Movie Review - Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Jared Leto, Karen Fukuhara, Ben Affleck, and many more.

Directed by: David Ayer Written by: David Ayer Based on the comics by: John Ostrander Cinematography by: Roman Vasyanov Music by: Steven Price

Premise: After Superman's disappearance, there's been a growing concern. What if someone like him reappears. A super human who didn't care to play by the rules and decides to become a terrorist. Amanda Waller has a solution. Use a handful of dangerous, imprisoned felons to run covert operations. Expendable people who could be used to take out metahuman threats. And she's found a way to make them cooperate, whether they like it or not. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Viola Davis proves once again why she is such a consummate actress. Her portrayal of Amanda Wallen is chilling. Will Smith showed multiple facets for the talented Deadshot. But it is Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn who steals the show. Her scenes with Jared Leto, who plays the Joker, have all manner of lovely subtext. :) Theirs is a complicated relationship to the extreme. :) 

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects were outstanding. And it was the little things that really ramped them up. The smoke and burning embers around the Enchantress. The beautiful dancing fire figures created by El Diablo. The gooey remains left during the brother's attacks. The one scene where the changed man's head undulates. Lots of wonderful little details.

And Deadshot's assassination and later his gun play show - awesome!

On a larger scale: we get lots of explosions, crashing helicopters, and a super cool looking magical death machine. The obligatory column of light and ring of matter looked fabulous! And wait till you see what El Diablo can truly do when he lets loose. :)

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Many of the characters who belong to the Suicide Squad I was already familiar with and others not so much. While the film does try to get the audience acquainted with most of the members; they do so in a briefing type style. Yet because of the number of members, it slowed the pace of the film quite a bit.

The "object lesson" character didn't get introduced much at all. Might have had more impact if they had - but they did already have their hands full. This is one of the biggest problem with films where you have a lot of headliners. Someone will lose out - be it the characters or the plot. And sometimes it's both.

Several themes and objects of "food for thought" are brought to the table. Mankind's duality, family, how adversity brings all sorts of people together. The different facets of love, and how it can free you or enslave you. Even how evil can come from all sorts of sources and in all sorts of ways.

And sadly, the previews give away almost all of Harley Quinn's lines. :(  (Though they got her so right! Mr. J, Pudding, even the hammer. Lol.) 

I do have to say that since June Moone is now an archeologist - she sure didn't act like one. She would have been kicked out of academia for willfully destroying the priceless artifact that got her into so much other trouble. *sigh*

No real surprises in the plot. Once it gets going it speeds along pretty well. And make sure to stay through the first part of the credits for a couple of more important minutes!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are a ton of stunts pretty much throughout the entire film. From fighting the inmates to fighting the bad things. Lots of close combat with guns, bats, fists, katana, and boomerangs. Almost too much stuff to follow all at once. :)

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Some great makeup work in the film. El Diablo's tattoos were everywhere and looked fab. Harley's white skin and her funky eye and hair makeup were great. The Joker was also a fun bit of work. The tattoo on his hand of the laughing mouth was too fun! And let's not forget Killer Croc! The face getup and teeth were amazing. The Enchantress (despite her being a different take than in the comics) looked awesome as well. Super creepy. :)

Conclusion: "Suicide Squad" is a bit top heavy at the start, but still quite fun. No real surprises. Most of the snappy one liners have already been revealed. Yet it was still entertaining overall. Stay through the first half of the credits! 

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Man of Steel

Man of Steel

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Kevin Costner, Harry Lennix, Richard Schiff, Christopher Meloni, Ayelet Zurer, Laurence Fishburne, Dylan Sprayberry, Cooper Timberline, and more.

Directed by: Zack Snyder Screenplay by: David S Goyer Story by: David S Goyer and Christopher Nolan Based on the Characters Created by: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster Cinematography by: Amir Mokri Original Music by: Hans Zimmer

Premise: On the throes of a dying Krypton, General Zod attempts a takeover, but Jor-El beats him to the coveted Codex containing all the DNA information for the Kryptonian race. Already having broken several laws by conceiving of a child physically rather than through the Genesis chamber, Jor-El uses the Codex and sends his baby son, Kal, to Earth. Unable to stop Jor-El, Zod is then caught and sent to the Phantom Zone, but he vows revenge. (Rated  PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Henry Cavill was a great Kal-El/Clark Kent. Charming, yet reserved, and even a little rough around the edges. Dylan Sprayberry and Cooper Timberline were outstanding as the younger Clark Kents - they conveyed Clark's clashing emotions when dealing with his blossoming powers, not fitting in, and trying live as an outsider. Amy Adams conveyed a very competent and energetic Lois Lane. I also totally enjoyed Kevin Costner's take on Johnathan Kent - overprotective of his son and his need to not stand out and yet wanting him to aim for greatness at the same time - great emotional conflict.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects were fantastic! A lot of trouble was taken to make Krypton a unique place, with its own science, culture, look and feel. The moldable bits of metal were used to awesome effect several times, especially when the computer tells Kal-El the story of his people.

Lots of explosions and great battle scenes both on Krypton and Earth. And the scenes of the machine pulsing and the way it affected cars and buildings were phenomenal. There was almost too much going on at times to keep track.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The story of Superman is one that's been done many times in both comic books and films. So trying to create a new take on the old story can sometimes be something of a hit and miss. Overall though, I thought the take on "Man of Steel" worked well. They tried to make it unique while still keeping the core story mostly intact. It also introduced issues and concerns not necessarily covered before, making the story more 'real' than previous versions in several respects.

There is a substantial amount of flashbacks in the movie. I felt the use of the technique added more depth and imparted more information than they could have othwerwise, but others might find it a little confusing, or not as enjoyable as a straight timeline story.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Aided by a lot of CGI, there was still a large amount of physical combat stunts, which were done quite well. Add in all the city mayhem scenes and it's obvious the stunt department was kept very busy. Great job!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the film was done in Illinois, but there was enough variation and consistency in the chosen locations to suit the different places being depicted. There were plenty of sweeping camera shots in the real and CGI worlds to ground viewers and also help them appreciate the different locals. This also worked particularly well for Metropolis. (And don't miss the little caveat on the side of some tanker trucks in the city during the final battle.)

Conclusion: "Man of Steel" was visually awesome and the story pretty entertaining. DC is definitely proving it can dish it out as well as Marvel with regards to movies about our favorite heroes. A fun ride! Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission.)

There was also an awesome caption moment around midway through the film - "He wishes he were a perky, red haired reporter right now." See if you can find it. :)

Movie Review - Dark Knight Rises

Dark Knight Rises

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Matthew Modine, Ben Mendelsohn, Burn Goreman, and more.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan Screenplay by: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan Story by: Christopher Nolan and David S Goyer Based on the characters created by: Bob Kane Cinematography by: Wally Pfister Original Music by: Hans Zimmer


Premise: After an eight year retirement due to injuries received both physically and spiritually at the end of "The Dark Knight", Bruce Wayne finds himself paying attention to the outside world after Selina Kyle sneaks into the mansion during a benefit, and steals more than just his mother's pearl necklace. This incident is but one in a chain of events, prompted by the new villain Bane, that will bring Gotham down a road that might end in its utter destruction. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Great work from all the actors involved. Christian Bale showed many sides of Bruce Wayne and Batman that we don't normally see as he is tested unlike ever before. Michael Caine rose to his usual standards and even got more play than usual as Alfred tries to deal with Bruce getting back into the game and other problems. Anne Hathaway was a super fun Selina Kyle. She had several great one liners, which were delivered perfectly.

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: Some old and new vehicles make an appearance - The Bat was funky looking, but served very well. Several new gadgets also showed up used to good effect. The roaming EMP field made for a very cool scene in the car tunnel.

The Bane here is not the Bane from the DC Comic's story line when he was introduced into the DC universe about ten years ago, so no real special effects were used on him. However, the beginning action sequence and the major one when Bane announces his presence officially in Gotham were visually awesome.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I was very heavy into comic books many years ago and was there when the Bane was first introduced into Batman's world. If you were as well, just forget everything you know before you go see this film. While some major bits were kept, much was either placed in a different position or changed heavily. Venom, for example, which was the main reason for Bane's odd getup and strength/speed, is not used at all - rather Bane is as bad as he is because he had similar training to Batman's.

One nice bit was how this film tied back to matters which occurred in the first and second films creating continuity. That being said, again if you've read the comics from way back, you'll need to forget what you know about people I won't mention so as not to give things away.

I did enjoy the handling of Selina Kyle and it stayed true in most respects. Though I found it funny that not once was she ever called Cat Woman. And while the lower part of her suit was very reminiscent of several incarnations of the character, they did a real cute thing for her head. She had a mask, but also had working glasses with special lenses. When she was working they'd be down. If not, they'd be up, and sitting on her head they looked like cat ears. So Cat Woman is implied if not actually said.

There were also several story lines running at once. The overall story of Bane and Gotham City, then smaller ones for Bruce, Selina, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, Blake, and even Foley. It somewhat opened the scope of what was going on to include more than just the caped crusader and his trials. This also helped explain the reason the film is 164 minutes long. There is much to tell. Unfortunately, this may have made it drag a little in places, but not overtly so, so worth it. Lots of figurative 'guns' and 'hints' to keep track of too, if you want to figure somethings out before they're revealed. What may appear as inconsistencies in several places actually aren't, they played the 'red herring' card very well.

At the end, some short cuts were taken with regards to nuclear fallout. But then waves of nuclear radiation would have kind of soured things.

But the three concurrent bits at the end really made things pop, making up for it, and gave great closure to the film. (And no, no extra scenes once the credits roll.)

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: Very nice work with the physical stunts. There are plenty of them and some involved a ton of people. Plenty of car/motorcycle/airplane chases, explosions, collapsing walls, guns, canons, and hand to hand combat to watch. Nothing matched the awesome precision and caliber of the first scene though. Made most of the rest look pale in comparison.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The cinematography folks took some great shots which when put together with some of the special effects made for a real treat. The stadium scene and pull back to the full city scene were very well done. It was very eerie seeing those bridges blow.

The angles for the pit worked very well and I loved the city in the background outside it. The fact they threw in bats for two different scenes to act as subtext were nicely done as well.

Conclusion: As long as you forget everything you know from the comics, it's a good third installment in this latest of the DC Batman franchises. Some good Gotham caped crusader fun! (Seeing it in IMAX or XD won't add much to the experience - so if you need to save your pennies, do.)

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission.)