WENDY: The Call to Adventure

WENDY: The Call to Adventure

2.5 out of 4 stars (2.5 / 4)

Wendy is a radical reimagining of the Peter Pan story from the creative mind of Benh Zeitlin, the writer and director of the 2012 Academy Award nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild. Unlike many iterations of the fable, this story centers on Wendy Darling (Devin France) as she and her brothers (Gage Naquin, Gavin Naquin) embark on a journey to escape the responsibilities of adulthood by jumping on a train, literally and figuratively shaking up the world they knew before.

While Beast of the Southern Wild presented harsh realities through the imaginative eyes of a child, Wendy instead transplants its child protagonists from a working class Southern setting to a fantasy filled volcanic island. A tropical take on the fabled Neverland in which the island’s power to preserve its inhabitants’ youth forever is contingent on their refusal to succumb to the negative emotions tied to growing up.

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Why the In-Theater Experience Must Survive COVID-19

Why the In-Theater Experience Must Survive COVID-19

By now the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can be felt in practically every area of modern society. With the question now shifting from ‘How long until things return to normal?’ to ‘Is it possible for businesses to operate the same as before?’ the future has never been less certain.

The movie business, just like virtually every industry, was hit hard by the pandemic, resulting in a number of releases being shelved for future dates and studios adjusting their strategies to implement digital releases for several major titles. Most notably, Universal controversially decided to digitally release Trolls World Tour and reportedly set records as the highest grossing VOD title in terms of revenue for the studio. This willingness of studios to forgo theatrical releases coupled with the enduring social discourse around streaming eventually overtaking the theatrical business model raises the question of whether these actions are a precursor to a new norm in which movie theaters are phased out from existence.

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I’M NOT HERE: An Empty Existential Drama

I'm Not Here Review Pic

I’m Not Here is a generational drama looking to address ambitious questions related to the nature of time, the cyclical tragedy of repeating our parents’ mistakes, as well as how the past can shape our future. With a runtime clocking in at just under an hour and a half, that is a tall order to fill. The story is ultimately about the vacuous void that can be formed when one is shut off from their love ones yet ironically offers an empty message in what it posits to the audience by the time it ends.

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THE AFTERMATH: A Sizzling Drama Lacking Originality

The Aftermath Review

The Aftermath directed by James Kent, is a tale focused on an estranged couple with the backdrop of post-World War II Germany serving as a metaphor for their troubled marriage. When Rachael (Keira Knightley) is instructed to live with a German widower (Alexander Skarsgård) and his daughter at the behest of her husband (Jason Clarke), their marriage is put to the test, as Rachael is tempted by the unexpected bond she forms with this German man. While this tale of lust and betrayal is clever in the way the state of the couple’s marriage closely mirrors the political climate that surrounds them, it is ultimately hindered by a lack of ingenuity as the moral of the story has long been exhausted by practically every story set during any historical war.

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2ND CLASS: The Role of Education in Fostering Tolerance

2ND CLASS: The Role of Education in Fostering Tolerance

2ND CLASS, directed by Jimmy Olsson, is a Swedish short film centered on Charlotte (Hannah Davidson), a newly hired elementary school teacher who is quickly made the victim of a hate crime after inadvertently crossing paths with a Nazi. After enduring her horrific encounter, Charlotte gets the surprise of her life the next day when she learns that a quiet, young boy in her class named Anton (Milo Adermark) happens to be the son of the Nazi who attacked her the night prior.

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The Rampant Rise Of Meta-Humor And THE LEGO MOVIE 2

Rampant Rise of Meta Humor

There is a scene during The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part in which a new character by the name of Rex Dangervest (voiced by Chris Pratt) enters the scene and singlehandedly saves our lead protagonist, Emmet, through the use of a device that teleports the two away from the perilous “Duplo” toys. In the midst of this last-minute escape, Rex comically refers to this convenient tool as his trusty “plot device.”

This line is just one of many instances in The Lego Movie 2 in which the film points out its own fictional nature, as the character of Rex, an obvious amalgamation of Pratt’s most iconic action roles, serves as a wink to the audience regarding the actor’s shift in trajectory from genial comedies to blockbuster action adventures. The collective layers of the film being aware of its presence in the real world, as well as consciously pointing out its own shortcomings, are a prime example of the growing trend of meta-humor in stories.

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BRAID: A Repugnant Psychedelic Horror Show

Braid Film Review

Braid, directed by Mitzi Peirone starts as a home invasion thriller in the vein of 2016’s Don’t Breathe wherein the target of a criminal heist quickly turns the tables on their aggressors, causing you to rethink who is in control in this scenario. The horror flick morphs throughout its runtime, incorporating elements of torture porn, stoner film, and even a David Lynch inspired abstraction towards the conclusion. None of this ultimately works though, as this hallucinogenic thriller is neither creepy nor clever, but rather uniquely unpleasant to watch.

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THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART – Everything is Still Awesome

The Lego Movie 2 Review

3 out of 4 stars (3 / 4)

Familiar plotting prevents The Lego Movie 2 from reaching the creative heights of its predecessor, however, the introduction of welcome new characters and razor sharp meta humor make this all-out war between childhood and adulthood a more than worthy follow up.

In 2014, seemingly out of nowhere, The Lego Movie stormed onto the scene and proved with its surprise success that it could be just as viable of a brand as Disney or Dreamworks animation. However, lackluster reception from the previous entry, Lego Ninjago, combined with a downward trend at the box office has quickly put the viability of this colorful franchise into question. It’s clear from The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part that returning writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are not giving up on this franchise, as they have assembled a sequel every bit the vibrantly fun shot in the arm that the original was now with the clever addition of children’s “Duplo” toys as the villains.

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SERENITY: A Gonzo Noir Bait and Switch

Serenity Review

1.5 out of 4 stars (1.5 / 4)

There is almost something admirable about Serenity’s fearless embrace of its off-the-wall premise, however, this isn’t enough to compensate for the lack of compelling material surrounding its insane plot twist.

It has only been a few weeks into the year 2019, and we are already being treated to what could possibly go down as one of the most outlandish films of the year. Serenity, written and directed by Steven Knight, is being advertised as a sexy neo-noir thriller set on a beautifully scenic island with Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway starring as ex-lovers with questionable morals. Despite appearing to be a murder mystery tale, Serenity is revealed to have more in common with films such as Vanilla Sky and Westworld as this acid trip of a film delivers a plot that no one will see coming.

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GLASS: A Fittingly Flawed Conclusion

Glass: A Fittingly Flawed Conclusion

2.5 out of 4 stars (2.5 / 4)

Glass is most in its element when it brilliantly expands on the themes of power and belief laid out by its previous installments, but a last-minute plot twist prevents the film from sticking the landing.

Glass is the final entry of writer and director M. Night Shyamalan’s “Eastrail 177” trilogy as it definitively connects the two stories depicted in Unbreakable and Split and provides closure on this saga. In many ways, the entry that started it all, 2000’s Unbreakable, was ahead of its time as the superhero genre was far less prevalent 20 years ago. With the genre’s popularity currently being at an all-time high, it appears to be the perfect time for Shyamalan to circle back and conclude this unconventional trilogy. While the hit or miss director expands on many of the novel ideas from 2016’s Split, Glass doesn’t quite stick the landing as it is burdened with a ludicrous last-minute plot development that undermines much of what occurs earlier in the film.

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