TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: comic book movies

Showing posts with label comic book movies. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Review: "VENOM: THE LAST DANCE" Has a Death Wish

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 of 2025 (No. 2016) by Leroy Douresseaux

Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images and strong language

DIRECTOR: Kelly Marcel

WRITERS: Kelly Marcel; from a story by Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach, Tom Hardy, Kelly Marcel, and Hutch Parker

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Fabian Wagner (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Mark Sanger

COMPOSER: Dan Deacon

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu, Clark Backo, Alanna Ubach, Hala Finley, Dash McCloud, Cristo Fernandez, Jared Abrahamson, Jack Brady, Reid Scott, and Andy Serkis

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Venom: The Last Dance is the least of the three films in this series in terms of quality.

The entire point of the movie seems to be to end the series as soon as possible, so it is strictly for fans of this series

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Venom: The Last Dance is a 2024 superhero fantasy-action film directed by Kelly Marcel. The film is based on the Marvel Comics super-villain/anti-hero characters, Eddie Brock/Venom. Several comic book writers, artists, and editors contributed in the development of this duo, and artist Todd McFarlane and writer David Michelinie are the creators of Venom. This is also the third entry in the Venom film series. In Venom: The Last Dance, Eddie Brock and Venom are on the run from both an alien monster and a mysterious military officer, and they may be forced to break up their symbiotic partnership.

Venom: The Last Dance opens on Klyntar, the home world of the symbiotes. Knull (Andy Serkis), the creator of the symbiotes, seeks a way to escape the prison made for him by his rebellious creations. To that end, he has discovered a key – some thing called a “Codex” – that will free him. What and where is the codex?

Well, it is on Earth, and the Codex exists because of the relationship between the symbiote, Venom, and his human host, the former investigative reporter, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy). They have just returned to Earth after their short stay in the multiverse (as seen in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home) and has landed in the Mexico of their own Earth. While there, Eddie and Venom learn that Eddie is being blamed for the death of Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham).

Mulligan is not dead. He was infected by a symbiote (as seen in 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage). He has been imprisoned in an underground facility at “Area 55” (which is beneath “Area 51”), and is being held in captivity by the “Imperium Program.” There, Mulligan and his symbiote are under the watchful gazes of Imperium scientist, Dr. Teddy Paine (Juno Temple), and the Imperium's military commander, General Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Eddie and Venom are headed for New York City in a bid to clear Eddie's name, unaware that General Strickland is hunting them. The duo, however, is soon made aware of an even more dangerous hunter. Knull has sent a creature known as a “Xenophage” to capture the Codex within Eddie and Venom. Now, a year into their symbiotic relationship, Eddie Brock and Venom may have to make a most devastating and heart-wrenching decision in order to save the Earth and at least one of their lives.

Venom: The Last Dance is the fifth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” line of films. It follows Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Morbius (2022), and Madame Web (2024). The Last Dance arrived in movie theaters a little more than a month before the series' sixth film, Kraven the Hunter (2024). This film series stars characters and properties commonly associated with Marvel Comics' character, Spider-Man. Sadly, media reports indicate that Kraven the Hunter will be the last entry in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.

Anyway, just before the halfway mark in Venom: The Last Dance, the Venom symbiote enters a horse, and “venomizes” it, creating a “Venom horse.” The sequence featuring Venom as a horse, which becomes a wild ride across the desert with Eddie on its back, is probably the liveliest moment in this movie. Venom does not venomize any more animals the rest of the way, but strangely, the beginning of the film's end-credits is a montage of venomized animals, everything from insects and birds to mammals and amphibians. A Venom movie featuring the Venom symbiote venomizing countless different insects and animals?! – now, that would be a Venom movie I'd love and a lot of people would watch. Sadly, that is what we get in Venom: The Last Dance.

Yes, there are some genuine character moments – such as Eddie/Venom's relationship with the Moon family – but even that is overwhelmed by Venom: The Last Dance's need to end. Yes, this isn't so much a movie as it is an execution or suicide pact. Venom is a trilogy and Venom: The Last Dance must be the end of it: that's what this movie feels like – a race to the end.

I found myself unable to really enjoy this movie. I really didn't connect with the film's best action scenes, and there were a few really good ones. Also, I feel like the Knull subplot was woefully underutilized. There are some good moments here, and by the end of the film, I thought the good things had been downplayed in favor of this movie's fatalistic mood. Ultimately, I think Venom: The Last Dance is only for fans of the series who will want to see it through to the end.

5 of 10

C+

★★½ out of 4 stars out of 4 stars

[This film has one mid-credits scene and one scene that occurs at the end of the credits.]

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Friday, February 14, 2025

Review: "CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD" Explodes with Intensity

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 of 2025 (No. 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some strong language

DIRECTOR: Julius Onah

WRITERS: Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson, and Julius Onah & Peter Glanz; from a story by Rob Edwards and Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Kramer Morgenthau (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Madeleine Gavin and Matthew Schmidt

COMPOSER: Laura Karpman

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/DRAMA and SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Xosha Roquemore, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, William Mark McCullough, and Takehiro Hira with Liv Tyler and Sebastian Stan

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

--Captain America: Brave New World is the subject of a social media smear campaign, but it is one of the best superheroes movies of the 2020s, and it is probably the best action movie of the decade

--The cast is dynamite. Not only does Anthony Mackie light up the screen as Sam Wilson/Captain America, but Harrison Ford also tears up the screen the way a Hollywood legend and icon should

--The supporting cast of Captain America: Brave New World is excellent, and the actors help make this film a rampaging good time at the movies

Captain America: Brave New World is a 2025 superhero and action film from Marvel Studios and directed by Julius Onah. The film focuses on the character, “Sam Wilson,” as the superhero, “Captain America.” Sam Wilson is a Marvel Comics character that was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan and that first appeared in Captain America #117 (cover dated: September 1969). Captain America is a Marvel Comics character that was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and that first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (December 1940).

This film is the fourth film in the Captain America film series and also the 35th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In Captain America: Brave New World, Captain America must discover the identity of the mastermind behind a plan to launch the United States into a global war over access to an amazing new metal alloy.

Captain America: Brave New World focuses on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who is still early in his tenure as the superhero, Captain America, replacing his friend, the original Captain America, Steve Rogers. Wilson was once the superhero, “The Falcon,” and now, that mantle belongs to his partner, U.S. Air Force First Lt. Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). Captain America and the Falcon begin the film on a mission in Oaxaca, Mexico where they take on the “Serpent Society” and its leader, Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), in a bid to intercept the sale of a canister of “Adamantium.”

Adamantium is the new metal alloy that was discovered on the “Celestial Island,” located in the Indian Ocean. Celestial Island is really the gigantic carcass of the “Celestial Tiamut,” whose emergence was stopped by the Eternals (as seen in the 2021 film, Eternals). The U.S., Japan, and India are vying to mine adamantium, and to that end, the three countries are working on a treaty that would create the infrastructure in which the three nations would share control of the island.

The current President of the United States, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), formerly known as General “Thunderbolt” Ross, asks Sam to be the face of the adamantium treaty as Captain America. President Ross also wants Sam to join him in a plan to reform the superhero group, “The Avengers.” However, the announcement of the treaty is interrupted by an assassination attempt. Now, Sam's friend and mentor, Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the Korean War veteran and once-imprisoned “super soldier,” is once again imprisoned because of the incident.

Despite a growing rift with President Ross, Sam decides to investigate the assassination attempt, and Joaquin joins him. Shadowing them is a former “Black Widow,” the Israeli Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), but even she can't stop Captain America and the Falcon from discovering the mystery of a man named Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson). Can Sam Wilson stop a global war, and can Captain America really take on the creature known as the “Red Hulk.”

Captain America: Brave New World is the subject of an intense online and social media smear campaign. When you, dear readers, come across someone using the word, “woke,” to describe it, you should know that in the context of this film, “woke” is Confederate pig Latin for the name “Anthony Mackie.” People who complain that the story and/or the script are not good are against the film because of their grievances concerning an African-American actor, Antony Mackie, taking on the role of Captain America. With that said...

Captain America: Brave New World ties into some other Marvel Studios productions. Obviously, this film's “Celestial Island” subplot is related to events depicted in the 2021 film, Eternals. The Disney+/Marvel Studios series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) is a prologue to Brave New World. Surprisingly, Brave New World acts as a sort of sequel to the second film in the MCU, 2008's The Incredible Hulk. There are also references to numerous other MCU films.

Captain America: Brave New World is a superb superhero movie and great action film. Director Julius Onah has helmed a film that is a rampaging good time at the movies, doing this in spite of delays and reshoots. He should take pride in making a Captain America film that is as good as or better than the previous three films in the series. The action is great, and the conspiracy at the heart of the story is intense and shockingly personal. The character drama is surprisingly potent and is both complex and complicated. Plus, the Captain America vs. Red Hulk battle in the film's last act fell on me like a tree; it is so intense that for a moment I wished I was wearing an adult diaper while watching it.

With Captain America: Brave New World, Anthony Mackie not only proves that he is a true Marvel leading man who can carry a MCU film, but he also proves that he is a Hollywood leading man. In subtle ways, his performance and speeches clearly define that which Mackie fights in the real world and Sam Wilson fights in his world. Watching Mackie chop up this movie with his dramatic chops, I realized that it was long overdue that he lead a Marvel film.

I must also admit that Harrison Ford brings down the thunder in his role as President Thaddeus Ross, a.k.a. “Thunderbolt” Ross. Ford dominates his scenes so much that only Mackie can really match him in Captain America: Brave New World. Seeing Ford here reminds me of what a find dramatic actor he is and how he has always been fun in action movies.

Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Xosha Roquemore also deliver solid turns in their respective supporting roles. They deserve to pop up in the MCU again, many more times. I guess it is obvious that I am still buzzing from seeing Captain America: Brave New World last night (Thursday, February 13th). I had not expected much from this film because I had listened to too much of the propaganda. I love being wrong in these instance. Captain America: Brave New World is going to be my favorite film of 2025 for awhile, dear readers, and I heartily recommend it to you.

9 of 10

A+

Friday, February 14, 2025

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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Review: "AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM" is Water-Logged Entertainment

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 of 2025 (No. 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some language

DIRECTOR: James Wan

WRITERS: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; from a story by James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick & Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett (based on the character created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger and appearing in DC Comics)

PRODUCERS: James Wan, Rob Cowan, and Peter Safran

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess

EDITOR: Kirk M. Morri

COMPOSER: Rupert Gregson-Williams

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, and Nicole Kidman with the voices of Martin Short, John Rhys-Davies, and Pilou Asbaek

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 superhero, action-adventure and science fiction-fantasy film from director James Wan. It is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Aquaman, and it is also the 15th and final installment of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is based on the DC Comics character, Aquaman, that was created by artist Paul Norris and editor Mort Weisinger and first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (cover dated: November 1941). In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Black Manta forges a deal with a mysterious evil from Atlantis' past, forcing Aquaman to forge an alliance with his imprisoned brother in order to save Atlantis.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens four years after Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) became King of Atlantis and married Mera (Amber Heard). They are now parents to a son, Arthur Jr. Aquaman splits his life between land and sea, strengthening his bond with his father, Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), and getting wise advice about being a father from him. However, splitting time between his life on land and his life as the ruler of Atlantis has led to clashes with the High Council of the Seven Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen) continues to seek revenge against Aquaman for the death of his father (as seen in Aquaman). With the help of marine biologist, Stephen Shin (Randall Park), Kane finds a mysterious artifact, “the Black Trident.” As soon Kane touches the trident, it possesses him and connects his mind to the mysterious Kordax, the undead king of the lost undersea kingdom of Necrus. Soon, Kane, at Kordax's command, is poisoning the surface world with an element known as “Orichalcum.”

Aquaman's mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the former queen of Atlantis, implores him to seek the help of his imprisoned brother, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), the deposed King of Atlantis in order to stop Kane. But can Aquaman trust Orm, who tried to kill him and whom he removed from the throne of Atlantis?

While watching the original film, Aquaman, I could not help but notice that many of its story points and plot elements were glaringly similar to those found in Marvel Studios' Black Panther, which debuted earlier in the same year, 2018, that Aquaman hit theaters. I also find Black Panther elements in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but none as pronounced as in the first film. I also believe that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is strongly influenced by the Star Wars “prequel” films, especially Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

That said, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is like the first film – a grand, old-fashioned, action-adventure fantasy film. The sequel is quite entertaining, but not as solidly entertaining as the first film.

The plot, narrative, and character drama in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seem forced when they are not being over-the-top, and are lacking in genuine emotion and feeling when they not being forced and over-the-top. Director James Wan and his co-writers emphasize sound and fury. It is as if they believe that the more CGI, action scenes, explosions, subplots, and weird-looking things they throw on the screen the less likely that the audience will realize how ungainly this film is. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn't cinematic art; it's merely corporate entertainment product, and unlike the first time, Warner Bros. Pictures didn't as lucky with the sequel.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom treads water just not to be mediocre. I will admit that its production values and special visual effects all look quite good. Visually, the film is sumptuous even if the drama is rickety. And as I write this, I am just remembering that I like the film score, although I am sure that I have heard parts of it in another film.

Also, I admire that Jason Momoa throws himself into this film, doing his best to make it seem like the most fun he and the audience could ever have in a superhero movie. Unfortunately, it was the Aquaman movie before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that was really fun.

B-

5 of 10

★★½ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

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Sunday, December 15, 2024

Review: "KRAVEN THE HUNTER" Has a Beast in Aaron Taylor-Johnson

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 57 of 2024 (No. 2001) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kraven the Hunter (2024)

Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence, and language

DIRECTOR: J.C. Chandor

WRITERS: Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway; from a story by Richard Wenk (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, David B. Householter, and Matt Tolmach

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Davis (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Chris Lebenzon and Craig Wood

COMPOSERS: Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine, and Benjamin Wallfisch

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, Levi Miller, Billy Barratt, Tom Reed, Diaana Babnicova, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Damola Adelaja, and Russell Crowe

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

“Kraven the Hunter” has already established itself as having the lowest opening weekend debut of any film carry the Marvel brand, but it is a lot better than many of the other comic book films that came before it

Star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is indeed a star as he carries this film to victory, and he maximizes several intense scenes with co-star, Oscar-winner Russell Crowe

You don't have to be a fan of comic book movies to enjoy “Kraven the Hunter” because its intensity and its extreme and extremely violent action scenes and sequences are exceptionally entertaining

Kraven the Hunter is a 2024 action movie and superhero film from director J.C. Chandor. The movie is based on the Marvel Comics character, Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter, that was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (cover dated: August 1964). This is also the sixth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” (SSU) series. The film focuses on a hunter of men and his complex relationship with his father, a ruthless Russian crime lord, which starts him down the path to becoming the greatest hunter of men in the world.

Kraven the Hunter opens in Northern Russia at a prison. Of particular interest is Prisoner #0864, but soon, prison security and imprisoned Russian gangster, Semyon Chorney (Yuri Kolokolnikov), will learn that this prisoner is really a legendary assassin known as “The Hunter.” Who is “The Hunter?”

He is really Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the elder son of brutal Russian crime lord, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe). Sixteen years before The Hunter killed Chorney, Nikolai took Sergei and his younger son, Dmitri, on a hunting expedition in Northern Ghana. A terrible accident leaves Sergei near death until a local young woman intervenes in a manner that changes Sergei in ways he never imagined.

In the present day, Sergei goes by the name “Kraven.” His activities as “The Hunter” have earned him the ire of many criminals. Kraven has a kill-list, and once someone is on it, they don't get off until he kills them. Kraven reunites with Calypso (Ariana DeBose), the young woman who saved him sixteen years earlier. Now, an adult, Calypso is an attorney, and Kraven asks her to assist him in his activities as “The Hunter” by finding information on his targets.

However, Kraven himself is now being hunted. Wannabe Russian crime boss, Aleksei Sytsevich (Alessandro Nivola), and his ally, “The Foreigner” (Christopher Abbott), have targeted Kraven's brother, Dmitri (Fred Hechinger), now an adult, as a way to trap their prey. Kraven will have to prove to his enemies that he is indeed the world's greatest hunter and also its most dangerous apex predator.

Kraven the Hunter is sixth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” line of films. It follows Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Morbius (2022), Madame Web (2024), and the recently release, Venom: The Last Dance (2024). This film series stars characters and properties commonly associated with Marvel Comics' character, Spider-Man. Sadly, media reports indicate that Kraven the Hunter will be the last entry in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, and that's a shame because Kraven the Hunter deserves a sequel.

Most movie actors could not have saved Kraven the Hunter, if it did indeed need saving, as industry and fan gossip indicated. If we accept those arguments, dear readers, that Kraven the Hunter needed saving, then Aaron Taylor-Johnson is indeed this film's savior. Taylor-Johnson is a talented young actor, and he can certainly portray the tough-guy hero or antihero in a way that seems genuine, if not outright real.

Without Taylor-Johnson, I think Kraven the Hunter would still be a really entertaining film. The screenplay, regardless of whatever number of writers contributed to it, intrigued me. Director J.C. Chandor deftly weaves the film's story across continents and through shifts in plot that keeps things so interesting and involved that I didn't have time to search for plot holes and inconsistencies. Also, Russell Crowe as Nikolai Kravinoff makes his scenes with Taylor-Johnson's Kraven feel ultra edgy and especially dangerous.

With Taylor-Johnson, however, Kraven the Hunter, is not only a really entertaining film, but it is also an exceptional superhero spin-off comic book film. As comic book and superhero movies go, Kraven the Hunter is kind of like a B-movie or, at least, a B-list film, but you, dear readers, don't have to be a comic book fan to enjoy the film or its star. As Kraven, Taylor-Johnson has such animal magnetism; I wanted to see him be in action-mode and be violent. Taylor-Johnson has true movie star qualities, such as charisma and presence, and girl, the camera absolutely loves him. Seriously, Taylor-Johnson carries Kraven the Hunter past what most other actors would have done – all the way to whatever kind of cinematic glory a Spider-Man-adjacent film can have.

Marvel Comics fans will likely enjoy the fact that several Spider-Man-related characters appear in the film, some of them surprisingly so. Still, this film is about Kraven the Hunter, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson makes every subplot, setting, and the other character bow down to his “king of the jungle” performance. Kraven the Hunter is good, surprisingly and shockingly good, because its leading man knows how to be a beast.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, December 15, 2024

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Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Review: "TOMIE" is Weird as Sh*t - Happy Halloween

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 153 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tomie (1998)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan

Running time: 95 minutes

Not rated

DIRECTOR: Ataru Oikawa

WRITER: Ataru Oikawa (based upon the manga by Junji Ito)

PRODUCERS: Yasuhiko Azuma, Youichiro Onishi, and Shun Shimizu

CINEMATOGRAPHERS Akira Sakoh and Kazuhiro Suzuki

EDITOR: Ryûji Miyajima

COMPOSERS: Hiroshi Futami and Toshihiro Kimura

HORROR/THRILLER

Starring: Miho Kanno, Mami Nakamura, Yoriko Douguchi, Tomorowo Taguchi, Kouta Kusano, and Kenji Mizuhashi

Tomie is a 1998 Japanese horror film from director Ataru Oikawa. It is the first entry in the Tomie film series, which totals eleven films as of 2011. It is also based on the manga (Japanese comics), Tomie, which was published from 1987 to 2000 and was created by Junji Ito. Tomie the movie focuses on a traumatized young woman who is haunted by the name, “Tomie.”

Tsukiko Izumisawa (Mami Nakamura) is seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Hosono (Yoriko Douguchi), about her problem sleeping at night. She also has repressed memories of some trauma in her past. Detective Harada (Tomorowo Taguchi) believes it has something to do with the murder of her friend, Tomie (Miho). Trouble is that going back a century’s worth of records, Harada finds Tomie as the name of several victims of horribly violent crimes. Is this Tomie the same one involved with Tsukiko? And what about that guy with a severed human head in a plastic grocery bag?

Tomie was the first in a series of popular Japanese horror movies starring the mysterious Tomie and her machinations, and the film is based upon the Junji Ito comic (manga) of the same title. Tomie isn’t as intense as that most popular Japanese horror film, Ringu, but it’s fairly suspenseful in its own right. Actually, Tomie is more a suspense film than a horror or a thriller. Director/screenwriter Ataru Oikawa drenches his film in shadows and the atmosphere bleeds creepiness and weirdness. It’s an atmosphere that can have the viewer always hanging on for what’s going to happen next. What makes the film as effective as it ever gets is Oikawa’s use of a real world setting. He shot the film as it if were just a pedestrian TV drama. That banality coupled with the pulp madness that surrounds the Tomie character and the eventual revelation of what she is makes the film turn out to be something much better than it seemed a third of the way through its running time.

Tomie is not for every body, but Tomie is perfect for the horror flick fan on the prowl for something real different. The film also has a frankly bizarre musical score.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

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Thursday, August 22, 2024

Review: Brandon Lee Gives "THE CROW" Staying Power

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 of 2024 (No. 1982) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Crow (1994)

Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)

MPAA – R for a great amount of strong violence and language, and for drug use and some sexuality

DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas

WRITERS: David J. Schow and John Shirley (based on the comic book series and comics strip created by James O'Barr)

PRODUCERS: Jeff Most and Edward R. Pressman

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dariusz Wolski (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Dov Hoenig and M. Scott Smith

COMPOSER: Graeme Revell

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/CRIME

Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee, Tony Todd, Jon Polito, Bill Raymond, Marco Rodriguez, and Kim Sykes

The Crow is a 1994 American superhero and dark fantasy film from director Alex Proyas. The movie is based on The Crow comic book series and on the character that first appeared in the comic book, Caliber Presents #1 (cover dated: January 1989), all created by James O'Barr. The Crow the movie focuses on a musician who returns from the dead a year after he and his girlfriend were brutally murdered to seek vengeance against their murderers.

The Crow is infamous for the death of its lead actor, Brandon Lee (1965-1993), the son of film icon, Bruce Lee. On March 31, 1993, Lee was fatally wounded by a discharge from a prop gun. At that point, Lee had completed almost all his scenes for the film. Through the use of special effects, digital face replacement, stunt doubles, and rewrites, Proyas was able to finish the film, and it was released in May 1994.

The Crow is set in a crime-ravaged and decrepit city that is like Detroit, Michigan, and the story opens on October 30th, Devil's Night (an infamous celebration in Detroit). It introduces rock musician, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), and his fiancée, Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas). They are going to be married on Halloween. Instead, Eric is beaten and murdered. Shelly is brutally beaten and raped and later dies of her injuries.

One year later, Eric Draven rises from the grave as an avenging spirit, The Crow (Brandon Lee). He has returned to killed the men who murdered him and Shelly: T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), Funboy (Michael Massee), Tin Tin (Laurence Mason), and Skank (Angel David). Sarah (Rochelle Davis), a young girl who was Eric and Shelly's friend, and Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), and an outcast police officer, become personally involved in Eric's return as The Crow. Waiting in the background, however, is Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), the crime lord who is connected to what happened to Eric and Shelley and who sees The Crow's rampage as a threat to his criminal empire.

Despite the notoriety it gained because of the onset tragedy, The Crow should also be known as a really good film. It was Alex Proyas first major directorial effort, and that shows in the occasional clumsiness in the flow of the narrative. However, Proyas unleashes a film that is highly-stylized and drenched in darkness that has a painterly quality. In other films, this darkness would merely be a case of a poor lighting and mediocre cinematography. Here, the film's production values and contributions from the cinematographer, production design/art direction team, hair and make-up crew, and film editors contribute to the creation of dark and gloomy cinematic art.

Proyas finds the film's substance in Eric Draven/The Crow's quest for revenge. In this film, retribution has depth, weight, feel soul; in that, The Crow is like its comic book source material. Proyas finds power and vulnerability in his lead character the way he finds power and juice in the violence that must happen before Draven can return to his grave.

Proyas, who would go on to direct Will Smith in I, Robot (2004), gets fine performances from a number of supporting actors, especially Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and Rochelle Davis. He gets the most out of his star, Brandon Lee, who was likely on the verge of blowing up. In this film, Lee has his own charisma and presence, different from that of his father, Bruce Lee, who made his most charismatic turn in Enter the Dragon (1973). Was The Crow going to be Brandon's Enter the Dragon? I don't know, but Brandon makes The Crow feel solid in its slightest moments and grander in its biggest and most violent moments.

The Crow is a flawed jewel, but not a heavily flawed jewel. Also, I imagine that it is a lot more influential than movie buffs realize. I can see bits and pieces of it in later films like Blade (1998), The Matrix (1999), and The Dark Knight (2008). The on-set death of its star cast a melancholy mood over The Crow, but the determination of the filmmakers, cast, and crew eventually brought it out to the public. The Crow is not a morbid curiosity. It is more like a rose that survived a deluge of misfortune.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, August 22, 2024

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Friday, July 26, 2024

Review: "DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE" Brings the Friends and Family Vibe Back to Marvel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 of 2024 (No. 1978) by Leroy Douresseaux

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references

DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy

WRITERS: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and Zeb Wells (based on Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige, Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: George Richmond (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Shawn Reid and Dean Zimmerman

COMPOSER: Rob Simonsen

SUPERHERO/COMEDY/ACTION

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden, Jon Favreau, Rob Delaney, Morena Baccarin, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, Aaron Stanford, and Leslie Uggams with Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Dafne Keen, Ray Parks, Channing Tatum, Blake Lively, Matthew McConaughey, and Wesley Snipes

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

--Once again, Ryan Reynolds' comic talent shines as Wade Wilson/Deadpool, making Deadpool & Wolverine the best Deadpool film.

--Hugh Jackman brings dramatic balance and heft to the wackiness of Deadpool & Wolverine, but Jackman also adds a deft comic touch to the strong bloody violence and rapid-fire coarse language.

--There are multiple cameos and short appearances, but the surprise appearances of four particular characters from earlier Marvel films make Deadpool & Wolverine a winner

Deadpool & Wolverine is a 2024 American superhero film and action-comedy directed by Shawn Levy and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the 34th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is also the third entry in the Deadpool movie franchise.

The film is based on two Marvel Comics characters. The first is Deadpool, a character created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, and that first appeared in New Mutants #98 (cover dated: December 1990). The second is Wolverine, a character created by writer Len Wein and artists John Romita and Herb Trimpe and that first fully appeared in the comic book, The Incredible Hulk #181 (cover dated: November 1974). In Deadpool & Wolverine the movie, a space-time organization has set Deadpool on a mission to save his own universe, so he brings in Wolverine to help him.

Deadpool & Wolverine basically begins on March 14, 2018. That is the day that Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the smart-mouthed mutant mercenary, approaches the Avengers organization about becoming a member of the Avengers. It doesn't work, and Wade falls into a deep depression that takes a toll on his relationship with his beloved Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin). It's also time to celebrate Wade's birthday, and his friends gather at the apartment he shares with Blind Al (Leslie Uggams).

In the middle of the revelry, agents of the “Time Variance Authority” (TVA) arrive to take Wade into custody. At TVA headquarters, project head, Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfayden), informs Deadpool that his own Earth/universe, Earth-10005, is scheduled for destruction, but that he can live in another universe. Determined to save his world, Deadpool rejects the offer and goes rogue. He travels throughout the multiverse searching for a version of Wolverine that can help him save his Earth. Eventually, Deadpool finds a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) with a tragic past.

Deadpool and Wolverine spend more time cursing, fighting, and stabbing each other than they do world-saving. However, they end up in a place called the “Void,” where they face its leader, the murderous and ultra-powerful mutant, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). Now, Deadpool and Wolverine are forced together to save a universe, but luckily, they will find themselves joined by an unexpected, but familiar quartet of heroes.

In preparation for Deadpool & Wolverine, I decided to watch the earlier films: Deadpool (2016), Logan (2017), and Deadpool 2 (2018), that lead up to the new film, to one extent or another. However, viewers may find such films as Blade (1998), X-Men (2000), Elektra (2005), and Fantastic Four (2005) to be of most use, although Deadpool & Wolverine also references other films and television series based on Marvel Comics characters.

Deadpool & Wolverine is very much an R-rated comedy like the earlier Deadpool films, but there is more harshly explicit language and profanity galore. There seems to be more gross sexual language in Deadpool & Wolverine than there has been in any other film ever distributed by the Walt Disney Company. At times, it is a bit too much, but only a bit.

As he does in the other Deadpool films, Ryan Reynolds makes the comedy in Deadpool & Wolverine work, via his schtick. Still, one must say that Reynolds' repertoire of clowning, buffoonery, and jestering have become a refined work of comic performance art. I can honestly say that I never feel as if I have had too much of Reynolds as Deadpool.

On the other hand, in Deadpool & Wolverine, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is the dramatic balance to Ryan as Deadpool. Without spoiling anything, Jackman has some deep, emotional moments that require tears in his eyes. Jackman also gets to be powerful, dark, edgy, and grieving as Wolverine without treading on the mournful Logan/Wolverine he gave us in the film, Logan.

There are some excellent supporting performances in Deadpool & Wolverine. Emma Corrin is maniacally, gleefully wicked and evil as Cassandra Nova, and Matthew Macfayden is perfectly sleazy as the sinfully ambitious TVA functionary, Mr. Paradox. The actors that comprise the quartet which assists Deadpool and Wolverine in their crucial assault on Nova's base are a delight, and one of them proves that his is the defining version of the superhero for whom he is most famous. Many of us want to see him again, Disney.

Deadpool & Wolverine is Marvel Studios' funniest “Multiverse Saga” entry. It is not without its faults, and it isn't the best Marvel multiverse film because that belongs to Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). However, Marvel does with Deadpool & Wolverine what it should have done with some of its post-pandemic films: have more substantial guest appearances from classic MCU characters and stars. Most of the heroic things that Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman do in Deadpool & Wolverine are done better with friends.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 26, 2024

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Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Review: "DEADPOOL 2" is Funnier and Friendlier Than the Original

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 of 2024 (No. 1977) by Leroy Douresseaux

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Running time: 119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual references and brief drug material

DIRECTOR: David Leitch

WRITERS: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds (based on Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Ryan Reynolds, Simon Kinberg, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jonathan Sela (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Craig Alpert, Elisabet Ronaldsdottir, and Dirk Westervelt

COMPOSER: Tyler Bates

SUPERHERO/COMEDY/ACTION

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Leslie Uggams, Eddie Marsan, Shioli Kutsuna, Jack Kesy, Michasha Armstrong, and Stefan Kapicic (voice) with Rob Delaney, Lewis Tan, Bill Skarsgard, Terry Crews, Brad Pitt, Alan Tudyk, Matt Damon, Nicholas Hoult, James McAvoy, Evan Peters, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Robert Wellman

Deadpool 2 is a 2018 American superhero film and action-comedy from director David Leitch. It is a spin-off film in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film series and is the eleventh film overall in the series. It is a direct sequel to Deadpool (2016) and is also the second entry in the Deadpool movie franchise. The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Deadpool, that was created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, and first appeared in New Mutants #98 (cover dated: December 1990). Deadpool 2 finds the wisecracking Deadpool trying to protect a fiery young mutant from a time-traveling cyborg.

Deadpool 2 finds Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the smart-mouthed mutant mercenary, doing what he likes to do – brutally slaughter bad guys. However, his violent activities catch up with him at home, and tragedy befalls his beloved Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin). Deep in grief and depression, Deadpool tries to kill himself, but is rescued by Colossus (voice of Stefan Kapicic), the giant mutant who has a body of organic steel. Colossus still wants Deadpool to changes his ways and also wants him to join the X-Men – as a trainee.

On his first mission as a trainee, Deadpool and the X-Men, which includes Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and her girlfriend, Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna), travel to the “Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation.” There, they find one angry teenager, Russell Collins (Julian Dennison), in crisis. He is a young mutant with pyrokinetic power, and he has given himself the unfortunate code name of “Fire Fist.” Deadpool's attempt to save the young man has disastrous results, and now, Deadpool has to save Russell from Cable (Josh Brolin), a time-traveling cyborg who has arrived in the present determined to kill the teen. So Deadpool forms his own X-team, called “X-Force,” with tragically hilarious and hilariously tragic results.

We are nearing the release of the latest Disney/Marvel Studios blockbuster movie, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). I decided to watch and review the previous X-Men films: Deadpool, Logan (2017), and Deadpool 2, that lead up to the new film.

Deadpool is humorous and silly, but it was primarily an action movie with drama and humor. It heavily leans into brutally strong violence, frequent profane language, and explicit sexual references. Deadpool 2 also has brutally strong violence, constant profane language, and some explicit sexual references. However, Deadpool is a comedy, and everything serves the comedy, including the drama, superhero action, and even much of the killing.

As he does for Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds makes Deadpool, a film that could not exist without his schtick. He is the spine of this film's comedy and is the reason so much of it works when it would be disastrous for other performers. The supporting cast is good, but not great. Josh Brolin has his moments as Cable, but the Cable is more of a prop than a persona. Zazie Beetz creates moments for Domino to shine which otherwise wouldn't be there. Julian Dennison is mostly convincing as the angry young mutant, Russell Collins, especially in the second half of the film.

I find Deadpool 2 a definite, delightful surprise. I never expected much of it because I really did not care for what I had previously seen. Now, a full and patient viewing makes me think that Deadpool 2 is an occasion when the sequel surpasses the original.

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

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Sunday, July 21, 2024

Review: "LOGAN" is Mournful, Violent, and Hopeful

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2024 (No. 1976) by Leroy Douresseaux

Logan (2017)

Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity

DIRECTOR: James Mangold

WRITERS: James Mangold & Scott Frank and Michael Green; from a story by James Mangold (based on the characters and stories appearing in Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS: Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAHER: John Mathieson (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Michael McCusker and Dirk Westervelt

COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

Academy Award nominee

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Quincy Fouse, Jason Genao, and Bryant Tardy

Logan is a 2017 American drama, action film and superhero movie from director James Mangold. Starring Hugh Jackman in the title role, it is the tenth film in 20th Century Fox's X-Men movie franchise and is also the third entry in the Wolverine film series. Logan is based on the Marvel Comics character, Logan/Wolverine, that was created by writer Len Wein and artists John Romita and Herb Trimpe and first fully appeared in the comic book, The Incredible Hulk #181 (cover dated: November 1974). Logan the movie focuses on a legendary mutant trying to save a mutant child from the evil people determined to capture her.

Logan opens in the year 2029. Mutants are nearly extinct, and no new mutants have been born in 24 years. The aging and ailing Logan (Hugh Jackman) works as a limousine driver in El Paso, Texas. Once upon a time, he was known as “Wolverine,” and he was a member of the legendary band of mutants, the “X-Men.” Now, he and the elderly founder of the X-Men, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), live in hiding. Xavier suffers from a degenerative brain condition, and he sometimes has telepathic seizures that render anyone in the vicinity virtually helpless. A mutant known as “Caliban” (Stephen Merchant) helps Logan care for Charles.

Logan has plans for escape, but a complication arrives in the form of a small girl named Laura (Dafne Keen), also known as test subject “X23.” She is a mutant and her abilities are remarkably similar to those of Wolverine's. However, she is being hunted by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and his band of killers, the “Reavers.” They are in service of the research institute, Alkali Transigen, and the scientists there want her back no matter what it costs in terms of lives. Will Logan become the hero Wolverine, again, and help Laura get to a place called “Eden?” Or will he run away from his fate, again?

Having seen the first two Wolverine films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013), I did not go to the theater to see Logan when it was originally released in 2017. [In my defense, I was knee deep in catastrophic family drama at the time.] With the impending release of the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Deadpool & Wolverine, I decided it was time.

My was I missing an excellent film. Logan is by far the best of the Wolverine films, and at the time of its release, it was the best X-Men since 2011's X-Men: First Class. Truthfully, Logan would end up being the last really good X-Men film produced by 20th Century Fox.

Logan, which was rated “R” by the MPAA, is one of the most violent superhero films that I've ever seen. Logan, Laura, and a surprise character called “X24” disembowel, dismember, behead, eviscerate, stab, and chop up what seems like a small town's worth of deserving men of various stripes. Although I can sometimes be a prude about what I see as gratuitous violence in cinema, I love the brutal violence of Logan. In fact, all the action scenes in Logan are brilliant, from the standoffs to the fights and car chases.

However, director James Mangold, a filmmaker with a hugely diverse filmography, makes Logan turn on dramatic storytelling and performances. It is obvious that Hugh Jackman as Logan and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier would give fine performances. Still, actor and comedian, Stephen Merchant, is simply wonderful in the important supporting role of Caliban, bringing pathos and depth to a role that could have ended up being an extraneous freak character.

Boyd Holbrook also brings range and a variety of moods to Donald Pierce, another character that could have been a generic mercenary type. Dafne Keen matches the rage and range of Jackman as Logan. Laura could have been lost in the hurricane that is Logan/Wolverine's story in this film, but Keen makes Laura a force of her own. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Eriq La Salle makes the most of his short time on screen as Will Munson.

Logan is a mournful film. It really is not a sequel to the earlier Wolverine films so much as it is the completion of Logan/Wolverine's tragic, but heroic story arc that buttressed the earlier films. Logan is both an ending and a beginning, and I wish that the care and effort put into this film had been put into some of the other X-Men films.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, July 21, 2024

NOTES:

2018 Academy Awards, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green)

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Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Review: "DEADPOOL" Goes in Through the Back Door on the Superhero Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2024 (No. 1975) by Leroy Douresseaux

Deadpool (2016)

Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity

DIRECTOR: Tim Miller

WRITERS: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (based on Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Ryan Reynolds, Simon Kinberg, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ken Seng (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Julian Clark

COMPOSER: Tom Holkenborg

SUPERHERO/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Ed Skrein, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Gina Carano, Leslie Uggams, Stan Lee, and Stefan Kapicic (voice)

Deadpool is a 2016 American superhero film and action-comedy from director Tim Miller. It is a spin-off film in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film series and is the eighth film overall in the series. It is also the first entry in what would become the Deadpool movie franchise. The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Deadpool, that was created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, and first appeared in New Mutants #98 (cover dated: December 1990). Deadpool the movie focuses on a wisecracking costumed antihero who seeks revenge against the man who left him hideously scarred after a series of experiments.

Deadpool introduces Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a smart-mouthed mercenary and former special forces operative (“the merc with a mouth”). Wade's life takes a dramatic turn when he meets and falls in love with Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin), a prostitute. However, after a whirlwind romance, Wade discovers that he has terminal cancer, but as he is preparing to accept death, he learns of a lab run by the mysterious Ajax (Ed Skrein). Ajax promises to not only cure Wade's cancer, but to also give him powers and make him a superhero. Unfortunately, Ajax is a lying monster.

Although the experiments leave his face and body hideously disfigured, Wade is rendered virtually immortal when his mutant power activates and gives him incredibly accelerated healing powers. Taking the name, “Deadpool,” Wade goes on a mission of revenge. On the other hand, Colossus, the mutant who has a giant organic steel body, wants Deadpool to join the X-Men and become a superhero. Will Deadpool become a good guy, or will he simply keep piling up dismembered and bullet-riddled bodies on the way to his reunion with Ajax?

We are nearing the release of the latest Disney/Marvel Studios blockbuster movie, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). I had seen Deadpool and Deadpool 2, previously, but I had never reviewed them. I decided that now is the time to foist my opinions upon you, dear readers. I'm also going to watch and review, Logan (2017), the one X-Men movie I have been unable to finish.

Gleefully profane in language and sexual content, Deadpool was a surprise to movie audiences upon its February 2016 original theatrical release. It was an R-rated superhero movie, and it was proud of it. At the time, movie audiences had seen plenty of movies featuring superheroes, ordinary heroes, and anti-heroes, in which the lead character brutally kills his adversaries. None of those films had done it like Deadpool, although 2013's The Wolverine, had tried.

The foul language is in such abundance in Deadpool that there are moments when it all seems like too much, but even in those moments, I started laughing after being repulsed for a few seconds. I think a movie has to be doing something right when it has even Emmy and Tony-winning actress, Leslie Uggams (as Blind Al), dropping F-bombs.

For all the credit I give director Tim Miller and film editor, Julian Clark, for this film's fast action and eye-popping dances of violence, actor Ryan Reynolds makes Deadpool work. Yeah, the sex scenes are a bit too long and too over-the-top, but it never seems as if Wade Wilson/Deadpool is talking too much. Reynolds makes Deadpool different and unique; he makes it work. Eight years after its original theatrical release, Deadpool and its superhero cinema blasphemy still seem fresh.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

NOTES:

2017 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Ryan Reynolds)

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Friday, February 16, 2024

Review: Hysteria Aside, "MADAME WEB" is Quite Enjoyable

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 of 2024 (No. 1954) by Leroy Douresseaux

Madame Web (2024)

Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for violence/action and language

DIRECTOR: S.J. Clarkson

WRITERS: Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Claire Parker & S.J. Clarkson; from a story by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Kerem Sanga (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCER: Lorenzo di Bonaventura

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Leigh Folsom Boyd

COMPOSER: Johan Soderqvist

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HORROR/ACTION

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, Adam Scott, Emma Roberts, Kerry Bishé, Zosia Mamet, José María Yazpik, and Mike Epps

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SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Madame Webb is not the worst film ever, and even with its corny and eye-rolling moments, it is a fast-moving action movie.

Madame Webb and the three young women she protects carry this film past its weirdness with their energy.

Madame Webb is for comic book movie fans looking for entertainment rather than culture war conflict.

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Madame Web is a 2024 superhero fantasy, horror, and action film directed by S.J. Clarkson. The movie is based on the Marvel Comics character, Madame Webb/Cassandra Webb, that was created by writer Denny O'Neil and artist John Romita Jr. and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #210 (cover dated: November 1980). This is also the fourth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” (SSU) series. Madame Web the movie focuses on a NYC paramedic who starts having visions of a shadowy figure hunting three young women.

Madame Web opens in 1973 in the jungles of Peru. There, scientist Constance Webb (Kerry Bishe) searches for a rare spider deep in the Amazon. At her side is her assistant, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who has plans of his own. They are also surrounded by legends and rumors of “Las Arañas,” a secret Peruvian tribe in which its members have spider powers. In the end, discovery leads to betrayal, death, and birth.

Thirty years later, New York City, 2003, Constance's daughter, Cassandra “Cassie” Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a paramedic. An accident causes Cassie to start having strange visions, which she comes to believe are clairvoyant. These visions of the future feature three young women: Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor) being hunted by a mysterious figure. This man wears a costume; he has enhanced strength and speed; and he can crawl on walls and ceilings like a spider. Forced to confront her past and her psychic abilities, Cassie must safeguard these three young women before this deadly adversary murders them.

Madame Web is fourth film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe following Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), and Morbius (2022). In my estimation, dear readers, Madame Webb is the second best of the quartet behind only the original Venom.

In fact, Madame Webb isn't the “worst film ever,” “absolutely horrible,” or any of the over-the-top things haters and trolls are saying on social media. It isn't a great film, but Madame Web is quite entertaining. However, I have ideas about why this new film is getting so much hate. One reason is that there is a corner of social media that is dedicated to dissing films that are largely led by women characters. We saw this in the vitriol and invective directed at the 2016 Ghostbusters film and Marvel Studios' recent target, The Marvels. There are also some structural and narrative reasons that might irritate some viewers, and in order to talk about them, I will have to give you, dear readers, a...

SPOILERS WARNING: Madame Web is a hybrid of superheroes, dark fantasy, horror, action, and mysticism. On the superhero end, only the adversary trying to kill the three young women wears a costume. Sometime in the future of Madame Web's timeline, Julia Cornwall, Anya Corazon, and Mattie Franklin will each be a version of the hero, Spider-Woman, but now they are not. We only see them in their respective costumes in Cassie's visions of the future. Still, in the main body of the story, each actress plays her respective character as if she takes her role seriously. The trio is fun and rebellious, and their energy makes this film hop when it starts to drag.

On the action end, Madame Web has car chases and crashes and eye-crossing fights. The film's mystical angle comes across as a bit hokey, especially when Cassie talks about her powers. However, when Cassie's visions kick-in, they are trippy, confusing, and disorienting; they come and go in so many alternate versions with horror movie intensity.

Madame Web certainly could have been a better film had the main male characters had more development. Screen time isn't the issue. Adam Scott's Ben Parker, to whom you should pay attention, is more errand boy than friend, and the bad guy often comes across as a stock villain.

That said Madame Web is an entertaining film, and Dakota Johnson is good as Cassie Webb, considering neither her character nor this film in general has the benefit of a strong screenplay. Madame Webb is a slightly above-average comic book movie, and it should entertain most fans of superhero movies... except those with culture war agendas.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, February 16, 2024

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Friday, August 18, 2023

Review: "BLUE BEETLE" is a Family Affair

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 of 2023 (No. 1927) by Leroy Douresseaux

Blue Beetle (2023)

Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, language, and some suggestive references

DIRECTOR: Angel Manuel Soto

WRITER: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (based on characters from DC Comics)

PRODUCERS: Zev Foreman and John Rickard

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Pawel Pogorzelski (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Craig Alpert

COMPOSER: The Haxan Cloak

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/FAMILY

Starring: Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Damien Alcazar, Adriana Barraza, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Modesto Lacen, and Harvey Guillén, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, and (voice) Becky G

Blue Beetle is a 2023 superhero and action-fantasy film directed by Ángel Manuel Soto. The film is based on the DC Comics character, Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes, that was created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner and first appeared in the comic book, Infinite Crisis #3 (cover dated: February 2006). Blue Beetle the movie focuses on a young man who finds himself chosen to be the symbiotic host of an alien artifact that gives him a suit of armor.

Blue Beetle introduces recent college graduate, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena), who is returning to his hometown of Palmera City. He receives a warm welcome from his family: his father, Alberto Reyes (Damian Alcazar); his mother, Rocio Reyes (Elpidia Carrillo); his Nana (Adrian Barraza), his younger sister, Milagro (Belissa Escobedo); and his uncle, Rudy Reyes (George Lopez). Jaime soon learns that his family will lose their home due to financial difficulties and to Alberto's poor health. Still, Jaime is optimistic that he will quickly get a job and make enough money for his family.

Some time later, Jaime meets Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), the daughter of Ted Kord, the currently-missing CEO OF Kord Industries. Jenny is at odds with her aunt, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), the current CEO. Jenny discovers that Victoria has dark plans for her recent discovery, an alien artifact called “the Scarab.” Jenny steals the Scarab, and not knowing its true nature, she passes it on to Jaime.

As soon as Jaime touches the Scarab, it activates and attaches to him, creating a suit of armor around him. The suit gives Jaime extraordinary powers, such as flight, super-strength, and invulnerability, but those powers are unpredictable. Now, Jaime's family calls him a “superhero.” However, Jaime isn't sure that he wants to be a superhero, and Victoria Kord will do whatever she has to do – including murder – to regain possession of the Scarab.

The Blue Beetle first appeared in Fox Comics' Mystery Men Comics #1 (cover dated: August 1939) and was the secret identity of a young police officer, Dan Garrett. The second Blue Beetle first appeared in Charlton Comics' Captain Atom #83 (November 1966) and was Ted Kord, an industrialist and owner of KORD Industries. I mention this because Dan Garrett is referenced in this film. Also, Ted Kord, with a new origin, is a major subplot in this film, although the story is that he has been missing for years under mysterious circumstances.

However, this is Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes' film. He comes across as a normal young man in his early twenties. Warner Bros. didn't even cast some muscular young android-like actor for the role. Xolo Mariduena's body is in good shape, but he looks more like a high school kid still in physical development. Everything about Xolo comes across as boy-next-door, which makes him more relatable to a larger segment of the audience. After all, Jaime seems so vulnerable that even an alien suit of armor doesn't seem capable of completely protecting him. If there is a superhero of the people – the champion next door – Xolo makes Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle fit the role perfectly.

Like Warner Bros.'s 2019 DC Comics film, Shazam, Blue Beetle emphasizes family, and the Reyes are delightful. George Lopez's Uncle Rudy is a scene stealer, and I'm glad the story reveals that there is so much more to him than meets the eye. Of course, one can judge how good a family is by placing it in contrast with a problematic family, and that is the Kords. Susan Sarandon plays the evil aunt, Victoria Kord, with relish, although she doesn't really go over the top. The film puts Jenny Kord, smoothly played by actress Bruna Marquezine, at the center of the good family (the Reyes)-bad family (Victoria Kord) dynamic. Which will Jenny ultimately choose? Like Shazam, Blue Beetle shows how cool an extended or surrogate family can be, especially to someone in need.

I like what director Angel Manuel Soto does with his collaborators, cast, and crew. Blue Beetle is an easy-going superhero film that is fun for a family audience, even with the sometimes intense action and dark plot elements. I'm surprised that the film has as its themes, “imperialism in the name of democracy” and “militarized capitalism,” neither of which are ever portrayed as a good thing. Uncle Rudy even calls Batman a “fascist,” which has caused a stir in some Internet circles. This film definitely has an anti-authoritarian streak.

That aside, Blue Beetle is hugely and surprisingly entertaining, and it sparkles with humor. By focusing on Jaime Reyes as much as it does on the Blue Beetle armor, the film gets to center on the most winning aspect of it story, family and friends. Blue Beetle won't get the attention of bigger superhero film productions, but it has more heart than most of those other films.

[Blue Beetle has two extra scenes during the end credits.]

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, August 18, 2023

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Thursday, August 10, 2023

Review: "NAUSICAA IN THE VALLEY OF THE WIND" Soars to the Animation Heavens

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 of 2023 (No. 1925) by Leroy Douresseaux

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Kaze no Tani no Naushika – original Japanese title

Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)

MPAA – PG for violence

DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki

WRITER: Hayao Miyazaki (based upon the manga by Hayao Miyazaki)

PRODUCER: Isao Takahata

CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Yasuhiro Shimizu, Koji Shiragami, Yukitomo Shudo, and Mamoru Sugiura

EDITORS: Naoki Kaneko, Tomoko Kida, and Shoji Saka

COMPOSER: Joe Hisaishi

ANIMATION/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: (voices) Sumi Shimamoto, Goro Naya, Ichiro Nagai, Hisako Kyoda, Yoji Matsuda, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Iemasa Kayumi, Kohei Miyauchi, Joji Yanami, Minoru Yada, Mina Tominaga, Mahito Tsujimura, and Rihoko Yoshida

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 Japanese animated, post-apocalyptic, fantasy film from director Hayao Miyazaki. The film is based on Miyazaki's manga (Japanese comic), also titled Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which first began publication in 1982. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind the movie focuses on a princess who is both warrior and pacifist and her desperate struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and her homeland.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind opens one thousand years after the event known as “the Seven Days of Fire.” It was an apocalyptic war that destroyed civilization and caused an ecological collapse, creating something called “the Sea of Decay.” This is a poisonous forest of fungal life and plants that swarm with giant mutant insects, the largest and most dangerous being the the trilobite-like and armored “Ohm.” The poison from the plants can kill humans, and every day, the Sea of Decay spreads, encroaching on what little open land remains.

Nausicaä (Sumi Shimamoto) is a teenage warrior and princess of the Valley of the Wind, a land that has remained, thus far, free of the Sea of Decay. Riding the wind and sky in a powered glider, Nausicaä explores the jungles of the Sea of Decay and communicates with its creatures. That is how she is reunited with the explorer and great swordsman, Lord Yupa Miralda (Goro Naya), who has returned to meet with Nausicaä's father, Jihl (Mahito Tsujimura), the King of the Valley of the Wind.

But tragedy strikes. The Valley of the Wind is soon at the epicenter of two warring nations, the Kingdom of Tolmekia and Pejite. Princess Kushana (Yoshiko Sakakibara) has led the Tolmekian Frontier Forces into the Valley. Thus, Nausicaä must forge a relationship with Prince Asbel of Pejite (Yoji Matsuda), but there is something worse than two warring nations. Destruction is headed towards the Valley of the Wind, and it will take all of Nausicaä's talents, skills, and tricks to save her home.

I have previously reviewed the following Miyazaki-directed films: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013). As Netflix is shutting down its DVD-by-mail division, I am hoping to get to the Miyazaki films that I have not previously watched.

Apparently, the work of the legendary French comic book creator, Jean “Moebius” Giraud (1938-2012), influenced Miyazaki in the creation of his manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The influence of Moebius remains with Miyazaki's film adaptation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. I also see the influence of the famed animation director, Ralph Bakshi, especially of his 1977 fantasy film, Wizards. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels (1954-55) are clearly influences, and Frank Herbert's famed science fiction novel, Dune (1965), is also an influence. In fact, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind the film would arrive in theaters almost nine months before the first film adaption of Herbert's novel, director David Lynch's 1984 film, Dune.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a beautifully and practically designed film in the sense that the environments have both a sense of naturalism and realism to them while the insects are fantastical creations that seem more practical than impractical because they are based on real insects. This makes the world of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind seem like a credible future world or at least genuine post-apocalyptic future. Yes, Nausicaä's glider is impractical, but the animation gives it such beauty in motion that I believe in it and I believe in the way Nausicaä flies it.

The film's plot and subplots are strongly environmental and ecological and the conflict is a series of familiar tribal tropes. However, what carries plot and narrative are the inventive and engaging characters. Every players, regardless of the size of his or her role, is inviting and intriguing. Yes, Nausicaä is a star born, a heroine out of fairy tale, folklore, and mythology who captures hearts and holds our imaginations captive. Still, the denizens of the Valley and the feuding and conniving citizens of Tolmekia and Pejite are a delightful bunch, not good and evil, so much as they are selfish, but likable, each in his or her own way. The legendary Yupa, like Nausicaä, stands as a typical heroic figure, although he stands behind Nausicaä.

A long time ago, I told a fellow Miyazaki fan that Spirited Away was my favorite of the director's films. He insisted that I see Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Now, I'm not so sure which is my favorite. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is like no other animated feature film, and I certainly consider it one of the greatest that I have ever seen.

10 of 10

Thursday, August 10, 2023

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