Disney's Live-Action Mulan Serves As Being An Honorable Yet Flawed Reimagining Of Its Classic Animated Original

      When it comes to remaking classic films, the general expectations are usually that the newer versions of the films not only remain faithful to their originals, but also find ways to reimagine the story in its own way for a newer generation of audiences. In the case of Disney remaking their animated classics in live-action form, the set of films made thus far have seen their shares of ups and downs in regards to their overall reception with audiences. Whereas some live-action Disney adaptations managed to meet or exceed expectations in regards to living up to the legacy of their predecessors with 2015's Cinderella, Jon Favreau's  The Jungle Book, and 2017's Beauty And The Beast, others have experienced not so great receptions such as Tim Burton's Dumbo (Which in all honesty is much better than what critics give it, as well as being Burton's strongest film in years. ), Guy Ritchie's Aladdin which always had an uphill battle to overcome with the replacing of Robin Williams as Genie with Will Smith, and Jon Favreau's The Lion King. In addition to those, there's also live-action adaptations that are surprisingly decent yet overlooked like 2019's Lady And The Tramp. With Mulan, the Disney live-action version finally gets its release on Disney Plus after being seeing its release date pushed back twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There's also been much controversy that's accompanied the release of the film ranging from fans outrage over the omission of both key characters from the original such as Mushu (Voiced memorably by Eddie Murphy) and General Shang (Voiced by B.D Wong). The films controversy has also intensified by the main actresses Liu Yifei, coming out in support of the Hong Kong police, prompting much backlash from both fans and pro-democracy activists groups across the world. With the release of Mulan, audiences find themselves pondering over the question of whether the live-action remake lives up to its original creation despite being loosely based on true events, or if the film itself is worthy of the massive hype and controversy it's generated. The most honest question to that is both a yes and no. Disney's live-action Mulan is not a bad film and serves as being a significant improvement over last year's Aladdin and The Lion King, but like those films, it ultimately pales in comparison to its predecessor and can't necessarily be considered a home run for the team behind its production. As a film itself, Mulan is a reasonably decent remake but it could've been a great one if its filmmakers gave it a much stronger effort along with not eliminating some of the originals key elements that made it an animated classic.

      Taking a more serious and authentic live-action approach in comparison to the 1998 animated film along with being based off a legendary Chinese story, the plot focuses on a strong-willed young woman named Mulan (Played by Yifei Liu), who struggles with behaving as a proper young lady. Upon learning that her father's been drafted to fight in the emperor's army, she chooses to take his place while disguising herself as a man in an effort to pass herself off as being her father's son. When her secretive gender is revealed, she's instantly dismissed as a fraud but chooses to return and heroically save the Chinese empire from an invading army. While it's worth noting that both movies maintain virtually the same plots, their overall executions manage to vary significantly from each other. The 1998 animated film is well-renowned​ and is in some cases worshipped among Disney fans for its clever blending of loose history regarding Chinese culture combined with a strong female heroine, a strong touch of feminism with an inspiring message regarding female empowerment, that resonated with audiences along with top-notch animation and an energetic soundtrack to make the overall experience both a memorable and iconic one. With the kind of legacy that Disney's animated Mulan has generated over the last two decades, expectations were high for the filmmakers of the live-action film to do it justice while adding their own stamp to the classic tale of a young woman who became a great and extraordinary warrior. Gone from the newer version is the trademark songs that helped made the original such a memorable experiences with audiences, along with the absence of great characters such as Mushu, Mulan's gang in the Chinese army, and the romance between Mulan and General Shang. On top of those major changes to the story, Mulan's entire character arc has also been altered in comparison to her setup in the animated film. Despite the clear difference in path that the live-action film takes, the newer version of Mulan is not without its level of both respect and admiration for the original as several moments within the film are shown as being direct homages to it. The film never comes close to nor exceeds its animated counterpart in anyway shape or form, but still manages to work as being an honorably entertaining yet flawed film on its own right. What helps the new Mulan work, are the performances from its main cast with Yifei Liu proving herself to be a unique choice for the films main role regardless of how audiences feel about her off-camera controversial statements. The film is also breathtaking to watch visually with its cinematography, art-set decoration, and costume design all going hand and hand together along with an effective score by Matthew Wilder. Although there is more to enjoy and admire about the live-action adaptation as well as its desire to be more respectful towards both the story and the culture it celebrates, one can't help but feel with watching the film that it could've been a stronger effort in regards to diving deeper into the mythology behind Mulan's classic yet inspiring story. Despite the issues that the newer version of the story carry, there's enough shown to make it work as its own film despite the glaring shadow that the original holds over it. 

      One of the key elements that helps bring some much needed life to the live-action version of Mulan's story is the performances from its main cast. The ensemble group of actors and actresses chosen for this film deliver performances, that come across as feeling both energetic and respectful towards the story and legend the filmmakers are telling. The best performance hands down goes to Yifei Liu in a career-defining performance as Mulan. She does a terrific job of taking a character whose been engraved in the minds of those who grew up watching the animated film, and playing her in a fashion that feels larger-than-life in the live-action version. She manages to take the version of the character that's given to her with the new film and evoke all the right emotions for the part, making her character arc feel both sympathetic and believable. Donnie Yen shines as Commander Tung, the high ranking leader of the Imperial Army and mentor to Mulan. Although his character isn't as captivating as General Li Shang from the original, Yen still makes his character appealing. Jason Scott Lee both surprises and proves to an effective villain as Bori Khan, a Rouran warrior leader whose bent on avenging his father's death. His character is essentially Shaun Yu from the animated film. Despite both characters being different overall yet bearing similarities, Lee is perfectly cast in the role as the films menacing antagonist. Yoson An impresses as Chen Honghui, a confident and ambitious recruit in Commander Tung's unit who becomes Mulan's ally and love interest. Although Honghui's character comes across as feeling rather bland in comparison to Shang's from the original, he manages to make his character interesting enough for audience to somewhat care about his relationship with Mulan. Gong Li is stunning to watch as Xianniang, an ally of Bori Khan as well as being a powerful witch who possesses shapeshifting abilities. Jet Li surprises with his minimal yet cleverly casted role as the wise benevolent Emperor of China. Other noteworthy performances include Tzi Ma in a heartfelt performance as Mulan's aging father and war veteran Hua Zhou. He does an admirable job of playing a father who loves his family, but willfully chooses to serve his country despite his frail health. Rosalind Chao and Xana Tang both make the most of their screentime as Mulan's mother Hua Li, and the formers younger sister Hua Xiu. As a whole, the cast for Mulan does a very good job of bringing both energy and realism to their roles as well as the story. None of the performances shown are bad with everyone appearing​ to be fully aware of the significance of the story they're telling both in pop culture and historical terms. Even though the film has clear issues, the acting remains one of the best elements of the live-action version of Mulan.

      Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Niki Caro who previously helmed the critically acclaimed 2002 drama Whale Rider, Caro succeeds in delivering a story that's more somber than what audiences are accustomed to in regards to the tale of Mulan with the visual outlook of the film being purely breathtaking to watch. Caro directs this version with both a clear admiration and respect for the main character with her intentions being to play it as a more straight-forward family/military drama. The films cinematography as well as its costume and set designs compliment each other brilliantly, and helps deliver feelings of nostalgia to the audience regarding certain scenes that have been directly lifted from the original. The films action and fight scenes are well-choreographed, giving the live-action film a grittier and more intense feel than the other Disney remakes (Most notably due to this one in particular being rated PG-13). Caro presents the film as looking and feeling epic with the entire production of the story feeling grand from top to bottom with its brilliant showcasing of Chinese culture to its moving score by Matthew Wilder, that greatly adds to the films emotional core (Though his work despite being solid, ultimately pales in comparison to Jerry Goldsmith's masterful work in the 98 version). The added piano version of the song Reflection from the original is a nice touch to the newer film.

While filmmaker Caro does great in regards to bringing the animated world of Mulan to life in live-action mode with its overall look being visually stunning, her directing struggles when it comes to the films uneven pacing along with her controversial decision to remove the singing from the storyline. The films editing serves as being a mixed bag with the story sometimes feeling as if it moves too fast for its own good with the film carrying an exact running time of just two hours. The first act of the film is properly setup and does well with establishing all the key characters along with the main plot with the films middle act being the area where it struggles the most with Mulan trying to fit in with the emperor's army. The film also experiences moments where it carries a lack of energy, that could've been provided by the main characters doing their iconic musical numbers like in the animated film. The absence of such element doesn't do the newer version any favors as it sometimes feels like the movie stalls in regards to excitement with its plot feeling padded, almost like the filmmakers didn't know what else to do with Mulan in the Imperial army before things begin picking up near the films third act. In terms of overall directing, Niki Caro delivers on the films technological front with her efforts of bringing the story to live-action mode along with giving it a more mature tone with a historical touch, being fairly successful for the most part. Her directing provides the film with the much needed style to make the live-action version appealing to fans of the animated cartoon. Although it feels at times that the level of style she displays on the screen exceeds the amount of substance the actual film has, she could've enhanced the experience even further by keeping some of the main essential ingredients that made the animated film as beloved and iconic as it is today. 

      The films writing by Rick Jaffa, Amanda silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin is where the films main issues arise and ultimately hinder it from being something truly special within the realm of faithful live-action remakes of animated Disney classics. The script maintains virtually all of the key themes from the original film such as responsibility, honor, pride, combating of sexism, the following of traditions, sacrifice, loyalty, bravery, courage, legends, and devotion to one's family. The message that the script for the new film carries is similar with the remake ultimately saying that gender is of no consequence when it comes to bravery and martial arts skills. What the script does well is maintaining all of the original films important themes and messages along with emphasizing both the independence and strength of Mulan's character. Unlike the original where she had both Mushu and Cricket to help guide her with the latter serving as a confidant, she has to rely on her own skills and personal strength to succeed in the army with Mushu being replaced by a Phoenix like force that watches over and aids Mulan in her journey. While this change up serves as being a significant departure from the original in regards to Mulan's overall character arc in an attempt to make her character appear more independent as well as her struggle being more personal, it also robs the remake of a portion of the heart and inspiring message that made the original such a powerful experience for young audiences. What made the first film such a motivational experience for young children was seeing the character of Mulan willfully sacrifice herself to save her dad, while transforming from being a poor soldier and bride-in-grooming to becoming China's greatest warrior. That subplot was backed by powerful key moments, which are completely absent here such as Mulan watching her father train for battle with his sword only to realize his failing age makes him unfit to serve, or hard-hitting moments such as Mulan storming back into her home in the rain when deciding she'll take her fathers place and cut off her hair in an effort to disguise herself as a male soldier in order to serve in the emperor's army. These moments along with others such as the audience seeing the progression of Mulan becoming a better soldier through the musical montage titled: Let's Get Down To Business, are minor ones in the original story but helped give it significant power in regards to showing Mulan's​ transformation from being a smart and determined young girl into a warrior. The remake misses these key moments and presents both similar or exact scenes from the original with them feeling less effective and half-hearted in comparison to their originals. One clearly see's the approach that the filmmakers intended to take with the story with them wanting to show Mulan's​ success in regards to both becoming a strong warrior as well as saving China with her being able to accomplish both on her own along with adding more realism to the story. While this approach is a more interesting and accurate take on the real-life story behind the character, it also robs the film of the charm and welcomed feel that the original story possessed. It's also worth noting that the side characters in the story don't feel as thoroughly developed in terms of having distinct personalities like their original counterparts possessed such as the side characters in Mulan's army for example. The newer soldiers that both befriend and fight alongside Mulan aren't as compelling to watch this time around with them feeling like generic counterparts, who lack distinct personalities of their own. The love story between Mulan and Chen also doesn't work as effectively as the one in the original between both her and Shang, because the audience isn't shown enough of the new romance to become fully invested in it. The newer villains are interesting and give audiences the impression that they're menacing but Lee's Bori Khan isn't fleshed out well enough to be as fearful as Shaun Yu. The newer additions and character subplots added to the story come across as being interesting such as the film showing young Mulan as a young girl being both skillful at fighting, along with separating herself from the other girls in the village. Such a sequence proves effective in showing the rest of the village looking down on Mulan's family for what they essentially view as being improper and defiant behavior on her part, with the audience getting a foreshadowing of her destiny. The character of Mulan is also given a sister in this version, Hua Xiu, who serves no other purpose than helping motivate the former towards her decision of joining the Imperial army. The character subplot of Xianniang serves as being interesting with her character shown to wrestle with both good and evil in regards to choosing whether to follow Bori Khan or side with Mulan. The script for Mulan both wants to and tries to honor the work laid out before it with the animated Disney film, along with aiming to distinguish itself by going down a more realistic and authentic approach in honoring the real-life story of the character. As noble as its intentions are at doing so, the film ultimately feels as if it becomes lost midpoint in what direction it wants to go in telling its story with it feeling like it wants to have both worlds but ultimately loses a sizable chunk of the original's heart, energy, and charm that made it such a well-rounded classic that still stands as being the superior film of the two.

      As harsh as the criticisms towards the live-action version of Mulan might appear, it's not a total condemnation of it. When looking at the whole package, 2020's Mulan isn't a bad movie, and actually ranks among being one of Disney's better live-action versions thus far. It stands as being both an interesting and thoughtful reimagining, that could've been a fantastic one had the filmmakers not been so determined to eliminate all of the key elements that audiences loved about the original in regards to achieving more realism (The latter feels like a unreasonable excuse to cut out Mushu and the films music as the whole Phoenix angle, as well as the clear suspension-of-disbelief during the films action sequences make that reasoning feel a bit like a copout). At the core of the animated films story, it was the heart it carried that made it hit home with its audience with the story being constructed in a down-to-earth fashion that they could connect with. The film gave audiences characters whom they could come to care about and root for with the main focus still being directed towards Mulan. The remake doesn't give audiences one of Mulan's fellow troops that they could connect with or distinct from the other in terms of personality. The live-action version is a film that looks great on the outside, but inside the surface is missing some key essential things that made the first film so beloved as a Disney animated classic. Typical moviegoers will enjoy it while hardcore fans of the original will be largely divided on some of the filmmakers critical choices in regards to the films storytelling. The remake simply doesn't carry the same type of power behind its story that the original has with key moments such as the revealing of Mulan's true identity to her fellow troops not being as impactful when handled in the live-action version. The newer film does come with its moments of genuine thrills such as the intense avalanche scene lifted directly from the cartoon along with the climactic fight sequence. Though despite being as interesting to watch as those scenes are, they don't hold the same impact without the presence of Mulan's animated counterparts aiding her. The job of any remake should be to leave audiences thoroughly satisfied by the upgrading of the story, not making them miss certain elements of the original nor lust for that version instead. Having expressed that, the new Mulan isn't a bad movie and just manages to be a fairly entertaining and passable live-action remake, though not an upgrade in any sense of the word. When looking at the quality of the original film, one can't help but feel the filmmakers could've went further with knocking this one out of the park. For Disney, this won't reassure fans that they have a firm grip on bringing their animated classics to the big screen in live-action form and just further extends the debate that Disney fans have on whether the studio should bother remaking their greatest hits into live action or if it's even necessary to do so. While the newer version doesn't dishonor the original work, it never advances it with the end result being an respectable effort at best. 

Final Verdict: For Disney fans, the live-action Mulan doesn't meet nor exceed the standard set by the original, but offers a stylistically different approach to the classic story which at the very least should be watched and judged by those who enjoyed the animated film when it arrives for free on Disney Plus in December as it's not worth the $30 dollar charge plus its subscription fee.

The New Mutants Tries Hard But Ultimately Doesn't Justify The Hype Behind Its Long-Awaited Release Into Theaters

When looking at long-lasting comic book franchises, the one that comes to mind that's expanded the length of over two decades is the popular X-Men franchise that kick-started in 2000 with Bryan Singer's​ critically acclaimed box office hit. While the series itself has experienced its share of ups and downs, one things for certain is that its status in film history is both cemented as well as being highly influential in the comic book movie genre. Fast-forwarding twenty years after the franchises launch, the series see's the release of the controversial spin-off titled The New Mutants. Based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, the film designed as being an American horror film, stands as being the thirteenth and final chapter in the X-Men franchise. Plagued by numerous delays and production troubles with the film being filmed in 2017 and shelved from its original 2018 release date, The New Mutants finally receives its day in theaters as being one of the first few films chosen to help bring audiences back into theaters after being temporarily shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In all honesty, they're better off staying at home and reliving the glory days of the X-Men film franchise rather than risk their health watching another disappointing entry in the long-running series. The New Mutants isn't the terrible film that its production history would make one believe, but it's​ also nowhere near some of the franchises finest works. It ultimately falls into the category of being a mediocre effort at best that could've been a great film had more effort went into expanding its story, as well as maintaining the series heart. 

      Based on the 1982 best-selling comic book series, the plot for The New Mutants centers around five young teenagers finding themselves locked in a secret facility that prevents them from escaping through the use of a force field, leaving them no choice but to undergo medical tests conducted by a sole scientist (Played by Alice Braga), who tells them that they have superpowers they must learn how to control. What makes the story of The New Mutants significant in the X-Men film timeline, is the fact that it's the first film in the series to not directly have the team at the forefront of the story, but instead chooses to focus on an outside group of young teens carrying similar mutant abilities. With the plot presented here, the filmmakers had a chance to take the series in a different direction, that would've provided a much needed reboot of the franchise after the highly disappointing results of Dark Phoenix both quality and box office wise. The New Mutants provided audiences with a unique approach to the X-Men timeline with the story showing the perspective of young teens discovering their special abilities, and figuring out how to control them. What works for the film in terms of keeping it from being a complete failure is the appeal of its main cast, all of whom deliver performances that are believable and attempt to add some thrill to the overall experience. The film carries a promising premise that feels like it's never fully developed with the story lacking a true villain to make the audience care about what's happening on-screen. Despite boasting some interesting characters with a plot that stays true to the X-Men series, The New Mutants is a competent yet messy spin-off that lacks the emotional core of the series with the end result feeling like a terribly mediocre effort with plot twists that feel both predictable and painfully cliched. 

      Despite the films shortcomings with its overall execution, the cast stands as being one of its strongest points with the young group of talented actors making the most of the roles given to them. In the films main role, Blu Hunt shines as Native American mutant Danielle Moonstar, who can create illusions based on both the fears and desires of other people. Hunt does an effective job of making her character believable as well as sympathetic as a young teenager coming to terms with her special abilities. Along with Hunt, Maisie Williams does a solid job as playing Rahne Sinclair, a Scottish mutant with the ability to transform into a wolf. Williams does an impressive job of portraying a young person who struggles with reconciling this issue with her strict religious upbringing. Both Williams and Hunt demonstrate strong chemistry with their friendship/romance serving as the heart of the film. Anna Taylor-Joy steals the show as Russian mutant Illyana Rasputin, who possesses sorcery powers such as being able to manifest the Soulsword as well as using teleportation discs to travel. Her performance is spot-on with the audience enjoying her character despite hating the way she treats Danielle. Other noteworthy performances are Charlie Heaton as Samuel Guthrie, an American mutant with the ability to propel himself into their air with him being invulnerable while doing so. Henry Zaga also does well as Brazilian mutant Roberto da Costa, who carries the ability to manipulate solar energy. As well as the main cast of young teenager mutants come across, it's Alice Braga who manages to rise to the occasion with her solid performance as Dr. Cecilia Reyes, the groups mentor and medical doctor who carries the ability to generate productive fields around her. As a whole, the cast for The New Mutants has much to do with the film being an average effort instead of being completely forgettable. While they're not able to overcome the issues regarding the films writing and directing, they manage to make their characters appealing to the audience at the very least. 

      Directed by Josh Boone who previously helmed the 2014 critically acclaimed romantic drama The Fault In Our Stars, he becomes the latest filmmaker in the line of X-Men film directors to take a stab at helming the franchise. Although his efforts is less disappointing than the works both Brett Ratner and Simon Kinberg both delivered with X-Men 3 and Dark Phoenix respectively, Boone also doesn't reach the stamp of high quality that acclaimed filmmakers such as Bryan Singer, Matthew Vaughn, and James Mangold left on the series with their films. Boone's work here serves as being serviceable at best but severely lacking in regards to both the seriousness, as well as the emotional core that those filmmakers tapped into handling their stories. Despite being billed as a horror style flick, The New Mutants often feels as if it's confused in terms of whether it wants to be such or an X-Men film or supernatural thriller. The film also feels as if it suffers in the editing department with the first two thirds of the film being spent on fleshing out the main characters with the audience waiting for a big payoff to justify its slow pacing, only to be left feeling underwhelmed when its third act doesn't quite get there. Although the film lacks substance in regards to being horror themed with a few scenes being genuinely effective in terms of being creepy (The Pool Scene for example), its gritty atmosphere is effective enough in adding  some much needed suspense and tension to the scenes. The films cinematography is well-shot with the CGI blending in reasonably well with the rest of the movie, despite being rather hit or miss at times. The score by Mark Snow is well done in terms of adding to both the tension as well as the emotion of the story. In terms of Boone's overall work as the films director, his work feels uneven and lacking in both a clear and distinct vision for the story. It's apparent that he wants to give the film a horror movie feel in comparison to the previous X-Men movies but his efforts at doing so feel restrained due to the movies PG-13 rating. Boone's desire to make the film horror oriented often feel like a flirtation with taking the series down that road rather than actually doing so. The few moments where the film aims to go down that direction are somewhat effective, but don't completely achieve the reactions they set out to generate. An example is a sequence in which the young teenagers are being pursued by a group of monsters with vampire like teeth. Such a sequence despite being mildly effective, would've been more terrifying if Boone was allowed to go all out with the creepiness of the creatures instead of them wearing questionable outfits, which take away from the intensity of those moments. Where Boone succeeds with the film directing wise is balancing out the ensemble cast of teenage actors, along with generating solid performances out of them. As well as Boone does with working with the actors and doing a serviceable job with handling the films key technical elements, he also shows himself to be no Bryan Singer nor Matthew Vaughn in regards to crafting a well-rounded story regarding mutants.

      The films screenplay also written by Boone with Knate Lee as co-writer, is at its strongest when fleshing out its main characters. The story covers themes pertaining to good vs evil, mutations, the fear of both using as well as revealing one's powers, carrying survivors guilt and trauma with the character of Dani feeling guilt for her father's death, and the group learning to control ones powers. With these themes introduced, the core of the story is mainly about the main characters fighting both the good and the bad within themselves in regards to deciding what kind of person they want to be with their special abilities. What makes the X-Men franchise resonate so we'll with audiences as well as lasting as long as it has, is how it's able to make audiences connect with both the characters and themes of the story. At the core of each X-Men film that was strong in quality, is the heart they possess in delivering the struggle that mutants face in regards to being accepted within society. The emotional message that The New Mutants attempts to drives home with audiences, is that everyone is capable of being both good and bad with them ultimately being left to choose who they want to be. As well-intended and noble as the message for The New Mutants comes across as being, it ultimately doesn't feel as thoroughly nor as effectively fleshed out as it could've been if the story was further expanded on rather than being rushed to fit its short 100 minute running time. The biggest problem with the script for The New Mutants is how bland and generic it feels despite boasting an interesting concept. The newer characters are interesting but their storylines serve as being typical tales of loss and grief within the series with nothing new shown to separate them from the other similar mutant stories we've seen before. In addition, they're also given dialogue that ranges from being rather stale to downright cringe-worthy at times. The one subplot in the script that feels naturally developed and reasonably fleshed out is the love story between Danielle and Rahne with it feeling like a gradual growth of the two characters relationship rather than appearing forced. The audience also never truly feels the threat in the story that puts the young teenagers in jeopardy nor tests the good or bad side in them to determine which side they ultimately choose. For a film that aims to be a horror movie, there's very little of such elements present to make it constitute as one with the overall plot being slow-moving for the most part with it only coming alive with its third act. Despite some strong aspects of the screenplay, the overall effort feels both messy and unfinished as the audience feels a severe lack of a larger threat within the story along with the films main antagonist feeling like a corrupt generic scientist studying the mutants for her own personal gain as well as receiving orders to terminate them from a higher authority, whom the audience never gets the chance to see. The script for The New Mutants leaves numerous questions for the audience to ask but gives very little answers, while also serving to further confuse and mess up the current timeline of the X-Men movie franchise.

      Having seen The New Mutants, it's no secret as to why the studio subjected the film to numerous reshoots and release delays with it being visibly clear upon watching the film that they didn't feel confident enough with the films quality for it to be successful in terms of repositioning the X-Men franchise with its own spin-off series. Their worst fears appear to be somewhat justified as The New Mutants isn't strong enough of a film to stand on its own feet in regards to rebooting the series, but it also isn't the complete failure that many critics and reviewers make it out to be. The film is neither groundbreaking nor terrible with it ultimately falling somewhere in between being a mediocre effort at best (Which in itself is a shame as the right retooling of the script as well as more creative freedom in regards to telling the story along with embracing its desired horror movie roots, would've made it the reboot needed to rejuvenate the long-standing franchise). For a film that desires to be a teen horror flick mixed with a firm grip on the X-Men mythology, it  falls way short of the mark and ultimately needed more of a push in regards to making it truly effective. As a film that's intended to help bring audiences back to the theaters during the Covid-19 pandemic, it misses the mark on that count as well with there being nothing present within the film that warrants audiences flocking to the reopened theaters to see it. Despite some decent acting from the films talented young cast, an interesting concept that could've and should've been explored more in depth as its already been handled before with other comic book films, and what appeared to be an appealing makeover of the series to audiences, The New Mutants suffers from the classic case of deja vu that audiences will unquestionably feel upon watching it with the running time being too short along with the overall film being too uneventful to make the audience truly invested in the new storyline. Fans of the X-Men film franchise and overall mythology are wise to disregard all of Fox Studios efforts to continue the series past Logan, and just wait for Disney (Who now holds the rights to the franchise) to properly reboot the series with a fresher and less convoluted timeline. As a film, The New Mutants works best as a standalone effort that feels generic but can satisfy as being mild entertainment. As a film that desires to be apart of the X-Men timeline, it both tragically as well as frustratingly misses the mark with its overall quality not being worthy of standing among some of the finer moments of the series that were handled much better by filmmakers, who showed more enthusiasm and heart used in executing their stories. This is not a film that's worthy of the wait that X-Men fans have put into seeing it, and should look to the future of the series instead with Disney now at the helm as Fox Studios have shown that they've lost sight of what made the series so successful in the first place, which was the well-balanced of the films action/thrills mixed with the sincere directing of its filmmakers that connected the audience with their stories. At the very least, they have the past glory days of the series to look back on and rewatch. The New Mutants isn't on the same caliber of disappointment as Dark Phoenix nor completely collapses as a film much like that one, but that also isn't really saying much when looking at the type of effort that went into making both films in comparison to some of the series best works.

Final Verdict: For comic book fans and those of the X-Men franchise, The New Mutants serves as being another disappointing entry in the long-running yet uneven franchise.

Fantasy Island Lacks The Scares, Creativity, And Enthusiasm From Its Filmmakers To Make It An Effective Re-imagining Of The Classic 1970's TV Show

     

  Taking a classic source material that's become iconic in pop culture and re-imagining it for today's audiences, can be both a challenging and risky task. The filmmakers not only have to reintroduce the concept for a new generation, but do so in a way that remains faithful to the past. With Fantasy Island, the hit studio Blumhouse who brought audiences 2017's smash hit Get Out and 2018's highly successful Halloween sequel/reboot, try their hand at reviving a popular 1977 television show of the same name which aired on ABC. Whereas the original show was designed as being an adventure/drama, the film adaptation gives the concept a horror style makeover that maintains virtually the same plot but delivers a more intense experience for audiences, while utilizing key elements from the original show. Despite receiving a critical drubbing, the film proved itself to be a box office success generating $47 million on a budget of only $7 million. Although it exceeded expectations financially, the same unfortunately can't be said about the film itself with the end result leaving much to be desired in regards to being both a strong and effective reboot of the classic show. Fantasy Island is a film that has the right talent behind it with Blumhouse backing it, but the overall execution ranks as being one of their weakest and most disappointing efforts yet. Fantasy Island is a film that carries with it the ideal concept for a horror movie, but the creativity of it's plot doesn't match the effort that's ultimately put on the screen with the movie as a whole coming across as feeling extremely messy as well as lacking genuine creativity. 

      Set as a prequel to the classic adventure TV show while adding its own dark twist to it, the updated horror version  focuses on the mission of the owner of a remote tropical vacation island (Played by Michael Pena in a surprisingly fun performance) in making all of the dreams of his guests come true in an effort to keep his resurrected wife back from the dead. However, when their dreams begin to turn into terrifying nightmares, the guests are ultimately left with no choice but to figure out how to save their own lives. The plot for Fantasy Island sounds ideal for being transformed into an effective horror flick that not only would be exciting for audiences to watch, but ultimately terrifying. The plot for the newer version of the story comes across as being a mixture of Total Recall meets Westworld combined with a dose of Cabin In The Woods. It's not a question of whether the story was designed to work as a horror film as all the right elements were there to make it work effectively as being such. The films biggest problem which ultimately becomes its downfall, is its severe lack of steady direction and consistent scriptwriting with the film often feeling like it isn't exactly sure on whether it wants to be a supernatural thriller or a slick horror flick. Fantasy Island is a film that carries with it interesting ideas and concepts to make for a solid horror flick, but its overall look and style feels both uneven and misguided for being an intended horror story which in itself is a shame because this had potential to be very well-executed if it was placed in the hands of better filmmakers.

      As disappointing as the execution of the story comes across, the films main ensemble cast attempt to make the most of their roles despite many of their characters often feeling both generic and one-note. The films strongest performances come from Michael Pena as Mr. Roarke, the enigmatic keeper of Fantasy Island despite his accent coming across as being rather silly at times. Despite that minor fault with Pena's performance, he's genuinely entertaining to watch and makes the most of his part as a misleading salesman. The same can also be said for Maggie Q in a surprising yet impressive turn as Gwen Olsen, a businesswoman who visits the island and discovers her fantasy of accepting a marriage proposal she rejected prior. Q brings all the right emotions to her part and succeeds for the most part in making her character appear sympathetic. Lucy Hale and Portia Doubleday both deliver solid performances with Hale playing Melanie Cole, a disturbed girl who visits the island with the fantasy of exacting revenge on a childhood bully. While Hale delivers a solid performance, it's Portia Doubleday who gives the stronger performance as Melanie's childhood bully Sloane, who ends up being kidnapped and sent to the island to perform in Melanie's fantasy. Although Michael Rooker's role is minimal, he still manages to make his presence effective as Damon, a private investigator whose sent to investigate the true intentions behind Fantasy Island. Other notable supporting roles include Austin Stowell as Patrick Sullivan, a former police officer who visits the island to realize his fantasy of enlisting in battle to honor his father, Ryan Hansen as J.D Weaver who visits the island to realize his fantasy of wanting to have it all. Jimmy O. Yang steals the show as Dj's gay brother Brax, who visits the island with the same fantasy as his brother to have it all. The rest of the supporting cast manages to deliver minimal yet effective performances with Parisa Fitz-Henley as Roarke's deceased wife Julia Roarke, Mike Vogel as Patrick's deceased father Lieutenant Sullivan, and Evan Evagora as Melanie's crush Nick Taylor who died in a fire involving the other guests on the island. Overall, the cast for Fantasy Island deliver performances that serve as being both believable and convincing with them attempting to elevate the film to being mildly entertaining despite the messiness of the films tone. Although the film as a whole underperformed, the cast stands firmly as being one of the few bright spots that manages to work fairly well with Michael Pena leading the pack with his strange yet charismatic performance.

      As reasonably decent as the acting performances from the main cast turn out to be, the films directing is ultimately where things begin to fall apart regarding the movie underwhelming as a horror film despite carrying strong cinematography. The films directing by Jeff Wadlow feels unbalanced as well as uninspired in its ambition to deliver both a suspenseful and terrifying experience for audiences. The film often feels like its stuck between wanting to be a supernatural thriller and a full-blooded horror film with it ultimately ending up being confusing in regards to its tone. While the tropical setting of the mysterious island is beautifully shot with the films cinematography, it also lacks the dark corridors and tense atmosphere that generally accompanies the look of a horror film. Wadlow attempts to pivot from this glaring flaw with the film by adding some interesting visuals such as the eyes of the characters when killed off or resurrected, giving the film a supernatural style feel with the audience seeing their eyes go black. He also attempts to give the film a Cabin In The Woods style vibe by adding scantily clad women in their underwear partying on the beach in a desperate attempt to assure viewers that what they're watching is indeed a horror film despite little evidence of it actually being so on screen. The pacing keeps the story moving at a brisk pace, but audiences will find themselves taking issue with the lack of a proper build up of suspense and tension. The films scare moments are few and far between with them ultimately coming across as feeling cheap and lacking in terms of creativity. As far as directing goes, Fantasy Island manages to effectively nail the look of the island but collapses when it comes to building up the films creepy atmosphere and mood. The main issue with Wadlow's directing is despite the film being well-shot in terms of the islands locations appearing exotic, his effort lacks both a clear and creative drive in terms of execution with the jump scares lacking any real thought being put into making them work. Given that the movies main concept deals with both imagination and fantasy, there appears to be surprisingly little of it on display in terms of adding freshness to the material. When looking at the type of horror film that Fantasy Island could've been, it's really disappointing to see how little effort was thrown at the screen with the end result feeling more like a forgettable B movie than a frightening and twisted horror story.

      In addition to the films directing feeling lackluster, the screenplay also written by Wadlow with Chris Roach and Jillian Jacobs ends up being messy as it struggles to balance out the multiple subplots of all the main characters, along with giving backstories to their separate fantasies. The script sets up characters that all carry distinct personalities in making each different person stand out with the screentime that's given to them. What the script does well despite often feeling as if it crams all their different storylines together, is making the motives understandable as well as sympathetic in regards to them wanting to live out their fantasies. Examples of such are Melanie wanting revenge on her childhood High School bully who traumatized her, or the subplots involving Gwen wanting to fix her biggest regret of turning down the proposal her boyfriend delivered, or Patrick Sullivan's character wanting to fantasize about being in combat to follow in his dad's footsteps. As fairly well-developed and fleshed out as those character subplots come across, there's others that carried potential but ended up being poorly fleshed out such as the backstory involving Michael Rooker's character. His character arc carried tremendous potential in regards to giving audiences more insight regarding the corruption on the island with the missed opportunity of a flashback to his character being poorly handled throughout the course of the story. The subplots involving both Ryan Hansen and Jimmy O. Yang's characters also make them feel like the typical stereotypical goofy characters, that can often be found in a horrible movie. The script admirably attempts to flesh out and develop all of these characters, but constantly forgets to build up the suspense of the story in between. The motive of Michael Pena's character behind wanting those invited to the island to live out their fantasies is presented in a way that's believable, but ultimately isn't fleshed out well enough for the audience to truly care. Despite the efforts of the script to produce characters whom the audience can become invested in as well as want to see survive their ordeal on the island, the characters simply come across as feeling convenient for the plot rather than carrying personalities of their own. They often feel like cardboard cutouts of characters from other movies along with being given dialogue that falls into the category of being more cringe-worthy and cliched rather than believable (The Weaver brothers are a prime example). The script also attempts to deliver twists and turns to keep the audience guessing on what's actually going on with the films third act throwing out an interesting plot twist regarding the identity of the films main antagonist. Such a reveal would be believable if it didn't feel like it totally came out of left field. The films overall message of living ones life free of regrets however, is driven home through the themes explored in the script regarding relationships, family, loss, death, regret, feeling guilt, living in the past, making amends, sacrifice, letting go, and changing the past. While the stories themes and concepts are well-introduced, the script doesn't properly explore them which ultimately makes the end result feel messy rather than having a focused story-structure and narrative.

      For a film that desires to be an effective horror movie, Fantasy Island lacks nearly every essential ingredient needed to work in that regard as it lacks genuine suspense, thrills, creativity, and scares to make it truly effective and memorable. Outside of the interesting plot, the only two things which manage to work in the movies favor are the performances of the main cast and its cinematography despite the films supernatural thriller and horror style being all over the place. The messy tone often gives audiences the impression that they're watching two different films with one side desiring to be supernatural-themed while the other wants to be seen as a horror film, particularly the films third act involving dead characters being resurrected and fighting our main characters in dark caves. While the performances rank as being decent, they aren't enough to shake off the generic tropes that accompany the characters each actor/actress plays. The film lacks a legitimate feeling of uncertainty and danger that its plot should carry with the main characters not knowing what to expect on the island, though slowly feeling the sinking realization that something sinister is lurking in the shadows. Fantasy Island wants to be a slick horror movie but its multiple character arcs and old-fashioned melodrama make it feel like a soap opera meshed together with elements of a thriller along with a few sprinkles of the horror genre being included such as the resurrecting of dead characters and their eyes turning black after being killed in a weird supernatural twist. Overall, the re-imagining of Fantasy Island lacks the freshness, the brains, and the spirit of its original show to make it work effectively as a reboot. The film feels like reheated leftovers being microwaved on high in hope that the original taste that made it so delicious in the first place can be recaptured again. Sadly that isn't the case here as Fantasy Island carried promise to make for both a solid and creative reboot with it ultimately serving as being a poor attempt to reboot a classic brand, that could've worked as being an effective horror movie had it been handled better by stronger filmmakers. Given that Blumhouse has repeatedly shown audiences that they're​ more than capable of bringing solid horror films to the big screen, their unfortunate misfire here is hugely disappointing. Of all the interesting fantasies that the film explores, it leaves audiences cold with its most intriguing one that makes them wonder what this film would've looked like had different filmmakers helmed it. Fans of the classic 1977 show would be wise to avoid the poor re-imagining and instead reminisce on the shows greatness by revisiting it as it's bound to be far more satisfying than watching the half-hearted attempt at a reboot.

Final Verdict: For horror and suspense fans, Blumhouse's Fantasy Island should be avoided and switched with revisiting the classic show that inspired the failed re-imagining.

Marriage Story Works As A Compassionate And Moving Experience That's Boasted By Career Best Performances From Scarlett Johansson And Adam Driver

     

     Love can be both an amazing experience yet also a painful and heartbreaking one when divorce occurs. Although relationships may end under different circumstances, family ties are tougher to break and can be strengthened if both sides are willing to make it work as demonstrated in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. Whereas the film industry finds itself becoming more dominated by blockbusters, comic book movies and Hollywood remakes, one of the most appealing set of films that audiences generally look forward to are those which end up dominating award season. Generally, the type of films nominated often consist of being historical and romantic dramas with a rare blockbuster film being well-crafted enough to warrant Oscar consideration. What makes these films appealing to audiences besides their stories, are the distinct ways each one is told with their respective filmmakers putting their full craftsmanship on full display while placing Hollywood's finest actors in the lead roles. That certainly appears to be the case with Marriage Story, a 2019 Oscar nominated romantic drama starring both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in the films main roles. The film ended up being both a financial and critical success with it ending up on many critics top 10 lists of 2019 along with it earning a total of six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and nominations for both main leads with a win for Laura Dern in a Best Supporting Actress category. Having seen the film in its entirety, one can see the appeal for Marriage Story with audiences as it serves as being both a well-written and extremely effective drama that's strongly acted by both its main leads, and directed with a compassionate approach which gives the story both an artistic and believable feel to it along with being told with a heavy dose of sentimentality. 

      The plot for Marriage Story centers around a young couple (Played brilliantly by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver) finding themselves struggling to maintain a close relationship with their young son with them now leading separate lives in different states as their marriage disintegrates. Of all the films nominated in the 2020 Best Picture Oscar category, Marriage Story carries a look and feel to it which makes it a relatable experience to audiences with the film serving as being a complex yet personal observation of a union, that's deeply fractured but is ultimately worth experiencing thanks to the powerful performances delivered by its main actors along with steady filmmaking. What makes the story so appealing to audiences besides it being well-handled is how down to earth it feels with many being able to connect with both the characters, as well as their ultimate challenge of trying to create a smooth transition for the sake of their child with the outcome ultimately being the reverse. The film is very much one that's​ not only grounded in reality but is mainly about loss, self-reflection, and adapting to new norms. Whereas the filmmakers do a beautiful job of conveying these themes to the audience, it's the performances of the main leads which add an extra layer to the film in regards to giving the story both the heart and pulse needed to truly make it work. Marriage Story serves as being an artistic yet thoughtful examination of relationships and how people can find themselves struggling to pick up the pieces when the glass shatters. It's a story that knows what it wants to say and does so with full confidence and awareness given that so many people in today's generation can relate to the main characters shown in the film. While not the best film to come out of 2019 nor was it the best film out of the Best Picture Oscar category, it still finds itself worthy of being among the list of both categories. 

      One of the key elements of Marriage Story that makes it work so well as being an effective hard-hitting drama are the exceptionally raw and convincing performances from its main cast. Both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver prove to be perfect casting choices for their roles with them not only being able to work off each other well, but demonstrate dynamic chemistry together as a troubled pair who are struggling to remain on friendly terms. Their performances feel both realistic and believable with Johansson excelling in her role as Charlie's wife Nicole Barber with her being given powerful monologues where she reflects on her relationship with Driver's character, while revealing that she ultimately felt unnoticed by him in the end. She easily gives one of the best performances of her career with her managing to convey the appropriate emotions that her character requires. The same can also be said for Adam Driver in his role as Nicole's husband Charlie Barber. Driver is terrific to watch with him convincingly portraying his character as being a loving yet self-absorbed partner, while managing to make his character sympathetic with the audience being able to relate to his characters shock with learning about his divorce, as well as believing that the process will be a smooth one until realizing otherwise. Like Johansson, Driver brings a lot of emotional depth to the role with his character struggling to hold onto his emotions regarding their divorce with his sudden yet inevitable outbursts being extremely effective moments when they do occur. Both actors deliver equally fantastic performances with their respective Oscar nominations being well-warranted. The rest of the supporting cast does well in terms of backing up the main leads with Laura Dern surprising (And in some cases steals the show) in her role as Nicole's lawyer Nora Fanshaw. Dern does well with her role of playing a loyal attorney for Nicole with her character also managing to throw surprise punches in regards to pushing her client over the 50/50 mark in regards to gaining custody of her son Henry. Dern is terrific here and earns her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win with her character providing a strong trip for the main cast. The rest of the supporting cast deliver noteworthy performances with Ray Liotta and Alan Alda both impressing as Charlie's aggressive first lawyer Jay Marotta with his character demonstrating a firm hand in getting his client shared custody of Henry with Alda also doing well as Charlie's questionable and passive second lawyer Bert Spitz. In addition to the strong performances of the adult ensemble cast, Azhy Robertson turns in a strong performance as Nicole and Charlie's son Henry Barber. His character is the heart of the story and serves as the neutral figure in between the parents intensifying custody battle over whether Henry stays with his mother in Los Angeles or goes with his father to New York. Wallace Shawn also carries some funny bits here in an effort to ease the tension of the story with him playing one of Charlie's chatty cast members of his Broadway play named Frank. The cast for Marriage Story plays a significant role in regards to the film ultimately being as moving and effective as it ultimately turns out to be. The best performances easily come from Johansson and Driver in the films main roles, but the supporting cast manages to do a great job (Laura Dern and Ray Liotta especially) with reinforcing the strength of the main leads while providing a well-balanced atmosphere in which all the performances range from being very good to brilliant. There's not one performance shown that doesn't work nor falls under the category of being unsatisfactory with everyone bringing their A game to the film, along with making the whole experience feel both real and unsettling for audiences. Realism is the key here and the cast as a whole manage to convincingly sell it to the audience.

 

      In terms of the films directing, Noah Baumbach impresses with both his realistic and sincere approach to bringing such a well-written story to the big screen. What makes his divorce story unique compared to others , is how he does an impressive and noteworthy job of presenting both sides of the issue to audiences with the viewpoints of both main characters being well-balanced and understandable to the audience. His inclusion of humor into the film is cleverly utilized and much appreciated in easing the steady tension that builds throughout the story as the divorce proceedings become nastier. Baumbach takes care of his characters and invites the audience into the lives of the Barbers with the films effective opening sequence being wonderfully narrated by Driver. The film is given a slow-burning pace that allows the audience to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Barbers marriage/divorce while getting to know and understand both Johansson and Driver's characters. The cinematography (Filmed in 35mm) is well-shot with it giving the film more of a personal look with the expressions on the characters faces being magnified for the audience to see. The camera work not only makes both the New York and Los Angeles settings of the film appear to be visually striking, it also makes no attempt to shy audiences away from the harsh and brutal realities of the story with the cinematography allowing for long and lingering close-ups of the actors faces in showing the vulnerabilities of their characters regarding the situation. The films score by Randy Newman is solid with it adding both an intimate touch to the story regarding the romance, while slowly breaking ones heart as the strength of the family begins to loosen. Newman's score fits right in with the look and style of the film. As far as the films directing goes, Noah Baumbach does a fine job of making the story one that feels both realistic and personal for the audience. With his skillful directing, his ability to get career best performances out of his main actors along with utilizing Randy Newman's score, allows him to craft a gut-wrenching emotional drama that not only possesses enormous amounts of heart but can often be genuinely heartbreaking to watch at times as the divorce battle intensifies. The main actors are only as strong as the direction their given with Noah Baumbach putting his full craftsmanship as a filmmaker on display here not just in the directing category, but in writing as well.

      The screenplay written by Baumbach provides the story with a strong foundation along with being rich in terms of character development. The film presents a well-balanced yet unflinching look on the concept of divorce with the story showing how messy the whole process can become if allowed to. What Baumbach does well with the script is showing both characters perspectives on the divorce, along with showing their motivations in dragging the case out further than it needs to with their lawyers provoking the tension during the legal battle. Baumbach's script feels inclusive with it tackling themes pertaining to love, relationships, parenting, divorce, competitiveness, custody battles, and extra-marital affairs with the films overall message saying that sometimes relationships can end badly and that it takes work to keep things together when children are involved. Baumbach makes no attempts to shy away from the painful realities of divorce and puts it on full display here with the little bits of humor he incorporates into the film being brief moments of relief for the audience as both the drama and tension multiply. He shows neither side of the marriage to be perfect with Driver's character despite being a good father figure also appearing to be self-absorbed and cheated on his wife when their relationship ran into difficult times. Despite showing his characters faults, the writer makes it a point to emphasize Charlie's struggle with scrambling to meet his wife head on with the divorce proceedings as her expensive and relentless lawyer aims to take everything from him. Nicole is also shown at times as being inconsiderate with her ambushing Charlie with divorce papers along with randomly switching up times that he can see their son. Baumbach takes the characters and places them in some truly awful situations such as the courtroom scene where both Nicole and Charlie's lawyers fire ammunition at each other using personal information against the other person in an effort to gain full custody of their child. There's also little moments placed in the script that make a huge impact on the story such as a scene in which Nicole is in bed with her family and is shown unbeknownst to them, to be quietly crying while her husband reads a bedtime story to their son, signifying her unhappiness with her marriage. Baumbach doesn't paint these characters to be perfect but makes it a point to show how people can suddenly fall in love with each other then later fall out of being such, while struggling to remain on friendly terms when kids are involved. The screenplay is very much a story about a marriage slowly falling apart through a nasty divorce with both parties struggling to keep their family intact. For audiences, this is a reality that many know all too well about and have experienced which makes it an even more powerful and absorbing experience. With Baumbach, the film serves as being a self-reflection of his own life as the film represents his own divorce as well as that of both his parents and friends. He does a fantastic job of creating a story that feels universal to audiences without it coming across as feeling preachy or hitting them over the head with the films message.

      As Marriage Story unabashedly shows, divorce is painful and can be an extremely unsettling and ugly process not just for both parties, but for the audience watching the story unfold. The film is not without its brutal moments that drive home the harsh realities of such a situation like the scene involving Charlie and Nicole's big fight in their private meeting away from their lawyers in which both sides unleash their frustrations, disappointments, and hidden feelings of anger and resentment towards each other. Such a moment is stunning, powerful, and ultimately heartbreaking for the audience as they witness the toll that such a process has taken on both parties as a whole with them also not being let off the hook with the films realities. For some audiences, Marriage Story may be too brutal in it's depiction of divorce or feel too close to home to be watched as a form of entertainment. The story is not one that should be viewed lightly as it's designed to be a journey for the audience, which for some can either be an informative or self-reflective experience. What guides the film are the remarkable performances that both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver deliver, the strong performances from the supporting cast that back the lead performances up, and the sincerity that writer-director Noah Baumbach brings to the story in showing the audience how heartbreaking the process of divorce can be. Although the film shows how marriages can ultimately end on a depressing and bitter note, family bonds can remain strong and intact if both sides are willing to put in the work to maintain a unified front for their kids. In a society where divorces are becoming more and more common, Marriage Story is one that's tough to watch but also remains hopeful with it's uplifting message that's driven home with the films final scene involving Nicole tying both Henry and Charlie's shoes before the latter go off to spend time together. Such a scene is impactful for the audience because it shows that even though their experience is a painful yet temporary one, family bonds if strengthened and worked for are tougher to break and will outlast any divorce proceedings. Marriage Story is an emotional drama that has its heart in the right place and delivers an experience that's difficult to watch at times due to how connected one becomes with the characters, but is ultimately a rewarding one.

Final Verdict: For those looking for a well-acted and effective emotional drama, Marriage Story is definitely worth the time and effort to watch.