Kung Fu Panda 3

Kung Fu Panda 3 is probably the last film you'd expect to get released in January. And it originally wasn't: it was supposed to come out last month until Fox/Dreamworks realized that opening anywhere near Star Wars was financial suicide. Fortunately, Po is here to provide some quality for the month best known for sub-par releases.

Po the Panda (Jack Black) still defends China from the forces of evil. Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) retires and promotes Po to Kung Fu Master. His first day of teaching Kung Fu goes hilariously awry. And then a fellow Panda, Li Shan (Bryan Cranston), shows up. Po and Li Shan slowly catch on that they're father and son, while everyone else gets it right away. Meanwhile, Mr. Ping (James Hong), the goose who raised Po as his own son, doesn't like this development.

The evil warrior buffalo Kai (J. K. Simmons) comes back to life on a mission for chi (life force). He already defeated Shifu's Shifu Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) in the spirit realm and he's now hunting for the chi of China's Kung Fu Masters. Li Shan takes Po back to their Secret Panda Village to learn chi control. They'll have to do it quick, for Kai's and his army of "Jombies" (Jade Zombies) are coming closer.

This threequel keeps up the franchise's artistic standards. The animated cinematography and production design is just as grand as the previous two entries. The use of color, especially its use of green and gold, is striking. Its fight scenes mix humor and action quite well. And the character designs are all unique, even the Pandas'.

The characters themselves are adequate. The Kung Fu Panda himself is a delight, never obnoxious or crude. Po's antics are amusing, his endurance and determination are admirable. If they keep it up, the next few movies still won't get tiresome. Li Shan is just as fun-loving as his son and just as good. A new Panda, Mei Mei (Kate Hudson), speaks softly but with dialogue more suited for a "louder" actress. And Kai was a basic bad guy only redeemed by some backstory.

Hans Zimmer shared composer duties with John Powell in Parts 1 and 2. He now has sole duties this time around. His score complements the epicness of its visuals quite nicely. He even arranges two grand versions of Kung Fu Fighting, one of which is a Chinese translation!

Kung Fu Panda 3 feels like the end, even though Dreamworks wants to press on. Po's series-wide character arc is completed satisfactory. China's security is safe in his paws. Its only flaw were that its 95 minutes ran too fast, which deprived some characters of decent screen time. But that was a minor flaw in this animated epic. If the franchise continues, I hope that Dreamworks has a good plan for it.

The Revenant

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu struck Oscar gold last year with Birdman, the fictional story of an actor's mental breakdown. He's mining again this year with The Revenant, the true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass.

In 1823, Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is part of a hunting party of fur trappers. An Arikara War Party is on their trail, suspecting them of abducting their chief's daughter. Morality and supplies are low on Glass's party after an Arikara attack. Captain Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) orders the party back to base. John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), a party member in it for the money, opposes the plan. He especially doesn't like Glass and his half-Pawnee son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck).

Glass soon picks the wrong Grizzly cubs to aim a rifle at. Their very angry mother rips him up before he kills her. Broken and bruised, he's left into the care of Fitzgerald, Hawk and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) while the others go on ahead. Fitzgerald gets tired of waiting for Glass to naturally expire, so he decides to ditch him. When Hawk protests the plan, Fitzgerald kills him.

But Glass is very much alive. By shear force of will, he drags himself across the wilderness in search of Fitzgerald. It's not an easy process for him or the viewer.

The film relies on its visuals more than dialogue. Those visuals come courtesy of Emmanuel Lubezki, Oscar's reigning champ for cinematography for the last two years (and with this, possibly three). The wilderness is cold, bleak, and magnificent at the same time. The natural lighting does wonders to convey the film's dark mood. Lubezki's stock-in-trade long takes make the action scenes brutal and shocking.

The Grizzly attack is the primary reason why it has an Oscar nomination for visual effects, so let's give it a paragraph. A CGI bear inflecting realistic wounds on a real actor. Mama Bear's breath showing on camera. And for a final disgrace, Mama landing on Glass after both tumble down a hill. The whole scene lasts for about four minutes but you won't forget every bit.

The sound experience works too. The Oscar-nominated sound design adds to the movie's brutality. The opening Arikara attack, at one point, fades down the voices and sound effects to let Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto's haunting score take center stage. The Grizzly attack is punctuated by vicious thuds, roars and screams. And the aftermath of that scene? Mama's cubs moan for their dead Mama and we feel sad,

And what of the acting? DiCaprio makes for a convincing frontiersman. His body and spirit are broken, but he still soldiers on. Even when he gets his revenge, the last scene focuses on his eyes, as if he's wearily asking "now what?" Fitzgerald establishes himself from the beginning as a brutish, bigoted, greedy snake. As portrayed by Hardy, he's so easy to hate before he betrays Glass. And while Bridger had a hand in the desertion, he did so reluctantly and was remorseful, and he earns the audience's sympathy. Meanwhile, Captain Henry endears himself to the audience as the most upstanding man in the movie.

The Revenant's 156 minutes make it a tough sit on principle. You'll see blood and guts fly with non-stylized grace. It will disgust some and keep others away at an arm's pace. For better or worse, the imagery will stick with you long after the long movie ends. Its story is stretched out in places, I can tell, but its individual scenes kept me invested. Don't expect a simple walk in the woods. It's a dark epic movie, but an epic movie nonetheless.

Joy

I've had Joy on my schedule ever since its Christmas Day release. Or, I would have if I wasn't lazily putting it off every time I intended to see it. But I can't ignore it any longer. So here I go...

[After the movie ends...]

Why did I put this off?

Joy (Jennifer Lawrence) is Joy Mangano, though her full name is never said. Her ex-husband, Tony (Edgar Ramirez), lives in her basement. Her mother, Terri (Virgina Madsen), lives on her bed watching soap operas. Her father, Rudy (Robert DeNiro), is an obnoxiously blunt mechanic who's now romancing a rich widow. Her half-sister, Peggy, hates her guts. Only her grandmother, Mimi (Diane Ladd), her two kids, and her best friend Jackie, give her sanity.

Joy also has a gift for inventing. One day, she draws up the Miracle Mop with crayons. The aforementioned rich widow, Trudy (Isabella Rossellini), is her primary investor. Joy needs someone to sell her new invention. That's where Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper) and QVC come in.

Director David O. Russell opens the film as a quirky dysfunctional family comedy. This is established right away with scenes set in Terri's favorite soap opera, the main character of which is named Danica (Susan Lucci). The soap opera plays up the absurdity of its medium to a T. And even Joy herself has quirky nightmares in that world. But then the drama comes front in center. You'll miss the quirkiness when it's gone.

Jennifer Lawrence, as Joy, makes the film worth it. She's a strong-willed woman held back by the world. But she'll find a way to light her darkest moments. She knows what she's doing unlike the first QVC spokesman for her Miracle Mop. Her first time on QVC gives her convincing stage fright, but a good phone call gives her a boost. She is as real as her main source of inspiration.

The supporting cast also helps. There are several characters (Rudy, Peggy, Joy's manufacturers) that you'll come to hate right away. And some you'll get to love (Tony, Neil). The actors really sell you on their characters' personalities. Among the cameos, Melissa Rivers stands out as her mother, Joan. She gets the latter's accent down perfectly.

Production designer Judy Becker wonderfully recreates both suburbia and QVC headquarters. The latter, with its rotating set and all-white kitchen, makes it a unique place to work. One highlight is a local musical that Tony gets Joy to star in. The sets, along with Linus Sandgren's cinematography, turns the moment from their stage characters falling in love to them falling in love. It's just a fine moment. The four editors (one of whom is reigning Oscar champ Tom Cross) create a cohesive project that gets you in the right moods.

Joy itself says that it's "inspired by true stories of powerful women and one in particular." It may not be Mangano's true story, but it is a compelling story of a woman who stood her ground and won. You'll be rooting for her every step of the way.

Carol

Patricia Highsmith created The Talented Mr. Ripley and those murderous Strangers on a Train to mainstream success. Her second novel, The Price of Salt, was released to controversial success. And now, this defining work in Lesbian literature is visualized by director Todd Haynes' latest film, which names itself for one of its two leads: Carol.

Christmas season, 1952. Therese Belivert (Rooney Mara) is a department store shopgirl. One day, she does business with the alluring socialite Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett). Carol leaves her gloves behind, so Therese mails them back to her. That's when their relationship goes from business to personal. Very personal. Therese is unprepared for the emotion when Carol's soon to be ex-husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler), shows up.

Harge starts a custody battle for his and Carol's daughter, Rindy, using Carol's past affairs against her. So Carol invites Therese for a long road trip. They'll be OK as long as they have each other. As long as the world doesn't intrude on them...

The technical experience is one reason why Carol works. The world of 1950's New York is rendered in soft, elegant colors. It's the cinematic equivalent of a quiet date with soft music. The best part of it is that we see what Therese sees in Carol. Carol is simply beautiful and mysterious. The cinematography, costume design and makeup complete her alluring, upper class look. Carter Burwell's score adds to the romantic mood without overdoing it.

The acting is the other reason. Blanchett is perfect, as usual, playing Carol as both confident and vulnerable. Therese, as played by Mara, is less sure of herself but good-hearted. Their romantic chemistry is just as believable as the best "traditional" cinematic couples. Chandler's Harge is both a brutish bore and a desperate fool whose actions are unsympathetic and desperate. Abby (Sarah Paulson), Carol's ex-lover and still friend, sternly stands between Harge and the two lovers with ease.

Carol attracts Oscar attention with graceful subtlety instead of loud begging. That makes it the right kind of Oscar Bait. A casual moviegoer will experience a great cinematic love story. Its themes of romance and friendship will transcend any reservations about its "un-traditional" subject matter.

The Danish Girl

I've followed news on the production of The Danish Girl ever since it was first announced in 2009. Then, Tomas Alfredson was to direct intended producer Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron in the true life story of Lili Elbe. It wound up with Tom Hooper directing Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander in the most controversial film of their careers. So I'll have to word my review carefully.

It's 1926, and Gerda Wegener (Vikander) is an artist with a problem. Her friend, Ulla (Amber Heard), was supposed to model for her latest painting, but she ran late one day. So she asks her slender-framed husband, fellow artist Einar (Redmayne), to literally step into Ulla's shoes. This inspires Einar to try on more women's clothing. One day, Gerda lets Einar dress up as a woman named Lili. She thinks that letting Einar pose as his own cousine would be fun. But...

Einar gradually realizes that he, or rather she, was meant to be a woman. Gerda doesn't know what to make of it. The psychologists they see aren't sympathetic. But soon, Gerda realizes that letting her husband transition to Lili is the best thing for them. And there's a doctor who might help them.

(As this is based on a real person, some spoilers might be unavoidable.)

Lucinda Coxon's screenplay reworks David Ebershoff's fictionalized biography of Lili Elbe into feature form. It's a screenplay that favors text rather than subtext. We see that it's hard for Lili to transition, but not why. To give an example, Lili's first bit of romance with a man, Henrik (Ben Whishaw), causes her to become physically ill. I wish it explained why that was. It might have foreshadowed her death except that it didn't.

The casting of Redmayne, a cisgender man as a transgender woman, was criticized from day one. His performance is fine, but not perfect. As Einar, his enthusiasm is high and his near-permanent smile is wide. As Lili, his over-emotional performance becomes obvious. But we still empathize with Lili just the same. Lili's last scene, where she dies from surgery complications, but at peace with herself, is a powerful moment.

Vikander's performance is also tops. The movie is also about Gerda's struggles to accept her husband's transition. Her frustrations with the situation are born out of confusion, not hatred. She still loves Einar even when Lili takes over. And that's why she earns the audience's sympathy throughout the picture.

Hooper's crew helps out a lot. The production and costume designs, by Eve Stewart and Paco Delgado respectively, paint a pretty picture of 1920's Europe. The makeup team helps Redmayne cross the gender barrier with ease. The score by Alexandre Desplat is perfectly serene. Danny Cohen's cinematography is sometimes lambasted for putting actors off-centre, and he does it here too. But his best moments are the landscape shots. They're colored in a way that looks like a painter painted this movie.

The Danish Girl is an admirable movie. Its creative decisions might put off some people. But its story of a couple staying together in tough times is endearing. If this movie raises awareness of transgender issues, and makes people think seriously about them for a long time, then it did something right.

The Hateful Eight

Here without protest is Quentin Tarantino, delivering another quotable display of ultra-violence. This is The Hateful Eight, a film which internet pirates nearly killed when they leaked the screenplay. But it's now time for these characters to do some killing.

Years after the Civil War, bounty hunters Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and John Ruth (Kurt Russell) deliver justice their ways. Warren prefers to shoot down outlaws where they stand, while Ruth prefers to let the hangman deal with his quarry. One day, they get on the same stagecoach together. Warren has three dead outlaws in his custody, while Ruth has Daisy Dommergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a live and very-bitter murderess. Their destination is the town of Red Rock, whose new sheriff, Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), also joins them.

A nasty blizzard forces them to seek shelter at a lodge called Minnie's Haberdashery. There, they meet Red Rock's hangman, Oswaldo (Tim Roth), a cowboy named Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), a Mexican named Bob (Demián Bichir), and an old general named Samford Sanders (Bruce Dern). Ruth doesn't want anyone to come between him and the $10,000 on Daisy's head. But it turns out somebody wants to do just that. Maybe more than one...

Tarantino, that old movie enthusiast, made his latest film into a roadshow presentation. Yes, the format made famous by such epic movies as Ben-Hur and The Sound of Music, is alive and well. The ultra wide, Ultra Panavision 70 cinematography by Robert Richardson results in truly epic shots of snow-covered Colorado. There's even an overture and intermission to push the film to a whopping 187 minutes. The overture and intermission are absent in the general release edition, which I saw, which runs a still massive 167 minutes.

There's a reason why the roadshow format died out: more and more of these films became long, expensive dullards. The Hateful Eight is long, but it's neither expensive ($44 million) nor dull. The cast brings life to their misanthropic, brutal characters. We even feel sorry for these pieces of work at certain points, such as when Ruth abuses Daisy (and he does that a lot). Their dialogue, even if it's a ten minute monologue, builds up the tension in every word. Their brutal deaths are shocking, sometimes quick, sometimes blackly humorous (how much blood can a man vomit when he drinks arsenic? a lot).

The aforementioned overture and intermission, along with the rest of the film's score, was by the revered Ennio Morricone. His dark, eerie themes are sure to remind one of his work on multiple spaghetti westerns and The Thing. It even uses unused tracks from the latter! The end result is a dark, moody score that fits the film's grand scale. It's another winner for the 87-year-old composer.

The Hateful Eight is not for people who are turned off by ultra violence, unapologetic displays of racism and sexism, and extreme movie lengths. If you can get past that, you'll find a suspenseful locked room mystery thriller. The screenplay and characters are sure to keep your eyes on the screen. Before you know it, the extreme length will go by quick.