This is the first time I'm writing about #metoo, the sudden surge of complaints by women and even men who have been victims of sexual assault or harassment in Hollywood by men in positions of power, because as important as it may be, I never felt particularly qualified to say anything, nor did it really affect "my corner" of pop culture, given that even before he was exposed as a monster, I always thought Harvey Weinstein was as Oscar-baiting, self-aggrandizing blowhard. Arguably, John Lasseter's departure from Disney as a result of, among other things, "unwanted hugs" was something that affected movies that I care about, but honestly, that seemed pretty clear cut; there were allegations of impropriety which were presumably investigated, and they were dealt with swiftly.
On its face, Disney's decision to drop the axe on Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn for a series of offensive tweets regarding rape and pedophilia looks equally straightforward. I've seen screen captures of some of the tweets, and they are not only offensive, but they are distinctly unfunny, despite Gunn's professed intention to post them as some of shocking humor. Absolutely nobody has defended or attempted to justify the tweets themselves.
My problem is that they were already out there when Disney hired Gunn; the newest tweet came out five years before the first Guardians movie did. These things were on the internet, and if they were easy enough for a gaggle of Trump apologists to find, I'm sure Disney's crack team of background investigators could easily have found them as well, and yet for all of that, Gunn went and made two movies for them.
The long and the short of what I'm saying is that if Gunn's proclivities had really mattered to Disney from the very beginning, then they never would have hired him because the evidence of what kind of person he supposedly is was already out there for everyone to see. Apart from his tweets, the over-the-top humor in his films, like the somewhat brutal Super, should have been the biggest of red flags. Gunn is no Roseanne Barr; their reaction to her blatantly racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett was perfectly timed and measured.
However, had that tweet been ten years old, and had they hired Roseanne with that tweet out there, only to fire her when someone brought it up, then there would have been a bit of a problem. That, to my mind, is what's happened with Gunn. They knew, or were entirely in a position to know everything about his past when they hired him, but went and decided to make one and a half billion dollars with him at the global box office anyway.
In short, Disney deserves scorn, rather than praise, for firing Gunn as a knee-jerk reaction to decade-old tweets that they had probably already known about long before the spotlight was shone upon them again. I'm not saying Gunn's hands are clean, but by no means are Disney's either.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Sunday, July 8, 2018
So...How About Those Twists? (Ant-Man and the Wasp Edition...HEAVY SPOILERS)
You all know the drill by now (whoever reads this blog anyway)...there be SPOILERS AHEAD, so anyone who claims to have been spoiled by this post is simply being disingenuous.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
LAST CHANCE.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay. After blowing fandom's minds with Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel smartly went a bit more low-key with its follow-up, the lighthearted Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Apart from a fairly predictable twist involving Laurence Fishburne's character Bill Foster, i.e. that Foster was actually in league with Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost, one which plays out fairly early in the film, unlike Marvel's usual third-act shockers, there's not much by way of "OMG, I don't believe it" surprises in the main narrative, even though there are a few fun bits peppered throughout.
Luis' "storytelling" moment, which I was almost afraid wouldn't feature, didn't disappoint, and it was even funnier that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly got in on the Michael Pena lip-syncing action.
The big bombshell, however, dropped in the mid-credits sequence, when Thanos' population-eradicating finger snap is finally felt in this corner of the MCU, taking out the entire Pym family and leaving Scott stranded in the Quantum Realm. This is unique in that it's the first credits sequence to leave the hero hanging off the proverbial cliff, and it's no doubt a direct lead-in to Ant Man's participation in Avengers 4, or whatever they're ultimately calling it. And yet, even after this gasp-inducing twist, Marvel reassures us that "Ant-Man and the Wasp will return" thereby confirming what just about everyone else already figured out: that being reduced to ash by Thanos doesn't necessarily mean a final death.
Another point worth discussing is not so much a twist as it is a plot device: Janet Van Dyne's weird grab bag of powers. I mean...telepathy? Quantum energy healing? The ability to project her consciousness into someone else...to do...mind control? The screenwriters don't exactly bother to explain how the Quantum Realm has endowed her with these powers, instead contenting themselves with just asserting that she has them, and they both drive the plot forward and even resolve it in the end. Apart from that, these astonishing abilities are basically played, in the case of Paul Rudd doing his best Michelle Pfeiffer impersonation, for laughs.
The thing is, these powers are, in a word, awesome, and quite unlike anything else in the entire MCU, short of Thanos' near-omnipotence. There is incredible potential for what can be done with her powers. A sympathetic character with healing powers? A telepath (albeit one with apparent conditions) without the X-Men? Janet is the second hero (after Guardians of the Galaxy's Mantis) to have powers in the MCU that don't involve fighting with someone, and there is a heck of a lot they could do with what she's got. I wonder if they realize this. Honestly, Janet Van Dyne has got to be one of the gems of the MCU right now, or at least, she will be, once she's been reconstituted from a pile of ash.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
LAST CHANCE.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay. After blowing fandom's minds with Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel smartly went a bit more low-key with its follow-up, the lighthearted Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Apart from a fairly predictable twist involving Laurence Fishburne's character Bill Foster, i.e. that Foster was actually in league with Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost, one which plays out fairly early in the film, unlike Marvel's usual third-act shockers, there's not much by way of "OMG, I don't believe it" surprises in the main narrative, even though there are a few fun bits peppered throughout.
Luis' "storytelling" moment, which I was almost afraid wouldn't feature, didn't disappoint, and it was even funnier that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly got in on the Michael Pena lip-syncing action.
The big bombshell, however, dropped in the mid-credits sequence, when Thanos' population-eradicating finger snap is finally felt in this corner of the MCU, taking out the entire Pym family and leaving Scott stranded in the Quantum Realm. This is unique in that it's the first credits sequence to leave the hero hanging off the proverbial cliff, and it's no doubt a direct lead-in to Ant Man's participation in Avengers 4, or whatever they're ultimately calling it. And yet, even after this gasp-inducing twist, Marvel reassures us that "Ant-Man and the Wasp will return" thereby confirming what just about everyone else already figured out: that being reduced to ash by Thanos doesn't necessarily mean a final death.
Another point worth discussing is not so much a twist as it is a plot device: Janet Van Dyne's weird grab bag of powers. I mean...telepathy? Quantum energy healing? The ability to project her consciousness into someone else...to do...mind control? The screenwriters don't exactly bother to explain how the Quantum Realm has endowed her with these powers, instead contenting themselves with just asserting that she has them, and they both drive the plot forward and even resolve it in the end. Apart from that, these astonishing abilities are basically played, in the case of Paul Rudd doing his best Michelle Pfeiffer impersonation, for laughs.
The thing is, these powers are, in a word, awesome, and quite unlike anything else in the entire MCU, short of Thanos' near-omnipotence. There is incredible potential for what can be done with her powers. A sympathetic character with healing powers? A telepath (albeit one with apparent conditions) without the X-Men? Janet is the second hero (after Guardians of the Galaxy's Mantis) to have powers in the MCU that don't involve fighting with someone, and there is a heck of a lot they could do with what she's got. I wonder if they realize this. Honestly, Janet Van Dyne has got to be one of the gems of the MCU right now, or at least, she will be, once she's been reconstituted from a pile of ash.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
A Stinging Senation: A Review of Ant Man and the Wasp
directed by Peyton Reed
written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari
Following the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Infinity War, a lighthearted romp through the world of Ant-Man is basically just what the doctor ordered, especially considering that he is joined here by the Wasp.
Following the events of the first movie, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) who had previously thought his wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) to be dead, after she shrunk herself down to subatomic size to stop a missile in the 1980s, now believes it's possible she's alive somewhere down in the Quantum Realm, after Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) went subatomic and managed to return to full size. Now, he and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) have built a "Quantum Tunnel" which is basically a rig that will enable them to shrink down small enough to travel to the Quantum Realm and find Janet. When Scott, who has been under house arrest following his participation on the events of Captain America: Civil War, suddenly has a strange dream about someone he thinks is Janet and gives Pym a call, Hank and Hope, thinking it's more than just a dream, decide they need Scott's help to find Janet as well. There are a number of things that could get in the way, though: 1) the fact that Scott, who is under the watchful eye of the FBI, specifically Agent Woo (Randall Park), is not supposed to leave his house until his house arrest is over, which is only a matter of days, 2) the fact that one of their black-market tech suppliers, the sleazy Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), is on to them and wants to steal their tech, and 3) the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) also seeks to unlock secrets to the Quantum Realm and is willing to steal Hank's tech to do it. As much as Scott wants to do right by his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Forston) and stay out of trouble, he also realizes that Hank and Hope, who were both compromised as a result of his adventures in Germany, really need his help, and may well need the help of his old crew Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian) as well.
The first Ant-Man was a pleasant little hoot, one I welcomed after Avengers: Age of Ultron disappointed somewhat back in 2015. This film, which has the distinction of being Marvel's first film with a female co-lead, captures the spirit and energy of the first film, with a lot more besides. It helps that the cast, most of whom return from the first film, have fantastic chemistry together. The humor is still front and center, and unlike Avengers: Infinity War, which seemed to be tonally muddled at times considering that the grim subject matter was often peppered with jokes, this film breezes through. Of course, Rudd, who shares scriptwriting credit, is at his comedic best here and really does the perfect "everyman" for this role, while Lilly and Douglas get considerably more screen time than last time out. John-Kamen, who was delightful as a bad guy in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, again shines here as the fiercely driven Ava Starr, whose very life may depend on Pym finding the Quantum Realm. Laurence Fishburne has a brief, somewhat unremarkable turn as Pym's former S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague Bill Foster. Pfeiffer is less a character here than she is a driving plot point and, ultimately, a sort of deus ex machina, but I hope she shows up in the inevitable sequel with more to do. And of course, no Ant-Man film would be complete without a narration from Michael Pena's Luis, who gladly obliges us about halfway through the movie.
The action scenes are quite imaginative, with Pym's shrinking technology being put to good use in not only the hand-to-hand fighting, but also in the most engaging car-chase sequence set in San Francisco since the one in Bullitt. It's also interesting to see how someone who can shrink at will fights someone who turns intangible at will.
It really is an enjoyable time at the movies, though of course, as with any movie involving science or pseudo-science, which, as usual, becomes the script's magical tool to explain what happens, no matter how illogical, it does feel a bit goofy at times. Director Peyton Reed does well to keep the action moving briskly so we don't find ourselves asking too many questions.
As an aside, and this isn't really a major issue, I have to say I wasn't too thrilled that Jimmy Woo, the rare Asian Marvel character, was portrayed as a complete goofball in the film considering the pedigree of his comic-book counterpart. Still, Park was a lot of fun in the role.
As MCU offerings go, this was a great way to cap off what's been a banner year for the ladies and gentlemen at Marvel.
7.5/10
written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari
Following the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Infinity War, a lighthearted romp through the world of Ant-Man is basically just what the doctor ordered, especially considering that he is joined here by the Wasp.
Following the events of the first movie, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) who had previously thought his wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) to be dead, after she shrunk herself down to subatomic size to stop a missile in the 1980s, now believes it's possible she's alive somewhere down in the Quantum Realm, after Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) went subatomic and managed to return to full size. Now, he and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) have built a "Quantum Tunnel" which is basically a rig that will enable them to shrink down small enough to travel to the Quantum Realm and find Janet. When Scott, who has been under house arrest following his participation on the events of Captain America: Civil War, suddenly has a strange dream about someone he thinks is Janet and gives Pym a call, Hank and Hope, thinking it's more than just a dream, decide they need Scott's help to find Janet as well. There are a number of things that could get in the way, though: 1) the fact that Scott, who is under the watchful eye of the FBI, specifically Agent Woo (Randall Park), is not supposed to leave his house until his house arrest is over, which is only a matter of days, 2) the fact that one of their black-market tech suppliers, the sleazy Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), is on to them and wants to steal their tech, and 3) the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) also seeks to unlock secrets to the Quantum Realm and is willing to steal Hank's tech to do it. As much as Scott wants to do right by his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Forston) and stay out of trouble, he also realizes that Hank and Hope, who were both compromised as a result of his adventures in Germany, really need his help, and may well need the help of his old crew Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian) as well.
The first Ant-Man was a pleasant little hoot, one I welcomed after Avengers: Age of Ultron disappointed somewhat back in 2015. This film, which has the distinction of being Marvel's first film with a female co-lead, captures the spirit and energy of the first film, with a lot more besides. It helps that the cast, most of whom return from the first film, have fantastic chemistry together. The humor is still front and center, and unlike Avengers: Infinity War, which seemed to be tonally muddled at times considering that the grim subject matter was often peppered with jokes, this film breezes through. Of course, Rudd, who shares scriptwriting credit, is at his comedic best here and really does the perfect "everyman" for this role, while Lilly and Douglas get considerably more screen time than last time out. John-Kamen, who was delightful as a bad guy in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, again shines here as the fiercely driven Ava Starr, whose very life may depend on Pym finding the Quantum Realm. Laurence Fishburne has a brief, somewhat unremarkable turn as Pym's former S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague Bill Foster. Pfeiffer is less a character here than she is a driving plot point and, ultimately, a sort of deus ex machina, but I hope she shows up in the inevitable sequel with more to do. And of course, no Ant-Man film would be complete without a narration from Michael Pena's Luis, who gladly obliges us about halfway through the movie.
The action scenes are quite imaginative, with Pym's shrinking technology being put to good use in not only the hand-to-hand fighting, but also in the most engaging car-chase sequence set in San Francisco since the one in Bullitt. It's also interesting to see how someone who can shrink at will fights someone who turns intangible at will.
It really is an enjoyable time at the movies, though of course, as with any movie involving science or pseudo-science, which, as usual, becomes the script's magical tool to explain what happens, no matter how illogical, it does feel a bit goofy at times. Director Peyton Reed does well to keep the action moving briskly so we don't find ourselves asking too many questions.
As an aside, and this isn't really a major issue, I have to say I wasn't too thrilled that Jimmy Woo, the rare Asian Marvel character, was portrayed as a complete goofball in the film considering the pedigree of his comic-book counterpart. Still, Park was a lot of fun in the role.
As MCU offerings go, this was a great way to cap off what's been a banner year for the ladies and gentlemen at Marvel.
7.5/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)