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Welcome to the show, I'm your host Jonathan Paula. Tonight, we'll take a slightly belated
look at some more films from Winter of 2016, beginning with "Zootopia".
Much cleverer than its cutesy appearance suggests. Co-directed by Bryon Howard and Rich Moore,
the 55th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics catalog grossed nearly five
times its $150 million dollar budget only a month after its March 4, 2016 debut. In
fact, its opening weekend is the third biggest for an original film, and Disney Animation's
best ever.
In the titular city, populated by anthropomorphic mammals, a rookie bunny cop teams up with
a fox con artist to solve a mysterious conspiracy involving disappearing animals. Ostensibly,
the PG-rated picture is your classic buddy cop comedy; with a mismatched pair trying
to solve a case before the end of the 108 minute runtime. The voice-cast is stacked
with excellent talent, which includes Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman as our two leads;
Idris Elba as a gruff police captain, J.K. Simmons as the Lion Mayor, Tommy Chong, Octavia
Spencer, Jenny Slate, and Shakira as a singing gazelle.
All of them, predictably, do a great job - but I need to single out Goodwin and Elba as the
most memorable. The former brings an infectious amount of enthusiasm and emotion to her big-eared
character while the later has an effortless delivery like he's been doing cartoon work
for years. They have a poignant exchange early when Goodwin confesses, "I came here to make
the world a better place, but I think I broke it." To which Elba replies, "The world has
always been broken. That's why we need good cops."
"Zootopia's" oft-repeating mantra that anyone can be "whatever you want" is about as subtle
as a bull in a china shop. Or, perhaps more appropriately - a Fox in a hen house. It's
a great, if familiar message - but the movie really rings true when it examines themes
regarding prejudice and stereotypes. And it's especially timely given our real world climate.
A universe populated exclusively by animals honestly seems like some Furry's wet-dream
- but careful attention is to paid to the mechanics of each creature's existence, like
an entire miniature village populated exclusively by mice called "Little Rodentia". While the
brilliant animators at Disney may not quite be on the same level as their Pixar counterparts,
they certainly given them a run for their money. The detail and imagination built into
this four-climate metropolis is fascinating, colorful, and packed with fun nods to other
Disney properties. The faux-camerawork and digital rendering is especially impressive
during the action sequences. The world-building is rich and plentiful, but never quite takes
full advantage; as the more effective adult-oriented jokes (like sloths running the DMV) are few
and far between. Speaking of sloths - the pacing here moves along a bit too gingerly,
even when Michael Giacchino's score keeps things upbeat and playful. An original pop
song performed by Shakira called "Try Everything" closes out the film, and is a very lively
and catchy tune. With some can't-miss themes about pursing your dream, and standing up
for yourself, this is a wonderful film all families will enjoy. It doesn't reach the
pantheon of this studios greatest efforts, but "Zootopia" is a fun, kid-friendly adventure
with inspirational characters. Now let's check out some YouTube reviews.
While only a few called this Disney's best - everyone agreed the messages and themes
were on point, with scores averaging to an AWESOME. I thought this was a pretty GREAT
film myself. Next up, "10 Cloverfield Lane".
It may have a misleading name, but this is one captivating movie. This $15 million dollar
science-fiction psychological thriller, by Dan Trachtenberg (in his directorial debut)
premiered in March of 2016, where it grossed over $50 million in profit.
Despite some of the bigger names attached to the project - "10 Cloverfield Lane" was,
impressively, produced almost entirely in secret. It wasn't until a teaser-trailer released
just two months before its premiere that anyone even knew the film existed. In the modern
era of leaked scripts, production photos, casting announcements, and spoiler chatter
- what the Bad Robot production company did here has to be applauded.
After being rescued in a car accident, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is brought to an underground
shelter, where her host, John Goodman claims the outside world is affected by a widespread
chemical attack. The only other character of note is John Gallagher Jr., who portrays
a slightly timid fellow-guest in the survival bunker. Winstead is fantastic at balancing
her fear with strength and resolve, and some of the film's most effective moments is when
she's brainstorming a possible escape.
Goodman is the real highlight of the film though - giving depth and purpose to his frightening,
but tortured character. He defends his doomsday preparedness by citing, "Crazy is building
your ark after the flood has already come." There's a real sadness behind his eyes, but
also anger and rage. It's early in the year, but I predict he'll score plenty of nominations
come award season. Their caregiver / captor relationship exhibits lots of favorable similarities
to the 1990 Steven King adaptation, "Misery". Like when Winstead must hurriedly hide evidence
of her betrayal before Goodman can open the door.
This is a perfectly paced film that's conventionally shot and edited to really maximize tension.
It's also an emotional experience that constantly keeps you guessing; is Goodman being truthful
about the lethal conditions outside the bunker... or is he a kidnapper desperate for company?
Thankfully, Trachtenberg doesn't shy away from delivering very specific answers to these
question in the exciting final moments of the film.
Besides his awesome work on the rebooted Battlestar Galactica TV series, the immensely talented
Bear McCreary is often relegated to lower-budget, smaller-profile films like "Everly", or "The
Angry Video Game Nerd" movie - but his work here should hopefully help elevate his profile.
The score for "10 Cloverfield Lane" is tense and unnerving... keeping the viewer in a appropriate
state of discomfort throughout the 103 minute film.
The picture's most obvious disappointment is its tangential relationship to the 2008
found-footage horror film, "Cloverfield". To be honest, this PG-13 rated movie barely
qualifies as the "spiritual successor" it was advertised as. Which, if we're being fair
- is a criticism of the title and marketing, rather than the film itself. Indeed, the script,
penned by Josh Campbell and Matt Stueken was initially authored as an original, standalone
story- before producers, including J.J. Abrams, noticed similarities to the aforementioned
horror film, and retroactively positioned the production as a sister-film. So, if you're
able to overlook this tenuous connection, "10 Cloverfield Lane" delivers solid thrills
in a gripping and claustrophobic study of mysterious characters and motivations. Now
let's see what you had to say about it.
Suspenseful story with incredible performances, we both scored this a GREAT. Finally, my very
detailed thoughts on "Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Jutice".
Amongst the clutter, there's actually an enjoyable movie here. Zack Snyder returns as director
for this second installment in DC Comics' cinematic universe. Despite an onslaught of
unfavorable early reviews, this $250 million film soared to a box office cume of half a
billion just a week after its March 25, 2016 release. Worried about Superman's potential
for evil, and manipulated by criminal psychopath Lex Luthor, Batman sets out to destroy the
son of Krypton, as mankind wrestles with what type of hero it really needs.
Ben Affleck may be the umpteenth person to portray the Dark Knight, but his gruff, buff,
and unforgiving portrayal of the character is among the best. And physically speaking,
his chiseled physique and 8% body mass help him look closer to the caped crusader than
all previous live action players. I'm not sure we needed to see Bruce Wanye's parents
get murdered yet again - but at least the treatment seems faithful and respectful to
the crime vigilante. Henry Cavil returns as the Man of Steel, and while he's still a far
cry from the warmth of Christopher Reeves, he is convincing enough as the misunderstood
alien hero.
Notably, the PG-13 rated film includes the live action debut of Wonder Woman, portrayed
here in a criminally abbreviated appearance (she has only 16 lines total) by the gorgeous
Gal Gadot. She exudes the confidence and skill necessary to make this under-explained character
work, and despite my initial hesitation, seems like a great fit. Jesse Eisenberg plays a
very Jesse Eisenberg-like version of Superman's archenemy, delivery plenty of devilish and
awkward monologues. The film also features performances (in descending importance) from
Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Scoot McNairy,
Harry Lennix, Kevin Costner, and the cold dead corpse of Michael Shannon.
One of my chief criticisms of the previous film was the wonted destruction and deaths
of innocent civilians. Synder was less concerned with how it felt, and more concerned with
how it looked. In a thinly veiled attempt to retcon those poor decisions, "Batman V
Superman" begins by showing the earlier film's carnage from a parallel perspective, and levering
it into a catalyst for this movie. I don't for a second believe it was planned, but it's
an effective way to address, and perhaps even retroactively correct "Man Of Steel"'s biggest
flaw. With that in mind, Synder makes extra sure - with three separate and plainly spoken
lines of dialogue - that all of the destruction in this movie happens in uninhabited or abandoned
areas of the city. As the screenplay silently suggests, "Are you happy now?".
Speaking of violence, the titular fight is a real showstopper - and everything fans have
wanted to see for years; a truly captivating live action bout between Gotham's Bat and
Cal-El. Borrowing choreography from the "Arkham Knight" video games - this centerpiece battle
is well shot, and easy to follow. Seeing Supes' unlimited power finally being tested by Batfleck's
impressive arsenal of gadgets is worth the price of admission alone. Prior to their duel,
the Dark Knight taunts his alien adversary by asking, "Tell me, do you bleed?", continuing
after a dramatic pause, "You will." The way in which their duel resolves itself, however
- is an extraordinarily silly deus ex machina.
BvS:DoJ is a dark film, and I don't just mean thematically; nearly the entire picture is
poorly lit and de-saturated. The score, composed by both Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL takes some
interesting, guitar-influenced turns during the picture's gritty climax, but never quite
stands out. Following the finale, the bloated film continues to slog on with a seemingly
never-ending coda - which drops even more hints to future sequels.
The film's two main characters aren't simply comic book icons, but icons of 20th century
media; rebooted, re-imagined, and re-made dozens and dozens of times since their inception
almost eighty years ago. But like it or not, Warner Bros. is hell-bent on restarting them
yet again; forcing audiences to sit through lots of tedious world-building. Like a totally
distracting and shoehorned sequence where Gadot just watches video clips of future characters.
For crying-out-loud, "Cyborg" isn't even slated to get his own picture for another four years!
DC Comics definitely has the better and more popular characters, but for the last ten years
it's Marvel who has produced the better and more popular films. Caught with their proverbial
pants down, DC has gone on the offensive, frantically playing catch-up in the "shared
universe" game. So, instead of carefully plotting out a series of origin films introducing us
to each character, writers Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer overloaded seven of them into
the same movie. I mean, is this a Batman movie, a Superman movie, or a Justice League movie?
Because the title literally mentions all three.
DC Entertainment has such a hard-on for crafting this new multi-picture franchise, they forgot
the rules of fundamental storytelling. If you remove all of the distracting Justice
League / Wonder Woman elements, and pair down the first hour considerably - there is actually
an interesting story buried within. But even with its extremely generous two-and-half hour
run-time, this washed-out film feels choppy and unfinished.
For better or worse though, audiences don't seem to care - as "Dawn Of Justice" set the
record for biggest opening weekend of any superhero film. Perhaps the huge slate of
upcoming DC features will settle down and stay focused - but I'm honestly no longer
excited for any of them. I will say however, that if rumors about Affleck directing his
own solo-Batman movie are true - I'd be there on opening night.
Dealing with trust and intentions, this picture examines how famous heroes deal with real
adversity, and it gets a few things right in that department. Comic book fans will probably
enjoy this on at least one viewing, but its divisive reputation is unfortunately well-earned.
"Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice" is a detrimentally ambitious mess void of charm
or cohesion, but it somehow delivers some exciting action. Now that I'm finished with
the longest review in Movie Night history, let's read some of your thoughts.
Applauding Affleck's performance, but not much else, you scored this a SEVEN out of
ten. My heart may have enjoyed this, but my mind didn't, I can only score Batman V Superman
a GOOD.
Unfortunately, that does it for tonight's episode, but next week we'll be traveling
to Alcatraz, so please leave your comment reviews for these three films. And if you
click this information-icon, some related videos will slide out for to watch. Once again,
my name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!