Peter Pan & Wendy review

PETER PAN & WENDY: 

LATEST DISNEY REMAKE HAS SOME MAGIC BUT COULD USE MORE PIXIE DUST! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Alexander Molony as Peter Pan in Peter Pan & Wendy

 

            The boy who never grew up is back in Peter Pan & Wendy, the latest of Disney’s live-action remakes based on their 1953 animated feature, Peter Pan which in turn was adapted from J.M Barrie’s 1904 play and 1911 novel. Like most Disney remakes, film adaptations of the Peter Pan story in general have been very polarizing over the years with the animated Disney classic and 2003 live-action adaptation from Universal being solid takes on the story while Steven Spielberg’s Hook (Which revolved around an adult Peter Pan) was divisive amongst critics but has since gained a strong fanbase, or whatever the hell Pan was supposed to be. 

            It was only a matter of time before Disney decided to give their animated Peter Pan the live-action remake treatment especially with David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story, The Green Knight) as director since he already helmed a decent remake of Pete’s Dragon for Disney back in 2016. Despite there already being plenty of live-action Peter Pan adaptations out there and having serious Disney Remake fatigue in recent years, I was somewhat curious to see how this re-imagining of Disney’s Peter Pan would play out. I enjoyed the original animated film a lot as a kid and even consider its 2002 follow-up, Return to Never Land to be a decent albeit flawed continuation of the story so I’m down to see Disney expand upon the world of Neverland. 

            Now that the film has finally been released on Disney+, will this be another one of those soulless Disneyremakes trying to capitalize on the original’s popularity or is it a rare re-imagining that’s actually worth a damn? Well, I can say that Peter Pan & Wendy is…fine, it’s the finest Disney remake I’ve ever seen. 

            It’s nowhere near the worst Disney remake (nor is it even that bad) and it does try to differentiate itself from the animated film while still honoring it in certain ways, but it doesn’t really do much to leave a lasting impression once it’s over. It’s a film that may provide enjoyment in the moment, but I don’t see many people going back to it. 

            The film follows Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson-Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Black Widow), a young girl spending her last day at home with her parents and two brothers, John and Michael (Newcomers, Joshua Pickering and Jacobi Jupe) before going off to boarding school. Wendy is unhappy with her departure and says she never wants to grow up, but her luck soon comes in the form of a mysterious visitor known as Peter Pan (Alexander Molony-The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales…, The Reluctant Landlord), a boy who has the ability to fly and his fairy companion and friend, Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi-Smallfoot, The Sun Is Also a Star, PAW Patrol: The Movie). 

            Peter gives Wendy, John, and Michael some Pixie Dust, allowing them to fly, and they are soon whisked away to the magical realm known as Neverland where children never grow up. During their adventures, Peter and the Darling siblings encounter a group of children known as the Lost Boys, Indian princess Tiger Lily (Newcomer, Alyssa Wapanatâhk), mermaids, and a band of pirates led by the ruthless Captain Hook (Jude Law-The Talented Mr. Ripley, Sherlock Holmes 1 and 2, Captain Marvel) who has a serious hatred for Pan after he chopped his arm off and fed it to a crocodile.

             The film also stars Jim Gaffigan (Super Troopers 1 and 2, Hotel Transylvania 3 and 4, Luca) as Mr. Smee, Molly Parker (Waking the Dead, The Road, Words on Bathroom Walls) as Mrs. Darling, Alan Tudyk (I, Robot, Wreck-It Ralph, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Mr. Darling, John DeSantis (The 13^th Warrior, Supernatural, Seventh Son) as Bill Jukes, and Mark Acheson (Transformers: Armada, Hulk VS, Supernatural) as Old Clemson. 

            Overall, Peter Pan & Wendy is easily the second best live-action adaptation of the Peter Pan story after the 2003 film and there is enough in it for me to recommend at least a viewing if you’re curious about it. However, it’s also one of those movies that goes one ear and out the other and will likely be forgotten about shortly afterwards.

            I do like how this one dives more into Peter and Hook’s backstory which I don’t think they ever did in the animated film (Unless it was just a passing mention of it somewhere) and showed them as best friends before their relationship went bitter. It shows there was a strong connection between Peter and Hook and adds more to the tragedy of Hook’s inevitable betrayal, I would have liked seeing more of that in the movie except…don’t do what Pan did. 

            This also isn’t a beat-for-beat remake of the original which I really appreciate about the film. There is more of a reason for why Wendy would want to go to Neverland, Peter and Hook’s backstory being explored as already mentioned, Tiger Lily playing a bigger part in this version, and Wendy is a lot more prominent during the climax (Which makes sense since her name is in the title). 

Unlike the 2019 Lion King, there is enough in here that’s different to make it stand out from the original while still remaining faithful to the source material (You know, like what a remake is supposed to do!). Even the ways it pays tribute to the animated film are well-handled and not at all distracting such as a title card reminiscent to the original film in the beginning, an instrumental version of You Can Fly can be heard when Peter and the Darling children fly off to Neverland, and Tinkerbell still communicates in sparkle sounds. 

Despite being a Disney+ release, the flying sequences are spectacular with a standout being the thrilling scene where Peter and the Darling siblings are flying through the streets of London on their way to Neverland. The way the sequence is filmed and how the camera follows the characters in one continuous shot as well as very effective uses of CGI, it really feels like you’re flying alongside them…and makes you wish you were watching it in a theater rather than your living room. 

The acting for the most part is decent but not all that memorable with the exceptions being Jude Law as Hook and Jim Gaffigan as Smee. Law is having a ball as Hook and succeeds at being both threatening and humorous sometimes at the same time while Gaffigan as Smee looks almost exactly like his animated counterpart though he’s not quite as bumbling as the Captain’s lovable second mate and plays it in a grittier, raspy-voiced manner. 

Peter Pan & Wendy is better than most live-action Disney remakes, but it probably won’t be remembered nearly as much as its animated predecessor. However, I appreciate the effort that went into it and hopefully it will help set the groundwork for future re-imaginings of beloved Disney classics. 

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant review

GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT: 

TENSE WAR THRILLER DESERVES TO HAVE THE DIRECTOR’S NAME BEFORE THE TITLE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

MGM AND STX FILMS

Jake Gyllenhaal in Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant

 

            Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes 1 and 2, The Gentlemen) takes his signature directing style to Afghanistan in the new war thriller, The Covenant or more accurately, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. I’ve enjoyed a large chunk of Ritchie’s work with Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the first Sherlock Holmes, and most recently The Gentlemen being among some of my favorites though he’s had his share of misfires in the past like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and I’m still not a huge fan of his Aladdin remake. 

            While Operation Fortune, released earlier this year was often overlooked by most people (Including me), I made sure to get a Covenant viewing in after already taking care of other new releases, Evil Dead Rise and Beau is Afraid. The film definitely got my attention since it looked absolutely nothing like Guy Ritchie’s other movies by the trailers and advertisements for it. 

            Whenever I think of Guy Ritchie, his crime movies or spy/mystery films with a lot of witty dialogue and/or dark humor usually come to mind. So, it was interesting to see a director like that branch out and do a war movie instead, if Quentin Tarantino could do one successfully, why not Ritchie also? 

            And look at that, Guy Ritchie managed to bring a consistently tense and exhilarating war thriller to the screen. I don’t think it’s one of his absolute best films, but I was invested and on the edge of my seat all the way through. 

            The film is set during the War in Afghanistan and follows U.S. Army sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal-Prisoners, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Ambulance) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim-Go With Peace, Jamil, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Curveball). After an ambush by the Taliban results in a seriously wounded Kinley, Ahmed goes to Godlike lengths in order to save his life. 

            But when Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family weren’t given safe passage to America as promised, he takes matters into his own hands and returns to Afghanistan to repay his debt before the Taliban kills them first. 

            The film also stars Alexander Ludwig (Race to Witch Mountain, The Hunger Games, Bad Boys For Life) as Sgt. Declan O’Brady, Antony Starr (Outrageous Fortune, After the Waterfall, The Boys) as Eddie Parker, Emily Beecham (Hail, Caesar!, Daphne, Cruella) as Caroline Kinley, Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting 1 and 2, Melinda and Melinda, Dark Shadows) as Col. Vokes, and Jason Wong (Jarhead 2: Field of Fire, Chimerica, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as Joshua Jung. 

            Overall, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is a riveting experience with gripping action, stellar character-based drama, and excellent performances by its leads. Like Aladdin and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, this is probably one of the least Guy Ritchie-esque movies ever made since it’s an intense war film rather than a crime movie, but unlike those two it’s smartly-executed and a lot more entertaining to boot. 

            Though, I called it a war movie, it really isn’t about the war that much and is more of a film about soldiers who happen to be fighting in the war and the lengths they’re willing to go for survival and to protect the other. I feel that’s a much more powerful and enlightening narrative than just two countries clashing against each other in a war. 

            The film also does an excellent job at humanizing those who could easily be seen as just the enemy as is the case with Dar Salim’s Ahmed and his family. In the beginning Jake Gyllenhaal’s Kinley is not keen on having Ahmed as the interpreter, but after he rescues him from near-death, the two of them do form a unique bond and both make their best efforts to help the other out with Kinley just wanting to get home while Ahmed wants to leave for America with his family in search of a better life. 

            It helps that the performances especially from Gyllenhaal and Salim are excellent and keep you invested all throughout the film. Gyllenhaal as this deadpan serious military sergeant with aspects of a sarcastic sense of humor while also depicting him as a loving family man is quite compelling and Salim as the interpreter trying to flee Afghanistan with his wife and kid adds this emotional core to the story and makes you want to see these two polar opposites work together and succeed in their mission. 

            The action and suspense scenes are very exhilarating and quite intense, though nothing super-gory. It’s mostly just the way these scenes are shot and edited make them feel very real and gritty. 

            The narrative, however, could have been paced a little better because while the first half revolving in Afghanistan is extremely tense and emotionally investing, the latter half where Gyllenhaal is trying to find Salim’s character to give him, and his wife visas does lose some of the momentum from earlier and plays more like a second episode of a TV series rather than a full movie. With that said, it does regain its energy from earlier in an exciting and gritty final act. 

            Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant isn’t one of the all-time best war films or even Guy Ritchie films, but if you’re a fan of the director and curious to see him tackle the war movie genre or just looking for a well-crafted action thriller, this is one worth checking out. Seriously, Ritchie, make for of this and less King Arthur and Aladdin…please.

Beau is Afraid review

BEAU IS AFRAID: 

ARI ASTER/JOAQUIN PHOENIX JOINT IS 3 HOURS OF PURE CHAOS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: 😐 out of 4 (This movie broke me!)

A24

Joaquin Phoenix in Beau is Afraid

 

            Joaquin Phoenix (Signs, The Master, Joker), for better or worse goes on the adventure of a lifetime in Beau is Afraid, the new film from Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar). I’ve been a fan of Aster’s work as a director with Hereditary being among the best films I saw in 2018 and Midsommar was a genuinely suspenseful mindf*ck of an experience. 

            I was intrigued to see what he was going to do next especially after it was announced that Joaquin Phoenix, hot off the billion-dollar success of Joker was going to star in the lead role. Upon seeing the new Aster/Phoenix joint, I can say that this movie is NUTS! To the point where I don’t even know what to make of it or how to properly review it. 

            The film follows Beau (Phoenix), a mild-mannered but paranoid man who embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother (Patti LuPone-Driving Miss Daisy, Summer of Sam, The School for Good and Evil). All the while confronting his greatest fears along the way. 

            The film also stars Amy Ryan (Capote, Gone Baby Gone, Birdman) as Grace, Nathan Lane (The Lion Kingfranchise, The Birdcage, The Producers (2005)) as Roger, Kylie Rogers (The Whispers, Yellowstone) Toni, Denis Ménochet (Inglourious Basterds, The French Dispatch, The Beasts) as Jeeves, Parker Posey (Dazed and Confused, Scream 3, A Mighty Wind) as Elaine Bray, Stephen McKinley Henderson (Lincoln, Lady Bird, Dune 1 and 2) as the Therapist, Richard Kind (Stargate, Argo, Big Mouth) as Dr. Cohen, and Hayley Squires (Call the Midwife, A Royal Night Out, Away) as Penelope. 

            Overall, Beau is Afraid is one of the strangest, most perplexing cinematic experiences you will have…probably in your entire life. It’s hard to come up with words to describe just how insane and psychotic this movie is and because of that, it will definitely garner polarizing responses from those who see it. 

            The plot sounds like a relatively straightforward road trip movie, it is not (Oh God, it’s not!). Watching this movie is like going on your own bizarre spiritual journey (Kind of like what the titular Beau character is going on) and by the end you just feel this huge sigh of relief when it’s over like wow, you just made this big accomplishment by sitting through the whole thing. 

            The film is essentially an allegory on anxiety and paranoia shown from the perspective of Beau and the way he perceives the world around him is like this relentless, nightmare-fueled city that makes any iteration of Gotham City look like a magic fairytale land by comparison (When was the last time you’ve seen Batman fight a naked serial killer holding a knife? It never f*cking happened!). What I find brilliant about this movie is that there aren’t any reaction shots from the people around Beau and that it’s never made clear whether everything happening to him is real or just in his head, which can lead to tons of interpretations amongst moviegoers. 

            I think what (somewhat) balances the craziness out is Joaquin Phoenix’ bonkers yet endearing performance as Beau which is quite different from his anarchic turn as Arthur Fleck from Joker. To an extent, both characters are mentally unstable and dangerous, but where Arthur Fleck in Joker practically becomes a powerful force of nature, Beau is incredibly vulnerable and sympathetic all throughout and you do genuinely feel sorry for him many times in the film. 

            This movie clocks it at just under 3 hours (2 hours and 59 minutes to be exact) which may be a huge turnoff point for some especially when it isn’t something more conventional like The Lord of the Rings or Avengers: Endgame. For me, there was never a dull moment in this movie, I was glued to the screen from beginning to end not knowing where it was going and being perplexed by what was happening onscreen. 

            While I’d normally go into detail about some of the bizarre imagery and strange scenes in the film (Given how they were pretty much the most memorable element of the movie), well, the visuals in Beau is Afraid are so surreal and hard to describe that I’m not going to discuss them in great detail. I feel it would ruin the experience of going to see the movie and actually witnessing this weird sh*t for yourself if I described various scenes and visuals so, at the cost of this being a very bare-bones and vague review…Beau is Afraid. 

            Whether you like the movie or not, Beau is Afraid is certainly an unforgettable experience and will get film enthusiasts and audiences everywhere talking. Good luck! 

Evil Dead Rise review

EVIL DEAD RISE: 

FIFTH EVIL DEAD FILM DELIVERS THE GORY GOODS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND NEW LINE CINEMA

Lily Sullivan in Evil Dead Rise

 

            The Evil Dead franchise has been reborn in Evil Dead Rise, the latest installment of the long-running horror series dating back to 1981 with Sam Raimi’s original cult classic, The Evil Dead. This marks the second film in the series not to be directed by Sam Raimi nor feature Bruce Campbell as the Ash character after the Evil Dead remake from 2013, but like that movie, both serve as executive producers. 

            While I’m much more familiar with Raimi’s work on the original Spider-Man films, I really enjoyed the Evil Dead movies especially Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness which blended horror with dark and often cartoonish humor. The first film is a solid horror movie that has impressive practical effects and genuinely frightening scenes, but you can tell they were still trying to find their footing until striking gold with the sequel and Army of Darkness. 

            The 2013 Evil Dead from Fede Álvarez who would go on to direct the Raimi-produced, Don’t Breathe a few years later took the series back to its horror roots in one of the rare modern horror remakes (or soft reboots) that’s actually good. Sure, it doesn’t have the camp factor of its predecessors and is more serious in tone by comparison, but I still consider it a well-crafted horror remake that honors the original film while adding a new spin on the formula…and a lot more blood. 

            Which brings us to Evil Dead Rise with writer-director Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) in the chair and serves as another soft reboot of the series after sequel plans for the 2013 film and a fourth season of the Ash VS Evil Dead TV series were scrapped. Unlike most Evil Dead films, this one does not take place in a creepy old cabin in the woods, but rather an apartment building and revolves around a family that stumbles across the infamous Book of the Dead. 

            While it is more of a traditional horror film like the 2013 movie, Evil Dead Rise is a bloody good time all the way through. I don’t think it’s on par with Evil Dead II or Army of Darkness, but I still had a lot of fun with it. 

            The film follows Beth (Lily Sullivan-Mental, Picnic At Hanging Rock, Monolith), a worker in the music industry paying a long overdue visit to her older sister, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland-Day on Fire, Vikings, Blood Vessel) who is raising three children. But after a massive earthquake creates a hole under their apartment building, Ellie’s son, Danny (Morgan Davies-The Tree, The Hunter, Storm Boy) decides to go into it and what does he come across? The Book of the Dead. 

            When Danny opens the book and starts reading it, Ellie suddenly gets possessed by a demon thus causing Beth to fight for survival and protect Ellie’s children from the book’s horrors. 

             Overall, Evil Dead Rise gives exactly what it advertises, another relentless and unapologetically bloody chapter of the Evil Dead storyline that fans of the series (and horror in general) will have a great time with. On top of the gore, the story is also very engaging, and the characters are quite likable. 

            As previously mentioned, this is the first Evil Dead movie (Not counting Army of Darkness) not to take place at a cabin nor revolve around a group of friends and lovers, this one is set in an apartment building and is about family (Just like a certain other franchise with a new installment coming out soon). This makes the conflict a lot more personal compared to the other Evil Dead films because it’s a sister and three kids defending themselves against a loved one (In this film’s case, their possessed mother) and being forced to do things to said individual that they probably wished they never had to do. 

            The family element helps make the characters feel more realistic and compelling, it might even be the most I’ve ever cared about characters in an Evil Dead film outside of Ash and maybe Mia from the 2013 movie. I was genuinely worried for these characters when things went wrong over the course of the film and felt sorry whenever someone got killed, even the minor supporting characters who don’t have much screen time but manage to make an impression with the time given to them. 

            Despite mostly consisting of unknown actors, the acting is excellent especially from Lily Sullivan as Beth who is a very endearing protagonist who inadvertently becomes a mother figure to these kids she’s trying to protect, I thought she was extremely compelling and enjoyed the connection she has with her sister’s kids. Alyssa Sutherland as the possessed mother is having a ball unleashing this terrifying beast onto cinema and manages to be both frightening and at times, funny at the same time. 

            While the film isn’t quite as gruesome as the 2013 film and more tension-based compared to other Evil Deadmovies, it still delivers the gory goods. Whether it’s characters getting dismembered by demons, possessed people disfiguring themselves in horrifically bloody ways, and a blood-flooded elevator sequence that makes the one from The Shining look like a kiddie-pool. 

            Gore aside, this movie has some very thrilling and tension-filled scenes such as a sequence that mirrors the demonic plant from the original film except with electrical cords from an elevator instead of vines and a phenomenal scene from the perspective of a door peephole where the possessed mother goes berserk and brutally murders people in the apartment building. Despite Raimi not being as involved in this one compared to its predecessors, the way scenes are edited and filmed feel very reminiscent of his signature camera tricks, the film even starts off with a haunting sweeping shot ripped straight out of the other movies and ends in a similar way to the original film. 

            You can definitely see the appreciation Cronin has for Raimi’s films in terms of the camera work, editing, and production design. But like the 2013 film, it also stands on its own quite nicely and works as a standalone horror movie. 

            Evil Dead Rise doesn’t quite hold a candle to Sam Raimi’s original three films, but it’s still a gory good time with plenty of inventive scares, endearing characters, and yes, blood-drenched carnage throughout. More than enough reasons for me to call it “Groovy!”.

Suzume review

SUZUME: 

ANOTHER ANIME WIN FOR MAKOTO SHINKAI! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

CRUNCHYROLL

A young girl and her newfound friend race to stop an apocalyptic entity in Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume

 

            A young girl races against time to prevent a series of apocalyptic disasters across Japan in Suzume, the new anime feature from writer-director Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star, Your Name, Weathering with You). While I’m no expert on Shinkai’s work, I did go see his 2017 film, Your Name in theaters and I was blown away not just on a visual level, but on an emotional one also to the point where I went out of my way to review it despite the film being a few weeks old. 

            Sadly, I missed his 2019 film, Weathering with You when it came out (I think it was only released as a Fathom Event here in the U.S.), but I acquired a Blu-Ray of it not too long ago at an anime convention and will finally watch it because I hear it’s amazing. Anyway, let’s talk about Suzume, I came into this movie with very little knowledge and only saw the trailer a couple times in theaters which doesn’t show much, nor does it really tell you what it’s about. 

            When I realized it was from the same director as Your Name which was one of the best films I saw in 2017, following Renfield up with it became a top priority…and I just got back from Sakura Con the previous weekend. I can say with much enthusiasm that Makoto Shinkai has struck gold yet again with this movie. 

            Suzume is absolutely fantastic from beginning to end and features one of the most original, poignant, and beautifully told stories I’ve seen all year. Though there are some striking resemblances to Your Name in terms of ideas and themes, but they’re different enough and I never found myself drawing heavy comparisons to both films while watching it. 

            The film follows Suzume (voiced by Nichole Sakura-Teenage Cocktail, O.K. K.O! Let’s Be Heroes, Maggie), a 17-year-old girl living in a quiet town in Kyushu. One day she encounters a young man named Sōta (voiced by Josh Keaton-Hercules, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Voltron: Legendary Defender) who is searching for a door and Suzume stumbles across a single weathered door standing upright in the middle of ruins. 

            When Suzume opens the door, it turns out to be a portal to another dimension that houses a destructive entity known as the Worm that’s capable of causing extremely powerful earthquakes. On top of that, other doors suddenly open all over Japan causing apocalyptic disasters everywhere the Worm goes…oh, and Sōta’s been turned into a 3-legged chair (Very important!). 

            Suzume and Sōta race across Japan to find the Worm and seal it back into the other dimension for good before Japan (and potentially the entire planet) falls to destruction. 

            The film also features the voices of Jennifer Sun Bell as Suzume’s aunt Tamaki, Joe Zieja as Sōta’s friend Tomoya, Cam Clarke (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Metal Gear franchise, Bleach) as Sōta’s grandfather Hitsujirō, Roger Craig Smith (Resident Evil franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, We Bare Bears) as Minoru, Amanda C. Miller (Sailor Moon, Squid Girl, Boruto: The Next Generation) as Rumi, Rosalie Chiang (Turning Red) as Chika, Lena Josephine Marano as Daijin the Cat, and Mela Lee (Fire Emblem franchise, Hunter x Hunter, Mortal Kombat 11) and Miki. 

            Overall, Suzume is a breathtaking and emotionally impactful experience that should be seen on the big screen and another one of Shinkai’s finest work. As mentioned before, I haven’t seen much of this man’s work, but I can definitely say he knows how to keep the audience invested and bring on the waterworks. 

            The plot is consistently interesting with heavy and mature themes such as loss and sacrifice used in an amusing road trip story. It sounds weird and the film isn’t afraid to get silly every now and then (Most notably a sequence where Sōta is chasing a talking cat in the street…as a chair which is just great!), but it also doesn’t shy away from the more somber and heartfelt moments and the characters themselves are extremely likable. 

            While I don’t think Suzume and Sōta’s dynamic is quite as strong as Mitsuha and Taki from Your Name, they’re still very compelling protagonists with enjoyable chemistry that makes you want to see them succeed in their adventure. I even found myself getting invested in some of the side characters despite many of them only appearing for brief moments, most notably Suzume’s aunt and legal guardian who’s been taking care of her after Suzume’s mother died, Sōta’s friend Tomoya who delivers some funny banter/sarcastic remarks among the main characters, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the talking cat sidekick isn’t the least bit annoying and manages to be adorable, funny, and at times creepy all at the same time, in my opinion the best anime cat since Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service. 

I’m sure I’ve already discussed how stunning and vibrant Makoto Shinkai’s animation is in my Your Name review and this is no exception. Very much like that movie, it has some of the liveliest and most visually dazzling animation I’ve ever seen in an anime film. 

The animation is mostly hand-drawn with some CG for either crowd shots or added enhancements and it looks absolutely gorgeous especially on the big screen. I’m not just talking about the animation during the action scenes where Suzume and Sōta are fighting off the Worm, which is spectacular in those moments, but also the backgrounds and how Shinkai really makes Japan come alive through his animation with the vibrant colors, lighting and shadows, and the attention to detail, it makes me want to literally jump into the movie and live in that world, he makes the real world look so magical even before we go into the magical world.  

And yes, this movie can get pretty damn emotional as already mentioned with Suzume and her aunt’s current situation and plot points explored over the course of the story. I won’t give anything away, but I was about to tear up near the end because of how genuinely poignant and touching the final act was. 

Suzume is a magical and unforgettable experience that once again finds Makoto Shinkai at the top of his game with yet another expertly-crafted anime masterpiece. It’s a movie that has just about everything, stellar animation, bold storytelling, charming characters, tension-filled thrills, thought-provoking themes, and a strong balance of silly situations and gut-wrenching drama, you’ll want to open this door again and again. 

Renfield review

RENFIELD: 

NICOLAS CAGE SHINES (OR RATHER BITES) IN UNAPOLOGETICALLY SILLY VAMPIRE FLICK! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula in Renfield

 

            Nicolas Cage (Face/Off, Adaptation, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) goes from deranged lunatic who thinks he’s a vampire to an actual bloodthirsty creature of the night in Renfield, the new horror-comedy film from Chris McKay (Robot Chicken, The Lego Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War). This wouldn’t be the first time Nick Cage transformed into a vampire (or at least thought he did) as he had already starred in the 1989 horror-comedy film Vampire’s Kiss where he supposedly gets bitten by a vampire femme-fatale and goes on a psychotic rampage throughout the city as he is (supposedly) turning into a vampire, it’s also the movie that inspired most of those Nicolas Cage memes online. 

            I love Nicolas Cage as an actor and he’s one of those stars who always leaves a lasting impression even when the film itself isn’t all that great. Whether it’s a gem like Face/Off or a turd like The Wicker Man or when he’s in a supporting role like in Kick-Ass, I guarantee Cage will be one of, if not the most memorable and entertaining part of whichever film of his you’re watching. 

            There’s also been a recent resurgence of high-quality Nicolas Cage films with Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent being very well received and successful upon their releases. Which brings us to Renfield and literally all it took for me to be onboard with it was a teaser poster that read Nicolas Cage as Dracula. 

            I didn’t care whether or not the movie turned out great, the novelty of Nick Cage as Dracula alone was more than enough to get me in the theater…and yeah, he delivered! The movie itself…doesn’t quite have the bite that Cage’s performance has, though I don’t think the film is bad either. 

            It’s a serviceable, run-of-the-mill horror-comedy that’s incredibly silly in tone, but is elevated by Cage’s performance and the chemistry between its protagonists. 

            The film follows Renfield (Nicholas Hoult-X-Men franchise, Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road), the long-suffering servant of history’s most narcissistic boss, Count Dracula (Cage) who has been doing his master’s bidding for centuries. But when he’s finally had enough of Dracula’s servitude, Renfield goes on a spiritual journey to discover if there is a better life outside the shadow of his boss…while also trying his damnedest to end his codependency. 

            The film also stars Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as aggressive traffic cop Rebecca Quincy, Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2) as mob enforcer Teddy Lobo, Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog, X-Men 3: The Last Stand, Star Trek Beyond) as mob boss Bellafrancesca, Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus, Lady and the Tramp (2019)) as Quincy’s partner Chris, and Brandon Scott Jones (Ghosts, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Isn’t It Romantic) as support group leader Mark. 

            Overall, Renfield may not be the perfect Nicolas Cage vampire film (nor the best vampire film in general), but I won’t lie and say I wasn’t super entertained by it. It doesn’t try to be anything deep or meaningful, it’s just a fun, cartoonishly bloody vampire movie that also happens to be an allegory on toxic relationships which is handled surprisingly well. 

            As silly as this movie is, you do find yourself getting attached to Renfield as a character and what his current predicament is. It’s made perfectly clear that Renfield’s relationship and working conditions with Dracula are very unhealthy and that he just needs to get the f*ck out, but how can you when you’re working for the Prince of Darkness? That’s the hidden brilliance of this film where it finds a way to seamlessly add topical subject matter into an otherwise cheesy movie. 

            The characters are also very likable and charismatic especially Nicholas Hoult as the titular character himself. Hoult as Renfield is an endearing protagonist and you believe the connection he has with Dracula (Shown brilliantly through flashbacks that resemble the classic Universal Dracula movie) despite his workplace relationship with his boss going sour. 

            Also, much like his performance as R in Warm Bodies, his role as Renfield allows Hoult to show off his comedic timing and he delivers some good laughs either through witty dialogue or banter between him and Awkwafina who is also quite funny in this. Ben Schwartz is having a ball chewing the scenery as this cartoonishly evil mob enforcer (and mama’s boy) who Awkwafina’s character is trying to catch. 

            No surprise here, but Nicolas Cage steals the show as Count Dracula in a depiction of the character that only he could do. He adds so much energy to every scene he’s in and constantly goes back and forth being funny, scary, and completely batsh*t insane often all at the same time. 

            On top of the usual Nick Cage tropes, the dynamic he has with Nicholas Hoult’s Renfield is very entertaining and the best aspect of the film. Also, there’s plenty of meme-worthy Nick Cage moments in this movie so Cage fans rejoice and have fun. 

            Where the first half focusing on Renfield and Dracula genuinely works, the narrative does get unfocused as the film goes on, specifically with the mob family. I understand that it’s in here to give Awkwafina’s character more of a reason to be here and in the climax they’re given the same powers as Renfield courtesy of Dracula, but it feels very out of place in the story and doesn’t relate to Renfield or Dracula at all until the third act. 

            Had the mob family aspect been taken out or at least better integrated into the story, I think we would have gotten a fantastic Renfield movie, but as is it somewhat bogs down the plot and feels like two completely different movies awkwardly stitched together. 

            Still despite its flaws, I had an enjoyable enough time with Renfield and a massive improvement over 2014’s Dracula Untold. I thought the lead characters were very likable, the action scenes are a lot of fun and creatively gory (Beating bad guys up with someone’s dismembered arms…Deadpool wishes he could do that!), Nicolas Cage’s delightfully bonkers turn as Dracula speaks for itself, and Renfield and Dracula’s workplace relationship viewed as an allegory for toxic relationships with narcissists is clever and adds more meat to this unapologetically silly vampire movie. 

            A far cry from the original Bela Lugosi Dracula or even the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola movie with Gary Oldman, but if you’re looking for a bloody good time with Renfield and Dracula or intrigued by the novelty of Nicolas Cage as the Count, I’d say check it out.  

Sakura Con 2023 Recap