The post Review: Black Widow Falls Prey to its Own Convoluted Spygame first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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Summer blockbuster season can be a mixed bag. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, for one, it’s a pay off for the many of us who’ve drooled over teasers for months, even possibly a year before the actual release date. For another, it’s something to look forward to during the colder seasons, given that most major studios tend to keep their tentpole titles in reserve for that sweet summer season, where much of their revenue comes from.
But what if the stakes are too high, or if your movie is part of a larger canon, one that’s generated billions upon billions of dollars worldwide, with nearly two dozen movies under its umbrella? Should the film amount to more than just what the trailer implies?
In the case of Black Widow, I’m sad to report that the mission critical target is missed by quite a bit, with the red-haired heroine’s backstory coming up too little, too late.
Set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Black Widow sees Avenger Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) on the run after the intense Berlin Airport battle that took place over the Sokovia Accords. She soon crosses path with another Red Room graduate, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), whom Natasha knew from her childhood as the pair posed as siblings in a sleeper agent mission in the States in the mid-1990s, alongside mother figure Melina (Rachel Weisz) and mission leader Alexei (David Harbour).
Together with Yelena, Natasha becomes embroiled into a tale of intrigue that may involve a dreaded figure from her violent past, a menace with plans to use brainwashing as a means to plant and install his own Black Widows in key parts of the world, ready to act at his command. Oh, and if things weren’t already complicted enough for the “siblings”, they’ve got another, deadly adversary to contend with: Taskmaster, a Red Room assassin with photographic reflexes, able to mimic any fighting styles. The battle is clearly on.
While I’ve always had a soft spot for the Black Widow in the MCU, what with her lack of superpowers save for her years of lethal fight and spy training just like her archer friend Clint Barton/Hawkeye, it does feel like her back story deserved a much earlier slot in the release roster, rather than a flashback released post-Endgame, where the character had already fulfilled her key role in that universe.
That, paired with a convoluted plot rife with ill-timed comedy and faux sibling rivalry, makes Black Widow feel less like a vital addition to Marvel’s Phase 4 and more like excessive fanservice. Sure, the writer and director of this project infuse enough action scenes and stunts to give leads Johansson and Pugh a great workout, but the choice of villain, along with a half-baked global plot (not to mention a “jump the shark” final act), makes this latest Marvel film a bit of an embarassment, one unworthy of its title character, who deserved so much more than a poor Bond film imitation, and a bad one at that.
One of the very few highlights is the inclusion of Florence Pugh’s Yelena, a bratty but equally lethal Widow who has always felt she could never measure up to her “sister” who made the big league saving the world with the Avengers. All the same, the script’s attempt to infuse family discord and strife in a group that was never related to each other, feels forced and off-center, even when you factor in that such a grouping is part of the spycraft.
Despite her starring role, much of the film tends to take away from Johansson’s character in favor of colorful but flat sidekicks from her past, instead bringing her into a half-baked, rudderless plot. This is one instance where the best moments are truly in the movie trailer, leaving viewers scratching their heads as to why this was even in consideration this far into the Marvel Master Plan, a standalone project that lets down its star, comes way too late in the game and was sent into the field before its training was completed. Bozhe moi….
BLACK WIDOW opens in available theatres July 9th, and is also available on Disney+ with Premier Access.
Verdict:
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]]>The post Review: LOKI Does Time (Literally) in New Disney+ Series first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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By and large, there have been countless colorful, eccentric and oft-powerful beings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (aka the MCU), ranging from intergalactic genocidal tyrants (re: Thanos, Ego, Hela, Dormammu) to well-intentioned sidekicks (Korg, Mantis, etc.)
But sometimes, some of these characters just want to seek power and reputation, seemingly without knowing what they”d do with it if they ever succeeded. Loki Layfeyson (Tom Hiddleston) is such a character, one whose schemes and diabolical plans are so grand that he, more often than not, ends up on the losing end simply because he was too full of himself, or unwittingly became the very catalyst for the cause of his own defeat (see all of 2012’s The Avengers, for reference.)
So, given what we know about the Asgardian God of Mischief (by way of Jotunheim), his ascent, downfall, reascent, second downfall and eventual redemption (sorta), the MCU producers decided to explore what would happen if the Powers That Be behind space and time decided to recruit him for their own corrective purposes?
(WARNING: Spoilers from previous films follow below)
If you recall from the MCU’s Phases 1 through 3, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has last been seen trying to redeem himself alongside his brother, helping Thor (Chris Hemsworth) defeat their sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) and bringing Asgard to Ragnarok at the hands of Surtur, essentially signifying the end of their realm as they knew it.
Shortly thereafter, the brothers (along with Hulk and Heimdall) were confronted by Thanos and his powered minions, in a confrontation where Loki’s tricks failed him and he died of a broken neck by the Mad Titan’s hand.
As if this would be the end of it, the temporal machinations by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and the remainder of the post-Blip Avengers, caused them to travel back to key moments within their own history, including their fateful battle in 2012 New York City (see again: The Avengers.) However, due to a few screw-ups, the captured Loki wasn’t delivered to Thor as a prisoner back to Asgard, instead using the Tesseract to escape his captors to parts unknown.
Past Avengers: Endgame, no one knew what became of Loki, until now…
Considered a “variant” to the Sacred Timeline policed by the Time Variance Authority (or TVA, for short), Loki gets pulled from the continuum for processing and possible resetting (re: death by literal elimination from existence), until one of its agents (Owen Wilson) decides that Loki might prove useful in tracking down another dangerous variant, using his devious mind and instinct to try and plan the TVA’s next move in apprehending their prey, a dangerous escapee who’s been killing off the TVA’s Minutemen (the name of their foot soldiers) at various points in history, both past and future.
The game is afoot, with Loki trying to come to terms with his new existence (or shall we call it “inglorious purpose?”) following some sobering realisations, and with the TVA still trying to decide whether their newest “recruit” might be trying to doublecross them, as he usually does with everyone.
Oh, where to start…well, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from getting another go at one of the more colorful and charismatic members of the MCU, regardless of heroic or villainous affiliation.
Needless to say, Tom Hiddleston continues to impress and thrill as the impish yet lethal God of Mischief, full of verve yet never fully aware of his failings, forever blinded by his quest for greatness. Here, he is truly a classic example of a fish out of water, unaware of the breadth of the TVA’s powers in analyzing his past present and future, if only to offer him a truly shocking reality check as to the wasteful fifteen or so centuries he’s been traipsing around, much like his Asgardian siblings.
The limited Disney+ series also benefits from the refreshing Owen Wilson, pairing with Hiddleston once again following their brief encounters in Woody Allen’s Midbight in Paris. Here, Wilson plays the down-to-…well, whevever or whenever the TVA appears to be, missing no beat putting Loki in his place, soon making him realize that glory and conquest may not turn out to be all that.
The show, carefully but dynamically crafted under the supervision of director Kate Herron (at least in the first two episodes offered for review by the mighty Marvel folks), manages to incorporate shades of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil in its clinically depressing bureaucracy, while kicking up the MCU a few galactic notches by showing us how truly impactful reality might actually be, when viewed from backstage, from a timey-wimey point of you. Allons-y, if you will.
Granted, there’s a lot of information to be absorbed, minute by minute, in the first few episodes, but it becomes immediately clear that Loki’s goals and aspirations may be out of his own league, a truly entertaining yet bittersweet lesson in humility, and on a weekly basis.
Questions arise as to temporal paradoxes, examples of time branches (as explained by Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One in Endgame) and the potential for Phase 4’s multiverse arc, while providing eager viewers with the traditional, well crafted Marvel episodic piecemeal. A brilliant coup with glorious purpose, indeed.
So, how does Loki measure up to the massive cinematic library that is the Marvel enterprise? Well, this much is certain: Tom Hiddleston has long deserved his own vehicle, one that both delights fans and helps expand the awareness of the MCU continuity, without adding much fuss or confusion to the works.
Sure, some might be put off by the temporal dynamics of it all, but if we were entertained by the same material type for three hours of Endgame, then by Odin, we’ll get a much deserved kick out of this show, too.
Verdict:
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]]>The post Review: If Cruella Doesn’t Bore You, Then Nothing Else Will first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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Let’s face facts: with the torrential output of live action adaptations that have originated from the House of Mouse over the last decade (some much better than others), it was only a matter of time before producers and writers decided it was time to dig deeper and start exploiting secondary characters and villains for box office coin, much to the dismay of some self-appointed Disney purists, myself included.
While I’m sure that some would possibly want to shell out top dollar (or Premium Account bucks) for a backstory about Gaston and his questionable village upbringing, I can certainly attest to the fact that the mythos behind the black and white hued menace that is Cruella De Vil, was doing quite well on its own, be it the terrifying 1961 animated version or Glenn Close’s scenery chewing villainess from the 1990s.
Alas, someone decided it was a better idea to incorporate her rags to wretches story into a half-baked origin story, thankfully without the usual mandatory musical numbers.
Set in an undetermined period in the 20th Century (I’d guess 60s to 70s from the mod references), Cruella starts us off on the story of young Estella, an orphan turned grifter who befriends a pair of similarly gifted young Londoners with a natural ability to pickpocket with the best of throughout the English city.
Though an older Estella (Emma Stone) has long dreamed of using her natural skill at designing fabulous outfits, she is reduced to using her gifts to create disguises for herself and her two cohorts. She later obtains menial jobs in department stores until she finds herself crossing paths with the wealthy but ruthless Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson, stealing every scene she’s in, no pun intended), a fashion house maven with no moral qualms about taking credit for her minions’ original works. As you guessed it, she decides to offer the young newcomer a job.
It isn’t long before a rivalry develops between mentor and pupil, launching an intense fashion war with Estella developing a secret persona of Cruella De Vil, provocative guerilla designer with innovative ways to garner media attention. Naturally, shenanigans and backstory revelations abound, none of which I will revealed here, for the sake of preserving spoilers during this pandemic-era film drought.
In all brutal honesty, trying to glorify a villain as hero for the sake of a one-time prequel is an awkward concept at best, somewhat akin to trying to spend the span of a trilogy trying to show the audience that Darth Vader used to be a really cute and nice, albeit moody teenager.
As such, spending 134 minutes rooting for a younger version of one of the most despicable villains in the Disney stable, feels off in more ways than one, despite the writers’ clumsy, albeit good intentions.
The film is a unevenly mixed bag, in that the leads distinguish themselves admirably without a worthwhile script to support them. Emma Thompson offers the most delicious workplace antagonist since Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestley, while Emma Stone effortlessly channels a British accent through her nascent, titular neo-villain, leaving the cast of supporting characters with very little to do except pine, pout or plot unrealized revenge.
As I stated earlier, there is a blessed dearth of musical numbers, which would truly have dragged down an already plodding story. Supporting characters like Joel Fry’s Jasper or Mark Strong’s John (the baroness’ valet) get a fleeting chance to flesh out their own backstory, only for the script to let their subplots trail off into the ether.
Veiled references to dalmatians are peppered throughout, but again, very little is made of the title character’s eventual obsession with the black and white puppies. A messy story at best, but a flashy looking one, for the benefit of viewers everywhere.
So there you have it, a basic popcorn dramedy with a colourful lead, anachronistic, quasi-MTV awards moments out of place, flimsy references to the material it’s inspired from and a clever mid-credits sequence that may make some older Disney fans smile.
Take from this article what you will…an absolutely pointless prequel that doesn’t bother pretending it’s connected to its later history, great performances that barely elevate otherwise abysmal writing and a tedious running time that will make you wish you’d watched the animated film classic in its stead.
Cruella is now playing in theatres where available, and is also on Disney+ via Premier Access.
Verdict:
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]]>The post Now on VOD: A Glitch in the Matrix first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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It’s a fairly loaded question, ine that has bothered or at least fascinated philossophers and scientists for eons: What is the nature of the universe, and can we ever truly trust our own reality?
That is a great query posed by many interviewees approached by documentarian Rodney Ascher (who also directed the fascinating piece Room 237), as each explains why we should consider that our world, or at least our perception of it, could be nothing more than an elaborate simulation, with each of us programmed pawns playing out a pre-established scenario.
Over the course of the piece’s 108 minute running time, Ascher explores several aspects of what has become known as Simulation Theory, in which the possibility that all we experience could be nothing more than an artificial construct (not unlike a computer-simulated environment) where we have limited, if not a complete lack of control of our environment’s stimuli, could exist. The documentary relies heavily on several pop culture references to impart the possibility of such a concept, often making heavy references to the Wachowskis’ 1999 hit The Matrix, where a character played by Keanu Reeves discovers that the bland world he lives in is nothing more than a virtual world built to keep him docile and obvlivious to the real existence of a scorched Earth dominated by machines in some dystopian future.
Several of the theories are pleasantly elaborate, such as the approach that little life details we take for granted in everyday routines could in fact be a design flaw in the “program”: feelings of deja vu; losing one’s keys only to locate them several minutes later, though one could swear they knew where they had been located; having someone you were just thinking about looking you up online or by phone…the list goes on.
The interviews are conducted with a handful of select contributors (some animators, others writers, all of them presented in this documentary while bizarrely covered by virtual avatar filters via video conference), each subject throwing forth new possibilities, such as whether other people in our lives stop interacting once out of view, or whether we are each victims of solipcism, as if we all were some form of central subject to our invididual reality, not unlike Jim Carrey’s character in The Truman Show.
In essence, much time is spent toying with the notion that all of this is nothing more than a massive holodeck session, for those well versed in Star Trek lore.
Much to its credit, A Glitch in the Matrix doesn’t seek to terrify or change people’s minds about modern reality: if anything, it takes a moment to examine the unfortunate flip side of that coin, in cases where rabid fans get so worked up about the mere possibility that accountability may not factor into our society if none of it really warrants repercussions. Indeed, some such victimes can be psychologically disconnected from their own reality. An incarcerated Matrix fan recounts the mental comfort a black trench coat and the “Neo” look brought him, until he decided to test the simulation theory by walking down the stairs of his family home, gunning down his own parents after several hundred viewings of the film, thinking it may all be an elaborate ploy against his perception.
Another interesting aspect of this documentary piece is how much time is spent going back to footage of a European convention where the late author Philip K. Dick, known for books that led to movies like Blade Runner, Total Recall, The Adjustment Bureau, Impostor, The Man in the High Castle and several others, admits to elaborate moments where he questioned reality and how it affected his writings, neurosis and all.
Does this piece offer definite answers? Not really. After all, there is no quantifiable way to test this hypothesis, though it has provided enough fodder to fuel countless novels and film genres. All said and done, it playfully toys with possibilities each of us may have asked themselves, without really ever expecting an answer. After all, we could all be in cryogenic sleep, or be brains in jars on tables, with input being fed into our synapses, and we’d be none the wiser….would we?
A Glitch in the Matrix is now available for purchase or rent via most major streaming providers and services.
Verdict:
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]]>The post Now on Demand: WandaVision a Great Trip Down TV’s Memory Lane first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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So, here we are, True Believers! After a semi-long delay caused in part by the global pandemic, not to mention an ambitious slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU to the uninitiated) projects on the go, let’s welcome the first installment in Phase 4: WandaVision!
Given that we’ve already treated to no less than 23 films in the franchise’s 12-year long history, and also given the somewhat hefty and sobering exercise that was Avengers: Endgame in the Spring of 2019, it should come as no surprise that we’d be encouraged to sample a palate cleanser of sorts as we enter this new phase, one that will both delight loyal fans and raise a number of interesting questions.
But first, let’s have a look at what’s in store…
Though no rhyme or reason is given as to how or why we are thrust into a veritable hodgepodge of TV styles ranging from the 1950s all the way up to the end of the millenium, suffice it to say that we are following Avengers member Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and the nigh-indestructible and also very-dead (?) Vision (Paul Bettany) as they appear to live out a blissfully married life as a couple in suburban Westview, U.S.A.
Both aware of their powers and abilities yet both mindlessly playing along with each episode’s tropes and era-appropriate sitcom-esque conundrums, it isn’t long before the pair start to realize that something is afoot, an obvious point since we the audience all know where these characters left off (or didn’t, given their history.)
So, the question then becomes: how are these two moving from gimmicky situation to another, from a decade onto the next, all the while remaining unaware of how or why this is all happening? That, dear friends, is half the magic of this limited Disney Plus hosted series, one which infuses humor and fun into an otherwise emotionally packed cinematic universe.
Right off the bat, several questions are raised: Where are they? How is Vision still alive, given that (spoilers!) he met his fate in 2018’s Infinity War? Is this all a fevered dream or psychosis made incarnate by the grieving Wanda, unable to handle such a personal loss?
Well, perhaps. Some of the episodes’ endscenes do hint at a larger phenomenon at play, one that is contained yet occurring in the real world, at least in the MCU version of it.
Hardcore fans can easily speculate from there…could it be that the powers-that-be decided to inject some more obscure lore from the comics, such as the heavily influenced TV Mojoworld? (Seriously, Google it.) Did Wanda have a day off and fell asleep while opting to channel surf a bunch of older, vintage shows, her subconscious yearning for the nuclear family dynamic offered by such mid-century American sitcoms? Who knows at this point.
What is undeniable is that the producers have spared no expense creating richly detailed settings for each installment, faithfully adapting each soundstage to reflect shows like I Love Lucy, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Roseanne and so on. This comes as a veritable treat for older fans who’ve fondly lived through such material in the last fifty years.
Plenty of inside jokes are thrown into the mix in the form of Marvel-inspired TV commercials (Stark Industries toasters, Hydra brand watches, etc.), though it’s unclear after three of the episodes previewed for this article, whether said ads offer cryptic clues as to the real reason behind their presence in serialized settings of yore.
The show offers a goofy but welcome laugh track, one which may denote a surreal aspect to Wanda and Vision’s predicament or may simply be part of the larger illusion in action. Etiher way, it does infuse the series with some much needed levity, also allowing both leads to play to their untapped comedic strengths, something they sorely lacked in their otherwise clinically morose personas in the film universe.
The episodes’ production values are at par with their big tentpole film siblings, while still keeping to a more modest miniseries format and each corresponding era.
With some great questions being raised with each chapter and with hints of returning supporting characters involved in this unusual mystery (a keen eye can spot Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis (Thor) and Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo (Ant-Man and the Wasp) in the trailers), WandaVision offers much promise and is guaranteed to entertain. We can’t wait to see how this will tie into or affect other planned Phase IV titles.
With the majority of audiences self-isolating in pandemic quarantine and yearning for some much needed diversion, this show is a soothing balm that will keep us well-fed in our Marvel-infused diet, at least until the next big movie release hits theatres or VOD.
(WandaVision is available exclusively on the Disney Plus streaming app, with the first two episodes being made available January 15th, with a new episode airing weekly each following Friday.)
Verdict:
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]]>The post Now on VOD: Shadow in the Cloud first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
]]>(Note: This film was originally screened during the 2020 Toronto International Film Fest’s Midnight Madness program)
We’ve all seen variations of the worst case scenario when it comes to flying, be it a mid-air hijacking (see Air Force One) or something very odd looking on the wing of the plane (just ask William Shatner and John Lithgow in their respective roles on The Twilight Zone show and movie.)
For 20th Century pilots (especially wartime-era crews), the concept of a gremlin, a malicious and destructive creature rumored to gum up the works and causing all manner of malfunctions on board, was a superstition, a bad omen at best, an easy excuse to blame mechanical defects on in the heat of battle.
But what if the myth was actually real, and such a nasty creature was to wreak havoc at the worst possible time in enemy territory? That, among other, more tenuous plot elements, is the premise of Shadow in the Cloud, a hybrid of action and horror thriller, one with a touch of female empowerment thrown in for good measure.
The story focuses on Maude Garrett (Chloe Grace Moretz, Kick Ass, Carrie), a British female flight officer hitching a ride on a WWII bomber traveling from New Zealand to the Samoan Islands. Tasked with a carrying highly confidential package on behalf of a high ranking general, Garrett is met with hostility and misogynistic derision as the plane takes off.
With no one taking her seriously, as well as having been forced into the ventral gun turret without her package, Garrett must soon convince the crew that she’s spotted Japanese enemy craft…until she notices something more insidious crawling along the undercarriage of her own transport.
A hostile situation becomes even more dangerous as she tries to defend the ship from this menacing creature, while also contending with an increasingly paranoid and distrusting crew. Is she delusional? Is she who she says she is? What exactly is in that confidential package? Is she or it responsible for the goings-on aboard the struggling bomber?
At first glance, the story seems like pretty standard horror fare, with the obvious threat of a mysterious creature only adding to the sense of danger in the first act. That’s when the plot thickens, with hidden motives, subterfuge and potential treachery coming into play. It would have been enough to have a fanged, man-bat looking vermin trying to crash the plane by going bonkers on the machinery in mid-air; the fact that this story occurs in the South Pacific at the height of WWII suddenly seems secondary, if not trivial.
Lead star Moretz performs adequately as the beleaguered heroine with possible hidden motives, while the rest of the cast, or as little as we see of them when they’re not solely interacting with their female co-star via radio, are relegated to very minor (read: expendable) roles while we rejoice in the inevitable Garrett/gremlin showdown.
The film is to be literally taken quite lightly: the film even opens up with quasi-expository footage from the Looney Tunes short “Falling Hare”, where Bugs Bunny faces off against a much cuddlier version of the aerial varmint. The entire premise, even with its intent of adding intrigue and drama to the whole affair, is played for the sake of an adrenaline rush. One might even consider this a 20th Century equivalent of Aliens, what with its disposable crew and strong female lead. All we’d be missing is a feline sidekick.
It’s no surprise that the film easily won the Midnight Madness voter prize back in September 2020, given that only three entrants were submitted. All the same, Shadow in the Cloud is a satisfying yarn, if you don’t waste too much time bogged down with little things like plausibility, realism, faithfulness to war film tropes or common sense.
All in all, the movie plays out like an Indiana Jones story: a lone hero faced with overwhelming odds, yet able to overcome enough adversity to kick some supernatural arse.
(Shadow in the Cloud is in selected theatres and on VOD in some North American markets.)
Verdict:
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]]>The post Now Playing: Wonder Woman 1984 first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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Here it is, the much awaited, much delayed DC Extended Universe sequel we’d hoped to catch earlier in the year, before the Covid-19 pandemic created a rescheduling nightmare for the majority of film studios.
Gal Gadot is back in the titular role, this time in a flashback tale set in the 1980s, an age of materialistic excess which happens to fit the movie’s theme to a tee, also given the piece’s lengthy running time, bloated plot and ever-so-slow pace.
You may find yourself wishing it hadn’t been released at all, despite a handful of worthwhile action sequences. Read on.
Over sixty years have passed since the events of the first movie (which had been set during the First World War), and Diana, Princess of Themyscira (Gal Gadot), has been living in relative obscurity, hiding in plain sight working jobs where her considerable knowledge of history serves her well, while also saving lives and fighting crime as Wonder Woman.
Now working at the Smithsonian in 1984, and still mourning the loss of her true love Steve Trevor in the late 1910s, Diana stumbles upon an artifact being logged by a mousy gemologist named Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), both women unaware that the piece is actually an ancient device known as the Dreamstone, which may have the ability to grant one’s wishes – at a price.
It isn’t long before an industrious but failed businessman named Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) predictably seizes the item for his own nefarious ends, causing all manner of global strife. It’s up to Diana to try and stop Lord, while also dealing with the fact that her true love may be back from the dead (see: artifact) and her work colleague’s harmless wish may be making more powerful than she ever imagined.
Add to this a few hours’ worth of layer upon layer of subplots involving oil reserves, nukes, drunken louts, flashy 80s fashions and some questionable CGI shots, and you’ll get an idea of how much you’re getting out of this film.
Given the complex machine that is Hollywood’s release calendar on the PR level, one must wonder whether there had been unexpected script rewrites or reshoots at play, given that this was originally scheduled to be released over a year ago, well before the entire global pandemic could have been used as an excuse to wreak havoc on theatrical premieres dates.
That said, the film’s premise, while entertainingly shiny given the titular setting (neon colors and all) is incredibly uneven, with watered down villains that either barely register or attempt to fulfill their true potential wayyy too late in the game.
This leaves us with a whole lot of the considerable running time (2h30 plus) rejoicing at the mysterious reunion between Diana and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor (did we mention there was a wish-granting element to the plot?), a pairing most of us had gladly praised in the 2017 film.
So why then does half of the villainous roster only comes to bear fruit as advertised, nearly 90 percent of the way through the film? That, along with whether Maxwell Lord was really the right pick for a sequel baddie, is a very good question we’ll never get the answer to. Instead, we’re given an interminable, snail’s pace tale that almost feels more at home on the 1970s live-action TV show, than in theaters and on demand this Christmas Day.
So, you may ask yourself, are there ANY redeeming qualities to this second chapter in the WW franchise, after Gadot’s introductory appearance in Wonder Woman and a previously strong supporting role in Justice League? Well, for one thing, much time is spent exploring how Diana has matured as a woman, despite being an ageless, immortal Amazon, which plays well for a while, without being a sufficient substitute for a worthwhile plot.
Now a seasoned member of humanity and its cultural richness, Diana’s story is no longer a fish out of water tale, but rather one of finding purpose in a world gone crazy with excess, war, greed and jealousy.
Sadly, it’s also an overly long affair, one that drags all too much, with some unexpected nuggets thrown in for good measure (please don’t get me started on a so-called invisible plane bit.)
Yes, this is a new addition to the DCEU, and yes, it introduces some characters from the storied library of heroes and villains from a hefty comic book catalogue. If only it had done so with tighter structure, better pacing and without a lopsided script, it might have made for a more enjoyable film, much like the first one.
Enjoy the opening five minutes: It’s about the only part of this project that will look at all familiar. The rest of it (except for a cute post-credit tribute) will feel like it’s been Scotch-taped together on a VCR splicer, without a clear idea of what the finished product was supposed to be in the first place.
Verdict:
The post Now Playing: Wonder Woman 1984 first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
]]>The post Assemble! A Visit to The Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Canada in Toronto first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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It’s not boastful at all to claim that the last decade in popular cinema has been dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU for short), what with its amazing ability to bring to life all of our childhood heroes, from scientific and technical geniuses to otherworldly warriors and back.
Out of all films in the Marvel franchise, none has been more popular than the assembly of heroes known to fans as the Avengers, composed of the lead Marvel characters (namely Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye) along with later teammates.
While fans can always get a glimpse of the latest changes in said universe via Comic-Con exclusives, Disney+ extras or Blu-Ray content, there is truly no substitute for the real thing, which is the central point of the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. exhibit located at Toronto’s gigantic Yorkdale Shopping Centre, in collaboration with Paquin Entertainment Group and Victory Hill Exhibitions.
The limited event, which runs from November 20, 2020 to January 31, 2021, will allow diehard Canadian fans to immerse themselves in Avengers lore, with the roughly hour-long tour displaying full-size models of Iron Man armors (including the larger than life Hulkbuster – aloft Veronica not included), along with countless high resolution screens that would rival Tony Stark or S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most elaborate control rooms.
Visitors are greeted by S.H.I.E.L.D security staff, who ensure that a briefing is held before full access to the themed rooms can be granted. From there, each hero is introduced along with actual props and costumes from their respective films. Basically, if a superhero suit is displayed behind safety glass, the exhibit organizers assured us that said costumes were worn by the actors during any number of the films from Phases 1 to 3.
While there may be concerns that there could be any risk from attending such an event during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s important to take note of the excellent steps the staff has taken to protect attendees, from touchless interactive displays to social distancing markers in every room to guide timed entry participants in ensuring that enough space exists from one batch of “recruits” to the next.
The Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., which stands for the Scientific Training and Tactical Intelligence Operative Network, spans a 25,000 square foot area and has an efficient HVAC array throughout the warehouse-like location, which lends itself well to the illusion one has travelled to the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York.
Attendees may feel the urge to try and interact with the extremely detailed informative screens, however only a handful of stations offer such an option, including an Augmented Reality program that captures a recruit’s body movement while a wall-sized screen conveys such data into a Hulkbuster armor, requiring a visitor to repel an attack by Ultron drones.
The themed rooms are incredibly detailed, a few Easter Eggs are contained within the venue (though I couldn’t figure them out, despite my broad Marvel trivia knowledge) and exiting recruits get a chance to shop for their favorite character wear, in the retail area.
My first reaction was to notice the absence of numerous Marvel characters (namely, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy), though I was quickly reminded that the focal point of the show is to be Avengers-based. That having been said, there is plenty to experience without necessarily feeling that anything is amiss. If anything, the ability to glance at the actor’s finely detailed outfits within inches, makes for a worthwhile experience. If you keep a Hawkeye-like keen eye, you might even spy a few armies of Pym-controlled ants to point the way towards specific artifacts.
This limited event is sure to sell out rather fast, therefore fans are encouraged to get their tickets via the official website, with entry per person starting at $29 and up for people 10 and over, and $25 and up for children ages 3 to 9, with infants under 3 getting in for free. Note that taxes and service fees may also apply.
Given the level of items on display, along with the unique chance to see genuine items from the MCU, I can safely say that the experience is well worth the money, and while flash photography isn’t permitted, photography is allowed unless stated otherwise.
All in all, a truly amazing visit for seasoned Marvelites.
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]]>The post Now on Blu-Ray: The Flintstones Complete Series Celebrates an Animation Classic first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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During this period of pandemic-related lockdown, it’s not surprising that, given the delays with new Fall TV shows having fallen behind production schedules, that most of us would decide to revisit some older TV properties, if only to keep cheerful and relatively sane.
A great way to escape the daily grind is to enjoy some mindless cartoons, or at the very least some throwback to our childhood, when things seemed simpler altogether.
As such, it’s great to know that Warner Home Video opted to reissue the classic Hanna-Barbera animated series The Flintstones, dated stereotypes and all, for the enjoyment of the masses who grew up with some of their more popular catchphrases, while also marveling at how the people of prehistoric Bedrock managed to survive while in use of the most unusual ofcreature-powered appliances.
So, with the highest resolution and picture quality this show has ever seen to date, and with 166 half-hour episodes ready for downtime consumption, all I can say is: Yabba Dabba Doo, indeed.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (see what I did there? Little bit of Flintstones humor for ya), you probably already know that leads Fred and Wilma Flintstone (voices of Alan Reed and Jean Vander Pyl) are married and eking out a living in prehistoric town of Bedrock, next door to neighbors and pals Barney and Betty Rubble (Mel Blanc and Bea Benaderet). Fred is a (brontosaurus) crane operator at the Slate Rock Company, and Barney works an office job at the Granite Building. Essentially, from episode to episode, their loving and caring wives (homemakers both) usually keep the boys out of trouble from one episode to the next.
Throw in their weekly bowling or meetings of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes, and you’ve got a decent idea of the routine these characters get into. Of course, the pair tend to try and attempt new and interesting things, that is, when they’re not being visited by weird characters (The Great Gazoo being chief among them), mostly to disastrous results.
For audiences of the period, it was hard to ignore the obvious parallel to the incredibly popular sitcom The Honeymooners, which starred Jackie Gleason and Art Carney, but set in prehistoric times and in a crude but efficient animated format. Much to their credit, The Flintstones managed to become a primetime animated series during its 1960-1966 run, before moving onto syndication in households of the 70s and 80s as either an afterschool solution or a Saturday morning addition to the block of animation for youngsters.
The humor in each episode is easily identifiable and relatable, mostly due to the animators and show creators’ ideas for showing us the stone age equivalent of modern conveniences, most of them happily veering into nonsensical absurdity.
My personal favorite is the introduction of Harvey Korman as the voice of the Great Gazoo, a controversial choice, because many feel the introduction of a space alien visiting Earth’s past took away from the simplicity of the show’s premise, however others like myself will argue that Korman’s comic timing, not unlike that of his longtime comedy partner Tim Conway, enhanced the comedy factor and made for interesting interaction with Fred and Barney.
It had been a while since I’d had a chance to truly sit down and enjoy this older classic, but given the Blu-Ray set’s extensive content, there was no way to miss the chance. Yes, many of the bonus features included on several of the discs are a bit dated (though I did enjoy the vintage tutorial on how to draw Fred), but the inclusive set also includes two movies and an unaired pilot short where the leads were called The Flagstones.
The set include original episodes on 10 discs in full 1080p HD at the original 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio (which means that the black bars on the are normal as to reflect the TV format of the time), with incredible picture quality and crisp sound despite being offered as a 2.0 Dolby Digital mono format. While there is obvious graininess and some blotches to the backgrounds (this was decades before CGI, after all), you can tell that someone put in love and effort for the source material to clean it up as much as humanly possible for new audiences to discover.
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]]>The post Superhero News: Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Exhibit Coming Soon to Toronto first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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Have you ever imagined yourself in one of Tony Stark’s workshops, surrounded by countless versions of his Iron Man armor, each with its own specifications, standing there at attention, larger than life? Ever thought you might be able to life Thor’s mighty Mjolnir hammer, or be able to grasp Stormbreaker with both hands? How about Captain America’s Vibranium shield?
Well, if you live in the Greater Toronto Area, you might be in luck, as the highly popular Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N interactive show makes its way to Canada, following similar exhibits worldwide, including London, Mumbai, Las Vegas, Singapore, Paris and several others.
Conceived by Victory Hill Exhibitions and produced by the Paquin Entertainment Group, the extremely popular show dubbed S.T.A.T.I.O.N., an acronym which stands for Science Training and Tactical Intelligence Operative Network, will allow fans to see original costumes from the feature films, learn more about the franchise’s heroes, villains and supporting characters, while also interacting with various kiosks based on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Currently under construction and set to open at the Yorkdale Shopping Mall, the exhibit should prove an extremely busy venue once it opens, depending on local restrictions and pandemic safety guidelines. Those interested in keeping informed of its latest developments and who wish to get early tickets to visit, should check out the official website for Canada, and the team here at Skip It Or Love It will report further once closer to Opening Day, with on set photos and videos.
Meanwhile, enjoy a trailer clip from the UK venue, which will give you an idea of what to expect from the Toronto version. Enjoy!
(Note that the event will implement and maintain all necessary procedures and protocols to ensure that regulatory health and safety standards are met.)
The post Superhero News: Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Exhibit Coming Soon to Toronto first appeared on Skip it or Love it.
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