Sonic The Hedgehog Possesses Enough Heart And Charm To Make It Worthy Of Its Name

      Making a live-action film adaptation of a classic video game that proves to be faithful, is by no means an easy task. The filmmakers given that task have to not only bring the game to life on the big screen in a way that does the source material justice, but transcend the material with an appropriate story that can make it work as a standalone film. With the exception of a few decent video game movie adaptations (Mortal Kombat, Silent Hill, and Detective Pikachu with an argument being made for Tomb Raider 2018), most that fall into this specific genre ultimately fail at successfully making the switch from video game to the big screen. In the case of Sonic The Hedgehog, high expectations were always placed upon the filmmakers in terms of ultimately getting it right. The team behind the new film got their first taste of the films criticisms when fans both largely and loudly sounded the alarm at the design of Sonic in the first trailers. The backlash proved to be so intense that the studio was forced to do a complete redesigning of the character, adding millions to the budget. While the improved version of the characters design helped to smooth over audiences perception of the film through the trailers, the question still remained of whether the actual film itself was any good and does the film like how Detective Pikachu effectively demonstrated last year, continue to break the notion that video game movies can't be good. The answer much to both the curiosity and anxiousness of fans is yes, Sonic The Hedgehog manages to bring its characters to life in a way that makes the audience care, as well as giving them backstory with the film as a whole being a faithful video game adaptation, that's full of both heart and charm.

      Based on the popular SEGA video game franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog's plot centers around a super speedy space creature named Sonic (Voiced by Ben Schwartz), arriving on Earth with him trying to stay out of sight. When an energy spike occurs, the government enlists a maniac scientist named Dr. Robotnik (Played brilliantly by Jim Carrey) to track down and uncover the hedgehogs secret powers for fiendish purposes. Given that the film had to fill in the blanks in regards to giving both Sonic and Dr. Robotnik proper backstories, which not only connected with the overall story but also proved to be believable with audiences, the filmmakers do a fairly decent job of creating a brand new cinematic universe around these iconic characters. Ben Schwartz brings a great deal of both humor and charm to the role of Sonic with Jim Carrey delivering what's easily his strongest and whackiest performances in years. As an overall fun experience that's family-themed, Sonic The Hedgehog works the best when its main actors help elevate the script. The film doesn't quite give off the style of the SEGA Sonic games nor have the original storyline as it draws from the newer versions of the games, but it incorporates enough elements to home in on audiences nostalgia such as Sonic's general attitude, the robots created by Dr. Robotnik that end up chasing Sonic, the overall visual appearance of Sonic's original place of origin, and the way he ultimately defeats Robotnik being lifted straight from the games. What the filmmakers do here and end up being successful at for the most part, is delivering enough homage to the past era of Sonic, while reimagining the character and story for today's generation. Sonic The Hedgehog is not a groundbreaking film nor does it come across as being amazing in terms of quality, but it knows what it wants to he and succeeds in delivering enough fun for audiences combined with a surprise amount of laughs and moments of pure heart, that's bound to charm the pants off fans of the character. Given how badly of a misfire Hedgehog could've turned out to be, it's surprisingly decent and better than what most would expect.

      The main element that makes the film work is the charming and energetic performances of its main cast. The casting of the actor to provide the voice of Sonic was always going to be a crucial creative decision, that ultimately determined whether the film would succeed or fail. Thankfully with the casting of Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, he manages to not only rise to the occasion but give the character life in a way that makes Sonic completely likable and sympathetic. Schwartz provides both humor and charm with the role, finding the right balance between the two along with the redesigning of his character adding to the appeal of the live-action Sonic. Whereas Jaleel White did a great job providing the voice of Sonic from the 90's cartoon show, Ben Schwartz continues the work White left behind and brings Sonic into a new era for both audiences and fans. As for the role of Sonic's main antagonist Dr. Robotnik, Jim Carrey proves to be the perfect choice for the role as he not only makes for an effective villain, but manages to channel his classic 90's maniac persona with the character, assuring fans that he's lost virtually none of the edge that made him a star over the years. Carrey channels all the right personality traits for Robotnik's character, making him effectively come across as being crazed, eccentric, obsessive, sinister, and ultimately unlikable. Schwartz and Carrey prove to be the ultimately hero and foe in the story with the films key casting choices being brilliantly pieced together. In addition to their strong performances, James Marsden also manages to shine and create a strong male lead as Thomas Wachowski, a sheriff from Green Hills with ambitions of joining the SFPD, who later befriends and aids Sonic in his quest to stop Dr. Robotnik. Marsden creates a likable presence with his character along with sharing chemistry with Schwartz. He perfectly sells his character as being a friend and ally of Sonic with the audience admiring the stance he takes when confronting Robotnik. Other notable supporting roles are Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Tom's wife who also becomes an ally of Sonic with helping him as well as her husband evade Robotnik, and Lee Majdoub as Robotnik's right hand man Stone. If the Sonic film was ever going to have a chance of being a decent video game adaptation, the casting of the main characters had to not only be on point but make the audience invested in both them as well as the story. With Sonic The Hedgehog, the cast feels just right with everyone adding something to the film with their performances along with appearing to have a blast with making the movie.

      As for the films directing, the work conducted by Jeff Fowler can be considered as both effective and noteworthy with him creating both a realistic and effective atmosphere for the character of Sonic to appear in live-action form. His direction definitely gives the film a family-friendly atmosphere, that aims to be nostalgic while providing loads of fun for its audience. Although Fowler's directing doesn't reach the realms of being groundbreaking in any sense, he possesses enough creativity to make the story work while maintaining a steady hand with presenting the appropriate atmosphere for the characters, that falls between the lines of being both silly and mature. Fowler's decent directing is strengthened by the films strong technical elements such as it's cinematography, impressive set design when the film shows Sonic's original place of origin, and editing that keeps the story flowing at a reasonably quick and steady pace despite a few hiccups in the films middle section. The CGI is impressive with the redesign of Sonic being vastly superior to the original design, that lacked both creativity and passion behind the designing of the character in a live-action world. The films soundtrack by Tom Holkenborg proves to be effective with the score channeling the old school music from the video games combined with newer music, that appropriately fits the story while enhancing the films emotional core. As far as directing goes, Jeff Fowler succeeds in assembling all the key elements that ultimately make the film work on the big screen, while creating an atmosphere that's welcoming for both families as well as fans of the game. He provides enough Easter eggs and nostalgia to please those who are familiar with the legacy of Sonic, while helping to give the film a pulse.

       The films screenplay by Patrick Casey and Josh Miller for the most part does a decent job of transferring the story of Sonic from video game to the big screen in a way that garner's the audiences interest as well as pleasing them overall. While none of the films main thematic elements are original and have been borrowed from other stories ( Examples are subplots that include an alien creature landing on Earth, befriending a human, the government pursuing the creature in hopes of both capturing and experimenting on him, and the human ultimately helping the alien escape) such as E.T. and Bumblebee, the writers do a strong job of taking those familiar elements and making them feel fresh while presenting a grand entrance to big screen for the iconic characters. The best thing that can be said about the characterization of Sonic in the film, is how much audience cares about his character. One can clearly see the effort that the writers put into making the story work with the film carrying both 90's nostalgic moments such as Sonic witnessing Marsden's character as well as his wife watching Jan De Bont's action classic Speed with Sonic later quoting Dennis Hopper's character in a fashion that turns out to be hilarious. The screenplay also manages to incorporate slick moments of humor into the story with Sonic's character having the right balance of humor, while also managing to show emotion. The audience also grows to care about Mardsen's character Thomas surprisingly with his growing friendship with Sonic being the soul of the film. The ultimate message that the writers deliver to the audience, particularly young children is that friends can help each other get through even the worst of situations as evidenced by the relationship between Sonic and Thomas. The most important element that the film needed besides it's controversial redesigning of the main character, is the story needed heart to make it work. Sonic The Hedgehog not only has heart, but it effectively and proudly beats throughout the film while managing to make its older fans feel young again.

      Given that this film could've easily turned into a huge misfire (And almost did both financially and critically had the studio not did the appropriate thing and listen to the audiences complaints with the characters original design), Sonic The Hedgehog ultimately turns out to be a faithful adaptation of the classic video game series that's really much more fun than it has any right to be. It's nostalgia driven and packed with both loads of laughs and creative action sequences, that stay true to the nature of the character with Jim Carrey completely owning it as Dr. Robotnik. Could the film have been better overall? Yes, the story works as a starter for a potential trilogy of films but it's nothing groundbreaking nor original. One hopes however that the sequel dives further into the universe of Sonic with more familiar characters making their way into the live-action franchise, as well as more homages to the early days of Sonic such as Sonic 2 and 3 on Genesis. If one happens to be curious to see the movie but are afraid if doing so out of fear that it'll disappoint or just flat out suck, they'll be pleasantly surprised as the movie turns out to be nothing more or less than harmless fun with its heart in the right place. Sonic The Hedgehog stands as being one of the years most surprise hits thus far with the quality of the film being relatively decent. For a film that most people had written off before it's release before embracing it entirely (The film has been the number one movie in America for over two weeks and counting), Sonic does quite an impressive job of zooming past expectations as well as showing that video game film adaptations, if handled right can actually work. Hopefully other studios as well as the makers of this film will feel more comfortable in taking direction from the fans in regards to what they want to see put on the screen with the reassurance that they'll support the final product in the end if handled with the right care and dedication. Sonic The Hedgehog is a video game film feels sincere, entertaining, loads of fun, and manages to add a new dimension to the characters as well as the story.

Final Verdict: For fans of the classic video game series, Sonic The Hedgehog proves to be worth the wait and redesigning of the character as the film turns out to be one of the strongest video game film adaptations to date.

Good Boys Contains Enough Solid Laughs, Charm, And Heart To Compensate For Its Excessive Use Of Profanity

      Making a successful comedy that resonates with audiences is by no means an easy task. The key to making one that lands with audiences rather than crashes is presenting humor thats fresh, feels natural, and is surrounded by characters and story the audience can not only relate to but become connected with. With Good Boys, producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, the writers and director Gene Stupnitsky   opt for a young Superbad style approach with the story focusing around a group of young boys with potty mouths going on a childhood adventure, which involves tons of mayhem and raunchy laughs. The gimmick with the story is that the filmmakers rely on the young child stars to deliver jokes that are often dipped in profane humor, while delivering the films thoughtful message regarding puberty​ being a strange time period of change in a kids life with it's likable cast of young actors ultimately selling the story. With Good Boys, the film is bound to test older audiences tolerance in regards to the films shock factor of hearing young children using excessive amounts of profanity, but the story manages to not only work in a way that makes it feel relatable to audiences as they'll recollect their own childhood era, it also carries with it enough heart and charm to make it work while being a fun experience that works best as being a young companion to Superbad.

      The plot for Good Boys centers around three sixth grade boys Max, Lucas, and Thor (All played wonderfully by Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon), who plan to attend their first make-out party. Since none of the young boys know how to kiss, one of the boys ends up taking his father's drone and uses it to spy on teen couples in the neighborhood. However, the plan ends up backfiring when the drone ends up getting destroyed with one bad decision leading to another resulting in the young boys getting into trouble. Good Boys presents a unique (As well as polarizing) style of comedy to the audience with the story playing both as a harmless coming of age story mixed with the type of humor that's typically found in a Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen comedy. Good Boys is not only well-intentioned with it's story but aims to not only make the audience laugh, but also for them to connect with the young characters while becoming engulfed in the ridiculousness of the plot. What makes the story work for this film is the realism of it with the young characters being shown not having much life experience with certain scenarios, which comes across as being both funny and understandable to audiences. With Good Boys, it's not the amount of over-the-top and vulgar humor that will shock audiences the most about it (Kids nowadays talk very much like the young characters in the film), rather it's the surprise amount of both charm and heart that's incorporated into the story which ultimately smoothes over the controversial aspects of the film, that certain portions of the audience might feel uncomfortable with. While the profanity might unease some viewers, the heart and sentimentality of the story is strong enough to keep them interested in the young characters adolescent journey.

      One of the key elements that makes the film work is the strong chemistry between the young main actors, as well as their fun and charismatic performances. Young actors Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon deliver strong performances as Max, Lucas, and Thor with each actor getting their moment to shine in the story while making their characters appealing enough for the audience to become invested in the plot. The trio of young actors work so well together, that it's hard to choose which one is the standout of the three, as they all share hilarious moments, particularly ones where they observe or learn about adult situations. Out of three young actors playing their roles, Jacob Tremblay carries the main arc of the story with his role as Max. He manages to handle his role very well while giving the story a central character, who helps provide the film with a structural narrative. Keith L Williams also impresses playing Lucas with his inability to tell lies along with his character having some of the films best lines, that will leave the audience in stitches. The chemistry between the young actors is a huge part of why the film works as well as it does, and elevates it to where there's sincerity within the story along with heart. As far as the supporting cast goes, Will Forte and Lil Rel Howery deliver notable and hilarious supporting performances as the goofy dad's to Max and Lucas with Retta performing well too as Lucas mother. Other notable performances are Molly Gordon as Hannah as well a Midori Francis as Lily. As a whole, the cast does well working together as they bring charm, charisma, and energy to their roles. The film wouldn't have turned out to be as fun and entertaining as it ultimately ends up being if the casting of the young actors wasn't spot on with the trio having fantastic chemistry, as well as good comedic timing. The older actors do a great job of working off their young counterparts while adding to the silliness of the plot

      In terms of the films directing, Gene Stupnitsky delivers what can be best be described as serviceable yet ultimately decent work in terms of helming the film. Where Stupnitsky thrives as director is managing to get strong performances out of his young actors, while creating a youth style atmosphere that feels similar to films like The Sandlot, Superbad, and Take Me Home Tonight. The questionable aspects of his directing is despite the filling of the movie with endless amounts of outrageous humor, gags, and innuendo, the use of profanity delivered by the young trio sometimes feels forced. Although the two stories are completely different, the recent remakes of IT have somewhat of a similar yet twisted style in terms of being a kids story draped with elements, that make it a film aimed specifically for adults rather than the audience that shares the same age as the kids in the film. Despite Good Boys being a film with young kids as the main stars, its not designed to be a film that young people would want to watch due to it's raunchy nature, but one that older teen audiences can view and enjoy if they can get past the excessive use of profanity. The films editing keeps the story moving at a fast enough pace, that the story never feels boring nor slow with the main characters constantly on the move while keeping the audience engaged in their scenario. In regards to the films directing, Stupnitsky for the most part succeeds in finding the appropriate tone of the film, that balances out the child aspect of the plot mixed with the adult nature of the humor. It's not a film that's aimed for everyone, but the directing does it's best to balance out the two contrasting aspects of the film.

      As far as the films writing goes, the films screenplay also by George Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg does a convincing job of writing the film as a harmless comedy, that serves both as a combination of all the successful childhood storytelling formulas such as the typical coming of age story mixed with a teaspoon of childhood adventure. The structural aspect of the story for the most part remains focused with a sentimental aspect added to it with themes regarding friendship, parenting, divorce, growing up, and kids learning about what love and sex are. What makes this film comparable to Superbad is the fact that both films stories are rather silly, but are written in a style that adds both realism and innocence to them. They manage to work as their own respective films by telling their stories with strong characters that the the audience can not only have fun watching but are relatable, making the audience remember their own childhoods or moments of goofiness like the ones depicted in both Good Boys and Superbad. Good Boys script also manages to tackle mature themes that many sixth graders either experience or wonder about including the separation of families, as well as the strengthening of friendships. While some audiences may be put off by the subplot involving the young kids being around or purchasing drugs in an effort to get Max's fathers drone back from the young girls they were spying on, others cannot help but appreciate the innocence behind the message the filmmakers drive home with the young kids trying to prevent the girls from taking the drugs. It can be argued that perhaps the main characters are depicted as being too young for the type of raunchy comedy the film carries, Although the film with all its intent and purposes to entertain, does nothing more than to present a fun comedic experience for audiences, while unintentionally giving audiences a mirror of what today's youth sounds like as well as their curiosities.

      In the end, Good Boys doesn't quite prove to be as successful as Superbad in terms of being an effective youth comedy aimed at a teenage audience. However, it still provides enough fun for the audience to be entertained, while making them invested in both the characters as well as the absurd yet charming nature of the plot. The young cast as well as their older counterparts make it tough for the audience to not have fun with the films premise along with appreciating the sentimentality of the story, even if leans towards being excessive at times. Despite the story carrying an adult nature to it, the humor never crosses the line of being grossed out or indefensible. While the language that the main characters throw out may be off putting to some adult viewers, the filmmakers succeed in making the audience care about the young kids, showing them just to be a curious trio, who are simply trying to do the right thing and are good-hearted. The young cast holds their own with their chemistry making the film what it is with steady directing from George Stupnitsky, who keeps both the camera as well as the film focused on them for full effect. It may not be everyone's cup of tea in regards to being funny at the end of the day, but it intends to give audiences a fun yet silly ride that carries both sentimentality and heart to it. If one views the film through those lens, they'll see that there's much to behold here with a fun comedy that's specifically aimed for both teens and young adults with themes that are relatable. The best compliment that can be given to the filmmakers regarding Good Boys is they not only generate decent laughs, but manage to make the audience recollect their own times as youths in middle school. If one enjoys raunchy comedies with a twist then Good Boys is a solid comedy work checking out as it has laughs, character development, and heart.

Final Verdict: For those looking for laughs with a surprise twist to the story, Good Boys is the film to check out.

Hellboy 2019 Is An Unnecessary Reboot That Suffers From Lazy And Uninspired Filmmaking

      

      Reboots these days appear to either be hit or miss with most cases end up being they miss the goal they originally set out to achieve. In the case of Hellboy 2019, one can't help but ask why anyone felt the need to reboot a series, that was already strong in terms of quality with the first two installments. The Hellboy movies that were directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro were not only entertaining, but carried with them a visual flare which made them appealing to audiences along with possessing heart with a strong performance from Ron Perlman in the lead role. While the previous Hellboy films weren't runaway box office hits, they managed to churn out reasonable business while achieving critical acclaim from both audiences as well as the fans. Instead of going the most logical route with the franchise which would've been to continue the story with a third installment, the filmmakers behind the reboot chose to start from scratch after Guillermo del Toro wasn't offered the chance to return as both writer-director to continue the series along with Ron Perlman refusing to reprise his role without del Toro's involvement. The end result turns out to be a disaster of a film as the reboot not only fails to reinvigorate the series, but ends up just being an all around terrible film from poor writing to uninspired directing and lack of a true vision, something that the previous Hellboy films despite their own minor faults possessed. The greatest tragedy with the new Hellboy isn't that it just flat out sucks, it's completely devoid of the charm, the heart, and the spirit of the films that warranted its existence in the first place.

      Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, the plot for the Hellboy reboot focuses on the well-meaning half-demon (Played less effectively by David Harbour in comparison to Ron Perlman ) battling an evil queen (Played by Milla Jovovich) that was killed and dismembered by King Arthur centuries prior, but has been revived and put back together with her using her powers against humanity. Rather than continuing from where 2004's Hellboy and 2008's Hellboy ll: The Golden Army left off, the reboot of Hellboy opts for a completely fresh take with the outcome being one that's both frustrating and genuinely heartbreaking for those who enjoyed those films. Everything that was effective and appealing about del Toro's films is completely absent here with the new film lacking a personality of its own. The lack of the originals talented filmmaker along with Ron Perlman, casts a huge shadow over the production of this movie as the dynamic teaming of those two is sorely missed here. Without the vision and guidance of del Toro behind the story, the reboot feels uneven and goes completely off the rails making it a vastly inferior reimagining of the Hellboy story in almost every aspect. The two key elements that automatically prevent the film from being good is the screenplay being poorly constructed with the second being the tone of the film being so over-the-top and uneven due to the lack of a firm grip that director Neil Marshall has over the film. The film essentially feels like a complete mismatch of talents both on the screen and in the developmental department. It also doesn't help that one of the franchises key trademark qualities such as its unique visual style, is shockingly absent here. With the lack of a visual appearance, the new film feels completely devoid of a soul and the imagination to make both its character and story work. Hellboy 2019 is not only a film that fans didn't ask for, it doesn't look or feel as if it tries very hard to justify its existence to the audience nor makes the case that this direction for the character is stronger than the one which del Toro and Perlman laid out for the fans.

     One of the films biggest disappointments lies within the performances of the main cast, many of whom often feel miscast for their parts. The most notable misfire is Stranger Thing's David Harbour in the main title role. Harbor tries his absolute best at playing the role with him even having a similar physical​ structure as the character. No matter how hard Harbour tries, Ron Perlman's shadow hovers over the film and it shows as his performance isn't as commanding. One appreciates the effort that Harbour puts into trying to make Hellboy more charismatic and human in this story compared to the more intimidating approach that Perlman took with the role. Ian McShane is another talented actor whose wasted in this film playing Hellboy's adoptive father and founder of the B.P.R.D Trevor Bruttenholm. Not only does his character feel miscast but he doesn't have the warm and caring vibe that John Hurt brought to the role with the 2004 film. This version of Bruttenholm is less compassionate and not sympathetic to Hellboy questioning his purpose in the world. Milla Jovovich does the best she can playing the films main antagonist Vivienne Nimue, the Blood Queen whose an ancient yet powerful British sorceress from the Dark Ages who seeks to destroy humanity. There's nothing special nor new that Jovovich brings to the role as her type of female villain has been done before numerous times in other films (With most cases being stronger characterization and depth). Other somewhat noteworthy supporting roles in the film are Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan, a young woman with part Irish descent, who became a powerful medium after being kidnapped by fairies when she was a baby, and Daniel Saw Kim as military member of the B.P.R.D Ben Daimio (His character carries a supernatural transformation such as being able to turn into an intimidating jaguar-style creature when angry, it sounds interesting if not for the fact that it's random and not thoroughly developed in the story). It's not that the main cast delivered terrible performances, they appeared to have done the best work possible with the material given to them but there's a severe lack of guidance and direction that shows with both the performances and actors feeling out of place.

      The films directing by Neil Marshall is severely underwhelming compared to the impressive work that Guillermo del Toro left behind with his movies. The new film lacks the majestical feel, heart, and sincerity of the previous films with the humor, wit, and visual elements that made those films so enjoyable and iconic being completely absent here. Guillermo didn't just make the previous Hellboy films entertaining, he managed to transcend the derivative nature of the source material and added more to it. Whereas the action and violence in those films were handled well largely due to del Toro's masterful craftsmanship as a director, the blood and gore presented here is overused and serves as being rather unnecessary at times (The fight scene between Hellboy and the giants is surprisingly devoid of any genuine suspense and thrills). The films cinematography is unappealing and pales in comparison to the impressive work Guillermo Navarro delivered with del Toro's universe. One of the most notable traits about the 2004 Hellboy is how much the film felt like a comic book movie with a look and style similar to Captain America: First Avenger. The cinematography presented in the 2019 reboot leaves much to be desired with the films atmosphere lacking a true visual presence. The editing comes across as being messy with the film attempting to cram so much into it that certain scenes appear to jump around and leave audiences confused with a story structure and narrative, that feels unbalanced at times making the audience question how the characters got to specific points in the story. Another underwhelming element besides the films directing is the lack of impressive CGI as what's presented here doesn't catch the audiences attention, nor is enough to save the film from lazy storytelling. The films makeup effects come across as looking rather silly, particularly the giants with Hellboy's appearance making him appear to be less realistic and uneven with him carrying a Zombie like appearance. The films soundtrack by Benjamin Wallfisch feels both excessive and overused in comparison to Marco Beltrami's music on the previous films, which felt more in line with the majestical feel of those stories. It's not that the new Hellboy doesn't have the right production values to make it work as a decent reboot, it's that the film feels like it was made without a specific vision to take the character other than just being an obvious cash grab (And it painfully shows because virtually every aspect of the films production serves as being vastly inferior to the work established by del Toro's team).

      Besides the lazy direction, the most fatal flaw that automatically flatlines the reboot is the weak screenplay by Andrew Cosby. The films script doesn't feel like it takes the character anywhere new, and often feels like a less interesting remake of the 2004 film. The character development for the most part comes across as feeling one-dimensional with the evil queen subplot, as well as forcing the main character to join her side because they share a commonality is nothing groundbreaking nor new. What made the screenplays for the del Toro movies thrive were that the characters were both charismatic and interesting with enough room being left for their development to make the audience care. The humor presented in those stories was also handled with great care and restraint, which added to their appeal. The biggest problem with the new script is that the story is too generic and bland to make audiences become invested in it. Not only is the villain not very interesting but there aren't characters present that the audience can grow attached to, not even Hellboy. One appreciates the effort that the filmmakers took in trying to differentiate the characters from the previous films such as McShane's Dr. Bloom being more of a warrior figure with knowledge in comparison to the scientist that John Hurt played. Daniel Day Kim's characters surprise twist was interesting, but it lacks the proper development to make it truly shocking nor have the audience care. Sasha Lane's Alice could've been a strong character if handled right, but she pales in comparison to Selma Blair's character Liz Sherman in the earlier films. Wherea's the first Hellboy essentially gave off a magical fantasy romance vibe with Perlman and Blair's characters, that dynamic is replaced with Hellboy going straight into action mode with battling giant monsters. Some of the monsters are so over-the-top and ridiculous (Mr. Pighead for example, what were they thinking?), that they take away from the believability of the story while making Hellboy look less interesting.

      In the end, this film required three essential ingredients to make it work as a standalone reboot. The first was to have a strong director whose both a visionary as well as a solid storyteller like the perfect balance that Guillermo del Toro displayed with his films. The second was to have a lead actor, who could meet the bar that Ron Perlman set with his portrayal of the Hellboy character head on while taking it in a direction that proved to be just as effective. And third was to have a script that provided enough meat for the characters to grow, while having a compelling enough story to draw the audience into the new rebooted universe of Hellboy. Unfortunately, this film lacked all of those items required to make it work and ultimately ends up being a forgettable and tragic misfire, that should've just been a third installment to the original Hellboy series rather than a restart. There's almost nothing about the new film that's redeemable or worth recommending to fans of the series as everything feels like it lacks the proper inspiration to pull it off. What kills this reboot is a stale story, poor character development, and the deliberate and forceful attempt to go against the wishes of the audience with delivering an unnecessary reboot that lacks the fire, the passion, and the visual splendor of the films before it. One sincerely hopes that Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman return to the franchise someday to give audiences the Hellboy lll they've been waiting for since the second films release. For those who loved del Toro's masterful work with Hellboy, Hellboy ll: The Golden Army and became infatuated with his dark and twisted enchanting universe, they'd be wise to steer clear of this film as it'll provide no entertainment value and will ultimately leave fans with feelings of both disappointment and depression in most cases. Coming out in a year where attempted reboots to popular franchises failed left and right (Men In Black: International, Terminator: Dark Fate, Charlie's Angels, etc), Hellboy unfortunately adds itself to that list and justifies it by being a complete mess of a film that will be forgotten about in time. Given the strength of the series up to this point, that's not a bad thing. Hellboy is one of the worst films to come out in 2019 with the film ultimately serving as an example for the saying that if something is not broke then don't fix it.

Final Verdict: For fans of Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman's Hellboy films, they'd be wise to absolutely skip this reboot as nothing about it measures up to the works of those films and serves to leave fans largely disappointed they didn't just make a third film instead.

For Those Left Disappointed By Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey Is A Step In The Right Direction

      When one looks at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they see a mostly consistent and well-structured universe of films that carries very few missteps. Regardless of whether one Marvel film wasn't up to the standard of previous ones, fans forgave it's flaws and still went into the next installment with the confidence that it'll deliver. The same can't be said about the current status of the DCEU,  (DC Extended Universe), which so far has largely underperformed despite showing sizable improvement with the most recent solo films. Whereas Man Of Steel, Batman V Superman, and Justice League all failed to meet audiences expectations, Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam not only exceeded expectations financially, but provide hope that the DCEU will continue to improve upon it's early missteps. Thankfully, that trend continues with this year's Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey. Whereas Suicide Squad proved to be a messy comic book adaptation that heavily divided fans with it's overall quality, Birds Of Prey attempts and largely succeeds for the most part (despite a fair amount of flaws) in steering the ship in the right direction with the end result being a hit rather than a miss. The film is largely powered by it's strong female cast, particularly Margot Robbie who not only steals the show but easily carries the film as Harley Quinn. What could've easily ended up being another hot mess like David Ayer's Suicide Squad, turns out to be one of the better films churned out by the DCEU so far.

      The plot for Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey focuses on Harley Quinn's character (Played by Margot Robbie), struggling to make it on her own after breaking up with the Joker and her finding herself being menaced by a Gotham crime boss (Played by Ewan McGregor). In order to take him down for good, she teams up with a few friends and former police detective to do so. Although the film references the events of Suicide Squad, as well as having characters from that film conveniently absent from the story (Jared Leto's Joker gets a name drop with the filmmakers making a strong effort not to bring his character back for fear of giving audiences bad memories of that film), Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey attempts for the most part to steer clear of that film while telling its own story. The latter proves to be a smart move as the film focuses on what's arguably the most memorable element of the previous film, which is Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. Unlike Suicide Squad, Birds Of Prey feels true to the character with a more focused storyline and directing, that's a bit more restrained though still colorful and explosive with tons of fast-paced action sprinkled throughout the story. The appeal of the new characters also does a great deal to win over fans who were disappointed by the last film, as their on screen chemistry proves to be effective. Despite the story feeling a bit generic and bland at times, there's enough elements that Birds Of Prey has going for it that ultimately makes it not only enjoyable, but essentially feel like the film that Suicide Squad ultimately should've been. For fans who were largely disappointed by Suicide Squad, Birds Of Prey marks a step in the right direction with the hope that Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn can right the ship with his much anticipated Suicide Squad reboot.

      One of the key elements that makes Birds Of Prey work so well at being both fun and enjoyable is the appeal of the newer characters, that's largely thanks to the performances of the main cast. Margot Robbie continues to make the case that she's the perfect choice for bringing the character of Harley Quinn to the big screen in live-action form. She's funny, charismatic, crazy, intense, and is able to fully convey the characters colorful yet anarchic nature which she brilliantly conveys on the big screen. Robbie's strength at playing the character is a big reason why the new film works so well because of how she's able to bring Harley Quinn to life, and make the story surrounding her character appear to be engaging. As far as the rest of the cast goes, Ewan McGregor shines in his role as the films main antagonist Roman Sionis/Black Mask. Here he does a terrific job of playing both a brutal and narcissistic crime lord, who threatens both Harley and Cassandra. Another noteworthy performance goes to Ella Jay Basco in the role of Cassandra Can, a young girl with a bounty placed on her head by Sionis after she robs him of a valuable diamond. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does well playing Helena Bertinelli, orphaned daughter of gangster Franco Bertinelli later turned vigilante named Huntress. Jurnee Smollett-Bell both surprises and impresses in the role of playing Black Canary, a vigilante who possesses the metahuman ability of hypersonic screams. Rosie Perez adds to the energy of the cast with her role as an alcoholic, cynical detective in the Gotham City Police Department, whose building a case against Sionis. As a whole, the cast of Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey does a terrific job with bringing their characters to life with strong, fun, and believable performances that bring a great deal of energy to the film while enhancing the excitement.

      The films directing by Cathy Yen is effective in terms of giving the film both the flame and fire needed to make its story work given how David Ayer's film ultimately turned out. Yen manages to keep the story primarily focused on the character of Quinn, while properly introducing the other characters. The films atmosphere is colorful and flashy with its stellar set and costume design taking center stage with the overall visual style of the film. The films cinematography is similar to Suicide Squad in terms of being wild and flashy, though feels appropriate given the source material of the story. The films soundtrack is effective with it going hand in hand with the films visual look with the editing keeping the story moving for the most part due to its manic style pacing. Not only is the cinematography of the film striking visually, but the films action sequences are not only impressive to watch, they're extremely well-choreographed and put together. Yan designs each action sequence to be distinct from the previous one with her making effective use of the films settings (Examples are the use of a police lock-up being an ideal place to set up an action scene given all the items in the scene that the main characters can utilize). Although the films story might lack in regards to originality, the directing by Yen does a very solid job of making up for the scripts shortcomings with her crafting a fun and whacky popcorn ride, that's not only explosive but proves to be tons of fun to watch with a relatively straight-forward narrative combined with crafty filmmaking.

      The films screenplay by Christina Hodson is effective in regards to continuing the world building, that was set up in the previous film with Gotham being used as the background setting. The scripts greatest strength lies within the development of the characters, particularly Quinn's whom the filmmakers structure to be a Deadpool like character in the story in regards to both speaking directly to the audience, along with largely being the main focus of the film. The filmmakers were correct to change the title of the film to Harley Quinn rather than it being just Birds Of Prey, because the whole structure of the film is centered around her character with the other members of the female squad getting sizable doses of development though not as much. Whereas the character development with the main actresses and villain are strong, the story as a whole feels a bit generic and underwhelming in a sense. The whole subplot involving the main villain targeting a young girl because she swallowed a diamond feels like a plot though serviceable, ultimately feels like it falls beneath the character of Harley Quinn. Given that the latter is the main character, having a film with her that doesn't include the Joker leaves a bit of awkwardness to the proceedings despite the end result still being fun to watch. Perhaps this was an effort on the filmmakers end to move the character away from Jared Leto's Joker in Suicide Squad as he's easily the worst adaptation of the character compared to Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's portrayals. If that's the case then the film both benefits from his absence, but still suffers from the lack of The Jokers presence. As a film that shows the formation of the Birds Of Prey squad, the film does a solid job of assembling the misfit team with each character getting their proper moment to shine with enough action and humor spread throughout the story to keep audiences thrilled.

     In the end, Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey is a film about style and personality that's flashy, entertaining, and delivers on it's promise to further develop it's main character. Robbie continues to prove to audiences that she's the embodiment of the character of Harley, much like Ryan Reynolds is the perfect person to play Deadpool with no alternative being acceptable. For the most part, the film succeeds in doing what it sets out to do despite containing faults of its own. The films narrative despite being steady, can become shuffled at times with some of the character development being questionable. Such examples are Black Canary not being allowed to do much in the film, and only getting the opportunity to utilize her vocal powers near the end of the film. Despite Perez's character giving audiences the police angle in the story, her character feels cliched at times with moments of forced humor (The T-shirt she wears for example in several scenes). While Huntress character is appealing for the most part, she comes across as feeling like a Kill Bill type character. Although the film has noticeable flaws, the pros of the film greatly outweigh the negatives with the chemistry of the main cast along with the appeal of the characters making it worthwhile. The film serves as being neither a Birds Of Prey film nor a Suicide Squad type sequel, but works best as being a solo origin story for Harley Quinn's character with Margot Robbie easily being the strongest element of the film. She gives a commanding performance that keeps the audience fully engaged in the story, while making the scenes without her a challenge in regards to maintaining interest as viewers are left waiting in anticipation to see what she would do next. Giving Margot Robbie the reigns of the story with the film being largely focused on her character, is hands down the smartest decision the filmmakers did with making this film as her presence distracts from the issues that plagued Suicide Squad. Here's hoping that James Gunn can further explore the character of Harley Quinn, while giving the Suicide Squad story the appropriate makeover it deserves. Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey is not perfect, but carries enough fun, thrills, and visual eye-candy to satisfy fans while providing hope that the DCEU will continue to improve. If anything, the target audience it aims for (Mostly female demographic) will get a kick out of the films underlining message showing a group of strong women taking control of their own narratives, and fighting back against toxic male authorative figures. Such a message doesn't feel forced but is done with pure entertainment value, that effectively gets it's point across in the most appealing fashion.

Final Verdict: For DCEU fans, fans of Harley Quinn, and those who were left disappointed by Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn: Birds Of Squad is worth watching.