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Reviews
Napoleon (2023)
Would have been great as a parody/satire/comedy.
I'm not going to write a long review. I watched this film and one word that has been spinning around in my mind since is "baffling." I don't know what anyone was thinking. This film is all over the place, and Joaquin Phoenix's performance is utterly... absurd and lifeless. It felt like a caricature at times (felt so under played that it almost had to be a joke) and then at other times felt so melodramatic I thought I was watching a period version of Young and the Restless. I'm disappointed that they didn't make a better film, and hope that the directors cut is a better film. The only highlight for me was Tahir Rahim, who has redeemed himself in my eyes after the atrocity of Madame Web. So why 6 stars? Because I was entertained by the lack of balance, the bizarre performances, and a muddled tone. The best part of the movie were the battle scenes and the costumes. Even the sets felt dull and lifeless for a time where so much was going on.
Mythica: Stormbound (2024)
Fantastic follow up
This was an absolutely wonderful follow up to the original 5 Mythica films. It takes place 19 years after the demise of Szorlock, and the Red Thorns have become the stuff of legends. Their stories are told around campfires, but the effects of war still run deep and have hardened most. Vytalion soldiers are hunted and killed. A gloom seems to hang over most as if they know they aren't quite out of the dark yet. I don't know if it was due to budget restraints, but they chose to set the film mostly in a single location. An inn, where they have all sought shelter from the storm. It felt as if Patrick Rothfuss wrote the Hateful Eight. Most characters here aren't who they pretend to be, and secrets are revealed slowly and done very well, and Will Kemp does a fantastic job as The Stranger. His secrets, and connections to the Red Thorns, brought a smile to my face. You do see a couple familiar faces, a "blink and you'll miss it" tribute to Daegan, the half elf thief, but over all this is a brand new cast of characters, all of which I would gladly watch in a new batch of sequels. The cgi effects are also fantastic for the beast which the stranger has captured, although lacking for the guardian owl. But I've always found poor cgi charming in a way, especially in the Mythica films, because you know it was all done with so much passion and love that it hardly feels like a criticism at all.
The Magic Flute (2022)
This one was so surprising
My wife and I took my five year old daughter to go see this. I don't know much about Mozart or this particular opera but I knew there were fantasy elements and were all huge fantasy nerds. The first twenty minutes set up the main character of Tim and his relationship with his father, who was a famous singer of sorts (to what extent is never explained fully) and he gives his son a magic book. He's sent to attend the same music school as his father, one dedicated to Mozart. But soon we realize he's set to relive his fathers legacy by playing the lead in The Magic Flute. F. Murray Abraham is deviously wonderful as the strict headmaster, although he is drastically under used. Tim soon finds himself using the magic book and a magic portal behind a clock to transport himself to the world of The Magic Flute where he meets Iwan Rheon as Papagenu who absolutely steals the show. The resulting film is filled with fantastic music and visuals, including a giant snake, an evil Queen, and a daring rescue of a kidnapped princess by the unlikely heroes. The scenes at the school seemed to drag from time to time, but toward the end I was happy that they included as much of that storyline as they did because it was heartwarming at the conclusion. My 5 year old and I loved, my wife didn't like it at all unfortunately. But we will definitely be watching this again.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Honestly it's not bad
This movie came out over 10 years ago now, and I remember being excited to see it in the theatres because I thought the first Ghost Rider was fun in a super campy kind of way. I remember sitting there watching it and the tonal changes were borderline shocking. It has the eclectic, spastic, shaky cam style you expect from the directors of Crank, while also utilizing their strange style of campy over the top humor. It didn't work for me back then, but upon rewatching it now in 2023 I was shocked at how much I really enjoyed the movie. I think it just needed to age and find a time for appreciation in a world so over saturated with direct to streaming schlock that even the worst movies from before the Netflix/Prime/Hulu/etc age seem more enjoyable. It's a darker film than the first in a lot of ways, as was the goal of the Marvel Knights banner (which only produced one other film, Punisher War Zone) and it left a lot of gaps in the storyline for the viewer to fill in on their own, including wondering who the villain with the white hair was supposed to be (he was Blackout, by the way) and why there was this weird fish eye lens and darkness when he was on the attack. But now, watching it again, I didn't find myself asking those questions. I found myself really enjoying it for what it is. A bad movie that finally aged to the point where it's become good, in a bad way. The ghost rider transformations are never shown in the entirety, but the scene on the motorcycle where Johnny is fighting it off and it's coming in spurts was one of my favorite scenes in the film. The damsel in distress was one dimensional yet again. And Cage employs his Face/Off over the top insanity to his best effect. Overall, it's a film I truly believe will have a cult following as there is an unfortunate lack of Ghost Rider adaptations out there and this one is a lot of fun. There are also fun cameos by Christopher Lambert and Idris Elba (who has a little more than a cameo but is still under used.)
Strange World (2022)
Great holiday movie
We got to see this movie Tuesday night and my 5 year old daughter loved it. I was also entranced by the visuals even though the story felt recycled and familiar (journey to the center of the earth, Atlantis the lost empire). The voice acting was top notch, especially from Dennis Quaid. I loved the twist at the end, and my daughter kept talking about it the whole way home asking me if it's possible we live in a similar situation as well. No spoilers. I also loved that they included a romantic interest for the teenage son. At that age, that's really all you can think of, relationships and love and acceptance. It was perfectly and tastefully done. Kudos, Disney.
Cyrano (2021)
I guess you have to be a fan of The National to appreciate it
I saw this movie in early spring with my fiancé. It was a hard one to find as it was only playing in a few theatres but I love Joe Wright, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, The National, and the story of Cyrano. So what could go wrong? The answer I can come up with is, quite honestly, not much at all. This is my favorite film from this year. From Dinklages first scene in the theatre where he sort of raps his way through his introduction I was absolutely hooked. Haley Bennet and Kelvin Harrison are also wonderful, with beautiful soaring voices. The only downside was Mendelsohn. And it wasn't his performance, it was that he was drastically and tragically under used. I know his character isn't in the original story much, but I was hoping that with such a great actor in the role that they might expand his part a little. That being said, he chews up the scenery when he's on screen. And what can I say about Dinklage? God this man made me fall in love with him. The tenderness, the longing, the deep resonation in his voice, I just wanted to reach through the screen and hug him. There's also a great scene where Irish songwriter Glen Hansard shows up and accompanies Sam Amidon and Scott Folan on the most heart breaking song on the soundtrack about soldiers preparing to meet their fate in war. The music by The National is absolutely mesmerizing. Slow, longing, sweeping and beautiful just like their albums, with drawn out syllables and slow build ups. I've listened to the soundtrack dozens of times since and have watched this movie at least four. Highly recommend.