Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Movie Review

Look, this summer season isn't particularly enjoyable in terms of the offerings. Big blockbusters, sequels, reboots, and all other sorts of rabble are sprinkled as far as February to December nowadays. I'ts delightful in that it means a moviegoer is guaranteed at least one big movie a month, but the plethora of weekly blockbusters seems to have dissipated. What's more, most of them aren't as good as they should be. Enter Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth entry in Disney's swashbuckling series. What should be an utter dud turns out to be a fun, two-hour distraction.

Johnny Depp returns to the role that made him stupid rich for another pseudo-historical adventure through the myth and mire of the high seas. Jack Sparrow, down on his luck and in need of some fortune, is recruited by a young boy named Henry Turner, in the hopes that Sparrow can free his father from the curse of the Flying Dutchman. Accompanying them is Carina Smith, an astronomer with the knowledge necessary to locating the Trident of Poseidon, an ancient tool said to have unimaginable power. Sparrow will need it to protect himself from Captain Salazar, a spirit on the hunt for Jack, with a thirst of revenge.

This plot is standard fare for the series, but the inclusion of a younger, eager generation to compliment Depp's somewhat tired Jack Sparrow is entertaining enough to keep a viewer engaged. The highlight is absolutely Javier Bardem's Captain Salazar, who's criminally underutilized in the film. His gravitas, demeanor, and command of whatever scene he's in is mesmerizing. It reminds me of Davy Jones in Dead Man's Chest. Bardem steals the show here. Additionally, Geoffrey Rush returns to play Captain Barbossa, but he doesn't do anything terrible inventive or new with the character. Yep, it seems like veterans came to do a more minimalist job with their roles, while the newcomers actually seemed to have fun.

Special-effects wise, I'm somewhat disappointed. Bardem and his ghost crew look astoundingly good, and the explosions of ships and sunken vessels are haunting, but from my understanding, this is a Pirates film that decided not to film on the open seas as past iterations had done. No, this is a shoot that had ships suspended in giant green screens. That's a big letdown for me, especially considering how one of the strengths of the series was that the audience felt like they were on the ships with the pirates. Now, it looks like a stage.

On a further note of disappointments, the writing isn't entirely as clever or original as it thinks it is. There's quite an abundance of chuckles, I must say. But again: they don't come from Jack Sparrow for the most part. Furthermore, concerning the script, there's an interesting amount of world-building and history-exploring done with the Jack Sparrow character. Alas, like this season's Transformers: The Last Knight, all world-building is done at a base level. Nothing is dug too deep. Of course, that would take away from the somewhat-mundane plot already established.

This is truly the best Pirates of the Caribbean movie in a good while. The action is fun, the new characters are enjoyable, and the return to the high seas is always a joy, especially in this franchise. Unfortunately, it's just too 'okay' to return the franchise to greatness.

 Rating: 7/10

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Movie Review

Could I be any later to the party?

Three years after the surprising and spellbinding adventure that was Guardians of the Galaxy, director James Gun and his colorful, ragtag cast of characters known as the Guardians of the Galaxy have returned for even more space hijinks and an incredibly more dramatic, personal tale of family. For those who have any doubts, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is definitely worth your time. It's a visual and visceral spectacle, with a compelling (albeit somewhat smaller) story to boot.

Just a short time after the Guardians have finished yet another bounty, due to the rapscallion nature of their ranks, they find themselves in trouble with an all-powerful civilization known as the Sovereign. In the midst of this trouble, Peter Quill's long-lost godlike father, Ego, comes to the rescue and picks up the Guardians in the hopes of passing onto Peter all of his knowledge. With him joins the simpleton newcomer Mantis, a being capable of great empathy. And on the other side of the galaxy, Yondu has to wrestle with his conscience of nobility and notoriety as the famous space pirate. There's a number of interesting moving pieces in this film, and while there are about 2 or 3 sub-plots to accompany the main story, one doesn't feel like they can't follow. Director James Gunn does an admirable job balancing these stories, as well as helping the established characters evolve. Where we had time to grow with Peter, Drax, and Rocket as individuals, there is a small, somewhat insignificant growth between the relationship of Gamora and her sister, Nebula. In all honestly, having Nebula in the movie, while a fun spectacle, isn't meaty enough to feel meaningful in any deep way. That being said, these characters are all still enjoyable to see return.

And on the note of onscreen visuals, this film is quite a sight. Where the previous Guardians of the Galaxy felt like somewhat traditional sci-fi fare, what this film treats us to is a colorful acid trip, filled with the delight of a 64-pack of Crayola crayons. The film's budget ranged somewhere around the 200 million USD range, and you can see every penny put on-screen. Fantastic space battles, extraordinary planets and landscapes, and spectacular creatures of a diverse range of sizes and shapes. I can't highlight enough how visually captivating this movie is, which is good, because after Doctor Strange, Marvel Studios had set themselves quite a high standard in terms of their special effects.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not without it's flaws, such as sometimes sporadic focus and a lack of equal, meaningful attention on all of the Guardian characters. But, as with every Marvel movie that has come out since Iron Man, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable time at the theaters.

Rating: 8.5/10

Daredevil Season 2 Review

I have to start finishing these reviews before the release of The Defenders on Netflix in August, and this one has been a long time coming.

Picking up shortly after the events of Daredevil Season 1, Season 2 breaks the narrative mold slightly by adopting the style of telling one story in the first half of the season, and concluding with another story for the last half of the season. The former is the conflict of Daredevil versus the Punisher, with the character conflict for our titular hero revolving around the question of if what Daredevil is doing is good enough, or too much. The second half constitutes Matt Murdock once again getting involved with an old flame named Elektra, and once again returning to a darker, more notorious life that he had left behind. The dichotomy of seasonal storytelling is certainly interesting, and it makes sense from the perspective of mirroring the inner conflict of Daredevil, but one can’t help but feel slightly disjointed or slighted. The story of the Punisher against the Daredevil is just so compelling, to have it end in an instance and swapped for something that is ultimately not as compelling is a bummer.

In terms of acting, we get some great performances, the standout of the season being Jon Bernthal as Punisher. I’ve always liked how the man can go to the dark places in order to pull out the dark character, but his take on Frank Castle brings it to another level. Determined, demented, and incredibly smart, this is by far the best iteration of the Punisher character. Charlie Cox is reliable as Matt Murdock, but I’ve always had an issue with the way he broods. The character himself broods, but Cox is clearly not a naturally broody type. When he’s a confident lawyer, it’s great to see, but if he’s trying to put on a growling voice, it’s immediately weaker. Elodie Yung as Elektra is certainly striking, and she’s got more charisma than her male counterpart, but her storyline feels so much weaker in a season dominated by the Punisher’s debut. Deborah Ann Wool and Elden Henson return as Matt’s good friends, and while I’ve never really felt the Karen character did much, Henson’s Foggy Nelson is engaging, realistic, and witty. He’s a great piece of this Daredevil puzzle.

One of my complaints in these lower-budget superhero TV shows is that despite their limitations, some of them fail to get creative. That is not the case with Daredevil. The lighting of the show is a character in it of itself, and it helps a lower-budget set look beautiful. Not that I’m expecting the extravagant sets of Thor or Guardians of the Galaxy in this series: this is Hell’s Kitchen, the slums of New York City, of course it’s supposed to look cheap and minimalistic. That being said, having some artistic lighting vision hide that reminder for me helps me enjoy it. The fighting is also just as good in this series, complete with more gun action as well. The action, fighting, and gunfire is high-octane and so tense it’s as if you’re in the middle of it all.

Daredevil Season 2 is a great further step for Daredevil, delving further into the character and mind of the superhero, but it gets slightly hampered by a weaker end-of-the-season conflict. With how the season ended up, I’m not sure that I could have seen the Punisher going all the way through, so Elektra provides a nice distraction. But she was nowhere near as compelling. Despite this, I’m no less excited for Daredevil Season 3.

Rating: 8.5/10

Transformers: The Last Knight Movie Review

God, I am not hard to please when it comes to movies, am I?

Certainly not when it comes to the Transformers franchise. I don’t know what it is with this brand that I’m so enamored with. Perhaps it’s since I didn’t have a good Transformers series to follow as a kid, and I just fell in love with what the brand is doing right now. Perhaps my love is thanks to my mind being blown when my 9-year old self saw the first movie back in 2007 on the big screen for the first time. Maybe it’s just my innate love for spectacle that keeps me entranced in the theaters. Whatever the case, Transformers: The Last Knight is another case of me satisfyingly purchasing a Transformers movie ticket. And I’m already considering going back for more.

The story is nothing unfamiliar to the Transformers series: the world is ending, Autobots have to team up with humans to protect it, and they have to travel the globe in search of the device that can save mankind. What shakes things up a bit is the fact that Optimus Prime, longstanding fan favorite, has been corrupted into fighting against us, rather than for us.

What’s unfortunate is that, yet again, the actual Transformers themselves aren’t explored as deeply as many might want to see. Optimus has turned evil, but his screen time is minimal enough that the ideas behind his corruption aren’t explored in any great depth. Bumblebee is given more backstory, revealing that he and newcomer Hot Rod have been on Earth for at least as long as World War II, but we only get to see about a 30-second sequence. The foundation for a new mythology meeting the old is laid, but it’s only laid. This is where a longer Transformers movie could have benefitted from a longer runtime.

As for the characters, all of the new Autobots we met in the previous film – Drift, Crosshairs, Hound, and the Dinobots– have returned to the limelight, with the two former taking somewhat of a backseat in order to allow for newer characters, both human and alien, to get some time to shine. As I mentioned, newer Autobot Hot Rod appears, but he doesn’t get much of a proper introduction. Megatron, the resident Transformers baddie, returns, with a slew of a new crew. Despite giving them a casting call a la Suicide Squad, most of the new Decepticons don’t make it past the 40-minute mark. Even Megatron, returning in his infinite glory and being voiced once again by Frank Welker (who voiced the character in the original series and periodically throughout the subsequent series), he, like several other Transformers, isn’t around too much.

When it comes to the humans, Mark Wahlberg’s Cade Yeagar is serviceable, but nowhere near as enjoyable as Shia Laboeuf’s Sam Witwicky. Anthony Daniels, Laura Haddock, and Isabella Moner, playing all new characters, are also fine for the finite time they’re in. In this movie, more than any of the other Transformers movies, none of the characters have any significant impact on the audience. They’re not bad in any real way, but they also don’t grant the audience any sort of particular enjoyment. Middling is probably the best way to describe the human cast.

But the real stars of these movies are the visual sequences. Visually, this film is a vast improvement over the previous film. Transformations are still just as impressive, and the booms are even bigger. There’s not much to comment on here other than that the fighting in this movie is some of the most cohesive in all of the films.

And on a final note, that’s probably the strongest aspect of this film: it’s coherent. That shouldn’t be a surprise for any film fan, but it’s always been an issue in the Transformers series, even on their best film. But while this film may be somewhat formulaic in how it builds up to the climax, one doesn’t get lost when moving from scene to scene, or from character to character. It’s kind of sad that it has to be noted and recognized in such a prolific franchise, but here we are, giving Transformers: The Last Knight props for getting from point A to point Z in a movie.

Despite this critique, and the franchise as a whole, I enjoyed seeing these special effects on-screen once again. And I enjoyed the exploration, however light, of the Transformers lore. If this is the direction the franchise is heading – whether it be spin-offs, prequels, or further sequels – I’m ready to stick around for more.

Rating: 8/10

Wonder Woman Movie Review

After 76 years, we have arrived. The third member of DC Comics' trinity of superheroes has arrived with her first feature-length summer blockbuster, while her companions Batman and Superman have been dominating the big screen for the last four decades. Trust me on this: it was worth the wait.

What director Patty Jenkins has delivered is not your average origin story. As Diana Prince/Wonder Woman sits in her office within the Louvre, she receives a photo of herself and her friends from World War I courtesy of her modern-day ally, Bruce Wayne. This propels her to reminisce of her entry into the world of man, and her abandonment of the Amazon life that she knew. As she enters the fray of World War I with her guide, Steve Trevor, ushering her into the world of man, Diana is faced with the difficult decision of saving mankind or abandoning it to ruin. It's a story that's engaging, well-paced, and enjoyably dense with character, chemistry, and action from start-to-finish.

Gal Gadot really does bring her a-game in this film. In her past films, such as her appearances in the Fast and the Furious franchise, as well as her Wonder Woman debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it was clear that she was new to the art of Hollywood acting. She was sometimes wooden in her line delivery, or had difficulty conveying the intended emotion at times. Thankfully, she has improved immensely since her last outing as the titular superhero. While she's still not as strong as some other actresses in the role might have been, the kindness, love, and toughness that radiates with the character of Wonder Woman certainly radiates with Gadot. Her fighting and wit is impressive, and it's an absolute joy to see on-screen. It's clear now why director Zack Snyder hired her back in 2013, and it makes me all the more excited to see her grow even further as these films go on.

The supporting cast made up of notably Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, and Robin Wright as Antiope are all the mainline attractions. Unfortunately, because the latter two do not stray from their home island of Themyscira, they don't have much opportunity to work beyond the first 30 minutes of the film. That being said, it allows Chris Pine to shine as Steve Trevor, who I would want showing me the way man's world worked if I was an outsider. He's charming, he's smart, and he's just humble enough to work excellently as the second-in-command to Wonder Woman's ragtag group. Several smaller characters dot the film with quirky personalities, and help to explain for Diana what man's world really is like: the female secretary Etta Candy represents the role of the woman in 1918, Charlie represents the war veteran and the horrors it can cause people to deal with, and Chief and Sameer represent the inequality struggles of minorities, just to name a few. Wonder Woman is dotted with characters that comment on the problems of the world, but unlike Diana's own aversion to the evils of war, they never beat you over the head with their messaging. It makes for an intellectual way to simply understand the plight, think about it after the film, but not feel lectured to. Besides the casting, the subtle messaging is one of the smartest things this movie does.

My one true gripe would have to be the CGI. For one reason or another, it never seemed to look it's best at every single point. I went to this showing in an IMAX 3D theater, so it wasn't like I was deprived of a quality screen. In a film, I understand that a director has to balance a budget and put the money where it can best go. For example, the scene of Wonder Woman storming through the lines of the trenches to rescue the town (as shown in several trailers) is a stunning sight. It's my favorite part of the movie: Wonder Woman leading the way to victory. But certain other scenes, such as the final confrontation between Wonder Woman and Ares (who is talked about throughout the film, so don't worry about spoilers) were somewhat not as sharp. I'm willing to bet it was the CGI spectacle that was the fight between the two gods, whereas the storming of the gates and the trenches looked to be put in more practical sets. It's not a huge issue, and it doesn't suck away from the fun of the film, but when leaving the theater, it's something I was thinking about. It certainly shouldn't stop you from seeing this wonderfully told, acted, and directed motion picture.

Wonder Woman should've had at least 5 movies made before this one. She should've been as much of a public icon as Batman or Spider-Man. But the patience of the world has paid off in spades, and director Patty Jenkins has delivered to us something great. If you're looking for the next big superhero movie, this is the one. It's fun, heartfelt, and full of wit. It's full of hope, and full of life. Gal Gadot is a great Wonder Woman, and I can't wait to see more of her in the future. For now, I'll just wait with baited breath that this movie is a sign of change for all DC films moving forward.

Rating: 10/10*

*Note that a 10/10 rating from me does not mean that a film is flawless; rather, it means that it's a masterpiece and should not be missed.