The Suicide Squad

Let's just put it upfront now: Beebo still rules! iykyk

And secondly, making something better than its precursor (or previous incarnation...or prequel...or whatever you may want to call it) does not automatically make it good. 

Undeniably, James Gunn's version of Task Force X aka the eponymous Suicide Squad was a lot more fun than David Ayer's 2016 embarrassment. For starters, at least it did not take itself too seriously and embraced the violence and psychosis that comes with having villains as leads. However, Gunn - for all his stylistic choice and Guardians of the Galaxy-esque needle drops - still bordered on being too safe and generic (read: commercially) friendly. 

The film's irreverence was mostly irrelevant; it never pushed any boundary and only flirted with being biting or dark or edgy.  The humour was juvenile at best with most jokes barely landing and setups seen miles away. As for the violence it was not as gratuitous as its much-publicised R/M18 rating would suggest. In actual fact, other than moments of excessive violence played mainly for laughs, the film was rather tame. 

Then we come to the plot itself. At 132 minutes long it could have jolly well lost approximately 15 to 20 minutes (all that wasted Peter Capaldi as The Thinker subplot) if we were being generous.  Gunn's screenplay meandered too much in its first two acts, busying itself with setups that never really paid off other then so that he could include one or two "cool" scenes. Yes, granted the scenes were cool and obviously Margot Robbie is a big - and effortlessly charismatic - star, but constant repetition with nothing new gets old and this is already Robbie's third outing as Harley Quinn. 

Further, just like the gags, a lot of the plot was predictable with only one genuine plot twist that happened in the first act. Thereafter, the story just felt rote and familiar all the way to the big, climatic showdown which scored points for a surprisingly emotional heel turn that was well earned and paid off earlier dues. The end also some good laughs and sight gags, and an interesting, albeit not too surprising - again - final takedown.

Honestly, if you have seen television's D.C. Legends of Tomorrow, seeing Starro the Conqueror is no big deal. Starro is nothing compared to Beebo!

Lastly, we got to talk about the cast. This was a definition of a mixed bag. Individually, most of the squad members worked. The biggest sore thumb was John Cena (ask Peacemaker) who still cannot act and we cannot just blame it on Gunn's direction. While the biggest surprises were David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man) and Daniela Melchior (Ratcatcher 2). The latter held the emotional heart and core of the film, and really should have been the audience surrogate; and the former gave the best comedic performance - wry and dry and ultimately Tragic. 

However as a team, they lacked cohesion and chemistry. Their group scenes lacked sizzle and pizzazz with the bantering falling flat and clunky. But in certain pairings they found their grooves: Joel Kinnaman and Robbie, Dastmalchian and Melchior, and Idris Elba and Viola Davis. 

Wow! That last pairing was absolutely the best scene of the film. That was a masterclass in acting. Raw, emotional and terrifying without any superpowers displayed. Again, pity it happened within the first 30 minutes. But, seriously, get Elba and Davis in a room together again! How about the new James Bond and M?

Oh, also, long live King Shark! Nom nom nom...

Music was by John Murphy and cinematography Henry Braham, and neither aspects will likely be getting much accolades come awards season. As for the constant needle-dropping throughout, Gunn's taste here seemed a lot more eclectic with less pop-friendly choices but did its job to spice up the action sequences.

The Suicide Squad was no John Wick, and to be honest, if you were expecting a Deadpool-esque, GOTG/Avengers mashup, then you would be sorely disappointed. However, taking it for what it is, it was a fairly enjoyable romp but ultimately may be just as forgettable as its predecessor.

Old

After all these years, M. Night Shyamalan still remained almost divisive as ever. However, the one constant throughout his career is that his films/projects all have an interesting - sometimes fascinating - concept. It is usually the execution and delivery that makes or breaks a Shyamalan film. 

And in Old, which was based on a Swiss graphic novel, the central conceit was tantalising and Shyamalan's direction, and camerawork with Mike Gioulakis were highly effective in capturing the tension, foreboding and dread. However, it absolutely failed in the writing (screenplay credited to Shyamalan) and the acting. 

Firstly, the direction here was really good. Shyamalan managed to capture my interest with a mystery box thriller and the narrative clipped along at a good pace. At only 108 minutes long, this was efficient storytelling. The mystery box was slowly revealed but, like all good J.J. Abrams shows, never fully explained which was acceptable if you have already conceded to the genre. Genre-fans just want a plausible ending the befitted the story's internal logic, and in this sense, Old succeeded. Further, Shyamalan ratchet up the thrill factor with innovative camerawork, camera choices and editing, and not just relying on shock and scare tactics. 

However, for all the good the directorial work did, the dialogue brought it all back crashing down. The screenplay was atrociously clunky and heavy-handed, with characters laden with exposition rather than reflection. 

And then we have the acting which bordered on amateurish and caricature-like especially when the usually talented actors were asked to deliver clunkers. We know Gael Garcia Bernal and Rufus Sewell to be better actors than this. Perhaps, only Thomasin McKenzie and Alex Wolff came out unscathed from this (and maybe Eliza Scanlen too). Shyamalan should have focused more of the film on the children.

It might have been truly better - and perhaps even more innovative - if Shyamalan had directed this a la A Quiet Place, Bird Box or even Sound of Metal. The psychological dread, so masterfully triggered by the directing, could have been amplified to the n-th degree with the absence of one of the senses. A few of the best scenes in Old were just like that. Although, if maintained for a whole film, Shyamalan might be accused of being unoriginal. 

Old had a very interesting concept and I can see this being a very successful television series (mini or otherwise). There is a very strong Lost vibe to it and with better writing - and a great cast - this could have been another M. Night Shyamalan success story. But for now, it will likely languish with the likes of The Village and Glass. At least it was not as bad as The Happening or After Earth.

Gunpowder Milkshake

A deliciously campy action-comedy that never took itself too seriously and - most importantly - does not ask its audience to do so too. Director and co-writer Navot Papushado understood that the main mission was to deliver entertaining fun and he accomplished it. Armed with an outstanding cast that seemed to be having fun and a paper thin, generic script that only served as the backbone to hang on the stylish fight sequences choreographed against groovy tunes, long takes and slow-mos, Gunpowder Milkshake was a delightful near 2-hours romp (though it could stand to loose maybe 10 to 15 minutes).

The film was peppered with enough dark self-awareness to be funny but, for better or worse, it never did give itself a chance to develop an emotional core deep enough for us to care. What we cared about was just the undeniable likability of the cast and the chemistry between them. 

Karen Gillan - my, my, how our custard-dipping, fish fingers-eating Amy Pond has grown! - was charismatic enough to lead the ensemble. She has the dramatic chops but unfortunately not much was called of it here. Fortunately, she had an easy chemistry with young Chloe Coleman - talented and a standout - which helped to sell the film's flimsy central conceit. And further, thankfully, she did make for a convincing-enough professional assassin, ably kicking asses and giving sass. The latter definitely helped the film move along. Especially when Lena Headey came into the picture.

Ah...Headey aka Cersei. We wished you had channeled more of Cersei's badassery. She and Gillan made a good pair and their banter felt natural. However, Headey did not have much action sequences to show off other than holding some sort of firearms. If she was just gonna be sauntering and standing around, the writers might as well give her some delicious lines to swish around - or spit out - like fine wine. 

As good as some of the action sequences were and two great ones comes to mind: two early scenes with Gillan at a bowling alley and the doctor's office. What this film really lacked was the visceral hand-to-hand combat that many male-fronted action flicks seemed to have. Other than the aforementioned two scenes, most of the action sequences were mainly gunfights with some interspersed hand combat. But what a waste considering that you have Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino in your cast. No disrespect to Angela Bassett, but Yeoh and Gugino have more action creds.

Actually, Yeoh, Gugino and Bassett were ultimately kind of under utilised. Their scenes were standouts and as characters, they were a lot more interesting than Gillan's and Headey's. The Powers That Be ought to consider a prequel about them three a la The King's Man, i.e. The Librarians.

Cinematography was by Michael Seresin and that bowling alley sequence was awesome! As was the final diner one. Music was by Frank Ilfman and his score complemented that the rollicking tunes that punctuated many of the fight scenes.

Gunpowder Milkshake was a campy, fun watch that understood its purpose and gamely delivered on its promise of an entertaining, unserious romp.

Black Widow [IMAX]

Finally after being delayed a whole year, the MCU's official Phase 4 film entry arrived in theatre. However, to be exact, the Disney+ shows started the ball rolling a couple of months earlier and they all do sort of tie-in together. There is a through line in what Kevin Feige and co seemed to want to achieve.

Directed by Australian Cate Shortland, with a story by Jac Shaeffer (recently of WandaVision fame) and Ned Benson (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby), and a screenplay by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok), the behind the scenes pedigree gave Black Widow a certain level of expectations which it reached, but not necessarily exceed. 

From the opening sequence to the opening credits, Black Widow already felt different from all the preceding MCU films. After the high octane intensity that culminated in Endgame, this felt like a soft reboot of the entire franchise. A chance for the MCU to breathe and to re-calibrate itself. In that sense, it seemed either like an extended epilogue to the Infinity Saga, or a prologue to the next 20-odd films.

And again, in that vein, it made sense for this film to come out first, followed by WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki.

Shortland's direction was clean and precise, and with cinematographer Gabriel Beristain, the film had a warm, familial feel, albeit that of an oddly estranged - sometimes psychopathic - family. Familial ties was a strong, constant theme throughout but thankfully it was not too heavy-handed or relentlessly hammered in. 

The action sequences had their moments, but other than the big climatic, VFX-heavy finale, most of the others lacked visceral energy or tension. This was especially so since we know that Natasha Romanoff cannot possibly die in this film. But it remained disappointing since she was supposed to be a hand-to-hand combat expert.

Black Widow was a great star vehicle for Scarlett Johansson. She anchored the film and the story allowed the Oscar-nominated actress to simultaneously flex her acting and literal muscles. It even allowed Romanoff to have moments of levity, not last seen since the Joss Whedon days. 

It definitely helped that the core supporting cast were equally outstanding and propped Johansson up. Their on-screen chemistry was great, although all that faux (and so inconsistent!!) Russian accents were extremely grating. It occupied almost 75% of the whole film. Thankfully, Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Rachel Weisz had immense talent to power through it and created distinct characters that overcame their overbearing accents.

Pugh was a standout and is clearly lined-up for bigger things at the MCU. But in what way, who knows. The post-credits scene - definitely more impactful if it had came out before The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - seemed to suggest she would either play a role in a future Disney+ show or possibly a larger Avengers-esque mash-up. Nonetheless, Pugh continued her rise to stardom with a showcase that displayed both a strong physicality and emotional grit. But why couldn't she stick to her natural British accent like Johansson in her American? I guess her backstory was more an assassin than spy.

Harbour, surprisingly, brought the laughs. And they were genuinely good laughs. Almost veering on slapstick but thankfully based on some deranged form of honest sincerity. 

And Weisz too had a deadpanned humour oddly similar to her stint on The Favourite. She should do more black comedy.

Music was scored by the prolific Lorne Balfe and like most the MCU films, the score remained mostly technical and generic. It moved the narrative and bolstered the emotional resonance, but nothing beyond. Although towards the end, the Avengers theme reminded us that that was the only piece of iconic music throughout the MCU's history.

Black Widow was a fun watch. Although it was not necessary to watch on IMAX, the huge screen and terrific sound system was a bonus. With the post-credits scene, and the already announced upcoming Disney+/MCU shows, the MCU looks set to continue to dominate pop culture.

In The Heights

 

An exuberant and highly infectious celebration of life and a great return back to cinemas! Featuring a charismatic Anthony Ramos and a highly singalong-able soundtrack by Lin-Manual Miranda, In the Heights was a highly entertaining delight! By no means was it a perfect film - or musical - but it was a poignant reminder of the power of cinema to celebrate Life. 

Jon M. Chu did a great job injecting a visceral, kinetic energy to the big moments and these were delicious highlights! From the opening number to the catchy salon number, from the big pool sequence to the Carnivale del Barrio, these sequences were unbelievably infectious and simply made you want to jump up and dance (by the aisles!). These moments seemed destined for the big screen and they really transport you away from reality.

However, Chu may have lost sight in the smaller, more intimate moments. The quieter and more tender scenes did not really work. They just felt a lot duller. Partially it laid in the lack of emotional groundwork for the lead characters. The two romantic pairings felt superficial and unexplored. Their connection and their individual challenges were simply brushed through and not built upon. 

Not having seen the musical before, it was hard to know if it was an inherent problem of the stage production or a translation issue. The film, like the musical's book, was written by Quiara Algeria Hudes, and the central narrative just seemed a bit thin. And the songs by Miranda clearly showed the groundwork for his later smash hit Hamilton.

That being said, Olga Merediz's Abuela (a role she originated in the musical), was the heart and soul. Her story had the most significant emotional punch; I will not lie, but tears was shed. That was a sincerely powerful moment, and the film needed more of it. 

Ramos was a great lead actor and possessed a great voice. He practically oozed charisma and was a great character to follow and root for, but his chemistry with Melissa Barrera - as his love interest, Vanessa - was hit-and-miss. They have their moments but it never did culminate in fireworks.

On the other side we have Corey Hawkins with that silky, Broadway voice and Leslie Grace with her more contemporary pop vocals. Just like Ramos and Barrera, their chemistry was fleeting. 

Shout out to the salon ladies: Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi in the original Rent), Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa from Brooklyn-Nine-Nine) and Dascha Polanco (Daya from Orange is the New Black).

In the Heights was the ideal film to welcome back the post-pandemic cinema. A positive film that entertained and delighted. Cinema is not dead! Long, live the cinema!

Luca [Disney+]

A joyous and exuberant celebration of life, youth, friendship and la dolce vita. Simply executed and beautifully rendered by director Enrico Casarosa, this was a top tier Pixar animation. It may not have the big and ambitious thematic scopes like Inside Out or Soul, but it was highly reminiscent of classic, touching, Pixar like Toy Story and Coco. 

A simple, easy-to-understand story with lot of memorable and standout characters that was highly involving and emotionally resonant. It will surely speak to the children and entertain the adults.

The closest comparison to Luca would be last year's Onward. But where the latter faltered, the former shone. The chemistry and relationship between the two leads felt genuine and sincere. The joys and highs were palpable, and the lows and pains were well-earned. The town and the fantastical elements were gorgeously designed and created, and the inventive use of mixed animation style - a bit Soul-ish and Wolfwalkers-ish - was delightful and exciting. Even the score, by first time Pixar collaborator Dan Romer, was a lot more memorable than the ones by the Danna brothers for Onward.

In all, Luca just boldly embodied the carefree, joie de vivre - pardon my French - of its Italian setting. Everything felt looser, easier and less constrained by structure, and that translated beautifully to the screen, and, in turn, to the audience. 

Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer voiced our two intrepid young leads, and they were outstanding. Tremblay effortlessly captured the wide-eyed, innocent, naïveté that propelled his journey and allowed his sincerity and honesty to emanate through. Whereas Grazer, slightly older, had a rebellious edge to his voice that belied a need for acceptance and bonding relationships. It was not hard to imagine that their friendship was true.

Other standouts in the voice cast included Maya Rudolph and Sascha Baron Cohen. And Emma Berman as their female third-lead had an easy, infectious chemistry with our two boys. The code switching and interspersing of Italian throughout was a fun touch and will sure to get lots of kids - and adults - repeating them.

And let's give it up to Giuseppe, Mona Lisa and friends, and Machiavelli! LOL.

As mentioned, Romer's score was a standout. The Italian-Mediterranean tinged score was very fitting and it not only propelled the narrative but enveloped the audience into the environs. Each musical interlude was a highlight, and perhaps all that was lacking was a big, musical, sing-along number.

A pity that Disney decided not to put this up theatrically. Hopefully many people can watch this really good, tears-inducing, fun and funny, top notched animation! Stay till the end for a hilarious post-credits scene!

A Quiet Place Part II

 

A watchable and competent sequel to the original that held more thrills than scares. John Krasinski remained an effective director and his approach to presenting a story and editing did help to ratchet up the tension in two effective sequences. However, as a screenwriter, his storytelling lacked finesse. And even in a film that essentially had minimal dialogue the clunkiness was apparent. Krasinski asked his audience to suspend most logic and critical thinking, make wide and large assumptions, and just enjoy the ride. 

Thankfully, the ride was enjoyable and his stars were more than compelling and engaging. 

Blunt, having much less to do this round, took over as the pillar of strength and stoicism. 

But this film belonged to Millicent Simmonds. The last outing's MVP had been elevated to the main star of this film and she rose to the occasion. As the heart of the film, her thread was the A-plot and she was definitely a heroine that we were rooting to win. The only thing going against her was that it never really felt that she was in any kind of danger. 

[Spoiler Warning]

This was true for all the cast. They were never going to kill Blunt. Noah Jupe - the Jupe - made stupid (the stupidest!) decisions but his life was never in jeopardy. They were never going to kill a baby. So that left newcomer Cillian Murphy. 

Murphy was a welcomed addition to this cinematic family and he had an easy chemistry with Simmonds. Also, he exuded a similar 28 Days Later -like vibe which was oddly comforting for his role. The only way he would die was a heroic death a la Krasinski, but if Krasinski did so then the film would seemed more repetitive than it already is. 

[/End Spoiler]

The show's universe got expended a little more but not much new is glimpsed. The beats felt the same and the creatures/aliens felt as they were - maybe even a little less scary since we know what they are and how they looked like now. 

The prologue showed lots of promise in terms of the plot and Krasinski's directing, but just like the film itself, as exciting as it was, the end of the prologue was riddled with questions and doubts. Perhaps it would have been a lot more fun to spend more time in the past than in the future, building the foundation of this world a little bit more sturdier before aiming for the heavens.

Nonetheless, this was a good end-of-pandemic cinematic experience. A fun watch in the cinema with a crowd - albeit smaller than usual - and much better than the previous cinematic films like Tenet or WW84. Here is hoping Marvel will save the cinemas as it did on television recently.