Film Review - "Deadpool & Wolverine"

Deadpool & Wolverine

Directed by Shawn Levy

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin

Deadpool has returned and he's come to save The MCU...not really though.

Deadpool & Wolverine is, quite unexpectedly, not a grand celebration of The Merc with a Mouth's entrance into the larger than life franchise, that arguably, could use a shot of Super-Solider Serum to get back on its feet. No, Deadpool & Wolverine actually is a surprisingly fun and touching buddy-adventure that earnestly pays tribute to a series of films, again, that arguably, deserve a lot more recognition than they get.

Wade Wilson (Reynolds) has fallen into a bit of a midlife crisis. He no longer suits up as Deadpool, and he desperately wishes to find meaning in his life again. On his birthday, he is whisked away to the headquarters of the Time Variance Authority, (The TVA, from Loki!) and meets Agent Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) who offers him a place on The Sacred Timeline (aka The MCU).

It's not all puppies and NSYNC dance parties for Wade however, when he discovers his universe and many others are in jeopardy. He recruits a very disgruntled and very reluctant variant of James "Logan" Howlett aka The Wolverine (Jackman) in his quest to save his world. Along the way, they run afoul of Cassandra Nova (Corrin), the twin sister of Charles Xavier.

Much like the last two Deadpool films, this one gets raunchy, rambunctious, and surprisingly heartfelt. Yes the goal of our heroes is to "save the universe" but their journey is very much a personal one. Themes of self-worth, how we see each other vs how others see us are quite cleverly interwoven throughout the narrative. Wolverine has always been such a rich character on screen, but Deadpool's journey in this film I think is truly special. Am I reading too much into a superhero comedy? Maybe, but stay tuned for the video essay.

As mentioned earlier, this is not a "Welcome To The MCU, Deadpool" Party. No doubt you all remember when Disney bought 20th Century Fox a few years ago. Through that purchase, Marvel got the theatrical rights back to many characters they had once sold off, such as X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool. For many years Fox made a lot of Marvel films on their own featuring these characters in a clunky, fluctuating in quality, universe. Avoiding all the spoilers, but Deadpool & Wolverine pays sincere tribute to this era of superhero films, and in a way, this film is its swan song. There are plenty of cameos and moments that will garner cheers and applause from longtime fans, but it never comes off like cheap fan-service, akin to 

dangling shiny keys in front of a baby. The film also gets delightfully meta in its commentary, but again, maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Both Reynolds and Jackman slip perfectly back into their roles. Reynolds was born to be Deadpool. What else is there to say? Jackman, who quite notably ended his tenure as Wolverine in 2017's Logan, gives it his all (Again this is a variant of Wolverine so Logan's ending is not undercut). There is so much passion in his performance here, he could've easily phoned it in considering he was well and truly done, but he delivers. The two of them also have amazing chemistry. It's so amazing to finally see them onscreen together (properly). The film would not work so well if not for these two.

Emma Corrin is delightfully wicked as Cassandra Nova. They give off huge Hela in Thor: Ragnarok vibes. However much like Hela, her character motivations are rather thin. Still, another enjoyable MCU villain. Matthew Macfadyen gives a fine performance as Paradox and he has some funny back and forth with Reynolds. Most of the supporting characters from the Deadpool films return but none of them get to shine quite like Rob Delaney's Peter. There are plenty of other performances I could talk about in this film but again, avoiding spoilers...

The action in the film is pretty good, but only one or two fight sequences really stick out after viewing the film. One between Deadpool and Wolverine mid-film is probably the best one, and the opening sequence is iconic. There's nothing really striking as far as visuals, but this isn't Eternals, and a majority of the film takes place in The Void (Where The TVA drops all the junk from discarded timelines) so what are you gonna do. The soundtrack is wild and eclectic as one would expect from previous Deadpool films, but did anyone else get Guardians vibes here?

This review is pretty barebones, because honestly much of the joy of Deadpool & Wolverine comes from witnessing it for yourself. Do yourself a favor and go see it in a big, crowded theater. It's a really fun film with plenty of moments to make you laugh and smile. Probably the most fun a superhero film has been since...maybe Deadpool 2? It's great to have Reynolds as Deadpool back on the big screen, and it's great to see Jackman as Wolverine again. But Disney don't listen to them. Don't make them do this until they're 90.

(See how I didn't scream THE MCU IS BACK? Let's keep our expectations calibrated going forward, people.)

A Double 'Christmas Carol' Review

A Christmas Carol. Who doesn't know Charles Dickens' classic tale that was first published 180 years ago? No doubt it stays fresh in the minds of many at this time of year. Mostly because throughout history, this story has been adapted hundreds of times for the screen both large and small. Everyone from Mickey Mouse to The Flinstones have their version. Ebenezer Scrooge has been portrayed by dozens of actors, from Albert Finney to Jim Carrey.

I don't think there's many bad adaptations of A Christmas Carol, but some adaptations do things stronger or weaker than others. You know it's like momma always said, life's like a box of Christmas Carol adaptations. You never know what you're going to get. That's the line from Forrest Gump, right?

(Hey while we're on this Robert Zemeckis-directed tangent let me just put it on record that there's only one motion captured holiday film of his you should give attention to, and it's not The Polar Express. I said what I said.)

Two new adaptations of Dickens' most famous work were released to audiences via streaming last year. One a more modern adaptation, and the other more traditional. The former in live-action, and the latter animated BUT, both are musicals! They already have that working for them in my book. Let's dive in. First up...

Spirited

Directed by Sean Anders

Starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer

Spirited shows us that for nearly two centuries (OH I GET IT. Because A Christmas Carol is almost 200 years-) Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) and The Ghosts of Christmas have haunted one person every year on Christmas Eve in the hopes of making them go through real change like Scrooge did. One particular year, The Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) pitches the idea of controversial media consultant Clint Briggs (Reynolds) for their target, but Marley is hesitant as he deems Clint "unredeemable".

Eventually, Present convinces Marley and when Christmas Eve comes they begin the haunt. But Clint proves to not be your typical haunt, questioning Marley, seducing the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani), and forcing Present to turn the lense back on his own life. As the night goes on both Present and Clint get the chance to look at their lives differently, and understand what it really means to change.

Right off the bat, I like the premise of Jacob Marley & The Ghosts of Christmas turning their original plight into an annual routine/business. Initially the film comes off like a modern adaptation in the vein of Billy Murray's Scrooged (Which I admit I haven't seen yet. Get off my back, I'll get to it.) but halfway through there's a revelation about Will Ferrell's character, and that's where things really start to click. 

*Editor's Note: Friends that have watched the film have said they caught on to the twist of The Ghost of Christmas Present early on. Upon further rewatches, I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention.*

Ferrell really is the star here, while Reynolds is just playing his usual shtick. That's not to say his usual shtick is bad by any means. It's effective here. However both deserve huge praise for neither being trained singers or dancers, yet still bringing their A-game to this. Speaking of music, the songs are composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same team behind the infectious soundtracks of La La Land and The Greatest Showman. The songs really are great, particularly the opening number and Will Ferrell's "Unredeemable", which again, is a true showing of his talent and commitment to the film. Octavia Spencer also deserves some recognition for her supporting role Kimberly. However, she becomes a romantic interest for Ferrell and I just thought they lacked the chemistry.

Spirited is a fun, light-hearted update on the classic tale, with some great music and surprise performances from its two leads. It's now streaming on Apple TV+

And now let's take a look at...

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Directed by Stephen Donnelly

Starring Luke Evans, Olivia Colman, and Jessie Buckley

Scrooge takes the more traditional route in bringing the story to life. It is also allegedly an animated remake of the 1970 version starring Albert Finney, but the only real connections are its use of most of the same songs, with a mix of some original tunes, and Scrooge's nephew is named Harry here instead of Fred.

This version always leaves me feeling conflicted. There are plenty of highs, but a fair amount of lows. The animation is gorgeous, but at the same time also feels cheap? The use of color in certain scenes and sequences is dazzling, but many of the character designs, with the exception of a few, feel very "direct-to-streaming" generic. I do like how with the animation they play up the spectacle of the supernatural, and tap into the science-fiction and time-travel aspects of Scrooge's journey. 

The covers of the songs from the 1970 version are all spectacular, particularly "Thank You Very Much" and "I Like Life" and Luke Evans's rendition of "Begin Again" brings a tear to my eye. The new songs are equally good. The opening song "I Love Christmas" has been an ear worm that has yet to escape my ears (Expect a lip-dub in the future), and if you've been on TikTok at all you've heard everyone and their mother swoon over "Later Never Comes". Back on the animation, and this is very personal criticism, I found the choreography in the musical numbers to be very wooden, from how they are shot, to how the characters move. I know it's weird to criticize the dance moves of animated characters, but when the visuals and colors are so flashy, they go to waste on these lifeless dance routines.

I find it hard to put into words this specific criticism, but at times the script just feels "too modern". Some of the dialogue lacks subtlety. Characters just spill out exposition in drawn out monologues. Scrooge (Evans) has a dog that goes on his journey with him, and The Ghost of Christmas Present has his own army of holiday-like Minions. Those two definitely feel like a product of the times, and an attempt to appeal to younger audiences more. 

Speaking of Scrooge, he's definitely less grumpy, and more smug, cynical, and at times an over-the-top cartoon villain. He tells Bob Cratchit (Johnny Flynn) that Tiny Tim's (Rupert Turnbull) health is not his concern (which feels like something he shouldn't learn about until later) and he verbally berates his nephew (Fra Fee) for "taking the place" of his late sister, who died during childbirth. On Christmas...it's like getting slapped in the face with a 2x4 that has the word "Subtlety" written on it.

(Side note: I know Scrooge's sister died in the past, but I'm not sure if in the original book it was during childbirth (and on Christmas). I'm seeing conflicting reports.)

Also, not to get into spoilers but there's a reveal connecting Scrooge and Cratchit's past, and while it definitely feels like something a Once Upon A Time version of A Christmas Carol would do, I would appreciate it more if it played more into the story. But it's forgotten about rather quickly.

How are the performances? Well Luke Evans is an absolutely perfect Scrooge, and his singing talent is unmatched. Almost makes you think the Beauty & The Beast remake wasted him. Rightfully so, he is the true standout of the film. Everyone else is fine. Nothing special. But Olivia Colman as The Ghost of Christmas Past is absolutely unbearable. Every single joke of hers falls flat, and it comes off like they're trying to do a Dickensian version of Robin Williams in Aladdin. I'm sure the kids found her funny, though.

So Scrooge is definitely a mixed bag but as you can see, there's plenty to enjoy here. At the end of the day it is still a very faithful adaptation, with wonderful music, (mostly) stunning visuals, and a remarkable lead performance. I haven't seen many people (outside of TikTok thirsting over Luke Evans' singing in "Later Never Comes") comment on this one but if you've seen it let me know. Let's chat. It's now streaming on Netflix.

Also what's your favorite adaptation(s) of A Christmas Carol? There's plenty to pick from, and if you'd like in my latest episode of my podcast Movies That Matter, local author and historian Alan Foulds and I discuss on a bunch of our favorite versions. Give a listen, and God Bless Us Everyone.

Film Review - "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu"

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu
Directed by Rob Letterman
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, and Kathryn Newton

I was a big Pokemon fan back in the day. I had dozens of VHS and DVD's of the anime, which I followed all the way through the Diamond & Pearl series. I collected the cards and figurines, and  played the games all the way through the third generation (Fire-Red & Leaf-Green are the best games from up until that point. Fight me.). I loved the concept of Pokemon. I wanted to be a Pokemon trainer. I even kept a list of all the Pokemon I would want to capture and train *John Mulaney voice* You know, like a dork!

Obviously, time goes on, I got older, and I fell off the wagon. They're still making all the Poke-things; anime, cards, and games. But the games have definitely expanded since I played them, like Pokemon Go and Detective Pikachu, which would be the basis for the first live-action Pokemon film. I think, even if you were still an active fan, that announcement came with a bit of skepticism. All the skepticism  has subsided now. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a super-fun film that is a perfect way to reintroduce the world to the franchise, on the big-screen.

The film follows Tim Goodman (Smith), a young insurance agent who has given up on Pokemon training. He learns his estranged detective father Harry has died, and travels to Ryme City to get his affairs in order. Ryme City is a utopia where Pokemon Battles are outlawed and humans and Pokemon live together in harmony. Perfect for a guy like Tim. It is here where he meets a deerstalker-wearing Pikachu (Reynolds), who only he can understand. Pikachu has lost his memories, with his hat with Harry's address written inside as his only clue. Tim reluctantly team-ups with Pikachu to solve the mystery of his father's death and Pikachu's amnesia. As with most mysteries, they soon uncover something much bigger and sinister is in the works…

It was probably a smart decision to adapt a spinoff Pokemon game instead of one of the mainline RPG's for a feature film. I think watching a main character traveling the country collecting gym badges and fighting various bad guys would get a little stale, but that's probably not too far away, and we'll soon see…I don't know,  Dylan O'Brien? starring in a film as Red or Ash Ketchum? The story is fairly simple, dare I say predictable. The film conveys comparisons to the likes of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Great Mouse Detective (I'm calling it now. When Screen Junkies does their Honest Trailer, that's what they'll call this film.) If you've seen any mystery or film noir you might be able to pick up on where this is all going.

Well, at a base level you can pick up on where this is all going. Avoiding spoilers here, but in the third act things get a little ridiculous, and that's where some viewers might start to get turned off. If you played the Detective Pikachu game you might know what I'm talking about. I had no real knowledge of the game so I was genuinely surprised, and briefly thrown off, but the film sticks the landing.

Let's be honest though you didn't come to this film for the story. You came for the Pokemon. Most of them, if not all of them look fantastic. The filmmakers gave it their all with the CGI and these characters blend so well into a real-world setting. Again, I fell off the bandwagon so I couldn't name *every* Pokemon on screen, but I was so excited to see old favorites like Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and others in this new forum. The film warrants a second viewing alone just so you can (Forgive me) *catch* a glimpse of them all…

Justice Smith is a great as Tim. He brings a lot of heart and energy into the role, and he works nicely as a surrogate for the audience, who like him is getting their bearings in this new (or newish) world. Ryan Reynolds delivers an iconic performance as Pikachu. You wouldn't think his voice would work for a Pikachu, but for this Pikachu? Gold, and he and Smith play off one-another very well. I don't know if the film would have worked as well without the right voice behind Pikachu, but Reynolds certainly boosts the entertainment factor. Kathryn Newton is fine as junior reporter Lucy, who joins them on the case. She's charming enough, but her "quirky and ambitious reporter" character just feels like it was taken from another film I can't remember. Bill Nighy gives one of the most memorable performances from the film. That is all I have to say on that.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a wonderful, fun, and solid start to this new franchise, and potential cinematic universe of Pokemon. If you're a fan, you'll probably love it more than those that are not, but I think everyone can enjoy this heartfelt adventure. It's a perfect family film, and just in time for summer blockbuster season. Heck, it might make you a new fan, or it might even reawaken the fan inside you, to a point where you just want to go out in the woods and start looking for Pokemon. Not that you could but…you get it. Well actually I guess you could in some ways, but I refuse to re-download the time and phone-battery killing Pokemon Go. I'll stick to my dorky lists thank you very much…

Guess I should probably talk about Endgame soon, huh? Ok...

Film Review - "Deadpool 2"

Deadpool 2
Directed by David Leitch
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, and Zazie Beetz

There's a time in every man's life, when he sees a major feature-film, and he finds himself in the minority as far as his thoughts and opinions on said film. For me, this is one of those times. Deadpool 2 is a lackluster sequel. It isn't a bad film per say, but it fails to live up to hype or the standards set by the first film.

Deadpool 2 begins with Wade Wilson (Reynolds) in a bit of a personal crisis after a recent mission goes south in the worst way. Under the persistent persuasion of Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), he finally joins up with the X-Men. It is through working with him and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Wade comes across the troubled mutant-youth Russell (Julian Dennison).

Russell soon becomes the target of time-traveling cybernetic soldier Cable (Brolin). Russell apparently becomes a real problem in the future, and Cable has come to put a stop to him. Wade, believing Russell isn't beyond saving, makes it his mission to protect the boy from Cable. He forms a team known as X-Force, featuring the uber-lucky mutant-mercenary Domino (Beetz), to help him save Russell and stop Cable.

So…time to be the bad guy. I haven't ready any Deadpool comics but I understand he is a very raunchy, rule-breaking, comedic character. The original Deadpool got that across, but the film also had a lot of heart behind it. This film tells you in the beginning this is a "family film" so you suspect there's going to be a lot more heart and emotion driving the story. Well…I just didn't see it that way.

The inciting incident that sets Deadpool on his personal journey in this film feels like a cheap, unearned shot. I understand what it sets up and what it's trying to do. The film is about Wade getting to a point where he's not just fighting for himself, and becoming a part of something bigger i.e. a family. But it falls flat because the connection between him and Russell felt rushed and hollow from this viewer's perspective. Wade just sort of non-chalantly decides saving Russell is what can save him.

Russell's character arc is really no better. We don't really get the full extent of what's pushing him towards this dark path, and we don't necessarily feel what's at risk if he goes down said path. Spoilers withheld, there's personal stakes for one of the characters, but this character gets an average amount of development so we don't really connect with them.

So I guess if I were to sum up all of my gripes with Deadpool 2, it just felt very hollow to me. The original was humor induced with heart, and the heart was just lacking. As for the humor, there were definitely plenty of laughs throughout the film, but I'm sorry to say I wasn't laughing out loud as much as I was with the original. There are however, plenty of fourth-wall breaks and pop-culture references to shake a stick at, which is welcome and par-the-course for Deadpool.

Ryan Reynolds continues to give career-defining work as the titular anti-hero. Josh Brolin is a welcome new-addition as Cable and plays off Reynold's Deadpool well. Zazie Beetz is very cool and very charming as Domino. I would love to see more of her and Brolin in a potential third film. Dennison stands out as Russell, being such a young talent he really holds his own against the likes of Reynolds and Brolin. The rest of the supporting crew are giving the same quality work they did in the first film, but all of them get a little bit more to do.

There was definitely some real effort and passion behind Deadpool 2, I can see that on a surface level, but it just didn't hit home for me. You could chop it up to a lot things. Deadpool was a comedy and it's hard to make a successful comedy sequel. The surprise and uniqueness of the original just didn't strike twice. Deadpool's stories are rooted within the X-Men universe, and I have always had an indifference to X-Men films. This film went heavier on the X-Men material, so maybe that's part of why I didn't go for it. Or perhaps it's just as I said, and the lack of emotional depth that elevated the original is where they lost me. Maybe I'm expecting too much out a film where the main character is ripped in half and grows back baby legs...

Whatever the case, I left the theater with a very "ok" feeling towards Deadpool 2.

Now excuse me while I go hide from the enraged fans…

Film Review- "Deadpool"

Deadpool
Directed by Tim Miller
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarain, and Ed Skrein


Like most of the general film-going population, I know that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was not a good movie. Back in 2009 though, I was not as Marvel savvy as I am now, and that was my first taste of the character of Deadpool. As time went on, I learned that iteration of the character was not the Deadpool fans know, love, and wanted to see. The more I learned about the character, the more I saw the idea of film adaptation really working. My reservations towards Ryan Reynolds notwithstanding of course, and the fact that Fox was refusing to green light production.

Then in August 2014 someone leaked the test footage, and I went, "Yes. I like that. Give me more of that!" Fox gave into the fans and a year or so later, after some really stellar trailers and one of the best marketing campaigns for a film I've ever seen, Deadpool is now in theaters. Folks, I can confidently say this is probably the best Marvel movie that-wasn't-made-by-Marvel yet.

Just as mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds) prepares to take the next step with his girlfriend Vanessa (Baccarain), he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Shortly after that, he is offered a chance to be a part of a shady but experimental program that could cure him. Wilson agrees after some hesitation, only to find the program is not what it seems. He is injected with a serum and put through a series of excrutiating tests to trigger his mutant genes. He soon develops the ability to heal from everything ("They didn't just give me the cure to el cancer. They give me the cure to el everything!") but his body is also left horribly scarred.

After escaping a fierce confrontation at the program headquarters, Wilson dons his infamous red suit and sets out for revenge against the program director Francis/Ajax (Skerin), despite the interjection of  two X-Men, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hidlebrand).

What sounds like a fairly simple origin story is brought to a whole new level with heaping amounts of crude, laugh-out-loud humor and non-stop action. The filmmakers were really given the chance to make a proper adaptation of Deadpool, packed with pop-culture references and fourth-wall breaking. There is real heart to this film too. The relationship between Wade and Vanessa is at its core, and makes it more than just a raunchy superhero comedy.

I've said before that Ryan Reynolds can be a great actor but he wastes his time making the wrong films. I'm not saying that right now. He was born to play Deadpool, and naturally, is the highlight of the film. Everything he says, everything he does, is pure gold. Morena Baccarain brings a lot of spice to the role of Vanessa, a role that could very well have been just a bland love interest, if not for the combination of her and the screenwriter's talents. She's given plenty of jokes to crack as well, and has great chemistry with Reynolds. Skerin is perfectly despicable as Francis/Ajax. Kapicic and Hidelbrand are given some juicy material in their X-Men supporting roles, while never overshadowing our hero, and finally TJ Miller gets some laugh's as Wade's buddy Weasel.

If I did have to pick one flaw with the film, it would be that some of the origin story flashbacks tend to be a little slow, as is expected with most of these superhero films. Thankfully, this problem is minuscule  compared to the rest of this awesome film.

Deadpool has definitely met expectations after all the years of anticipation and hype. In a world where the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stand tall and proud, this outside-the-house production leaves a real lasting mark on the superhero genre. A truly faithful adaptation, and a real work of passion by its creative team, I feel as though we already have one of the best films of the 2016. I know it's only February! How crazy is that??

Oh yeah, and I'm still going to do a Top Films of 2015. Still got some more to see….Oh and just so we're clear they're my top films of 2015….Mine. Not yours…

...chikka chikkahhh.