The Lost City review

THE LOST CITY: 

SANDRA BULLOCK AND CHANNING TATUM ARE A POWERHOUSE DUO IN THIS INCREDIBLY FUNNY ADVENTURE-COMEDY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in The Lost City

 

            Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side, The Heat, Gravity) and Channing Tatum (21/22 Jump Street, Magic Mike, Dog) venture into The Lost City, the new adventure-comedy from Aaron and Adam Nee (Band of Robbers). The film is from a story conceived by Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief), who serves as a producer and is given story credit for it. 

            Despite seeing the trailer quite a few times in theaters and being a fan of Bullock and Tatum’s work, I wouldn’t say I was super excited for this movie, it just looked like a fun, silly adventure movie with two very charming and funny actors as the leads. Not to mention, its release was sandwiched between other releases that had my attention like The Batman and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, nevertheless I was still interested in checking this movie out and…I had a really good time with it! 

            One of the all-time great jungle adventure comedies that’s on par with Romancing the Stone or Tropic Thunder? No, but compared to recent jungle-themed films that were mediocre or average like Uncharted and Jungle Cruise, this is easily the best of the bunch. 

            While all three of those films had extremely likable lead actors and for the most part they worked well together for their specific movies, I think what really sets Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum apart from Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg from Uncharted is that the writing for them is very strong, their banter between each other is witty, and even though their team-up is mostly played for laughs, you grow attached to these characters who are completely opposite from one-another because of their unique personalities and character development, which is more than I can say for Peter Parker 2.0, Mark Wahlberg playing himself as Sully, and “What’s Her Face” from Uncharted.

            The film follows Loretta Sage (Bullock), a middle-aged author who wrote a series of romance-adventure novels with her dim-witted cover model, Alan Caprison (Tatum) as fictional hero, Dash McMahon. But when Loretta is suddenly taken by eccentric billionaire, Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe-Harry Potter franchise, December Boys, Now You See Me 2) who insists that the city of treasures from her books is real and takes her to a remote island where the treasure is hidden, it’s up to Alan to become the real-life Dash as he sets off to rescue her. 

            The film also stars Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds, Moneyball, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as Jack Trainer, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, Office Christmas Party, People of Earth) as Beth Hatten, Patti Harrison (A Simple Favor, Together Together, Raya and the Last Dragon) as Allison, and Oscar Nuñez (Reno 911, The Office, The 33) as Oscar. 

            Overall, The Lost City can be best described as a fun romp that doesn’t take itself seriously and has a little something for everyone. Those looking for an exciting and action-packed Indiana Jones/The Mummy-esque treasure hunt, a silly, screwball buddy-comedy, or even some rom-com fluff will probably have a very good time with this film because it excels at mixing genres and Bullock and Tatum do a superb job flipping back-and-forth between being goofy and serious. 

            Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have wonderful chemistry together as the duo I never knew I needed until after seeing this film. We’ve seen Tatum deliver some very funny performances before in the 21 Jump Street movies and he is hilarious as this dim-witted but hunky cover model, but I think a lot of people overlook Bullock’s comedic talents, personally I’d say this movie along with The Heat perfectly showcase just how funny this woman can be and the banter between Bullock and Tatum is hysterical and one of the highlights of the movie. 

            But that’s not all, Daniel Radcliffe is having a ball as this cartoonishly over-the-top villain who chews the scenery, makes you laugh, and poses a threat all at the same time, while also sharing a ton of witty dialogue with Sandra Bullock. Who would have thought Harry Potter would make such a great villain? 

            I should make this perfectly clear, if you’re going into this movie expecting to see a lot of Brad Pitt, you may be a little disappointed as his role is basically an extended cameo. The focus of the film is where it needs to be, but I thought I’d mention that…though his scenes are incredibly funny and badass like the dude himself. 

            The reason why this movie succeeds where Uncharted fails is that it remembers the importance of good storytelling and compelling characters, the plot is a little standard but because the characters are so funny and likable and the script is very witty, it feels fresh and new, and you care about the characters a lot more outside of the fact that they’re played by well-known and popular actors. 

Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg are excellent actors and were fine in Uncharted, but I did not care for their characters very much whereas the characters in this I wanted to follow until the very end because they actually have chemistry. Honestly, this movie is perfect counterprogramming for Uncharted and is the far better adventure film out in theaters right now. 

For the most part, I really enjoyed this movie but it isn’t exactly a perfect film, for the example the movie falls victim to some ADR jokes that don’t quite land and at times, they’ll do that cliché found in a lot of modern comedies where the lead actors will ramble and adlib several of their lines and they really stand out, but thankfully they’re very few and far between and it’s usually followed by a joke that does stick the landing. 

The Lost City is a delightful and crowd-pleasing adventure that’s definitely worth embarking on. I can’t promise a comedy classic, but for those looking for something silly but with some substance to it, this may be your treasure. 

            

Turning Red review

TURNING RED: 

LATEST PIXAR ANIMATED FEATURE WILL TURN YOU “RED” WITH JOY!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

DISNEY/PIXAR

Mei has a big secret in Pixar’s Turning Red

 

            A young girl discovers she can suddenly transform into a red panda based on her emotions in Turning Red, the new film from Pixar Animation Studios now streaming on Disney+. This marks Pixar’s first animated feature to be solely directed by a female director, Domee Shi who directed the Oscar winning Pixar short, Bao in her feature directorial debut. 

            The film was originally scheduled for a theatrical release, but like other recent Pixar films such as Soul and Luca, it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and put directly onto Disney+ with extremely divisive results. I understood why Soul was released on Disney+ instead of theaters because of the lockdown and there weren’t any movie theaters open to show it, Luca I felt could have been released in theaters when it came out, but I get that it wasn’t exactly a huge blockbuster compared to other Pixar films, it was a much smaller story, this one I am a little disappointed wasn’t released in theaters because the animation is vibrant, but like Luca it’s one of the small-scale Pixarmovies so it’s not a big loss. 

            In the tradition of films like Toy Story, Inside Out, Coco, and Soul, leave it to Pixar to turn a movie about a girl who becomes a giant red panda (like an adorable Incredible Hulk) into an emotional powerhouse. Big shock, they succeeded! 

            While I wouldn’t consider this to be one of the all-time best Pixar films, I still think this is a very funny, clever, and heartfelt animated feature that once again shows the Pixar storytellers and animators doing what they do best, providing eye-catching animation and bold, thought-provoking stories. 

            The film is set in 2002 Toronto, Canada and follows a 13-year-old girl named Meilin “Mei” Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) who does just about everything a girl her age does, hangs out with her best friends, obsess over boys, listening to music by their favorite boy band, and getting caught in the chaos of adolescence. As if normal changes in interests, relationships, and body wasn’t enough, not to mention her mother (voiced by Sandra Oh-Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve, Raya and the Last Dragon) who’s overprotective to a fault, Mei soon discovers she has the power to transform into a red panda whenever she gets emotional, and all sorts of hijinks ensue. 

            It turns out the red panda transformation runs in the family and dates back thousands of years where female members of Mei’s family would turn into red pandas as part of a ritual…don’t worry, it’s all part of growing up and becoming a woman! Mei quickly takes a liking to her red panda form as well as her friends, Miriam (voiced by Ava Morse), Abby (voiced by Hyein Park), and Priya (voiced by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan-Never Have I Ever, My Little Pony: Make Your Mark) and will have to find a middle-ground between standing up to her mother and becoming a woman while also making her and the rest of her family happy. 

            The film also features the voices of Orion Lee as the voice of Mei’s father, Jin, Wai Ching Ho (Premium Rush,Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hustlers) as Mei’s grandmother, Wu, James Hong (Mulan, Jackie Chan Adventures, Kung Fu Panda trilogy) as Mr. Gao, and Sasha Roiz (Caprica, Grimm, Superman: Red Son) as Mr. Kieslowski. 

            Overall, Turning Red adds another well-crafted, gorgeously animated, and very timely film into Pixar’s catalog that is sure to delight everyone. Kids will enjoy the cute red panda and silly humor and adults will appreciate the cultural themes and the message about letting your child grow up their own way is something parents will take away from it. 

            Despite the film taking place in the early 2000s, the themes and subject matter is anything but dated. The red panda transformation is obviously an allegory on puberty which is something I feel everyone can relate to and for kids who are learning about it, this is honestly the perfect movie to show them because it sums up what going through puberty is like flawlessly, they probably won’t turn into giant red pandas but the emotions, changes, and situations Mei is going through are very realistic and for anyone who was ever a teenager, this will likely hit close to home. 

             Besides puberty, the other theme this film addresses that is arguably more important and relevant today is growing up and parents letting their children grow up their own way. We’re all familiar with moms that are overprotective and overbearing of their children and have a tendency to embarrass them in public, but mean well, Mei’s mother is definitely a more exaggerated depiction of one of those moms and will do things like show and announce that she brought health supplies for Mei in front of her classmates, she’s also strict and religious but throughout the course of the film she learns that Mei might not want to be part of the same religion or become exactly like her mom, and let her follow her own path. 

            I won’t give anything away here, but they do make her a semi-antagonist during the climax (Which is admittedly a really entertaining final act), but as Mei learns to stand up for herself, her mom learns to let her daughter grow up and become the woman she wants to be. I think this alongside other animated films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Coco are excellent movies that tackle this topic that everyone should see. 

            The animation is very colorful and vibrant, it often feels like you’re watching a computer-generated anime with the backgrounds, character designs, facial expressions, and subtle details like characters’ eyes getting big and sparkly. Not to mention, the whole concept of a girl magically turning into a monster or creature is ripped straight out of several different anime shows and movies, but as long as it does something fresh and new with this familiar concept it doesn’t feel like a rip-off at all.

            I don’t know what else to say, Turning Red has just about everything that makes a great Pixar film, beautiful animation, bold storytelling, vivid characters, and timely subject matter done in very intelligent and entertaining ways. It’s the kind of movie you watch with your family, and it just puts everyone in the best of the moods as they’re watching it, this is a movie that will turn you “Red” but not with anger. 

The Batman review

THE BATMAN: 

LATEST FILM REBOOT OF ICONIC DC SUPERHERO IS EXHILARATING BUT FAMILIAR! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Robert Pattinson as The Batman

 

            The Caped Crusader hits the big screen once again in The Batman, the latest film based on the iconic DC Comics superhero of the same name. The film is directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of/War for the Planet of the Apes), has Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga, The Lighthouse, Tenet) donning the cowl, and serves as yet another reboot of the Batman franchise.

            When the trailer and teaser posters first came out for this movie, I was intrigued but at the same time thought “Another Batman reboot, how many of those have we seen?”. We had Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s films, Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and Ben Affleck in the DC Extended Universe, how many times can you tell the origin of Batman? So, I thought. 

            Instead of repeating the whole Bruce Wayne’s parents getting killed backstory, which has been done to death to the point where it’s been satirized in films like Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, this film very cleverly takes the Spider-Man: Homecoming route and assumes you already know the origin story of Batman and jumps you right into the main story. So, how does The Batman hold up compared to previous film versions of the character? Honestly, while I may like The Dark Knight and Batman (1989) more in terms of story and characters, this one’s pretty good. 

            For starters, it actually has a detective story, an element that has been missing in earlier films based on the character for quite a while and the film plays more like a spine-tingling crime thriller rather than a traditional superhero film. Add in one of the best actors to play Batman since Keaton and for the most part, a really damn good Catwoman, one of the best-looking versions of Gotham City since the 1989 film that’s oozing with gothic imagery everywhere, and an incredible music score and you got yourself a pretty cool Batman flick. 
            The film follows orphaned billionaire turned crime-fighting vigilante, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Pattinson) attempting to solve a series of horrific crimes caused by the mysterious serial killer known as The Riddler (Paul Dano-Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood, Prisoners) via a trail of cryptic clues left by him. This leads Batman to cat burglar, Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz-X-Men: First Class, Mad Max: Fury Road, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), who reluctantly joins him on his case while having run-ins with an infamous gangster known as The Penguin (Colin Farrell-Miami Vice, In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths), and the ruthless crime lord, Carmine Falcone (John Turturro-Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, Transformers franchise) as “The Bat and the Cat” follow the bread crumbs, find out what The Riddler’s plot is, stop him, and bring him to justice. 

            The film also stars Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Planet of the Apes franchise, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Bruce’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright (James Bond franchise, The Hunger Games franchise, What If?) as James Gordon, and Peter Sarsgaard (Shattered Glass, Flightplan, Black Mass) as Gil Colson. 

            Overall, The Batman may not be the most game-changing film in the Batman franchise, but for those looking for a movie that shows The Caped Crusader doing what he does best, this is it. I really do think the detective aspect of this film is one of the best things about it, because it’s been a staple of the character for decades and the movies hadn’t really explored that much since probably The Dark Knight. It’s nice to see Batman as a detective trying to figure out what The Riddler is planning and adds a sense of realism and terror to the situation, it’s like Zodiac or Se7en but with Batman. 

            This film also has one of the best-looking versions of Gotham City out of any of the Batman films which can be best described as like a hybrid of Nolan and Burton’s Gotham, Nolan because of how grounded in-reality it is and Burton’s because of the bleak colors and gothic architecture. It really does look like a shitty, run-down, and crime ridden city that any sane person would try and stay as far away from as possible. 

            The acting in this film is top-notch especially from Pattinson as the titular character, who I think is one of the best Batman actors we’ve ever gotten and what’s interesting about him is that he doesn’t have many scenes as Bruce Wayne. For the few scenes we do have of him as Bruce, he is 100% convincing as the kind of person who probably would dress up as a Bat at night, from his appearance, voice, and the fact that he’s more isolated in his mansion compared to other iterations of the character, while as Batman he kind of takes the Christian Bale approach as a grittier take on the character except unlike Bale’s infamous raspy voice, Pattinson’s is basically his normal voice except deeper and sometimes a whisper, and a very subtle aspect of it that I really appreciate is showing Batman with his cowl off and the black eyeshadow is still around his eyes, it goes to show that he’s come a long way since his Edward from Twilightdays. 

            Zoë Kravitz may be my second favorite Catwoman after Michelle Pfeiffer, she’s got the mannerisms and attitude of the character, but she plays her much less as a villain, but more like a common jewel thief who’s just trying to look for her missing roommate, and she and Pattinson work wonderfully together, her Catwoman mask on the other hand looks awful. Paul Dano as The Riddler is haunting and a huge step up from Jim Carrey in Batman Forever (Which I enjoy, don’t get me wrong!), he comes a little closer to Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight and has kind of this Zodiac Killer vibe where his murders are part of something much bigger and like Ledger’s Joker, he bounces back and forth from being scary and sometimes funny, even side characters like Colin Farrell hamming it up as The Penguin and Andy Serkis as a very different take on Bruce’s butler, Alfred are very memorable, it’s like if The Dark Knight had the side characters from the 1989 film. 

            This movie does a lot of things right, but I do have some issues with it, this movie is way too long, clocking in at just under three hours, but throughout most of it I was invested in the story and characters and didn’t really notice the length until the climax, which sadly isn’t that impressive. They kind of take the Dark Knight Rises route and has a climax that involves trying to destroy the city and has a bunch of forced commentary that don’t really have a purpose here, but these are mostly just nitpicks in an otherwise solid Batman movie. 

            If you’re looking for the movie equivalent of the early, gritty Batman comics with dark, broody atmosphere, intense subject matter, and music reminiscent to Batman: The Animated Series, then this is probably it. It’s a gritty crime thriller, film noir, superhero film, it’s BATMAN!