It's definitely been a while since I put something here, so let's talk about some movies! Largely got a lot of sci-fi this time around, mostly of the epic space opera variety. I thought about trying to squeeze a third space opera in here, but I couldn't decide what to watch and eventually Furiosa came to fill that slot. So here's the movies I've seen so far this year!
After a few delays, we finally get to see the second half of this epic sci-fi tale. Picking up where the last one left off, we see Paul integrate himself into the Fremen society and debate the need to fulfill the messianic expectations of his people. From there, he wrecks his revenge on the backstabbing Harkonnens and challenges the Emperor for supremacy of the galaxy. While I do think this one has a few pacing issues (not unlike the book, I suppose), this movie does an excellent job of wrapping up the main plot of the last film and teasing the next film, which is all but announced at this point.
Honestly, a lot of my praise from my review of the first film carries over. The acting is excellent, the cinematography is amazing, and the atmosphere is perfect. If there is one hiccup, it's that some of the pacing gets a little funky, sometimes jumping from story beat to story beat a little quickly. However, they don't really disrupt the overall flow of the film, which works through the conclusion of the book pretty well.
There are more differences from the book in this one, mostly in the details, but as I was considering them, they made sense. There are some parts of the book that are pretty dense in terms of its ecology and biology of Arrakis, so some streamlining for the sake of keeping the story simple isn't a deal breaker. Some of the differences at the end were curious, but wondered if they might be a reflection of what's going to happen next, so they may make more sense once I get to reading Dune Messiah (which I plan to do this year).
At this point, Denis Villeneuve has pretty much proven himself as a very good sci-fi film maker (as if Blade Runner 2049 didn't establish that already). While it looks like he'll have his hands full with a third Dune film, I know he's expressed an interest in taking on the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke. I'm sure the fans will pick these movies apart from beginning to end, but for those unfamiliar and willing to entertain a slower, bigger, deeper kind of epic, the Dune films are a pinnacle of sci-fi story-telling.
So I guess Zack Snyder has had this massive sci-fi/fantasy epic bouncing around his brain for decades. As Star Wars finished its sequel trilogy, he sought to sell the story to Disney, only to be turned down. So he decided he would do it himself, and eventually found a producer in Netflix Films. While Snyder fans looked forward to it as details came out, others were more trepidatious, especially when the trailers seem to show a very derivative space opera. While he certainly can be good at adapting stylized material (300 and Watchmen), he struggles with his own storytelling (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, and Justice League). So I had my own concerns going in. However, what I didn't expect was for the movie to be as pulpy as it was!
Part One (A Child of Fire) starts off with a moderately thriving village of farmers suddenly oppressed by a galactic empire known as the Motherworld. Our female hero Kora at first tries to hide, but in the end faces them on, revealing that she was once a high-ranking soldier of the empire, but defected. She gets the support of the farmers to go find the rebellion and also a handful of heroes to resist the Motherworld forces when they come back to destroy the village. And then they do that, with some pretty predictable beats, including a double-cross that feels quite telegraphed. Part Two (The Scargiver) carries on with the defense of the village, helping the villagers set up traps and teaching them how to fight. We also get some backstory on our collected heroes, and then all the explosions go off. And of course there's a sequel hook, teasing future parts.
If there is a let down, it's actually in the action scenes. Snyder has been an excellent action director, making each blow and strike feel momentous, but here, the hand-to-hand combat feels stiff and underwhelming. Sure, there are some moments of his iconic slo-mo action shots, but they're used weirdly, like he's forgotten how to make a combat scene flow well. In the end, it does feel like a bit of a let down, as an emphasis on style over substance can be made to work with solid action, but here, it feels clunky and poorly choreographed.
Of course, the Rebel Moon movies also have the unfortunate circumstance of beings released in close proximity to the Dune movies, with Part Two of that pair being released between these two. Dune was an excellent example of space opera done right, with the massive scale and Shakespearean character studies. To compare Rebel Moon to that is pretty unfair, as it has its own pulpy goals. If you're expecting some kind of revolution in sci-fi filmmaking, you may as well pass. However, if you're interested in a Fast & Furious style of story-telling but in space, the Rebel Moon is pretty good, as long as you check your brain at the door and enjoy some fluffy (if dark) cotton candy.
After Fury Road was such a massive success, I assumed there would be a sequel filmed soon after, but the Mad Max series went quiet again for quite a while. Then, when George Miller was ready to return, it turned into a prequel about Furiosa and her origins. Certainly not a bad idea, but it did seem a bit weird as a choice. Still, with hopes held high, I went into the theater expecting an interesting story and a pleasing spectacle, and I got one of those.
Starting off with her as a small girl, Furiosa was part of a secret community where they were able to regrow and rebuild considerably. However, she gets kidnapped by bandits and taken to Dementus, but in an effort to keep the location of her home secret, she loses her mother and gets dragged around the wastelands, eventually getting caught up in a struggle between her captor and Immortan Joe with his army of warboys.
So far, no surprises, and the action is once again top-notch, with the camera back far enough to see all the chaos. The cinematography is back as well, and with Miller's directorial hand, it makes for a wonderful visual feast. The problems come with the story. Not only is it more complicated than any other Mad Max film, it doesn't flow well at all. It's more like the writers had a selection of scenes they wanted, but didn't know how to connect them together properly. There are long passages that don't seem to accomplish much other than to hang out in this post-apocalyptic world for a while longer. The cast is decent enough, though I do think Chris Hemsworth is trying too hard to be "not Thor." Mad Max movies have their fair share of over-the-top villains, and Hemsworth's Dementus fits in well, but the actor may have pushed it a little to far. Anya Taylor-Joy's Furiosa is fine, if maybe a little simplistic, but she nails the stoicism perfectly.
It's a bit of a mixed bag overall. Like I said, it's a treat to watch, as Miller's direction is spot on. However, I left pretty unsatisfied when it was over, as the story did the movie no favors. I didn't really connect with the characters (one of whom was so stock and plain that I expected a betrayal that never came), and while the intrigue made sense, it detracted from Furiosa's story, making it feel like she was being tossed to-and-fro between the villains. Still, if you liked Fury Road, you'll find plenty of cool moments in here as well (and chances are that you've already seen it by the time this article comes out). As for the rest of you, maybe catch it on TV or as a rental, as it's not worth the price of what movie tickets go for these days.
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