Disney's Encanto Gives Audiences A Breathtaking New Animated Tale That's Visually Stunning And Full Of Heart

      

      When looking at modern Disney films, the two key things that make them appealing to audiences besides their stunning animation are the emotional storytelling, as well as the heartwarming messages that accompany them while doing so under a new cultural perspective. With Disney's Encanto, a new enchanting story is born with it not just providing enormous amounts of fun for the whole family but presenting a highly respectable form of cultural authenticity. The newest animated tale in the ever-expanding Disney vault offers audiences a unique story that's colorful, enjoyable and bound to warm (As well as win) the heart of audiences.

      Encanto's plot centers around a young girl named Maribel (Voiced by Stephanie Beatriz), whose frustrated as being the first in her family to not receive the gift of a special power. Feeling like an outsider, she searches for a way to get back into her grandmother's good graces. Encanto's plot aims to explore Columbian culture and does so with delivering an important message for audiences, which emphasizes the importance of every family member and that big problems can be overcome when people work together. Add to that breathtaking animation, catchy songs, and Encanto proves itself to be a unique catch for families that's not only visually dazzling to watch but also moving and heartfelt with its honoring of multigenerational families. 

      The voice acting performed by Encanto's cast does much in bringing charm as well as emotion to the story. Stephanie Beatriz completely shines as 15-year old Mirabel Madrigal, who lacks the special gift that the rest of her family possesses. Beatriz portrays her character as being quirky, but also an emotional and empathetic person whom the audience instantly becomes connected with. Maria Cecilia Botero does terrific as Maribel's stern grandmother and the families matriarch Abuela Madrigal. Botero does well with playing Abuela as being a tough authoritative figure at first with the audience later understanding her motives though her characters revelation. John Lequizamo does terrific in giving a sympathetic performance as Maribel's ostracized uncle Bruno, who carries the ability to see the future. Mauro Castillo does well as Maribel's uncle, Felix, who helps to balance her character out along with enjoying himself. The rest of the cast give notably fun performances with Jessica Darrow as Maribel's second oldest sister Luisa, who carries superhuman strength but harbors anxiety about letting her family down, Angie Cepeda as Maribel's mother Juliet's who can heal others through her cooking, Diana Guerrero as Maribel's oldest sister Isabela whose considered the most successful sibling in the family, yet struggles to keep up her glamorous image, and Carolina Gaitan as Maribel's aunt Pepa who can control the weather. As a whole, Encanto's cast delivers fantastic performances that add to the stories authenticity. 

      Directors Jared Bush and Bryan Howard do a fine job of giving the story a visual style that looks sharp and is absolutely stunning. A lot of great detail went into showcasing Columbian lifestyle in the film and it shows through the animations costume and set-design. As the film demonstrates, Disney continues to push the barrier in terms of what they can achieve technologically with the results being among their finest visual works yet. Encanto is a film that feels rich in color with the films soundtrack consisting of songs, that are both clever and catchy. Although the story moves at a consistently fast-paced like other Disney films, it slows down enough to deliver quiet moments which add depth to the characters, allowing the audience to see into each ones heart. In bringing Latin heritage to the screen, Bush and Howard do so in a way which feels enormously sincere and respectable while crafting an enchanting world for young audiences, as well as an experience that the whole family can enjoy. 

      Encanto's writing places heavy emphasis on themes regarding family, miracles, second chances, expectations, and the pressure of having special abilities. The films message about value lying within one person and not their performance is pivotal for young audiences to hear, and is presented in a way that's both poignant and moving. The script does a notably strong job of fleshing out all of the stories main characters with no one feeling shortchanged in regards to receiving their key moments of development. The character of Maribel despite being well-structured, fits the typical Disney female character arc in which she must face the ultimate test of being the only one who can save not just her family, but also her magic and home while exceeding all expectations placed upon her. As admirable as Encanto's screenplay is in pushing diversity and cultural appropriation with its plot, it somewhat suffers from being formulaic and predictable with key subplots being utilized, that feel extremely familiar to audiences such as the sibling rivalry between Maribel and Isabella, Maribel being at odds with her grandmother, and the misunderstanding regarding Bruno with his character appearing redeemable at the end. The story also lacks a traditional Disney villain, which makes the films third act feel a bit unexciting, despite wrapping things up smoothly.

      Even with these issues, Encanto's greatest strength as a story lies within its representation of family, while proudly serving as a love letter to Columbian culture. There is much to adore and appreciate about this film from its appealing characters who feel relatable, to its breathtaking animation and gorgeous display of Latin culture. Combine that with Lin-Manuel-Miranda's toe-tapping music and Encanto proves itself to be an ideal catch for audiences, as well as a huge winner for Disney. While it doesn't boast the most original Disney plot, Encanto hits all the right notes in entertaining its audience with numerous laugh-out-loud ones followed by those that are both shocking and tear-jerking. The film will unquestionably make audiences feel good regarding the films representation of different cultures. Given the sincerity behind telling its story, its hard not to think of Encanto as being anything less than a solid piece of animated entertainment with a tremendous amount of heart.

Final Verdict: For both families and Disney fans, Encanto is a must see triumph. 

Images Courtesy Of Disney

The Matrix Resurrections Resurrects The Series In A Fashion That's Bold, Divisive, And Reasonably Satisfying

     

Note: This review contains NO SPOILERS

      When looking back at the 90's slate of action/Sci-Fi films, very few had the groundbreaking cinematic impact that The Matrix generated upon its initial 1999 release. Not only did it rewrite both genres for Hollywood, it presented audiences with new forms of filmmaking techniques that proved to be hugely influential. The same can't be said about the sequels that preceded it as both The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions failed to recapture the pop- culture impact of the original. Fast-forward to 2021, the franchise is resurrected with its fourth installment, The Matrix Resurrections, which aims to reinvigorate the series by bringing back key actors Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne-Moss in their iconic roles. The end result is a sequel that's equally as thrilling as it is confusing, though those who found disappointment in Revolutions climax will appreciate the stories continuation here.

      Resurrections plot has Neo (Keanu Reeves) alive and no longer remembering his past as The One. While dealing with his anxiety, Neo begins to differentiate between the two realities with him once again following the white rabbit while yearning for Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). Resurrections positions itself as being a fresh restart for the series, while remaining connected to the original trilogy. It not only embraces the past but offers a new path forward, which attempts to recapture some of the series previous thunder. While doing so, Resurrections relies heavily on the nostalgia factor of the first to the point where certain aspects of it feel like a blatant redo, but with less thrilling results. The films greatest strength lies in the continuation of Neo and Trinity's arc with the slow rediscovering of their past being the stories true power. Though certainly not perfect, Resurrections contains enough excitement and twists to make it fairly enjoyable while encouraging them to take the Red Pill once more. 

      Resurrections cast deliver stellar work with Reeves and Moss making an ideal romantic duo, along with showcasing fantastic chemistry as past lovers reunified. Reeves gives one of his best performances here as an older Neo with him rediscovering his path as The One. The same can be said for Carrie-Anne-Moss, who still nails the part of Trinity with her channeling her characters toughness. The newest cast additions deliver hugely impressive work with Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll excelling as an alternate version of Morpheus. He does an admirable job of not only honoring Fishburne's work, but making the character his own. Jessica Henwick does a fine job as blue-haired gunslinger Bugs, whose a true believer in Neo. Jonathan Griff does well as Neo's former arch-nemesis Smith, though he never outdoes Hugo Weaving's original work. Neil Patrick Harris is fun to watch as The Analyst, creator of the current iteration of The Matrix masquerading as Neo's therapist. Other noteworthy performances include Priyanka Chopra Jones as an exile program Sati, and Jada Pinkett Smith reprising her role as an aging General Niobe from Revolutions. Although Fishburne and Weaving's presence are missed here, their successors prove to be appealing additions to the cast.

      Returning to direct is Lana Wachowski, helmer of the previous three films. She presents some impressive shots and lighting here with breathtaking cinematography that gives the film an almost dream-like appearance. She continues the franchises heavy- effects driven style violence which consists of slow-motion shots, rapid gunfire, fight scenes including slick martial arts, explosions, a motorcycle chase that comes with a darkly comical twist involving characters plunging from high buildings and becoming "human bombs." Both the costume and set-designs are top-notch and add to the films visual flare. Given the films 148 minute running time, it remains relatively fast-paced while managing to avoid the pacing issues that plagued the previous sequels. With Lana's directing, she gives this film an appearance that's more visually striking than many of today's blockbuster films. The fight scenes however, come across as appearing painfully generic given the original films master choreographer ( Yuen Woo-ping) didn't return to work on this film with his absence being apparent upon watching them.

      Resurrections writing, thankfully, feels a bit more restrained in its philosophical discussions compared to Reloaded and Revolutions. The plot plays as being a brutal satire that's aimed at greedy corporations and conniving marketers, who force Neo into crafting a new video game sequel that he has zero interest in making (Possibly serving as a metaphor for Lana Wachowski being pushed into making a Matrix 4 by the studio). The film relies heavily on previous entries for comfort with Wachowski incorporating clips from all three Matrix's whenever convenient. She also makes subtle references to the original like including a steak-eating scene with Neo in the fictional reality that serves as a callback to the first, or Bugs bearing a white bunny tattoo on her shoulder which brings everything back to the original. Resurrections further drives its connection to the past by reclaiming the whole red and blue pill scenario with Neo being handed the choice once again. Whereas these cleverly inserted references drive the nostalgia factor, they also make the story feel overly reliant on the past for comfort. Resurrections thrives in its attempts to establish mystery early on regarding what's real and what's not with the stories real suspense being Neo and Trinity slowly rediscovering their pasts while later fighting to be free. The Analyst, however, doesn't quite carry the same impact as Smith's character despite being designed to harbor the same understated malice that the latter expressed.

      At it's core, the film is a love story and one that makes it feel the most personal of the series. Along with continuing the story from where Revolutions ended, it adds new twists including a key one during the films climax involving a rooftop that's bound to shock and divide fans. Resurrections doesn't reinvent the wheel nor recaptures the innovativeness of the original, but it possesses enough heart while reshaping ideas from the previous films to make it more than just a nostalgic-filled retread of the past. If nothing else, it's better than Revolutions.

Final Verdict: Fans of the series will find The Matrix Resurrections to be generally entertaining, though nothing will ever match or surpass the original classic.

Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story Dances Its Way To Being A Stunning Reimagining Of Its Classic Predecessor

 Very few Hollywood remakes manage to fulfill the daunting task of not only matching their original works, but actually improving upon them along with modernizing the story for a new generation. With West Side Story, legendary director Steven Spielberg rises to the occasion and delivers a stunning remake that not only honors the work of the 1961 film which won 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, but thrills in giving audiences a different look at the classic source material. Though such a task proved risky for everyone involved, the end result unequivocally stands as being one of the best films of 2021.

      Inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet and the 1957 stage musical of the same name, West Side Story focuses on a young white boy (Ansel Elgort), and young Puerto Rican girl (Rachel Zegler) falling in love with their respective communities doing everything possible to keep them apart. The films plot serves as being a stunning parallel to Juliet's with a more present setting and themes revolving around racism, gentrification, and gangs. The newest version is not only masterfully directed but wonderfully acted with it carrying a tremendous amount of heart and respect towards the stories representation regarding Latino heritage. With what could've easily ended up being a pointless remake that lacked both the charm and heart of its predecessor, Spielberg's West Side Story meets expectations head on while showing that it's possible to deliver a worthy remake which can enchant as well as speak to a new era of moviegoers.

      As far as performances go, the acting, singing, and directing in Story is terrific with everyone pouring their souls into their roles. Both Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler give fantastic performances with them boasting stellar chemistry as young star-crossed lovers. Elgort is convincing as young white youth Tony, whose out on parole for nearly killing a Puerto Rican in a fight and becomes starstruck when he notices Maria. Zegler is perfectly casted as Maria, who yearns for independence and falls equally in love with Tony. Their relationship is what ultimately gives the film its power. Other knockout performances include David Alvarez and Ariana DeBose as Maria's migrant brother Bernardo and leader of the Sharks gang, and DeBose as his fiance Anita with the latter's supporting role being stunning in the films second half. Other noteworthy additions to the cast include returning cast member Rita Moreno from the original in a special appearance as Valentina, a Puerto Rican owner of Doc's general store, along with Mike Faist as Tony's best friend and Jet leader Riff, and Brian d'Arcy James as aggressive Police Officer Krupke. As a whole, the cast  is wonderfully assembled with everyone appropriately fitting their characters, as well as matching their cultural backgrounds. In terms of effort, West Side Story's cast gets an A+ with Zegler and Denise's performances being downright starmaking.

      Given Spielberg as director, one expects West Side Story to be masterfully filmed with breathtaking cinematography and impressive streetwise sets and costume designs. That's exactly what audiences get here as the production feels grand in scale with the picture being gorgeously lit with vibrant camera lighting that instantly draws them into the stories time setting. The music by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is remarkable with Spielberg getting the entire cast to effectively convey a wide range of emotions through their song and dance routines. The choreography conducted here is a mixture of jazz, ballet, and Latin styles that all result in a kinetic display of emotion with key iconic songs like America and I Feel Pretty being amazingly conducted. Along with the films visuals, Spielberg adds a touch of sincerity to the film with letting key characters speak in their native Latin tongue minus subtitles. He does this to let the audience focus on the actors performances with them getting the overall gist of what's being said. Upon watching the film, it's apparent that Spielberg has a profound love and respect the original 1961 classic, as he gives his all in crafting a remake that honors the past while reimagining it for the present.

      With a classic story like West Side Story, strong social commentary was always going to be ensured regardless of what era it's set in. Spielberg's version proves no different with the film further updating the Shakespearean romantic tragedy between two star-crossed lovers with the rivalry being between gangs rather than royal families. West Side's plot is one that addresses themes regarding identity, citizenship, and fitting in with a message which says that true love can transcend adversity along with hate only breeding violence. Despite the films 1950's New York setting, many of its themes feel relevant to today's political climate which immigrants find themselves enduring in regards to both blending in and finding their own place in America despite issues regarding turf war that's shown with the tension between second-generation American street game the Jets and the rival Puerto Rican gang the sharks. Like the films fantastic directing and choreography, West Side's writing remains strong with concepts such as breaking barriers and immigration status being at the heart of its plot. 

      Watching the film though, it's clear on why Spielberg chose to upgrade the original for a new generation of audiences as many of its themes carry timely relevance to today's world. With the new version, he makes a compelling case that not only was a remake necessary, but that its themes are universal enough to reflect upon people's struggles from one generation to the next. The newest West Side Story is one that's engaging to watch from start to finish and packed with remarkable talent. Whereas most remakes fail to earn their respective titles, Spielberg's does so while managing to be a fine musical/romance that's presented in a form that feels larger-than-life. Even with Spielberg giving the story a new look, he never loses sight of what made the original a beloved pop culture classic and instills it with endless amounts of energy and heart.

Final Verdict: For fans of the original 1961 West Side Story, Steven Spielberg's remake is a must see cinematic triumph.

Images courtesy of Disney/20th Century Fox Studios

Marvel's Spider-Man: No Way Home Swings The Homecoming Trilogy To Fantastic New Heights While Maintaining It's Heart

      

 NOTE: This review contains NO SPOILERS

     

      The wait is finally over. After a year of intense marketing and secrecy surrounding it, Marvel releases Spider-Man: No Way Home. In a year which saw the releases of Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Eternals, No Way Home arrives to complete the Spider-Man: Homecoming, once again placing both Tom Holland and Zendaya in the main roles. With much speculation going around regarding the films true premise and whether it lives up to the standard of both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home, fans can rejoice in knowing that the newest sequel not only delivers immensely as tremendously fun entertainment, but exceeds the expectations placed upon it.

      Continuing from where Far From Home left off, No Way Home's plot has Peter Parker (Tom Holland) seeking the help of Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in making his identity as Spider-Man a secret again after being framed by Mysterio. In doing so, a multiverse is opened, allowing numerous supervillains from alternate timelines who fought their own alternate versions of Peter Parker to enter his universe. In bringing these villains together, director Jon Watts and Marvel producer Kevin Feige not just give audiences a fitting cap off to the Homecoming trilogy, but present a story that's bigger than any previous Spider-Man film done prior. What's more impressive about No Way Home outside of its unifying of key villains, is the amount of heart the film carries with Tom Holland cementing himself as being one of the best Spider-Man's to grace the screen. The film not only works as being bigger and bolder than its previous films, but dares its main character to question about what it means to be a hero. 

      The soul of the film lies within the fantastic performances of its main cast with Tom Holland and Zendaya demonstrating themselves as being the MCU's power couple. With Peter Parker, Holland really comes into his own here. He goes from being a young teenager struggling to balance his normal life along with realizing the full cost of being a hero. Zendaya is stunning as MJ with her character really showing her love and commitment to Peter in this one with both actors chemistry being spot-on. Benedict Cumberbatch is stellar as Dr. Strange with the audience getting a kick out of their of their friendship as it becomes tested throughout the film. Both Marissa Tomei and Jacob Batalon give strong performances as Parkers aunt May and his best friend Ned, with Jon Favreau lending support as the likable Harold. As for the returning villains, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx all give top-notch performances as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Doctor Otto Octavius, and Max Dillon/Electro with everyone further demonstrating that they're still the ideal choices for their parts while getting the opportunity to expand on them. No Way Home's cast has much to do with why the film is thrilling to watch along with being surprisingly emotional. 

      The directing by John Watts, who helmed the previous Homecoming films, is highly commendable in delivering the biggest Spider-Man film thus far in terms of scope. Like the other films, he starts off by presenting a breezy High-School atmosphere while making the story feel more mature as it progresses. The films comic book style violence is well-handled with it relying on a heavy usage of impressive CGI to excite audiences. The film contains action set-pieces that are deeply thrilling to watch such as Spider-Mans first encounter with Doc Oak, which has been repeatedly shown in the trailers or the climactic fight with all the main villains, that gives it an Avengers: Endgame style feel. Boasting a 2.5 hour running time, No Way Home effectively uses every minute to steadily build up its story. One technical aspect of the film that feels underwhelming is its score with the music lacking a powerful theme that's memorable like Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. In terms of establishing the overall look and feel of the film, Watts nails it in keeping consistent with the previous Homecoming films while making this one feel much larger in scope.

      Out of the three Holland Spider-Man films, No Way Home's writing stands as being the strongest of the three with the story having its main character realizing the full consequence of choosing to help others, while raising the stakes higher than ever before. Here, the audience really find themselves caring about the main characters with the film being stuffed with the traditional Marvel style humor that accompanies each film. Each character outside of Parker and MJ are given their key moments to shine, and ultimately add something to the story that strengthens it. The script carries it all from action to comedy and drama with numerous callbacks to previous Spider-Man films being thrown in. Though there's much to digest here with the film story wise, the screenplay for No Way Home does exceptionally well in placing its main character front and center in the multiverse while giving him the attention he appropriately requires for fans who've grown with Tom Holland's Spider-Man to see him mature and grow into adulthood in the most emotionally satisfying way. 

      When audiences didn't think that Marvel could top what was pulled off with Endgame, the bar is raised even higher with No Way Home. The film has everything that Spider-Man fans could want, including major plot twists and revelations that'll generate tremendous amounts of excitement, along with celebrating the entire cinematic mythology of Spider-Man. Fun, thrilling, funny, and touching, Spider-Man: No Way Home honors the past while showing what's possible for the future with such a beloved young character whose shown to finally be morphing into the hero that comic book fans know him to be. The film carries a powerful message regarding the importance of doing good deeds, along with the responsibility of carrying great power. Not only will it please Spider-Man fans, it redefines all the possibilities of what can be done with a top-notch superhero story.

Final Verdict: For both Marvel and Spidey fans, No Way Home is a must see.

Images Courtesy Of SONY