Black Panther (2018)

After the events in Civil War, T’Challa returns to Wakanda to be crowned king, in place of his late father. As he is conflicted with being a superior king and fixing past mistakes, the ghost of his father’s past comes back in the form of Eric Stevens, aka Killmonger, who aims to bring Wakanda more into the rest of the world.

Back in the 90’s, after the possibility of comic book movies showed a brighter future, thanks to Tim Burton’s Batman films, Marvel had been desperate to try and get a successful movie out in movie theatres. Despite having failures with Howard the Duck, The Fantastic Four, and The Punisher, the team was eager to do a film adaptation of the Black Panther, especially when they had blockbuster star, Wesley Snipes, eager to play the lead. However, after numerous turn downs, mostly because it got confused for a film about the Black Panther political party, not the superhero, as well as conflicting issues between Snipes and directors approached, like John Singleton, pre-production lasted up until Marvel went bankrupt and the film was put on hold; since then, Snipes left the project, but eventually got to be in a successful superhero franchise, in the form of the Blade Trilogy.

            With the MCU’s tenth anniversary knocking at their door this May, we only have one more film before we see the Avengers return for their Infinity War. And after finally getting his big screen debut in Captain America: Civil War and having to wait through Spiderman’s recycled filler bag, it seemed like the world was really excited for the highly anticipated and long desired, Black Panther.

The hype for this film was through the roof all over the world, and with very good intention. What we were looking at with Black Panther, wasn’t just going to be the typical Marvel Studios superhero movie that we’ve seen before; we’re diving into cultures that have yet to have a respectable presentation brought to them, that wasn’t just foreign criminals. Not only that, but you’ve got both a predominantly black cast and a black successful film maker, Ryan Coogler, fresh off of Creed and Fruitvale Station helming the movie.

Does the film live up to its hype? For the most part, I say yes. Black Panther is not only a damn good addition to Marvel’s caliber, but it’s the best first solo superhero film they’ve given since Captain America: The First Avenger. Ryan Coogler beautifully illustrates an image of Africa that just looks so fascinating and beautiful; Wakanda depicts a perfect balance between past and future culture, and the sci-fi element of it never feels out of place from what we’ve seen before from the MCU. Along with the cinematography by Rachel Morrison, you truly can breathe in all of the wonder that’s captured in frame. Even in the social commentary part, discussing Wakanda’s involvement politically, does get brought up quite often, and it never felt preachy, which is surprising, since that was one of the biggest problems that Wesley Snipes had with his production. It makes sense, considering Marvel Studios has mostly focused on comedy and action, so to have a film that has a bit more of the calmer tones and drama, it feels rewarding to get something different.

Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa is once again fantastic. What I love about his character that separates him from most of the other Marvel heroes, is that we aren’t focusing on another snarky, sarcastic, asshole, who quips with almost everyone he talks to; T’Challa is of royalty in a sacred country, he takes himself and his position very seriously, and with how sudden he has to take charge after losing his dad, you constantly see the guilt and responsibility that’s been bestowed upon him, and he does make it clear that he may not be ready, but will not cower down. However, while Boseman does give a memorable performance, his character isn’t as interesting as he was. It didn’t really feel like there was a set goal for him, up until halfway through the movie.

This brings us to Killmonger, and…I’m laying it here, this is the MCU’s best villain since Loki. Both of them are outsiders, they both are connected with a royal family, in a land beyond normal reach, and the hero is another family member, but one of them wishes for their people to be more involved with the rest of the world, whereas the other wants to lead father’s path. Sure I’m diving into this deep, but you can’t help but point them out; but instead of a Frost Giant raised as a Norse God, we have a royal who was left on the streets of a country that doesn’t have the same kind of hospitality that other nations had. And Michael B. Jordan’s performance is his best since Creed. He truly is the real star of this show, and considering this is his third main role in a Ryan Coogler film, it would make sense that Coogler would know how to bring out his best; plus, after Jordan’s last comic book movie, I bet he’s thrilled to have ONE good one on his resume. The supporting cast all do great as well; Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, T’Challa’s spy love interest, Danai Gurira was absolutely badass as Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya (recent Oscar nominee for Get Out) as W’Kabi, the head security and T’Challa’s best friend, is also fantastic, Foresti Whitaker, Angela Basset, and Winston Duke as some of the leaders are also great as well. Martin Freeman also returns as Everett Ross, but this time has a lot more to do in the film, especially in the climax.

In terms of complaints, some of the CGI, especially in a falling scene, felt like it still need finishing; although, coming off of Justice League, and the heavy use of effects they did for that $300 million mess, it’s not that much of a bother to me. The only cast member who I felt was underused was Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue; he wasn’t bad, but it felt like he was being rushed out of the movie. It felt like they had two different ideas for what they wanted to do with a Black Panther movie and a sequel, but decided to do both, in case they didn’t get a sequel…well, considering the film has crossed the $500 million mark, and is still climbing the box office strong, I feel like Disney would definitely want a sequel if it means money.

Also, this is more of a nitpick, but with the end credits scene, you’re not missing much; while I am glad that they’re doing less of the referencing and “build-up” for future movies, I was hoping maybe they would save that for the end credits scene more, like maybe they would reveal the final infinity stone, since Infinity War is next. Again, just a nitpick, but that doesn’t affect the movie.

Overall, if you haven’t seen Black Panther, then I highly suggest you do when it comes out. Even from just a visual standpoint, it’s worth seeing on a big screen; the scope of this film, the story we follow, the contrasting battles between hero and villain, the messages and themes of being the proper successor that people need, and just the vast way in which they show a futuristic African country is absolutely gorgeous. Ryan Coogler, once again, delivers a solid movie.

Rating: A-

Early Man

            Before Tim Burton and Henry Selick made the world of stop-motion animated movies more mainstream, one company that always comes to mind that perfects it is Aardman Animation. This British company has put out some of the most imaginative and darkly fitting animated shorts that really left an impact on me as a kid, but that’s not to say they had their soft side. Thanks to Nick Park, one of their many talents, the world has been introduced to many amazing works such as Creature Comforts, Shaun the Sheep, and the always likable, Wallace & Gromit. They always bring such a quirky but comfortable presence to each of their shorts, in that delightful manner that always brings a smile to my face.

            Aardman has explored into the world of feature films before, but Nick Park has only brought himself to directing three: Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and his newest release, Early Man. The film follows Dug, a young caveman who pines for the tribe to hunt for bigger food. When the people of the bronze age come claiming their land, they must compete in a game of football (soccer) in order to win their home back. In other words, think Space Jam meets The Croods. That last part isn’t actually far from the truth, but we’ll get to that later on.

Now I will say this, I thought the movie was good, but I wouldn’t say it’s Nick Park’s strongest work. But before we get into that, let’s talk about what this film does right. Starting off, the animation is wonderful; seeing a stop-motion film in theaters is one thing, but when you have Aardman bringing it to life, there’s something nostalgic about it that truly makes me feel like a toddler again. Each of the characters has something distinct about their looks to really make you point them out from a distance. And while they do tend to use CGI in some spots, the highlights are when you see the sculpted figures, because it just feels real. I also love the sense of humor it has; while it is mostly caveman puns, I still found myself chuckling at it due to the cast’s delivery. They even throw in some more subtle jokes, or ones that have the perfect amount of buildup to them, and each time it makes me laugh.

The voice cast, while having on-screen talents, are still really good. Each of them feels like they’re having a field day with balancing a sense of class, with some of the more darkly funny moments you don’t expect. The two biggest highlights were with the hero and his villain. Eddie Redmayne portrays the protagonist, Dug, and he really gives a remarkable performance. In fact, I’m going to be honest, I thought it was Rob Paulsen doing the voice; Redmayne’s inflection, some of the ways he delivered his dialogue in some spots, it literally sounded like Pinky from Pinky and the Brain. I might be the only who thought that, but feel free to disagree. The other, is Tom Hiddleston as Lord Nooth, who plays him like a very snooty French king. On paper, he’s not an interesting character, but Hiddleston puts so much into his delivery, that even on some weaker jokes, he managed to make it funny. He definitely made this one of the funniest villains in recent animation.

            This film has had some comparisons made with the previous cave man animated movie, The Croods, and they’re not wrong to assume that. Originally, the film was set to be a collaborative effort with Dreamworks, and it was announced back in 2007; however, after their contract was up, both studios went their separate ways with the concepts. Which one do I prefer? Well, while Early Man has more effort put into the animation, being stop-motion and all, I have to admit The Croods is the better movie all together. Looking back at it, The Croods took me off guard with how serious it took the themes of change in one’s world and conquering fears of the unknown world is a deeply strong message that can also inspire kids to discover the world more. The message in Early Man that I took was be willing to look past history, and learn from the mistakes caused by greed and fame; it’s good, but I just felt The Croods was stronger.

Not only that, but the main issues I have with Early Man have to do with the story and pacing. The bridging between acts two to three just felt slow and relatively uninteresting. I mean, the way Nooth tricks Dug into surrendering just feels out of character for Dug was building things up to. It felt like the film was supposed to end twenty minutes ago, but they needed something to pad out to just barely under the 90-minute mark. And after recently re-watching Shaun the Sheep, and seeing how excellent the pacing and importance each scene carried, this was too noticeable to ignore.

Overall, is Early Man a film I would recommend? Considering Aardman doesn’t get enough credit as is, absolutely. Even with its weaker products, much like Pixar, Aardman Animation just has such charm and likability to it, that it’s hard for me to call bad. With enough likable characters and solidly performed humor, you get invested so much in the story, that the some of the faults are worth it. I know that Black Panther is out this weekend, but I do highly suggest going out to this one as well, when you get the chance.

Rating: B+

Call Me By Your Name

            As I’ve been catching up on some of the big name movies that are up for the Academy Awards, I wanted to take a moment to focus on a contender that has a lot to do with this month in particular. February means Valentine’s Day for a lot of people out there, so when seeking out a romantic escape from reality, you want to have the perfect movie to settle down into. And this year, the Academy Awards has some big forbidden love stories nominated this year; with a major one being the critically praised, Call Me By Your Name.

            Set in Northern Italy in the year 1983, an archeology professor invites an American graduate student named Oliver to come work as his assistant. While there, Oliver and the professor’s son, Elio, start to form a blooming relationship with a sort of “will they, won’t they” conflict to them.

            Currently, this film has been nominated for some heavy categories at the Oscars, including Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Lead Actor for Timothee Chalamet as Elio. A majority of the praise comes from just how the romance between Elio and Oliver develops throughout the film, despite the age difference between them. And many say that this feels like a truly revolutionary coming-of-age love story about sexual discovery.

However, upon further observation, Call Me By Your Name not only doesn’t live up to the kind of impact Moonlight left on me, this movie doesn’t even deserve to call itself Oscar worthy. I know I’m going to piss almost everyone off when I say this, but Call Me By Your Name to me, ended up as just being this year’s “Oscar Gay Movie.” It was what people addressed Moonlight and Brokeback Mountain as, and it’s what this movie is, only it just degrades itself into the clichéd boring art house melodrama that nobody gives a shit about. Disregarding the fact that these two were different age ranges and two guys, there’s nothing that interesting I found about either Elio or Oliver. And I don’t think part of that’s to blame on the script, as James Ivory is a brilliant writer, with his adaptation of Howard’s End being a shining example of his work; I just feel like the film’s editing and pacing make the story feel padded out heavily. Sure, the cinematography is beautiful, but there are so many tracking shots that make the film feel like an eternity to get to; you could have edited this down by forty minutes, and it would have been easier to sit through.

            As for the performances, the only actor I didn’t like in this was Timothee Chalamet; granted, I liked him in Lady Bird as the poetic douche boyfriend, but he’s so lifeless in this. He just looks so bored to be there, like he doesn’t even realize that he’s supposed to be in character. Whenever I see him with Armie Hammer or Michael Stuhlberg, you can clearly see that they’re on a completely different level than him. I don’t exactly know if that was how he was directed, but something was clearly off here. Maybe if they had gotten someone like Dylan Minnette, Logan Lerman, or Darce Montgomery, they might have brought something to this character that was supposed to be there.

            I’m sure there are people out there praising the movie as one of the most heartfelt stories they’ve seen, and more power to you if you believe that. I tried to like this, but I can’t see this as anything other than the same Oscar bait love story we’ve seen before; just because it’s with a man and boy, doesn’t change how pretentious it is. It’s not among the worst films I’ve seen this year, but it is still one of the worst Best Picture nominated films I’ve seen in a while.

Rating: D+