Parasite Explores Both Societal And Wealth Gaps With Superb Storytelling, Surprising Moments Of Humor, And Affecting Drama That Feels Relevant

      When one thinks of a Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards, generally a film like Parasite doesn't come to mind. The movies that typically win the Oscar for Best Picture usually wind up being historical set pieces or extremely well-crafted dramas, which makes Parasite's historic Oscar win at this year's award ceremony even more impressive. The film carries with it the distinct honor of being the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as wins for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, And Best Original Screenplay. In addition to to the film showing mass critical acclaim, Parasite also became a global box office hit grossing over $200 million worldwide. To those who've seen Parasite, it's no mystery as to why it was chosen to be the Best Picture of 2019 as it's an extremely well-crafted black comedy that's mixes humor, suspense, and drama that stays with the audience after watching it. Along with it's solid storytelling, the film is extremely well-acted, directed, and written with strong character development to make the audience invested in its story. Parasite is not the typical Best Picture Oscar Winner that audiences would think of when looking at the Academy's track record of awarding high quality films, but its surprise win is emphasized by its unique and creative form of storytelling, that serves as a welcomed breath of fresh air for the academy breaking loose of old trends and acknowledging works from other parts of the world, as well as posing the question for audiences in regards to whether big dreams can be attainable under certain societal and wealth gaps. 

     The plot for Parasite centers around a down on their luck South Korean family, who stumbles into a potential dream job for each other as they con their way into working for a wealthy family. What seems like a great opportunity becomes a risky one as secrets are revealed that ultimately lead to circumstances spiraling out of control, as well as further jeopardizing their positions in the household. The strongest aspects of Parasite that makes it work so well is the creativity behind its storytelling. The film tells its story in a way that feels like a great deal of thought was put into making it. The story carries with it social themes that feel relevant as well as timely to today's world, particularly the film showing the wealth gap between the two families in their country. What writer Bong Joon-ho does well is directing the film with a firm hand that showcases complete and total confidence in regards to telling the story, while brilliantly devoting enough time to fleshing out these characters so the audience gets a full understanding of the dynamics of both sets of characters. He not only creates a story that's thought-provoking, but makes people take the themes from it and apply it to their own situations. The film with its plot, explores the concept of dreams that people aspire to obtain and explores whether having too high of standards can lead to failure of achieving those goals or being extremely unlikely to reach them. Parasite is a film that aims to take risks while having something to say behind it regarding the gap between the rich and the poor in society. It manages to succeed in showing that distinction without feeling as if the film is hammering the audience over the head with its message The film essentially works as being an effective and powerful story about two families with different societal backgrounds functioning in society while showing how desire, jealously, and wealth can both divide and push people to achieve their dreams and desires, even if it's through the use of drastic measures. Parasite helps to reinforce the notion that storytelling hasn't completely gone the way of excessive use or heavily reliance on visual effects, but can still be a powerful force in making the audience, think, reflect, and relate to the characters and stories being presented to them.

      Besides the films skillful storytelling, the acting by the main cast does a great deal of making the story feel believable to audiences. Everyone brings their A game here with delivering performances, that feel both natural and realistic. The strongest performance out of the whole cast comes from the father of the Kim family Ki-Taek, played by Song Kang-ho. Ho does a fantastic job with playing a character that's flawed yet both understandable and sympathetic as he wants what's best for his family given the circumstances of their living with a twist in the films third act which adds an extra layer to his role. The second strongest performance comes from Lee Sun-Kyun as the father of the Park family, Park Dong-ik. Kynn also does a solid job of creating a character, that serves as being the exact opposite of Kim with Park being a spoiled and wealthy upper-class individual in society, who looks down on the less wealthy through making constant remarks regarding their smell. Both actors not only deliver strong performances with believable chemistry, but prove effective in helping to show the contrast between the two families in their respective society in regards to their wealth, their way of thinking, and how they both act as family men to their respective families. As for the female members of both families, Cho Yeo-Jeong and Jang Hye-Jin both give excellent performances as Yeong, mother of the Park family and Hye-Jin as mother of the Kim family, Chung-sook. Out of the two performances, Cho Yeo-Jeong gives the stronger one playing Yeong with the audience being stunned at how easily gullible her character comes from across as being in easily getting manipulated by the Kim's. Other notable performances are Chio Woo-Shik and Park So-damn both impressing as Ki-woo and Ki-Jung, sons and daughters of the Kim family. Both make their characters appealing and convincing while being equal counterparts to their parents roles. The audience gets a kick out of seeing the children of the Kim family carrying out the family con in terms of replacing all of the Parks family servants with themselves. Both young actors as well as their older counterparts share chemistry as an ensemble, that audiences totally buy into the idea that this is a family of hustlers trying to make their dreams come true by hustling together. In the supporting roles category, Lee Jung-eun  and Park Myung-hoon shine with their scene-stealing subplot as the parks family original housekeeper Good Moon-gwang, and Park Myung-hoon as her husband with one of the films most shocking yet effective surprise twists. The rest of the cast proves effective with Jung Ji-So and Jung Hye-Jin as both daughter and son of the Park family along with Park Geun-rok as the Park's chauffeur. One of the films greatest strengths lies within the performances of its main cast as everyone manages to rise to the occasion and make the most of their characters. The chemistry between the Kim and Park families feel both natural and realistic to the audience with them seeing both the social and economic difference between the two sides. The movie wouldn't have worked as well as it does without the dedication and enthusiasm, that the ensemble cast brings to the project with both being clearly visible here. 

      In the films directing category, director Bong Joon-ho proves to be highly-effective and skillful with demonstrating his pure craftsmanship in regards to creating a well made black comedy thriller. Joon-ho crafts a story that feels grounded in reality while giving it a reasonably slow enough pace to develop all the films key players in the story. There isn't a moment in the film that feels like it's unnecessary here as Joon-ho incorporates everything essential to the plot and characters, so the audience gets a full scope of the story. The film is directed in a way which shows the Kim family conning the Park's as being both entertaining and absurd to watch with the audience actually finding themselves rooting for the Kim family to succeed with their clever yet twisted plan. One of the films key technical elements is its breathtaking cinematography with the film easily drawing the viewer into the polarizing world of South Korea. The films camera work utilizes all the bright colors in the scenery, as well as showing the different societal gaps between the two families in regards to their ways of living economically. Whereas the Park's family have a wealthy mansion that overlooks a freshly green backyard with beautiful scenery in a wealthy neighborhood, the Kim's are forced to live in a semi-basement like slump with a window that oversees people peeing into the drain in front of their apartment with the latter ultimately getting flooded when a massive rain storm hits. The films breathtaking cinematography is accompanied by its editing, making the film feel well trimmed and immersive with its story. The film never feels like it slows down to the point where the story grinds to the halt, but is always moving with the audience both awaiting to see what the Kim family does next in regards to brilliantly manipulating the Park's, and whether the latter will soon discover the truth and punish the Kim family for their deception. The films set and costume designs go hand in hand with showing the economic barriers between the two families much like their lifestyle environments. The use of gore in the films story is tastefully handled with Joon-ho applying that element to the story in a way that enhances both the characters as well as the shock value of the story with the films mind-blowing third act being a prime example. On a visual note, Boon Joon-ho, manages to impressively blend all of these elements together to create an environment for the characters, that feels appropriate for the type of story being told with him giving the actors enough freedom to inherit their roles and bring the story to life. Joon-ho succeeds in giving the film an atmosphere that's fun, tense, immersive, and also revealing of today's society with the type of societal themes covered in the story.

      The heart of the story lies not just with the convincing performances of its cast nor the skillful craftsmanship of its filmmaker, but the pure brilliance and humanity behind the films screenplay. The script also by Boon Joon-ho and co-writer Han Jin-Won, does a terrific job of breaking down themes regarding family, poverty, desperation, wealth, deceit, social class distinctions, and attempting to make ones dreams come true through drastic measures. Despite the films attempts to show the Kim family working to make their dreams more accessible, the films ending leaves audiences with a hopeful yet bleak message that essentially says it's better to have no dreams to strive for because one will never be disappointed if they fail to become reality. The film showing the gap between the wealthy and the poor is hard-hitting as well as thought-provoking as the audience gets placed in the shoes of the Kim's with a full understanding of their desperation to move up in a system, that essentially holds them down. A scene that effectively shows the Kim's desire to have the Park's lifestyle, is the one where the family as a whole is sitting in the living room of their mansion drinking and commenting while drunk about how much better things are now that they all work for them undercover. The Park's are perfectly written as being a self-centered and wealthy family that are full of pride for the life they own, while being tone deaf and clueless to everything playing out in front of them. It's the little subtle moments such as the Park's couple complaining about the smell of Ki-Taek, not realizing of his families real life dilemma of living in poverty but are shown to easily look down upon and cast judgment on those who aren't up to their criteria in terms of living and wealth. It's moments such as those or when Park tells Ki-Taek, that he's being paid for helping the Parks on their sons birthday, that reinforce the notion to audiences that regardless of the relationship between the two families, they're both separated by class in society. As the script effectively shows, the film is essentially about two families with both their lifestyles being displayed with the less fortunate using the wealthier one as a vessel to achieve their goals. One can tell that a great deal of thought went into crafting this story from the writers as the story carries with it many different layers regarding it's theme and message that can speak to audiences from all different parts of the world, who face similar scenarios to the Kim's.

      In the end Parasite does what it's meant to do which is to both entertain and make audiences think about the characters and the scenario that surrounds them. The film is a beautiful blend of humor, suspense, and drama that are blended together masterfully to create an ideal story that draws the audience in instantly. The film hooks you with it's plot and doesn't let go until the films surprise ending, taking the audience through an experience that comes with its share of laughs as well as surprise twists and turns. Parasite not only stands as being one of the best movies to come out in 2019, but shows that you don't need an excessive amount of visual effects to make a film standout but the creativity and devotion of both the filmmakers and actors in regards to telling its story. The film feels like it was made with passion from its team with wanting to show two different worlds merging together to make for an experience that's both unusual and eye-opening. Parasite is a gem of a film that powerfully states that storytelling still matters with the end result being worthy of it's historical Best Picture win. If one wants solid storytelling with a message that prompts one to reflect on their own dreams and goals, Parasite is worth seeing as the end result proves to be a surprising yet rewarding experience.

Final Verdict: For movie lovers and those looking for legit storytelling that's effective and poignant, Parasite is a must see.

Bloodshot Is A Cheap And Uninspired Effort With Its Plot Being Done More Effectively With Stronger Films Of The Same Concept

       When one thinks of comic book movies or films centering around the main character being transformed into something more than human, they picture a grand production helmed by a visionary filmmaker with a compelling enough story to bring the overall experience up to the level of being richly satisfying. When a comic book movie fails or misfires, it becomes a case study for fans in wondering what went wrong in terms of the film not leaving the kind of impact with audiences that a typical Marvel or recent DCEU film does currently. In the case of Bloodshot, the film serves as being an unusual circumstance of having an intriguing premise that carries with it potential to make for an above average comic book film with an appealing movie star in the main role (Fast And Furious Vin Diesel). Sadly, the film itself doesn't fulfill that promise of delivering a high quality superhero film with audiences and ultimately settles for being just painfully mediocre. Bloodshot is a film that should've been much stronger than what it ultimately ends up being, and settles for being just barely passable entertainment thanks to the strength of the films main star in the lead.

      The plot for Bloodshot centers around a soldier named Ray Garrison (Played by Vin Diesel), who witnesses the murder of his wife before he himself is killed as well. Left for dead, he later ends up being brought back to life and discovers that he's been given superpowers by a mysterious organization. When the memories of his wife being murdered returns, he sets off on a brutal and bloody mission of revenge which slowly makes him realize that his memories may not be entirely trustworthy. The plot for Bloodshot isn't a bad one, but serves as being painfully unoriginal and heavily reliant on formulas from previous action/Sci-Fi classics with it bearing similarities to films such as RoboCop in regards to the main character being killed and turned into something more than human. To put it in more blatant terms, all the best parts of Bloodshot's plot have been lifted from other classic stories with similar structures while lacking the creative drive of those films. What was intended to be a hopeful start for a new trilogy of comic book based films turns out to be a painfully mediocre effort, that feels as if it only intended to deliver throwaway old-school style action without aspiring to be something greater. Bloodshot feels like a comic book style film that would've fit in perfectly during the 80's and 90's era with the end result paling in comparison to all the epic superhero films that surround it in today's generation of filmmaking. The most frustrating part of watching Bloodshot is how uninspired the movie feels in it's attempts to be more than just average to mediocre entertainment with the realization quickly hitting those watching it that the filmmakers aren't even trying to be groundbreaking with the story. The film has similar issues to Ang Lee's Gemini Man in which both movies not only feel like the audience have seen them before with their plots borrowing elements from previous movies ( Gemini Man felt like a combination of 1995's Assassins combined with Jason Bourne meets The 6th Day), but they lack the creative drive and enthusiasm to go beyond being just average attempts to show the audience something different. Bloodshot is a film that prioritizes style over substance with the film providing passable entertainment for audiences, while instantly becomes forgettable afterwards.

      In regards to the acting performances, the main cast of Bloodshot does the best they can with the material handed to them, even if their characters come across as feeling rather generic or tropes from other films with similar plots structures (Guy Pearce's character feels like Michael Keaton's role in the failed 2014 Robocop remake). The film relies heavily on the charisma that Vin Diesel brings to his films as an action star with Bloodshot proving to be no exception. Diesel is the strength of the film and delivers its much needed shot of adrenaline to make the action aspect of the story watchable for audiences at the very least. Diesel is effective in playing Ray Garrison/Bloodshot with the role feeling as if it was written to fit the actors persona. Whereas the story crumbles around him, Diesel helps to elevate the film to a status of being watchable at the very least. Eiza Gonzalez makes the most of her role as former US Navy diver KT, and companion of Ray on his journey to discovering the truth behind his past. Despite Gonzalez's character feeling like the generic female sidekick that befriends and ultimately helps the main character in the story, she does the best job she can with giving her character somewhat of a distinct personality. Her and Diesel share solid chemistry together with the moments involving their characters going back and forth being reasonably decent ones that work. Guy Pearce can always be relied on to play any role he's given to maximum effect regardless of the type of film he's apart of. Here he brings his A game to the role of playing the films main antagonist Dr. Emil Harting, the scientist who helped turn Ray into Bloodshot while constantly reprogramming him to pursue the person's who murdered his wife (Or did they?). Pearce's role feels painfully generic like a mixture of both Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton's roles in the 2014 RoboCop remake (Another painfully average film) merged together along with the stereotypical power hungry scientist, that comes with the typical human being transformed into something greater plot. As for the rest of the supporting cast, Lamorne Morris does well playing ally of Ray named Wilfred Wigan, who helps Ray with realizing that he's being programmed to go after people who weren't involved with his wife's murder. Sam Heughan proves effective as Jimmy Dalton, one of the films main antagonists who doesn't get along with Ray throughout the course of the film with the same being said for Alex Hernandez as Tibbs. Other notable parts are Talulah Riley in her brief but effective role as Ray's wife Gina Garrison, Johannes Haukur Johannesson as Nick Baris, Tamer Burjaq as Mombasa Gunman, and Siddharth Dhananjay as Eric. One can clearly tell watching the film that the cast tried to make the most of their experience with Diesel and Pearce coming across as both having the strongest presence in the film. Though the actors/actresses can't make up for the films shortcomings in regards to its script and underwhelming filmmaking all around, they help to make the film somewhat watchable as throwaway entertainment at best.

      The films directing by David S.F. Wilson comes across as feeling standard, ultimately working as being serviceable at best. The biggest disappointment with Wilson's work here, is the lack of risk taking the film clearly shows. There's nothing about the film that makes it truly standout besides the use of some reasonably solid visual effects. Rather than being an impressive directorial debut for for the newcomer, the end result just feels like a film that's built on the backs of other classic action/science fiction stories with the overall work feeling like a culmination of spare parts glued together from those movies. On a visual note, the film carries appeal though becomes heavily reliant on the use of CGI, particularly the films climactic battle that involves speeding down 50 stories with the character of Ray fighting one of the films key antagonists in the elevator shaft. The visually flashy action sequence in itself is appealing enough to watch, but isn't enough to disguise the fact that the film suffers from a lack of groundbreaking action sequences with the audience having already seen this sequence played out before in other superior films. The films editing proves to be a mixed bag as it moves at a fairly consistent pace despite the action feeling both over-edited as well as underdeveloped with key action scenes lacking true build up. What the film truly lacks as a whole is a vision in regards to bringing its story to the big screen in a form that hasn't been done before. Upon watching Bloodshot, one never truly gets the feeling that the movie aims to be something that audiences haven't seen before previously. The film often feels like certain visual effects moments are just present for the sake of looking appealing to audiences, not because they legitimately fit the plot nor advance it in anyway. The greatest disappointment with the film besides the story relying on so many previous source materials for oxygen, is the films action never truly feels groundbreaking nor forms a life of its own with everything feeling economical in terms of Wilson's directing. While his overall directing effort isn't terrible as he's able to create a somewhat interesting world for the main characters to move around, there's nothing about his work that feels as if any risks were taken here with the film ultimately feeling too safe giving the film a feeling of being just average.

      The films screenplay by Jeff Wadlow (Who also penned the story) and Eric Heisserer, feels like a copy and paste effort with the audience having already seen most of the films most appealing aspects of its plot. One finds themselves asking why would audiences want to sit through another revenge tale where the anti-hero witnesses his love being murdered with him being transformed into something that exceeds being human with him going on a relentless pursuit of the murderers, if the scenario wasn't prepared to take that story in a different route than what's already been done before. There's been stronger films with virtually the same plot, that have done it more effectively while creating a unique yet thrilling experience for the audience. The problem here lies that audiences are so familiar with all the subplots and cliches that everything feels both predictable and tiresome. If one wants to see a character like Vin Diesel's being murdered along with his wife, later brought back to life using state-of-the-art technology which makes him stronger, faster, and more aware of his surroundings then they should stick with films like RoboCop. The whole subplot involving Ray using his newfound abilities to go on an intense murder spree of revenge to seek justice for the murder of his wife, would be way more convincing and exciting if both the writers and director were allowed to go all in with the films violence. A revenge story should typically be an intense and gory experience with the one presented here being too tame for the audience to truly be shocked by the nature Diesel's character pursues and ultimately handles his targets. The films side characters may appear to be appealing on the surface but turn out to be pretty one-on-one and underdeveloped with the audience not being able to connect with any of them outside of Vin Diesel's character (Even then audiences are walking a fine line in terms of whether they connect with Ray's character or not given there's not much backstory to him outside of the films promising opening scene). The films scriptwriting as a whole feels bland and overly reliant on old recipes in a desperate attempt to make its story work here. Many of the films beats feel all too familiar with the characters lacking substantial development to make audiences invested in both them or the story as a whole. The films screenplay literally screams predictable as the audience know that his wife will be killed and he will be transformed into something more powerful that will allow him to exact revenge with those who transformed him plotting to maintain their leash on him by implanting misleading memories. The audience also knows that Diesel's character will grow connected with Eiza Gonzalez's character and work together to find the films true villains. Bloodshot is literally every revenge film and human transformation story rolled into one mediocre effort that feels cheap and uninspired.

       For comic book fans heading into Bloodshot with great anticipation with the expectation being it would be a well-executed and story-driven film, they deserve much better as they're bound to be severely disappointed. Bloodshot is a terribly bland and average film, that could've been handled much better as well as more memorable if the filmmakers gave the film the proper treatment its story demanded. The films action and plot feel so routinely done that one can't help but ask the question of why even bother making the film if the filmmakers weren't aspiring to tread new ground with its concept. The films only saving grace is Vin Diesel's likable presence in the main role along with Guy Pearce giving his all to the part regardless of how bland his character feels. Given that Valiant comics was hoping to turn this into the next big comic book franchise, the whole team behind Bloodshot should've been reaching for the stars in terms of this one working as a whole. Either it was the well-known notorious ego of its main star Vin Diesel behind the camera, that got in the way of the overall film quality or the wrong director was chosen to helm it. Given that this was Wilson's first effort, one suspects that it was the latter that sunk this film critically. Bloodshot will easily end up being a critical flop for a superhero film as the films heartless production along with its lack of desire to bring something new to the table ultimately became its undoing. As a throwaway action flick, Bloodshot provides a temporary escape into a typical revenge flick full of standard action sequences, that audiences have seen previously and in some cases paid for recently. They're better off watching those films and getting reacquainted with both their stories and characters, as it will prove to be a much more satisfying experience than the one presented here. Bloodshot is a forgettable action flick, that has nothing new to offer audiences as its best moments have been drawn from other works of art. What the film is sorely lacking and what could've ultimately saved it was a visionary filmmaker at the helm with a stronger script. Audiences watching the film are sure to wonder ultimately about what happened and what could've been if the project was placed in the hands of filmmakers who were genuinely enthusiastic about telling its story.

Final Verdict: For both fans of the Bloodshot comics and Vin Diesel fans, they're better off seeking alternative revenge tales or ones involving men turned into something more highly advanced than human as the one here offers nothing new besides reminders of past glories.
 

Disney/Pixar's Onward Succeeds In Providing Families With A New Adventure That's Charming, Funny, Exciting, And Heartfelt

 

       When one thinks of a studio that manages to churn out some impressive works of animation that remains consistent in regards to both visuals as well as storytelling, Disney's/Pixar is generally the first to come to mind. Not only do they continuously raise the bar in terms of their animation, but find ways to tell stories while moving the audience in ways that are both sentimental as well as relatable.
Disney's Onward proves to be no exception here as the film is impressive visually while telling the story about a pair of siblings, that want to bring their father back from the dead through magic so they can see him again briefly. It helps that the film boasts the talents of Jurassic World and Guardians Of The Galaxy's Chris Pratt and Spiderman: Homecomings Tom Holland, giving the film a mini Marvel reunion with the two talented actors providing the voices of the main characters. Onward is a Pixar film that has all the right elements in regards to being a charming and poignant adventure, while managing to deliver genuine fun for its audience along with a story that's certain to tug at ones heartstrings. The film proudly claims itself as being the first great animated film of 2020 thus far.

      The plot for Onward centers around a young elf boy Ian (Voiced by Tom Holland) turning 16. Upon doing so, he becomes bound and determined to find way to bring his father back from the dead for one more day to spend time with him after dying when he was young. With the help of his older brother Barley (Voiced by Chris Pratt) along with the combination of a little magic, the two embark on the adventure of a lifetime. The best way to describe the story for Onward besides being creative and full of energy, is that its charming. The film not only manages to be both fun and hilarious, but feels heartfelt and carries with it the perfect balance of comedy mixed with drama. The combined talents of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland feels perfect as both not only work well off each other, but showcase both strong chemistry as well as possessing terrific comedic timing and heart. On a visual note, the film is as impressive to look at visually as one would expect from a Disney/Pixar film with its stunning animation ultimately making it a dazzling experience for young kids. Although the film may not stack as high as some of Pixar's classics before it, Onward is hugely entertaining, surprisingly and cleverly funny, visually stunning to watch, and carries with it a large dose of sentimentality with its overall message about adulthood, overcoming the loss of a parent, the strength of two siblings united, and ultimately how everyone can use a little magic in their lives.

      One of the main elements that makes the film work so well is the voice acting talents of its main cast. Here they don't disappoint as both the main stars along with their supporting cast deliver both fun and charming performances, that add to the heart of the story. In the main roles, both Tom Holland and Chris Pratt prove to be the ideal matchup as they not only work great off each other in terms of sharing chemistry but feel like actual siblings in the story. Both are charismatic and add doses of humor and humility to their parts. Out of the two roles, Holland gives the stronger performance as young teenage elf Ian Lightfood, whose still grieving over the loss of his father and carries a strong desire to have any opportunity to see him again. Holland conveys all the right emotions for the role making his character both fun and sympathetic with his heartfelt performance. Chris Pratt adds to the fun as Ian's other brother Barley Lightfood, who longs for a magical quest as well as seeing his father again. Both actors do exceptionally well with their voice performances and build off each other's work, showcasing dynamic chemistry while creating a pair of siblings that not only feel down to earth but totally relatable to audiences. As for the films supporting cast, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss impresses as the boys widowed mother Laurel Lightfoot, whose caring and overprotective of them while missing her husband. Octavia Spencer also shines as a Manticore restaurant owner named The "Corey", and former adventurer whom Ian and Barely both go to for help on their quest to bring their father back. Mel Rodriguez also turns in a noteworthy performance as a centaur police officer and Laurels new husband Colt Bronco. The cast of voice actors/actresses as a whole go a long way in delivering the charm and heart the story carries with everyone delivering performances, that add to the fun-spirited​ nature of the film while providing it with the energy needed to make the story entertaining for both young audiences as well as adults. Each performer helps to sell the story to the audience while not making the emotional core of the story feel forced or overly sentimental. Holland and Pratt possess the right balance of humor and emotion to make their characters believable, as well as their overall chemistry feel natural.

      As far as the films directing goes, Dan Scanlon does a solid job of creating an visually enchanting world, that the audience (Young kids in particular) can instantly get drawn into with the films colors and animation both looking top notch. Onward has a visual style to it that looks just as impressive and grand as any previous Pixar production with the characters in the film looking both real and crisp. On a story structure front, Scanlon keeps the narrative straight-forward and focused with the pacing never slowing down to where the story halts at any point, but keeps the characters moving on their wild yet emotional adventure. Although it may not be the most impressive film to come out of Pixar visually despite the animation being very strong, but what's shown on the screen is appealing enough to enchant young audiences while being accompanied by composer Mychael Dana's emotional score, that aims to tug at their heartstrings without it feeling too forced. What Dan Scanlon succeeds at in regards to directing Onward, is creating a world that blends the everyday one in animation form with the films surburban world combined with a Malificent style majestic universe where the films mystical aspects of it's story run rampant in free reign. On that note, he succeeds while bringing to life characters that are totally likable while surrounding them with an atmosphere that's both heartwarming and mature given the nature of its plot. He delivers in terms of meeting both the emotional aspect of the story as well as it's fun nature halfway without either side feeling like they're dominating the film or pulling it towards one side unnaturally. His work isn't the most groundbreaking to come out of a Pixar film, but he succeeds and proves most effective at supplying the energy, the enthusiasm, and the heart needed to make the film work.

      The films screenplay also by Scanlon, Jason Headley, and Keith Bunin serves as being thoroughly well-written for the most part with the films themes regarding loss, death of a parent, magic, adventure, adulthood, and role-playing adventure games all go hand in hand together to generate a fairly original and creative concept, which manages to find a life of its own. The writing is done well to the point where the audience can naturally connect with the characters without it feeling forced and get hit emotionally by all the films themes regarding loss and growing as a person, while being enchanted by the mystical aspects of its plot. The relationship between the siblings serves as being the heart and soul of the story with it feeling both natural and realistic as Holland's character appears to be the more mature one of the two despite being younger with Pratt's character being shown to be the more immature and goofy older brother, who may not have it all together in terms of handling his priorities in life but manages to always be there to look after his younger brother with their father gone. At first, Ian is shown as looking down on his brother for being immature but realizes throughout the course of their adventure together how strong of a bond they share as brothers, as well as the fact that Barley has essentially filled the void of their fathers absence in regards to looking after each other. Their dynamic is handled perfectly by the writers with both siblings managing to grow closer throughout their journey. The side characters are fairly well developed and hold up when the narrative briefly shifts away from the siblings with both Laurel and Corey maintaining the fun with their subplot including helping Laurels children from experiencing the dangers of their journey with their subplot paying off satisfyingly in the films third act. On a narrative end, Onward deserves points for creativity as well as desiring to be original with it's plot. The film aims to give its audience both young and old a genuinely fun and exciting adventure, while also aiming for the heart with the emotional core of its story. The script manages to pull all the right strings with making the audience laugh when encouraged to, as well as being moved by the relationship between the young bothers. The screenplay has a solid bouncy pattern of the movie shifting from moments of laughter to both sentimental and emotional moments, that build up to the films surprising yet tear jerking climax.

      Overall Onward sets out on what it was meant to do which is to entertain the whole family while telling a different kind of story for a Pixar animated film. The film not only succeeds at both but makes it very hard for someone to not walk away satisfied by their experience of watching it. The movie for the most part largely works due to the strength of its charismatic leads along with the visually striking universe that Dan Scanlon created, that will no doubt be appealing to young audiences regardless of whether adults appreciate the films artistic craftsmanship or not. Although not as great as some of Pixar's finest works as some of the story beats my feel familiar to audiences or the film doesn't take enough risk to be more daring with its plot, but it still manages to end up being a pretty strong effort with plot and characters that the audience will unquestionably become invested in and feel something after its over. Pixar's Onward aims to entertain, enchant, and empower it's main target audience with them succeeding in doing so, while transporting them to a different universe that essentially teaches them about the value of family. The film presents audiences with a different kind of story, though one that no doubt has its heart in the right place as well as making one appreciate the family they still have around them.

Final Verdict: For those looking for an animated film with a unique story, breathtaking animation, and a solid moral compass behind it with a noble message then Disney/Pixar's Onward is a must see.

The Way Back Is A Powerful And Inspiring Drama With Ben Affleck Giving The Strongest Performance Of His Career

 

      When one looks at the different kinds of movie genres in film, sports dramas is typically a successful and safe one as audiences tend to gravitate to the inspirational messages behind them as they not only glorify the games the stories are based around, but carry with them hard-hitting life messages that audiences can connect with at the films core. The Way Back proves to be no different as the film is not just about sports, but shows the struggle regarding addiction with it carrying themes pertaining to battling alcoholism, addiction, experiencing loss and grief, and also finding personal redemption and newfound purpose through the game of sports. For the films main actor Ben Affleck, the role felt like the ideal one for the actor/director as he's apparently struggled with alcoholism off-screen throughout his life, which he cites as contributing to his real life divorce much like the character he plays in the movie. For Affleck, The Way Back proves to be a story about self-reflection and life struggles, while also showing how one can make a difference in other people's lives through bettering their own. In the case of Affleck's character, he finds a newfound purpose as well as a chance to help others by coaching a basketball team consisting of young teenagers struggling to find their own footing in life. The end result isn't anything groundbreaking by any means nor anything different than what audiences have seen before, but there's enough heart, noble-intentions behind telling the story, and powerful acting shown here to make it an experience worth seeing as the film is well-balanced in terms of delivering on it's sports premise, while going deeper with it by showing that newfound purposes and comebacks are attainable to those struggling with their own demons.

      The plot for The Way Back centers around a former high school basketball phenomenon​ Jack Cunningham (Played surprisingly well by Ben Affleck in one of his finest acting performances, if not the best), who walked away from the game as well as being separated from his wife (Played by Janina Zione Gavankar) due to addiction regarding alcohol, reluctantly accepts a coaching job at his old high school to oversee a basketball team in desperate need of coaching, both on and off the court, while giving him his one last shot at redemption. On paper, The Way Back feels similar to other sports dramas with similar plots structures such as Coach Carter in terms of the new coach looking after the young teams interests both on and off the court, while leaving an impact on them. The main difference with the storyline for The Way Back is the more personal approach that the film takes in regards to the coach's own struggles. The film makes no efforts to sugarcoat the fact that Cunningham's character is a flawed individual in desperate need of help as he harbors alot of pain and regret in his life that he's shown to have trouble coping with. The film does a good job of showcasing Affleck's characters personal struggles in regards to battling alcoholism with the audience growing to care about his recovery when he chooses the team over going for another typical after work drink at the bar which generally ends with him being carried up the steps of his house. The audience becomes connected with this character so much that they feel the impact, as well as the disappointment and sadness when his character suddenly relapses with the audience knowing very well what it means for his job with coaching the young basketball team. It's those little subtle moments which give power to the story along with making the audience invested in Jack's road to recovery along with his job as the teams coach. The film isn't without the typical faults of being a sports drama as the story tends to feel a bit familiar to audiences at times, as well as being a tad predictable. What makes the film work are the strong performances from its main cast along with directing that's both well-handled and steady adding realism to the story. The Way Back may not be anything original in terms of the story it presents, but it packs enough of an emotional punch to make the audience feel something for both the characters and story with it ultimately being an inspiring film about second chances and hope.

      Outside of the films notable directing and writing, the soul of the movie lies within the performances of its main cast with Ben Affleck in particular delivering a powerful performance as coach Jack Cunningham. For Affleck, this role is a self-reflection of his own struggles and he plays it as such. Not being well-known for his strength in regards to acting (He's a much better director and writer off camera), Affleck manages to rise to the occasion and portray a flawed yet decent person whose hurting internally after losing both his son as well as his marriage falling apart because of his addiction. He brilliantly conveys the characters struggles with trying to restructure his basketball team to become winners while slowly backing away from alcohol as his team is shown inspiring him to become a better person. Although it might be a little too close to home in regards to Affleck playing the part, he makes his performance convincing, relatable, and eye-opening. This is easily his strongest acting performance since Gone Girl. In the supporting roles, Al Madigral shines as Dan, assistant coach to Jack who helps him get more comfortable into the role of coaching while trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. Madigral does well with showing likability for his character as he genuinely wants Jack to succeed at coaching the kids. Janina Kavankar impresses as Jack's separated wife Angela with the audience seeing that she still cares about Jack along with sharing the same pain he feels over the loss of their son. Her scenes with Affleck are effective and powerful as the performances of the two say a whole lot about their characters dynamic without showing everything prior. Other notable supporting roles are John Alyward as Father Devine, the pastor who offers Jack the opportunity to coach the basketball team based off his experience of playing the game in his youth. The rest of the supporting cast does well in their roles, particularly the young actors that make up Jack's basketball team including Brandon Wilson as Brandon Duerett, Charles Lott Jr. as Chubbs Hendricks, Will Ropp as Kenny Dawes, Hayes MacArthur as Eric, Fernando Luis Vega as Sam, Melvin Gregg as Marcus, Lukas Gage as Eddie, and Ben Irving as Bobby. As a whole, the cast does very well working together along with delivering strong performances that are believable while adding both realism and heart to the story. Each performer involved feel like they genuinely believe in the story they're telling while having something to say about the themes its conveying to audiences through their characters. For Affleck, this is some of his strongest acting yet with a serious case of it being his best performance yet, marking a complete turnaround from the days of starring in flicks like Armageddon, Reindeer Games, Pearl Harbor, and Daredevil.

      In terms of the films directing, director Gavin O' Connor handles the story with a steady hand, allowing the actors to breathe life into their roles. He gives the film a docu-drama style atmosphere that not only enhances the realism of the story, but makes the films dramatic moments hard-hitting. The audience seeing Affleck's character struggle with alcoholism along with his eventual relapse, is tough to watch at times and genuinely unsettling because of how well Connor sets up the character for the audience to grow connected​ with. The films sports scenes involving the teams playing basketball are well-shot, though they come across as looking like scenes from any other by-the-numbers basketball story. The films biopic approach in regards to presenting its story with both its docu-style cinematography and strong acting both go hand in hand in ultimately making the film as effective as it ultimately comes across as being. At 108 minutes, The Way Back moves at a fairly consistent pace allowing the audience enough time to witness Affleck's​ character ponder over his decision to coach the kids while showing the relationship that he forms with them as their instructor and friend both on and off the court. The films score by Rob Simonsen is both powerful and moving with the music enhancing the emotion that's being poured onto the screen by the acting performances of the cast. It can be argued that Gavin O' Connor filmed this one to look no different than the traditional sports drama on the surface, but he takes a detour from those films with his more personal and risk taking portrait of an individual whose surrounded by sadness and grief that can be seen through Affleck's performance (Particularly in the eyes). While his directing isn't anything groundbreaking to right home about nor will win him any major awards, Connor succeeds in setting up the appropriate atmosphere for the story, that feels just right with the performances dominating the film.

      The films screenplay by Brad Ingelsby works in regards to building a solid foundation for the story, as well as the character of Jack Cunningham. The script gives Affleck much to work off in terms of playing the part with him being able to inject some of his own real life struggles into the character. The film plays more like an addiction drama than a typical sports film which makes it distinctive from films such as Coach Carter and Hoosiers. The scripts strongest aspect is how relatable the story feels as many of those watching it will be shocked to discover how close to home this feels for them. The film is more of a story about battling addictions and finding redemption through second chances rather than just being about a sport. The use of basketball and the team in the story is put in second place to Affleck's characters arc, though nonetheless proves to be effective in regards to showing the impact that both the team have on Cunningham as a coach with making him want to be a better person and him caring about his team whether they're on the court or off it. Although the young members of the team aren't as well-developed and explored as Affleck's character as the film largely revolves around his arc, the moments where they're developed work well in regards to not only expanding on his journey but the films message as a whole. An example is the subplot involving Jack befriending Brandon's character and trying to encourage his father to show up at his games despite feeling he's throwing his life away with playing Basketball. A scene that does a solid job of setting up this dynamic while demonstrating the films brilliance is one which shows Cunningham giving Brandon a ride home after noticing him walking alone on the side of the road. During their drive, Jack learns that Brandon's mother is dead and his father cares for his younger brothers, largely contributing to the reason behind not attending his games. Whereas a minimal subplot in the film, it proves effective and ultimately works in regards to establishing that Jack understands the desperation his players have for wanting to be apart of the game, as well as needing a positive influence in their lives. The script is not just about showing how the power of addiction and fighting against it can be challenging, but also that a person can ultimately leave a positive influence on another persons life and ultimately change it for the better in some cases (As evidenced by the closing scene in the film showing the surprise twist with Brandon and his father later). The film also manages to carry moments of humor that are cleverly placed throughout the film that helps balance out the dramatic moments to where the film doesn't become too depressing to watch. As far as the writing goes, The Way Back does well for the most part in telling a tale about one's personal struggle and how the road to redemption though possible, is not an easy one but one that's certainly worth taking as well as ultimately rewarding as evidenced by the scene where Affleck's team win a critical game later in the film with his reaction shown as being an emotional one of both self-satisfaction and deep pride for his team and what they accomplished.

     As a film that could've easily fell into the trap of being a cliched and traditional sports drama that lacks a soul, The Way Back fights and ultimately proves itself to be something more than just a film about basketball, but also about what people endure on and off the court while using the game as a form of liberation and soul- searching. The one aspect about the film besides the strong performances, that makes it work is its heart along with the sincerity behind both the filmmakers and actors intentions to bring this story to the screen. The film serves as a testament regarding the power of addiction and how redemption or getting the opportunity to make things right not just for oneself but for others, are not out of the realm of possibility nor too late to achieve. As the film shows, everyone has their own personal issues to overcome but as The Way Back shows, it's how they choose to handle those issues that decide their future. While it doesn't fall under the category of being a great film, the film serves as being a story that's well told with strong directing, writing, and acting that feels well-balanced with a main star behind it desiring to make a point through his character that addiction is an extremely hard process to beat but wanting to help others find purpose and healing in their lives is worth overcoming such obstacles if it means making a difference in the lives of others. With his own basketball team, Jack Cunningham not only taught them to be better players in the end, but boosted their confidence while being shown to heal family rifts along the process. The Way Back is not just a sports movie, it serves as a story about loss, grief, redemption, hope, and receiving chances to make up for past mistakes. It's a story that's about falling down, being able to get back up, and keep moving forward. In a time where the world has become a more dark and cynical place, a story as powerful and inspiring as Jack Cunningham is needed as a reminder that change is always possible in the face of despair but only through hard work and perseverance.

Final Verdict: For those looking for a solid sports drama while wanting a story that goes a bit deeper beyond just a traditional sports themed film, The Way Back glorifies the sport of Basketball while going a bit further with a plot involving social themes, which feel relevant to today's society hitting both the soul and heart with it's powerful message regarding redemption.