'Brightburn' Review

Synopsis: What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?

Runtime: 90 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for horror, violence/bloody images, and language)

Who should see it? Adult fans of horror and superhero movies intrigued by the notion of seeing an evil Superman.

Produced by James Gunn (who's best known for writing and directing the Guardians of the Galaxy installments), Brightburn was written by Gunn's brother Brian and cousin Mark as a twisted take on the Superman archetype. The feature's directed by frequent Gunn collaborator David Yarovesky and realized as a super-villain slasher. Imagine if Clark Kent were an entitled brat and stalker with psychopathic tendencies growing up. That's the basic premise of Brightburn. If the idea of an evil Superman intrigues you, you'll probably appreciate what Yarovesky and the Gunns have to offer since they push the concept to its limits through the lens of an R-rated hyper-violent slasher flick. 

In terms of sheer gore, the filmmakers fulfill the promise of their grim concept, and audiences should prepare themselves for a gruesome and bloody affair because this super-being hardly has an ounce of self-control. Yarovesky builds tension on the inevitability that Brandon Breyer will unleash his power against anyone opposing him. Once you see what he can do and his lack of restraint upon pre-emptively eliminating his "enemies," Brandon becomes an intimidating onscreen presence and the source of many scares. There's a menacing quality to Brandon's cold stares, and an awareness of his abilities only amplifies that sinister demeanor. On that level, the film is quite effective. 

However, you can't help but notice something is missing beneath the surface. Brandon's motivation for lashing out is overly-simplified, and his perspective is minimized, so there's little-to-no conflict whenever he decides to misbehave. The pieces are there to present his quest as a personal vendetta against a world that has wronged him and cast him aside, but that groundwork is ignored in favor of a far less compelling plot device. Otherwise, it's a by-the-books cinematic slasher story, complete with unflinching, constant brutality and some trivial jump-scares to boot.

The Breyer family dynamic provides an emotional core, but Yarovesky hardly has the time to explore that in the ninety minutes allotted. As the Breyer family, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and Jackson A. Dunn lend their talents towards elevating a surface-level script and realizing a complicated onscreen dynamic. Banks and Denman convincingly characterize Tori and Kyle Breyer as unsure parents struggling to grasp with the revelation their son's a monster while Dunn bestows said monster with an uncaring attitude and chilling menace. An adequate anti-hero.

Don't be deceived by Brightburn's title. It's a bleak, bloody affair and the most twisted take on Man Of Steel imaginable.

Film Assessment: B-

'The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part' Review

Synopsis: The citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space start to wreck everything in their path. The battle to defeat the enemy and restore harmony to the LEGO universe takes Emmet, Lucy, Batman, and the rest of their friends to far away, unexplored worlds that test their courage and creativity.

Runtime: 106 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for some rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part may have one of the most redundant subtitles ever, but thankfully The LEGO Movie 2 is nowhere near being an unnecessary sequel. Since Phil Lord and Chris Miller were preoccupied producing Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and *sigh* developing Solo: A Star Wars Story before leaving the project late in production due to creative differences, Mike Mitchell's wound up in the director's chair. It's undoubtedly an unenviable task to build a better sequel considering everyone's unexpected obsession with The LEGO Movie, but Mitchell leans into Lord and Miller's frenetic style that made the original so beloved. However, Lord and Miller are still solely responsible for the sequel's screenplay while Matthew Fogel lent the duo a hand constructing the story.

Picking up right where The LEGO Movie left off, audiences are treated to an opening sequence of the DUPLO destruction teased in the original's ending. After a five year time jump (mirroring the distance between The LEGO Movie 2 and its predecessor), viewers discover that Bricksburg has become a Mad Max: Fury Road-esque apocalyptic wasteland in the wake of said mayhem. Consequently, every citizen of Bricksburg is now edgy and battle-hardened, paralleling the newfound teenage angst of their owner Finn, except for Emmet... Emmet still has the cheery, naive disposition audiences will remember from the last movie, so Lucy asks him to change with the times, believing a tough exterior is the only way to survive in their world. When Lucy and co. are kidnapped, this all sets Emmet's arc into gear.

Also voiced by Chris Pratt, Rex Dangervest enters the picture as an amalgamation of Pratt's live action roles and a fascinating foil to Emmet. Dangervest is the prime example of a hyper-masculine tough hero Lucy wants Emmet to be. Now, EVERYTHING I've mentioned thus far is showcased prominently in the trailers, but I thought it ought to be regurgitated before I continue. I'm about to touch on story elements which could be considered somewhat spoilery, but I can assure you these are things you will quickly pick up on in the first fifteen minutes or maybe have already gleaned from the trailers. They aren't bombshell revelations in the slightest, but if you're sensitive to knowing story information beforehand, I figured I'd give you the courtesy of a warning so you can click away and come back once you've seen The LEGO Movie 2. With that said, the sequel's thematic material is a progression of the original's message to be yourself. This time around, it's more about staying true to yourself and not compromising your identity when growing up. Additionally, The Second Part trades in the parental-child dynamic for an allegory about sibling relationships.

Coexistence is key, and as someone with three younger sisters, I relate to the depicted central struggle between siblings. I've witnessed many overblown misunderstandings firsthand where both sides were well-intentioned. This fits together nicely with the arc mentioned above. Maturing doesn't mean you have to ditch the compassion in favor of cynicism. There's room for skepticism, but also a healthy dose of optimism. It's up to us to find the balance. 

Lord and Miller haven't abandoned the witty meta-humor that popularized the first though. From the get-go, they satirize the concept of darker sequels by offering the antithesis and poking fun at the notion in their dialogue. The LEGO Movie 2 often delves into self-parody by becoming a full-blown cheery musical. If you thought "Everything is Awesome" was an obnoxious ear-worm, you better prepare for a soundtrack filled with upbeat, original pop-tunes (I promise there's a narrative purpose). "Catchy Song" in particular delivers on the promise of its lyrics and WILL get stuck in your head for a while. The music may alienate viewers who perceive it as annoying, but I found the lyrics in most songs to be utterly hysterical. On that note, there's not a post-credits scene, but stick around during the first part of the credits and just listen carefully to the song playing over the credits. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Otherwise, the animation offers plenty of sensational spectacle. In addition to improving on the LEGO animation style, the animators ensure the sequel's more colorful, dynamic, and eye-catching than the original. There's extraordinary attention to detail in the mini-figure's restrictive movement and the reflection of light off the brick-built people which enhances the authenticity of the animation. Regarding the music, Jon Lajoie's responsible for the aforementioned original songs while Mark Mothersbaugh's score serves as an excellent accompaniment to the whole ordeal.

As I previously mentioned, Chris Pratt voices both Emmet and Rex Dangervest, effectively differentiating the two while often bantering back-and-forth with himself. In the meantime, Elizabeth Banks lends Lucy an abundance of spunk to further downplay the character's insecurities. Pratt and Banks once again have a wonderful on-screen dynamic. 

Reprising their roles, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, and Nick Offerman click into the grand picture as quality comic relief, playing Batman, Unikitty, Benny, and Metal Beard respectively. Joining the cast, Stephanie Beatriz's General Mayhem and Tiffany Hadish's Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi prove to be exciting additions. As a fan of The Florida Project, I was also VERY delighted to see Brooklynn Prince show up in the live action segments as Finn's younger sister Bianca. Acting alongside her are Jadon Sand, Will Ferrell and fellow franchise newcomer Maya Rudolph.

Though it may not be quite as groundbreaking as the original due to some convoluted plot contrivances, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a well-constructed sequel with plenty of heart, meta-humor, and exquisite eye-candy!

Film Assessment: A-

Recollection Reflection Review: 'The LEGO Movie'

It's been a while since I last reviewed a non-recent film release, but I wanted to revisit The LEGO Movie before I discuss The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part later this week. The reasoning behind this is that the sequel releases this weekend and the first review I ever shared here was for The LEGO Movie almost five years ago (we're days away from that anniversary where I'll share a 5th-year-anniversary post). In other news, I saw The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part at an advanced screening and hoped to complete and share my review Wednesday, but I may wind up seeing it a second time tonight and just wait till Friday. It really depends on when I finish writing this review.

'The LEGO Movie' Review

Nominated for: Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome."

Recollection- The LEGO Movie Review.

Reflection- I can recall seeing The LEGO Movie with especially low expectations because I figured it would be a feature-length advertisement for LEGOs, but being pleasantly surprised to discover an excellent animated feature brimming with heart, humor, and creativity. My opinion of it honestly hasn't changed much since I first saw it almost five years ago, but I'm excited to share a more in-depth review this time around.

Review-

Synopsis: An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be prophesied as "The Special," is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.

Runtime: 100 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for mild action and rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

Co-written and co-directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The LEGO Movie is the third feature from the writer-director duo and one of the most unique animated films to emerge in recent years. Moving at a breakneck pace, the brick-built flick is a remarkably kinetic, witty, and self-aware feature that encapsulates the core concept of LEGO better than a commercial ever could. However, the film takes on a much deeper meaning when the central conflict is revealed as an allegory for a struggle between father and son. Rewatching it with that perspective actually reveals layers-upon-layers of subtext about conformity vs. expressive individuality. However, it's very encouraging that a movie about toys which include an instruction manual is endorsing kids to be creative, and more importantly, be themselves.

Lord and Miller take the stock out of Chosen One prophecies by revealing no one in the film to be THE special because everyone is special in their own unique way. What makes you you is what makes you special, and sometimes a simple heart-to-heart conversation is all it takes to cultivate change. Everyone has the potential to be great and the capacity to make a difference in their home life, community, or even the world at large. All that's required of them is self-acceptance and initiative. With the proper motivation, anyone can complete a journey of self-discovery that will maximize their potential and ultimately make the world a better place. Cynics can criticize that optimistic perspective all they'd like, but it doesn't make the message any less meaningful because there's no harm in being yourself.

Stepping down from my soapbox, I must applaud the animators for materializing a brick-built world that's true to the brand. I've said it before, but I'll say it again... The animators captured the stilted, restricted movement of LEGOs so authentically that I often forget The LEGO Movie isn't a stop-motion production while watching it. Additionally, it all takes place within the imaginative mind of a child, so I love the little storytelling flourishes like the casual mixture of various IPs, the incorporation of common household products as mythic objects, and all the lasers, blasters, and weaponry going "pew pew" whenever fired. Each of these subtle details foreshadows the big twist in addition to giving that reveal much more credence. They're nice touches which flesh out the world in a fun, idiosyncratic way. 

As for the stacked voice cast, everyone constructs a memorable min-fig from the pieces of Lord and Miller's script. Chris Pratt provides the ideal excess of optimism and naivety required for the role of Emmet while also selling the character's self-doubt. Opposite Pratt, Elizabeth Banks' Wyldstyle (Lucy) is the sidekick who's clearly a more qualified hero. Banks strikes a wonderful balance juxtaposing Lucy's go-getter attitude with her underlying insecurities. Of course, I'll also never pass a chance to hear Morgan Freeman's voice share sagely wisdom through the mini-fig form of Vitruvius. Amongst the ensemble, Alison Brie's bipolar Unikitty, Charlie Day's space-ship obsessed Benny, and Nick Offerman's swashbuckling body-less pirate captain Metal Beard each serve as effective comic relief.

If there's a stand-out of the bunch though, it's undoubtedly Will Arnett's LEGO Batman. Arnett's narcissistic, self-serious take on the Dark Knight is legitimately a stroke of satirical comedic genius. Listening to him brag about his edginess will never cease to make me chuckle. It's no wonder he was the first to get a LEGO Movie spin-off!

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell delightfully chews the scenery as the megalomaniac Lord Business and even explores a more nuanced side to the character towards the film's conclusion. Serving as dual-personality law-enforcement, Liam Neeson quite literally spins his head around between voicing Good Cop and Bad Cop which remains an utter treat.

With plenty of heart, humor, and worthwhile messages to impart, The LEGO Movie proved itself to be much more than an hour and forty-one minutes of product placement. Impeccable animation, a charming voice-cast, distinct direction, and a smart script all worked in tandem to build a solid franchise foundation that likely won't get knocked down any time soon. After all this time, I'm happy to report that everything in The LEGO Movie is still awesome!!!

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Pitch Perfect'

Sorry for the slight delay on publishing this review, but this week I'm reviewing Pitch Perfect because Pitch Perfect 3 will be hitting theaters in a matter of weeks. Remaining Throwback Thursday Reviews for the year include The Room, Looper, and Jumanji (1995) to go along with the releases of The Disaster Artist, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. While I'm sick, I also plan on catching up on my other delayed Throwback Thursday Reviews, so expect to see some more of those popping up in the near future.

'Pitch Perfect' Review

Pitch Perfect grooves with an aspiring music producer and standoffish freshman who'd love nothing more than to jet off to Los Angeles and pursue her career, but instead Beca is attending Barden University to satisfy her father's demands. When she and her father come to an agreement that he'll help her move to LA if she spends a year at school, joins a student organization, and remains disinterested in college, Beca joins a regimented female a cappella group intent on defeating their campus rivals and winning the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella. However, Beca soon discovers the group's tired, traditional repertoire is in desperate need of some fine-tuning and puts her music mixing talents to use as she brings some much needed energy and a refreshing sound to the Barden Bellas. 

The plot of Pitch Perfect is by-the-books. I'm sure you've seen a million movies with a similar premise, but Pitch Perfect stands out from the crowd by harmonizing around collegiate a cappella, and the end result a ca-enjoyable. First time feature film director Jason Moore adapted Mickey Rapkin's book with the same happy-go-lucky atmosphere one would associate with Glee. While I haven't read the book, screenwriter Kay Cannon successfully translated Rapkin's work into a delightfully hilarious musical comedy.

Pitch Perfect's strongest assets are its irreverent humor and the countless catchy a cappella covers of plenty of popular tunes. If characters aren't being developed, they're probably singing or cracking wise, and that formula works wonders!

One of the more amusing gags would certainly have to be the a cappella competition commentary from commentators played by Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. It feels largely improvised, but their jokes are among the funniest to be found in the film because of their absurdity.

Pitch Perfect isn't without a proper dosage of heart though, as the film's focal romance is sweet and treats viewers to a pleasant payoff towards the film's conclusion. I especially like the incorporation of The Breakfast Club and self-aware sentiments regarding film endings found in Pitch Perfect's romantic subplot.

Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, and Hana Mae Lee fill the ranks of the principal Bellas as reserved recruit Beca, ostentatious "Fat Amy," cheerful Chloe, stringent leader Aubrey, sex-driven Stacie, tomboyish Cynthia-Rose, and soft-spoken Lilly. Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, and Adam Devine also make an impression as good guy Jesse, geeky Benji, and brutish Bumper, but the ensemble is great across the board.

On the whole, Pitch Perfect still hits all the right notes in spite of a predictable and formulaic story structure.

Film Assessment: B

'Power Rangers' Review

Power Rangers follows five teenagers in the small town of Angle Grove as they stumble across mystic power coins and are granted exceptional abilities. The teens then must band together and learn to work as a team of heroes if they're to stand any chance defending Angel Grove from the ruinous Rita Repulsa. As I mentioned in my Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie review, I didn't grow up watching Power Rangers and this week was actually my first time to watch anything Power Rangers-related in its entirety so it goes without saying I've never been a part of the Power Rangers fanbase and therefore this review won't be biased with nineties-nostalgia. I did find it immensely interesting to watch a blockbuster for a fervent fandom I didn't have much prior knowledge on as contrasted to a new Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, or DC production where I'm able pick up on the major easter eggs and references with ease. I mention all of this to highlight how successful Power Rangers is in being somewhat accessible to new viewers and to incorporate my own personal background (or lack thereof) with the franchise considering this is a blog and not an editorial review. 

Power Rangers is directed by Dean Israelite with a screenplay penned by John Gatkins and story elements pooled from Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, and Michele and Kieran Mulroney. Israelite does a fine job juggling the responsibilities of director, maintaining momentum in the character-driven storytelling while helming some serviceable action sequences. I wasn't too big a fan of the shaky-cam cinematography Israelite and Matthew Lloyd chose to utilize or the slo/fast-mo editing incorporated in the third act finale but the action is fine for the most part. The visual effects looked great and really sold the more outlandish elements that accompany Power Rangers. The suit's have garnered a lot of comparison to Iron Man's armor but I thought they looked cool in the action scenes and are miles better than the '90s outfits.

One of my concerns going into Power Rangers was that the filmmakers were going to strive to be a gritty, dark reboot of a silly, campy concept and while the film was serious, I was pleasantly surprised with the middle ground discovered by the creative team, even though Power Rangers can be tonally inconsistent on occasion. Gatkins did a wonderful job as screenwriter positioning the lead characters to be both authentic and relatable teenagers without leaning too heavily on teen angst or any other perpetual overblown teenage stereotypes.

All the characters are outcasts but they're outcast in a believable manner; Jason and Kimberly are both twists on the typical popular kids, Billy is on the spectrum, Zack is a rebel with a cause, and Trini is lesbian. I don't think there's nearly as much controversy on that as what surrounded Beauty and the Beast (2017) but Trini is portrayed as the first openly LGBT superhero so that's worth noting I guess. The film doesn't draw much attention to it though so it never felt like a distraction and honestly it didn't do much to affect the story whatsoever. In fact, the element of the screenplay I was mostly interested with was the character dynamics and background opposed to the generic third act battle against a CG-army. If you're going to Power Rangers for the action alone, you may be bored for a good hour and a half due to the nature of being an origin story but I personally liked the decision to flesh out the characters. 

Yes, the script has plot holes, clichés, and the writing isn't particularly strong but the cast assembled really elevate the material. Dacre Montgomery seems to have what it takes to be a star and certainly exemplifies all the attributes of a leading man with his take on Jason (The Red Ranger). Montgomery managed to capture charisma and a vulnerability you wouldn't expect from his character that made him a likable leader. Naomi Scott made for a nice leading female character as Kimberly (The Pink Ranger), who thankfully wasn't there for either sex appeal or to be the damsel in distress but rather turned out to be a compelling character in her own right.

RJ Cyler however, was without a doubt the standout with his portrayal of Billy (The Blue Ranger), channeling autism in a manner that seemed authentic and respectful to those on the spectrum while just being a good-spirited likable presence. Ludi Lin's Zack (The Black Ranger) and Becky G's Trini (The Yellow Ranger) probably have the least to do of the five and feel underdeveloped in comparison but their characters didn't draw my interest so I was ok with that. Across the board, the five Rangers felt well-cast and suited to their respective roles and managed to sell the team dynamic thanks to their friendly chemistry. Elsewhere, Bryan Cranston does as much as you'd expect an actor of that caliber to possibly put forth as a floating head and Bill Hader was a nice source of comedic relief as Alpha 5.

If there's one thing I absolutely hated in this movie, it would have to be Elizabeth Banks' over-the-top portrayal of Rita Repulsa. I got some Suicide Squad Enchantress vibes from Banks' performance and that's not a good thing... Banks goes full-in on the hammy villainy you'd expect to see in the campy children's television series but in the context of this more grounded iteration of the Rangers Banks comes across to be absolutely ridiculous. She's almost singlehandedly the source of Power Rangers' tonal issues and I'd put her up for worst performance of the year with no questions asked.

One thing I'd be remised to leave out of this review is that this film has the plenty of blatant product placement, like most other blockbusters in this day-and-age. However, Power Rangers highlights one specific company to the extent that this company actually became an integral plot point and I thought it was hilarious that Power Rangers ended up being a feature length commercial for this company (I won't mention it for those who'd consider it a spoiler).

In conclusion, Power Rangers doesn't do much to stand out from the packed superhero genre but it offers an entertaining escapade for those seeking a fun time. Power Rangers ultimately suffers from being a tried-and true team superhero origin story but the core cast impressed me and helped make the film an enjoyable experience. I can highly recommend this to hardcore Power Rangers fans, who probably don't need my endorsement to begin with, and would say it's worth at least checking out once for those on the fence. While I may not have left the theater jumping up and down screaming "GO GO POWER RANGERS," I did enjoy it as the superficial popcorn blockbuster it was meant to be and would be up to go go see any sequels.

Film Assessment: C

'The LEGO Movie' Review

Nominated for: Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome".

So yesterday I went to go see The LEGO Movie, interested in seeing a movie based on one of my favorite toys as a child. I had seen that it had gotten very good reviews and I really enjoyed it.  The voice actors did a spectacular job especially Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman, and Chris Pratt, who will be the lead in Marvel's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. It was a very cute children's movie with a good message that everyone is special if they believe in themselves. It was very enjoyable to watch in 3D because LEGOs would pop out as they were built or destroyed. I would highly recommend seeing the film in 3D if it is in your budget. Overall, The LEGO Movie was a very enjoyable trip to the theater.