Wonder Woman 1984 Gives Audiences The Superheroine That's Needed Even If Her Newest Effort Doesn't Quite Meet The Standard Of The Original

    

Warning: SPOILERS included in the review.

     Sequels to comic book films are often proven to be either hit-or-miss efforts with only a handful living up to the legacy of their predecessors, while the rest either pale in comparison or flat out misfire with their intentions. These above average superhero sequels range anywhere from being Superman ll to X2: X-Men United, Spiderman 2, and The Dark Knight with Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman 1984 hoping to be added to the list. Released in 2017, the original Wonder Woman film also directed by Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, ended up becoming the biggest film of the summer it was released as well as garnering critical acclaim from both critics and audiences. Three years later and a total of five delayed releases, the much anticipated sequel to the original smash hit finally see's its release split with it both premiering on HBO Max as well as being released in theaters with the split decision being made due to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases. Reuniting Gadot and Jenkins with Chris Pine returning as Steve Trevor from the original (Fans have to see the film to understand his characters return, though they'll still be scratching their heads afterwards), the trio continue the story they left off with the newest sequel now spawning a 1984 timeline with newer villains played by 2016's Ghostbusters Kristen Wiig and Star Wars: Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal. The sequel looks and feels bigger than the original film in terms of scope with the overall experience feeling like an overloaded effort despite being extremely fun and entertaining to watch. Wonder Woman 1984 isn't as strong of a film as its predecessor nor comes close to beating it, but it has many things going for it which make it a decent effort and certainly not worthy of the extreme divisive reception that the film has received since it's Christmas Day premiere.

      Picking up where the first film left off with the story now taking place in the 1980's era, the plot for Wonder Woman 1984 focuses on the superpowered Amazonian warrior Diana (Played once again by Gal Gadot) now finding herself facing off against two enemies: The first being a manipulative and greedy conman named Maxwell Lord (Played by Pedro Pascal), whose determined to rule the world by manipulating an ancient relic which grants wishes to people with the second being a timid geologist (Played by Kristen Wiig), who desires to be a strong, sexy, and powerful woman with her wish ultimately coming true. The plot for Wonder Woman 1984 aims to separate itself from the original film in order to do its own thing, while remaining loosely connected to it. Both films feel different in tone with the first Wonder Woman taking a more serious approach with its World War l setting, while incorporating moments of humor. The first worked so well because of how it introduced its main character to audiences, along with doing a solid job of bringing Wonder Woman's origin story to the big screen in a fashion that felt thrilling with Gadot's charismatic performance adding something special to the film. It's arguably one of the best comic book origin stories ever brought to the screen in a vein similar to Superman: The Movie, Batman Begins, and the first Iron Man with its quality still holding up three years later. With Wonder Woman, Jenkins put her full craftsmanship as a filmmaker on display with her also managing to give the story a tremendous amount of heart, that made audiences connect with it. Her efforts once again shine in the sequel with it maintaining much of the heart that made the first film such a welcomed surprise for audiences, but ultimately feels as if it desires to have too much all at once. Despite offering enough escapism and solid popcorn entertainment, the newest film doesn't feel as straight-forward nor focused as the first in terms of both narrative and story-structure with the sequel feeling like a step back for the dynamic female acting and directing pair. Despite the films issues, 1984 still manages to provide audiences with a heroine that remains unquestionably inspiring, as well as being one that's desperately needed currently. The character of Wonder Woman nor Gadot's performance never becomes a primary issue with the film, it's the story itself as well as the creative choices regarding the villains that ultimately make it a less satisfying experience in comparison to its predecessor, but still proves to be a worthy follow-up to its 2017 predecessor.

      One of the films key aspects that make it work are the strong charismatic performances of its main cast with Gal Gadot once again giving her all in a role she was born to play. She demonstrates herself to be a fantastic choice for the part of Diana with her bringing a great deal of energy to her role. Gadot embodies many of Wonder Woman's traits, which makes her performance compelling to watch with her conveying a great deal of emotion this time around. Her performance is key to both films working as well as they do as she helps to give the store, as well as the film both its heart and soul. Regardless of how one feels about the film as a whole, it can be said that Gadot's performance here is one of the films greatest strengths, as well as serving as the glue that holds it together. Chris Pine once again delivers both a fun and likable performance as Steve Trevor with him continuing to share phenomenal chemistry with Gadot. The two are truly a great match up for both films with their chemistry once again being right on the money. Whereas Gadot and Pine are reliable with their performances, it's the newcomers that end up stealing the show this time around with Kristen Wiig giving an impressive performance as gemologist Barbara Minerva/Cheetah, who befriends Diana before receiving mystical abilities which ultimately transform her into Cheetah. Wiig is stunning here and draws comparisons to both Michelle Pfeiffer's role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns, as well as Jamie Foxx as Elektro in The Amazing Spiderman 2 (Though her characters transformation is more convincing and believable). She does well with making her character come across as appearing envious of Diana's strength and elegance as a female, along with her character being both sympathetic and ultimately misguided when she makes the inevitable switch to becoming Cheetah. Pedro Pascal also delivers a strong performance as Maxwell Lord, the films main antagonist whose a struggling yet charismatic businessman who acquires the mythical Dreamstone and uses it for both personal gain and power with him absorbing its abilities after wishing to become the stones living form. Pascal's performance here is extremely effective despite often falling within the category of being campy. He gets the misleading and greedy businessman role nailed down with him delivering the right amount of charisma the character requires in order to be convincing. Pascal's villain draws instant comparisons to Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in Richard Donor's Superman along with teaspoons of Michael Douglas Gordon Gekko from Oliver Stone's Wall Street and Donald J. Trump added to the mix. Regardless of how audiences feel about Maxwell Lord's character arc in the film, Pascal delivers with his performance as a villain who gives audiences glimpses of his potential to be both a dangerous and scary individual with him stealing every scene he's in along with Wiig. The rest of the films supporting cast give noteworthy performances with returning faces from the original such as Robin Wright Penn and Connie Nielsen shining once again as Diana's aunt and general of the Amazonian army Antiope, and Nielsen as Diana's mother and the queen of Themyscira Hippolyta. Like the first Wonder Woman film, the sequel thrives in the acting department with the main cast delivering fantastic performances. The returning faces from the original once again shine with them not appearing to miss a beat with playing their parts with the new additions to the cast delivering scene-stealing performances. The acting remains one of the most important elements of the Wonder Woman franchise with everyone appearing to take their roles seriously, along with appearing to have a great dose of energy and excitement playing them. Gadot once again manages to immerse herself into the role of playing the Amazonian warrior, while showing that literally no one else (With the exception of Lynda Carter) can play the part and do it the utmost justice. Her performance is key to the films working as well as they do with everyone else building off that level of enthusiasm and commitment.

      Retaining the directors chair once again after her surprise work on the first film is Patty Jenkins. She continues the story of Diana from where the first film leaves off with the timeline once again rewinding to the 1980's era. What made Jenkins directing so impressive with the first Wonder Woman was how epic she managed to make Diana's origin story feel. It was a feeling that was similar to the one that both Richard Donnor gave with Superman: The Movie and Christopher Nolan with Batman Begins. With watching the first Wonder Woman, one felt that they were experiencing the birth of a hero/heroine with the end leaving them both enthusiastic, as well as excited about the inevitable sequel. With 1984, Jenkins appears to have a larger budget to work off as both the scope and production values of the sequel look and feel bigger than the original. The cinematography remains breathtaking to watch once again even if the action sequences appear to have an over reliance on CGI, giving audiences the impression that Zack Snyder stepped in to direct a few sequences himself. Both the films costume and set designs help to give audience the illusion that they're in 1984 with these characters, while providing them with moments of nostalgia regarding the era. The score by Hans Zimmer however, serves as being a mixed bag with him once again delivering work that's appealing but lacks the impact of the first films score such as the audience hearing Wonder Woman's theme kick in during the iconic No Mans Land sequence. His work here isn't bad by any means, it just doesn't standout like the score for the first film, although there's plenty of nice emotional moments that Zimmer helps drive with his work. Whereas Wonder Woman 1984 looks stunning visually, it's main technical problems lie within its over reliance of CGI, as well as its pacing issues. The latter makes the film feels as if it takes far too long for both the story and action to finally get off the ground with the editing making the overall film feel too steadily paced for it to retain ones excitement throughout its excessive 151 minute running time. The films use of visual effects also doesn't feel as impressive nor as restrained as the first with much of that films realism being thrown out the window here as Wonder Woman is shown to do both leaps and sequences of flying, which make it feel closer to Snyder's work on Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman moreso than the first Wonder Woman despite the latter's third act (Which even Jenkins to this day claims the studio forced her to upgrade the climax from being a small-scale finale to a big finish). It also doesn't help that both Cheetah's makeup and CGI effects don't come across as being fully convincing. Patty Jenkins work here isn't bad and comes across as being a fairly strong effort overall, but it also doesn't appear to be as skillfully nor carefully crafted as her work on the original. She still appears to be very much excited about telling Diana's story, but it doesn't feel as if the same amount of effort that went into the original is present here. One can clearly tell that she's a strong filmmaker in regards to storytelling with her ability to direct some of the films key emotional sequences regarding Diana reuniting with Steve Trevor, as well as other pivotal moments with both Maxwell and Cheetah. The films opening sequence is well-executed despite it feeling overlong, though the mall sequence afterwards feels a bit excessive in regards to both lighting and CGI. One hopes that Jenkins puts alittle more time and effort into making both the story and visuals feel more natural for Wonder Woman 3 as one still wants her to return and finish off the story both her and Gadot introduced to audience three years prior.

      Whereas Wonder Woman 1984 carried a few glaring issues in regards to its technical side, the films biggest problems lie with its screenplay which often feels overstuffed with issues that come across as being problematic. Co-written by Jenkins with Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham from a story by Johns and Jenkins, Wonder Woman 1984 feels like a completely different film than it's predecessor despite having many connections to it. Some of the themes that the sequel explores are ones that pertain to greed, popularity, and deception as evidenced by the character of Maxwell Lord, courage which Diana demonstrates continuously without hesitation in helping others, love, lust and loneliness with her attempting to move on from the loss of her great love Steve Trevor, both jealously and envy with Barbara's character wanting to be as strong, dynamic, and desirable as Diana, and ultimately sacrifice as Diana must give up her one wish in order to save the world even if it means not being able to have Steve in her life. The message that the script for Wonder Woman 1984 aspires to drive home to audiences is one which says that nothing good is born from lies, and that people should be careful what they wish for because everything comes with a price. The screenplay for 1984 has many concepts and themes that make for an interesting story, the problem that the film runs into is its desire to have everything with the overall story-structure and narrative feeling less focused than the first in comparison. Some of the scripts glaring issues are how much emphasis the story places on Steve Trevor with Wonder Woman's character spending a great deal of time grieving and being emotional over Steve with both getting to the point of being overkill for the audience. Another main problem with the script is how Steve Trevor's character returns with him essentially​ inheriting the body of another person with Diana ending up both falling in love with and becoming connected with Steve again through that person with the audience not knowing anything of that character again until the end. The films opening scene, despite being thrilling to watch, feels a bit pointless in regards to the rest of the film with its only main connection to the rest of the story being a moral lesson that young Diana receives in regards to cheating during her game, which serves as being a foreshadowing of both Wiig's arc as well as Lords. While the sequence itself isn't bad and serves as being a strong opening for the story, it carries no real purpose other than showing audiences the Amazon again outside of that bit. The script makes an interesting choice to humanize the main villains, but the problem lies that it takes far too long for both Maxwell and Barbara to switch into their respective roles in the story. The switch that Barbara's character experiences in switching over to Cheetah is effective though happens so late in the story, that audiences don't get to see a whole lot of her in her new form. Diana's screen time as Wonder Woman also suffers due to her subplot with Steve with her only suiting up for a total of ten minutes max in the film. It's fair to say that the films script has a Steve Trevor problem that often feels as if it holds Diana's character back, despite it being nice to see the two together on the big screen again with Trevor helping Wonder Woman fight Maxwell Lord. The latter is given an arc that makes his character appear rather confusing to the audience in regards to whether the film wants him to be an official villain, or a greedy and misguided businessman who wants to have unlimited power but is made humane again through the love his son constantly shows him throughout the film. One can see the writers efforts to go full on Killmonger from Black Panther with the main antagonists wanting the audience to understand their perspectives, as well as step into their shoes but it doesn't work quite as well here. The script for Wonder Woman 1984 is a culmination of thoughtful and interesting ideas such as what would the world look like if everyone got their greatest wish with the obvious answer being that it would be chaotic as some would want peace, while others would want more power and greed. The films moral play on people choosing good over evil is an interesting one that goes in line with what these characters are experiencing and both fighting for and against. The problem with the script which ends up being its single greatest issue, is the film isn't quite sure what it wants to be in regards to whether it desires to be looked at with a serious lense or fun-spirited camp with a noteworthy and heartfelt message. 

      A lot has been said about the newest entry in the popular Wonder Woman series with many calling it a massive disappointment in comparison to the first film, and rating it as the worst DCEU film on IMDB. In all honesty, it's not that bad of a film nor even comes close to being the worst film in the DC universe. Wonder Woman 1984 is flawed but still manages to be both a solid effort and a worthy sequel to its far superior original ultimately. While it misses the mark of being the rare superhero sequel that outdoes the original, there's still much about the film that works as being extremely entertaining despite its faults. Gadot's performance as Diana is a true delight to watch with her managing to embody the same kind of humanity and spirit that Christopher Reeves brought to the role of Superman or Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. Where Wonder Woman 1984 succeeds at and does so very effectively, is giving audiences a heroine that's much desired in 2020, as well as a symbol of hope that things can and will get better. Perhaps the film didn't need a rewind back to the 1980's timeline and could've been told in a more contemporary setting, which might've made it feel less campy and more serious like the first. Maybe bringing back Steve Trevor once again in an awkward fashion, was an unnecessary move that claimed too much time with the story and kept Diana from doing more as Wonder Woman, along with slowing both Barbara's and Maxwell's transformations into the figures comic book fans know them as. While these may very much be the key issues that keep the sequel from being on the same level as its predecessor, they don't make the film a failure and still provide the film with enough charm and heart to make it a worthwhile experience that serves as being solid popcorn entertainment. Hopefully the next installment in the Wonder Woman series brings the story to a more modern setting along with playing off its shockingly amazing end credits scene, that'll unquestionably excite and thrill audiences who were letdown by the film prior. Wonder Woman 1984 doesn't fully reclaim the glory of its predecessor in regards to overall quality, but it still manages to be an honorable effort with its heart in the right place. It just needed a little more clarity on what exactly it was aspiring to be.

Final Verdict: Fans of Wonder Woman as well as comic book fans in general will be split on their feelings towards the newest sequel, but there's more positives within it to behold compared to negatives.

Pixar's Soul Delivers The Funny, Charming, And Profoundly Moving Piece Of Storytelling That 2020 Demands

     For audiences, 2020 has been nothing short of a rough year in terms of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic along with experiencing the loss of loved ones as well as their livelihoods. Many find themselves questioning what they would do now that their lives have been altered, along with losing hope that things would get better. Just when things were looking grim for audiences this holiday season, Pixar's Soul arrives with the sole intention of reigniting audiences hope that things will not only get better for them, but also provide the reassurance that there's still much life to live even if they feel a bit lost at the moment. Disney's Pixar has solidified themselves over the years as being one of the strongest studios in regards to being masterful storytellers, who know how to strike the right emotional chord with audiences.  Soul proves to be no exception with its emotional and heartfelt story revolving around the themes of success, failure, disappointment, seeking ones station in life, and ultimately choosing to not wait around for things to happen but making them happen for oneself. Soul serves as being a beautifully crafted and poignant story that features top notch animation, while encouraging audiences to reflect upon their own lives and how they go about living it, along with delivering the heartfelt message that they should both cherish and utilize every minute of it to their maximum potential. At a time where many people find themselves asking these very questions, Soul provides audiences with some much needed words of encouragement while managing to be hugely entertaining in doing so along with touching audiences heart. The end result ends up being the finest animated feature film of 2020, as well as one of the years best films hands down.

      The plot for Soul focuses on a passionate elementary school music teacher Joe Gardner (Voiced by Jamie Foxx) on the verge of receiving his big break, finds himself being trapped in a purgatory called "The Great Beyond". He enlists the help of a young, unassigned soul (Voiced by Tina Fey) to help him get back to his earthly life while she learns more about herself. The story of Soul has many layers to it that make it an unusually striking yet noble one for Pixar to make with the story combining elements regarding the exploring of music careers such as Jazz, along with one seeking parental approval, the concept of life and death, and ultimately receiving second chances and not wishing to waste them. Soul takes all of these elements within its main story and effectively explores them without feeling preachy or excessive. The film manages to strike the appropriate balance of being charming and fun to watch, while posing both serious and mature questions regarding ones desired purpose and ultimate station in life. Pixar manages to once again deliver audiences a story that's fun-spirited with it carrying the noblest of intentions in wishing to speak to its audience. For a film that makes the concept of souls a central focus of its story, Pixar's Soul manages to possess one of its own with the film being driven by its enormous amount of heart while striking the perfect balance of breathtaking animation with subtle yet stellar storytelling. The film succeeds in being all around entertainment for both young children, while also speaking to adults who'll unquestionably unpack and contemplate the stories numerous themes and messages. Soul once again reaffirms Pixar's status as being the studio to beat in regards to generating stunning animation, while managing to evoke surprise emotions from audiences with storytelling that feels both confident and strategic.

      As well told and executed Soul appears to be both visually and storytelling wise, the one element that really brings the film to life and makes it work so effectively are the fantastic voice acting performances from its main cast with both Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey giving the story the right amount of humor, heart, and humanity required in order for it to work. Both actors are terrific here and bring the right amount of energy to their parts while conveying the right amounts of emotion. Foxx delivers a charismatic performance as passionate Jazz Pianist and music teacher Joe Gardner, who experiences his soul getting separated from his body after an accident. Foxx brings the right amount of humanity to his part along with beautifully conveying the confusion that his character experiences upon realizing what's happened to him, and his desperation to get a second chance with the career opportunity of a lifetime. He plays his character as being self-reflective of the missed opportunities and disappointments he's had in his life while wanting another shot at making his dream come true. Tina Fey follows suit with giving a charming performance as 22, a soul that's trapped in "The Great Before " (A place where special counselors, all named Jerry, prepare souls for arriving on Earth with distinct personalities) with her carrying a dim perspective of her life. Fey does well with making her character appear both cynical and sympathetic while bringing enormous amounts of energy and enthusiasm to the part like Foxx. Both actors work well off each other and showcase strong chemistry while on screen despite their performances being limited to voice acting. They both prove to be more than capable at doing such, while adding large amounts of life to their characters along with garnering empathy from the audience. The rest of the supporting cast manages to shine with them showcasing their voice acting talents such as Graham Norton doing impressive voice work as the spiritual sign twirler Moonwind. The same can be said about Rachel House as the Great Beyond's soul counter Terry along with Alice Braga and Richard Ayoade as two soul counselors in the Great Before who are both named Jerry coincidentally. Phylicia Rashad surprises with her minimal yet effectively moving part as Joe's mother Libba Gardner with Donnell Rawlings delivering nice voice work as Joe's barber Dez, and Angela Bassett as Dorothea Williams, a respected jazz musician and saxophone player whom Joe gets the offer of a lifetime to perform with. The cast for Soul manages to be an extraordinarily talented and diverse ensemble with everyone bringing something special and genuine to the film through their voice acting work. There isn't one performance shown that feels uninspired or lacking enthusiasm with everyone making the most of their parts whether large or minimal. The film ultimately wouldn't be as uplifting and touching if it weren't for the effort put into making it work by its cast with both Foxx and Fey delivering the best work of the lot with everyone else getting their respective moments to shine.

      The films directorial work by Pete Doctor is noteworthy with him not only managing to get great voice acting performances out of his enormously talented cast, but also giving the film a visual look that's utterly stunning and breathtaking to watch. The animation presented here is top notch with the films New York scenes both in daytime during the busy hours, as well as the evenings with the city lights shining and glowing with the stories Jazz setting kicking in, feeling authentic and well-sketched with a tremendous amount of attention being shown that went into detailing everything. The films scenes in the purgatory are top notch as well, adding to the distinct visual flare that the film carries. Doctor keeps the films story progressively moving with its steady pace, which allows both it as well as the characters to thoroughly develop naturally without feeling rushed. The films music score by Trent Reznor is well-put together and assembled with it combining elements of Jazz culture, while beautifully crafting its own original score that fits the films emotional tone along with being uplifting simultaneously. Whereas each Pixar movie carries their own distinct look and visual style which makes them appealing to audiences in a way that instantly draws them into the story immediately after the opening Disney logo appears, Soul proves to be no exception and faithfully follows the trend with Pete Doctor creating a world that's welcoming for the audience, while feeling self-reflective of current times. The characters in human form are amazingly drawn out and sketched with both the African-American characters and culture being properly represented in animated form. With Pixar's Soul, Doctor manages to do something special here in terms of helping break new ground for the studio in regards to diversity by placing the studios first major African-American character in a lead role, as well as positioning the film as being a celebration of ones personal and cultural heritage. Here, he gives the film an equal balance of being enchanting to watch visually while coming across as being emotionally powerful storytelling wise, ultimately making it feel like a huge amount of love went into crafting the films unique story.

      Of all the essential elements that help make Soul such a rewarding and genuinely satisfying experience for audiences, its most important one is the films writing with its script being brilliantly penned by Doctor along with Kemp Powers and Mike Jones. The script for Soul works so well due to its balancing of all the essential themes it aspires to explore regarding missed opportunities in life, the desire to seek approval from parents, and discovering second chances in life. The character of Joe experiences all of these dilemmas with his character reflecting on the times he experienced disappointment with him feeling like he wasted time in his life due to not expanding on a music career, while trying to win the approval of his mother in pursuing playing jazz. The story of Soul is essentially an exploration of its main character with the film showing both his passion, as well as his inspiration for playing jazz along with his longing for a big break. The film also carries a philosophical tone to it with its exploring of the concept of death, and whether people lived their lives to the fullest or just wasted their time with life ultimately passing them by as evidenced by the character of Joe being shown the numerous moments in his life where he faced rejection, disappointment, failure, and ultimately experienced loneliness. The character of 22 compliments these themes and helps to further drive home the concept of receiving second chances with her character beginning to experience a different outlook on life when her character takes over Joe's body with the latter being forced to take the form of a cat in a scenario that's cleverly written and funny outside of its moments of sentimentality. The script is at its most interesting when it switches up the perspective of the main characters with 22 assuming Joe's physical form and learning about what he was lacking in his own life, as well as helping him overcome his own shortcomings while simultaneously showing her character becoming more appreciative towards life and wanting to remain in Joe's body to continue living it. The heart and soul of the film lies within the relationship of these two characters with the script showing both characters loneliness, as well as how they both inspired each other to become more appreciative of life and the opportunities it holds outside of being stuck in the purgatory. The side characters all help to drive home the films overall narrative with no one receiving an excessive amount of unnecessary buildup to the point where the story drifts off in another direction. The script for Soul remains both straight-forward and focused from start to finish with the true spark of the film lying on the relationship between the two main characters, who ultimately change each others lives for the better. The films writing has so many layers to it that make it more than just being a simple animated tale that lacks depth, but one that gets both philosophical and deep with its main message regarding the seizing of one's life, as well as making opportunities and dreams come true while inspiring others to change for the better much in the case of the character of 22 or the students Joe inspires with his class. The story is very much one about passion as it is about self-reflection and having pride in one's life. 

      For some audiences, the films subplot regarding Tina Fey's character 22, a character that's implied to be white, possessing the body of Joe, a character that's African-American, may come across as being off putting with them feeling like the story abandons Joe's subplot in exchange for him helping her character understand, as well as appreciate the positive elements of living with her ultimately wanting to continue in Joe's form. While that argument regarding the films narrative can be viewed as being understandable, the intention is not to detract from Joe's arc but to show how both him and 22 learn from each other in regards to understanding the others perspective with them discovering where each other have been lacking in their lives with both ultimately wanting another shot at it.  The films end twist, though both clever and bittersweet, fits right in with the rest of the film in regards to further driving its main themes and overall message. Soul is not just a story about jazz but serves as being an experience that audiences witness with these characters with both ultimately looking at their own lives and asking the question of what have they done with their time, and ultimately realizing that both their dreams and aspirations are not worth giving up on. The story of Soul is one that's gentle yet throws some important life lessons at the audience with them never feeling forced or half-hearted. In delivering it's main message, both the filmmakers and Soul's talented cast go all in with giving audiences an experience that's as charming as previous Pixar entries, while asking them to step into the shoes of both Joe and 22's characters with their characters serving as mirrors for their own lives. Soul is the animated film that audiences didn't realize they absolutely needed in 2020 as it provides laughs, characters that they ultimately become connected with, and a story that feels more personal than the average Pixar work with its commanding desire to restore their will to live. As Soul shows, one's "spark" is not so much about the passion behind their chosen hobby, but rather their desire and willingness to live in the present moment. In a time where many find themselves losing that spark or feel helpless, Pixar instills them with hope and one couldn't ask for a better film nor studio to reinstate that feeling. Soul both rightfully and proudly stands as being one of the true cinematic gems and miracles of 2020.

Final Verdict: For both Disney fans and those who enjoy masterful storytelling in general, Pixar's Soul is a must see.

Greenland Surprises As Being An Uncommonly Good Disaster Flick That Admirably Places Both It's Characters And Story Front And Center

 

      When it comes to popular Hollywood genres, one of the most successful and reliable ones that studios often turn to for profitability are disaster flicks. A popular genre since the 1970's, disaster flicks not only prove to be huge successes at the box office but provide audiences with reasonable popcorn entertainment, even if both the stories and character development aren't exactly explored and well-written. With Greenland, the film aspires to take the disaster genre and provide it with a more personal approach with the story bearing a strong resemblence to 1998's Deep Impact. Whereas many disaster films struggle with solid characterization outside of their action set-pieces, Greenland emerges from nowhere as being an uncommonly solid effort for a disaster flick with it placing both its story and characters front and center with the end result being a surprisingly solid effort. Greenland is an improbably entertaining thrill ride that carries one of Gerard Butlers stronger performances, along the overall film being among his best works in years. For fans of 90's disaster flicks, Greenland feels like a trip down nostalgia lane with a more modern approach with its plot.

      The story for Greenland centers around a family on the brink of separation, fighting to remain together for their own survival as a comet prepares to collide with Earth, threatening mass extinction across the globe. The plot for Greenland feels like a combination of Deep Impact meets Steven Spielberg's War Of The World's with Greenland inheriting the comet aspect of Impact, as well as the subplot involving the fight to seek shelter as the comet strikes Earth, along with the film showing the family perspective in the midst of the chaos like Worlds. What's most unusual about the script for Greenland that makes it work exceptionally well for being a disaster flick, is its focus on establishing the main central characters, as well as showing the cataclysmic disaster from their perspective. Greenland trades the excessive action and visual set-pieces that generally accompany natural disaster films and instead puts both the characters and plot front and center, making for a surprisingly admirable effort which improves the overall quality of the film in comparison to many others within the genre. While Greenland still offers audiences excitement and thrills, those moments are grounded with characters the latter become connected to as well as performances that manage to generate some of the best acting out of the films main leads in their respective careers. Greenland is a unique catch of a cataclysmic disaster story with it playing off the basic conventions of the genre while surprising audiences with its insistence on making them connect with those caught within the disaster with the destruction being shown through their perspective. The film serves as being an efficiently thrilling story revolving around the fight for survival during the worst kind of natural disaster with it always maintaining a firm grip on the heart of the story, which is the characters. Although the film doesn't come across as being a work of art, its surprising thoughtfulness to add depth to its story while providing the audience with thrills make Greenland an unique offer that audiences can't refuse as being a highly rewarding form of popcorn entertainment.

      One of the most thrilling aspects of Greenland outside of its intense visual moments, are the performances delivered by the main cast. Greenland is made as effective of a disaster flick as it ends up being because of the effort the main actors put into making their characters both believable and sympathetic. Both Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin deliver performances that are compelling to watch along with bringing a great deal of emotional depth to their characters, which allows the audience to connect with their plight. With Butler, he delivers his strongest performance in years as John Garrity with him brilliantly conveying the emotions of playing an everyday working man dealing with the early stages of a divorce, while fighting to save his family as he slowly realizes that the situation is far more serious than what is being reported to people regarding the status of the comet. Butler makes for a solid leading man in the role with Baccarin delivering an equally effective performance as Butler's wife Allison Garrity. The latter impresses with her ability of showing emotion during the films high moments of intensity with both her and Butler making for a believable couple, whose strength is binded through their ordeal together. Other noteworthy supporting roles are Roger Dale Flloyd as Butler and Baccarin's son Nathan Garrity with Flloyd meeting all the emotional requirements of playing the part with him sharing tons of nice acting moments with both Butler and Baccarin. The main trio do such a convincing job of playing a helpless family struggling to survive during the ultimate nightmare with Scott Glenn stealing the show with his minimal yet tenderly moving part as Allison's father Dale. The acting for Greenland is one of the main reasons the film works so well as being a thoroughly intense and believable disaster drama with Butler, Baccarin, and Flloyd's performance ultimately being the heart and soul of the film. Their acting is ultimately what keeps the audience engaged with the story as the action takes a backseat to both the plot and character development.

      In addition to the films terrific acting performances, the directing conducted by Ric Roman Waugh is well-handled with the film being both impressively crafted and assembled in regards to the story remaining both straight-forward and focused. Waugh proves successful in giving the story the appropriate look and feel of a disaster film with the cinematography being visually stunning in not just showing the images of the comets destruction but also utilizing the orange lighting in key outdoor scenes to show the progressive change in the atmosphere as the comet approaches. Greenland carries a well-established pace that keeps the story rapidly moving while allowing the characters to have key emotional moments, where the audience becomes connected with them and experience their dilemma with the Garrity family trying to stay together and survive. The films CGI effects are reasonably decent with their usage being carefully utilized throughout the story to make their moments appear as being visually breathtaking to the audience. The score is well put together with the music enhancing both the intensity of the story, along with helping to create an experience for the audience that's emotionally absorbing. The most impressive aspect of Waugh's directing on Greenland is how solid of a job he does in keeping the story grounded in reality with the experience feeling both gritty and real while managing to pull it off with the films $46 million budget (Which is relatively low by Hollywood's standards for a typical disaster flick). He exercises both skillful craftsmanship and creativity with telling the story, while showing his capability of generating strong performances from his actors. In what could've easily ended up being a mindless disaster flick that prioritizes explosions over emotions, Waugh surprises and earns massive commending for doing the exact opposite along with showing great restraint in delivering the spectacle aspect of the story with the focus always remaining on both the characters and story.

      Along with the films directing doing a  great job of setting up the plot and main characters, the films screenplay by Chris Sparling lays out a solid foundation for both the filmmakers and actors to work off in bringing this scenario to life. The screenplay prioritizes characterization and utilizes its time very well in doing so. Besides the comet destroying Earth being the main focus of the story, the heart of the film revolves around themes of love, family unity, and remaining together when facing the ultimate peril. The audience is given a limited amount of information regarding Butler's character and the circumstances surrounding the separation from his wife Allison with their bond being strengthened throughout their fight for survival, making the overall family dynamic feel heartwarming. Butler's character is shown to be remorseful of his actions in the implied affair he had that broke up his marriage, and seeks both redemption and forgiveness from his wife through his actions. The audience feels the pain and regret that John feels both through the films strong writing as well as Butler's performance, and see that Garrity's actions in protecting his family carry a deeper meaning. The script is written in the form of being a rollercoaster ride, that's full of endless suspense and drama as audiences are given numerous twists and turns involving nightmarish scenarios the main characters find themselves in which include temporary separation, abduction, and fighting over who gets to survive the comets impact by boarding military planes and transporting people to secretive shelters in places around Europe such as Greenland. The script throws clever scenarios and concepts at the audience such as one involving only a certain number of people being selected for protection in the shelters, which carries a huge emotional weight over the story with it placing the main characters in dangerous positions at times in terms of them becoming targets with people noticing their shelter/protection wristbands. The audience also see's the buildup animosity, envy, and guilt that others have towards the Garrity's for being selected to fly to the shelters, making the story more compelling and unpredictable. The script works enormously well in keeping the audience in suspense with them guessing what happens next in the story, as it's not made certain whether the main characters will make it to Greenland at the end nor survive the events unfolding in the film. The screenplay remains focused on the Garrity family from start to finish with the side characters introduced never distracting the story from its main narrative, but are still given minimal key roles which leave an impact with the audience in conveying the horrors of the situation. Whereas most disaster films suffer in the writing department and have poor characterization, Greenland manages to subvert expectations in the best way and give audiences an experience that's both tensely exciting and unexpectedly moving.

       As Greenland shows, audiences don't need endless amounts of explosions and overlong destruction sequences to excite and thrill them. The film abandons much of that and keeps it minimal with its greatest strength relying on its solid form of storytelling, as well as the firm grip it holds over its characters. Whereas the story still remains an experience that's both intense and harrowing, Greenland trades the typical Roland Emmerich style spectacle of destruction for a more quieter and personal approach of one families struggle of surviving the apocalypse with them rediscovering what makes them strong which is being together. Although carrying a lower budget than the average big-budget Hollywood disaster flick, Greenland makes the most of its limitations and prioritizes both plot and character development over spectacle. The film serves as being a welcomed surprise for those craving popcorn entertainment, while helping to redefine the possibilities of what makes a disaster movie good (Which as Greenland shows is strong character development and heart behind its storytelling). While it most likely won't change the way future disaster films are made, it shows the potential they carry as well as the possibilities if more filmmakers follow suit in trading the enormous destruction set-pieces for the story. Greenland is not the disaster flick that audiences were craving for, but it's absolutely the one that's needed not just for the purpose of entertainment but as a reminder of the importance of storytelling that's effective and ultimately inspiring. Greenland serves as being the uncommon film within its genre that audiences will unquestionably be impressed by, as well as appreciate its ambition to be different than the other films in its genre while giving them a genuinely exciting time.

Final Verdict: Fans of disaster films and Gerard Butler will be pleasantly surprised with Greenland's strength as a cataclysmic disaster flick, that rightfully places both its story and characters front and center.

Black Christmas 2019 Offers Horror Fans A Serviceable Remake That's Heavy On Feminism While Delivering Old-Fashioned Holiday Slasher Fun

 

       It's always a strange and unusual scenario when Hollywood pursues a remake of a well-established horror film with the original story having been done before and executed effectively with virtually no one asking for a remake other than Hollywood feeling that the story needs an unnecessary upgrade. In most cases, attempts to retell a classic horror story generally end up failing or largely paling in comparison to their predecessors. Some prime examples of such misfires are the infamous Nightmare On Elm Street remake, Rob Zombies Halloween, the completely forgettable 2005 The Fog remake, and the lastest The Grudge reboot. With 2019's Black Christmas, the latest horror remake/reboot is the second attempt at reimagining the 1974 horror film classic after 2006's remake failed to garner the same kind of cult-classic status the first film received. The newest version of the story takes place in modern times with numerous pokes being directed at the era of Me Too, as well as the crafting of its story around questioned accusations centering around the believability of women in regards to sexual misconduct. While the newest version of the Black Christmas story dives into these societal issues, it does so in a form that stays true to the modern day style of horror despite never reaching the cinematic heights of the original creation that inspired it. The 2019 version of Black Christmas mildly entertains with how it pokes fun at many of its timely feminist tropes but lacks the mystery, the suspense, and innovativeness of the original with the newest attempt feeling both painfully generic and cliched which is disappointing given the films holiday setting.

    Based on the 1974 horror classic and its underwhelming 2006 remake, the 2019 reimagining of Black Christmas focuses on a group of sorority sisters being stalked by members of a mysterious underground cult on campus with the girls beginning to slowly disappear. Realizing they have no choice but to fight back, a few of the sorority girls muster the course to fight back with them discovering an underground misogynistic college conspiracy. The newest version stays true to the concept that made the original a hit while taking a more modern approach with its story, which feels relevant to today's world in comparison to the 2006 version. Arguably an improvement over that film, the newest Black Christmas aims to carry more relevance to its plot rather than being just another pointless slasher flick, but it can't shake the feeling that's ultimately what it ends up feeling like with it recycling the same familiar elements of a typical horror flick with nothing new being brought to the table. The main plots scenario is familiar to audiences, particularly those who've seen the previous versions with the overall film lacking the creative touch and edge that the 1974 film possessed, which made it endure as a surprisingly solid slasher flick before the days of John Carpenters Halloween. Despite this main flaw, the newest Black Christmas is serviceable as being a watchable horror film that provides serviceable entertainment for horror fans looking for a holiday type slasher flick, though they'll ultimately be disappointed in the lack of genuine scares the film carries despite some effective atmospheric moments along with the film taking a fun stab at numerous feminist tropes, which manage to inject some much needed life into the films recycled plot. The newest version of Black Christmas isn't as sharp as its predecessor nor offers horror fans anything groundbreaking in regards to switching up the genre, but it remains as fun to watch as most other horror films being released currently with both its Christmas setting and heavy dose of feminism in comparison to the 2006 version, adding for a nice twist to the proceedings. 

      One of the main key elements that makes the newest version of Black Christmas surprisingly watchable is the appeal of its main cast. Although the characters themselves are serviceable at best, the performances from the main actresses are convincing enough with them making the most of their roles. Out of the main female cast members, the strongest performances come from both Imogen Poots and Aleyse Shannon as Sorority Girls Riley Stone and Kris Waterson. Of the two, Poots delivers the more emotional and key role as the films main female character Riley, a college student struggling to move on from previously being raped by the College fraternity president. Poots succeeds in making her character both likable and sympathetic with her being able to make the audience connect with her characters plight. Aleyse Shannon equally impresses as Riley's aggressive friend Kris, a young activist on Campus who crusades against "the white-supremacist patriarchy." Shannon like Poots, makes the most of her role and eats up the scenery playing her character. Both actresses do well playing the two different sides of the current climate of feminism with Poot's essentially playing a victim turned fighter with her character, and Shannon playing a hardcore activist whose hell-bent on enacting change with her actions. The rest of the cast deliver effective to noteworthy performances with Brittany O' Grady as sorority girl Jesse Donovan, Caleb Eberhardt as Landon, a frat boy who shares a liking for Riley and later helps him expose the underground cult on campus, Madeleine Adams as another sorority sister Helena, Cary Elwes as the questionable and suspicious Professor Gelson who appears charming upon first glance but can have moments where he snaps without much warning the next minute, ultimately making audiences question his characters true intentions. Ryan McIntyre also manages to do well playing Brian, the sleazy rapist of Riley's character who shares numerous similarities to Brock Turner. As a whole, the cast for Black Christmas does a fairly decent job of adding realism to the story while having fun with their roles. They succeed in garnering the audiences interest despite their characters not being the most well-written in terms of in-depth exploration. Even if their roles don't come across as being very meaty besides Poots and Shannon, they play their roles to the max while appearing to be committed to doing so.

      The films directing by Sophia Takai proves to be standard work with her best attempts at creating a darkly chilling atmosphere, that's draped around the holiday season being relatively successful for the most part. She makes a bold attempt here to hold back on the blood and gore aspect of the story in exchange for building up suspense with the films atmosphere. This is one aspect of the original she attempts to keep in line with, along with setting up some interesting atmospheric sequences that often result in being effective. Whereas the 2006 version of Black Christmas was R rated and placed heavy emphasis on gore, the newest version trades the latter for a more old-fashioned buildup of suspense while allowing the story to standout with it's main themes. The editing proves to be a mixed bag though with the story being kept consistently moving for its 93 minute running time, though the former tends to feel a bit choppy when it comes to the choreography of the films violent scenes, making it evident that the filmmakers deliberately cut down the violence in the editing room. While the aim to achieve a wider audience with the film comes across as being understandable, the omitting of much of the stories brutal nature come across as feeling sloppily handled at times. The films score proves effective in adding to both the creepiness and holiday style of the story. In terms of the films overall directing, Sophia Takai does a reasonably decent job of creating an atmosphere which serves as being genuinely creepy while crafting the story to be a hardcore piece regarding feminism. Takai aims for a newer generation of audiences with the originals story with her shaping it to entertain the new era of teenagers. The film is not so much directed at those who are fans of the original, but aims for a newer audience with that films same concept and themes. Takai's intentions of reintroducing the franchise to a newer generation of audiences fall upon being a noble effort, even if none of her work here appears to be groundbreaking nor clever like the original 1974 classic.

      The films screenplay by Sophia Takal and April Wolfe serves as being a mixed bag with the script operating at its strongest when it explores the stories themes regarding feminism, gender roles, misogyny, sexism, rape culture, college tradition, fraternities, and supernatural activity. The overall screenplay aims to carry a message that drives home the feminist aspect of the story with the film saying that women can and should always fight back against misogyny and never stop doing so. The newest Black Christmas carries a heavier dose of feminism in comparison to the 2006 version and tackles many of today's issues pertaining to the Me Too movement, as well as the argument over a woman's place in society. The original Black Christmas mainly focused on the societal issue regarding abortion and a woman's right to choose, representing a stark difference between the eras of both films. The newest Black Christmas explores claims and accusations that women make in regards to instances of sexual misconduct and rape with Riley's character serving as being a prime example of the victim coming forward and the reaction she gets from those surrounding her. The character of Kris represents the fight that young women find themselves engaged in regards to establishing a women's place within society, along with calling out the injustices being conducted on campus as evidenced by her petition against Cary Elwes character. The script cleverly explores these concepts and does so in a way that doesn't make it come across as being overly preachy, but actually manages to work within the context of the story with the horror elements surrounding its serious discussions. The latter becomes the scripts main issue when it switches over to being a traditional horror film with the side characters all feeling like typical cardboard cutouts of other characters from numerous horror flicks. Outside of the characters of Riley and Kris, the rest aren't that well-developed for the audience to become invested in with the script carrying plot twists and reveals in the films third act that the audience can see coming a mile away regarding characters who appear to be noble and good at first later being revealed to be bad or corrupt. The script thrives when it plays off its noble intentions of addressing the misogyny that women face with the scene involving the sorority girls main Christmas performance with them in Santa suits, being a prime example with Riley's character throwing her rapists denial back in his face. The newest Black Christmas wants to and strives to be a piece of entertainment that not only has more depth than the average horror film, but also to make a bold statement with its overall message which encourages the women watching it to confront their own battles regarding misogyny, and ultimately feel empowered by the films strong showcasing of feminism. 

      The 2019 remake of Black Christmas is a film that no one asked for in particular nor did its story need any kind of revisiting, but Sophia Takal looked at the material and saw potential to bring the classic story into a more modern setting while incorporating themes and issues that women face in today's society in comparison to when the first Black Christmas opened. Takal knows what she wants to show and does so with a clear message behind the films plot. The intentions behind reimagining the originals story are clear and serve as being noble, but the film lacks the sharpness, the edge, and skillful crafting that made the original so effective at being an old-school slasher flick. The newest Black Christmas isn't a bad movie and stands as being a better remake than the 2006 film with more depth to its story. Despite being better, the newest version never comes close to matching the quality of its predecessor, nor does it ever feels like it tries to. One wonders what this film could've​ ended up like had as much enthusiasm went into making it live up to the standard of its original, as it did for the films push to have a heavier dose of feminism than the previous retelling. Despite its main faults, there's more shown here that works than doesn't with the overall experience being reasonably entertaining if one goes into it with the right expectations. Black Christmas 2019 is a fun-spirited and fairly entertaining Christmas-themed horror flick, that aims to reimagine its concept for a whole new generation while adding a heavy dose of feminism to it. Although certain aspects of it may come across as feeling a bit familiar to audiences, the story gets the appropriate makeover required in order to feel relevant in today's political climate. It's not very scary but it lives up to its promise of delivering some fairly decent holiday slasher fun.

Final Verdict: Fans of the original Black Christmas and horror fans in general will find mild entertainment with the 2019 version with it ultimately working as being a fairly decent though generally flawed reimagining of the 1974 Canadian horror cult-classic.