Dark Phoenix Film Review

Directed by Simon Kinberg

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language

The X-Men series was a game changer when it first arrived in 2000. The X-Men series is a precursor to the superhero genre overload we are getting today .With that being said, it is unfortunate that we are seeing an end of an era with the Fox X-Men series coming to a close. But after a viewing of Dark Phoenix, it is more unfortunate that the X-Men series comes to disappointing end.

Dark Phoenix is the newest installment in the X-Men series, in which Jean Grey (played by Sophie Turner) has uncontrollable powers that turn her into the Phoenix, an all powerful force that wrecks havoc. The X-Men try to track her down and help her before she can hurt anyone else. Meanwhile, there is also a villain (played by Jessica Chastain) who is wanting Jean’s power and tries to extract it from her.

From the plot line, the audience is lead to believe that this is something that would be interesting. But Dark Phoenix is very dull and boring, despite the possibility of being very interesting. Most scenes feel tedious to watch and feels like a chore. All the dialogue and “character driven” scenes add to nothing. Towards the middle of the film, you want to film just to end. But when you think its over, its not. Dark Phoenix has a run time of just under two hours, but the long, overdrawn scenes make it seem like it has the run time of a Transformers film.

The film is also filled with multiple continuity errors. Most of these are more than likely not errors, but director and screenwriter Simon Kinberg being lazy and not doing his job well. In X-Men First Class (2011) which takes place in the early 60’s with McAvoy, Fassbender, and Lawrence playing young characters of Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique, respectively. But Dark Phoenix takes place in the early 90’s and none of those characters mentioned have aged a day. Dark Phoenix also takes place several years before X-Men (2000) and its hard to believe that McAvoy and Fassbender will turn to Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan in just a few years. If Simon Kinberg wanted a somewhat believable continuity, he should have had those actors in makeup just to avoid a huge error.

As mentioned before, Dark Phoenix is supposed to take place several years before the original events of X-Men. Without giving away some spoilers, some of the events happening in this film make some of the events happening in X-Men and its original two sequels impossible. This is another failure on the part of the screenwriter who lazily wrote this with no references to the previous X-Men films.

With the cluttered mess of Dark Phoenix, the highlight of the film is Sophie Turner as Jean Grey. Turner does a well job portraying a young woman who is confused on what to do with her powers. Upon further research, Turner did study dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia which does show when Turner is on the screen. Turner’s co-star, Jessica Chastain plays an uninteresting villain who wants Jean’s powers. Most of the blame is on the screenplay, which writes Chastain as a boring villain with a cliche motivation.

Dark Phoenix is a total failure and a disappointing end to a once beloved film series. The film has nothing to offer with the exception of Sophie Turner doing a good job with the mess of a screenplay given to her. The continuity “errors” make the film unwatchable for fans of the series, Dark Phoenix is a poor excuse for a film that is not necessary to watch.

1/4

Brightburn Film Review

Directed by David Yarovesky

Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A Dunn

Rated R for horror violence/bloody images, and language

The most famous superhero, Superman, has a very famous origin story. Born on the planet Kyprton, Kal-El crashed into Kansas and grew up on a farm. While becoming a young man, Clark discovers his powers and decides to use them for good. 2019’s Brightburn explores this idea but with a twist, what if Superman came to Earth and decided to use his powers for destruction.

Brightburn is a horror film in which a young teenager, Brandon Breyer (played by Jackson A Dunn) discovers he harvests dangerous powers and soon starts to kill citizens of his small hometown. The film stars Elizabeth Banks and David Denman as Brandon’s parents who soon realize that their son may be a psychotic killer with super powers. As a horror movie, it plays it safe with the predictable jump scares. Yes, there are genuine jump scares but they are cheap jump scares . A clear example is a jump scare at the beginning of the film with one character trying to find another character in a barn. It’s been done before in previous horror films, it is nothing new.

The biggest mistake Brightburn makes is not exploring its interesting plot. A teenager with super powers killing people is a very intriguing idea but its just very basic. There was a perfect opportunity to have character development. The Beyer family were a regular family until a series of events breaks them apart. The screenplay could have showed the family slowly breaking apart, becoming more and more dysfunctional due to Brandon’s actions and mysterious emotions. It seems very sudden when the family does break down. Brightburn is a horror film, but having family drama would have been a welcomed change to the horror film genre. Instead it seems like the run of the mill horror film.

All of the actors do a good job with the material given, but the characters they play have some very questionable actions . For example, how did the sheriff of Brightburn jump to the conclusion of Brandon being the one behind the murders? What was Brandon’s uncle plan when he decided to drive to… well it’s never explained. It is questions like these that make the screenplay lazy and not well fleshed out.

Brightburn does have a very interesting idea but it is not executed very well. It does miss many opportunities that would have made Brightburn stand out from the other regular horror films. The film is an average horror film with some decent scares and gruesome images but in the end Brightburn feels like a let down with its compelling story.

2.5/4

John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum Film Review

Directed by Chad Stahelski

Starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane

Rated R for pervasive strong violence, and some language

John Wick Chapter 3 is the newest installment in the John Wick series starring Keanu Reeves. Reeves plays John Wick, an assassin with a bounty with a price on his head who is trying to un-excommunicate himself from an assassination organization. The entire film is Wick running from place to place trying to right his wrongs with the help with multiple characters. The entire film is also an enjoyable action film with a lead character who is a bad ass. The reason why the John Wick series is so successful is because Wick is a character who has an interesting personality.

The action and the stunt choreography is what stands out in the film. The first 2o minutes of the film consists of a very well choreographed fight in a library and a chase ensues thereafter. From the very beginning of the film to the last scene, it is filled with exceptional chases and fights and shoot outs. In the mid point of the film, two characters have a shootout against an entire force. It is a violence heavy scene filled with witty humor and is just pure action. Another stand out scene is towards the end with a fight between two characters who almost in equals. The choreography is of course well done but so is the lighting and cinematography. It was very reminiscent of a fight sequence in Skyfall (2012), in which Bond fights a henchman in Shanghai.

The film also features humor which can be a hit or miss in most non comedic films. But the humor is well done and presented at appropriate places. When the scene calls for action, we see the action. But the are many instances where humor is inserted. The humor works well because sometimes it is out of nowhere or it is a call back to the previous film. I normally do not like humor that is in action heavy films but this film does it so well, it is something that is not distracting.

Although there are many great elements in the film, there is almost some things that are unbelievable that can almost take the audience out of the film. There are many instances where a character gets hurt, which is believable, but that same characters gets back up as if he just got a paper cut. The fight scenes are great as mentioned before but it is highly improbable that a couple people can take down a hundred men, no matter how good of a killer that character is. But John Wick is an action film that doesn’t go for reasonable logic. This is not a film that you have to think but just relax and enjoy the experience.

John Wick Chapter 3 is an entertaining film and audiences will be pleased with it. From start to finish, it is filled with great action scenes that keeps the audience engaged. I highly recommend the film if you are a person who loves action film or even to the average film viewer.

3.5/4

Pet Sematary Film Review

Directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer

Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow

Rated R for horror violence, bloody images, and some language

Pet Sematary is a remake of the 1989 film of the same name, which in turn is an adaptation of the novel written by Stephen King. In this horror film, we are introduced to the Creed family who are new to a small town in Maine (of course) and freaky and odd phenomenons start to occur when the family discovers a pet “sematary” near their home. One day the family cat, dies and with the help of their neighbor Jud, (John Lithgow) the cat is brought back to life which opens up Pandora’s box.

Pet Sematary seems to follow many of the tropes that we have to come known in horror films. The family moving to a new home that seems a nice place to get away from the city. Then on the first night things start to get freaky and odd without any explanations. The mother who sees this as trouble is wanting to go home but the father is insiting the family stays. In addition to those, we get the false jump scares, for example someone or something jumps out of no where as a wink to the audience to say “hey, we are still a horror film”. It seems very repetitive and when watching this film you can tell what would come next. This is something I have an issue with most horror films, not just Pet Sematary. Now I do understand that this film is an adaptation of the 1983 novel and maybe the novel has all of these tropes that I just described. But when making the leap from the pages to screen, something has to change and I feel that this could have been changed.

The biggest crime that Pet Sematary commits is that is just too boring. It takes a good thirty minutes before the plot starts to move along. There were many instances where I was checking my watch just because of the pure boredom that was presented on the screen. I am not asking for jump scares or action for every scene, but something interesting such as character development could be nice. Although I can give props that Louis (Jason Clarke) was not a believer of an afterlife or second chances but in the end he changes his mind. That is an interesting idea that does work in the type of situation he is in.

The film also fails to explain many of the ideas presented. Louis is a doctor who loses a patient and is haunted by that patient. It is never explained why that was happening. Was it a hallucination or was it actually a “zombie”? But Louis’ child sees the deceased patient, so that raises more questions than answers. It also doesn’t add much to the plot. Directors Kolsch and Widmyer could have cut this story arc and it would not have made the film better or worse.

But a horror film’s most important job is to scare the audience. Does it do that? Well, yes but the scares are filled in a boring film with tropes that we have seen before. If you are a Stephen King fan, I suppose you can watch it just to see how this differs from the book and the 1989 film, but I highly recommend to give it a pass. This is something that should not have been brought back to life.

2/4

Dumbo (2019) Film Review

Directed by Tim Burton

Starring: Collin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito

Rated PG for peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language

I will admit that I have yet to see the 1941 version of Dumbo. Therefore there will be no comparisons to the the original version. I although do think its unfair to compare a remake to a original version. A remake is done to introduce a film to a new generation and have a different take on the original. Dumbo is a live action remake directed by Tim Burton. I have never been the biggest fan of Burton but I can appreciate his earlier work. Unfortunately Dumbo is following the recent trend of mixed bags from Burton. Dumbo stars Collin Farrell as a father who tasked of watching the title character, who is an elephant who can fly. Farrell along with his children, played by Nico Parker and Finely Hobbins, work in a circus which showcases the elephant, along with other acts. Dumbo also stars Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton as the owner of the Medici Brothers circus and an entrepreneur who invests in the circus, respectively. These two actors reunite with Burton once again after working with him previously.

Off the bat, Dumbo is a lovable and cute elephant. Every time he is on the screen, you feel nothing but love and emotion of the animal. Dumbo is sadly separated from his mother in the film and you feel sorrow for both elephants. It is generally hard for a director to make the audience feel sadness for a non human character that is CGI, but director Tim Burton excels at making the audience do so. When Dumbo first flies, there is a sense of movie magic on the screen. Seeing Dumbo fly with a trapeze artist, played by Eva Green, takes you back to your childhood as if you are seeing something magical and are in awe of it. The beautiful score by Danny Elfman helps elevates these great scenes.

As mentioned before, Dumbo stars Collin Farrell as a father who tends to the elephant. Farrell’s character, Holt, is a World War I veteran who has recently returned from war. Upon returning to the circus, in which he has worked at before, Farrell’s character learns that his wife has passed due to illness. This is something that is not explored enough and is tossed to the side, along with another moment. Farrell’s character shows little emotion and mourns very little. He is seen later looking at and old picture of her and nothing more. Her death is not explored anymore, except a brief mentioned of the wife here and there throughout the film. I blame the writing and the direction of Burton for this poor decision.

Another tossed moment occurs towards the middle of the film. In this film, Farrell is escorting Dumbo in his first appearance in the circus. When Farrell is walking with the elephant, another man asks, “Is that Captain Holt Farrier?” Farrell immediately places a fake mustache to disguise himself. It is later discussed that Farrell is dressed as a clown because he does not want to be recognized. But why is that? Did he abandon his post or was he dishonorably discharged? It is never revealed why Farrell doesn’t want to be recognized. And later on, this is tossed to the side as he doesn’t wear a disguise and walks around in the crowd like its nothing. Why is this mentioned if there is nothing to it or its not explained the reasoning for the disguise? It is moments like these that bring down the film and just add nothing to the plot.

Dumbo is a delight whenever he is on screen but some of the human characters are not. My biggest complaint is Vandevere, played by Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton is a great actor and we have seen what he can do when he is working with great material. But his character is over the top and acts like a cartoon villain, and not a very bright one. Towards the end of the film, Vandevere is angry that another character is betrayed him. He is at a control tower and presses random buttons that ultimately causes a fire. But Vandevere keeps pressing random buttons, which a stupid thing to do. Does he not realize that he has caused a great fire and pressing any button will not stop this. I blame Burton’s direction for this over acting has this is something we have seen in previous Burton films. The reason why I bring up a scene a like this is because the stupidity of a character can make a film messy. Show, don’t tell is also something that should have been implemented as well. When you need a character to pet the title character, do it instead of saying it. This may be minor but is something that did bother me while watching the film.

Dumbo, the character, is a joy and cute elephant when he is present on the screen. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Dumbo, the film. You can take the kids to see this one as there are some great moments but you won’t be missing much if you do skip it.

2/4

Us Review

Directed by Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss

Rated R for violence/terror, and language

Us is the sophomore effort from Academy Award winner writer and director Jordan Peele. Peele’s previous film , Get Out, was critically acclaimed due to his smart and funny screenplay that has a social message to racism of today. When Us was announced as Peele’s next project, I immediately asked how could Peele make another film as good as Get Out. Us is a film that does not disappoint in the scares.

Us is a suspended filled horror film that stars Lupita Nyong’o who is fighting off, along with her family, a group of doppelgangers who are terrorizing her. Peele brings in his sense of humor in a dark and twisted plot and it works well. Many times in horror films, we see characters who try to be funny or witty but it comes out dry or unfunny. But considering Peele’s background in comedy, his comedy in the screenplay brings light in a terrifying scene. That is what is makes Us unique and different from other horror films.

While watching Us, I was comparing this to the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Although it can be a bit unfair to compare Peele to the legendary director, there is a reason why the comparison can be made. Both Peele and Hitchcock are good at making suspense. If one Hitchcock film could be compared to Us, it would have to be The Birds. Both The Birds and Us both take place in California where an outside force start to attack our main characters and the town the setting takes place. Both films feel like something that would be apart of the Twilight Zone. But as mentioned before, it is unfair to compare Peele to Hitchcock as Peele is probably influenced by Hitchcock but wants to follow is his own path in film making.

There is never a dull moment in Us. It is a smart and intriguing film that will have the viewer on their edge of their seat. The main actors, Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, are great in Us and should be praised . But if one complaint had to be made, it is the twist ending. Without giving out any spoilers, I will say that the twist is smart and clever but it does not make sense and does not work, considering what we have been told throughout the story. Us is a funny and smart film that gives life to the horror genre, I highly recommend this one.

3.5/4