Well, four months have gone by since I've added anything to this site, so I guess it's time for some more movie reviews! While I haven't been watching as many as I used to, I have been getting to some of the bigger ones so far this year. I don't know if any of these are necessarily great, but they certainly have been interesting to consider and discuss.
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Certainly the biggest movie of the first part of the year, I was rather hesitant about this latest version of the Caped Crusader. Early trailers seem to focus on a lot of darkness and violence, and I was afraid it was just going to be a bunch of broody, angsty action. However, I couldn't deny the appeal of its aesthetic, and while the angst was certainly there, the movie had a surprisingly solid approach to the classic character.
The first thing that really makes a difference is an emphasis on detective work. This isn't a vigilante out to beat up thugs in the streets, but one looking to stop a strange serial killer and his riddles. From there, the movie takes it time to really soak in the nature of this Batman and his city. While he is pretty angsty, it is kind of fascinating to see him largely ignore his Bruce Wayne half in favor of being a stressed out problem solver struggling to prevent the next disaster to slake his thirst for vengeance. From there, it builds into a climax, focusing on themes rather than stakes, and while Gotham does get lost in the waves of the Riddler's plans, you get the impression that his movie is more interested in helping our hero grow out of his angst and become a proper hero.
However, this certainly isn't a perfect pitch. While the movie has great visuals and atmosphere, at 3 hours long, it can feel like a bit of a slog at times, and it's sense of self-importance can be pretty tedious at times. The plot is a little janky as well, especially where Catwoman is involved, as she doesn't seem to gel too well with everything else going on. It felt like she was just there to mouth off and check the "girl character" box on the checklist.
Still, it's certainly a movie that had ambitions and a desire to not just be another superhero blockbuster action film. And if the anticipated sequels show the Batman growing out of his brooding dark disposition into something more heroic in nature, this movie's quality could improve in some ways, Fellowship of the Ring style. In any case, it's a pretty bold movie that may be divisive for a lot of people, but I found that I liked what it tried to do, and shows some potential for where the Batman as a character can go from here.
When I saw a Viking epic was coming up in my Anticipated Films list, I was certainly interested, but as the trailers came out, I wasn't sure what to expect, as it seemed quite cold and grim. As it would turn out, it would be the grimmest film I had seen in quite some time. While The Green Knight from last year sought to deconstruction a classic tale, the Northman almost seems to revel in its ancient and archaic storytelling, eshewing the fanciful and heroic in favor of a very stark revenge story with some Norse mysticism for good measure.
Based on the legend of Amleth, the plot is classic: a young prince sees his father killed and his mother taken by his uncle, Fjölnir, forcing the youngling into exile. Spending many years learning the ways of war from berserkers, he discovers to learn that his uncle had lost their homeland to another king, forcing his people to move to Iceland. After being prodded by strange seeress that insists on Amleth pursuing his fate, he pretends to be a slave to be sold to Iceland to fulfill his childhood oath of revenge. Along the way, he befriends, and eventually falls in love with, a witch named Olga, also sold as a slave to Fjölnir, and together they tear his uncle's kingdom and legacy apart. (And of course, there's a side quest to go get a magic sword, because why not.)
This is definitely one of those films where there isn't much in the way of subplots or character depth, allowing the actors fill their admittedly shallow roles decently well. Between the harsh but subdued violence, the straight-forward storytelling, and the occasional, dreamlike dips into mythology, it really does feel like you're being told a classic story like Beowulf by a time-travelling 10th century Dane, with all the subtleties and nuance of a brick to the face. However, it doesn't revel in the gore or violence (much), instead going for a deliberately paced narrative that doesn't shy away from the ugliness or rustic nature of the time period it's portraying. I did kind of wish the cinematography was a little better, as some of the shots seem a little close, and characters spend a lot of time talking to or even staring just beyond the camera, but I suppose that helps keep the focus on the story's bluntness instead of allowing the viewer to escape into some kind of fantasy. There is no pretense or deeper meanings or apologies, or even any sense of heroism; it's just a classic, down-and-dirty Viking tale.
While I did enjoy a lot of what I saw, this movie really isn't for everyone. Don't expect any kind of warmy and fuzzy fairy tale, or even much in the way of "good vs. evil," so much as a single man's devotion to a task, getting the tools and helpers for that task, and sacrificing as much of himself as necessary to complete that task. However, for those willing to endure it's near emotionless style, it really is an engrossing movie that is allowed to be exactly what it wants to be, without compromise, and that's always refreshing compared to the sometimes cookie-cutter blockbusters it stands up against.
After Spider-Man: No Way Home broke open the Marvel multiverse, it was easy to imagine the shenanigans that the MCU could get up to, especially now with the pieces that Fox once held are back under control of Mastermind Feige. And what better way to explore those possibilities than with Dr. Strange, a character built for the bizarre side of Marvel. While the movie certainly set out to throw everything at the screen, it's kind of a shame that there wasn't much of a story to go with it.
The premise is surprisingly simple: a girl capable of traversing the multiverse pretty much falls into Dr. Strange's lap along with a strange octopus creature that takes a bit to defeat. In an effort to get to the bottom of it, he reaches out to the other major spellcaster he knows: Wanda. Unfortunately, because of events in WandaVision, she's gotten her hands on an evil spell book called the Dark Hold and is trying to use it and the girl to finally get the happily ever after she's always wanted. This causes quite the universe-hopping adventure that certainly allows for quite the visual spectacle, including a brief dip into one where everyone is paint.
However, that's pretty much it. Sure, there are some themes about trying to make the best of rough circumstances (Dr. Strange's love interest from the first film has chosen someone else to marry due to Strange's own five-year disappearance), but they fall flat at providing any kind of depth. Even the cameos they pull up feel kind of token, especially when they really don't provide much to the story. Sam Raimi certainly gets to do some fun, campy horror things, but otherwise is just a superhero trying to solve a problem, but solution gets pretty complicated because it's Dr. Strange and things are never straight-forward for him. To be clear, this isn't a bad movie; those looking for multiverse fun will find it, but despite all the fervor, I think this will end up being one of the more forgettable MCU films.
Let me first preface my thoughts on Love and Thunder by explaining that, while I was bummed that Ragnarok left the serious tone of the first two Thor movies behind, I did think that Ragnarok was a good movie with a lot of fun moments. However, in their attempt to try and make the Ragnarok lightning strike twice, they ended up making a downright mess of things!
After Endgame, Thor joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, but when a god-killing madman named Gorr wrecks his revenge across the galaxy, Thor separates to tackle him head on, only to discover that his former girlfriend Jane Foster has somehow become Thor herself. From there, the two awkwardly reconnect as they work out how to take on their latest challenge. I think the main goal was to make a kind of romantic comedy about former lovers that just happens to take place in the MCU's cosmic side.
Unfortunately, the result is a mess of tone and pacing. While they do have some really great ideas going on here (Thor trying to rediscover himself, Valkyrie getting over her warrior angst, Jane Foster finding new meaning in a fading life), they all get sidelined for some very strange gimmicks and humor based on awkwardness (which is probably my least favorite kind). Seriously, I was cringing through most of this movie, and even the action scenes seemed kind of perfunctory. And it didn't help that they busted out a Guns 'n' Roses song every time an action scene, making the musical cue come across as tedious rather than thrilling.
It's such a shame because I can see a good movie trying to happen here. Christian Bale gives an incredible performance as the tortured and relatable villain, struggling to reconcile the loss of his daughter in the face of Gods who seem to have abandoned their subjects. However, as if in fear of ever letting things getting too serious, it's quickly undercut by some random gag or screaming goats. So when the ending tries to be emotional and meaningful, it just comes across as flat because the tone was never properly set up for that to really pay off. While I'd have to really think if this is the worst MCU film now, it certainly was a critical disappointment.