'Us' Review

Apologies for the delay, but I've been busy lately. However, I'll soon make up for it with an early Shazam! review.

'Us' Review

Synopsis: A family's serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them.

Runtime: 116 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for violence/terror and language)

Who should see it? Adult fans of Jordan Peele and the horror genre. 

Serving as the second feature film written, produced, and directed by Jordan Peele, Us faces audiences two years following the smash success of Peele's directorial debut Get Out. Many will enter the theater with heightened expectations and Get Out at the forefront of their mind. After all, Peele's an Academy Award winner this time around, so it's understandable why one may anticipate greatness once more. Comparisons between Peele's two films are likely, but I assure you they couldn't be more different from one another. Where Get Out's messaging and subject matter was relatively straightforward and easy to digest, Us is incredibly layered with an abundance of subtext beneath the surface.

If you're someone who strives to understand everything that's happening and why, you may consider Us a frustrating experience at the theater. Us is a film that's prime for multiple viewings to unravel the meaning behind much of its symbolic storytelling. You'll get the gist of what's going on, but be curious to uncover even more the next time you watch. Don't worry though, Us requires thought on your part, but there's still plenty of surface level thrills to enjoy.

Peele again demonstrates himself as being quite adept behind the camera, and Us further cements Peele as a filmmaker with a unique voice and propensity for the craft. There's a degree of intricacy and control present throughout the entire film which is scarcely seen in cinemas today. The sound design, editing, and cinematography are all sublime, but it's Michael Abels' exquisitely chaotic score that will be seared into your subconscious for days afterward. It should also be noted that Peele deftly balances humor with suspense once more. There's levity to be found throughout the feature, but it never comes at the expense of undercutting dramatic beats or frightening phenomenon.

However, I'm not ready to call Us a masterpiece just yet. Perhaps I'll change my mind in the coming years as I'm able to revisit Peele's latest, but for now, it's not quite there. The craftsmanship is undeniably impeccable, but the plotting and pacing can feel a little messy at times. There are also some plot reveals which raise many questions I suspect could be solved with additional viewings, and I'm really looking forward to re-evaluating it down the line.

As for the ensemble, each cast member presents dual portrayals of their characters and respective "shadows" to great effect! Lupita Nyong'o commands the screen in particular, depicting a remarkable outward expressiveness and nuanced internal struggle as both Adelaide and Red. I'd daresay it's the best performance I've seen from Lupita Nyong'o, and I sincerely hope she's recognized by the Academy next year. Meanwhile, her Black Panther co-star Winston Duke serves as great comedic relief, and young actors Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex hold their own. 

Tense and thought-provoking, Us is a sensational second feature that left me on the edge of my seat, eager to see what Peele does next! If Us and Get Out are any indication, he's got a very bright future ahead of him.

Film Assessment: A

'Aquaman' Review

Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans on conquering all oceanic people and ruling the surface world as well. Standing in his way is Arthur Curry, Orm's half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko, Arthur must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep if he's going to prevent war between the surface world and ocean dwellers. 

The DC Extended Universe went through a bit of a rough patch, and only briefly found its footing with Wonder Woman last year before Justice League squandered the goodwill of many critics, fans, and general audience members mere months later. Eyes then turned towards DC's next batch of projects, curious if any could possibly save the sinking ship and help course-correct the franchise to better compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Helmed by visionary director James Wan, Aquaman seemed like a viable candidate to turn things around for DC and Warner Bros. Wan would have to overcome waves of preconceived cultural stigmas surrounding the character to succeed, but given his track record, it was an obtainable goal. Though the film has its flaws, which I'll address momentarily, Wan dove headfirst into the extensive source material and emerged with an entertaining onscreen adaptation. 

I wouldn't say Aquaman is a "game-changer" for DC or even the comic-book genre for that matter, but it will likely bestow audience members with a newfound appreciation for the often ridiculed hero or at least demonstrate that he should be taken more seriously. The script collectively credits David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall, Geoff Johns, and Wan as being responsible for screenplay and story. Dialogue from Johnson-McGoldrick and Beall is occasionally quite cheesy while the story by Beall, Johns, and Wan frequently seems derivative of other genre-fare. 

The pacing and visual effects are also somewhat uneven, as the second act meanders a bit while the color-grading and green-screen work are sometimes shoddy in the brighter environments above water. My impression is that Wan understandably concerned himself with doing justice to the underwater setting that time constraints and budget allocations likely inhibited the visual effects outside the ocean. With that being said, Aquaman relishes in its underwater setting and the darker environments. The visuals are genuinely sensational underwater, and there's a noticeable uptick in quality as the film enters the third act and Wan's able to get in touch with his horror roots. Aquaman really reminded me of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in regards to the third act being substantially better than the rest of the film since everything from the Mariana Trench sequence onwards was absolutely outstanding! 

In spite of some sketchy CG here and there, the action in Aquaman is very well-executed across the board. The combat's cool, clear, and easy to follow. What more could you ask for? Also, it's worth mentioning that slo-mo seems to now be a staple of the DCEU, for better or for worse, as it's employed quite often. Additionally, I noticed some clever editing transitions were applied when fluctuating between the past and present via flashbacks. Furthermore, Rupert Gregson-Williams' score was spectacular, utilizing the recently re-popularized futuristic synth-sound. The incorporation of pop-music stuck out like a sore thumb and was quite jarring when juxtaposed against the onscreen events though. Pitbull and Rhea's "Ocean-To-Ocean" which samples from Toto's "Africa" was a particularly dreadful ear-sore. 

Jason Mamoa and Amber Heard admittedly aren't the greatest actors and honestly have no chemistry with one another, but they each do their characters justice. It's readily apparent that neither performer was necessarily cast for their acting ability, but instead because they're attractive individuals. To upend the public's perception of Aquaman as a lame character, casting an actor with Mamoa's physique was required. We'd previously only seen Mamoa's Aquaman in small doses and gotten a brief glimpse of his iteration, but Mamoa exudes an infectious charisma and even displays some convincing emotional range in the lead role. Otherwise, Heard made the most of her time onscreen as Mera to leave an impression on audiences as a capable female character. I'm not going to on record saying Mera couldn't have been portrayed by another actress, but I think Heard was fine in the role. In fact, I'll confidently say she amounted to being more than eye-candy, with a vital proactive role in the narrative to boot. I'd say that's a win in my book!

In the depths of the supporting cast, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Willem Dafoe, and Dolph Lundgren elevate their material and help buoy the two leads as well. Kidman and Morrison carry one of the film's few emotional threads and actually had stellar chemistry in their limited shared screen time. It was particularly exciting to see Dafoe acting in another comic-book movie (the most recent being Spider-Man 3 in 2007) and refreshing to finally witness Morrison onscreen again years after the Star Wars prequels where he played Jango Fett and every conceivable Clone Trooper. Not to mention that Lundgren's career is also now on a resurgent hot streak between this and Creed II.

Meanwhile, two oceanic antagonists are meant to swim circles around Aquaman. Patrick Wilson lends greater gravitas to Orm but ultimately flounders as a one-note, power-hungry villain. Then, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta is a neat addition but would have been better saved for a sequel because he didn't have a natural place in the narrative. Abdul-Mateen and Wilson do well in their respective roles and are at least cool-looking villains, but both characters are underdeveloped on paper and onscreen. Per film, I'd say the DCEU is currently 0-6 in its strong villain department.

Whether Aquaman will be the much-needed rising tide for DC's future ventures remains to be seen, but the Atlantean's already making a splash in terms of international box office and is a significant improvement over Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League in my eyes. It may not measure up to Wonder Woman, but Aquaman successfully stands on its own two feet and spearheads a brighter future for DC! 

Film Assessment: B

'Baywatch' Review

Baywatch adapts the long-running seaside series following a group of Miami lifeguards who are in the midst of recruiting a few new members when Olympic gold medalist Matt Brody arrives, desperate to improve his public image by joining the squad after an incident at the last Summer Olympics. The team then must work together to unravel a criminal scheme if they're going to preserve their beach community. Baywatch is made in the same vein as the recent 21 Jump Street revival, they're both raunchy R-rated action-comedies based on an older cult television series and boast tremendous star power. However, Baywatch never quite clicks together the way 21/22 Jump Street did. 

I feel it's worth noting that director Seth Gordon is aware of the original series' absurdity and wears the ridiculousness as a badge of honor, slo-mo running included. The action set pieces aren't much to look at with some inadequate effects and egregious editing while the story's not particularly engaging either. What will really keep you invested for two hours are the quips and the buddy-dynamic between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's stout seashore sergeant Mitch Buchannon and Zac Efron's arrogant Olympic swimmer Matt Brody.

Johnson's proven to be charismatic in just about everything, bolstering many projects on his shoulders, so it's no surprise that Mitch Buchannon would have the subsequent charm as well. All the while, Zac Efron showcases that he has the killer comedic timing and adequate acting chops required to butt heads with "The Rock" and play the conceited yet charming dunce. The two work together like thunder and lightning, helping Baywatch stay afloat thanks to their electric buddy-cop combo.

Filling out the ensemble, Jon Bass portrays a awkward geek Ronnie who's attracted to the insanely attractive CJ Parker, played by Former Sports Illustrated model Kelly Rohrbach. Both actors succumb to cliché characterization but their relationship stood out as a bright spot of comedic relief in Baywatch's lulls. Meanwhile, Alexandra Daddario and Ilfenesh Hadera are both serviceable in the capacity used. They both offer passable performances as Summer and Stephanie, but the script just doesn't give either much to work with in regards to a character arc or even humor.

Priyanka Chopra on the otherhand, plays Victoria Leeds as an over-the top Bond villain and it pays off. Chopra evokes a sinister, commanding demeanor about her that made her the ideal antagonist opposite these courageous lifeguards so she successfully pulls attention when onscreen. Hannibal Buress and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are also worth noting for their sufficient supporting comedic bits but neither were imperative to the narrative.

As for the writing, Damian Shannon and Mark Swift rely a little too heavily on jokes about the male anatomy for laughs but the situational humor onscreen was occasionally a little more clever (although I have no idea whether it was improvised or not). Baywatch has got quite bit of self-referential humor up it's short sleeves so that's definitely something else the motley lifesaving crew have going for them. If you're hoping for references to the original series or any cameo appearances, you won't be disappointed but those cameoing are revealed by the opening credits so it's not exactly a surprise. Another aspect I enjoyed was the banter between Buchannon and Brody, which I almost wish had been more of the film's focus. Baywatch's story is scrambled but the one-liners keep Baywatch from sinking.

As we're hit by wave after wave of summer blockbusters, I aim to voice my recommendations for the weekend (I've done this from time-to-time but would like to make it a staple of my reviews this summer). This weekend there's a briny box office battle brewing between Baywatch and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. While I haven't seen Dead Men Tell No Tales, Baywatch is without a doubt for the adult crowd while Pirates will certainly be more kid-friendly in comparison. Baywatch will sustain your raunchy action comedy needs so if that's what you want then it's worth a matinee showing. If neither of those are up your ally, there's two spectacular space offerings worth checking out in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Alien: Covenant in case you've missed out on either of those intergalactic adventures. Regardless of what you choose, there's a variety to pick from at the multiplex right now.

In conclusion, Baywatch delivers on the outlandish premise with oodles of eye candy, sufficient slo-motion, and all the charisma "The Rock" can muster. Even when Baywatch wistfully wades into shallow waters, it still manages to find a riptide and shred some solid jokes. So long as you watch this movie with the mindset you're watching an outrageously over-the-top popcorn flick about lifeguarding, you should be able to hang ten and have a righteous time!

Film Assessment: C+