Category: Film Analysis Blog

‘Aquaman’ (2018) Film Review

Aquaman (2018) Film Review

3 out of 4 stars (3 / 4)

Loud, shallow, and utterly entertaining. Aquaman is in capable hands with James Wan at the helm, as he has crafted a beautifully imaginative world that is a prime setting for the vibrant epic action spectacle. The film also serves as further evidence that the DCEU should stick to refreshing origin stories for now and put the collaborative team-up features on the back burner.

Despite being a legacy character within the DC comics ecosystem, Aquaman has long been the target of copious jokes in pop culture. This ridicule stems from the hero’s powers of communicating with aquatic life being viewed as useless when compared with his other super-powered peers. While his abilities are understandably not the most glamorous or awe inspiring, the character’s representation in the otherwise disappointing 2017 Justice League film capably demonstrated that the character can be a lot of fun thanks to Jason Momoa’s unique “surfer-bro” take on the character. This trend of being a distinctive character that audiences can rally behind continues in Aquaman, as the origin story offers a refreshing hero that is crowd-pleasingly entertaining.

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‘The Favourite’ (2018) Review

The Favourite Review
4 out of 4 stars (4 / 4)

Yorgos Lanthimos has brought to life another devilishly idiosyncratic story, this time tackling the audacious power plays of 18th century royalty. Between the talent behind the camera and the award worthy turns from the trio of actresses at the center, The Favourite is a wickedly original dark comedy and one of the best films of the year.

Around this timeframe each year, moviegoers are inundated with an endless barrage of films seemingly created with the sole intention of garnering awards and thereby bolstering the prestige of respective movie studios. For all their acclaim, these types of movies, coined as “Oscar bait,” often follow by the numbers stories that don’t dare to be original and are often still rewarded for their existence regardless. On the surface, a film such as The Favourite appears to be in this same vein with it being a historical period drama with the usual furnishing such as top-notch cinematography, a memorable soundtrack, as well as impeccable costume and production design. However, it is clear from the moment the characters begin to speak that this diabolically demented historical dramedy is anything but the usual fare up for awards consideration.

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‘Vox Lux’ Film Review

Vox Lux Review
3.5 out of 4 stars (3.5 / 4)

Through its intermixing of hot topic issues such as terrorism and school shootings with celebrity culture, Vox Lux is a darkly themed musical epic that is unlike anything you have ever seen. This examination of pop music featuring an award-worthy turn from Portman may prove too challenging for some viewers, but for those who found A Star is Born is Born too conventional this is definitely not to be missed.

After its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, Vox Lux was quickly garnering attention with many touting it as the dark twin of A Star is Born due to the two’s similar themes. Vox Lux is a music-focused drama that attempts to explore every facet of fame; what ignites stardom, where it ultimately leads to, as well as the cost it will tax on the individual at the center of the popularity. It is an extraordinarily unique take on this timeless concept that the trailers don’t even begin to scratch the surface of.

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‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ Film Review

Fantastic Beasts 2 Review

1.5 out of 4 stars (1.5 / 4)

In an attempt to deepen the Potter mythology, The Crimes of Grindelwald forgot what made the first so remarkable. This results in a series that has lost its focus and is the first major misstep in the otherwise enchanting Wizarding World series.

When it was first announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would live on through a spinoff series, it was understandable for fans to have their apprehensions as to whether this series would be anything more than a ploy to unnecessarily elongate the initial 8 film story. 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was however a strong entry that capably demonstrated there was still magic to be found in other corners of this enchanted world, and the presence of an orphaned boy with a lightning shaped scar was not required.

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Ralph Breaks the Internet Review

Ralph Breaks the Internet Review

3.5 out of 4 stars (3.5 / 4)

Ralph Breaks the Internet ups the complexity of its metaphors and tackles complicated, heartfelt themes of friendship, resulting in a superior sequel.

After travelling to the Disney fansite Oh My Disney!, there is a scene in Ralph Breaks the Internet in which Vanellope comes face to face with the entire roster of Disney Princesses from Cinderella to Elsa. At one point during this exchange, Merida, the lead princess from Pixar’s Brave, stumbles onto the screen with her thick Scottish accent being incoherent to all around her. When Vanellope asks her fellow princesses what Merida has said, she is offhandedly told that Merida is a Pixar Disney Princess whom they never can understand and they all proceed to smile and nod towards her. While in the grand scheme of Ralph Breaks the Internet, this exchange is nothing more than a throwaway gag, it cleverly underscores how the two Disney-owned animation studios have historically been divided.

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Widows (2018) Review

Widows Review

3.5 out of 4 stars (3.5 / 4)

A twisted labyrinth of a heist thriller that will hijack your notions of the genre and throttle you with surprise after surprise.

After directing 2014’s Academy Award Best Picture winner, 12 Years a Slave, acclaimed director Steve McQueen could have followed up with virtually any type of film he so desired. Despite focusing on quiet, historical dramas in the past, McQueen has taken a surprising left turn with his decision to adapt an acclaimed but somewhat obscure 1980s British TV show about a group of widows who inherit their criminal husbands’ problems. At a glance, a more adult version of Ocean’s 8 appears to be an odd choice. Perhaps this is why the director presents a short intro video before the film where he reveals that Widows has been a passion project of his for some time and he is overjoyed to finally present it to the world. Ultimately, this passion is evident in the finely crafted end product, as it becomes evident that the surprising choice of a project is the perfect precursor for a consistently unpredictable ride, as McQueen has created a heist film unlike any other.

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Critical Divide: Why ‘House of Cards’ Season 6 is Collapsing for Many Viewers

House of Cards Season 6 Poster

The 5 Key Reasons Audiences and Critics are Divided on the Final Season

Despite being made available almost two weeks ago now, there appears to still be quite a bit of chatter regarding the sixth and final season of Netflix’s flagship program House of Cards. When news first came out that Season 6 would have a reduced episode count and proceed without Kevin Spacey in the key role as former President Frank Underwood, many longtime fans were rightfully concerned about the quality of the show dipping. While it would be a mischaracterization to say that critics are head over heels for the latest season, they have collectively been more inclined to praise the merits of it, with the Metacritic score and Rotten Tomatoes score seeing an improvement from last year.

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Overlord (2018) Review

Overlord Review

2.5 out of 4 stars (2.5 / 4)

Overlord is loaded with fun and gory B-movie thrills (with impressive cinematography and production design to boot), even if the film leaves little in the way of surprises.

Overlord, directed by Julius Avery, is an American War Horror film, and the mishmash of genres alone should clue the audience into what they can expect regarding the film’s audacious intentions. When the retro title card is displayed at the top of the film’s intro, it is clear that Overlord isn’t shy about its objective to evoke classic B-movie thrills, not unlike Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 double feature team up, Grindhouse. Unlike the exploitative low budget B-movies that served as the film’s inspiration, Overlord is paradoxically filled with impressive cinematography and eye-catching production design (thanks to a healthy dependence on practical effects).

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The Girl in the Spider’s Web Review

The Girl in the Spider's Web Review

3 out of 4 stars (3 / 4)

Claire Foy’s vulnerably fierce performance and the film’s fast-paced action in a visually striking setting make for a worthwhile vehicle for the iconic Salander character, even if it doesn’t hold a candle to Fincher’s 2011 masterpiece.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web is (confusingly) the film adaptation of the fourth Millennium series novel as well a sequel to the 2011 U.S. version of the premiere novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. When the news first hit that Sony had decided to skip two of the books in the series and essentially wipe the board clean with a new director and a new cast, it was alarming for fans to say the least. Continue reading “The Girl in the Spider’s Web Review”

Should Hollywood Rely on the Power of the Reboot?

GWDT Reboot

3 Reasons Why Studios Should Reconsider Pressing the Reset Button for Waning Franchises.

On the surface, the recent success of Halloween(2018) appears to be another instance of Hollywood salvaging a once captivating franchise by rebooting and erasing everything save for the beloved premiere entry. The film’s resonance with audiences in the form of earning more revenue at the box office than any other sequel to the 1978 original (and at a cost-effective budget to boot) serves as evidence that rebooting past properties is one of the most potent storytelling tools in a movie studio’s arsenal. More and more film franchises are becoming reliant on this technique. Just this week we will see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series receive a “soft” reboot of sorts, as despite featuring the same characters from the American 2011 Fincher film, The Girl in the Spider’s Web will have all new actors and will skip the two sequels of the original story.

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