The Positives:
So many things, and without spoiling anything, let's talk about them. The acting - on my second viewing, I was able to pick up (in a technical sense, and because I was looking for it), where the actors may not have been filmed together. So much of Endgame was a secret, that many scenes were filmed with characters in front of green screens, not even knowing who they're talking to. That's kind of a big deal. Especially since you can't tell when it comes to the end result. I knew what to look for, and so I could spot moments that were likely filmed separate, but on my first viewing (and even on my second), I didn't care. The acting is phenomenal. They did their job - they made me feel what they were feeling. I want to give a special shout out to Scarlett Johanssen. She's never been my favorite actress, mainly for the parts she plays, but she had me in her grip every scene she starred in. In the end, her performance was one of - if not the - strongest in the entire film. The directing - Infinity War had some CGI issues that felt awkward and out of sorts (I'm looking at you, Thanos, Rhodey, and Banner), and actually pulled me from the story. Because of this, I felt a bit nervous on how the Russo brothers would tell their final story. Happily for me, whatever hiccups there were in Infinity War, they made no appearance in Endgame. This movie outdid its predecessors in scale and ambition when it came to the visual feel, and every single scene shone like diamonds. The Russos pulled out all the stops and gave the greatest work of their careers thus far. I want them to top Endgame, because I want to see more movies that make me in awe of cinema the way they did here. As I said before, many of the actors were filmed separately from each other, but the way the Russos handled this it's only possible to tell if you know what to look for. Genius. The story - Obviously I can't actually tell you anything about the story. What I WILL tell you is that it's compelling, interesting, and well told. As you know, I struggled with the plot holes in Infinity War, and I feared Endgame would follow suit. It didn't. No plot holes. Solid. Clean. Beautiful. I haven't seen a story told this well in this genre in ages. Decades. It hit every spot it needed to. It was funny at the right moments and sad at the right moments. Serious and silly. Somber and action-packed. It does everything it needs to do to be a fulfilling and satisfying end to a 22 movie arc. The Negatives: For 3 hours and 2 minutes long, I expect a lot out of each scene chosen to partake in the final story. I will say there's 1-2 scenes that feel unnecessary. They don't move the story forward. They are gratuitous (and once even acknowledged as so). Yet, for as long as the movie is, I still found myself wishing for five more minutes when it ended. That's a powerful thing. There are no end credits scene. I REPEAT: there's nothing after initial credits or post credits. I don't have a problem with the movie not having them, but I do have a problem with sitting through 25 minutes of trailers, 3 hours of movie, and another 20 minutes of credits only to find out there's nothing there. I'm telling you so that YOU can get up and get your legs moving. You're not missing anything. (Except a weird tinking noise like a blacksmith at work.) The Rating: 4.9 feathers (those gratuitous scenes lost that .1) Final Verdict: If you're any sort of Marvel fan, you're already planning when you're going to see this movie (if you haven't already). If you're not sure where you stand on superhero films, make sure you've seen Civil War and Infinity War before stepping into the theater (or risk being super lost). Go see it. Just do it.
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In the end, I think Missing Link's biggest dilemma arrived in that it didn't know what it wanted to be. Stop motion animation isn't limited to children-only storytelling, as presented to us by Wes Anderson and others like him. However, in a movie that had only children's movies advertised in the trailers, Missing Link straddled the line between genres.
The physical comedy served the children in the audience, as did Mr. Link's innocence. However, the dialogue (almost every written joke) aimed for the adults. The end result was a clash of inappropriate or juvenile attempts at humor that almost always fell flat. I saw this film in a theater full of children, and rarely did any of us laugh. Positives:
Negatives:
1.5 feathers Verdict: If you're dying to see this movie - wait for free streaming.
With so many laughs, I almost thought I was at a Marvel movie. DC, the darker of the superhero genres, didn't let me laugh for too long before reminding me that they love nothing more than to crush the hearts of those watching. There were dark moments, to be sure, especially in our first introduction to the Seven Deadly Sins. These monsters (demons?) were creepy, and maybe not for the sensitive youngsters out there. The positive: Shazam's shining moments were found in its underlying theme of family. Billy is sent to a group home, and the foster parents love their kids with grace and sincerity. No matter what Billy throws at them, they're ready with open arms. So often in teen-focused movies these days we're presented with parents that are either absent, stupid, or uncaring. It's refreshing to see two individuals involved, in love, and devoted to their kids. With the strongest, and most unique, story to come out of DC in ages, Shazam! is worth seeing. It's solid narrative, humor, fun, and action all rolled together. The negative: The problem with Shazam! is it didn't stand up to afterthought. You know, that time after a movie where you replay scenes and story in your mind, think about what you watched, and draw conclusions. Shazam! ran against a deadly sin in the world of movies. The villain, Dr. Sivana, is nowhere near as terrifying as those who give him his power, but those who gave him his powers don't live up to their frightening introduction. Despite presenting the Sins as horrific, violent monsters in an early, traumatizing (in a good way) scene, they never again rise to the occasion. There comes a point where I should be worried/frightened/concerned/anxious for the heroes, but I can't. I never felt afraid. I never felt the stakes were high enough to really care. I enjoyed almost every minute of Shazam!, and I highly recommend seeing it. However, I still hope that DC continues to improve and doesn't rest on their success to coast into the future. Personally, I feel DC is in an adolescent stage, and I look forward to seeing what they do in adulthood. Rating: Initial viewing: 4 feathers Afterthought review: 3.5 feathers Final verdict: If you love superhero movies - and especially if you're a DC fan - go see Shazam! It's worth it. |
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