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Ocean's Eight (2018)
Familiar structure, fun new characters
From the first scene, it is clear that Ocean's 8 plans to follow the exact same beats as the original, which may be enough to turn off viewers who are looking for something original. However, the movie picks up as soon as Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) begins recruiting her partners-in-crime for her planned robbery at the Met Gala. Sandra Bullock proves equal to the legacy of George Clooney as the lead, and her team of robbers are impeccably cast. Each one possesses their own particular brand of coolness; iconic actresses Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter delight as much as newer actresses Rihanna and Awkwafina. Anne Hathaway in particular seems to have a lot of fun playing the prima donna Daphen Kluger. Their confident performances give the sense of female empowerment that the film undoubtedly wanted. Unfortunately, the film does not spend enough time with the characters, and instead delves into the comparatively lackluster heist-plot.
Aside from the glamorous dresses and celebrity cameos, the Met Gala is not different enough from previous settings to stand out. Strangely, the level of difficulty of the robbery seems softened for the female version. This may be because audiences know what to expect from previous films, or because the writing is simply lazy. At multiple points, plot holes are hastily stitched together or ignored. On top of this, the movie contains unnecessary flashbacks and explanations, further dulling the excitement. Instead of making good use of the spectacular cast and fun characters, the writers and director feel like they cannot deviate from the formula established by previous Ocean films. This is not only boring, but it also leads to the aforementioned plot holes.
Viewers who have not seen Ocean's Eleven or who are just looking for some brainless fun will be satisfied, but those hoping for a new spin on the series will be disappointed. It is not the all-female cast that hurts this movie; they are the film's greatest strength. It is the unwillingness to break out of an old creative mould that prevents the female version from being as good as it deserves to be.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Works only in the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Taken in the context of a larger narrative within the Marvel cinematic universe, Avengers: Infinity War impressively brings together the many beloved characters together for an action-packed adventure. However, the movie does not work on its own as a narrative, and like most Marvel movies it has particular cinematic flaws.
From the first scene, it is clear that Infinity War relies heavily on CGI for both its characters and action sequences, which should not come to a surprise for Marvel fans. In fact, it is plausible to say that more than half the movie is touched by CGI, from epic space sets to flashy bursts of light denoting magical power. The CGI isn't done badly, but for anyone who isn't on completely board with that style of animation, Infinity War would be unwatchable. At times, the amount of mystical sparks, auras, and beams becomes so saturated that it is difficult to take the movie seriously.
Luckily, Infinity War has some of the world's most beloved actors and characters in its arsenal, which have proven to be Marvel's greatest strength as a franchise. Having Robert Downey Jr. as Ironman, Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, and Chris Pratt as Starlord, just to name a few, give their characters credibility and charm. The writers do an excellent job balancing the many heroes, whose individual movies are often tonally different. Since the audience presumably has come to know and love each character from the standalone films and/or the Avengers, the actors are able to slip into their respective roles easily. This gives Infinity War a feeling of akin to huge family reunion, which definitely works in the movie's favor because the audience is emotionally invested.
What makes the movie unique is that instead of following the traditional three act structure, the entire two hour and forty minute film acts as only as a chapter in a larger Avengers movie. Infinity War could be described as the latter half of a second act and the beginning of the third act. This means that the movie is almost entirely action with little exposition or character development. The lack of elaborate backstory or convoluted plot is refreshing in some ways, as some of the other Marvel movies suffer from over-complication. The action is well-choreographed and relatively creative, but because it fills the entire movie it can be mind-numbing. Anyone not familiar with Marvel or critical of the franchise will find nothing to connect to. Unfortunately, Infinity War lacks the political complexity and mysterious suspense presented in previous films. Shades of gray on moral dilemmas and conflicts between the heroes are downplayed or ignored in favor of a clear good vs. evil battle.
Infinity War is a success within the world of Marvel, but not as a movie in its own right. Fortunately for Disney, Marvel is wildly popular among critics and fans alike, making it a financial and critical success. All of the advantages and disadvantages of a cinematic universe are shown in this movie, making it a unique cultural phenomenon.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Excellent commentary on American social politics, without being preachy
I watched Do the Right Thing in my high school film studies class, and it was my first Spike Lee film. (I hope to watch more). Although the film seemed to be structured more like a play than a traditional movie, it nevertheless managed to balance many characters and make several points about race without seeming preachy. The best part of about Do the Right Thing is that it manages to point out the problems about racism without making the issue seem simplistic.
One of the best choices Spike Lee made was to give Do the Right Thing comedic elements, a style subsequently used by a more recent film about racial tensions in America, Dear White People. The comedic scenes are born out of serious societal discussions, and they both bring the issues to attention while at the same time highlighting how ridiculous racial divisions really are.
Characters form the backbone of Do the Right Thing. There are many of them in the space of a single block (hence the "play-like" feel), and they each get enough screen time to make the vibe of the neighborhood believable. Some are more memorable than others, and they all are connected in one way or another to the main character Mookie (Spike Lee) and his boss, Sal (Danny Aiello). Although the other performances are strong, it is these two characters who elevate the movie. Mookie and Sal are written and played so that they are completely believable as human beings. Too many movies promoting discussion on race, sexism, and/or homophobia tend to present their characters as either the "oppressed" or "oppressor," or they are halfhearted in their attempt to create grey area. Spike Lee does neither of these things, instead showing how ordinary people are affected by racism in this country through small incidents in the movie.
The main thing the film accomplishes is that it explains how major incidents over race are rarely as spontaneous as the may seem, and that they are often the culmination of thousands of little tensions that reach a boiling point. Given the current political climate, Do the Right Thing is just as relevant today as it was in 1989.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Successful Sequel
Deadpool 2 masterfully pushes the wild humor and emotion to new heights, which sufficiently covers up narrative flaws and a misstepped social commentary.
Compared to Deadpool, Deadpool 2 seems more comfortable handling the elements that made the original a success. The humor is bolder and more self-aware because the audience is already familiar with the characters. Ryan Reynolds masters the tricky balance between heavy emotion and outrageous wisecracks because the audience is trained to expect a joke for every heartfelt scene, and the movie gladly obliges. Every trick in the book is used to evoke emotional responses, but the winks to the audience make such manipulation acceptable, even welcome.
For those worried that Deadpool 2 is more of the same, they needn't fret. The movie introduces a handful of new characters, each well-acted and funny in their own way. There are also some celebrity cameos sprinkled in. Sure, some of them are there solely to make a joke or two, but a couple of the new characters clearly places in future movies.
Compared to some superhero movies, Deadpool 2 has a streamlined narrative and pulls off a highly successful third act. The climax of the movie not only avoids the Marvel "villain problem," but it's also packed with great action, hilarious jokes, and solid character moments. This success overshadows some plot inconsistencies in the first and second act, which are minor but might bother some hypercritical audience members.
Despite Deadpool 2's undeniable strengths, two features hold it back slightly. First, the subject of death is handled with such inconsistency that it seems jarring. One character's death is an unspeakable tragedy, while another's is just a comic bit. The movie missed an opportunity to make fun of the careless treatment of civilian deaths in comic-book movies, but instead fell into the trope. Deadpool 2 also tried to make a progressive commentary on diversity in superhero films, but its minority characters did not have particularly strong roles. Thus, this commentary seemed a bit undeserved and out-of-place.
For fans of the original Deadpool, the sequel will not disappoint. The movie capitalizes on what it did well in the first movie and the result is a riotously entertaining, surprisingly emotional, and satisfying second installment.
Deadpool (2016)
Great fun
The main triumph of Deadpool is its capability of making its title character sympathetic yet wildly outrageous with his inappropriate sense of humor. Ryan Reynolds certainly deserves much of the credit for this because of his unequivocal commitment to the role; any hesitation or lack of conviction in Deadpool's lines would significantly lessen his character's appeal. Reynolds manages to make Deadpool seem lovable in his most irreverent moments as well as his most vulnerable. However, Deadpool is mostly allowed to get away with his heinous crimes because he is trying to save the "perfect" girl against an undeniably evil villain. The writers go all in with both of these overused elements. In any other superhero movie, his romance and revenge quest would be trite, but the enthusiastically delivered snarky jokes overshadow this.
The humor in Deadpool is for the immature at heart, and isn't nearly as clever as it would like to think. Attempts to poke fun at the superhero genre aren't necessary and seem forced at times. Luckily, the movie is funny enough in its own right to cover for these missteps. The main laughs come from Deadpool's interactions with colorful characters such as his girlfriend, a confused taxi driver, a blind African American woman, and two superhumans. The secondary characters complement Reynolds well despite their limited development and screen time.
The movie is a joyride until the third act, where unfortunately the requisite action takes precedence over both humor and narrative. The drawn-out battle sequence is bearable for a while because Deadpool is a sympathetic character, but it eventually overplays its welcome. Two characters are present for seemingly no reason at all except for comedic relief (and perhaps sequel material).When the action finally does come to an end, it is abrupt and the movie makes no concluding message. Thus, Deadpool certainly deserves the praise it gets for tapping into a creative use of the superhero genre, but it should not be lauded as groundbreaking. It's pure fun; nothing more, nothing less.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Deserves its status as a classic
2001: A Space Odyssey is objectively a visual masterpiece; but for those who appreciate a subtler, slower story line, it is a narrative success as well. Does the movie revel in showing off its mind boggling special effects? Does it, at times, seem more like an impressive art gallery than a film? Yes and yes, but even 50 years later, the special effects are amazing enough to warrant the rather pretentious display. It is clear that Kubrick's vision influenced nearly all sci-fi movies set in space up through the 21st century, and the only things that clue into its date of creation are the costumes and lack of outrageous CGI monsters. The calm, long shots of space and the spaceship set to classical music allow the audience to take in every bit of the mystical, beautiful, and slightly intimidating aspects to space and technology that Kubrick wished to convey.
One of the main complaints about 2001: A Space Odyssey is its length and slow plot. There is no denying that the movie moves at a slow pace or that it is long (about two and a half hours), but whether this works in the service of the movie or not is as matter of preference. Admittedly, the style of storytelling is slightly difficult to adjust to when an one is used to the current space movie genre, which often entails exciting action and an ensemble of characters whose personal relationships form a core of the movie. In 2001, the suspense is much quieter, but the drawn out length keeps it simmering constantly under the surface. Instead of an ensemble cast with charismatic characters, the core of the movie contains one human and one supercomputer, HAL. Additionally, the cerebral nature of the third act is radically different from those of Star Wars, Star Trek, and other epic space movies. However, the story line is still thought-provoking, exciting, and fairly simple to follow once its unique form is accepted and celebrated.
Borg McEnroe (2017)
Strong psychological portrait of two tennis stars
Borg vs McEnroe presents a powerful and well-made portrait of two tennis rivals under immense psychological stress. Despite this, it may fail to stick in the minds of non-tennis enthusiasts.
Borg vs McEnroe is like many sports movies in that it focuses on the mindset of the individual players to heighten the drama. However, it is unique in its presentation of the contrast between Borg and McEnroe; two brilliant rivals who experience excruciating inner and outer pressure, but who deal with it in different ways. The film manages to convey near-complete psychological portraits of the two tennis stars through a combination of flashbacks, character interactions, and scenes on the court.
The film succeeds due to its skillful cinematography and powerful performances from Sverrir Gudnason (Borg) and Shia LaBeouf (McEnroe). Borg vs McEnroe feels comfortable using unique shots and cuts to portray a certain emotion or action sequence, but it doesn't overuse any techniques so as to distract from the reality of the events. Thus, the use of dramatic cinematic embellishments rarely feels overly theatrical or out of place. The second main strength of the movie is the two performances from Gudnason and LaBeouf. The actors accent the emotional torment that the tennis figures faced, and without such strong performances the movie wouldn't have been worth the watch.
The real value of Borg vs McEnroe is the questions it raises about success and perceptions of success, and it highlights the fact that the media's portrayal of athletes rarely tells the whole story. But the movie is clearly building towards the great match between Borg and McEnroe, and so that promise must be fulfilled. The final tennis scene is done effectively, but it is not strong enough to bring the whole movie to a close. For those who are unaware of how the match turned out, the third act will be riveting. For those who know the end result, they may feel that it drags out a little longer than necessary. One choice by the filmmakers that undermines the final scene was their obvious bias towards Borg by focusing on his flashbacks and emotions over those of McEnroe. Ultimately, the movie's strengths overshadow its weaker points; Borg vs McEnroe is a solid biographical sports film, even if it can't quite mix sports thrills with an in-depth character analysis.
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Classic ending with imperfect beginning
The Postman Always Rings Twice is one of the darker film noirs from the 1940s, in which the characters commit heinous crimes and have few redeeming qualities. The film ultimately reaches the profound conclusion that it sets out to make, but the path moving towards that goal is unnecessarily complicated and not always believable.
The film's premise is kick-started when Frank, a vagabond, and Cora, a frustrated housewife, form an intimate connection. Their relationship seems rather dubious, as the affair starts quickly despite Frank's apparent lack of charm, good looks, and personality.Cora claims she felt connected to Frank because of his "smarts," but this apparent intelligence is suspiciously lacking onscreen. It is possible the movie wishes to implicate Cora in manipulating Frank for her own purpose, but this implication is not strong enough to overcome the doubtful beginning of the relationship. However, as the two become entangled in crime, their relationship becomes more realistic and interesting. The movie presents a fascinating psychological study of love and trust in a criminal situation.
The plot for the first half of the movie is straightforward, even boring--it isn't until the second half that events accelerate. The fluctuating love-hate relationship between the two leads keeps the plot interesting, but at times the movie focuses too much on technicalities, while other scenes from the movie seem unnecessary for the ultimate goal. The acting serves the plot well enough, but there are certain lines of dialogue delivered with such a dated acting style that it could pull a viewer out of the suspense.
The final scene of The Postman Always Rings Twice offers a perfect conclusion for a film noir, as it raises questions regarding the moral responsibility of man and the consequences of a person's actions. This result is worth a watch, even if the the movie as a whole isn't as gripping as it strives to be.
Blockers (2018)
Blockers has difficulty balancing the funny and heartfelt.
Blockers is a raunchy comedy that has an important societal message. Unfortunately, its attempt to meld those two elements often undermines the movie as whole.
The simple premise of the movie lends itself to outrageous, inappropriate gags; three parents desperately try to follow their daughters in order to stop them from carrying out a sex pact. As long as the three parental characters have a goal they will do anything to reach, nearly any comedic scenario is possible. The movie does not shy away from gross-out humor with the parents, with situations reminiscent of comedies such as The Neighbors and Superbad. This element in the movie finds moderate success. It generates laughs which will vary according to a person's sense of humor, but both the script and the performances by Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz could have been stronger. However, the movie has a larger ambition than the escapades of three overprotective parents. It devotes just as much time and energy into the teenage characters as it does for the adults, and it attempts to convey a commentary on societal expectations for women and relationships.
Blockers is careful to construct real relationships between the sets of characters. The three parents have trouble connecting with each other, the teenage girls have a strong bond, and the main focus is the relationships between each parent and their daughter. Everyone clearly has their troubles, worries, and hopes set up in the movie so that it can play out in the end. The movie follows through with all of these, and on the way makes pointed statements about accepting interracial relationships, LGBTQ relationships, and empowering women to make their own sexual choices. These are welcome messages in Hollywood, and they greatly elevate the movie.
The problem with Blockers is that it tried too hard to foster believable relationships between characters with emotional stakes, but still had to follow through with its irreverent comedic approach. For example, the three parents who are supposedly trying to protect their daughters put themselves and their kids in danger in order to get a few laughs. At times, emotional confessions glossed over by the characters to sneak in a snarky joke. The movie picks and chooses when it wants to be emotionally touching and when it wants to be inappropriately funny, and the result is inconsistent and jarring. It is this fundamental disagreement that hinders Blockers from being the movie it wants to be.
I Feel Pretty (2018)
With low expectations, an enjoyable movie
I Feel Pretty leans with full confidence on its star, Amy Schumer, who carries most of the film's comedic and emotional weight. As a comedy, the movie is rarely laugh-out-loud funny, but Schumer's exuberance and talent will have audiences grinning throughout. None of the jokes are too crude or cruel, and the central conflict is never too dark to take the audience out of their pleasantly amused mood.
In terms of storytelling, the main lead Renee is the only fully developed character in the movie. Everyone else serves the tropes of the genre satisfactorily, but no one manages to steal the scenes from the star. At times, the beats that have to be hit feel like a drag, especially towards the end of the movie when the humor is sacrificed for message. However, one could hardly expect this movie to completely subvert chick-flick clichés. At most, the expectation should be that a movie like I Feel Pretty uses the formula lightly. With this standard in mind, the movie more or less succeeds.
The message of the film, absolutely crucial to its success, in no way breaks new ground. The idea that inner beauty matters more than outer beauty is a hackneyed message, and the way the film addresses the issue is neither nuanced nor spectacular. But just because the moral and the medium used to tell it are simple, doesn't meant that it isn't a worthwhile message that can be entertaining in the hands of a talented comedian. If one goes into I Feel Pretty with tempered expectations, they will most likely have an enjoyable time.