Movie Review: Challengers

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

A well-made but uneven romantic sports film. 

There is a lot to really love about this movie. The framing device is simply brilliant. We see an intense tennis match being played inter-spliced with various flashbacks showing everything that lead the characters to where they are now. Though these flashbacks cover a span of 13 years and flow back and forth from these time periods often, the film never becomes hard to follow. The device is not only for show but also often holds the movie together. It shows how this romantic triangle is in fact just like a tennis match. This triangle often becomes a game of one-upmanship. Also like a game of tennis this romance is a heated game that is held together by passion and tension. However, while these things may make a great tennis match, they are not the same thing as love. Even from the beginning of the film, we know that this cannot bring any of these characters what they truly want it to. Speaking of passion and tension that is fully felt in many scenes in this film. Though the main characters may never be likable, they are charismatic. This is the main ingredient to the sexual tension. This ingredient is also most important to the female lead. We need to understand why the male characters are so enamored of her and in a film like this, her being beautiful would hardly be enough. Luckily what Zendaya brings to the role is so much more that this (though she is very beautiful). She brings a certain presence to this character that cannot be described but is more sexy than just physical beauty could ever be. If this film starred an actress who couldn't bring this, then the whole movie would simply fall apart. The musical score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (both of whom were members of the rock band Nine Inch Nails) is simply incredible. If more tennis matches had music by them, everyone would watch tennis. 

This film becomes less interesting when it delves more into the pure romantic melodrama that it eventually becomes. Since these characters are far from likable, they work less well in these melodramatic scenes. While these characters have a charisma that makes the more overtly sexual early scenes play very well, we simply don't care about them enough to really care enough about these more traditional romantic scenes. Those require a certain amount of sympathy that we don't have. The film also suffers from overlength and there is no doubt that a shorter runtime would have made this a much more gripping movie. This movie also suffers from a weak and underwhelming ending.

This movie may be uneven but there are some true moments of brilliance to be found. 

Movie Review: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

A fun action flick. 

Though this movie is based on a real story of the 1941 British special operation, Operation Postmaster, this is not to be taken as a serious war drama. It takes a very simplified and fictionalized look at this true story. This is done to the point where this becomes less of a war movie and more of an action film with World War 2 as a backdrop. However, taken for what it is this is a fun movie. Though this film may not feature as much of the more eccentric filmmaking of some of director Guy Ritche's other movies, it still has very much of his great visual style. Because of this, it is a very handsome looking movie. There are some set pieces that truly stand out here, such as the song number. Guy Ritche of course knows perfectly how to handle an action scene and the action scenes here are tons of fun. In this department it provides the R-rated nazi killing goodness that people came to see this picture for. 

The characters in this film work well enough. They are likable and fun to watch. However, there is not much to them. Because of this they are far from memorable. Being far from memorable is the biggest flaw of this movie. I enjoyed watching it, but I doubt that in a few months I will remember too much about it.

This is a really fun movie but has little to make it stand out from many current action films.   

Movie Review: Sasquatch Sunset

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A mostly successful experiment. 

One can never say that this film lacks originality. This is a movie that is completely unlike anything I have ever seen before. However to say it is not for everyone would also be a great understatement. This is a very strange and experimental movie. This is the type of film that would have probably not been given a wide release if it had not been produced by Jesse Eisenberg (who also stars in it) and Ari Aster (director of Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), and Beau Is Afraid (2023)). There is no real story here. Instead, we watch a small group of sasquatches (not animated but actors in costumes and prosthetics) live their lives out in the wild. Most of the picture seems to focus on them, peeing, pooping and having sex. The characters never speak any actual dialogue instead the simply make animal sounds. While this film will appeal only to a certain audience, it does have a real charm to it. I especially enjoyed the sense of atmosphere throughout this film. The sasquatches in many ways feel like prehistoric humans. This gives the movie a feeling of taking place in the distant past, even though the setting is more recent. This combination gives this film a strange other worldly feel that I found irresistible. On the other hand, the way this movie is filmed makes it feel almost like a nature documentary at times. This helps give it a nice and relaxed feel, even as it delves fully into absurdist humor. Also, as strange as this film is we grow to surprisingly connect with and care about these characters. This gives us some surprisingly effective emotional moments that really work. This movie also delves into such themes as isolation, the inevitability of change and environmentalism in a very intelligent and thought-provoking way. The mixture of this intelligence of the message and the immaturity of the humor adds a lot of charm to this film. 

This movie does have one huge flaw though. That is that it is simply too repetitive at times. Much of the humor is rather juvenile revolving around pee, poop and sex. Sometimes though this humor is still very funny. The audience I saw it with certainly laughed a lot. However, there are times when these jokes simply get too repetitive and aren't as funny as they were at the start of the film. The repetitive nature of the movie can also make it drag at times and seem longer than the hour and a half it is. 

While flawed, there is a lot I really liked about this very strange movie. While not for everyone, hopefully it will find an audience that appreciates it for the weird gem it is. 

All-New Super Friends Hour: The Secret Four (1977)

 

This is the first segment of the sixth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.

In this cartoon, a group called the Secret Four, is destroying factories to stop them from hurting the environment. Superman, Batman and Robin team up to stop them and teach them that there are better ways to stand up for what you believe in.

This is a really fun episode. I love the design of The Secret Four. The hooded look may be nothing original, but it is effective. I love how they project their covered faces into the sky. It gives them an eerie feel. The action scenes are excellent. The scene with Superman stopping the train is pure Superhero action at its best. Batman and Robin trying to escape from the Secret Four's hideout also adds a lot of fun. The background art is simply beautiful here. The look of the Secret Four's hideout (both inside and out) reminds me of classic Scooby-Doo! in the best ways. Like the Scooby-Doo! episodes this reminds me of, this look gives the cartoon a very effective since of atmosphere.   

The message here is a little didactic, but this is a Saturday morning cartoon, and it does not get in the way of the fun. 

 

Movie Review: Spy x Family Code White

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

The first feature film based off the popular anime is a fun time at the movies. 

What I really appreciated about this film was that for a movie based off a TV show, it introduced the characters and premise in just the right way. It lets us know who these characters are very efficiently and quickly. Because of this it neither confuses newcomers nor bores those who watch the show. I have seen too many movies based on TV shows that did one of those two things. Because of this, the movie felt like a breath of fresh air in this department. What also made this movie work so much is that the characters are great. I simply truly enjoyed spending time with these characters. This worked especially well since the first part of the film has a smaller scale almost slice of life feel to it, before the movie goes into full action territory. By the time this film becomes a full action flick, we really do care about the characters and what happens to them. Speaking of the action scenes they are simply wonderful here. They are very exciting, well staged, well animated and a lot of fun. The humor of this film is often juvenile and immature. However, I would be lying if I said it didn't make me laugh. Not all of the comedy works. For instance, the whole gag about the "poop god" went on longer than it needed too, making it get less and less funny as it went on. However, I will definitely saw more jokes hit than those that failed. It also does a quite good job at balancing the action, humor and sentimentality throughout. 

This film does have its flaws. The whole romantic misunderstanding goes on for much too long and doesn't add much to the movie. Many parts of the story are also incredibly predictable and sometimes you just wait for the inevitable to happen. 

This may not be perfect, but it makes for a very fun trip to the movies and that is just what you want from a film like this.  
  

TCM Film Festival 2024

 

This past weekend was one of the highlights of any movie fans year, the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, CA. 

While unfortunately it is impossible to see every film at this festival (as many of them play at the same time at different theaters), I am very satisfied with the great selection (and great variety) of films I saw this year. 

I started this festival on the right foot, watching one of the greatest crime movies ever made, White Heat (1949). This film (featuring one of James Cagney's best performances) looked simply incredible on the big screen at the historic Egyptian Theater. Speaking of looking incredible on the big screen, a new restoration of the great John Ford and John Wayne western, The Searchers (1956) on 70mm film was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen projected on a screen. As the film started my jaw dropped at how beautiful it looked. Having an introduction by one of the great modern-day directors, Alexander Payne made this only better, especially as he mentioned that members of the Wayne family were in the audience. That was not the only great western I saw there as I also saw the very underrated and unjustly obscure pre code western, Law and Order (1932) starring Walter Houston and Harry Carey. I had not seen this movie before and to say I was impressed, would be an understatement. If you stretch the definition of a western, I also saw a great 35mm nitrate print of the really fun musical Annie Get Your Gun (1950). I also saw a great 35mm nitrate print of the underrated film noir (starring Edward G. Robinson), The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948). Being a huge Hitchcock fan I had to see the two Hitchcock screenings. They were of two of his greatest classics, Rear Window (1954) and North by Northwest (1959). I was also pleased to see a classic foreign picture, Fredrico Fellini's La Strada (1954), one of my favorite movies of all time. 

Naturally for someone like me the highlights of the festival were the animation and silent film screenings. On the animation side there was Disney's 101 Dalmatians (1961) and a screening of various newly restored theatrical cartoon shorts. 101 Dalmatians was made more impressive by having an interview with the great classic Disney animator Floyd Norman. In my mind he is one of the coolest guys living today. His insights into the Walt Disney animation studio at this time period where simply fascinating to listen to. The classic cartoon shorts (mostly from the Fleischer studio) were introduced by Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane (who does sound just like Brian Griffin), whose passion for these classic cartoons (and film history in general) could be felt throughout. He also helped fund the restorations of these films. Speaking of the restorations they looked simply incredible. 

The first of the two silent film screenings began included the Edward Evert Horton short film, Dad's Choice (1928) and the Raymond Griffith feature Paths to Paradise (1925). To see such little-known silent gems on the big screen felt like heaven to me. The laughter of the audience during the climax of the feature showed why these films should be seen with a full audience. Great accompaniment by Ben Model didn't hurt either. The other silent film screening ended the festival on a high note for me. It had two classic Buster Keaton films, the short The Goat (1921) and the feature Sherlock Jr. (1924). These films had the whole audience in hysterics. Even though I have seen these films countless times, seeing it with such an appreciative audience made me laugh myself silly too. The live accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra was simply beautiful and helped make these 100-year-old and 103-year-old films feel completely new and fresh. 

Also adding to the fun was a wonderful panel by Arthur Marx, grandson of Groucho Marx (on his dad's side) and songwriter Gus Kahn (on his mother's side). He not only talked about both of his great grandfathers but performed many of Gus Kahn's songs asking the audience to sing along with him. It is also wonderful to talk to many of the others at the festival. There is something about old movie fans when they meet. They have a true kinship with each other that shows just why these movies are so important. 

If you have not been to the TCM Film Festival yet, it is a must for every classic movie fan. 
    

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #273

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with the one and only Mighty Mouse in Raiding the Raiders (1945). 

Next is a Max Fleischer Color Classic, The Cobweb Hotel (1936). This series of short films great resembled Disney's Silly Symphonies shorts. Like those films these cartoons mostly feature one-off characters rather than the reoccurring characters of the Fleischer's other series (Popeye, Betty Boop, etc.). Also like the Disney Silly Symphonies there is often a focus on the story in these cartoons rather the humor or characters (however there are a few films from both series that put gags or characters first). The Fleischer Color Classic's though often had a bit of a dark edge to them that I love. That can definitely be felt in this film. 

   

Next comes a wonderful Friz Freleng directed cartoon, D' Fightin' Ones (1961). This short film is a wonderful parody of the Stanley Kramer movie The Defiant Ones (1958). In that movie a white man and a black man who are chained together escape from prison. Despite the white man being a racist and the two having a strong hatred for each other the two must work together to survive. In this cartoon we have instead of a white man and a black man, we have Sylvester the cat and a big dog chained together. This idea in itself its very funny, but the cartoon is still wonderful even for those who don't know what it is parodying.  

Next comes the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, The Night Club (1929). In many ways this short film can feel very primitive compared to cartoons that would come out a couple years later. However, the surreal gags and pure creativity more than make up for this. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a Fractured Fairy Tale. 

It is now silent movie time. So enjoy, The Eclipse of the Sun (1918). This film was originally released in 1918, but this version of the film was a 1923 reissue. Both of those years featured a solar eclipse, which explains the reissue. This educational film was the work of Max Fleischer (Popeye, Betty Boop, Superman), who made many educational shorts during the silent era. 
 

Next comes a wonderful Donald Duck cartoon, Modern Inventions (1937). A review in The Film Daily called this picture, "One of the funniest episodes in which Donald Duck has been featured." In a 1938 article from World Film News Richard Ford writes, "Several Disney Cartoons - Donald and Pluto and Modern Inventions have Machiavellian incidents to which many children are frightening. This fear subsequently gives way to sympathy for the victim, so that Donald Duck is liked on a basis of tragedy rather than comedy." In the June 26, 1937 issue of Boxoffice magazine this movie was named "Short of the Week." The following is the review from that issue. "Donald Duck stamps himself as pre-eminent among cartoon comedians by his hilarious antics in his creator's final Technicolor subject for United Artists release. Unquestionably one of the most laugh-provoking subjects to issue from Disney studios since Donald first made his timid entrance as a minor cartoon character over a year ago. In this clever satire on the machine age Donald enters an exhibit where a robot butler immediately moves his hat much to the duck's fury. His irritability increases as he is cradled in an automatic baby carriage and is forcibly fed with a bottle and clothed with a diaper. However, the piece de resistance is Donald's struggles while placed upside down in a barber chair with the mechanical attendant clipping off his tail feathers and blackening his face. The laughs follow in such quick succession that they are practically continuous." Though no director is credited on this short, it was directed by Jack King, who directed many of Donald's finest cartoons. 

Now let us close by singing a song we all know. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.