MOVIE REVIEW: THE MARVELS

 

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels.

Director: Nia DaCosta

Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Samuel L. Jackson

Release Date: November 10, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for action/violence and brief language

Runtime: 1h 45m

The Marvels manages to shake up the standard formula by leaning into its weirdness which ends up making it fun if rather light comic book fun similar to another franchise tangent, Thor: Ragnarok.  Nia DaCosta delivers an energic and efficient entry into the long running franchise that smartly keeps the focus on the tangible chemistry between the three leads.  Sure the overall story is fairly basic by comic book standards with a central villain that barely registers as one dimensional.  The stakes are what you would expect with these kind of films but in this film it almost seems besides the point and we are given a steady stream of kinetic, body swapping action sequences that are cleverly staged and always fun.  DaCosta moves her film at pleasantly breezy pace which is a welcome change of pace after a series of overly serious and bloated chapters that have populated the Marvel release schedule over the last few years.  As a result, Brie Larson comes off far more comfortable and relaxed here than she did in the original film.  Larson is given a bit more rope with the character and she embraces it especially in some of the film's wackier sequences such as a planet whose populace communicates through song.  These sort of left turns provide a steady bit of organic comedy that works better than last year's more ham fisted Thor: Love and Thunder.  Larson benefits from having Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani join her this go around with their interplay and relationships serving as the lifeblood of the film.  Parris and Vallani bring their small screen characters to the big screen with relative ease but Vallani's youthful charisma shines through the entire film.  The three of them together keep the film moving even as it moves to a fairly predictable end as they try and stop Zawe Ashton's villain.  Ashton fares the worst of the primary group as we are given the slightest sliver of information about her character's motivations which leave her with little to do outside of stare and scream maniacally and little else.  The story and characters are tied to a variety of separate, preestablished mythology, mostly from Marvel TV shows, but its surprisingly not weighed down by the script making the most of exposition dumps to catch the uninitiated up to speed.  The Marvels might not be the most impactful entry in the MCU but it is one of the easiest to enjoy in recent memory.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THEY CLONED TYRONE

 

A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy.

Director: Juel Taylor

Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx,  David Alan Grier, Kiefer Sutherland

Release Date: July 14, 2023 

Genre: Action, Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for pervasive language, violence, some sexual material and drug use

Runtime: 2h 2m

Juel Taylor's directorial debut is a surprisingly funny and effective amalgam of some tried and true sci-fi tropes paired with an old school blaxploitation feel.  Its gritty look and feel immediately echo those 70s films as it starts out as a fairly straight forward urban crime drama before it reveals something more insidious lurking underneath.  John Boyega plays the titular drug dealer with a steely hardened facade with hints of emotional depth scattered throughout his journey.  He's the straight man to Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris bigger more cartoonish roles which makes for a fun dynamic once the trio start their investigation into craziness of their situation.  Foxx is in rare form here as he unleashes his comedic talents onscreen with the sort of unrestrained energy were his trademark of his early career.  Parris is having just as much fun as the Nancy Drew loving, soon to be retired proustite.  Their Motley Scooby Doo crew make the film work far better than it should since the reveals are fairly predictable.  That's not to say the script doesn't have a lot to say, it does, but the messaging gets a bit jumbled in its messy final act which borrows bits from Black Dynamite, Dark City and Westworld.  While it doesn't stick the landing, They Clone Tyrone does so much right that you can't help but appreciate this initial effort from Taylor and his cast, enough to make the tease at the end all the more intriguing.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: CANDYMAN

 

In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini. A chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to use these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.

Director: Nia DaCosta

Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Colman Domingo. Vanessa Williams, Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen

Release Date: August 13, 2021

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references

Runtime: 1h 31min

Review:

Nia DaCosta’s spiritual sequel to the 90s cult favorite is visually impressive with a thematically timely message even if it’s overly didactic in its delivery.  The original film was the type of horror film that worked because its general premise was incredibly strong even if the actual execution was a lacking. This sequel has an art house feel to it which gives the overall story a stylish overhaul which makes for a beautiful film to look at.  The story itself suffers from its clunky social justice message and horror roots.  DaCosta is trying like crazy to make a stronger overall point by reworking the Candyman mythos but it doesn’t feel as organic as it should, instead there are multiple moments where the film feels the need to beat the message into your head.  At the same time she’s attempting to deliver a slasher film that leans on body horror a more than jump scares.  The cast is incredibly committed which makes the film an easy watch.   Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leads the film with relative ease even though his character commits every horror movie mistake you can think of.  He’s able to overcome the scripts deficiency and delivers a fascinating portrayal of a man decent into madness.   The supporting cast is just as strong with Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo all leaving a strong impression.  Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen both have roles in the film but your left thinking that the director and script could have made better use of Todd who is the embodiment of the character in the original films.  Even with its fault, Candyman delivers an entertaining refresh/reboot of the series that leaves the door open for future installments. 

B