Captain Marvel (2019)

Poster by Matt Taylor for Mondo Tees

Title: Captain Marvel

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening

Directors: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Review: ⭐️⭐️1/2; Above Average

The controversy surrounding Marvel’s latest superhero blockbuster, ‘Captain Marvel,’ is somewhat confusing. Here is a film that goes out of its way to stay as a-political as possible. Indeed, if directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck truly intended for ‘Marvel’ to be feminist propaganda, then the two failed miserably in their efforts. True, chauvinists appear throughout the movie during occasional flashbacks (particularly eye-roll-worthy is the line, "You know why they call it a ‘cockpit,’ don’t you?"), but they were largely used for comedic effect, and never once taken seriously. It’s a shame, then, that Brie Larson, while promoting the film, commented on various journalists’ gender. If she had not, politics may have evaded the film altogether. 

‘Captain Marvel,’ which opened March 8 in the United States, is a solid B-movie. Sure, the picture takes a good 20-minutes or so to get rolling, but for the most part it contains lots of action, lots of humor, and for those who know little of the title character, perhaps even one or two surprises. Brie Larson is fine as title character Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, though it is the supporting cast, led by Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury (amazingly de-aged by computer), Annette Bening’s Mar-Vel, and Ben Mendelsohn’s Skrull leader Talos, that largely steal the show. 

Most memorable about the ‘Captain Marvel?’ 1) The Blockbuster video store that Captain Marvel (Larson) crashes into when landing on earth. 2) A young, eyepatch-less Nick Fury (Jackson) racing through the streets of 1990’s Los Angeles, along with the cat that he carries around throughout most of the film. 3) The alien race known as the Skrulls, designed to look as though they came straight from the set of a Star Trek tv-series. 

The rest of the movie? More or less forgettable. When on-screen by herself, Brie Larson brings all the charisma of a cardboard cutout to the role of Captain Marvel. She’s better when conversing with Mentor Mar-Vel (Bening) or bickering with Fury (Jackson). Even so, Captain Marvel is about as bland a character as she can be. There are next-to no moments of growth, and the reasons to root and cheer for her are few and far between, an especially disappointing fact given that directors Boden & Fleck’s previous films were praised for their intimate, character-building moments.

All in all, ‘Captain Marvel’ feels like a movie put together by committee. It hits most of the expected notes and does a fine job introducing new elements and characters (the Skrull aliens) for future entries in the franchise. Is it as good as previous efforts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? No. It’s also far from the worst.

On Introductions & Bambi

Dear Reader,

Mr. C.S. Schlottman is a madman. Allowing yours truly free reign of your very own film and culture blog is tantamount to playing russian roulette with a national election. Nonetheless its happened and I suppose its at least time I posted something. Los Angeles produces around 4,000 films a year in U.S. alone. While this is astonishing, far more films are cranked out every year in growing markets like India and China.

With the ever-expanding number of titles, one would think that film quality would improve too. This is not the case. Moana was not Up. SO - for my elementary post I should like to tackle something from the past. A film, which perhaps is out of the popular focus, or beyond the purview of the twittersphere. It involves a little deer, You have three guesses, and the first two don't count. So, without further fanfare here we go:

Why I Hate Bambi.

To the average self-proclaimed sophist, Bambi is awful. At face value, Walt Disney’s carton character is disproportion leggy, overly delicate, and possesses as uncomplicated temperament which has not been seen in American children since Hiroshima went up in a cloud of atomic smoke. He is annoyingly perfect. Over the course of the film, we see Bambi run about with his mother, make childhood friends, and blithely frolic with garish butterflies.

The film's anthropomorphic woodland creatures, get along splendidly without any sort of Darwinian repercussion. To the thinking mind, this is banal and so far from the realm of reality that NBC’s Friends seems almost believable. 

Disney's tone shifts with death of Bambi's Mother. She is in fact shot by some shaded huntsmen. Added, Bambi's father fades into the taggia with the same taciturnity as with which he entered. The nascent deer is alone in the world. With nothing.

Now Bambi’s mother does get shot, and his father does appears to abandon him, but the overall concept is absurd. The film’s evil hunters seem to eco the forces of evil that constantly surround us, but any realism or artistic significance is lost in Bambi’s father’s reduced and uncomplicated analysis of human kind’s threat.

An apparent condition of millennial mind is that we refuse to release certain aspects of childhood. Adults can (and do) buy footie pajamas. Social media celebrates the fake, and trivializes the sacred. Not to long ago, a young person graduated high school, found a job, and moved on. It seems that the distinction between childhood and independence have blurred together into a sort of malaise of 21st century adulthood.   

Perhaps we should watch Bambi. Perhaps we should really watch it. In Disney’s film, the young fawn’s character is unspoiled and innocent. Yet Bambi undergoes a significant, and remarkable transformation. He grows up. He fights for the right to claim his childhood love, he leads his fellow forest animals to safety following forest fire. 

As Bambi grows he does not become jaded by the hardships he experiences, but rather assumes his role as Prince of the Forest, and embraces the life he has grown into, not the life he had. Acorns are not intended to remain shrubs, nor are fawns destined to remain fragile. 

It is the same with humans. We can become more than we are now.

Ultimately Bambi has a happy ending. Although his mother is dead, and his forest home destroyed, Bambi comes into his own. Bambi grows up. So perhaps this is why I dislike Bambi. He so gracefully moves past the safety of childhood, while I face my another birthday with the grim realization that I have not yet achieved what I thought I could have. 

Perhaps this is why I hate Bambi.

The Black Panther (2018)

The Black Panther

Movie: The Black Panther

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis
Rating: PG-13 (for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture)
Release Date: February 16, 2018
Review:

2 1/2 Stars; Above Average

The Black Panther deserves the attention it has received, not because it is a great movie, but because it is such a historic moment for the superhero genre. As the first comic book picture with a cast composed of people primarily of African descent, the movie instantly stands out as unique and special among superhero films. In that way, The Black Panther does not disappoint.
Speaking of the cast, they are without a doubt the best part of the movie. Chadwick Boseman as the charming and unsure-of-himself Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan as the arrogant and cunning Killmonger, Lupita Nyong’o as the soft yet strong Nakia, Dania Guaita as the proud and serious Okoye...and that’s only a handful of the wonderful character actors that bring his picture to life (not even mentioned here are Forrest Whitaker’s Zuri and Angela Bassett’s Ramonda, let alone Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis’ characters!). That director Ryan Coogler was able to pack this film with so many great performers and keep it from feeling over-crowded and stuffy is an accomplishment in-and-of-itself!
With that said, it is not a movie without flaws, chief among them being poor writing. The dialogue is oftentimes clunky and goofy. Themes are introduced and never fully fleshed out. Indeed, one gets the sense that Coogler was prevented by studio executives from saying too much regarding the immigration/refugee crisis, international relations, leadership abroad, etc. It is a shame if that is the case, as any statement made in this picture would no doubt have been impactful. In addition, the pacing of “Panther” is all over the place. There are multiple start-and-stop moments scattered throughout the movie, making it, at times, feel as though it drags.
Regardless, Coogler gives the film a sort of Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcom X kind of story that feels very fresh and timely, and works incredibly well. The dynamics between Boseman’s Black Panther, and Jordan’s Killmonger are fascinating to watch, in part due to the intensity that each actor brings to their respective roles. Both men are determined to stand by what they know is right. Neither doubts their mission, and while that may cause some to balk at how black and white— “good vs. evil” — it all may seem, in understanding the characters as types or shadows, Boseman and Jordan more powerfully make the statements that their characters desire.
While on the topic, it is worth noting that despite a seemingly simplistic characterization, what is truly effective in Michael B. Jordan’s performance is the sympathy which audiences are likely to feel for him. His plan may be to “oppress the oppressors,” but it is easy to understand why. With the death of his father, the Wakandan establishment abandons him. His resentment for authority is totally deserved, and though his plan may be evil, one has to wonder if, placed in a similar situation, they would not act similarly.
A final thought: The Black Panther’s orchestral score, composed by Ludwig Goransson, may be the strongest score for a superhero movie in decades. The marriage of film and music in this picture is simply pure movie magic. Musical cues are used so effectively; particularly a drum solo, played before ritual combat ceremonies determining who will reign over Wakanda as king. With African chants and a tribal sound seamlessly blended with orchestral melodies, it is somewhat evocative of Hans Zimmer’s score for Disney’s The Lion King.
All-in-all, The Black Panther is precisely the kind of entertainment that Marvel Studios has come to be known for. Is it fantastic? No. The best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Probably not. Will audiences be disappointed? Most certainly not. And while I would argue that, in the years to come, the film would likely be forgotten were it not for the exciting moment it marks in superhero movie history, it is a fine addition to the Marvel Collection.

The Mummy (2017)

Movie: The Mummy

Starring: Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, and Russell Crowe

Rating: PG-13 (for violence, action and scary images, and partial nudity)

Release Date: June 9, 2017

Review:

Two Stars; Average

The poster above proclaims, “Welcome to a new world of Gods and Monsters.” Therein lies the problem with Alex Kurtzman's The Mummy. The picture doesn’t deliver on what its title promises; it’s barely about “the mummy.” It sacrifices narrative and character for world-building and the development of a franchise. Unfortunately, Universal isn't the first studio to encounter this issue; Warner Brother's Batman vs Superman was highly criticized for doing the same. With The Mummy, however, Universal brings the most disappointment. The Karloff and Lugosi monster movies are some of the most iconic pictures ever to grace the silver screen. To botch the revival of such classics is nearly unforgivable.

That's not to say that Mummy is a bad film, necessarily. It's not. Beginning with Russell Crowe's Henry Jekyll narrating the legend of the evil Egyptian princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), the movie quickly turns its focus to Nick (Tom Cruise) and Vail (Jake Johnson), two American soldiers in Iraq with a tendency to steal historic treasures. Upon the discovery of Ahmanet's tomb, Jenny (Annabelle Wallis), a British archaeologist and adventurer, convinces Nick and Vail’s military commander to tote Ahmanet’s sarcophagus back to London, where it can be studied and analyzed. Of course, by removing Ahmanet’s body from her tomb, Nick is cursed to become a physical vessel for the Egyptian god of evil.

Where the film falls apart is when audiences are introduced to Dr. Jekyll's secret society for containing & destroying evil. The dialogue becomes so basic; things begin to be spelled out for the audience in almost comic book-like fashion, as characters do little more than speak their thoughts out loud. Ahmanet, the mummy for whom the movie is named, becomes little more than a secondary character, while Jekyll and Hyde move to the forefront. And then there's the actors themselves, who appear so bored with the characters and script that it's near impossible for the audience to feel engaged. Cruise in particular, who's Nick is possessed by Ahmanet for what must be close to 50% of the movie, is incredibly one dimensional and stiff, turning in a performance worthy of the Twilight Saga.

With that said, where The Mummy shines, it shines bright. Several scenes involve top-notch action by Cruise, particularly early in the movie, when a flock of ravens bring down the plane carrying Ahmanet’s mummified remains. Additionally, Sofia Boutella is haunting as Ahmanet, making her absence from the second half that much more apparent.

Overall, The Mummy is just fine. While it could've (should’ve) been better, it doesn't deserve to be slaughtered by critics as it has been. Still, it's hard not to hope that the next tale in Universal's "Dark Universe" corrects the issues of this one. Building a franchise doesn't require every single detail across multiple movies to connect. It does however, require that the director is given the autonomy necessary to create a film that can hold the audience's interest.

Power Rangers (2017)

Movie: Power Rangers

Rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi violence, action, language, and some crude humor)

Release Date: March 24, 2017

Review:

2 Stars; Average

Is nostalgia blinding? Probably. Director Dean Israelite seems to think so. In fact, in his new blockbuster Power Rangers, he banks on it. Full of outrageous action and camp, Power Rangers is a film clearly geared for pre-teen boys, but anyone old enough to remember watching Fox Kids while eating cereal before school is likely to find it at least mildly amusing. Is it a let down? Meh. Anyone who expected cinema gold from a movie featuring a giant floating face named Zordon likely deserves disappointment. Those who seek simply to have a good time, however, are likely to find one.

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Movie: Manchester by the Sea

Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler

Rating: R (for language throughout and some sexual content.)

Release Date: December 16, 2016

Review:

4 Stars; Excellent

“It’s about real life,” a friend of mine stated as we left the theatre after watching Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea. I suppose that’s as good a way as any to describe the film. Audiences are sure to experience just about every emotion felt in life as this picture progresses. To watch Manchester by the Sea is to all at once be plummeted to the depths of despair while simultaneously lifted to the heights of joy. This is a movie that puts forward the notion that humor can be found in all aspects of life, even those which are most tragic. In the midst of one of the film’s darkest moments, for example, I found myself in hysterics as two paramedics attempted again and again to wheel a gurney into the back of an ambulance. I may have been the only one laughing in the theatre (given the scene’s tragic nature, perhaps no one else noticed this little bit of comic relief?), but regardless…

Manchester by the Sea begins with an introduction to Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), a janitor at an apartment complex in Boston who lives alone, keeps his jacket hood up at almost all times, keeps his head down, and keeps his hands in his pockets. Lee is depressed; that much is obvious. Through a series of flashback sequences, it’s revealed that Lee didn’t always exile himself to a tiny 2-room apartment, though; once upon a time he had a beautiful family and wonderful relationships with his older brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), and nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges), in the quaint, scenic fishing village of Manchester, Massachusetts. Obviously something went wrong, however, and Lee seems to be doing all he can to avoid the place that was once his happy home.

Those flashback sequences, by the way, are part of what make Manchester so captivating. Throughout the movie, scenes occurring in the present day are occasionally interrupted with scenes from the past, creating a sort of mosaic of the life of Lee and his family. Manchester is a mausoleum of a happier, past life that Lee used to know, and though at first a tad jarring and confusing, the flashback technique eventually makes that clear. Lee remembers the past, and as he does, the audience pieces together his story. They get to know Lee as they would get to know anyone they were to meet in real life; little by little and over time, through bits and pieces of his story.

Early in the movie, Lee receives a phone call about his brother, Joe, from the hospital. Joe’s had a heart attack, and by the time Lee reaches Manchester, he’s passed away. Shortly thereafter, he’s informed that in his will, Joe named Lee Patrick’s guardian, a task Lee very much doubts he’s suited for. From there, the magic of Manchester truly begins, as Lee and Patrick’s relationship unfurls before us through witty dialogue and magnificent acting.

Manchester offers a very character driven plot, making the performances crucial to the film’s success. So often in dramas, feelings come across as forced and phony, but not in Manchester. There’s something natural about the way Affleck and Hedges interact with the world that director Lonergan has constructed. Particularly impressive is young actor Lucas Hedges, who portrays Patrick as a snarky and sarcastic teenager, sassing his way through the entire film. Yet his attitude never comes across as annoying or overly disrespectful. Instead Patrick’s witty and cynical responses add a certain amount of familiarity and comfort to a character who has experienced so much trauma in his life, it otherwise might be difficult for many to relate to him. Patrick uses sarcasm as a way to cope with his pain, and in doing so, he enables the audience to cope with his pain as well.

The most memorable moment of the picture? A scene towards the end of the film, in which Lee’s ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams) forgives Lee for the disaster that struck them years earlier, even as Lee has yet to forgive himself. This is raw; it’s real. How? I don’t know, but Williams manages to feel exactly how Randi feels. In a moment that can’t have lasted longer than 2 minutes, she manages to steal the movie. Randi needs Lee to be okay. She needs him to know that despite everything that happened, she still loves him very much and does not blame him for what was a terrible accident. Despite this, however, Lee is determined to carry his cross with him for life, and has no intention of getting past his past. For this scene alone, Affleck and Williams both deserve Oscar nominations.

As I began writing this review, I found myself wondering if Manchester by the Sea is a film that I would want to watch again. Initially, my answer was no. After about 5 minutes, however, I changed my mind. Manchester is probably one of the most relatable movies I’ve ever seen. Here is a film that, despite being jam-packed with emotion, features characters that seem to be doing their best to suppress every feeling they can. It’s a sad tale, but so often life is a sad tale as well. Besides, this is a film which understands that, even when there is grief, hopelessness, anger, and fear, love and forgiveness still exist, and all who seek after those things come out okay in the end. In Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan has crafted a world in which characters aren’t perfect and things don’t always wrap up in “happily ever after.” And that’s okay, because even so, life goes on, and it’s still worth living.

Fences (2016)

Movie: Fences

Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley

Release Date: December 25, 2016

Rating:

3 1/2 Stars; Very Good

The words of August Wilson are the true star of Denzel Washington’s Fences. Sure, both Washington and Viola Davis give Oscar-worthy performances as Troy and Rose Maxson (Davis, in particular is outstanding), but it’s the everyman style of Wilson’s writing that makes this play-turned-movie magical. There’s something almost Shakespearean to the pattern of speech Wilson provides the characters; a rhythm and flow seldom achieved by writers. Given their obvious admiration for the source material, it's likely that both Washington and Davis would agree with this assessment. It’s clear that for both of them, this is more than just another role in some movie; this is a labor of love, and Washington and Davis pour their hearts and souls into their characters.
           As mentioned above, Washington stars as Troy Maxson, a vivid storyteller with an almost mythical past, at least, according to the way he tells it. Rose (Viola Davis), his wife, is always nearby to call his bluff and add some realism to his tall tales. Troy works as a garbage man in 1950’s Philadelphia, and believes society has constructed a fence around him through segregationist policies that he argues prevented him from becoming a Major League Baseball player (though Rose suggests his age at the time of tryouts may have been the larger issue). This leads to conflict with Troy’s son, Cory (Jovan Adepo), who hopes to someday play football in the NFL. Troy claims that this goal is unrealistic and argues that should Cory take up a trade instead. Though he suggests that Cory would likely be an unsuccessful pro athlete due to the color of his skin, the bitterness with which Troy speaks of his failed baseball career suggests a tinge of jealousy and resentment underlining the rejection of his son's dream.

Even after it’s revealed that just about every other sentence spoken by Troy is hyperbole, it's hard not to feel sympathy for him. A conversation with his friend, Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and his oldest son from an earlier marriage, Lyons (Russell Hornsby), reveals a childhood that ended far too early due to a runaway mother an abusive father. This is a man who appears to have sacrificed much for his family, working a laborious job while attempting to maintain and care for his home. His only relief from life comes on Friday evenings when he shares drinks with Bono in the backyard. Troy is exhausted, and the audience can see it in Washington’s eyes. In Troy, Washington portrays a man who simultaneously loves life even as he resents the one he’s living. He oozes with charisma and charm, yet through his smile, there’s a hint of frustration.

Equally as mesmerizing is Viola Davis as Rose. Every chance she gets on screen she manages to steal the show; no easy feat given the performances of her co-stars. Like Troy, Rose is tired. She remembers loving her husband long ago, but she’s starting to forget why that was. Eventually, after Troy’s admission of an affair that he plans to continue regardless of her feelings, she finds herself trapped; fenced in by a marriage that long ago lost its purpose, as well as by Troy’s cruelty to her son. Davis’s performance is so strong, after a heated exchange with Troy, the audience literally witnesses the life drain from Rose’s body. Her face fills with sorrow as she realizes that, as an African American woman in 1950’s America, there is no gate through the fence that has her trapped.

In addition to Washington and Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, portraying Troy’s best friend, Bono, deserves quite a bit of recognition as well. There’s such an endearing quality to his performance; he’s not only Troy’s best friend, he’s the audience’s best friend too.

One final note: there are really only two settings in Fences, in which nearly the entire movie takes place; the kitchen/living room and the backyard. Some have suggested this gives the film a play-like feel and detracts from the movie’s overall quality. They could not be more wrong. In only showing the same two settings that Troy and Rose see every day, the same fences that surround the main characters begin to surround the audience. Viewers feel their burdens and understand their frustrations. It was a brilliant decision that adds an additional layer of emotional depth to what was already a compelling film.