She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Review

*I know nothing about the original comic book on which the show is based. This review is strictly about the series.

In life, and in writing, when one door closes, another opens. Just because one storyline has been completed does not mean that there is room to take a connective narrative in new directions.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered a few days ago on DisneyPlus.

Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is a thirty-something lawyer who is doing her best to get ahead in her career. Then she gets into a car accident, which changes everything. In the passenger seat is Jennifer’s cousin, Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

As a result of this accident, Jennifer turns into a She-Hulk, creating new problems. In addition to her job and her personal life, she is now officially a superhero and must save the world.

So far, I really like this series. It is funny, action-packed, and Maslany as the title character is fantastic. It speaks to the fact that many women (regardless of their romantic or familial status) are balancing multiple aspects of whatever is part of our daily lives.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will be released on Thursday on Disneyplus.

P.S. There is a post-credit scene that is worth waiting for.

Advertisement

Throwback Thursday: The Avengers (2012)

There is nothing like a superhero origin story. When done well, it opens the doors to limitless narrative possibilities.

Back in 2012, The Avengers hit theaters.

Following the events of Thor (2011), Earth is invaded by Thor‘s (Chris Hemsworth) adopted brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). His goal is to rule over humanity. Standing in his way is Thor, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/ Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Clinton Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

The Avengers is so good. The actors are perfectly cast, the balance between the narrative and the action is perfect and it is just so much fun to watch.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Throwback Thursday: Spotlight (2015)

The purpose of religious observance is to provide community and structure to the ins and outs of our daily lives. That does not mean, however, that some within the clergy will use their power for less than honorable means.

The 2015 film, Spotlight, tells the story of how a group of journalists at the Boston Globe discovered that the Catholic Archdiocese was covering up a decades long child molestation scandal. Led by Michael Keaton, the team includes Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Brian d’Arcy James. Taking place over the course of a year, the audience is taken on a journey to uncover the truth and the lengths that were taken to cover up what the church would have preferred to remain hidden.

When this movie originally came out six years ago, I tried to see it in the theater. There is a reason why it was sold out. It is gripping, intelligent, and a bare knuckle ride from start to finish. This is why we go to the movies. It is also a reminder of why journalism is so important and can never be overlooked.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Avengers: Endgame Review

Note: This review will be as spoiler free as possible.

The final film in any film series should pack an emotional punch, ramp up the drama and end with the feeling that the audience has seen everything that they need to see.

After months of buildup and expectation, Avengers Endgame premiered this weekend.

Starting off where Avengers: Infinity War ended, the film begins with a feeling of grief. After their numbers of have been decimated by Thanos (Josh Brolin), the surviving Avengers are not themselves. The loss of their friends and colleagues has cast a pall over the team. But Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) may have the resolution to their problem. But the plan is dangerous and has the possibility to not be completed as expected.

Can Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/ The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and  Scott Lang/Ant-Man bring back the lost Avengers or are they doomed for failure?

If there any definitive comic book super hero movie, Avengers: Endgame is it. Despite it’s 3 hour-ish run, it is not boring, predictable or has the feeling that some scenes could have been left for the extras section of the DVD. It has plenty humor, heart pounding action, feels emotionally authentic and has an ending that feels just perfect.

I also loved that the female Avengers were given just as much screen time and ability to kick ass as their male counterparts.

I absolutely recommend it. I also absolutely recommend that you use the bathroom before going into the theater. Trust me, you do not want to miss a moment of this film.

Avengers: Endgame is presently in theaters. 

Flashback Friday-Rumor Has It… (2005)

Family history is a curious thing, especially when it inspires a well-known story.

In the 2005 film, Rumor Has It…, Sarah (Jennifer Aniston) and Jeff (Mark Ruffalo) are a newly engaged coupled. Sarah introduces Jeff to her family when they go to California for her sister’s wedding. During the visit to California, Jeff infers that Sarah’s father, Earl (Richard Jenkins) is not her biological father. Enter Beau (Kevin Costner), a successful author who may have had affairs concurrently with Sarah’s late mother and grandmother Katherine (Shirley MacLaine) back in the day. This leads Sarah to believe that the 1967 film, The Graduate is more than fiction. Like her mother and grandmother, Sarah falls for Beau’s charms, but she may end up losing Jeff in the process.

This film is an interesting one. It’s not exactly the typical romantic comedy, but it also does not use it’s source material as much as it could have.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Thor: Ragnarok Movie Review

*Warning: this review contains mild spoilers. Read at your own risk.

A sequel of a sequel of a superhero movie walks a fine line. It has to be entertaining, but it also has to extend the narrative and the character arc in a way that feels right to both the universe and the characters.

Two weeks ago, Thor: Ragnarok hit theaters.  Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is no longer of this world. His previously unknown first child, Hela (Cate Blanchett), otherwise known as the Goddess of Death has returned from exile to return Asgard to the way it was before her exile. But to do this, she has to make sure that her brothers, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are out-of-the-way. They find themselves in another world where Thor is a gladiator and fighting against The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). This world is ruled by Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), who might be crazy. With the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Thor, Loki and The Hulk might be able to defeat Hela and save Asgard.

If there was a proper way to do a second sequel, especially for a movie which is based on a comic book, this film is the blueprint. It is funny, entertaining  and takes the narrative and characters in new directions without feeling stale or overproduced. And of course, the two female characters, played by Tessa Thompson and Cate Blanchett are amazing. They contribute to the narrative, both standing on their own two feet and neither relying on the stereotypical female caricatures that exist in the genre.

I absolutely recommend it.

Thor: Ragnarok is presently in theaters. 

 

 

The Best Movies Of 2014

2014 has been a very interesting movie going year for me. While I did not see any movies that would substantiate a worst movies of 2014 list, there have been more than a few that are vying for best movie of 2014.

Honorable Mentions

5. Noah-While this movie tried, it lived up to the title of biblical disaster for several reasons.

4. Get On Up– A biopic is always more interesting when the audience gets to know the whole person, warts and all.  However, that doesn’t mean there can’t be a few scenes that can be saved for the extra’s portion of the DVD.

3. Monuments Men– I like this untold World War II stories, but there was something lacking.

2. Wish I Was Here– A realistic view of adulthood that felt a little too real.

1. Begin Again– Keira Knightley, breaking from her previous BPD (British Period Drama) roles and Mark Ruffalo as a disgraced music exec.

And now the fun begins. (Drum roll please) The top 5 movies of 2014 are….

5. Tie between Philomena and Maleficent– Two women who must go on a journey to re-discover their pasts and who they are.

4. Tie Between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days Of Future Past– Two excellent comic book movies which could easily stand on their own, but fit in perfectly with the rest of the genre.

3. Belle– A BPD with a woman of color and an engaging true story.

2. The Theory Of Everything– The life story of Stephen Hawking.

1. Ida– This movie is story telling at it’s best.

There you have it folks. My list of the best movies of 2014. See you next year.

Begin Again Review

There is an old saying: when one door closes, another opens.

Begin Again is about new beginnings and unexpected possibilities.

Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is a disgraced record music executive going through a mid life crisis. He has been fired from the label he started, his relationship with his wife Miriam (Catherine Keener) and his daughter, Violet (Hailee Steinfeld) has been going down hill for years. Greta (Keira Knightley) has been with her boyfriend, Dave (Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine) for 5 years. Both singer-songwriters, Dave has been given a record deal and takes advantage of all the opportunities he has with his record deal. But with the record deal, comes the temptations and the loss of relationships, including his relationship with Greta. Greta has been friends with Steve (James Corden). He offers her a place to stay after her break up and encourages her to sing at an open mic night. Drowning his sorrows in whisky, Dan has a vision of Greta’s song played with a full band.

I enjoyed this movie. Breaking from the BBC, dark, period drama type of roles, Knightley’s Greta is on a journey from heartbreak to  triumph; her singing voice is good. Ruffalo’s Dan is on a parallel journey. Levine, in his screen debut, is surprisingly good. I love that this movie was shot completely in New York City, providing a realistic backdrop.

I recommend this movie.

 

Now You See Me- Maybe, Maybe Not

With the summer movie season upon us, the movie studios have begun to present to us what they hope to be their best movies until the award season begins.

One of the movies released this weekend is “Now You See Me”.

The movie opens and introduces the audience to four street magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harelson and Dave Franco) whose combined talents have been made into a large scale magic show in Las Vegas. They have chosen a random audience member and with a teleportation device, have transported him to Paris to transfer the money from his local bank to the audience.

But all is not as it seems when the FBI and Interpol (Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent) begin to believe that these magicians are actually con artists and thieves.

The premise of this movie is interesting, but the plot is a bit convuluted and the movie is a little long. It’s not completely horrible, but a little tweaking of the screenplay and a little more editing of the movie might have helped. The plot in the beggining of the movie is also a little slow, it didnt really pick up until a third of the way into the movie.

It’s a shame, I was looking forward to this movie, but I can only give 5 and 1/2 out of ten stars.