A Superman Only a Mother Could Love (Brightburn, 2019)

A couple that lives in a rural area struggles to conceive a child, but one night, they discover a crashed spaceship containing a baby that they choose to raise as their own. The child is revealed to have great powers. But in spite of their best efforts…young Clark…uh… Brandon is corrupted by his power to do awful things.

So, yeah, Brightburn is basically, what if Superman was inherently evil. This is not a terribly original idea, though not one I am really opposed to being explored. But if you are going to explore Dark Superman, I would rather you do it with a stand in, like the Gunn Brothers and director David Yarovesky have done here.

They use some interesting symbolism (early in the film there is talk of a wasp that inserts their offspring into other hives). Visually, they stay very simple, with a clear Superman analog, the visual effects work quite well.

The performances are pretty strong. Denman is able to sell a father who knows something is wrong, but is unsure how to handle it. Meanwhile, Banks really clicks as the devoted mother who sees her son as a blessing and cannot accept he might be something darker.

And the story is dark. Among the creepier aspects is the hints of his twisted crush on a fellow student…and it insinuates a creepy future plan from Brandon for her (but thankfully the film never indulges in this…it is more subtextual). Jackson Dunn starts out sympathetic, but switches gears early on to be super creepy.

I enjoyed the film as a grim take on Superheroes and it works pretty well on it’s own. It is the Superman film Zack Snyder wishes he had made. An uncomfortable, creepy horror version of Superman, and it really does work quite well.

May 25, 2019 1

Father-Son Bonding (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, 2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy was a bit of a risk for Marvel Studios. It was really their first film that had little name recognition. It also was their first film not closely tied to the Avengers. And yet, under the guidance of James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy succeeded with a healthy dose of humor and action. Towards the end of the film, Yondu mentions knowing who Starlord’s father is. In this sequel, we meet dear old dad.

While fighting an inter-dimensional beast, Rocket steals some batteries from the Sovereign. This results in a chase through space that culminates in Starlord meeting his father Ego. Ego is a “living” planet. He has a human avatar who sired Starlord. In the meantime, they are being hunted by Yondu and the Ravagers to collect a bounty for the Guardian set by the Sovereign.

Volume 2 carries forward with the same tone and attitude of the first film, making it a lot of fun to watch. The opening credits are a blast to watch. Easily one of the best opening sequences for a comic book film. The cast has really come together and it shows in their performances.

The new cast adds to the fun, with Kurt Russell being a high point for…well being Kurt Russell. He is one of those actors you hire because you want a “type” that is specific to a particular actor. Call it the Goldblum Effect if you will. You hire Jeff Goldblum for a movie because you want a “Jeff Goldblum Type”.

In addition, Sylvester Stallone, Ving Rhames and Michelle Yoeh have small but pivotal roles (obviously setting up Volume 3). The film is full of blink and you might miss it fan service, but with James Gunn, it is not distracting (for the most part) and for people unfamiliar with the comics will be unnoticed.

Of course, the soundtrack is integral to this film, each song clearly chosen carefully by Gunn. Marvel was wise to stick with Gunn for the Guardians brand because he has a very specific vision that allows these films to stand out from the Marvel Pack.

A lot of the humor this time around is coming from Drax (Dave Bautista) and Baby Groot. Some of the more surprising emotion comes from Michael Rooker’s Yondu.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 can be pretty intense and it is not really for young kids. But teens and adults alike will find a lot to enjoy here. Personally, I found Volume 2 to be a very fun film-going experience and find myself anticipating the next outing.

Oh, and by the way…there are five mid to post credit scenes. So do not get up and head for the door right away.

May 11, 2017 0

Hooked On a Feelin’ (Guardians of the Galaxy, 2014)

When Marvel announced Guardians of the Galaxy, it was met with a pretty collective “huh?” The announcement of director James Gunn was not much help. Gunn had directed 2 films prior. The Sci-Fi comedy Slither and the dark super-hero satire Super. His writing credits were a bit more substantial. While comic fans knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy were, the masses did not. And this did not bode well for early anticipation.

And yet…James Gunn managed to deliver one of Marvel’s best films to date. A traditional “Mismatched Crew Saves the Day” tale, the writing and performances make the most of the weirdness to carve a very fun film.

The film opens with young Peter Quill at the bedside of his dying mother. When he runs off, he is abducted by aliens. Because in Marvel’s world, that is just the kind of stuff that happens. After a heavy-hearted beginning, we are introduced to grown up Quill. In what seems like a serious sci-fi moment, Quill walks the landscape of a dead planet. He pauses and puts on earphones and the booming sound of Come and Get Your Love. This sets up a tone for the film that is highly effective.

We learn that Quill is not the brightest and gets by on luck. As he tries to pawn off the magical McGuffin he steals from an old temple, he finds himself dealing with the green skinned Gamora who is after the McGuffin. At the same time, Rocket (a talking raccoon) and Groot (a talking tree) are bounty hunters pursuing Quill. This leads to all of them being imprisoned. They are forced into a team, getting a late addition of Drax (Also green skinned and also tattooed). Drax wants to kill Gamora, because she is an associate of the mad Kree Warrior and religious zealot Ronan. Ronan killed Drax’s family and he is seeking his vengeance. Quill talks the other four into a prison escape, as Gamora knows someone who is interested in the McGuffin.

The prison escape is both action packed and highly entertaining. Gunn keeps everything moving, and even when the film slows down? It has momentum. Gunn makes sure not to ignore the development of the Guardians. They have opportunities to grow and Gunn (along with initial screen writer Nicole Pearlman) and overcome their situations. Vin Diesel has one line, yet manages to imbue different emotions every time he says it. When Drax discovers that Ronan does not appear to remember him or his family…he is lost and beaten. He was entirely of no consequence to Ronan. It causes him to alter his perspective. He also starts to get the value of his friends. Even if he does not understand how to talk to them.

The film focuses on the Guardians as David’s to Ronan’s Goliath, and it really works. The cast is effective, Probably the biggest flaw of the film is Ronan. This has not been uncommon, a lot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films seem to be thin on their villains (usually expecting to be overcome by good casting). Otherwise the film is full of humor and excitement. Gunn took an unknown group of characters and made a strong tale of friendship and misfits overcoming adversity.

September 18, 2016 1

Mary Jane Watson May Have a Tan

So, Nerd Rage is beginning for the upcoming Spider-Man movie. Why?

Well, it appears that a character known for her model level good looks:

Will be played by a person with model good looks:

So, Mary Jane Watson will be played by Zendaya. Truth be told, I know little about her. I actually did not know who she was at all until earlier this year, style folks at the Oscars condemned her choice of hairstyle. She was cast back in March, but even though Entertainment Weekly claimed it was for the Mary Jane role, it appeared to go under the radar.

While some fan reaction has been very “DON’T TOUCH MY TOYS!” Creators have reacted a bit differently. Long Time Spider-scribe offered this after one angry tweet that came his way:

First, no, it does not spit in the face of the source material. That is a ridiculous assertion on it’s face. Some have tried to paint Slott as a hypocrite, because he dismissed the the idea of making Luke Cage white as racist. But there is a large canyon between making a white character black, Asian, Indian, etc and making a minority ethnicity white. There is no shortage of solid roles for white actors. There is no shortage of white characters in movies or comics. Race-bending a character like Luke Cage when there are still so few black characters damages what we see. And of course white people do not understand the power of seeing “yourself” on TV. We are the overwhelming majority of what people saw when growing up. We have always seen “ourselves” in film and television and books. Heck, the Hunger Games had a character who was explicitly black, and people still were upset when a black actress was cast.

But Guardians of the Galaxy director put it best:

August 20, 2016 0

Dwight Dons Spandex (Super, 2011)

You remember that movie Kick Ass? You know, the one where the loser kid wonders why nobody ever fights crime in a costume-so he decides to do it? And teams up with a precocious ten year old girl who kills people and swears a lot? And how it was all seen as good something sane people would do?

James Gunn (writer director of Slither and Guardians of the Galaxy) thought that film was full of $#!^ (to use comic book talk). In the world of Super, in which Dwight from the Office has a mental breakdown and decides to fight the evil Kevin Bacon to save his elvish wife with the help of Juno, you have to be a little off to want to put on a costume and fight crime.

The story centers on Frank (Rainn Wilson, Dwight on the Office). Frank has lived a life of humiliation after humiliation. His only two good moments were marrying his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) and the time he helped catch a criminal. His wife falls in with a bad crowd, hooked on drugs and eventually, she leaves him.

Frank sees a cheesy Christian Super-Hero called The Holy Avenger (played by Nathan Fillion) on TV (think Bibleman). Later, after pouring his heart out in a prayer, Frank has a vision. This vision convinces him he has a special calling. And so he vows to fight crime in a costume with a night stick.

Beating up criminals makes him a public phenomenon at first, until Frank overreacts to a guy who makes a slight social faux pas. He meets Libby (Ellen Page), who discovers his identity and becomes obsessed with being his “kid” sidekick. What soon becomes apparent is that she is not interested in doing what is right so much as the action and rush involved.

That the film can be very dark was not truly a surprise to me. It really does present the idea of super-hero work as requiring that you be a bit disturbed. While not a new idea in comics (Garth Ennis makes quite a living off of the notion) after several years of stable heroes in film…this rather cynical take works pretty well. Of course, it came out the same year as the film Defendor-and even covers similar ground. But still, Wilson makes a pretty compelling mental case, who can be endearing and yet a bit scary. Kevin Bacon is good as a low level drug kingpin wanna be, while Page goes from a fun exuberance to a really uncomfortable and tragic place. Gunn really makes the story work, and finding a way to inject satire in with sincerity that is usually very hard to get right.

There is a brutal honesty when Frank is on his knees, in tears begging God for an answer as to why his life seems so stacked against him. He pours out every bit of self resentment and begs God for an answer…why do I have to look like this? Why couldn’t I have been smarter? Cooler? More lovable.

Frank is messed up, but you can understand and sympathize as to why. He really wants life to be more simple than it is. Underpinning the film is a rather grim and unpleasant portrayal of violence that challenges the cool action hero of something like Kick Ass. It is disturbing and lacks the “cool one liners and puns” prevalent to other violent action heroes.

And yet, in spite of the grimness, the film finds a way to end on an upbeat and even inspirational note, without feeling false or tacked on. It never justifies what went on before, instead suggesting some healing for Frank.

Super really caught me off guard, in spite of having heard positive raves about it, I think I anticipated a more gritty take on Kick Ass, but I got something much better out of it. Yes, it was violent, but it was also thoughtful, touching and inspirational.

September 16, 2015 0