About Me

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This is the blog where I talk about the latest movies I've seen. These are my two Schnauzers, Rufus (left) and Marley (right, RIP). As of now, the Double Hollywood Strikes are officially over. May the next strikes not last as long as these ones did.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Superman

This looks like a job for ... another reboot!

I'm not complaining.

It has been twelve years since the DC Extended Universe began with Man of Steel. It has been a few years since it finally ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It has been half-a-week since James Gunn's Superman, the starting point of the new DC Universe, came out. It has been a few days since I saw it. Let's get to it.

Perhaps realizing how ubiquitous his origin story is, Gunn instead drops us in Superman's third year of heroics. As the text recaps, Superman (David Corenswet) caused an international incident by intervening in the invasion of the country of Jarhanpur by their neighbors, Boravia. Boravia sends The Hammer of Boravia, an armored "metahuman," to trounce Superman, a fight whose aftermath opens the film. He does slightly better in the immediate rematch, though.

The Court of Public Opinion comes for Superman when Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) leaks his parents' last message. So, it turns out that Jor-El & Lara (Bradley Cooper & Angela Sarafyan) actually wanted their son to conquer Earth. He didn't know that; the playback didn't get that far. It's part of Luthor's scheme to help Boravia continue the invasion of Jarhanpur. With Superman locked away in Luthor's interdimensional prison, it's up to Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) to rally a few allies, human and metahuman, to save the day. They'll have to hurry, for Luthor's interdimensional warp is about to tear the planet apart.

Who else is in the story? We get the Justice Gang, which consists of Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced), who are later joined by Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Jimmy Olson (Skyler Gisondo) has a substantial subplot with Luthor's gal, Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio). A few other names include Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Burić), the President of Boravia; Jonathan & Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor-Vince & Neva Howell); and, of course, Krypto the Superdog, who's simply a good boy. I haven't scratched the surface of this cast; I'd be here all day if I went further.

Despite its mammoth cast, the film's plot is generally easy to follow. Its most substantial supporting players fit their narrative or thematic roles rather well. The Justice Gang, in particular, are presumably more seasoned heroes, and aren't as idealistic as Superman. Superman's goodness grows on them throughout the film, even if Mr. Terrific's character growth is the most noticeable. I actually enjoyed Jimmy's subplot, as it not only gives him his biggest spotlight in years, but also an enjoyable scene partner with Eve. Lots of other names pop up here and there, though you don't need to read nearly ninety-years of comics to understand them. 

We're told that Jarhanpur has an "authoritarian" leader that Ghurkos wants to "liberate" the country from. Thing is, we don't really meet that leader, whoever they are. On the other hand, we're not supposed to trust Ghurkos, and we're given plenty of reasons why as the film goes on. When the Boravian army breaks through the border, a Jarhanpurian crowd calls out for Superman, which is answered in spectacular fashion by the Justice Gang. It's a crowd-pleasing moment, though it could've been more profound if we had seen - not just told of - Superman's first intervention. It's fine that it skips through Superman's origin, though it's less fine that it delegates most of its backstory to "tell, don't show."

Thankfully, there's plenty of stuff to see here. In this iteration, Lois is not only Superman's secret keeper, but they're dating as well. Corenswet and Brosnahan have excellent chemistry together, whether in good times or in bad. Their "breakfast-for-dinner" date is charming, though it turns tense when she grills him on his intervention. You'll feel it when Superman exasperatedly justifies his intervention with "people were going to die!" Still, that's not enough to sour anyone's perception of this relationship. It gets better from here.

What else do we have here? Superman saving various civilians and pets from collateral damage is just as awesome as his punch-ups with bad guys. His final showdown with Luthor lets him outline his persistent dedication to good in spectacular fashion. This Luthor, meanwhile, is beyond arrogant and morally loathsome, but he's quite entertaining when he gets his comeuppance. It's these moments that help make Corenswet perhaps the best Superman since Christopher Reeve. While the film's makeup work is impressive, its biggest highlight is Metamorpho's otherworldly visage. It's quite captivating to watch Metamorpho go from one of Luthor's victims to superhero. While the film has impressive visuals, it also has several impressive variations of John Williams's iconic march, courtesy of composers John Murphy & David Fleming.

I'm sure a lot of people might recognize a few political parallels as they watch this Superman. I'm sure a lot of them might profoundly object to them. Those people have clearly missed the precedence for such parallels (Superman IV ring a bell?). Why should that bother them? Why, in this movie? I mean, Gunn has made it fun to believe that I man could fly. Check out this Superman and you might have fun, too.

That's it for now.

Monday, July 7, 2025

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Welcome back to Jurassic World. Enjoy it while you can.

It turns out that dinosaurs can’t survive modern Earth, save for the equator, which is where Jurassic World's dinosaurs have moved to. Martin Krebs (Rubert Friend), a big pharma guy, figures out he can cure heart disease with DNA samples from three certain dinosaurs on the island of Ile Saint-Hubert. So, he puts together a team consisting of mercenaries Zora Bennett (Scarlet Johansson) & Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), to hunt for those prehistoric MacGuffins. 

The team saves a shipwrecked family, the Delgados, from their first target, a Mosasaurus. Their other targets, a Titanosaurus and a Quetzalcoatlus, reside further in-land. The whole party is stuck, so they might as well enjoy the view. Things get further complicated when our heroes discover hybrid dinosaurs, specifically the Mutadons (winged raptors) and the Distortus Rex. It turns out the island was InGen's dumping ground for dinos, normal or hybrid, too dangerous for their theme parks. Oh yeah, and Krebs isn't really a good guy. 

That basically sums up Jurassic World: Rebirth. It doesn't sound like much, but after all the narrative fronts and one needless subplot in the last film, it's refreshing to have something so basic. While Team Zora's quest is to "get the MacGuffins and get out," the Delgados trek through the wilderness to safety. It's pretty concise, narrative wise, even if its 134-minutes are a bit excessive. It doesn't do much with the D. Rex, who gets introduced in the cold open, and only pops up as the final boss. The Mutadons, at least, are introduced jumping actual velociraptors before their intended target even notices them. But I think it could've helped the film if our heroes realized the island's purpose a lot sooner. 

Early on, we see that people are getting bored with dinosaurs. Basically, they thought de-extinct dinosaurs were better when they were new. It's kind of comparing that to people getting bored of the CGI effects Jurassic Park pioneered. The problem is that metaphor was fresh when Jurassic World used it for the Indominus Rex plot. Not so much here. Still, it's easy to feel Henry's joy when he comes across a Titanosaurus herd, a moment accentuated by John Williams's iconic theme (as incorporated by Alexandre Desplat). They may be all CGI, but the dinosaurs are as tangible as their human co-stars. Some animatronics work exists, but it's that hard to tell when and where they are. Those expecting some dino action will not be disappointed.

So, who are the Delgados, you might ask? We have Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rufio), his daughters Teresa & Isabella (Luna Blaise & Audrina Miranda), and Teresa's boyfriend Xavier (David Iacano). All they want to do is survive, which is an understandable motivation, to say the least. At one point, they out-raft a T-Rex on a raging river in a scene adapted from the original Jurassic Park novel. When Rexy catches the raft, we know but Reuben doesn't, that Isabella got away in time. You'll be happy for him when she catches up with him. Overall, they're a lot more compelling than most of the dinosaur's actual kills, who are mostly just there. 

What else do we have here? We get a pretty good main trio with Zora, Duncan and Henry. Henry chewing Altoids maybe an overly long gag, but it's certainly a funny one. Zora and Duncan not only have great chemistry together, but they get some stand-out moments against the hybrids. Krebs is an okay big bad, even if he does get a pretty memorable end. Williams (Adam Loxely), an InGen scientist, is trapped with the D. Rex for the film's cruelest death. You'll almost forget the silly circumstances that led up to that moment. You won't forget, however, John Matthieson's cinematography, when the D. Rex emerges from red smoke. 

I wonder if Dominion was even necessary, given what we learn of the dinosaurs here. But, nah, going from Fallen Kingdom to Rebirth would've been worse. Still, judging by the box-office results, I don't think that people are tired of Michael Crichton's dinos just yet. It's a decent matinee, and if a later sequel expands on the island plot, then it will be worth more than that. That's what I think, anyway. 

Up, up and away to the next reviews. 

Friday, July 4, 2025

F1

 I’ve just found out that Jerry Bruckheimer is planning a sequel to his 1995 thriller Crimson Tide. This is in addition to talk of a sequel to his 1990 racing movie Days of Thunder. If director Joseph Kosinski has his way, the latter sequel would also sequelize his - and Bruckheimer’s - current racing movie, F1. Let’s get on track to that current movie, shall we?

Stop me if you’ve heard any of this. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a racing veteran, was once a rising star in Formula One. That is, until he crashed during the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix. Nowadays, he races elsewhere, but he’s still chasing those glory days. One day, his former teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who now owns the APXGP F1 team, offers Sonny a spot. Sonny eventually takes it.

Sonny’s fellow racer is Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a bigshot rookie. Part of Sonny’s new job is to help mentor “JP” as the next big racer. Of course, they become allies. Sonny also wins over Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), the team’s technical director. As the team travels the world, they deal with inefficient car designs, calamitous crashes and even a threat of a corporate takeover. Their biggest issue, however, is Sonny’s lingering health problems from the earlier crash. Oh, what will happen next?

Yes, a lot of Ehren Krueger’s screenplay runs a familiar track. In fact, a few narrative turns, like Sonny's rivalry with Joshua, are especially familiar for those who've seen the Top Gun movies. Joshua's crash is treated with the same gravitas as Goose's death in Top Gun, though Joshua actually survives his. It could've been a shocking swerve if Sonny didn't survive his, but he actually does, and of course, wins the big race. Still, the revelation of Sonny's lingering health problems is a good jolt. Its cliches aren't a dealbreaker, but its massive 155-minute lap might as well be.

Its likeable cast helps make the overlength bearable. Sonny, in particular, maybe a typically charming Brad Pitt character, but he's still a fun guy. The previous crash adds some gravitas to his typical comeback story. As Ruben, Bardem's exuberance is fun, but he's quite impactful when he's forced to be serious. As Kate, Condon has some great chemistry with Pitt, even if the film glosses over her character's profession. Joshua's character arc is pretty good, but one line read stands out. Early on, when he's asked about his motivations for racing, he responds "money, fame and free clothes." It's sarcastically weary, as if he's asking, "what else do you want me to say?" He doesn't elaborate on that, but he gets some more good moments later on. 

Amongst the supporting cast, we get Joshua's mother and cousin, Bernadette and Cashman (Sarah Niles and Samson Kayo), and Kaspar (Kim Bodnia), the team's Principal. They're pretty likable, unlike Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies), the team board member behind the takeover threat. Thing is, while the takeover is a looming threat, Peter being the big bad is treated like an afterthought in the final stretch. It's not enough time to take him seriously.

But I bet you came here for the racing. Its races are why the film is so long, but they're also when the film is at its best. Claudio Miranda filmed much of the F1 action during actual races, and he gets some impressive views both inside and outside the cockpits. As with Top Gun: Maverick, the visual effects team perfectly obfuscate the differences between actual cars and any digital ones. These races are neatly edited together by Stephen Mirrione and accentuated by Hans Zimmer's cool score. 

I could hear some audible reactions, even applause, during F1's dynamic action. I kept to myself, but it was tempting to join the crowd here and there. See it soon and you might have the same reaction. Otherwise, you might have to keep it to yourself when it inevitably drives off to Apple TV+. I think it might be fun.

But that's it for now.