Backstory

It’s very appropriate that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is doing the next installment of Suicide Squad. 2016’s Suicide Squad always struck me as DC’s reaction to Guardians of the Galaxy. “Hey, kids, you like wacky bands of misfit superheroes? Well, we’ve got one over at DC, too!” At the end of the day, my biggest complaint with Suicide Squad was how overwhelmingly average it was. If Gunn could inject some of the same heart and humour into The Suicide Squad that he did with Guardians of the Galaxy, then it might turn into something special. So that’s the big question. Is The Suicide Squad something special?

Plot

Task Force X. Unofficially known as the Suicide Squad. Super-villains doing black ops missions for the government in exchange for reductions on their sentences. There’s been a revolution in the South American nation of Corto Maltese. A secret Corto Maltese project known as Project Starfish has officially fallen into the wrong hands. The Squad’s mission: infiltrate Corto Maltese and destroy Project Starfish. Our latest recruits: Bloodsport, an assassin doing time for trying to take down Superman with a kryptonite bullet; Peacemaker, a man who fights for world peace and doesn’t matter how many people he has to kill to make it happen; Ratcatcher II, who can control rats; Polka Dot Man, who shoots dots at people; and King Shark, a giant half-human/half-shark. Joining them from the last film are commander Rick Flagg and Harley Quinn. But, as is the case with missions like this, things quickly go sideways and our heroes find themselves in over their heads. Will they be able to pull off the mission and save the day?

What I Liked

As already revealed in the trailers, Project Starfish turns out to be Starro…a giant mind-controlling starfish from space. I can’t believe we finally got Starro in a movie. He’s portrayed as the perfect blend of absurd and horrifying. I’m glad DC’s starting to stop taking itself so seriously and embracing more of its absurdities. Margot Robbie continues to be absolutely prefect as Harley Quinn. Idris Elba gives Bloodsport the right blend of humour and anger at the situation. And he starts developing a good father/daughter relationship with Ratcatcher. Each of our characters if given a moment to shine, and thus grow. And they take full advantage of that R-rating to give us some 1980s-action-movie-style over-the-top violence.

What I Didn’t Like

Sometimes it does feel like Gunn is trying too hard to recapture what he did with Guardians of the Galaxy. I’m thinking whenever a classic pop song pops up on the soundtrack, or some of King Shark’s antics can feel a little like Groot.

Final Verdict

Feels like DC is finally starting to find their own path, and not just to mimic Marvel. The Suicide Squad is finally something special.

3 Nibs

Backstory

Ever since Disney had a hit with Pirates of the Caribbean, they’ve been trying to get lighting to strike twice with turning their theme park rides into movies. And it seems like they’ve been trying to get Jungle Cruise off the ground ever since. At one point, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were attached, in the first live-action teaming of the Toy Story stars. But that fell apart. It finally took the star power of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to get it off the ground. It was supposed to come out last year, but like a lot of other films, got pushed back because of COVID. It’s finally here…was it worth it?

Plot

It’s the 1910s. World War I is raging. Adventurer Lily Houghton is on the search for the Tears of the Moon…a near-mythical flower whose petals have mystic healing properties. With a magic map in hand, Lily learns it’s somewhere up the Amazon River. With her brother McGregor by her side, they’re off to the Amazon! They charter a boat from gruff and world-weary Skipper Frank Wolff. Frank isn’t so sure about their mission, because it’s a tough river ahead. But it turns out Frank has own motives for taking them on the cruise. It’s a treacherous journey indeed, as they must sail over the rapids, outrun a sadistic German general in a submarine, and are hunted by undead conquistadors. Will they find the Tears of the Moon and survive this jungle cruise?

What I Liked

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are an adorable duo, just filled with charisma. James Newton Howard delivers an amazing score. There is a pretty good plot twist about halfway through that I thought was pretty great. And the undead conquistadors have some really unique powers. One is essentially a living beehive and commands an army of bees. And it’s cute seeing how they incorporate some aspects of the ride.

What I Didn’t Like

Deciding that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Disney decided to borrow a lot of what made the first Pirates of the Caribbean so memorable. And once they start throwing in the more supernatural elements, it feels kinda like Pirates of the Jungle.

Final Verdict

Jungle Cruise was fun, yet familiar. You’ll probably have a good time.

3 Nibs

Backstory

Why can’t Hasbro and Paramount figure out what to do for a G.I. Joe movie? Larry Hama created such a rich history for these characters in his comic, and they seem to be running on all cylinders with Transformers. But 2009’s The Rise of Cobra was good but not great, and the 2013 sequel Retaliation couldn’t even be elevated with the star power of Dwayne Johnson as fan favourite Roadblock. So, Hasbro and Paramount decided to do for G.I. Joe what they did with Transformers: a prequel-slash-reboot focusing on the origins of one of the franchise’s most popular characters. And for G.I. Joe, that would be the always silent, always masked ninja Snake Eyes. But a prequel where he’s not masked and talks? How will this fare?

Plot

Ever since he saw his father murdered before his eyes, the nameless man known only as Snake Eyes has had only one thing on his mind: revenge. One day, he’s approached by the Yakuza and hired for a dangerous mission: infiltrate an ancient ninja clan known as the Arishikage. If Snake Eyes can do this, the Yakuza will deliver the killer of Snake Eyes’ father to him. Snake Eyes does this by warming up to Tommy Arishikage, the one destined to lead the clan someday. He also begins getting close to Akiko, the clan’s head of security. But the closer Snake Eyes gets, the more he finds his loyalties divided, especially when he learns that the Yakuza are working with Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. With the Arishikage calling on the G.I. Joe known as Scarlett for help, Snake Eyes has to choose: will he avenge his father, or align himself with his newfound family?

What I Liked

The cast is certainly game. Henry Golding gives it his all as Snake Eyes, and Andrew Koji has wonderful smoldering intensity as Tommy, the man who will become Storm Shadow. The film looks great as well, taking place mostly in a neon-lit Tokyo. Think Hawkeye’s introduction in Avengers: Endgame, but for an entire film.

What I Didn’t Like

Samara Weaving is great as Scarlett, but it’s pretty much just a glorified cameo. The plot gets kind of muddled in the middle. It’s like someone went, “Wait a minute…this is a comic book movie!” and they figured they had to add more fantastical elements. Character motivations start getting clouded in order to compensate. And I’m really nitpicking now, but in some scenes, Henry Golding kind of forgets to do his American accent and his natural British accent comes through.

Final Verdict

I found Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins to be somewhat underwhelming. I keep holding out hope for a great G.I. Joe film, but sadly, this isn’t it.

2.5 Nibs

Backstory

Marvel Studios is finally back! Well, that seems a little disingenuous to say. They’ve been doing pretty well on Disney+ with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki. It’s more accurate to say they’re back on the big screen. Black Widow got screwed around with quite a bit because of COVID. Originally supposed to come out in May of 2020, but the closure of movie theatres saw it get pushed back and pushed back. Finally, Disney decided to give it one of their hybrid releases. If movie theatres are open in your part of the world, you can go down to the theatre and see it. If they’re not open, or you’re not comfortable going out just yet, you can drop $30 ($35 CDN) to see it on Disney+. Plus, throw in the fact that it’s Black Widow. The fans have been clamoring for a Black Widow solo film ever since Scarlett Johansson made her debut as the character in Iron Man 2. It’s been a long road for Black Widow to get here…was it worth the wait?

Plot

Taking place in the months immediately after Captain America: Civil War, we find Natasha Romanoff living in hiding, officially on the run for being on Team Cap. As she prepares for a life of self-isolation, she soon receives a mysterious package. It turns out that the Red Room — the sinister former Soviet spy agency that trained her — is still very much active. Natasha’s sister Yelena, also a Black Widow recruit, has finally escaped from the organization, and wants Natasha’s help to bring it down once and for all. But they’re going to need help. First they call on Red Guardian, the Soviet Union’s answer to Captain America and their surrogate father. Then they call on Melina, their surrogate mother and one of the original Black Widows. But the Red Room’s got allies of their own, namely a deadly assassin known as the Taskmaster, who can learn any fighting style just by watching someone. Will this family reunion finally be able to bring down the Red Room?

What I Liked

This film is a lot grittier than most Marvel films. It’s also a lot more grounded, too. We see the bruises that Natasha accumulates and are reminded that she’s not really a superhero…just a highly trained spy. And that leads into the main thrust of the plot. This is very much Natasha’s redemption story. We’ve been hearing about that red in her leger since The Avengers, but now we finally see how it’s affected her life and her family relationships. The new characters are fun, too. Florence Pugh is great as Yelena, as she and Natasha instantly have a bickering sisterly relationship. David Harbour is also great as Red Guardian, bringing equal parts humour and pathos as the retired supersoldier who longs for his glory days, but for his final act, just wants to do right by his daughters. And we’ve also got the stuff that Marvel has down to a science at this point. The characters got their appropriate quips, and the action scenes are pretty good.

What I Didn’t Like

Speaking of stuff that Marvel is good at, “under-developing their villains” remains high on the list. We really don’t get a chance to know the sinister forces in charge of the Red Room or what their motivations are. And after some truly spectacular music scores as of late, Black Widow goes back to having some music that’s kind of generic.

Final Verdict

A friend asked if it was a gritty spy thriller like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but honestly? It reminded me a lot of Ant-Man: with the main thrust being characters and family relationships, the stakes feel smaller. But this deep dive into Black Widow was long overdue. It may not fill you up, but it definitely leaves you satisfied.

3 Nibs

Backstory

Well, as we all know, Disney’s been cranking out the live-action remakes of their animated classics for a while now, so it wouldn’t be long until they got around to 101 Dalmatians. But wait! They already did that, way back in the 1990s, and the live-action version has become a beloved classic. So they decided to do to 101 Dalmatians what Maleficent did to Sleeping Beauty: let’s delve into the back story of one of Disney animation’s most iconic villains. The film presents us with the untold origin story of Cruella DeVil.

Plot

Estella is a girl born with a most unusual affliction: she has black and white hair. She also has a bit of a mean streak, which tends to come out when defending herself from her bullies. This soon earns her the nickname “Cruella.” When her mother is killed and she blames herself for her death, she escapes to the mean streets of London, and is taken by a couple of kids named Horace and Jasper, who make their living with petty theft. As the years go on, Estella dreams of becoming a fashion designer, and working for London’s premiere designer, the Baroness von Hellman. However, it soon seems that Estella and the Baroness’s fates are intertwined, and if Estella is to ever make it in the fashion world, it is time to adopt Cruella as her true identity.

What I Liked

This film has a phenomenal soundtrack. It’s set in the 1970s, and you can’t go more than two minutes without another pop hit from the era coming through loud and clear. I was also pleasantly surprised at how a lot of it plays out like a heist film. With Cruella, Horace, and Jasper having made their living hustling on the streets, they look at their rise though the fashion world as being just another hustle and treat it as such. Great performances all around, led by Emma Stone as Estella/Cruella. It’s a classic “struggling with the darkness inside” story that we usually see in Batman. Also, went surprisingly darker than I thought it would.

What I Didn’t Like

Well, every film about fashion these days is going to draw comparisons to The Devil Wears Prada, and Emma Thompson’s Baroness does seem like a Disneyfied version of Meryl Streep in Prada. And probably just because I’ve seen too many of these kinds of films, but I saw some of the big plot twists coming from a mile away. Still appreciated, though.

Final Verdict

This is what makes Disney’s live-action remakes better than others: when they don’t do a scene-for-scene remake of the original, and instead bring a whole new take to the story. Cruella is such a bold departure from 101 Dalmatians that it becomes something new and original. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

3.5 Nibs

Backstory

What an amazing journey it’s been for the MonsterVerse. It all started when Legendary Entertainment got the rights to Godzilla and gave us the 2014 American film. Then they got the rights to King Kong, and gave us Kong: Skull Island. Hearts were all aflutter when they announced that, with the rights to these two titans under their same roof, they would eventually be giving us the rematch of the century. A King Kong vs. Godzilla with today’s modern effects? Sign me up. Sadly, didn’t get to see this in theatres, with movie theatres in my part of the world still closed because of the pandemic. So was it worth the $25 on PVOD?

Plot

It’s been a few years of relative peace between humans and the Titans, thanks to Godzilla becoming the Alpha. But then, out of nowhere, Godzilla attacks a facility owned by Apex Cybernetics. Madison Russell (that’s Millie Bobby Brown from the last film) is convinced that Apex Cybernetics did something to provoke Godzilla, and teams up with a conspiracy theory podcaster to get to the bottom of it. Meanwhile, over on Skull Island, Monarch has Kong safely confined. Because Kong and Godzilla are both Alphas, it’s theorized that if their paths ever crossed, it would be a battle of apocalyptic proportions. But Apex comes to Monarch and Dr. Ilene Andrews — the scientist studying Kong — with a proposal. It’s theorized that all these Titans came from an underground world, and in that world is an immense power source that all these Titans draw energy from. Apex Cybernetics wants to return Kong to the underground world in the hopes Kong will guide them to this power source so Apex can study it. It turns out Apex Cybernetics is playing a dangerous game…one that will eventually lead to Kong and Godzilla throwing down.

What I Liked

You’ve come to see Godzilla and Kong throw down, and throw down they do. The special effects are phenomenal, as the giant monster battles are everything you want in movies like this. I like how Kong is our main character, as we follow his journey down to the underground world and his quest to find more like him. And speaking of the underground world, there’s some fantastic world-building going on as they expand the world of the MonsterVerse.

What I Didn’t Like

As I’ve lamented before, the big problem with these kinds of films is they can never figure out what to have the humans do. This one goes a little too far in that direction, as we barely get time to learn people’s names or their motivations. Yeah, I know I came for the giant monster fights, but would it have really been so bad to find out a little more about the humans and why they’re here?

Final Verdict

You came to see the giant monsters fight, and fight they do. As I said when I saw that first trailer, Kong winding up and punching Godzilla in the face is exactly the kind of ridiculousness I need right now, and the film certainly delivered on that. Well worth the $25.

3 Nibs

Backstory

I’m still a sucker for Disney animation, and I’m still feeling sad that I can’t get out to the theatres. So when I saw that they’re next animated epic, Raya and the Last Dragon, would be the next to follow the premiere access model on Disney+, I figured it would be worth a shot. The trailers were looking pretty cute, and it starred Kelly Marie Tran, whom I still adored from The Last Jedi. So the question is, it worth your $35 to watch at home?

Plot

The mystical land of Kumandra is besieged by evil beings known as the Druun. The Druun are finally driven off when all the dragons put their magical energy into a magical gem that they use against the Druun. And because people are terrible, Kumandra instantly goes to war with itself, and is divided into five kingdoms that fight over the gem. Chief Benja, the leader of the kingdom of Heart and the kingdom that posseses the gem, tries to broker a peace. But things go terribly wrong, the gem is shattered with each kingdom claiming a piece, and the Druun are free to attack once again. Benja’s daughter Raya takes it upon herself to find the last dragon and reunite the pieces of the gem and Kumandra. Now, alongside Sisu the last dragon, Raya is off on a dangerous quest. Will she succeed in reassembling the gem? Will the people of Kumandra learn to trust each other once again?

What I Liked

If you’re still grouchy that Mushu was left out of the live-action Mulan, you will get over it once you see Sisu. Awkwafina’s Sisu is one of the funniest Disney sidekicks in a long time. But she’s not just all about the comedy. She knows when to tone it down and give our heroine the words of encouragement she needs. In fact all of the voice acting is top-notch. As expected, Tran is a phenomenal Raya, knowing when to be vulnerable and when to be a quippy action hero. Gemma Chan is equally excellent as Raya’s nemesis Namaari. And it’s Disney, so the animation is, as expected, just mindblowing.

What I Didn’t Like

The plot is rather episodic as it follows a pretty set structure: go to a kingdom, find the gem, move on to the next one. But I really don’t mind as each “episode” has enough flavour to be different.

Final Verdict

Raya and the Last Dragon is equal parts adventure tale and heist film, all in an amazing and wonderful world. I really enjoyed it.

3 Nibs

Directed by Dean Parisot

Backstory

At the tender age of 12, I got to go to the theatre to see Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and I loved it. As soon as I discovered the Internet and started googling movie rumours, whispers of a third film abounded. The idea of catching up with a middle aged Bill & Ted really started picking up steam about five years ago, and when they announced it was happening, I was thrilled. In these pandemic times, the home premiere has caught on for films. So rather than go out to the theatre and see it, I decided to drop the $20 to rent it digitally. So how are Bill & Ted in middle age?

Plot

After the events of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Wyld Stallyns went on to have great success as rock stars. But, Bill & Ted have yet to write “The Song,” the one that will unite the world in peace and harmony. Over the next 25 years, their attempts to write The Song grow more and more desperate, alienating their fans and putting a strain on their marriages. About the only bright spot in their lives are their daughters, Billie and Thea, who adore their fathers. Just as Bill & Ted are about to give up and go get real jobs, an emissary from the future arrives. Because Bill & Ted haven’t written The Song yet, the timeline is starting to collapse. If they don’t write and perform The Song in the next 75 minutes, all of reality will be undone. So, Bill & Ted hop in their ol’ time traveling phone booth and decide to get the song from their future selves, when they’ve already written it. While this goes on, Billie and Thea have their own excellent adventure, as they round up history’s greatest musicians to form their dads’ new band. Will Bill & Ted find the song in the time stream? Can they save all of reality?

What I Liked

Oh, it’s just a nostalgic joy to see these characters back at it. It’s almost shocking how little they’ve aged. And bringing them to middle-age and dealing with all that comes with it was just the most logical place to go. The casting is top notch, too. The kid playing Billie — Ted’s daughter — has young Keanu Reeves’ mannerisms down pat. And there’s some great laugh out loud moments as we see the future Bills and Teds. And you can’t help but cheer when old friends like Death show up to be part of the ride.

What I Didn’t Like

I think Keanu Reeves has been playing John Wick for too long, as he seems to be taking this far too seriously. I don’t think Ted cracks a smile once in the film. And I was almost taken aback at how small scale it is. Aside from some big set pieces in the Future and Hell, it’s mostly smaller character stuff. I don’t know what I’m putting that under “What I Didn’t Like,” as it allows for great character growth. I guess, after 25 years, I was just expecting it to be bigger.

Final Verdict

A fantastic return for Bill & Ted. Give us a the spinoff about Billie and Thea now, please.

3 Nibs

Backstory

We have reached the end of the Fox X-Men franchise, and it has become one of the most troubled productions in the franchise. At the outset, it looks like a horror film set in the X-Men universe would be ideal. Burgeoning mutant powers lends itself to all kinds of David Cronenberg-esque body horror. Originally supposed to come out in April of 2018, it was moved to the spring of 2019 for re-shoots to ramp up the horror aspects. But then the Disney buyout of Fox began, and the film got lost in the shuffle. Once the deal was sorted out, it looked as though the film would be dropped in theatres to just get it over with. And here we are.

Plot

Danielle Moonstar awakens in a strange hospital. She’s told that her reservation was destroyed by an unknown force, and she was the only survivor. The doctor in charge of the facility — Dr. Reyes — tells Dani that they suspect she’s a mutant, and it was her mutant power that saved her. She is at the hospital to learn what her power is and to control it. She soon meets the other patients at the hospital: Rahne, who can turn into a wolf; Illyana, who can teleport and summon a magic sword; Sam, who can summon energy blasts to propel himself; and Bobby, who can shoot fire. Together, they start learning about themselves, their powers…and the sinister forces that Dr. Reyes works for.

What I Liked

The cast is pretty good and does all they can with the material. Maisie Williams makes and adorable werewolf. The small cast and confined setting gives it an intimate feel not often seen in superhero films. And (spoiler warning) how can you hate a film where a dragon fights a giant bear?

What I Didn’t Like

As horror films go, it’s not very scary. And I’m not big on horror films. It doesn’t take much to scare me. This winds up being just another variation on The Breakfast Club as our heroes sit around and talk out their issues. Even though it’s superpowered beings doing it, it’s just so run-of-the-mill.

Final Verdict

It’s not a horror film as much as it is a YA film with some jump scares. And as YA films go, it’s pretty cookie-cutter. Kinda bland.

2 Nibs

Directed by Cathy Yan

Starring Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, and Ewan McGregor

Backstory

One of the few things that people agreed on with Suicide Squad was that Margot Robbie crushed it as Harley Quinn. So there was very little surprise that she’d be getting her own movie. It was a little curious, though, that the movie was going to involved the super-team Birds of Prey, as Harley traditionally had very little to do with them in the comics. But still, more Harley Quinn is never a bad thing.

Plot

Harley Quinn and the Joker have broken up, and this time, it looks as though it’s for good. After having been identified as the Joker’s main squeeze for so long, Harley is thrown into the existential crisis of trying to figure out who she is. Of course, what complicates things is, as she’s no longer affiliated with the Joker, a lot of Gotham City’s criminal element have now declared fair game. Top of the list, the crime lord Roman Sionis, better known as the Black Mask. Sionis is on the trail of a young pickpocket named Cassandra Cain, and young Cassandra soon falls into Harley’s care. Also getting drawn into the chase for Cassandra are detective Rene Montoya, nightclub singer Dinah Lance, and the last heir to the Bertinelli crime fortune, Helena Bertinelli. Together, these ladies need to band together, and through it all, Harley just may find herself.

What I Liked

The fight scenes are spectacular. In case you didn’t hear, they brought the director of the John Wick films to spruce up the fight scenes during reshoots, and man, does it show. On top of that, the performances are once again top notch. Robbie again knocks it out of the park as Harley, and McGregor is wonderfully sleazy as the Black Mask. I also got a real kick out of Winstead’s Huntress, which leads into….

What I Didn’t Like

Ya know, for a movie called Birds of Prey, we really don’t see that much of the Birds of Prey. I would have really liked it if we got to know Black Canary and Huntress a little more, but as it is right now, they just kinda get dragged along for the ride.

Final Verdict

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey was just a whole heck of a lot of fun. Bring on the sequel where Harley finally hangs out with her BFF Poison Ivy.

3 Nibs