Greyhound Is Light On Both Story And Character Development But Carries Enough Thrills And Excitement To compensate

      When it comes to best-selling Hollywood film genres, one of the most successful and celebrated ones are war films with World War ll generally being the timeline that filmmakers often turn to in order to be successful both financially and critically. Whereas Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk served as being the last major World War ll film released in theaters, last year's 1917 directed by Sam Mendes managed to not only be a surprise success but switched things up with the story taking place during World War l. With Greyhound, the filmmakers revert back to the World War ll era with Tom Hanks not only acting in the film as the main lead but also trying his hand with penning the films script. Originally was supposed to be released theatrically on June 12, 2020 by Sony Pictures, the film was ultimately delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic with it being released for streaming through Apple TV+. It's a shame that Greyhound won't get its chance to play on the big screen as the film boasts some impressive action sequences with it ultimately serving as being a fast-paced World War ll thriller, that's powered by a commanding performance from Tom Hanks. Although it can be argued that the film leans more on the action side of it's story to thrill audiences rather than building up its main set of characters, the end result is a reasonably exciting and entertaining war thriller, that serves as being an honorable film adaptation of the classic novel that inspired the films story despite loosely​ being based on a real-life battle.

      Based on C.S Forester's novel titled The Good Shepherd, the story centers around a newly commissioned US Navy commander (played by Tom Hanks) leading a destroyer in defending an Allied convoy crossing the Atlantic toward Europe in 1942, while being relentlessly pursued by several Nazi submarines. For lead actor and surprise writer Tom Hanks, the film serves as being the perfect economic vehicle to transfer from book to screen as it carries a strong foundation to allow for its audience to be thrilled by the stories action. Greyhound is a film that has the perfect packaging of being an effective World War ll thriller with it serving as being both exciting and thrilling with its tightly-paced story being almost enough to blanket some of the films glaring faults such as the lack of strong character development with Hanks character's crew. Many of the side characters often feel like fillers with them being given pedestrian dialogue to help move the story along rather than taking a life of their own. Hanks character is fairly well-established and given key moments where the audience becomes connected with his character such as the flashback showing his relationship with his girlfriend Evelyn (Who also feels like a pedestrian character with her only purpose being to advance Hanks character with giving the audience a glimpse of his personal life outside the Greyhound). There's no doubt in the audiences mind when watching the film that Hanks character is the main driving force of the story, as well as being the soul of the crew onboard his ship. His presence combined with the films tense atmosphere and thrilling action set-pieces are enough to deflect from the films glaring issues regarding both its lack of character development and plot elaboration. Greyhound despite its faults, works as being an intense and efficient World War ll drama that's serves as being fairly well-executed and put together with its intentions being honorable in showing commitment and bravery in the face of insurmountable odds.

      Outside of the films stellar action sequences, the performances from the main cast succeed in bringing much realism and believability to the big screen. The acting for the most part is convincing with the story being powered by Tom Hanks strong and powerful performance as Ernest Krause, commanding officer of the USS Greyhound. Hanks as usual is terrific here with him delivering pure devotion to the role of a man being faced with an extraordinary circumstance. Hanks is no stranger to playing out this type of character arc with his performance being no different in leaving the same powerful mark in playing this role in comparison to some of his other previous works. Despite Elisabeth Shue's role feeling minimal, she manages to be effective in the role of playing Ernest's love interest Evelyn with her role being more aimed towards advancing Hank's character. Stephen Graham delivers a strong supporting performance as Krause's Lieutenant Commander and executive officer Charlie. Although his role isn't as meaty as Hanks, he manages to make the most of his part and leave a notable impression with audiences. The same can also be said for Rob Morgan as 2nd class Mess Attendant, George Cleveland with his character being shown to respect and look after Ernest with the latter carrying both a mutual respect and admiration towards. The cast for Greyhound work to do the absolute best jobs possible with the roles handed to them with everyone giving the genuine feeling, that they want to contribute towards telling a story that's both powerful and extraordinary. Out of all the performances, Hanks delivers the most noteworthy one with the film essentially being his show given his contribution both as the films lead actor and writer. Much of the film depends on his strength as an actor in regards to making the story work as effectively as it does with the audience feeling that had Hanks not have been the one in the films leading​ role, the end result most likely wouldn't have turned out as well as it does. One wishes that the rest of the cast was given more to do, particularly Elisabeth Shue's character. 

      The films directing by Aaron Schneider comes across as being well-crafted with the film being both fast and efficient in the excitement department. Schneider takes Hanks script and brings it to the big screen in a way that makes the story compelling for audiences, along with being an appealing one on a technical front. The films visual look is impressive with its cinematography, costume, and production design all meshing well together with placing audiences in the World War ll era. The cinematography stands out as being one of the more impressive technical elements of the film with the camera work brilliantly capturing the battles at sea between the war ships, along with the waves crashing against the hulls of the Greyhound. The fact that both the battle sequences as well as the shots of the sea were originally a green screen, makes them even more impressive and authentic given that the film was filmed without a single drop of water. The interior shots of the Greyhound are well-shot with the lighting being bright enough for the audience to see the inside of the ship with the use of red being cleverly utilized. The audience is given a genuine feeling of realism with how the story is filmed with them feeling as if they're at sea with these characters along with witnessing an intense game of cat-and-mouse unfold. The films editing gives the film a pace that feels both rapid and tight. The audience isn't given much time to catch their breath in between the films action set-pieces with the brief quiet moments being effectively used in giving the audience either character moments or information regarding the films plot. The score by Blake Neely is well used with it ultimately adding to the intensity of the films action sequences, along with enhancing the films quieter and emotional sequences. As good as the films directing and technological efforts show, there's nothing about what's done here that serves as being particularly groundbreaking but the end result still remains a thoroughly well-shot and executed film. The film is beautifully shot with Schneider paying close attention to detail in regards to giving the film an authentic 1940's look with the films production and costume design. In terms of the film being well-crafted, one points to Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk for a close resemblence with that film also carrying a relatively short running time and choosing to place the audience into the center of the action rather than deliver much character backstory or exposition. With Greyhound, Schneider aims for a similar approach with the audience getting immediately thrown into the action with few flashbacks showing Hanks characters life outside the Greyhound with the main focus being on giving the audience the experience of being at sea with these characters in an extraordinary situation, which ultimately proved to be one of the main turning points of the Battle of the Atlantic. In that regard, the directing by Aaron Schneider works extremely well with him using CGI as a tool to further move the story along rather than relying on it to make up for the shortcomings of the films script.

      In terms of the films writing, the work put into the script for Greyhound by Tom Hanks is a surprisingly solid effort with him giving audiences historical facts not only regarding the story, but key words as well as procedures with how operating a Navy ship works. Hanks keeps the main focus of the plot on his characters experience with commanding the Greyhound along with him setting up key characters and subplots in an effort to humanize those on the ship. An interesting subplot that serves as being both interesting, as well as effective is the relationship between Hanks character Ernest and the ships mess attendant Rob. The film places emphasis on key moments involving Robs character in which he tries to help keep Hanks character balanced in terms of leading his ship, along with remaining both sharp and alert by eating his meals and drinking his coffee. While their friendship is a small subplot in the films overall story, it's an interesting one that shows both the loyalty and respect that those on the ship have towards Hanks character with the audience later being angered by the fate of his character during one of the ships confrontation with the Nazis. The rest of the characters are given pedestrian dialogue with little moments of being fleshed out compared to the amount that Hanks character gets. Not only is Ernest's relationship revealed with flashbacks, he has key moments that define his character such as him praying with his men before a major battle scene along with him still acting as Captain after getting his feet cut by broken glass and bleeding around the bridge for his men to take notice. These scenes are effective because it allows the audience to understand the character of Ernest, as well as showing the strength and determination he has in carrying out his orders. While Hanks character is well-established as someone whom the audience can connect with, the same can't be said about the rest of the cast who feel one-dimensional with their only sole purpose being to move the story along. In terms of narrative and story-structure, Greyhound remains focused from start to finish with the battle being the main focus with the characters coming in second. The screenplays strongest aspect lies within the films desire to be as historically accurate as possible in presenting its story. While the film, as entertaining and thrilling as its story presents itself to be, may feel a bit lacking in the plot and character department to audiences who aren't war buffs or knowledgeable of the films main event, those who are history buffs or appreciate war stories brought to film will find enough presented on screen to make for a sufficient movie watching experience. 

      As entertaining and engaging that Greyhound ends up being when all is said and done, the film isn't without its shortcomings in the scriptwriting department despite Hanks putting in a strong effort overall in bringing the films historical event to the big screen. While audiences may struggle in finding characters to connect with besides Hanks, they will be thrilled by the films action and fast-paced energy. Greyhound isn't anything that audiences haven't seen before in the war genre, but the film still manages to deliver in terms of spectacle with a compelling story driving it along with enough historical context to please its main target audience along with a towering performance from Tom Hanks in the films main lead. Like Dunkirk, Greyhound is more about giving audiences the experience of being in the moment rather than being an elaborate piece of storytelling. While the film may leave a bit to be desired on both the character and story front, the strength of the films visual elements, combined with the performances of its main actors and noble-intentions of its filmmakers, are enough to make it worth watching and ultimately recommending. Greyhound works best as being an entertaining spectacle that's affectionately told, visually thrilling to watch, and powered by the strong presence of its main star in the films main role. It's a shame that this one won't get a chance to shine on the big screen as both its visual and sound effects were designed for such an experience. For Tom Hanks acting as the main star and screenwriter of the film, one is impressed with the effort he brings to the story with audiences hoping that he continues to explore his capabilities as a filmmaker behind the camera in addition to being a phenomenal actor. Greyhound stands as being one of the stronger film efforts of 2020. 

Final Verdict: For moviegoers looking for both engaging and compelling drama, Greyhound is a must see World War ll thriller that does its source material justice while remaining faithful to history. 

Gretel & Hansel Thrives In Visuals But Lacks The Creativity And Enthusiasm Behind Its Storytelling To Make It Work

   When bringing a classic fairy tale to the big screen, the filmmakers are tasked with adding their own creative stamp and visual flare to the story. Each film adaptation or reimagining of a classic story is made unique because of the different approaches, that their respective filmmakers bring to the table. Some classic stories often find themselves being retold in a newer approach in an effort to reintroduce their stories to a modern audience. In the case of Gretel & Hansel, the classic story is based on the German folklore tale of the same title that's previously written by the Brothers Grimm. What the newest 2020 film adaptation aims to do is create a visual atmosphere, that's genuinely creepy while telling the story in a way that feels both fresh and exciting for a new generation of audiences. While the film succeeds in delivering an atmosphere that feels effective with strong visuals which enhance the creepiness of the story, the latter is where the film feels uneven and ultimately falls apart. 

      Based on the classic Brothers Grimm book, the story for Gretel & Hansel centers around a young teenage girl named Gretel (played by Sophia Lillis) and her young brother Hansel (played by Samuel Leakey) being left on their own with them wandering through an eerie forest until they stumble across a strange elderly lady, who offers them shelter with all the food they could ever need. While their host (Played brilliantly by Alice Krige), appears seemingly generous and eager to have guests, the young pair of siblings realize that the longer they stay, the more convinced they become that something evil lurks within their presence. Gretel & Hansel has the look of being an effective horror movie, as well as strong young actors in the main roles. The main problem that becomes its undoing, is the lack of strong storytelling with both its script and overall execution feeling bland rather than inspired. The film wants to be a pure horror and fantasy story, but often feels like it only puts half the effort into being genuinely effective rather than a full attempt. The films script is thin in terms of both character and plot elaboration with the story feeling as if it moves too far rapidly for its short 91-minute running time. Despite carrying a mood that's chilling and appropriately fits the tone of the film, Gretel & Hansel doesn't exercise the same level of effort and enthusiasm that went into creating it's visual atmosphere with its story. The end result serves as being an underwhelming attempt to reintroduce a classic story for modern audiences, while also serving as being a wasted opportunity for its talented young actors.

      One of the few elements of the film that works effectively besides its visual look are the performances of its key stars. The acting by the main leads comes across as being both believable and convincing with them doing their best to make the most of their experience. Sophia Lillis delivers a strong performance as 16-year old Gretel. She manages to bring the right amounts of seriousness, maturity, and emotion to her role with Lillis continuing to impress with her skills as an actress from her breakout role in Stephen King's IT. She meets the demands that the role requires and delivers a believable performance, that makes her character both likable and sympathetic. The same can be said about Sam Leakey in his feature film debut as Gretel's 8-year old brother Hansel. Whereas the film ultimately collapses around them, both Lillis and Leakey do well with their performances along with showing natural chemistry as siblings. Their performances are not the greatest as they're both still relatively young performers, but they play their parts well enough with Leakey escaping the young Jake Lloyd curse from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in terms of being both lackluster and annoying. Whereas the child actors perform reasonably well, Alice Krige delivers a strong and utterly convincing performance as the evil and terrifying witch, who lives in the shadows of the dark woods with her ultimately kidnapping Gretel and Hansel. Other notable supporting roles are Charles Babalola as The Huntsmen, who helps Gretel and Hansel in the early portion of the film, and Jessica De Gouw in a minimal yet effective role as young Holda. As a whole, the cast for Gretel & Hansel is small but the main performances are strong enough to add both realism and believability to the story with the young actors managing to hold their own as the films main leads with Krige bringing both class and experience to her role. While the acting overall isn't groundbreaking by any means, it attempts to add both tension and suspense to a story, that often feels dry due to poor scriptwriting.

      The directing by Oz Perkins, ultimately feels underwhelming despite creating a generally effective and creepy atmosphere. What Perkins does well is give the film a visual look, that serves as being absolutely striking to watch with it succeeding in transporting audiences into the story. The films production and costume design are both strong with the cinematography being extremely effective in regards to the film appearing to be brilliantly lit, while given a darkly mooded atmosphere that succeeds in adding chills to the story. The films visual elements are hands down the best thing about the movie and succeed in giving the audience a glimpse of a world. that feels both moody and stylistically well-handled. The films pacing keeps the story moving rapidly with it often feeling as if the story doesn't have enough time to be properly developed or fleshed out during its 91-minute running time. The films score works well in regards to adding tension to the story, while blending in with its strong atmospheric mood. On a directing front, Perkins does well with giving the film a look, that feels both stylistically handled and artistic. He also proves that he can work well with his cast in regards to generating solidly effective performances from them. His overall directing shows that he's capable of handling a story, that comes across as being this complex and creepy. It's a shame however, that he wasn't able to improve upon the films shortcomings regarding its script. 

      As far as the writing goes, the films screenplay by Rob Hayes, Sophia Lillis, and Sam Leakey is where the film ultimately falls apart with the script feeling both thin as well as halfway completed. The main characters come across as feeling underdeveloped with the plot not being thoroughly fleshed out enough to be genuinely engaging. The story is essentially designed to focus on Gretel's character coming into her own in regards to her supernatural abilities, but the audience never truly gets the sense of her characters struggle with her arc often feeling rushed. The horror aspect of the story is built up in certain scenes with the audience being left to think that something major is going to unfold with the main characters, but are ultimately left disappointed when nothing happens. The first act of the story starts off strong with the opening narration drawing the audience in along with the establishing of Gretel and Hansel's characters. That momentum ultimately begins to stall to a near halt in the films second act with moments, which could've further developed the story that was essentially being replaced with weird and pointless ones such as the young characters tripping out after eating mushrooms. The films third act is where the story somewhat begins to regain its life with the entering of Alice Krige's character, who unquestionably becomes one of the films main highlights despite being brought in near the end. The third act ultimately becomes frustrating for audiences not just because its climax feels rather underwhelming, but the whole subplot between Gretel and Hansel encountering the witch should've unfolded much sooner in the story to make up for both its unbalanced and dry second half. The dialogue is written in a play-writing style with key subplots either feeling mishandled or treated as afterthoughts such as Gretel and Hansel being cast aside by their mentally ill mother, whom the audience doesn't get to see much of prior, along with them getting a legitimate feeling that the witch is preying on the young pair of siblings in the woods prior to formally meeting them. The films overall plot comes across as feeling pedestrian rather than taking a life of its own with the character of Hansel often feeling overshadowed by Gretel (Whom the films overall story arc is undoubtedly aimed towards). It's not that the films storyline is a boring or lackluster one, the problem lies that the story doesn't carry with it the craftsmanship and attention to detail that went towards crafting the films effective atmosphere and visual structure. The film ultimately feels like it carries an uneven narrative that lacks enthusiasm in regards to telling its story despite the film carrying two key cards, that attempt to make up for those shortcomings such as its stellar production design and reasonably solid performances.

      There's no other way to put it than blatantly stating the obvious that Gretel & Hansel is a wasted opportunity to tell what sounds like, and ultimately could've been a truly compelling fairy tale story. The films overall execution ultimately feels uninspired, and lacks heart behind bringing its story to life on the big screen. This is a film that could've and should've been so much more than what it ultimately ends up being had the filmmakers put more emphasis on strengthening both its script and overall story structure. The films end message feels underwhelming in regards to its overall presentation with the story ultimately saying that what seems too good to be true usually is, along with stating that no one can get what they wish for without sacrifice. The films additional message of one being brave and trusting themselves, unfortunately lacks enough power to be truly effective and hard-hitting as Gretel's story isn't as thoroughly fleshed out as it could've been. Besides the films impressive visual look and technical elements such as its electric Tron-like score, the film underwhelms and severely disappoints as unenthusiastic storytelling with the main actors feeling wasted in terms of showcasing their full potential here. The script feels effortless with the running time being too fast-paced for both the story and characters to be properly fleshed out. It's a shame that as capable and skillful of a filmmaker that Oz Perkins gives audiences glimpses of being, he couldn't fully transfer that creativity in regards to being a visual filmmaker into becoming a well-rounded one who can properly balance out the films technical elements with solid storytelling. Gretel & Hansel is a slick looking fantasy film, that desperately wants to be seen in both a style and form that's artistic but doesn't possess the convictions to be anything other than being a terribly mediocre effort, that should be avoided in exchange for other well-handled and intense horror films that carry young actors in the roles (Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark for example). Gretel & Hansel is a visually striking horror story, which aimed to be a different kind of horror tale while reaching for the stars in terms of its overall presentation. While the films visual style rises to the occasion, its narrative and story structure don't with it ultimately ending up being one of 2020's biggest cinematic misfires. Gretel & Hansel serves as being a film that's greatest strength lies with its visuals, but unfortunately falls apart in almost every other category.

Final Verdict: For fans of the classic story, Gretel & Hansel impresses visually but leaves much to be desired in regards to storytelling that's both compelling and engaging.

Netflix's The Old Guard Offers Audiences An Engaging Superhero Tale That's Intense, Exciting, And Surprisingly Mature In It's Storytelling

      

      When it comes to popular streaming services, one of the most reliable ones that audiences turn to in terms of content is Netflix. The streaming giant has become more of a powerful force in recent years with them not only churning out popular TV shows, but also putting out film content of their own. Such popular hits from Netflix include Cloverfield: Paradox, Bird Box, When They See Us, and Extraction. With The Old Guard, Netflix aims to take things one step further with a superhero style storyline that promises lots of intense action along with a kick-ass performance from female action heroine Charlize Theron in the main role. The end result is a film that delivers on the grounds of being reasonably solid entertainment with high-octane action and terrific performances from its main cast. Whereas the plot isn't anything that audiences haven't seen before, the film has much to offer in terms of excitement and thrills with the appeal of both its main cast and female star being the primary driving force of the film working as well as it ultimately does.

     Based on the popular comic book series, the plot for The Old Guard focuses on four ancient warriors (Played by Charlize Theron, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, and Luca Marinelli) who possess the ability to heal from their battle wounds, take on covert missions with the intent of protecting humans over the course of many centuries. When a ruthless pharmaceutical mogul (Played by Harry Melling) becomes hell-bent on kidnapping them in order to find and profit off their immorality secret, they realize they not only have to protect themselves but also look after a young woman (Played by KiKi Layne), who discovers that she can't be killed. The plot for The Old Guard is an interesting one that feels like a cross between X-Men and Wolverine. It serves as being compelling enough of a story to both excite and thrill audiences with an appealing cast of talented actors and actresses to help sell the plot to audiences. The story is handled in a way that feels mature with its concept instantly drawing audiences in, particularly when they see KiKi Layne's characters abilities early on. Much in a similar fashion that Bryan Singer approached the X-Men franchise with the 2000 film, Gina Prince Bythewood gives the film a realistic and serious tone with it only revealing its shades of comic book origins when dealing with the healing abilities of the characters, as well as the films terrific action sequences that are mostly led by Charlize Theron's brilliant and electrifying performance. The Old Guard works best as being solid popcorn entertainment with a plot that carries with it brains along with stellar action scenes to back it up. Its tone is different than the average MCU or DCEU comic book film, but it aims for the same level of enjoyment while adding some thoughtfulness to its plot. While it can be said that the film sometimes feels confined to the conventions of the comic book genre, there's still much here to behold which makes The Old Guard a fun ride that audiences will enjoy taking and feel mostly satisfied with if they go in with the right expectations. 

      As creative as the story is and thrilling as the action appears, it's the performances of the main cast that help make the story as believable as it comes across as being. The main cast all work well together in regards to delivering performances, that are effective and add to both the intensity and excitement of the film. The strongest work in the film comes from Charlize Theron in the main role as Andy/Andromache of Scythia. When it comes to doing action type roles, Theron is one of the best female action stars out there as she brings her A game to the part of playing the head of a group of immortal warriors disguised as mercenaries. Theron brings the right amount of seriousness to the part with her character carrying the right balance of toughness and emotion. Few actresses are able to pull off being dramatic and an action star simultaneously, but she manages to do both perfectly. KiKi Layne also impresses as former US Marine Nile Freeman, who got fatally harmed during a mission in Afghanistan with her discovering that she carries healing powers. Layne plays the role very well and brings the right amount of toughness, vulnerability and strength to her character. Her moments with Theron are effective in regards to conveying the tension of the story with audiences, as well as their characters eventually growing to understand each other throughout the course of the film. The heart of the film was always going to rely on how the role of Nile is played and thankfully Layne manages to rise to the occasion and make her character a likeable and worthy member of the team. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a solid performance as former CIA agent James Copley, who is shown grieving the loss of his wife from ALS with him pursuing the mercenaries in hopes of helping the rest of humanity with fighting diseases by learning more about their special abilities. Ejiofor succeeds in making his character complex in which the audience essentially views him as an antagonist at first, but ultimately turns out to be a sympathetic figure as he doesn't want any of the mercenaries to be harmed and disagrees with many of Steven Merrick's extremes in regards to capturing and experimenting on the team. Harry Melling shines in his role as the films main antagonist, Steven Merrick. Though Melling's character comes across as feeling like the greedy and generic corporate villain (Who misguides people into thinking he's after the scientific research of the immortals in hopes of helping people, but is actually doing it for personal gain), that can be found in this type of comic book or Sci-Fi story, he manages to take the role and still make it effective in regards to playing a bad guy that audiences ultimately despise the more the film progresses. The rest of the mercenary team/ancient warriors deliver noteworthy performances with Matthias Schoenaerts shining as Booker, a former French soldier who fought under Napoleon. Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli also give strong and likeable performances as Joe, a Muslim warrior who participated in the Crusades, as well as being Nicky's lover and Marinelli playing Nicky, a former Italian Crusader who began as an enemy of Joe before becoming lovers after both discovered their immortality. As a whole, the cast for The Old Guard lays down a solid foundation in creating an ensemble team that works effectively well off each other with every performance being convincing while adding to the films suspense. As good as the entire cast turns out to be, it's the performances that both Theron and Layne deliver that really make the story work. Both actresses not only convey a toughness to their characters, but also reveal their vulnerabilities with both ultimately leaning on each other for comfort. The entire cast delivers performances that are believable along with adding to the thrill and suspense of the story.

      The films directing by Gina Prince Bythewood proves to be solid work overall as she gives the film a mood and atmosphere that feels appropriate for the story. While the films origins are comic book oriented, Bythewood treats it as an afterthought with the overall film not feeling like a typical Hollywood superhero flick that comes from a major studio with it carrying more of a Logan or Wolverine style feel to it. One of the most surprising elements of the film besides its impressive second unit directing, is how much emotion the audience feels for both the story and the characters. The director clearly wants the audience to walk away feeling something for the characters rather than just being mildly entertained by the action, and she succeeds at doing just that here. The action sequences are well put together and solidly executed with them not only being creative, but carrying a sense of excitement and brutality which makes them appealing. The films editing feels both steady and well-balanced from start to finish. Although the story can feel slow moving at times, particularly in the beginning as the characters and plot are being established, the pacing accelerates once the action starts up with the editing doing a fine job of alternating between the films quieter and intimate emotional moments with the characters, as well as the large scale and loud action scenes. The films cinematography comes across as being both noteworthy and visually striking with the outdoor shots of France and the desert being beautifully lit with full brightness, as well as the night and indoor moments having a distinct yet rich style to them. On a technical front, The Old Guard is well-executed and appealing to watch visually with the film having the right look for its story. As far as directing goes, Gina Prince Bythewood largely impresses with her ability to juggle kinetic action with emotional storytelling. She also demonstrates a confidence with being able to work with a ensemble cast of talented actors, along with getting the best performances out of them. She gives the film a look and feel that separates it from most mainstream comic book oriented films of today with a more serious approach to telling its story, that often feels like it dares to challenge its label. One can clearly see the dedication and effort that Bythewood put into making the film as she treats the story as being her baby. 

      The films screenplay by Greg Rucka (Who created the original comic book storyline and brought in to adapt it on film format) is well-written with the film doing a solid job of introducing the mythology behind the story, as well as positioning it to kick-start a new franchise​ which Netflix unquestionably is hoping for it to achieve. The characters presented are fairly well-established with the development going specifically to the team of mercenaries with Theron and Layne's characters being the driving force of the story. As well-handled as their characters are along with the rest of Theron's team, the scripts main issue lies with the lack of a true villain for the story given its running time. While Harry Melling does a decent job of making his character effective as being the main antagonist of the story, he often comes across as feeling generic and underdeveloped with his character being nothing particularly groundbreaking in terms of the audience not seeing anything new before with his motives or overall presentation. Given that the mercenaries all possess remarkable healing abilities, Melling's character often doesn't feel as if he poses much of a threat to them and feels like a typical mad scientist found in a science fiction movie, who wants to steal ones special abilities for their own personal gain. Chiwetel Ejiofor's character also feels generic with his characters dilemma feeling like a misguided scientist, who blindly sides with the main villain believing their intentions to be as noble as theirs only to discover the exact opposite with them ultimately regretting their decision. Whereas these character traits feel both formulaic and familiar, they still manage to work within the context of the story. The screenplays narrative and story-structure remain straight-forward for the most part with audiences being able to follow the story without being left confused on what's unfolding in regards to the plot. The flashback sequences that show the main mercenary team in previous time periods, are minimal though effective in giving the audience just enough information needed about Theron's character and her team for the audience to become connected with them without the script feeling overdone in terms of character exposition. The development of the characters for the most part is medium though effective with the most attention being given to Theron and Layne's roles. What makes the script for The Old Guard work so well is how the film explores its themes pertaining to immortality, grief, survival, saving humanity, regret, guilt, and destiny in a way that's both entertaining​ and thoughtful with the films ultimate message saying how immortality can ultimately be a bad thing, being both a hard-hitting and eye opening one for audiences given all the sequence of events that occurred within the story regarding the teams supernatural abilities. The films scriptwriting is noteworthy in how it goes each of its key main characters moments to shine, while balancing out the pros and cons of immortality before coming to the films eventual conclusion regarding it ultimately doing more harm than good. 

      As far as Netflix original films go, The Old Guard stands as being one of the stronger ones with it being exciting and overall satisfying to watch. The film isn't without its share of faults with it at times feeling that it doesn't fully live up to the maximum potential, or scope of its story along with the film needing a stronger main antagonist. The script sometimes feels as if it rushes the establishing of the characters to get them introduced to the audience with the promise of further development with the sequel, and the films soundtrack feeling excessively over the top despite being overall effective. Despite those issues, the film still manages to deliver in the entertainment department while establishing a solid foundation for future sequels to build off the story and characters introduced here. The film owes much thanks to Theron and the rest of the cast for adding credibility to the realism of it with Theron's character serving as the guide for taking the audience through the story and getting them engaged with the appeal of her character through her performance before switching over to the side characters in the story. Her work here ends up being the driving force of the film and is what immediately brings the audience into the story from the films opening sequence, while keeping them engaged until the end. Once again, Charlize Theron further demonstrates that she's a natural female action star whose not only extremely appealing and charismatic when she's kicking ass, but looks as if she feels most comfortable when working within the genre. She is the main reason to see this film other than the solid action the film contains and it's intriguing premise. For some, The Old Guard may not do it's premise complete justice but for others, the film will surprise and satisfy with both its watchability as well as its desire to entertain audiences while making them think about the films premise. In an era where comic book films are either Marvel or DC based, it's refreshing to see one that arrives right in the middle of the two worlds with the same intentions to entertain and dazzle while beginning its own set of films that carry their own style and remain separated from each side. For Netflix, the film represents an improvement in quality as well as a confidence that they can spawn their own set of comic book films without being bound to the two competing universes. Though the film may still feel the confinements of being a Netflix original film with the budget being a reported $70 million which is relatively low for a comic book film, the enthusiasm and attention-to-detail that went into the films making more than makes up for its shortcomings. The Old Guard for all intents and purposes, proudly stands as being one of the more surprising hits of 2020, as well as showing Netflix to be continuously growing in regards to its content.

Final Verdict: For comic book fans as well as fans of Charlize Theron, Netflix's The Old Guard is a surprisingly decent piece of popcorn entertainment that will entertain and thrill audiences with both its solid premise and action. 
      

Little Women 2019 Is A Charming And Faithful Reimagining That Rightfully Does It's Source Material Justice While Feeling Timely

   One of Hollywood's most successful and noteworthy set of films, are those in which they're based off popular best-selling literature. For some of these stories, they become such timeless classics that numerous filmmakers add their own interpretations of them with their own versions of the story being put onto film. In the case of Greta Gerwig's Little Women, the newest version serves as being the seventh film adaptation of the classic 1868 novel of the same title written by Louisa May Alcott. Whereas the plot has been retold before by numerous filmmakers, it's the distinct style that each one brings to the story that makes them stand out with audiences with the end result generally being successful. Boasting a talented young female cast that includes the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen, the newest film adaptation does a surprisingly noteworthy job of not only reintroducing the story to a new generation of filmgoers, but maintaining the charm as well as the heart, sincerity, romance, feministic approach, and love for family that it's classic novel inspired. Little Women 2019 is the seventh version of Alcott's story brought to the screen, but manages to feel both fresh and sincere in its intentions to retell the story with what's perhaps the best version of it brought to the big screen thus far. It rightfully earns its spot as being one of 2019's strongest films with terrific acting performances from its cast, as well as impressive writing and directing backing it.

     Based on the classic coming-of-age tale with the same title, the plot for Little Women plays out virtually the same as its novel, as well as its six other previous film versions of it. The story revolves around four sisters juggling growing up along with exploring their options together as they approach adulthood. The main sister Jo March (Played by Saoirse Ronan) reflects back and forth on both her life, as well as her sisters with her ultimately writing their experiences into a novel with each sister being determined to live life on their own terms. What makes Little Women's story one that feels universal in regards to audiences embracing it is how it explores gender roles in society, while showing the strength of young women making their way without relying on support from men. The concept is timeless not just because of those themes but how it shows the strength of a pair of siblings, who chose to stick together regardless of what kind of experiences life throws at them. Although the story takes place in an era that's outdated, the themes and overall message of the film resonates with audiences in today's world with the movie further emphasizing the timelessness of the plot with Greta Gerwig's masterful directing being backed by a stellar cast, who all deliver terrific performances with solid production design and a firm touch of sincerity for telling the story behind its directing. As a piece of filmmaking, Little Women proves to be well-made and handled with great care and passion behind presenting its story. What's most impressive about it is how Gerwig manages to take the story and adapt it for the screen in a way that makes it feel fresh for today's audience, as well as being more of a charming, uplifting, and ultimately empowering experience for women than what's been previously shown before, making it a richly awarding one for audiences. Gerwig's Little Women is a brilliant reimagining of the story, that feels noble in it's ambitions as well as sincere in it's desire to be both artistically and structurally different than any previous film adaptation of the plot. It's a film that feels exceptionally made from top to bottom with a timely message regarding the empowerment of women, that couldn't arrive at a better time than how much it's desired now. Whereas many reimagining's of classic source material end up paling in comparison to their predecessors, Little Women 2019 rises to the occasion while managing to refresh both its plot and themes for modern audiences in a way that's smart, thrilling, and feels impeccably made with an appealing cast.

     As skillful and well-handled as Greta Gerwig's directing comes across as being, the film ultimately works as well as it does thanks to the performances of its main cast. The lead actresses all do a fantastic job of playing their parts along with sharing chemistry as a whole that feels natural, making the audience believe they're watching a group of siblings grow up and experience adulthood. Although all the four lead actresses do terrific jobs in their roles, it's the performances of Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh that stand out the most with Ronan's character providing the anchor for the audience in regards to being drawn into the story, as well as becoming connected with the main characters. Ronan delivers a solid performance as Jo March, a teacher in New York City who seeks to have a story she's written published that's based around the lives of her sisters. Ronan excels in portraying her character as being both independent and strong-willed with her character feeling as if she doesn't need to be tied down in a marriage like her siblings in order to be successful. The audience sees the story from her perspective with Ronan being able to convey all the right and appropriate emotions that the role requires. Florence Pugh does equally well as Jo's youngest sister Amy March with Pugh playing her character as being young and immature with her realizing that marriage isn't about financial stability but revolves around love. Her character is shown with struggling to play the role that society demands of young women at the time, which meant getting married to someone wealthy and being financially set even if they don't necessarily share genuine feelings of love for that person. Pugh does well with showing her characters struggle with maintaining that expectation, which was placed upon young women at the time while learning to be more independent and free-spirited with her thinking. Both Ronan and Pugh's performances are terrific with both actresses rightfully earning their Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress. Emma Watson also shines in her role as Jo's older sister Meg with her character desiring to be able to afford the things she wants, but realizes she can't afford it on her and her husband's budget. Her character experiences a meaningful change in which she realizes that she's ultimately happy being with her husband rather than being able to afford fancy clothes. Watson brings a sense of charm to her role much like Ronan and Pugh do with her performance holding up in between. Eliza Scanlen gives a moving yet heartbreaking performance as Jo's second youngest sister Beth. Unlike the other three actresses, Scanlen's role is more quieter and reserving with her character having a more emotional core compared to the others due to her falling ill throughout the course of the story. Scanlen surprises and impresses with her work here, showing that she not only can hold her own with the other actresses but showcases a great deal of emotion through her facial expressions with moments where she doesn't share as much dialogue. The rest of the supporting cast shines with Laura Dern giving a fantastic performance as Jo's mother Marmee March. Dern brings both class and grace to her role as an independent mother struggling to do the best she can in providing for her children while their father is away fighting in the Civil War. Dern works well off the younger actresses and has some powerful moments with them, particularly in the scenes where she helps her daughter's grow up. Meryl Streep is fantastic as usual with her playing the March's old-fashioned and rude grandmother, who tries to convince her young granddaughters that marrying for wealth is more important than love in order to ensure the family is taken care of. Streep's role here is minimal compared to her usual work, but she manages to take her character and create a scene-stealing performance with the audience automatically disapproving of her character. Other noteworthy performances are Timothee Chalamet as Laurie, the March's wealthy yet isolated orphan neighbor who shares strong feelings for Amy's character. Chalamet plays his part well and manages to work well off the four main actresses with his relationship with Amy being the core of the story. He appears to be an outside observer of the March sisters in regards to watching them grow up and become more independent. He gives them unwarranted critiquing much to their disapproval at time, but deep down means well and cares about them. Chris Cooper also gives a solid and warm performance as Laurie's father Mr. Laurence, who takes a fondness of Beth playing the piano as she reminds him of the daughter he lost years prior. As a whole, the cast for Gerwig's Little Women does a terrific job of working together as a stunning ensemble cast. Each actor and actress feels perfectly cast for their roles with them giving the right amount of dedication to their parts, that the source material demands. None of the performances are of poor quality with everyone bringing a certain amount of charm and heart to their characters with their work ultimately making the film a more enjoyable and moving experience.

      In addition to the films strong acting performances, the directing by Greta Gerwig stands as being both admirable and well-handled with her bringing the right amount of sincerity, craftsmanship, and heart to the film. She not only manages to assemble a brilliant ensemble cast, but is able to generate raw emotion from them while giving the story both a mature and heartwarming feel to it. Gerwig allows her actors enough freedom to bring their characters to life, as well as control the scenes their in with them finding ways to work off each other. She gives the film a distinct look that rightfully fits the stories time period with both the set and costume design transporting audiences back to the late 1860's era. The movies cinematography is striking with the look of the film appearing as if each frame could be posted as an image on a holiday card. While the film is given an atmosphere which feels relaxing with a few slow-motion shots added to keep the screen from appearing stale, the cinematography does a fabulous job of bringing a post Civil War era 1860's New England to life for the audience to experience with the film being given the appropriate look and realism. The editing stands as being one of its most impressive elements with the story appearing to jump back and forth with a unique timeline, that meshes present scenes together with flashbacks of the main characters. Though this technique can become confusing to audiences if they don't closely follow the story or character subplots as they unfold, it adds a unique stamp to the overall film while presenting a different style of story structure for the classic novel than what audiences have been previously accustomed to with earlier film adaptations. On a technical front, the film is top notch with the look and style of the novels setting being wonderfully displayed on screen to absolute perfection. In regards to directing, Greta Gerwig proves that she's more than capable of adapting a well-established novel and giving it a new cinematic form. She not only shows that she can juggle a large ensemble cast of talented actors and get great performances out of them, but can rearrange elements of the story to make it appeal to audiences in a way that's both unique and engaging. She effectively modernizes the story for today's generation to become attached to, and take away some of the films key themes and overall message. As Little Women demonstrates, Gerwig is a skillful up and coming filmmaker with a firm grip on her craft.

      One of the more intriguing aspects of the film is the way the story is told with the constant jumping back and forth of its timeline. The script written by Gerwig, presents a different style of telling the story of the March family compared to what's been shown before previously. The film incorporates many of the novels themes which young women in today's generation can find relation to on a personal note. Gerwig's screenplay tackles themes revolving around family, gender roles, women making their own way in the world without the assistance of men, making money, financial stress, the loss of loved ones, options for women, marrying for convenience rather than love, domestic struggles, jealously between siblings, siblings rivalry, privilege, sacrifice, and heartbreak. All of these themes are essential to the story of Little Women with Gerwig masterfully incorporating them into the script in a way which the audience can understand the motive and struggles of the March sisters. One of the key elements that makes Little Women such a timeless story for both readers and film audiences, is how universal its themes feel as they can be applied to any generations struggle regarding young women trying to make it on their own independently along with remaining united as a family.  The script effectively explores the numerous options that women have in regards to being successful, while also showing the limitations and setbacks they face in their journey towards independence. All of the characters in Gerwig's script are well-deserved and each given their appropriate time to shine in the film. The dialogue is intelligently written and encourages audiences to think about and reflect on the actions of certain characters in the story. The transitioning of the March sisters from young women into adulthood is handled convincingly and feels natural without it appearing forced. Their family tree is one that's presented as being strong and relatable to audiences with Dern's character sharing great key moments with her daughter's, particularly the scene where she asks questions Jo on whether she truly loves Laurie despite rejecting his feelings for her. Gerwig's script stays true to the source material with her portrayal of the March's as being a simple family, who are shown to be fun-spirited and well natured with scenes in which they joking play with each other, as well as being giving people with them being shown to offer their breakfast to another family who needs it more. Despite the moments of immaturity that the March sisters show, the audience understands and see's them grow as young girls into strong independent women with the best character arcs being that of Jo and Amy. The screenplay for Little Women is both beautifully and wonderfully written with the story being cleverly retooled to appeal to modern audiences, along with the characters being properly developed to the point where the audience becomes invested in their growths​ into adulthood, while seeing the other side characters being both affected and inspired by them.

     What could've easily ended up being an average to mediocre retelling of a classic novel, that's been fairly well adapted before previously on the big screen by other film versions of it, Greta Gerwig's Little Women manages to be a pleasant surprise in terms of its overall execution and noble intentions to speak to today's generation of young women. The film is extremely well made with stellar performances from its main cast along with a powerful message that emphasizes family love being a gift that should be cherished, along with a conclusion that says no one makes their own way with family being the starting point. Of all the previous film adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's novel, Greta Gerwig's reimagining of the story serves as being the strongest with it destined to be seen and enjoyed by audiences for generations. Having seen the film, it's no secret as to why the 2019 version turned out to be as successful as it ultimately ended up being (The film grossed over $209 million worldwide while garnering a total of six Oscar nominations). The story for Little Women is one that speaks to generations of women with Gerwig's approach being one that's smartly written, steadily directed, and feels time-sensitive to many of today's messages regarding women's desires for independence, as well as strong ideals of feminism represented through the character of Jo. The most remarkable trait that the films story possesses, is how the concept could be taken out of its current era and placed in another with its themes and messages carrying just as much emotional weight as they would in the setting the story occupies. For a novel that didn't scream for another film adaptation of it, Greta Gerwig's film makes the strong case for being warranted and well-deserving of its success.

Final Verdict: For fans of the classic novel as well as the previous film adaptations it spawned, Little Women 2019 is a must see.