TV Review: Moon Knight - Split meets The Mummy

 

While the previous Marvel Disney+ series have focused on those could consider side characters in the bigger films, "Moon Knight" marks the first where the main protagonist is being introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From a first glance, Moon Knight has been compared to Batman, but dressed in white and with even deeper mental issues. He's a very complex but cool character, so it makes sense that his Disney+ series matches up.

The best way to describe "Moon Knight" is a mix of psychological character study and treasure hunting adventure with supernatural elements. While the latter is done well (if a bit slow at times) and adds more to the MCU's mythos, it's the former where the series truly shines thanks to the lead, Oscar Isaac. For a character with split personality, Isaac does a brilliant job bringing both Marc Spector and Steven Grant to life in such a way that I sometimes forget it's the same actor even when they share the screen at the same time; and in that regard, I have to give props to the special effects team for making said scenes seamless. As the two personalities conflict early in the season, I found myself siding with both at different times where I'm either going "Marc, stop messing with Steven's life" or "Steven, don't get in Marc's way". It's very rewarding by the time they get on the same page, becoming like brothers, and after we learn of their complex and heartbreaking backstory while still leaving some mystery about the character.

Strangely enough, I actually found the series to have similar plot elements to Iron Fist, specifically the second season. Both leads are chosen guardians given powers to carry out a grand mission having to battle an antagonist with similar goals but more brutal methods along with a love interest who may be better suited for the job than the protagonist. In regard to the love interest, I really enjoyed May Calamawy as Layla, who's a strong character in her own right while also having good chemistry with Isaac as both Marc and Steven. The Steven interactions are most enjoyable as it's like watching her fall in love with her husband all over again. As for our lead villain in Arthur Harrow, Ethan Hawke gives a very charismatic performance as a religious zealot who can even fool the likes of gods.

While the series is at its best with its character moments, the action stuff that is present is nothing to scoff at. The best examples that stand out are the car chase in episode one and the final battle in episode six. And when it comes to the show's use of CGI, it's literally 50/50 with the second half of episodes clearly better than the first. Obviously the second half definitely had more need of it, it's a little disheartening to see corners cut when these MCU Disney+ series are supposed to have the same budgets as the films.

All in all, while I don't really hold it in high regard as some may think, "Moon Knight" is still a very solid stand-alone entry for the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks in large part to Oscar Isaac and I look forward to where Marc, Steven, and company go next.

Movie Review: The Batman - Justice Rises

 

Since the first trailer dropped at DC FanDome 2020, it was clear we were in for something special with Matt Reeves' "The Batman." And for me personally, there was a certain kind of excitement for the first solo Batman film in 10 years outside the larger scope of the main DCEU. Well, if you still had doubts about this movie because of certain casting or design choices, you can lay them aside. The hype is real as a unique new take on the Dark Knight has arrived.

Director Matt Reeves has delivered on so many fronts. The Gotham City presented is a perfect mix of the gothic nature of Tim Burton's films and the grounded reality of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy; it's really the first time since "Batman Begins" where I've felt Gotham had its own landscape and atmosphere. I think the fact that we start the story with Batman already being established also helps make this world feel like its own and not just trying to fit Batman in our's. Story wise, Reeves has crafted a grand mystery and deep conspiracy to uncover; while there's a lot to unpack within this nearly 3 hour movie (which means you can probably get even more out of subsequent viewings), you'll be completely immersed not only thanks to the film's tone, but also to the engaging characters with no performances not to like. I also have to give a lot of praise to Michael Giacchino's score, who joins the ranks of Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer of iconic Batman movie composers, creating unique themes for Batman, Catwoman, and Riddler.
While I've talked before about the film's comic inspirations back in my "Ego" review, my first viewing of the film brought to mind which ones are the most prominent. The heaviest influence on the film from what I could see were the "Earth One" series from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank along with the neo-noir writing style of Frank Miller's "Year One" with a splash of the Telltale video games (that last one making a certain twist in the film honestly not much of shock to me). Put them all together though, and it certainly brings a live action Batman not seen before.

As previously mentioned, I couldn't think of one performance I didn't like from this film. It's such as star-studded cast with Andy Serkis as Alfred, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Jeffrey Wright as Gordon, Colin Farrel as Penguin, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone. But of course, it's our main protagonist and antagonist who shine brightest.
* Like Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck before him, Robert Pattinson had a lot of hate to overcome in his Batman casting, mostly due to a certain series of films he starred in (and again, it's really time to get over that). Like his predecessors, Pattinson has risen above and delivered a new take on the character that will stand the test of time. Pattinson's Batman is probably the most intense portrayal of the character yet, as the deep seeded anger of the character exudes whenever he's on screen. There's also this raw realism to his fighting style that brings Charlie Cox's Daredevil to mind, where even if you get a hit in on him, he'll make sure you'll get hit back harder. Plus, while it can be scary for Batman just to appear, there's a feeling of dread that can arise just from hearing his footsteps as he approaches. His Bruce Wayne portrayal is also quite different in that he'd rather not be Bruce Wayne; this struggle of balance is reminiscent of Keaton's version, but Pattinson's Bruce hasn't reached the point of caring about that, wishing to be Batman 24/7. It's a good starting point for this version of the character as future sequels can show how Bruce can change, doing good for the city under his real name while also realizing that Batman has to be more than just an outlet for his childhood trauma. I also loved his relationships with other characters, from his partnership with Gordon (which is probably the strongest we've seen between the two characters before on film), his budding romance with Selina, and the strained father-son dynamic with Alfred (which culminates in a scene between the two that nearly got me chocked up).
* Paul Dano delivers a terrifying performance as the Riddler. As a terrorist bringing Gotham to the edge, it reminds me of Heath Ledger's Joker, but not as refined and rough around the edges. Since Dano did study serial killers for the role, I found his performance very believable and how such a person would behave in real life. And while this version is vastly different from Jim Carrey's in "Batman Forever", I surprising found a similarity between the two; whether it was Bruce or Batman, Riddler felt a one-sided kinship with the man he would eventually call his enemy. In Dano's case, his Riddler is inspired by Batman, believing himself a hero and taking the crusade against the city's corrupt further, even becoming a cult of personality himself in the process; I can't recall a villain in a Batman or comic book movie that was able to create a following out of normal citizens.

And while not technically a character, I loved this film's interpretation of the Batmobile. For one, its design is truly believable for an early years Batman in a grounded setting. More importantly though, I can't remember when a Batmobile can stoke as much fear and be as unstoppable as Batman himself, which isn't surprising since Stephen King's "Christine" was cited as inspiration in its depiction. The sound of its engine being the loudest thing you can hear whenever the Batmobile was onscreen and how it reverberated through the theater was a nice touch.

Overall, with Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson at the helm, it would appear that the future of the Dark Knight on film (and its HBO Max spin-offs) is a bright one.

TV Review: Peacemaker - DC's Other Deadpool

 

While I've covered plenty of DC TV series on this blog the last few years, this marks the first to be directly connected to the films of the DC Extended Universe. Spinning out of "The Suicide Squad", James Gunn returns to put the spotlight on the character of Peacemaker, portrayed once again by John Cena, for a new clandestine mission to save the world. What results in my opinion is a slow burn of a rollercoaster that winds up being a ride worth taking.

On a first glance, Peacemaker seems like such an odd choice to receive a solo project, possibly banking on John Cena's action star power to get attention. As it turns out though, the series does a great job at giving Peacemaker depth with an emotional backstory and engaging crisis on conscience that adds development to the one-note character he was in his debut appearance. It's honestly quite surprising to see Cena turn in such a performance. The best way to describe the character is a mix of Star-Lord and Deadpool. Like Star-Lord, he had a rural upbringing and a love for music tied to a lost loved one. And much like Deadpool, he's an incredibly raunchy anti-hero who will constantly roast superheroes and celebrities. My favorite part of his journey though is how he slowly bonds and builds friendships with the members of the team assigned to him, including Harcourt, Adebayo, and Economos (portrayed by Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, and Steve Agee respectively). It's just another example of James Gunn successfully bringing a team together that we slowly but surely become emotionally invested in as we reach the story's climax.

On that note, James Gunn's style is still on point with this series, retaining some of the bizarre nature of his Suicide Squad film, as well as his trademark comedy and use of music to enhance the scenes they're included in. On the latter, I think it's some of his best selections, especially the use of "Do You Wanna Taste It" by Wig Wam for the series' opening theme and in the season finale's climax.

That being said, part of me feels that Gunn may be stretching himself thin when it comes to TV compared to movies. I felt myself dredging along during the first half of the season when there wasn't much excitement happening, whereas things seemed to really take off in episode five onwards and I started to become more invested. And while the comedy usually hits the mark, there are often times where it feels out of place or the bits just run for too long; it's like they filmed the actors improvising all the jokes they could think of but decided not to cut it down to the best ones. My point is, I think Gunn could benefit from tightening things up a bit, whether it be for the next season of Peacemaker or his other planned Suicide Squad spin-off in the works.

Overall, it took a little while for Peacemaker to really take off for me compared to Gunn's other projects, but when it does, it reaches the freaking stars. And with where many of our main characters are by the season's end, I'm really interested in seeing the direction they go when the show returns.

TV Review: Hawkeye - Passing the Bow

 

We've seen a lot from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021, from heroes processing their grief, established characters beginning their next journeys while new ones take their first steps, and the expansion of the cosmic scale that will only continue to grow. For the last trip to the MCU this year, we go on a holiday adventure with Hawkeye, the last of the original six Avengers to receive a solo story. While this series hadn't really taken the world by storm like previous Disney+ series in "WandaVision" or "Loki" and may have been understandably overshadowed by Spider-Man, what "Hawkeye" delivers is a nice way to wind down the year.

At its core, "Hawkeye" is a simple story with a much smaller scale compared to everything else that's come from the MCU this year. I'd say it's probably the most grounded production to come from Marvel Studios with its first proper foray into the criminal underworld and organized crime, which has sorely been missed since the cancellation of all the Netflix series. While there's good action and character moments throughout, the show does admittedly have a slow burn, but it culminates in a very exciting and explosive finale that truly highlights what makes Hawkeye a worthy member of the Avengers.

With the spotlight finally on him, Jeremy Renner turns in another fine performance as Clint Barton. What I really enjoyed this time around is how we get a better understanding of Clint's mindset, from his continuing PTSD from the events of "Infinity War" and "Endgame" and his uneasiness of being treated as a celebrity because of the Avengers; thinking back to "Age of Ultron", he just sees himself as a guy doing his job.
For all intents and purposes, this show really should have been called "Hawkeyes" as the MCU introduces the other Hawekye from the comics, Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. While Renner is the headliner, this show is really more Kate's origin story. When we first meet Kate, she's already shown to be very good at thinking on her feet, holding up well in a fight and talking her way in and out of situations. As she and Clint meet and find themselves being hunted, the chemistry between the two is the best part of the show with the contrast of the old Clint's pessimism and Kate's youthful optimism. It's a delight seeing Clint go from thinking of Kate as some fangirl in over her head to a true partner he's proud to fight back-to-back with. If there is a second season, it will be easy to see Renner taking a backseat as Steinfeld fully takes the lead and mantle.

Along with our two heroes, the show does turn in other great characters and performances, such as new characters like Maya Lopez/Echo (played by Alaqua Cox) and Kate's mother Eleanor (played by Vera Farmiga). We also have the return of Florence Pugh as Yelena hot off her debut from "Black Widow", and this time around, her performance is just adorable when she's not trying to kill Clint. As the youngest of her old family unit, she really leans into the fun-loving kid aspect of her character this time around. The best parts with her are her interactions with Kate, with their chemistry reminding me of two rough housing cousins. And of course, the literally biggest character reveal of the series is Vincent D'Onofrio's return as Kingpin. Despite the change in streaming services, D'Onofrio still has the same intensity as Wilson Fisk as he did over on Netflix, where he could snap into a violent rage at any moment. It's a welcome return to one of Marvel's best villains and I look forward to where he pops up next.

Overall, "Hawkeye" may not be another universe changing event, but it's still another satisfying Marvel production to close out 2021. And here's to 2022, where we'll have lots of new things to talk about from Marvel, DC, and more and hopefully see the world return to a better sense of normalcy.

Movie Review: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" - Spider-Endgame

After "Avengers: Endgame", I didn't think we'd reach similar hype levels for an MCU film until the next Avengers film inevitably arrives. But here we are with "Spider-Man: No Way Home", the third MCU Spidey film we're very lucky to get after the brief dissolution of Sony and Disney's partnership over the character after "Far From Home". Given the scope and expectations for this film, there was a lot that could have gone wrong considering how Sony has screwed the pooch before with the franchise. Now that everything's said and done, "No Way Home" has brought a movie experience that rivals and exceeds the levels of excitement of "Endgame."

"No Way Home" had me cheering harder and got the strongest emotional reactions than any film I've seen before. Along with a strong story and amazing fight scenes, the journey Peter Parker goes through is executed brilliantly, highlighting the traits that make Spider-Man such a unique character and why he is so beloved by fans.

Of course, the biggest draw of the film is the colliding of worlds as the universes of Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man films crossover into the MCU's sacred timeline. As each past villain appears, the crowd in the theater I saw the movie in exploded with excitement. Said excitement is well founded as each returning actor haven't skipped a beat as their characters. Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin truly stands out as this film firmly cements his character as the king of Spider-Man villains. And for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, the appearance of other "certain characters" a lot of us were expecting or had a pretty good idea would be in the film got the biggest pops of all. There was literally no limit to how entertaining it was watching all these characters from across three universes interact with one another. Some may feel the film relies too much on fanservice or need to point out plotholes, but I see this is a case where you just need to stop overthinking things and enjoy what's being delivered.

Something I really loved doesn't really have to do with the film itself but with the crowd's reactions to it throughout. The Spider-Man film franchise has had some ups and downs over nearly twenty years, but despite all the misgivings and debates over each series, seeing each aspect of the past films appear and be cheered shows how loved the franchise as a whole is and was really heartwarming for me. I'm not saying I believe this will end all bad blood between hardcore fans of whatever series they love, but I like to think the fan community as a whole has grown a little closer.

While there's a lot to be excited about, for what it's worth, "No Way Home" is without a doubt the darkest Spider-Man film yet. With the multiverse aspect being most prominent in the film's promotion, it may be easy to forget that Mysterio outing Peter's identity in "Far From Home" is the catalyst for all the film's events. And unlike how things went with Peter's identity going public in the comics, the MCU doesn't just sweep it under the rug like it never happened. Consequences and responsibility are a big theme that reverberates for this film and will for years to come. Compared to the triumphant note "Endgame" concluded on, "No Way Home" ends more bittersweetly; it's a heartbreaking end to one era but a promising beginning to a new one. Plus, if the partnership between Sony and Disney goes sour again, it'll at least end on a more definitive note compared to where things could have been left off at with "Far From Home".

Overall, much like how "Avengers: Endgame" was the culmination of over twenty films over ten years, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is a testament to twenty years of films starring the character that will satisfy and move fans no matter which version is their favorite.

TV Review: Doom Patrol Season Three - Forever Weird

 

Going into the third season of Doom Patrol, I was initially worried I wouldn't have enough to write about when it came to the show's season by season formula. Obviously the main characters would be dealing with their personal issues while fighting off a wonderfully bizarre cadre of villains. But said formula can become monotonous if nothing new is present. While these elements are retained, season three has a creative spark that assuaged my fears and in my opinion, brings back the magic of Doom Patrol's first season.

While our heroes continue to deal with their personal problems, the show is able to further peel back their layers and introduce new elements to their stories that continue to be engaging. As a result, the season finale is able to illustrate how much each character has truly grown compared to the first episode. In fact, I could have seen that episode acting as a series finale if it weren't for the fact that we are getting a fourth season; it'll be interesting to see where the characters go next considering the positions they're in when we leave them.

When it comes to the villains introduced this season, there is a lot more of the "What the fuck?" magic that was more prominent in the first season compared to the second. But the best in this aspect of the show are the characters who aren't necessarily villains, but still antagonists.
Michelle Gomez enters the show as this season's "big bad" Laura De Mille/Madame Rouge, where she is able to bring the same enjoyable chaotic energy she did over in "Doctor Who" as Missy. And much like Missy during the tenth season, there's a bit of a wild card in Rouge's character where she plays both sides and you're not sure about her intentions. In any case, Rouge is able to fill the hole left by Alan Tudyk's Mr. Nobody from season one.
We're also introduced to the Sisterhood of Dada, who could be seen as the Brotherhood of Mutants to the Doom Patrol's X-Men. Instead of the domination/co-existence rivalry of those groups though, the Sisterhood act as the antithesis to the Doom Patrol in that instead of hiding away from normal people, they want those would persecute metahumans to take a good hard look at their lives and hopefully become better in the process. To this end, they bring forth the Eternal Flagellation, which I found reminiscent to the Ragnarok Connection from "Code Geass", but much weirder and strangely more coherent.

Much like how "Doom Patrol" came about from "Titans", this season also sets up another DC show in development for HBO Max with the Dead Boy Detectives. Teen ghosts from different eras, Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland, and their medium Crystal Palace are introduced in the third episode of the season as they travel with Larry to the afterlife to bring back the other Doom Patrol members killed in the prior episode. The episode does a good job at explaining each character's backstory and their relationships, acting somewhat as a backdoor pilot that establishes the premise of their adventures. The downside though is that each character is set to be recast for their coming series, which is a shame because I thought each actor (Ty Tennant, Sebastian Croft, and Madalyn Horcher) did quite well in their roles. When the show finally materializes, hopefully the new Dead Boy Detectives will be able to win me over.

Overall, season three of Doom Patrol is a return to form with the kind of characters and weirdness people have come to love about what I consider the best show to originate from the DC Universe service.

Movie Review: Eternals - Marvel's Oscar Bait

 

For years, some people have been wondering what Marvel Studios' first major misfire would be. There were doubters on Guardians, Ant-Man, and to a more sexist degree, Captain Marvel, but each film found great success. With Eternals though, the honeymoon phase may finally be over given the overall critical reception. For me personally, the film is a bit of a mixed bag.

Eternals does have a lot of what people love about Marvel films. There's the trademark humor and some very entertaining action scenes. The visuals of the film are quite spectacular, which are well worth seeing on the big screen to properly absorb the scope the film is going for.
I enjoyed all the acting overall and while there are some moments where a performance felt a little off, it didn't really bother me because I attribute it to the characters being aliens living among humans; you could see it as some of the characters being able to acclimate better to Earth life than others. While I was initially worried having ten main protagonists would make me lose track of things, it was surprisingly easy to follow. The film does a good job of introducing each character and making them unique in personality, skill set, and assimilation with humanity. And like a few other superteams I've talked about before, I also enjoy the sense of family among them and the relationships they have with each other. If I had to pick my top three characters, it would be Angelina Jolie as Thena, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, and Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos.

So where does the film falter? Well for one, there are quite a few exposition dumps, which I did honestly half-expect. There are also some plot decisions that I thought were questionable and I think they kind of wasted a cool looking villain in Bill Skarsgard's Kro. But I think the main thing that's making me lean so negative is that by the time we reach the film's climax, I honestly didn't feel the same level of excitement as the other MCU films by that point; I think that might be due to a combination of not being totally invested in all the characters as I should have (despite my enjoyment of them) and a low level of tension with the threat being stopped because what would have happened if it weren't was obviously not going to.

I also felt the film may have been overhyped in some regard. While we learn some things about the greater cosmic side of the MCU, I wouldn't exactly consider them game changing. There's also the fact that despite the film being described as standalone, the way things end before the credits even start show the story clearly isn't over. And I'm not talking about just teasing things for a sequel, this film leaves us on an incomplete note with multiple hanging questions; the most I took away is that there may be a connection to Shang-Chi's mid-credits scene. Each MCU film (even Infinity War) can be watched on its own to a clear conclusion; we don't get that with Eternals.

Reviewing this reminds me a lot of when "Rise of Skywalker" came out a couple years ago. Sometimes it's hard to review things as both a critic and a fan, especially when I find myself more on the critics' side of things (despite not being a professional). I'm happy that there are fans getting something out of the film, and so did I to some degree, but I have to be honest in my opinion. That being said, Eternals is a different kind of Marvel film that still delivers some entertainment, but doesn't quite reach the ambitious levels they were aiming for.