Is the Captain Marvel Movie White-Washed?

Originally Posted 3/7/19

If you think that producing Black Panther, $200 million superhero movie, largely set in Africa with a predominantly Black cast, is proof of Disney and Marvel Studios' continuing commitment to championing diversity and minority representation, you may wanna think again.

Marvel's billion-dollar-grossing Captain Marvel is an origin story -- and that's what makes the film's casting and direction questionable to some fans. The movie is headlined by Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson, who's white, starring as U.S. Air Force pilot-turned-superhero Carol Danvers. Afro-British actress Lashana Lynch co-stars as Danvers' best friend, Maria Rambeau. Aside from working alongside Danvers as a fellow Air Force pilot, Rambeau is a single mother to daughter Monica.

However, Monica Rambeau made her comics debut in 1982 -- as Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers didn't take on the mantle of Captain Marvel until July 2012 -- 30 years later (Danvers was known as Ms. Marvel for most of her existence). Some comics fans have questioned what has been called Marvel Studios' demotion of the original African-American Captain Marvel to the daughter of a sidekick (an Easter egg, essentially), while her successor is elevated to headliner. While the movie is set in the 1990s, leaving the potential for Monica to appear as an adult in future films, the question remains: Given her publication history, should Monica Rambeau not appear as Captain Marvel first? Was presenting an African-American woman as the MCU's first female headliner really so much to ask?

On another note, Larson has reportedly been paid $5 million for her turn as the latest addition to the MCU's growing slate of superheroes, despite the fact that she's never portrayed the character before -- not even in a mid-credits tease. By contrast, Chadwick Boseman, the star of the wildly profitable Black Panther was reportedly only paid $2 million for his portrayal of the titular hero in the character's first solo film. And Boseman had already introduced the character to both critical acclaim and rabid praise from notoriously judgmental fans two years earlier in 2016's Captain America: Civil War.

Perhaps if more black actors and actresses were cast in more high-profile roles, such as big-budget comic book movie leads, more black actors and actresses would have Oscars and big paydays -- like Ms. Larson.

"Creature From the Black Lagoon" Review

 

by Daniel White

I have a shameful confession to make: I have never seen Creature From The Black Lagoon. I don't know how I missed this1954 sci fi/horror classic when I was a young boy. I managed to catch all the others from that era: Them!, Tarantula, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. But somehow this Jack Arnold epic, beloved by so many, slipped through my fingers.

So the question I pose is: as an adult can I harbor the same affection for this movie that I do for all the other fright films that I cherished as a child? Sadly, no. Childhood memories are so precious, so special that they cannot be replicated when one is grown. If I encountered The Wizard of Oz today, I'm sure I'd appreciate it but it wouldn't hold the same magic that it generated for me as a youngster. To quote Thomas Wolfe, when it comes to adolescence, "You can't go home again."

That being said, I have to admit this movie has its own goofy charms, and an endearing quality that cannot be denied. There's one scene where our part time amphibious friend has been captured and is aboard the river boat waiting his fate. With his little fake head peering out from his watery cage, I actually felt a pang of pity for the poor guy! Never mind that he's pathetically cheesy and unreal with no reproductive organs and no butt hole to poop out of. Not since King Kong pined for Fay Wray has a movie monster been so enamored of a flesh and blood female. It's a shame he couldn't have worked something out with our leading lady, Miss Julia Adams. But then, the path of true love is never easy.

The movie opens with Dr. Carl Maia (actor Antonio Moreno, Clara Bow's love interest from the 1927 silent film, It!), discovering an unusual fossil embedded in rock, deep in the Amazon. Enlisting the help of fellow scientists, Adams, Richard Carlson, and pipe smoking Whit Bissell, they chug-a-lug down the South American river in search of answers.

Along for the ride is the movie's chief villain, money bags Richard Denning, and our boat's captain, the cheerful Nestor Paiva. There are also a handful of native men who help out the team but since they are quickly disposed of by the creature, they don't really count.

I could easily see how this film would appeal to adolescent boys, who would relate to the love sick monster and root for him, in his pursuit of the pretty, spunky, girl next door, Adams (she's the prototype of Dawn Wells' Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island). What I kept thinking: Where did she get all the fashionable beach wear? Swimsuit with matching robe, halter tops, chic khaki shorts? She looks like a debutante summering in the Hamptons, not a dedicated scientist hard at work on a filthy barge in the Amazon. There's one scene where Miss Adams goes swimming in the water, while our smitten fresh water fiend looks on longingly. Reaching out to to touch her well turned ankle, it's a bitter sweet moment. Talk about the love that dare not speak it's name!

Maybe if I had caught this movie as a lad, I would be more reverent, but I watched it for the first time as a cranky old man and whatever appeal it had is lost on me. But I understand those boys (and girls) who first met our slimy pal when they were at an impressionable age. Not only do I understand them but I applaud and encourage them to hold tight to that magical time in our lives when movie monsters had the power to move us.

Creature From The Black Lagoon is available on Peacock, along with several other Universal horror films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Happy Halloween !

The Fast and the Furious' Race Problem

Originally Posted 7/16/19

The Fast and the Furious folks took heed to the saying "Cut to the chase..." and produced movies that are basically car chases punctuated by fist-fights. When you give the people what they want, they sometimes reward you with billions in ticket sales. There are currently eight Fast & Furious movies with the ninth, Hobbs & Shaw, due this year.

And while the F&F franchise has been widely praised for its multi-ethnic cast, watching the entire series, it's hard not to notice a pretty foul trend. The Fast & Furious gang have faced a variety of villains over the years, who find themselves either incarcerated or dead by the time the credits roll. But a handful of these evildoers have actually been forgiven for their various murders, kidnappings and other heinous crimes and have been inducted into Dominic Terreto's extended family. The lucky few include Owen Shaw, Deckard Shaw -- and according to rumor, Cipher will make a return to the long-running franchise in Furious 9. What do these three have in common? Aside from murder, they're all white.

The non-white villains haven't been so lucky: Vietnamese gang leader Johnny Tran is killed in the very first movie; Argentinean drug kingpin Carter Verone is never heard from again after being arrested in 2 Fast 2 Furious; Japanese street racer Takashi unintentionally drives off a mountain in Tokyo Drift; Dom fatally rams his car into Mexican drug cartel member Fenix Calderon in Fast & Furious; Hobbs shoots Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes to death in Fast Five; Mexican drug cartel leader Arturo Braga is revealed to be serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison in Fast & Furious 6; and Nigerian mercenary Mose Jakande is blown up and Thai mercenary Kiet is thrown down an elevator shaft in Furious 7.

But Deckard Shaw's murder of Han (a Japanese man) and attempted murder of Hobbs, Dom, a pregnant Mia, Brian and their toddler, Jack, is forgiven; and Owen Shaw's kidnapping of Mia Toretto, murder of various Spanish motorists and attempted murder of every member of the team and Gisele's (an Israeli woman) death is forgiven. It still remains to be seen whether or not Cipher's kidnapping of Dom's infant son and murder of his ex-girlfriend, Elena (a Brazilian woman), will be forgiven but her imminent return in next year's 10th entry in the series suggests that she too may be welcomed to the team with open arms.

Idris Elba will appear as Afro-British criminal mastermind Brixton Lore in this summer's Hobbs & Shaw. What are the chances of Brixton not winding up in a prison cell or a coffin by the end of the movie?

Deckard Shaw's murder of Han in Fast & Furious 6

"Man Hunt" Review

 

by Daniel White

Released in June of 1941, Twentieth Century Fox's Man Hunt would be the first of four films director Fritz Lang made that dealt directly with the Nazi regime, which he had fled in 1933. It amazes me that film censor Joseph Breen was still concerned with ruffling the feathers of the German government, fearful that Man Hunt would antagonize them and upset the isolationists here in the United States. By this time, most rational folk understood that Nazi Germany was an evil entity, and I can only attribute Breen's reluctance to denounce them as his own anti-semitism, which he had exhibited early in his stint with the MPPDA (Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America).

Walter Pidgeon plays Englishman Alan Thorndike (cinematic cousin to Hitchcock's Roger Thornhill?), a big game hunter, caught attempting to assassinate Hitler. After refusing to implicate the British government in his aborted plan, he escapes back to London, one step ahead of his Nazi pursuers. I never think of Water Pidgeon as an action hero, and he's a trifle stodgy here (hanging out with Greer Garson can do that to a man), but more than serviceable in the role. The real surprise is Joan Bennett. Playing against type as a plucky Cockney gal who comes to Pidgeon's aid, she's wonderful. It's a spirited performance that brightens up the screen. Her earnest, naive Jerry Stokes borders on heartbreaking and the scene where she and Thorndike say goodbye on a London bridge (Waterloo?) is poignant and haunting.

And yes, the movie is propaganda, a sincere, heartfelt plea for America to jump into the fray and help a struggling Great Britain defeat a diabolical foe. Bennett's Cockney waif and Roddy MacDowell's clever, brave little cabin boy ARE good and decent and heroic. Because George Sanders and John Carradine as the villains ARE deceitful, cruel, and cunning (both come to visually satisfying demises!), and MUST be destroyed. 1941 was a time for action and thankfully men like director Fritz Lang knew this and used the mighty power of film to help awaken a great nation to fulfill its destiny as an avenger to wrongdoing in the world!

Man Hunt is available on YouTube.

It's Time for Black Widow to Undergo a Name Change

The late Natasha Romanoff led quite a full life -- and that's just in the MCU. The Avengers member is still having adventures and going on missions in the pages of Marvel comics and has a solo prequel movie on the way. Which is why one thing about her needs to change.

Unbeknownst to many casual MCU fans, Ms. Romanoff began her career as a Russian assassin. Similarly to Bucky during his years in the Winter Soldier program, Natasha used to murder people on command. Unlike Bucky, Natasha wasn't brainwashed; instead, she executed people of her own free will.

Black Widow spiders get their name from the females' practice of sexual cannibalism -- killing and eating their male partners after mating. Natasha Romanoff's codename is clearly a reference to her penchant for killing men. It's not like she has any arachnid-like superpowers (like, say, Spider-Man); and she may even be a widow -- but she's not Black. The truth is, women who've murdered their husbands have long been labeled black widows; but they've never been considered heroic -- at least not by anyone with any sense of morality.

While Black Widow is a great nickname for a misandrist villainess, it's completely inappropriate for a heroine. It's sort of like having a male hero named Wife Beater. Imagine that on an MCU poster. Or a movie marquee.

If Marvel really wants to clean Natasha's ledger, the least that they could do is to give her a less offensive name.

Originally Posted 9/21/19

After Seeing "Squid Game", I'll Never Hear 'Green Light, Red Light' Again Without Getting Creeped Out

 

by John Zenoni

What did you think of 'Squid Game'? I have to admit that I was hooked very early on, especially with the first game. I will never be able to hear anyone say, ‘Green Light, Red Light’ ever again without getting creeped out. I've heard some people say that the series is a ‘Hunger Games’ rip-off but I don't see that at all. In ‘Squid Game’ the people voluntarily went into the games, whereas the kids/people in the ‘HG’ have a required way of living, if you will. People were mandated to participate in those games.

While some of the acting was a little over the top at times, granted I was watching the Korean version dubbed in English, and so sometimes the facial expressions were not quite in synch with the sentences, thus possibly playing a part in my criticism, it was still a great series. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, especially at game time. I definitely made connections with some of the characters and felt for them, especially the lead actor. He was selfish at first but deep down was a good person and I'm so glad that I was able to see that part come out as time went on. But the ending - I'm ok with it but am still wondering if there couldn't have been something a little more exciting to bring the series to a close.

#cinemafiends

#fullycinematic

#squidgame

#squidgamenetflix

#koreanthriller

"Into the Spider-Verse" is Yet Another White-Savior Movie

While the filmmakers behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are patting themselves on the back for making "strides" in diversity (with plenty of encouragement from legions of white film critics), they're busy missing the point. And though the movie will likely win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Hollywood has managed to screw the Black guy -- and the Brown guy -- again. Sure, Into the Spider-Verse features the first cinematic appearance of the Afro-Rican Spider-Man but unlike his white predecessor, Peter Parker, Miles Morales has to share his movie with other Spider-people, most of whom are -- you guessed it -- white.

In just 16 years, we've had two separate Spider-Man series, comprised of six movies, featuring Parker as not only the sole Spider-Man but the sole hero, who nevertheless manages to find his way without a mentor and save the day without help (though he did receive an extra pair of hands in the form of Harry Osborne at the very end of Spider-Man 3). Peter was mentored by Tony Stark in his most recent solo movie, Homecoming, but then again, Stark asked for his help in Civil War and Infinity War (Spidey's adventures alongside the Avengers). But for some reason, the filmmakers behind Into the Spider-Verse didn't feel that the half African-American/half Puerto Rican web-slinger was up to the task of stopping archcriminal the Kingpin without oversight, training and rescue from three older, white Spider-folk, a Japanese Spider-teen and an anthropomorphic Spider-pig. And just for good measure, Spider-Verse continues the time-honored Hollywood tradition of making sure that a romance between an African-American guy and a white girl does not blossom.

What's more troubling is the fact that Miles' father, a Black man, is named Jefferson Davis -- the name of the head of the former Confederate States of America. Wtf

Like the previous two Spider-Man origin movies (2002's Spider-Man and 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man), Into the Spider-Verse is a coming-of-age tale. But it's the only one in which the wall-crawler's hand is held during the journey from boy to hero. When the guy behind the web is a minority, he's not the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man -- he's merely the darkest face in the crowd.

I get the feeling that the filmmakers were more concerned with pandering and checking off diversity boxes in order to get progressive cred (Let's just put 'em all in, we'll be heroes!) than making a sincere effort to be inclusive. As a proud African-American, Into the Spider-Verse seems more like an F-U than anything else.

Originally Posted 2/2/19

"Party Wire" Review

 

by Daniel White

Jean Arthur (October 17, 1900 - June 19, 1991) was the in-house leading lady at Columbia Pictures from the mid-thirties until the mid-forties. Frank Capra once said that she was his favorite actress, and the three films they made together are comedy classics.

Party Wire (1935) is no Mr. Deeds Goes to Town or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington but it is a sweet, folksy comedy/drama about small town life and the damage that gossip can do when it's allowed to go unchecked.

Arthur plays Marge Oliver, part-time bank teller and full-time daughter to her father Will (Charley Grapewin), a good-natured soul who's a bit too fond of his homemade hooch. It's Will who inadvertently starts the tongues wagging about Marge when he's overheard on the communal telephone line (the "party wire" of the title). Assumed to be pregnant and deserted by a local swain, Marge loses her job and is ostracized by the community.

There's nothing special here, it's not a forgotten, overlooked gem that needs to resurrected. But it is a well made, well scripted, and most of all, excellently acted movie that shows why Jean Arthur is considered one of the most gifted, charming performers from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Arthur had been working in Hollywood for over ten years before she had her breakthrough role in John Ford's The Whole Town's Talking, the same year that Party Wire came out. Possessing a unique speaking voice (a throaty contralto that has both laughter and tears built into it), she's an all-American sweetheart. Honest, straight-forward, and unpretentious, a Cinderella with a fishing pole, Jean Arthur is the ideal companion for any leading man.

Party Wire also allows some great supporting actors a chance to shine. Besides Grapewin, Clara Blandick has a meaty role as Mathilda Sherman, the town's leading gossip monger. No Auntie Em, Mathilda is a vindictive shrew, determined to destroy Marge's reputation. What a gas it is to see Grapewin and Blandick in a movie together pre-Wizard, only this time they're adversaries, not kindly wards to an orphan girl.

With Victor Jory as Jean Arthur's love interest (I'm so used to seeing him as the villain!), Helen Lowell, and Walter Brennan, uncredited as the town's telegraph operator, Party Wire is available on YouTube.

The 14 Greatest Spy Films of All Time

Code words, moles, and all of the other secret agent stuff in between. Set your exploding watch, kick off your hidden-knife shoes and enjoy...

14. Mission: Impossible

In November of 1995, Goldeneye was released, featuring Pierce Brosnan in his long-awaited first portrayal of James Bond (Bronsnan wanted the role as far back as 1986). Six months later, Tom Cruise's decision to become an action star culminated in the debut of Mission: Impossible and the end of 007's iron-clad monopoly on movie spydom. 

Mission infused the genre with brains and acrobatics and completely eliminated the freakshow villains and henchmen common in the what's-his-face-movies. But who knew Ethan Hunt would still be around 19 years later?









13. I Spy

I Spy is a loose adaptation of a 1960s television show of the same name starring Bill Cosby in his first tv series. It was also the first weekly television drama to star an African-American. The premise was that two intelligence operatives -- one white, the other African-American -- conducted espionage missions posing as a tennis player and his trainer, respectively.

The operatives undergo a sort of race reversal in the movie, with Murphy as Kelly Robinson (the white spy from the show) and Owen Wilson as Alex Scott (the African-American tennis trainer from the show). Also, this time around there's no tennis. Robinson is now an actual middleweight world boxing champion, whom George W. Bush personally requests to provide cover for BNS (Bureau of National Security) screw-up Scott, who poses as Robinson's personal assistant. Robinson's participation is importane because his 56-0 boxing record has earned him legions of fans, one of whom is Scott's target -- an international arms dealer who plans to auction a stolen prototype stealth fighter at Robinson's upcoming title fight. The partners don't gel, the mission doesn't go as planned, and the boxer ends up in the middle of the action.

Scott is more or less the opposite of James Bond -- a not-very-confident spy who's nervous around the girl he has a crush on (ironically, played by Bond girl Famke Janssen).

Much of the humor is derived from Robinson, whose outsized persona was probably inspired by the legendary Muhammad Ali and undefeated champion boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (who retired with a record of 49-0). In a comedic take on the outsider's view of his 1980s and 90s "Eddie Murphy Posse", Robinson is followed everywhere he goes by a large entourage that caters to him. Upon learning that Robinson has agreed to participate in the "secret mission", a groupie asks, "So you're gonna be like 007?" His response: "Yeah, except I'm gonna be more like 009 and a half. That's a little innuendo."

If for no other reason ,I Spy is worth watching to see Eddie Murphy back in top form. He's that good. His Kelly Robinson is his funniest performance in the 21st century. Yes, he's even funnier than Donkey from the Shrek movies. This is manic, shit-talking Murphy. Think: Axel Foley; Reggie Hammond; and Buddy Love.

Fistfights, car bombs, shootouts, car chases and shit-talking? Eddie Murphy has made a lot of bad movies over the years. This isn't one of them.

12. Munich

The story, based on true events, follows a group of operatives tasked my Mossad to take down the members of the Palestininan terrorist group Black September, who killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. 

Munich, one of director Steven Spielberg's best films, was absolutely robbed at the 78th Academy Awards. Though the movie received five nominations, including one for Best Picture, it came away with nothing.








11. Tenet

10. The Winter Soldier

When I saw the Superbowl ad for this movie I had zero interest in seeing it...ever. Not even on blu-ray or Netflix. It came across as completely corny in that commercial. The release of Iron Man 3 followed by Thor: The Dark World the year before seemed to signal a downward spiral for the quality of Marvel movies and the sight of Scarlett Johannson's bright, Kool-Aid red wig and Samuel Jackson's Matrix-wannabe leather trench coat just seemed like more of the same. By the way, none of the posters were any better. The revelation that the Falcon was in the film wasn't welcome news either. Sidekicks and characters with wings are usually massive red flags letting you know you're about to see something that sucks donkey nuts. I wondered if history was repeating itself like when 1989's Batman eventually devolved into Batman and Robin...or when Superman descended into Superman IV...The Empire Strikes Back begat Attack of the Clones...and on and on and on. As entertaining as The Avengers is, the truth is Captain America hadn't added much to the thrills. In fact, his goofy costume with the red pirate boots was one of the liabilities. Whose decision was it to put him back in the outfit that he himself (and everyone else) ridiculed in his first solo movie? I get it. It's his signature costume from the comic book, but Captain America: The First Avenger's director, Joe Johnston, wisely realized that it was impossible for that suit to be taken seriously in a live-action, real world setting.

Eventually, two things convinced me to give it a shot. First, I saw a trailer with an uncharacteristic somber tone that contained a single shot of Cap standing over about a dozen bodies. Second, the word-of-mouth was not just overwhelming, it was thoroughly positive. Everyone that I talked to gave it an enthusiastic recommendation. A female friend told me she'd gone to see it three times already and didn't mind seeing it again. At this point I still wasn't convinced. Hell, some people just like action, no matter how terrible the movie is. But I was curious.

From the very beginning it's evident that Winter Soldier is an entirely different movie than Marvel's previous offerings. The most striking disparity is between this film and the first Cap adventure. The sequel isn't a merely a departure. It belongs to another genre altogether. The First Avenger was a light-hearted, good vs. evil, period war movie about a superhero. Winter Soldier is a mostly sober conspiracy thriller loaded with paranoia, suspense, timely concern about government overreach, global surveillance, spies, assassins and shades of grey. According to the filmmakers, there was also a reassuring reliance on practical stunts and special effects and less dependence on CGI whenever possible. Luckily, somebody wised up and replaced the stupid blue lasers with bullets. There are no traces of mystical energy sources and no Nazis. Unlike in The Avengers, there are also no aliens, no Iron Man, no Thor, no Hulk, no Loki and best of all, no Hawkeye. Jackson's Nick Fury and Johannson's Black Widow do make appearances, however. This is the most grounded and mature Marvel movie so far but those two don't let you forget that this is based on a comic book when they're onscreen because neither one looks like they belong in the real world. Luckily, it's only the look that's distracting. They fit right in otherwise. But so far, neither of them is worthy of a solo movie. It seems like somebody overlooked some of the details somehow. Like, why the hell is BW's hair the same color as Ronald McDonald's? And why doesn't she at the very least put it in a ponytail when she goes on special ops missions? And as for Colonel Fury...why is he in all black leather when everyone around him is either in a uniform or a suit? Even in the office!?

Despite my reaction to the trailer, the Falcon's inclusion was a great decision. He's no more a sidekick than Black Widow is and wings are way, waay more realistic than Jackson's wardrobe. Incidentally, he is Captain America in the comics, as he's currently traded in the wings and taken over the costume, shield and duties from Steve Rogers.

Aside from the costume, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers hasn't changed drastically. His hallmark sincerity and stoicism's still there but he's a little more suspicious of people's motives now and there's the suggestion that he's disenchanted with his role as a soldier in today's world. This only serves to broaden and deepen the character and Evans portrays the new depth perfectly.

There are a ton of superhero movies out there and lots more are on the way. Honestly, most of them are a big waste of time and money. Only a handful of them are actually good. There's the Dark Knight trilogy, The Avengers, this movie, and then there's everything else. In that order.

Winter Soldier is the 4th highest-grossing film in the U.S. for 2014 and 7th highest-grossing film of the year, worldwide. It might have been #1 if it'd had a better trailer director.









9. Mile 22

When I found out that Ronda Rousey was one of Mile 22's co-stars, my expectations for it sank like a rock. After seeing Furious 7 and The Expendables 3, I lost all hope of any movie in which she appeared being any more than mildly entertaining, much less having any substance. But this story about a black-ops team in way over its head is just as entertaining as the latest IMF mission.

The story centers on CIA agent James Silva, leader of Overwatch,  a covert black ops unit authorized to kill by the U.S. government, and his search for nine pounds of cesium-139 -- an isotype used in creating dirty bombs. Diagnosed as highly intelligent but hyperactive and prone to violence as a child, Silva was recruited to the agency after losing his mother and brothers (a set of twins) in a fatal car accident at 11-years-old and later serving in the USMC Force Recon -- the Marine Special Forces.

After the team comes up empty, Overwatch member Alice Kerr's source, who originally tipped the CIA off about the cesium, low-level Indocarr police officer Li Noor, turns himself in at the U.S. embassy offering to disclose the precise location of the highly radioactive material in exchange for safe passage out of the country. However, after Noor kills a team of assassins disguised as medical staff, it becomes clear that he's a much more valuable asset than previously thought and each member of Silva's team resigns so that their mission to liberate Noor and retrieve the cesium at all cost can't be tied to the government.

The convoy escorting Noor to a plane to the U.S. is attacked en route to the airfield and several Overwatch members are killed.

Silva and Kerr are the only team members who survive to escort Li Noor to the plane. While all of this is taking place, a team of Russian operatives is tracking Overwatch and monitoring their communications. And once his flight takes off, with a battered and bruised Alice onboard, the low-level cop is revealed to be a triple agent who's been working with them all along.

Mile 22 is the first great spy thriller in four years and makes at least half of the Mission: Impossible series look even more cartoonish by comparison. Overwatch inhabits a more realistic world in which intelligence operatives are aided by system hacks, satellite surveillance and drone strikes rather than rubber masks that we're supposed to believe are indistinguishable from human faces. It's also a world in which disguised enemy agents murder their targets without hesitating as opposed to exposing themselves in order to engage in "witty" banter.

8. Ghost Protocol

 

The best thing about Ghost Protocol is the fact that Ethan Hunt really doesn't wanna perform the death-defying stunts crucial to completing the mission. He's so reluctant to put his body on the line, yet again, that he looks around the rooom for other candidates when the team decides that someone is going to have to climb the tallest skyscraper on the planet, Dubai's 2,722 foot-high Burj Khalifa -- and within a narrow time frame. The second-best thing about Protocol is the fact that the gadgets, staples of the series, don't work -- which makes the idea of climbing that tower, using unreliable company equipment, that much less appealing.

Although the idiotic face-masks no longer work (thankfully), some things never change: Luther is as dependable as ever and Ethan continues one of his personal traditions established in the first Mission: Impossible movie -- sprinting at top speed.









7. Mission: Impossible III

At the outset, the producers of the Mission: Impossible film series, a group which includes Tom Cruise, mandated that each entry be helmed by a different director. As a consequence of that decision, each movie has a distinct look and feel. The few constants include: Ethan Hunt; Luther Stickell; the immortal M:I theme song; and of course, an elaborate heist. The wisdom of that initial multi-auteur policy proved to be tactical genius as first time feature film director J.J. Abrams one-ups John  Woo and redeems Hunt and co. from the template-for-shitty-straight-cable-action-movies that is M:I 2. Let's be real, if that movie were released for the first time nowadays, it would star Ian Ziering of Sharknado fame -- at best. Not Tom never-less-than-A-list Cruise. Not since Allen Iverson crossed-up Michael Jordan has a rookie humbled a legendary veteran so badly.

The change in director brought changes in direction as well. The first alteration is immediately apparent. A good way to ensure moviegoers don't fall asleep or walk out of the theater due to boredom is to begin the story with a very intense moment a la Goodfellas and Menace II Society. In this instance, the very first time that we see Hunt he's handcuffed to a chair, teary-eyed and desperately attempting to negotiate with a terrorist who's threatening to shoot a bound and gagged woman in the head unless Ethan tells him what he wants to know. What we don't see is Hunt escape. There's a gunshot and then the theme song begins. It almost makes you wonder if you're really watching an M:I film.

M:I-3's release marks the series' 10th year in existence and that passage of time is reflected in the personal growth and maturity of Ethan Hunt. No longer the cocky, reckless, adrenaline-junkie who once thrived on potentially-fatal challenges, Hunt made good on his promise to Luther at the end of the first M:I to leave the action behind and is now a retired field operative who trains others to undertake unreasonable missions. Having had his fill of she-daredevils, he's also settled down and living in suburban bliss with a likable nurse who thinks he works for the Department of Transportation. This new state of affairs is remarkable for an action franchise. Han Solo, for instance, was still running around the galaxy engaged in various schemes into his 70s. Hunt only agrees to go back into the field in order to rescue a former trainee. What hasn't changed for Hunt, unfortunately for him, is the adversarial dynamic he has with his boss -- even though a new man has filled the position. Maybe the missions are so impossible because the agents don't have any support from management. This time around, the department is headed by Theodore Brassel, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, who remains the most convincing and formidable IMF director to date. As much as you may hate your manager, at least he can't have you bound and muzzled. 

There are no more absurd motorcycle duels, no unnecessary slow-motion and no grinning like an idiot during a deadly crisis. Two Jason Bourne films were released since M:I 2 mercifully left the theaters. The folks at M:I were undoubtedly as shamed by the comparison as the shot-callers for James Bond and similarly took inspiration.

This retooled M:I preceded a rebooted and unquestionably improved James Bond film by six months and the third Jason Bourne film by 15. Here's to competition. And the best Mission ever. 

6. The Equalizer

The Equalizer is another example of Hollywood's penchant for mining old television shows in search of big screen material. In this case the conversion is a colossal upgrade. Denzel Washington replaces British actor Edward Woodward as vigilante Robert McCall, a former black ops commando (in the tv series it's implied that McCall is retired from the CIA) who decides to dispense sometimes lethal street justice to protect helpless inner-city residents from various types of criminals. The movie changes the setting from New York City to Boston and completely eliminates the allusions to James Bond. In the film McCall targets, and is targeted by, members of the Russian Bratva.

A common complaint of the film from professional critics is it's "lack of character development". The title character's intentional aura of mystery, however, is faithful to the CBS series (not to mention par for the course with government trained espionage agents/assassins). While his background is only partially revealed, some of McCall's personal quirks and tendencies do become apparent, such as his touch of OCD, his love of classic literature and his habit of using a stopwatch to time his assaults on criminals. Nothing wrong with trying to break your own record. Also, it's evident from the start that McCall doesn't see violence as the first and only option. He tries using his words. But, to quote Liam Neeson, he does have "a very particular set of skills."

Washington (who also serves as a producer) re-teams with director Antoine Fuqua for the first time since 2001's Training Day, which yielded a best actor Oscar for Denzel. By the end of The Equalizer, McCall has compiled a sizable body-count comprised of several members of a Russian criminal organization, which is a bit of poetic justice given that Washington's Alonzo Harris was murdered by members of a similar Russian organization at the end of Training Day. What's funny is, The Equalizer bears an unmistakable resemblance to Man on Fire, a film Washington starred in 10 years prior. Fire also features Washington as a mysterious former CIA operative who acts as protector to a young blonde girl and embarks on a one-man mission of vengeance against the criminal organization that victimizes her - and along the way tortures someone in a car in order to get information as he works his way up the chain-of-command of said organization. #deepbreath

5. Skyfall

Skyfall is the first, and only, James Bond film to gross $1 billion at the box office, and to date, the last worth watching. It marks the onscreen 50th anniversary of the character that Sean Connery made legendary and appropriately, takes a look back. While the filmmakers knew better than to deliver an origin story, we get more information about Bond's past than ever. Goldeneye revealed that Bond was an orphan and Skyfall shows off his family home in Scotland -- replete with his parents' grave markers and a games keeper who knew him as a boy.

Skyfall bears many similarities to Bond's first real cinematic challenger, 1996's Mission: Impossible: Several intelligence agents are killed by one of their own, a former comrade, who plans to sell a classified list of undercover operatives on the black market; the hero gets the girl -- a bad girl -- temporarily, but she's eventually shot to death by her real man; and the hero has a fight on top of a speeding train. 

There's a moment in which Bond approaches a metaphorical fork in the road. His choice between continuing his new life and reverting back to what he knows parallels the filmmakers' opportunity to proceed with relatively newfound artistic integrity or to devolve into the same old, moronic Austin Powers-styled bullshit they'd embraced for decades. They chose to make Spectre. Smh









4. The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum's title is derived from a novel of the same name written by Bourne creator Robert Ludlum. It's the last book about the assassin written by the author, and fittingly, the film is the last to star the man who personifies him onscreen -- Matt Damon. At least, that was the original plan and had been the case for nine years -- until 2016's Jason Bourne. Like The Bourne Supremacy before it, Ultimatum bears no resemblance to the novel for which it's named, and contrary to the old maxim, is better than the book.

Ultimatum fills in the gap between the final two moments of Supremacy: Bourne's apology to Irena Neski (he murdered her parents) and his conversation with CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy in New York. We finally get to see how he actually made it out of Russia -- battered, but alive. For the first time in the series he leaves the foreign locales behind and brings his skills to bear on New York City -- amidst the post-9/11 heightened security. 

The final scene of the film mirrors the very beginning of the series, the opening scene of The Bourne Identity, in which Bourne lies motionless and face-down in a body of water.  

In a rare feat for an action film, Ultimatum was named as one of the top ten movies of 2007 by several professional critics.









3. Casino Royale

Over the years, the producers of the James Bond film series have taken cues from other popular films that they've viewed as competition, most notably, Star Wars (Moonraker) and Shaft (Live and Let Die). The rebooted Casino Royale was heavily, and thankfully, influenced by the Jason Bourne film series. Bourne's artistic and box-office success inspired the filmmakers to eschew nearly all of 007's signature, yet completely superfluous, trappings. Gone are the trick watches, flying cars, evil cat-lovers, air of invincibility, "Q" and Miss Moneypenny. At one point Bond even attempts, unsuccessfully, to revive the love of his life underwater -- just as Bourne did two years earlier, in The Bourne Supremacy.

Flying in the face of the popular adage, blonde Bond seems to be having considerably less fun. He was probably too busy being betrayed, heartbroken, poisoned and bashed in the nuts to enjoy himself. Actually, Bond's torture at the hands of Le Chiffre is the physical representation of M's and Vesper's almost non-stop attempts to emasculate him throughout the movie.

This one film instantly rendered every James Bond movie from 1971 to 2002 both obsolete and unwatchable.

When it was announced that naturally-blonde Daniel Craig had been cast as the new 007 and would not be dyeing his hair to a darker Bond-esque shade the resulting uproar foreshadowed the late Heath Ledger's Joker takeover. Just think, prior to taking the reins from the outgoing Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan was universally considered to be the quintessential James Bond. What the fuck?









2. The Bourne Supremacy

Not only is The Bourne Supremacy an improvement over its predecessor, The Bourne Identity, it's also far better than the novel for which it's named. After losing the love of his life, Marie, to a sniper's round early in the film, Bourne is now completely devoid of the accoutrements that help to define his primary rivals in cinematic espionage: James Bond and Ethan Hunt. Never one to indulge in Hunt's penchant for stupid face masks and gadgets or to embrace Bond's fondness for quips and drinking, he's now without one of the many things the other two super-spies have in common: romance.  And in the one instance in which Bourne imbibes alcohol, he doesn't savor it -- he uses it as a weapon. Bourne is simultaneously pragmatic and impractical as he dispassionately swims away from Marie's (the love of his life) recently-dead body upon realizing that she is, in fact, beyond resuscitating, but later travels into enemy territory for the sole purpose of apologizing to the orphan of two of his murder victims. Back to that dearth of romance for a second -- good riddance. I don't need to see a love story EVERY SINGLE TIME  I watch a movie. Action films especially don't need to be fairytales.

More self-possessed than he was in Identity, Bourne proves himself to be the most capable, most dangerous and most human black-ops agent to ever be captured on film. 

1. Quantum of Solace

Just as 2009's Star Trek was criticized for being too Star Wars-esque (the yang to Trek's yin), Quantum of Solace was similarly condemned for taking on qualities more closely associated with a Jason Bourne film. And just as Trek benefited from loosening up a little and moving a little faster, 007 was vastly improved by a little sobering (but not when it comes to vodka, of course). It was high time that the one-liners and comic book villains were retired. The continued absences of "Q", Miss Moneypenny, invisible cars and jet packs are much-appreciated as well.

The truth is, the gadgets and spymobiles did all of the work in the majority of the movies in the franchise. For a long time, any guy with a British accent could've slipped on a tuxedo (including guys who looked as though they'd never been in a fight in their entire lives -- Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan), flashed his "license to kill" and driven his submarine car straight to the bank. Beginning sometime in the 1970s until 2006's Casino Royale, the guy wearing the tux hardly mattered -- and didn't seem the least bit dangerous. The unintended moral of most James Bond movies: The clothes make the man.

Quantum is the first true sequel in the decades-old series and, in fact, picks up mere hours after the end of its predecessor, Casino Royale. The film's main theme is the very real and primal desire for vengeance. 007 isn't on an assignment to dismantle a plot to poison the world's hot sauce supply, he's working independently of MI6 on a quest to personally murder the people responsible for the death of the love of his life. The film shows that superguns don't kill people -- pissed-off, rigorously-trained assassins kill people. Bond as a human works even better than the cartoon version.

Originally Published 11/24/15




The Best Space Films of All Time

"House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths’ is a true crime series on Netflix that is definitely spine-chilling. It's a story about a family of 11, living in the Burari section of Delhi, India, who are all found dead in their home by concerned neighbors who went to check on them after their store failed to open at it’s usual time. While we don't get to see the actual crime scene, for which I'm very thankful, we are shown enough to only imagine how horrifying it must have been for those who witnessed it themselves. The family, other than the grandmother, are all hanging from the ceiling with their hands tied and eyes and mouths covered. The grandmother was bound and gagged, tied up to a dresser drawer, also dead from strangulation. My initial thought upon learning of this and hearing the news reports replayed was that there was absolutely no way this could not have been a murder. But the real horror story of what took place is revealed as the series moves on. The show focuses not only on the deaths of course, but also gives insight into how none of the neighbors, family members or friends had any idea that something was wrong. There wasn't even any noise on the night the deaths occurred. Everyone interviewed talks about how normal the family seemed to be and how friendly and kind they were. But as we all know, no one knows everything about a person/persons. It's truly a scary tale once you find out what really happened to this beautiful family.

As for the series itself, it's intriguing without a doubt but I feel there should have been more digging and investigation into what happened. I just feel like this story - being only 3 episodes long - is glossed over and we're given just the very basic facts. Maybe I'm being overly critical and this truly was all there was to tell. I just know it's sad, horrific and very creepy in the end. This series also taught/reminded me of a couple of things - one, we, as human beings, HAVE to watch out for signs that might indicate a person needs help. We're just beginning to really focus on this more and we can't let up. The stigma associated with mental health has got to go! The other thing is that no matter the culture, while we might worship differently, entertain and live differently, act and wear clothes differently, we are all still fellow humans and we all care the same, laugh and love the same, and mourn the same. This is also something we must keep in mind.

#cinemafiends

#fullycinematic

#burarideaths

#houseofsecrets

#houseofsecretsburarideaths

"The Phantom" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘The Phantom’ is an absolutely heartbreaking documentary about the injustice of an innocent man being sentenced to death in the state of Texas for a crime he did not commit. This is not a long film at all but it's long enough to give the details and facts to show that Carlos De Luna was wrongly arrested and eventually killed for a crime he never took part in. Did he do bad things and have a record? Yes he did, and he admitted to it, but the authorities in the community in which the crime took place didn't present all the evidence - such as the entire recordings of the phone call made by the victim to the police department. Nor did they question many people in the area about what they might have seen. Nor did they consider the fact that Carlos De Luna did not have any blood at all on him when found, even though the victim was stabbed multiple times. And it showed in the photographs that anyone at the scene would have had blood on them. Absolutely another example of injustice done to an innocent person. A family lost a young woman and mother during a crime and an innocent young man lost his life after serving time on death row. This is an interesting and intriguing documentary. But it does make you angry.

#thephantom

#cinemafiends

#fullycinematic

#injusticedocumentary

#netflixthephantom