail, for fear of spoilers, the film is set some time following the events of the first film. Cable (Josh Brolin) has come from the future to stop Russell (Julian Dennison), a young mutant who destroys the future that Cable is from. In order to save Russell, Wade/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will need to assemble a group, which he names the X-Force, to stop Cable from completing his mission.
Even though I was a fan of the first film, when you compare this with that, Deadpool 2 feels more cinematic this time around. Director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde and co-director of John Wick, which may or may not be referenced in the film) has come in to replace original film director Tim Miller, who left after creative differences with Reynolds. After the nice surprise that was John Wick and the step back that Atomic Blonde was, Leitch has made a wonderful rebound and gives the Deadpool series the touch that it needed. Unlike Atomic Blonde, which became needlessly overcomplicated, the storyline that Leitch is working with, credited to Reynolds and returning writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, is clear and very simple. Reynolds and the writers also bring some depth to the character with some of the larger themes the film displays. Unlike the first film, which felt self-contained at times, this film opens the Deadpool world up more, as evidenced with the more expansive sets and locations that the film takes us to throughout the 119-minute runtime. In a way, they do the same thing that 2014’s 22 Jump Street did in understanding what a sequel is and should be and flipping it on its head.
For the humor, it’s still consistently funny (full disclosure: I think I was probably the loudest one laughing in the theater), and the meta humor is still clever as ever, poking fun of everything you can think of, from their own X-Men films to Marvel Studios to DC films to general films. And there are some killer payoffs to some jokes that were setup within the first film. Also, the visual gags in this film are something else. The visual look that Leitch and his cinematographer Jonathan Sela (who shot Leitch’s first two films) give Deadpool 2 makes it feel more like a comic book come to life. It’s safe to say that this is the most colorful film of the X-Men series so far, while also showcasing the future and a few shots like the original Terminator film. The action scenes, as expected from Leitch, are nicely edited and have a rhythm to them. With the marketing of the film, I was worried that the film wouldn’t mesh the tones well together, but somehow, Reynolds and the writers find some way to blend them together. I was also nervous that Deadpool 2 was going to go the way of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by shoehorning in X-Force like BvS did with the Justice League, but the way that the film handles that is something that has to be seen to believe.
Acting wise, everyone here is still game. Reynolds still appears to be having the time of his life with this role. After crushing it last month as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Josh Brolin gives another solid performance as Cable, and I enjoyed the odd couple dynamic that he and Reynolds exhibit towards one another. I also enjoyed that Reynolds, Reese, and Wernick don’t stop the film in its tracks to explain Cable’s complicated backstory, but give you the basics of who the character is and what he needs to accomplish. Julian Dennison, in his American debut after breaking out in 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, put in a good effort as Russell. Zazie Beetz was also surprisingly good as Domino. I also enjoyed how, for the most part, everyone plays the straight man to Reynolds’ Wade. The music from Tyler Bates is more memorable this time around, in particular one song he composes that you will not get out of your head.
There’s so much I liked about the film, but there are some drawbacks that I had with it as well. The villain, like in the first film, is lacking again. As a much broader film, it feels like the filmmakers were throwing in everything that they could, when they could have easily reduced the film by 10 minutes or so and nail the effort. Some of the characters that return from the first outing meander with nothing to do and aren’t as funny this time around. Even though these films are on the lower end budget scale of the X-Men films, there are still scenes with obvious CGI that could have used another pass or two on to make it look at least better.
Overall, in not knowing what to expect, the end result was more than I hoped for. Going in, I was worried that Deadpool 2 was going to retread the same waters that Deadpool exhibited, but I loved that Leitch, Reynolds, Reese, and Wernick attempted something different. Who knows what the future will bring for Deadpool with the possible acquisition of Fox’s film and TV division to Disney, and Reynolds’ recent statements about a third film. The film does a nice job of setting up for the future X-Force film, which is slated to begin filming in the fall. If you enjoyed what you saw with the first film, you will get a kick out of this. Be sure and stay through the mid-credits for a nice fun surprise. I would definitely recommend checking this out in the theater!
Rating: B+
Cap's Got His Groove Back!
Practice makes perfect. That saying is definitely true for the latest installment for the Cap! “Captain America: Winter Soldier” benefits from the films that have come before it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As the ninth installment in the franchise, the writing and direction has a formula that made me a fan of Captain America! (He used to be my least favorite in the Avengers...Thor has taken his place.)
More than likely if you’re reading this it’s not because you’re not planning on seeing the film. It’s probably because you want to know if it’s awesome or not. It is! The film starts with Steve Rodgers/Captain America (Chris Evans) trying to find his way in the modern world. He runs into Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) or should I say runs past him a few times on his morning run. The two have some friendly banter that comes back later in the movie. Comedy in the MCU is something we’ve come to expect, but for the Cap it used to be a bit on the nose. Not anymore. The world feels more realistic and the dialogue is genuinely funny.
To summarize as quickly as possible, Cap and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) lead a mission on a hijacked S.H.I.E.L.D. ship. During the operation, Black Widow goes off mission and recovers some intel for Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Fury isn’t able to get into the intel but learns that he’s a target after agents attack him. He hands the info off to Cap and tells him to trust no one before another attack on his life is carried out. It’s this command that leads Captain America and us as viewers throughout the majority of the rest of the movie. Who do we trust? Is everyone dirty? What intel is on the flash drive? These questions help root the film and push each scene forward.
As S.H.I.E.L.D. prepares to launch three huge warships to police Earth, led by Alexander Pierce (a nicely cast Robert Redford), Captain America also becomes a target of S.H.I.E.L.D. after not stating why Nick Fury visited him. With this putting Cap on the run, he has a short list of people he can trust. Enlisting the help of Black Widow and the Falcon (Mackie), the group tries to get to the bottom of the mystery and fight the mysterious Winter Soldier who stands in their way.
The key to this film being great (amongst the MCU) is that it is grounded in realism. Rather than Captain America being a symbol of morality and a previous era, he just is. He is who he is as he navigates through the modern world. He stands for something and rather than the writing team beating us over the head with reminders, Cap just faces each situation with internal conviction rather than overt statements (that were made clear in the past). The action sequences in this film highlight Cap’s abilities with great choreographed scenes that allow him to physically shine as a juiced up human being. Samuel L. Jackson finally gets used in such a way to showcase his acting ability as well as comedic timing! Even Scarlett Johannson is more than a pretty face in this film, bringing a little more depth to her character. Mackie as The Falcon is a decent edition to the cast, and the graphics really make him look like a high flying falcon! These upgrades work for the movie in a positive way.
Marvel has the super hero movie business on lock right now. “Captain America: Winter Soldier” is another solid notch in a MCU belt that extends to the year 2028. The film is grounded in reality, and doesn’t rely on parlor tricks and extras to keep you hooked. The direction, writing, and acting are all on point in building Cap’s character, his slice in the Marvel Universe, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. I don’t think you need to see it in 3D or IMAX. 2D does the job just fine. If you’re planning on seeing the film, you won’t be disappointed!
Rating: B+