Home Video Catch Up: ROGUE ONE

If nothing else, we finally have a thoroughly good, occasionally great, Star Wars prequel now. Initially. when I saw it in theaters and to a certain extent afterwards, I thought that Rogue One was in the top five best Star Wars movies. Now, having had time to reflect on my initial thoughts and to rewatch the film on Blu-Ray, my opinion on the film has somewhat soured; that having been said, I will concede that Rogue One is still an exceptionally entertaining film that's only a few inches away from greatness.

Before I get to gushing over all the stuff I like about this movie, let me point out some of this film's biggest weak points. Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor make for two staggeringly bland leads. Come to think, none of the characters are well-developed to be described as three-dimensional. Forest Whitaker's voice is jarring and kind of laughable at times. The CGI used to bring back Grand Moff Tarkin is, while very impressive, perhaps TOO realistic (it's the whole "uncanny valley" effect once again). Finally, the first half of the film really drags the pacing down.

With all of that out of the way, Rogue One isn't without its redeeming qualities. Even the characters they're portraying aren't especially deep, the cast turns in some rather fine work. Personally, Alan Tudyk's gleefully sardonic work as K2SO and Donnie Yen's sheer awesomeness were my favorites out of the bunch. It should also be noted that Ben Mendelsohn makes for a great villain. And while the first half really does make the film feel longer than it actually is, the finally battle sequence is one of the best moments in the entire Star Wars franchise. Speaking of which, I must give credit where credit is due (considering that this movie gives the world what might be the best Darth Vader moment ever)*. Michael Giacchino once again proves why he's one of the best composers working nowadays with a rousing score (even if I still wish that the producers didn't scrap Alexandre Desplat's allegedly more unique compositions). Plus, it's all beautifully shot (it looks even better than Episode VII).

In the end, I do think that The Force Awakens is a better film overall; but, that isn't to say that Rogue One (I still refuse to call it "A Star Wars Story") is not worth your time. It's a good enough movie in the Star Wars saga that just a few strokes away from greatness.

ROGUE ONE gets a...
HEY, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD out of 10

*If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch this.

Home Video Catch Up: DOCTOR STRANGE

Doctor Strange is hands-down Marvel's best-looking film (and no, I'm not just saying that because Captain America: Civil War came out within the same timeframe and that looked about as drab as a comic book filtered through concrete). It's color palette is often and put into effectively great. To put it simply, this film deserves to be seen on the best screen possible, be it either in an IMAX theater or on an HD television that resides in a humble living room. Plus, the effects are so good, Oscar gold is practically gift-wrapped for them (sadly, The Jungle Book snatched that prize from this, but, oh well). Seriously, a lot of this movie's visuals look like the filmmakers pulled through the back catalogs of Steve Dikto's* original comic art, trippy rock album covers from the seventies & eighties, tons of surrealist artists (M.C. Escher and Salvador Dali, in particular) and even cult classics like Altered States & Enter The Void.

Besides the beautifully psychedelic visuals, Doctor Strange works for a lot of the same reasons many other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe work. The main characters are well-developed & likable and the action sequences are fun & inventive (that one is especially true in this film's case). Aside from the excellent effects, I was also pleasantly surprised by what this film does better than some of the other entries in the MCU. For example, Michael Giacchino's score is easily the most distinct, memorable score in the whole franchise (a lot of that is mainly seen, or rather heard, in the film's main theme). 

Of course, the cast also turns in some great work. Benedict Cumberbatch exceeds as Stephen Strange for much the same reason that Bruce Campbell succeeds in Army of Darkness (i.e. both actors pull off making their characters cocky but undeniably charismatic). Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Benedict Wong are all fantastic in their supporting roles (their characters and the mythology that surrounds them are, quite simply, some of the MCU's most interesting facets to date). Mads Mikkelsen brings a decent amount of gravitas to what is otherwise a typically one-note villain. Sadly, while Rachel McAdams' performance is perfectly serviceable, it does kind of feel like the script left her character as an afterthought rather than someone who's been fully realized. Still, that's a pretty minor gripe and it doesn't effect the movie as a whole.

Overall, Doctor Strange is easily in my Top Five Favorite Marvel Movies** and the mind-blowing visuals alone make the film worth at least one viewing.

DOCTOR STRANGE gets a...

BADASS out of 10

 

*For those who don't know, Steve Ditko is the artist who co-created Doctor Strange with Stan Lee

**I may do a piece about that very topic in the near future. So, keep your eyes peeled. ;)

Home Video Catch Up: SPLIT

It should be noted that I, not as a critic but rather an individual human being, can't see everything in theaters. Part of this is owed to the fact that I don't have the clout to where I can be invited to press screenings, which means that I'm stuck with the mere mortals by paying ten bucks for each trip to the multiplex (well, that and I don't to blow ten greenbacks on a potential stinker). With that in mind, allow me to introduce a new occasional series of posts where I review movies that I didn't get to discuss while they were still making their rounds in theaters. I call it HOME VIDEO CATCH UP. Now, with that out of the way, let's get the ball rolling.

Boy, it's been a long time since M. Night Shyamalan made a movie that's worth watching unironically. After Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, his career seemed to take what is probably the most epic nosedive that I've ever seen, with most of his more recent films ranging from unintentionally hilarious disasters like The Happening or Lady in the Water or grating tests of endurance like After Earth or The Visit (that last one I turned off after only the first five minutes). Many people have described Split as a sort of arthouse B-movie or something of the sort. To be honest, that description is right on the money. Yeah, it's all very well shot, the score's fantastic and it's got some talented actors; but, when you think about the plot, this sounds more like material ripe for cheesy drive-in material rather than traditional studio-backed arthouse fare.

Granted, while I do agree with the majority of the Internet film community that this is a relatively solid flick and easily Shyamalan's best film in quite some time, some of his more negative quirks still pervade the proceedings. Like how the dialogue, while elegantly worded, doesn't sound like stuff normal people would say. There are some plot elements that (while I won't mention them by name for fear of spoilers) feel tone-deaf and contextually unsuitable. And, sometimes, it just feels awkward and uncomfortable (and not in the way its supposed to feel). But, with all of that said, Split still supplies its fair share of popcorn thrills.

James McAvoy absolutely shines in his role (or rather roles). This kind of role is difficult to pull off without making an actor look like the most foolish person in the room. Yet, McAvoy to lend gravitas to his portrayal of a man with multiple personalities who at one point dresses up as a woman and acts like a nine-year-old. Any actor with that level of skill to make something like this believable (or, at least, not cringeworthy) has to be commended. Betty Buckley also deserves a mention for her work as the nurturing psychologist trying to decode the mentality of McAvoy's numerous personalities. She turns in some pretty good work here.

And, with the exception of the twist involving Anya Taylor-Joy's character being completely ill-fitting and kind of grossly inappropriate, the finale is an utter thing to behold. Up until the third act, McAvoy's been the normal type of psycho (if there is such a thing); but, at the end, he figuratively and literally gets to cut loose. Also, that stinger at the end is something that's already blown the minds of my fellow cinephiles (once more, I won't give it away).

Overall, Split is an exceptionally entertaining bit of schlock horror cinema and a beyond welcome return to form for a prolific filmmaker.

SPLIT gets a...
SATISFACTORY out of TEN