'Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)' Review

Synopsis: It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big target on her back. Unprotected and on the run, Quinn faces the wrath of a narcissistic crime boss, his right-hand man, and every other thug in the city. But things soon even out for Harley when she becomes unexpected allies with three deadly women.

Runtime: 109 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material)

Who should see it? Adults fans of Harley Quinn, the Birds of Prey, and DC Comics.

Directed by Cathy Yan and featuring a screenplay from Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is the first of four female-driven comic-book movies to be released this year. Misogynistic incels are surely raging in their basements. Still, hopefully, their cries will fall on deaf ears because Birds of Prey is beaming with personality and zany, creative energy. The regime change at Warner Bros. has helped DC course-correct from a spotty track record to a streak of surefire critical and commercial hits. The secret being that Warners and DC became less concerned with building a universe and focused on telling quality, standalone stories. Margot Robbie leveraged her star power to be more involved behind-the-scenes as a producer after initially pitching the idea on the set of Suicide Squad. Robbie championed Yan and Hodson's vision every step of the way, so Birds of Prey manifested into a unique addition for the DC Extended Universe that took note of past failings.

Whereas Suicide Squad felt restrained by its PG-13 rating and studio interference, Birds of Prey is liberated by an R-rating and the vitality of artistic freedom. The filmmakers really let loose and leaned into the crazed mental state of its protagonist with fourth wall breaks and non-sequential storytelling, among other things. Though the title is Birds of Prey, it's very much Harley Quinn's movie, and that's reflected in spades with Yan's approach to the material. Rather than ignore Suicide Squad, Yan builds on the foundation laid by David Ayer in a way that serves Harley's story. While Birds of Prey is its own creative beast, there are similarities to the style and presentation. Flashy title graphics, a series of high-energy action set pieces, and a soundtrack of pop bops can still be found surrounding the unhinged harlequin.

However, it was obvious that Yan and Hodson wanted to distance Harley from Jared Leto's Joker as much as possible. Harley and Joker's breakup actually works as a wonderful catalyst for setting the plot in motion, though. I especially liked the idea that it would result in Harley's lost immunity within Gotham since nobody wants to mess with Joker aside from Batman. It also offers a compelling character arc for Harley as she's forced to fend for herself. Containing the story within Gotham and positioning the city's criminal underworld against Harley and the Birds of Prey was a wise choice. Suicide Squad ridiculously pit ordinary characters against a supernatural threat, so it was nice to see Birds of Prey stay on the street-level with suitable antagonists. Yan also effectively grounds whacky, cartoonish antics with the menace of Black Mask and Victor Zsasz. Otherwise, I was impressed by the colorful costuming, production design, Matthew Libatique's cinematography, and the phenomenal stunt work. More roller skates in action films, please.

Concerning the cast, Margot Robbie's really honed in on her portrayal of Harley Quinn. Robbie's clearly having a blast acting like an absolute maniac, and I have a difficult time imagining anyone else in the role. One nice flourish was incorporating her past life as psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel when she'd periodically psychoanalyze everyone around her before snapping back to the ditsy Harley. Her separation from the Joker really beefed up the character. It made her more sympathetic to see her struggle in striking out on her own. I'm curious whether she'll remain independent or not.

As for the Birds of Prey, Jurnee Smollett, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, and Ella Jay Basco were well-cast and great additions to the universe. Notable stand-outs being Smollett's Black Canary and Winstead's Huntress while Basco's Cassandra Cain was especially endearing. That said, they're all secondary to Harley. I wish more emphasis had been placed on each member, as it would have been nice to flesh them out in the film titled Birds of Prey.

In the role of Black Mask, Ewan McGregor gleefully gnaws on the scenery. Switching on a dime, McGregor fluctuates from an eccentric crime boss to a fearsome foe and makes the mood swings believable. The design of his mask was also very cool, and I'm glad they didn't stuff McGregor under it for the entire runtime because that'd waste an actor of his caliber. I also can't go without mentioning Chris Messina's Victor Zsasz, who was an intimidating henchman.

It's said "birds of a feather flock together," so I'm happy to report Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)'s earned a place alongside the top tier of DC's film catalog. In simpler terms, BoP is a bop!

Film Assessment: B+

'Doctor Sleep' Review

Apologies for the long hiatus. In October, my free time was consumed by either a trip to the cinema or anxious viewings of postseason Astros games. In fact, I've found myself often facing a similar dilemma throughout the year. There are a total of 29 2019 releases I've seen and neglected to review. Therefore, it was daunting for me to approach returning to write about them all. However, I developed an idea that will enable me to catch up efficiently.

I've decided to start summarizing what I watch every month in a new post format. I will continue writing reviews for major releases which I feel warrant thorough analysis. I'll relay my thoughts on the remainder in approximately a paragraph via a Reel Recap. The first few Reel Recaps will be divided into April-August, September, October, and November. Beginning with November, they'll be posted once-a-month at the end of each month or the beginning of the following month. As I start my career, I view this as the best way for me to maintain the blog going forward. To my readers, I appreciate your patience and hope you continue to follow along. Let's move on to the review now, shall we?

'Doctor Sleep' Review

Synopsis: Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the "shine." Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to extend their lifespan and become immortal.

Runtime: 151 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity and drug use)

Who should see it? Adult fans of Stephen King and The Shining.

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep joins the recent resurgence of feature-length Stephen King adaptations and legacy sequels by furthering the story of The Shining. Though The Shining is widely considered the most celebrated horror ever made, King infamously hated Stanley Kubrick's iteration, leaving Flanagan in a precarious position. How could he possibly follow up such an influential classic in a way that would satisfy fans of Kubrick's film and King's respective novels? It's a tall order, but Doctor Sleep bridges the gap between King and Kubrick.

Tonally and thematically, Doctor Sleep aligns with the world established by Kubrick. However, Flanagan differentiates from his predecessor by emphasizing the story's supernatural elements. The "shine" is explored in greater detail, but Flanagan also keeps a veil of mystery over these abilities while expanding the universe. He carefully treads along a fine line but leaves enough ambiguity to satisfy the audience's imagination. Thankfully, this approach is applied to The Shining's other cryptic details as well, so you needn't worry about unnecessary answers to 39-year-old questions. 

Some questions are best left unanswered, and I'm appreciative Flanagan recognized that. Of the lingering storylines, the predominant thread Flanagan tugs on is the manifestation of Dan Torrence's trauma. In his adult years, substance abuse helped Dan cope with that distressing experience. Now a recovering alcoholic, Dan must struggle to resist his father's trajectory as demons from his past resurface. Dan's journey is undoubtedly the film's most compelling narrative. Despite tempered expectations, I felt mixed about certain aspects. Much like It Chapter Two, the two-and-a-half-hour runtime is too long for the story being told. In that time, Doctor Sleep juggles plenty of plot and occasionally drags.

Though my primary qualm is that I wish Doctor Sleep were more standalone. In a drawn-out third act, Flanagan is over-reliant on homages to The Shining. They contribute to a cathartic resolution of Dan Torrence's arc but felt ham-fisted in select moments. A dialogue must exist between the two, but the conversation was too one-sided in the original's favor. It seems as though Flanagan was so indebted to The Shining's legacy, that he was reluctant to step out of its shadow. The iconic scene recreations are executed very well, and the production designers did a phenomenal job recreating pristine and rundown versions of the Overlook Hotel. Otherwise, the visual effects looked cheap and unrefined at times while The Newton Brothers' score encapsulated an eery atmospheric sound befitting of this sequel.

That said, Ewan McGregor turns in his best work in years exploring the tortured soul of Dan Torrence. McGregor's in the midst of a renewed career path, and I'm keen to see what he brings to an older Obi-Wan Kenobi in the upcoming untitled Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. On the flip side, Kyliegh Curran joins the ranks of young talent to keep an eye on. Curran portrays Abra with an assuredness well beyond her years, but also quickly reverts to the fear-stricken teen when the character's outmatched. The role's quite demanding, and she wholeheartedly steps up to the task.

As Rose The Hat (yes, her actual name), Rebecca Ferguson commands attention from the moment she arrives onscreen. The supernatural cult-leader makes for an alluring antagonist about as evil as the Overlook. It's a hypnotic performance, and her band of devotees is as creepy as they come. Concerning other cast, I'd rather not spoil anything. However, a renowned child actor's cameo caught me off guard and registered strongly with minimal screen time.

Fear not Shining fans, the original's legacy has not been "[de-]redrum." Between the gripping performances and quality filmmaking on display, Doctor Sleep proves itself more than worthy of carrying on that legacy. This sequel shines alright, but it could shine even brighter if it were whittled down in the editing room and less reliant on Shining imagery.

Film Assessment: B

'Christopher Robin' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects. 

All grown up, Christopher Robin has left the Hundred Acre Wood and his spirited, stuffed childhood friends long behind him to become a working class family man. Years later, Christopher Robin journeys alongside Robin as he unexpectedly encounters Winnie-the-Pooh who helps him to rediscover the joys of life. 

Growing up, I watched countless Winnie the Pooh cartoons, played with the affiliated toys, and jumped for joy any time I heard the silly old bear's famous jingle. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride at the Disney parks was once even my favorite ride there, and I'd still happily ride it now for nostalgia's sake and an easygoing experience. Needless to say, I loved Winnie the Pooh as I'm sure many of you reading did, and still may. So, of course, my interest was peaked when I got wind of this live action revival. Even though I'm admittedly growing a bit tired of Disney's live action reboots (there's three to be released next year alone), the trailers sold me that this could be unique and adorable. 

I quickly found my suspicions to be justified as I was treated to a genuinely adorable hour and forty-four minutes. Based on the characters created by author A.A. Milne and illustrator Ernest Shepard, Christopher Robin is directed by Marc Forster, features a screenplay from Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, Allison Schroeder, and attributes story credits to Greg Brooker and Mark Steven Johnson respectively. In the vein of Steven Spielberg's cult-classic Hook, Christopher Robin is all about re-instilling a sense of childlike wonder and playfulness in its protagonist. It's a simple premise you've likely seen before, but the story's still sweet thanks to the inclusion of Pooh and company. 

Stylistically, Forster differentiates from Pooh bear's previous outings first by making the jump to live action. In this medium, Forster utilizes a muted color palette which livens up over time and then depicts Robin's friends as CG-stuffed creatures rather than drawings or realistic animals. To some, these changes may be a bit too jarring, but I promise the dingy, desaturated coloring serves a purpose and the stuffed animals are more authentic than most would surmise. Pooh and his friends have always been stuffed animals after all, so why not animate them as such?

By the way, the visual effects work is top-notch because the bunch from the Hundred Acre Wood looked incredibly convincing. Due to the animators' attention to detail, their movement and mannerisms seemed especially authentic to how a stuffed animal would walk and talk when this could have easily fallen into the uncanny valley. One itsy bitsty nitpick I have would be that the stuffed aesthetic was consistent for all except Rabbit and Owl. The two of them looked more like the CG-animals you'd see in one of Disney's other live action reimaginings rather than the stuffed toys they're meant to appear as. This doesn't substantially affect my perception of the film, but simply seemed strange to me. 

Of Disney's recent reimaginings, Christopher Robin's trip down memory lane probably feels most nostalgic, and it's all the better for it! It's all about reminiscing to the simple days of growing up and staying in touch with your inner youth. The writers pull off a tricky balancing act and ward off the troublesome aspects of this message by focusing on the importance of family and valuing youth. Meanwhile, the novelty of Pooh's naivety doesn't ever wear off, so you'll find yourself emotionally moved by this endlessly adorable feature. The most heartfelt moments of levity happen to revolve around the stuffed animals rather than the humans, and this is largely because Forster and his crew encapsulated the spirit of Milne's characters so perfectly that you'll be continuously charmed by the woodland creatures. 

Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, and Bronte Carmichael each manage to elevate the surface-level writing behind their characters and are quite delightful as Christopher, Evelyn, and Madeline Robin. Though the three of them carry a quality family dynamic on-screen together, the spotlight most certainly belongs to the cast behind the stuffed creatures. 

Reprising perhaps his two most iconic roles, Jim Cummings lends his voice to Pooh and Tigger once more. Though not the first to voice either character, he's done it the longest (since the late eighties in fact). Cummings comfortably vocalizes the simpleminded bear and exuberant, one-of-a-kind Tigger to great effect. Elsewhere Brad Garrett marvelously mopes around as Eeyore for a second time (he previously voiced the dour donkey for a video game in the mid-ninties). Everything about Garett's line delivery wonderfully conveys the gloomy spirit of the dour donkey, and he's responsible for perhaps the funniest bits of dialogue. As for the rest, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Toby Jones, Sophie Okonedo, and Sarah Sheen are all newcomers to Hundred Acre Wood in the respective roles of Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, and Roo. They each do an excellent job embodying the accompanying personalities of their iconic characters, but this lot admittedly has less to say and do than either Cummings or Garrett.

Cute as a button and sweet as honey, Christopher Robin is simply the feel-good film of the summer! Between it and Paddington 2, 2018 is proving to be a bear-y good year for films starring beloved children's book teddies.

Film Assessment: B

'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) Review

Nominated For: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Beauty and the Beast is the latest live-action retelling of one of Disney's classic animated films, joining the ranks of remakes abound from the studio. Before seeing this I had no idea what to expect considering Disney's live-action remakes have been hit or miss for me. I loved The Jungle Book (2016), was satisfied with Cinderella (2015) and Pete's Dragon (2016), found myself disappointed by Maleficent, and absolutely hated Alice in Wonderland (2010). The very idea of remaking what is regarded to arguably be one of Disney's greatest films is daunting and hats off to director Bill Condon for putting forth an admirable effort. 

Screenwriters Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos make a number of tweaks to the 1991 animation that I wasn't quite expecting. A majority of these changes are incorporated to fill plot holes or simply modernize the tale as old as time, serving as a dual edged sword in return. On one hand, the characters are rewarded richer backstories and slight modifications made the romance between Belle and Beast feel more organic as opposed to good ol' fashioned Stockholm Syndrome. On the flip side, the extra exposition stretches out the story leading to uneven pacing that permitted some scenes to drag their feet across the floor. 

One change in particular that has been met with ample controversy was the decision to portray this version of LeFou as the first openly gay Disney character and the description of an "exclusively gay moment" appearing in the film's finale. While those two statements are accurate, the controversy surrounding them is simply unjustified. The characterization is subtle and the moment referred to is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it occurrence that's not quite worth boycotting the film over in my opinion (I'd compare it to how Sulu was treated in Star Trek Beyond). If anything, this change actually improves the character; granting LeFou a more fulfilling character arc than his stint as the dopey sidekick in the animated incarnation. Even though I thought the change was unnecessary when I walked in, I can see why the alteration was made and can agree it enhanced that aspect of the story in a way I didn't expect. 

I was pleasantly surprised not to watch a beat-for-beat retread but fear not Disney purists because all the iconic imagery, sensational songs, and classic moments maintain their luster. Alan Menken returns to his scoring duties, composing a few additional songs in addition to updating his pre-existing tunes. On that note, if you try to sing along you may find it a little difficult because the lyric annunciation and syncopated rhythms differ from what you're used to (You'll probably adjust once you hear the updated soundtrack a few times). Grand musical numbers "Gaston" and "Be Our Guest" are still showstoppers while the new renditions of "Belle", "Something There", and "Beauty and the Beast" are equally enchanting as the original versions. Though the new songs were mostly mediocre, I found  "Evermore" to be a brilliant baritone ballad for Dan Stevens (the Beast). 

Across the board I was quite impressed by the cast's universal musical abilities. Luke Evans and Ewan McGregor stood out in particular as they were the two I was most concerned about but were the two who nearly stole the show. I was also worried about the visual effects depicting the inhabitants of Beast's castle and Ewan McGregor's french accent as Lumière judging from the trailers but turns out my anxieties were ill-conceived. 

The production design team behind Beauty and the Beast piece together a practical lavish set, breathtakingly gorgeous costumery evocative of the clothing worn by the animated characters, and exceptional visual effects that blend seamlessly with the surrounding world. The design of the household servants projects the guise of antique medieval home decor, allowing for more believable anthropomorphized objects in contrast to the cartoonish look evidenced by the animation. 

The Beast is probably the best live-action translation possible in terms of appearance but the entire time you can tell he's a byproduct of CG-animation so he's not quite perfect (but it's really close). Elsewhere, the casting is about perfect across the board and I was shocked to see they each offered something new rather than emulating what's come before. 

Emma Watson puts her own spin on Belle, striking a nice balance of gentleness, beauty, and intellect that allows this version of Belle to come across as a capable heroine who's definitely an ideal role model for young girls everywhere. Dan Stevens impressed me quite a bit as he captured the anguish, torture, and inner humanity of the Beast through his motion-capture portrayal (assisted by the vfx department of course). 

Luke Evans offers an ambitious take on Gaston and I have to say he succeeds in spades while Josh Gad injects a new dimension to LeFou (that I spoke of earlier) in addition to serving as a nice dose of comedic relief. Evans and Gad's pairing as Gaston and LeFou stood high and mighty as one of the film's highlights. Evans expertly apprehends the pompous, narcissistic over-the-top demeanor whilst avoiding the appearance of a stale one-dimensional antagonist. 

As for the antique appliances, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, and Nathan Mack each portray the bravado, restraint, motherly instinct and childlike wonder of Lumière, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip's respective personalities. I felt McGregor nailed the french accent but Thompson came off as yearning too much for Angela Lansbury's voice on occasion leading to some inconsistent dialogue delivery. Fun fact: McGregor went back and rerecorded his dialogue because he wasn't satisfied with his first go-around. The remaining ensemble is composed of Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Audra McDonald filling the roles of Maurice, Maestro Cadenza, Plumette, and Madame Garderobe who each muster serviceable roles in the story. 

All in all, Beauty and the Beast is a glamorous reiteration of the 1991 animated classic that boasts an impressive ensemble, illustrious effects, and secure direction. My screening was in IMAX 3D so I'd recommend seeing this on the biggest screen possible considering the massive screen and refined sound amplified the experience of the grand musical numbers. In conclusion, Beauty and the Beast (2017) may not stand toe-to-toe with Beauty and the Beast (1991), because the original's nearly perfect, but it offers enough pleasantries to more than justify the price of admission. 

Film Assessment: A-