Richard Bonaduce

 

Disney has gold to mine; cranking out live-action updates of their classic animated films. Some do well (“Cinderella” 2015) while others, not so much (the “Alice In Wonderland” films). You’d think this would make for an easy job considering much of the work is already done, but Disney is actually in a tough spot; how closely to hew to the original?

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Disney seems to take heat either way they turn, with audiences not quite warming to their 2016 take on Pete’s Dragon (even though its among my favorites of their updates) while complaining about even the possibility of a simple shot-for-shot remake of The Lion King (although director Jon Favreau has addressed this even before the update hits theaters saying the rumors are not true). I’m also assuming that the higher the quality of the original, the steeper the challenge for the remake. If my assumptions are correct, then Disney had their work cut out for them with 2019’s Aladdin.

The basic story is pretty much the same, but with an additional 38 minutes of movie, there may be plenty to complain about. Luckily, much of that added screen time is spent on enriching supporting characters and expanding the role of Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott). This is good news since Scott is a lovely and talented actress who can actually sing (no Beauty and the Beast-style auto tuning needed), and her Jasmine has more to do, even if some of it is undermined by well-meaning characters surrounding her; one of them being the titular hero himself, Aladdin (Mena Massoud). Massoud certainly looks the part but he doesn’t quite have the swashbuckle of his animated counterpart and he can’t sing as well as Scott, which is painfully obvious when they have their famous duet, A Whole New World, among other tunes. Thankfully the dance numbers are pleasing enough to distract from the sporadic subpar singing. Likewise, the practical parkour acrobatics may distract you from silly Benny Hill style speeds during action sequences.

Speaking of distractions, can we talk about the big blue guy in the room?

Although I wouldn’t want to follow Robin Williams, Will Smith does a commendable job as the Genie, but it’s the CGI that trips him up; when he’s blending in with the crowd looking like Will Smith he’s fine… but when he takes on the full blue Genie persona, he looks so weird it’s …distracting. You can’t help but notice how his head is out of proportion to the rest of him, or how his arms don’t quite seem long enough, or how his lips don’t line-up with his witty repartee. Maybe the filmmakers were trying to stylize him after his cartoon equivalent, but I think his blue skin and smoky lower half would probably have done the job.

But if Smith does replace Williams, Gilbert Gottfried is missed as the voice of the parrot Iago, while at least they kept the original voice of the Cave of Wonders, Frank Welker. And although Smith knows how to deliver a line, Aladdin spreads its jokes around the whole cast with supporting characters like Jasmine’s handmaid Dalia (Nasim Pedrad) getting some of the best lines. But those jokes are also spread out over a much longer runtime than the original, a risk for any PG film aimed at young ones. At least they get a Bollywood-style final dance to kick off the credits with nary a reason to stick around to the very end of the roll.

Even so, Aladdin left me feeling that is was …fine (especially considering the amount of trepidation surrounding it going in), but also that it could have been tighter and better. I guess the original 1992 animated version just casts too big (and blue) of a shadow.

• Aladdin (2019)
• Genre: Fantasy
• Runtime: 2 hrs. 8 min.
• MPAA Rating:
• Rated PG for some action/peril
• Director: Guy Ritchie
• Writers: John August (screenplay by), Guy Ritchie (screenplay by)

Keanu Reeves returns as the dog-loving titular character in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Reeves brought his brooding, ex-assassin John Wick to the big screen the first time in 2014 to murder the bad guys who killed his dog — I swear; this was not only the likely elevator pitch but also the plot of a multi-million dollar motion picture.

But since violent John Wick made more than four times its $20 million dollar budget, we were graced with super-violent John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017, in which Wick breaks the rules of some assassin’s code whilst repaying a debt, resulting in a sizable bounty placed on his head.

And since Chapter 2 made more than twice what the original did, that’s all you need to know to be caught up for super-duper violent John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum… except that dictionary.com defines “parabellum” as a noun — a type of German-made semiautomatic pistol or machine gun — with an origin from the early 20th century. It’s from the Latin para bellum (from para! ‘prepare!’ (imperative of parare ) + bellum ‘war’) in the phrase si vis pacem, para bellum ‘if you want peace, prepare for war’.

But John is unprepared for what awaits him in Parabellum, which picks up shortly after the bounty has been levied and he is disavowed from all the usual courtesies of support and safe houses he normally enjoys as a card-carrying member of assassins governed by a mysterious body known as The High Table. So now basically every assassin with student loans wants that cool $14 million in exchange for Wick’s head. Cue the ultra-violence!

Parabellum is not my cup of tea personally, but still, I admit that what it does it does well. It has more of everything from the first two: violence, fight sequences, all manner of bad-assery and dogs. It is so absolutely over the top and relentlessly violent it’s almost an art form. If you drank from the earlier mugs of Wick 1 and 2, Wick 3 is likely to be the hair of the dog that bit you.

But it’s also long in the tooth, with multiple repetitive fight sequences rather than inventive ones (like an early fight in a library in which a book is truly mightier than the sword), zero plot, rules that barely matter, and no stakes. And although John Wick never misses, his 2^nd sequel certainly does; blowing numerous opportunities for more humor, and more imaginative fight sequences.

Which is a shame since a nod to the camera while the arm is being broken is why you see a Wick flick. It needed more one-liners and winks because Parabellum works best when absurd and not taking itself too seriously… because you just can’t take it seriously.

But if an obscene amount of outlandish violence is your cup of tea… then John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is probably your drink of choice even though it’s been better. But don’t worry; maybe it will get the mix just right in its 3^rd sequel.

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• John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
• Director: Chad Stahelski
• Distributor: Lionsgate/Summit
• Genre: Action
• Runtime: 2 hrs. 10 min.
• MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong violence, and some language

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I first saw Director Penny Lane’s latest documentary Hail Satan? during Sundance 2019, and I knew immediately that it would get scooped up and make its way down the mountain for all to see despite (and possibly because of) its controversial subject matter. At once it’s both exactly what you think it is and not at all what you’re afraid it might be.

IMDB plainly describes it as “A look at the quick rise and influence of the controversial religious group known as The Satanic Temple,” and it is obviously that; but it’s also much more in Lane’s ever-capable hands, with that question mark in the title giving away its atypical nature.

I’ll admit I went in seeing Hail Satan? apprehensively, and there certainly are some disconcerting scenes, especially when a rogue Temple leader attempts to put her own overtly inflammatory and overly theatrical stamp upon the Temple as a whole. But rather than being in the movie merely to provoke the audience, these scenes illustrate that mainstream churches could learn a thing or two from Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves about properly managing PR issues and/or resolving internal conflicts. It’s a heckuva thing to see the Satanic Temple police its unruly people far more effectively than the Catholic Church has handled its pedophile priests. But it’s only one of the many instances wherein Temple members seem so much more rational, measured, and reasonable than their godly counterparts, to say nothing of the seven fundamental tenets of the Satanic Temple being morally superior to the Ten Commandments.

But then again, most of us could learn something from this doc; not only about its subject matter specifically but about religious freedom and filmmaking in general. Director Lane knows what she’s doing, and as with her past docs (I encourage you to see Our Nixon and Nuts!), she knows how to make an illuminating film entertaining, even with given its edgy topic.

So if you’re willing to check out a tight 95 minutes of R-rated documentary about something that is probably already pressing your buttons, you might be pleasantly surprised by Hail Satan?

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• Hail Satan?
• Director: Penny Lane
• Distributor: Magnolia
• Genre: Documentary
• Runtime: 1 hrs. 35 min.
• MPAA Rating: R for graphic nudity, and some language

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Eleven years and 21 movies later and it’s all come down to this: the Avengers try to recover from (and possibly correct) the “Decimation” — the snap heard ’round the universe — in 2018’s “Infinity War.”

No spoilers here, but hit the bathroom before you see Avengers: Endgame because you won’t want to miss a moment of its three-hour runtime.

But thankfully it doesn’t feel like three hours since Endgame delivers the goods on multiple levels: the highs and the lows; the fan service and easter eggs; the action sequences and moments of reflection; cameos and callbacks; surprises and hints at what’s to come. The bad guys get their comeuppances and the good guys get their just rewards.

It seems to have been written by and for lovers of sci-fi, comics, these characters and MCU movies specifically in order to give its audience exactly what they wanted. It’s also almost as much a love story as it is an action-packed adventure, and the plot may be a bit dense for younger viewers. There’s also more PG-13 violence than usual (courtesy of Thor/Chris Hemsworth who is in no mood to play) and language from perennially stalwart Captain America/Chris Evans (language, Cap!).

But then again, this isn’t your lighthearted Ant-Man romp; Endgame starts with a gut-punch hot on the heels of “Infinity War” and barely lets up from there. It’s an aptly named culmination of the MCU’s first three phases and a dang near perfect capper to all that has come before.

It seems that the creative team comprised of directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely created a wish list of everything they ever wanted to see from these movies, threw it all against a wall, and then created a script that might make it all stick.

Some heroes are brought back from the Decimation while others are revived in a way that doesn’t cheat their initial loss. Some are sacrificed in a satisfying way while others are poised to become so much more in Marvel’s Phase Four and beyond.

Less powerful Avengers shine in larger, important roles while highly powered heroes don’t save the day on their own. The usual quip machine that sometimes undercuts the drama is put in a lower gear, but it still rears its head from time to time. Heroes who were decimated obviously get limited screen time but make the most of what they eventually get. Elements also exist that will delight long-time comic book readers while still being welcome to those who are strictly fans of the movies. And certainly the mechanics of the time travel plot are wibbly-wobbly timey-whimey, but I haven’t found a time travel movie that isn’t on shaky theoretical ground to some extent. At least the writers try to address some of the concerns brought up by such a complex plan while using the trappings of time travel to close some loops while opening others up to the possibility of a Phase 4 appearance (or a series on Disney+).

I will confirm that outside of an appropriate sound effect there is no end credits scene after a major victory lap for the main characters kicks off a rather extensive credit roll. I guess Marvel thought that after three hours of “Endgame” fans would probably want to go home, but they thought wrong as many (of us) who stayed were upset that there wasn’t something more. Even at three hours, Avengers: Endgame was something I didn’t want to actually see end.

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• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language
• Running time 3 hours, 1 minute
• Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Writing Credits: Christopher Markus (written by) & Stephen McFeely (written by), Stan Lee (based on the Marvel comics by) and Jack Kirby (based on the Marvel comics by), Jim Starlin (comic book)

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First, stop watching trailers immediately. If you’re already interested in “Captain Marvel,” then just go see it; watching any more trailers may spoil certain surprises and plot points for you.

Second, go in recognizing that “Captain Marvel” has a lot to do in 128 minutes: introduce a brand-new and obscure titular character (Brie Larson) who has a very deep and complicated back story; introduce a new race of shape-shifting alien Skrulls while expanding on the Kree, an alien race audiences are somewhat familiar with; and reunite us with well-known franchise characters like Nick Fury and Agent Coulson (digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg, respectively) while introducing new supporting characters.

Toss into that meaty recipe a heaping helping of subtext on feminism and American colonialism and you’ve got yourself a stew! Be sure to sprinkle it liberally with fan service, easter eggs, `90s references, and some jokes to go along with all the whiz-bang that comic-book audiences have come to expect. Oh; and make sure it ties into the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) while setting up the next installment, “Avengers: Endgame.”

Finally, it has to appeal to a massive audience comprised of people from virtually any age, race, color and sex, with many of them being highly critical fans of the source material. Easy peasy!

With that extensive list, it’s impressive that “Captain Marvel” is as good as it is; not that it’s perfect, nor the second coming of “Wonder Woman.” Then again, “Wonder Woman” had less to do, considering most people were pretty familiar with her.

The wide age spread of its audience may account for much of the dialog being repetitive or over-explanatory, resulting in a possibly lethal drinking game if you took a shot every time someone said Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers was too “emotional.” I know the filmmakers didn’t want the 8-year olds in the audience to miss any of the feminist messages, but the rest of us got it the first 7 times.

With Marvel’s penchant for using jokes to undercut any real drama, some of the humor or light-heartedness was unwelcome; meanwhile, there were genuinely touching moments supplied by a tribute to recently deceased Stan Lee, and more so by Danvers’ earth-bound buddy, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) who shows Larson how to do it, frankly… because the odd ingredient in the mix is Larson herself.

She revealed in junket interviews that she was unsure about taking on the role of Captain Marvel, saying it was not only very different from anything she’s ever done before but even a different kind of movie as well. The closest she ever got to this level of blockbuster scrutiny was 2017s “Kong: Skull Island” (again, opposite Jackson), but her character wasn’t on the marquee.

There’s a lot more riding on her shoulders this time, and it shows. She doesn’t have much chemistry with anyone onscreen, and many of her lines fall flat since she’s unable to deliver the obvious applause-lines like a more seasoned Jackson can. Some have suggested it’s part of her character to be awkward and feel out of place, and that’s possible but unwise. Remember, we were subjected to acting powerhouse Natalie Portman sleepwalking as Queen Amidala in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” because we found out it really wasn’t Padmé saying those lines, it was a servant pretending to be her! So naturally, she couldn’t be convincing as the Queen. OK, fine; but we were still stuck with Portman’s stiff-as-a-board performance for most of the movie.

Or maybe Larson’s wooden performance was part of the feminist subtext: women are chided for not smiling enough, but then are told get a grip when showing emotion. Again; fine, could be. But then we’re still stuck with an Oscar-winning actress seeming uneasy in her own movie.

Larson’s performance may be the biggest issue I have with “Captain Marvel” but it’s not the only one. The script is clunky and spends time on chase scenes when we could be exploring Danvers’ past. Big name actors with big-league roles (like Annette Bening or Lee Pace) get short shrifted. Its first act is somewhat choppy and its second tends to lag, but “Captain Marvel” gets on track just in time to end well, and sometimes a movie is its ending.

The subtexts may be its strongest suit. Sure it has all the entertainment value and cool soundtrack cues you’ve come to expect from a Marvel movie, but to personify in Jude Law’s character Yon-Rogg how men have subjugated women by physically holding them back because they feel threatened by their power? And how men further gaslight women into thinking that whatever power they have has been given to them, and can be taken away at any time if they step out of line? And to further demand that Danvers deal with him on his own terms and not by using her own individual abilities? Such gaslighting takes on sky-high, sci-fi heights when the Kree alter Danvers own memories so she recollects only the times she failed, and not the times she gotten back up after she had fallen.

Add to that its messages on America’s current stance on immigration, with the Kree thinking they’re the good guys as they separate and scatter Skrull families around the galaxy in their quest to enforce their borders. Meanwhile, the immigrant Skrulls are painted as bad guys — infiltrating our earthly society and literally taking our places — but they’re just looking for a home, a haven away from Kree injustice. Those are bold and potent messages for a popcorn comic-book movie, and I applaud them and “Captain Marvel,” warts and all.

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• Captain Marvel (2019)
• PG-13 | 2h 8min
• Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Writing Credits (WGA): Anna Boden (screenplay by) & Ryan Fleck (screenplay by) & Geneva Robertson-Dworet (screenplay by), Nicole Perlman (story by) & Meg LeFauve (story by) and Anna Boden (story by) & Ryan Fleck (story by) & Geneva Robertson-Dworet