My Top 10 Movies of 2016

2016 was a rough year for mainstream cinema. Hollywood relies so heavily upon sequels, remakes, and reboots that everything else feels the squeeze. Now, more than ever, most movies feel like assembly-line product-- made to entertain fans for a few hours and quickly evaporating from the mind later that night. Even most of the good stuff is merely respectable ("oh, another solid, workmanlike entry in Franchise XYZ. 3 stars") rather than memorable. With so many other forms of entertainment, including TV shows (this year, I've dug into Game of Thrones, Westworld, and Insecure) and high-end video games, stepping up their game and imagination, movies are content to rely on built-in fan bases week after week in order to make any money.

If I define a year by the strength of its Top 10, 2016 fell far short of 2015. But no matter how weak a movie year is, there will always be a Top 10 from yours truly. It's just that, in this case, most of the movies on this year's list are found either during Oscar season or outside your local multiplex. That may make me come across as some kind of elitist snob, but anyone who knows me knows that my tastes are wide-ranging. Sometimes, the big-money output just doesn't measure up. The ten films listed here (plus the five runners-up) are here because they're memorable. They linger in your mind longer than most. Some of them will have you thinking and ruminating for days if not weeks. Others are so delightful you'll want to experience them again sooner rather than later.

As always, I present my picks in reverse order, saving the best for last. This time, I've provided a YouTube trailer for each entry on my list. When words aren't enough, sometimes you need a little glimpse to nudge you in the right direction. (NOTE: Due to location issues and a massive time-crunch, I couldn't see Hidden Figures, A Monster Calls, or Silence. I'll likely see all three in January. If they're good enough, I'll give them a shout-out in next year's list)

Runners-Up (alphabetical order)

Birth of a Nation

Say what you will about whether or not you can "separate the artist from the art," but Nate Parker's biopic of Nat Turner stands strong on its own terms. 

Hell or High Water

It's a cops-and-robbers thriller, a family drama, and a commentary on predatory lenders all rolled into one. Chris Pine is a revelation, far better here than in all of his Captain Kirk outings combined.

Queen of Katwe

Even with backing from Disney and ESPN, this inspirational chess drama couldn't catch on at the box office. See it on video and give it the support it deserves.

The Witch

It's slow-burn horror, but atmospheric, beautifully filmed, and creepy as hell. The more you dig, the more you uncover.

Zootopia

My favorite animated movie of the year. Big laughs, fearless satire, and Disney's best non-Pixar film in a long time.

And the Top 10 proper.....

10. The Jungle Book

My favorite remake of the year. Nothing else of its ilk came close. While its success unfortunately gave Disney the green light to remake practically everything in its animated library, at least they've made a strong first step. This visually spectacular, thrilling, emotionally engaging adventure outdoes its animated counterpart in every way that matters (except perhaps songs; there are fewer this time around). It's a rare family movie I'd heartily recommend to adults even without children in tow.

9. Edge of Seventeen

Coming-of-age teenage comedies have fallen out of favor in recent years, and that's too bad. While the genre can deliver its fair share of junk, a well-made, honest one like this is the kind of movie that can put a little extra pep in one's step. The lead character (played by the splendid up-and-comer Hailee Steinfeld) may not always be traditionally likable, but we understand her trials and tribulations. They speak to many of us who were once in her shoes. Edge of Seventeen is the best movie of its type since the Oscar-nominated Juno.

 

8. Manchester by the Sea

Not every high-quality movie has to have a dense, twisty plot to hold your attention. Sometimes, all you need is vivid characters and honest emotions, and two-plus hours fly by. Manchester by the Sea is first and foremost a study of how grief can reduce a person to a shell of his former self, but it surprisingly finds a lot of humor in telling its story as well. With a powerhouse lead performance, Casey Affleck has no doubt emerged from his more famous brother's shadow.

7. Moonlight

This is another coming of age story, albeit of a far different sort. Its perspective: three distinct episodes in the life of a gay black man growing up in poor, urban Miami, is certainly rare and welcome in the movies. But in presenting it, Moonlight explores universal themes. It's about love, repression, poverty, and the toxic masculinity in our culture that can stunt a young person's development. My only complaint is that we don't spend more time in each episode (a minor one to be sure, better for a movie to be too short than too long), but what's there is undeniably powerful and sticks with you long after it's over.

6. Fences

Some have criticized Denzel Washington for failing to "open up" the movie version of Fences, but with a script this strong and performances this affecting, does it matter? Like anything based on a play, this is a talky production, but words in the right hands can be just as riveting, if not more so, than action. With yet another astounding turn by Denzel Washington and a likely Oscar-winning (knock on wood) performance from Viola Davis, this movie develops its characters so vividly that you feel like you've known them for years after spending only a few hours with them.

5. Eye in the Sky

The lost Best Picture candidate. Had it come out in the heart of Oscar season rather than April, perhaps it would've received more love. Nonetheless, this is a powerful and suspenseful drama/thriller hybrid that asks all the tough questions about drone warfare. Is taking one life worth saving dozens? How are decisions made at the highest level? Eye in the Sky does all of this all while being enormously entertaining. And as a bonus, it represents a fitting final performance for Alan Rickman, one of the many famous faces we lost in 2016.

4. The Handmaiden

The first of two foreign films on my list, this one is a dizzying trip from director Chan-Wook Park (best known for the original Oldboy). It's a twisty Hitchcock-ian mystery, a lesbian love story, and an exploration of sexual perversity all rolled into one. Presented in three acts-- with the first two telling the same events from different perspectives-- it's a blast to watch unfold. In fact, with it's puzzle box-style storytelling, it demands more than one watch. For anyone not averse to subtitles or NC-17-level sex, it's a must-see.

3. Elle 

And here's the other foreign film, a twisted, lurid masterpiece by none other than Paul Verhoeven (yup, of Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers). Trust me on this one, this is not a movie for the easily offended, opening with a woman's nonchalant response to her own rape.... and then only getting weirder and more provocative from there. Isabelle Huppert gives, for my money, the best acting performance of anyone (male or female) in 2016. Slowly peeling away her character and circumstances layer by layer, Elle is a gonzo, high-wire act. Love it or hate it, you can't take your eyes off it.

2. Arrival 

No Top 10 would be complete without a little science fiction, am I right? Director Denis Villeneuve knocks one out of the park here. Arrival is an alien "first contact" tale that dives deep into the dilemma of solving alien language. It's devoid of traditional action but packed to the gills with ideas, emotion, and wonder. Its plot twists will wallop you, its politics will intrigue you, and its hypnotically slow pace will entrance you if given the chance. You'll be ruminating over it for a long time. This is the filmmaker behind the long-awaited Blade Runner 2049, and based on Arrival, it's safe to say that project is in great hands.

1. La La Land

It's the rarest of breeds: an original musical, and it's capable of uplifting you to the heavens even on the dreariest of days. La La Land is everything: instantly memorable songs, astonishing visuals, stars with perfect chemistry, and a perceptive story about balancing love and lifelong dreams. It's old-school musical charm with a modern day edge. It's made not just to entertain, but enthrall. And enthrall it will early and often. Director Damian Chazelle, following up the stunning Whiplash with an experience for the ages, is a filmmaker whose next project I'll always await with bated breath. For the best, most invigorating movie theater experience I've had in 2016, there's no place like La La Land. 

And as a bonus, here's a YouTube playlist of all the songs. Because you know you want it.

Review of Sausage Party

Sausage Party is subversive. According to it's agenda, any animated movie trope that can be lampooned will be lampooned, often mercilessly. As Disney and Pixar have shown us, everything from animals to cars to robots to actual personification of emotions (Inside Out) can have feelings in an animated universe. Sausage Party not only takes this concept to its logical extreme by giving faces, bodies, and life to food, it embodies them with swearing, weed, and sex on the brain. But while you can laugh your head off at Sausage Party simply for the novelty of a major animated motion picture venturing this deep into R-rated territory, there's actually a surprising amount of social commentary beneath it all. That's right folks; come for the jokes, stay for the pointed observations about religious customs.

The movie opens in a supermarket called Shopwell's, where all our food friends sing a very funny, off-color musical number about their desire to reach "The Great Beyond." Apparently, every anthropomorphized item in this world believes that when a shopper chooses him/her, off they go into eternal Heaven (as opposed to the Hell of being eaten). Hot dog Frank (Seth Rogen) and bun Brenda (Kristen Wiig) are about to have their dreams come true when their packages are chosen during a 4th of July shopping spree when a jar of Honey Mustard (Danny McBride), having seen the true horrors of the other side, is returned to the store and upends everything. Stranded among the aisles and far away from home, Frank and Brenda begin an odyssey where they eventually learn the horrifying truth of their existence. And oh yeah, they also have to fend off the revenge-fueled villainy of a douche (Nick Kroll). No, really. An actual douche.

At some point watching an animated movie, even a great one, we've all had those twisted thoughts of "hey, how would these characters have sex?" or "do they ever do the crazy, adults-only shit that we do?" Oh, they do in Sausage Party, and they do it often with hilarious results. Food puns and sexual gags abound in this movie's world, and even when you're not busting a gut laughing, you'll at least be smiling and admiring the cleverness of it all. And it doesn't stop there, sending up race relations in the form of Kosher and Halal foods fighting for aisle space, a box of grits and a bottle of Firewater seething at how the crackers stole their land, and a sauerkraut army on a mission to "exterminate the juice." Or how about the movie's chief villain, a literal douche with a personality ripped straight from that of an obnoxious gym-obsessed bro? And then there's the food orgy scene, which is so wacky and envelope-pushing that it deserves the price of a ticket all by itself. You'll have to see it to believe it.

Directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon have made a movie very much in keeping with the Rogen/Goldberg canon. But Sausage Party rises to another level thanks to some surprisingly on-target commentary regarding religious fanaticism. The myth of the Great Beyond, how the characters deconstruct it, and the anger with which some react to having their beliefs questioned (even though they're objectively wrong) is fascinating. There's also the idea that certain characters (like Brenda) have in their heads that if they exercise "unclean" thoughts, the Gods will frown upon them. Sound familiar?The movie ultimately argues for an approach that unifies us in spite of our differences, which isn't all that different from a Disney/Pixar movie. But since Sausage Party is in no way intended for children, it can skip the family-friendly moralizing and go straight for the jugular the way top-notch South Park does.

Sausage Party feels alive. In a summer of countless sequels, remakes, and reboots, its creativity stands out from the pack. There's at least something amusing if not laugh-aloud funny around every corner, provided of course you're not easily offended. If you are... well... there's an angry thinkpiece right around the corner with your name on it. As a send-up of the classic animated movie formula where anthropomorphized creatures learn valuable life lessons, Sausage Party nails the sweet spot. You'll find yourself weirdly caring about these food-based characters even while laughing at their profanity-sex-and-weed-drenched adventures. And the social commentary, which the marketing team has smartly hid from the movie's advertisements, elevates this raunch-fest to the next level. Dig in and enjoy.


Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

Review of Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad takes a great premise-- that of comic book "bad guys" fighting for their freedom against even worse guys-- and squanders it big time. As the next step in the evolution of the DC Expanded Universe, this movie is barely any better than Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman. Sure, it rectifies one of that movie's greatest flaws by allowing humor into picture for the first time, but it creates a laundry list of new issues too. This is a dull, messy, paint-by-numbers superhero story with little to recommend it outside of two fun, high energy performances by Will Smith and Margot Robbie. The action sequences show little spark, the villains (excluding the Joker-- more on him later) feel incredibly weak, and the whole story shows signs of being cut up and stitched back together into something borderline incoherent.

To be fair, the first 30 minutes of Suicide Squad are solidly entertaining as it sets up the situation and the main characters. The soundtrack even provides each antihero with his/her own classic rock tune when introduced. There's Deadshot (Smith), a hitman who never misses; Harley Quinn (Robbie), the psychotic girlfriend of The Joker (Jared Leto), the boomerang-wielding thief Digger Harness (Jai Courtney), the pryomaniac El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), the human crocodile Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and the sword master Katana (Karen Fukuhara). When the evil sorceress Enchantress, who has possessed the body of Dr. June Moone (Cara Delevigne), escapes custody and creates an army hellbent on destroying humanity for.... well, reasons I guess.... it's up to the newly crowned "Suicide Squad" to take down that which normal humans cannot. Of course, they're kept under strict watch by government agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who won't hesitate to end their lives (via explosive devices implanted in their necks) if they step out of line.

It seems no superhero franchise can exist without a God-like villain, but Enchantress represents by far the weakest one in recent memory. Even the title villain in X-Men: Apocalypse was better motivated than this. Nothing about this character makes any sense whatsoever, from the flimsy rules regarding how she possesses someone, to the way she unearths her equally ridiculous-looking brother Incubus (Robin Atkin Downes), to a climactic stand off that's about as dumb and logic-defying as one can think of. We get plenty of action sequences leading up to this in which our anti-heroes face off against pimply, toad-like soldiers that look like Star Wars Cantina rejects, but these are about as exciting as watching someone else play a Call of Duty video game. You've seen it all done before and done better. It's sad that for all the hype behind Suicide Squad, a plot this basic, derivative, and lacking in urgency was the best they could come up with.

This was by most accounts a troubled production with multiple teams of editors, extensive re-shoots, and a script written in six weeks, and the results bear this out. Awkward, half-baked flashbacks (like El Diablo's tragic past and Harley Quinn's budding romance with the Joker) pop up randomly in the middle of the mission, transitions feel missing, and the movie guns for grand, emotional moments that the characters don't earn. At one point, Harley Quinn disappears for all of about five minutes, only to turn up later and have the other guys tell her how glad they are to have her back. Huh? Even Batman (Ben Affleck) and the Flash (Ezra Miller) show up for cameos shoehorned into the story. For those who thought that maybe, just maybe, the lack of narrative thrust in these movies would be fixed without Zack Snyder on board, sorry. Even with David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) taking over, it's still a systemic issue.

Winning performances from Will Smith and Margot Robbie (and perhaps Viola Davis, who acquits herself reasonably well as the "Nick Fury" of this story) go a long way toward saving Suicide Squad from being a complete dumpster fire. Many of Deadshot's one-liners are (pardon the pun) on target, especially a few relating to, of all things, legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson. His dramatic backstory involving his 11-year old daughter is intriguing enough to make us want more. Meanwhile, Robbie goes all out with her own brand of zaniness mixed with sex appeal. There were times when I wished the rest of this bland team and the idiotic plot would go away and allow these two to dominate their own two-hour movie. And maybe that movie would've given Jared Leto's Joker a larger role. He shows up in this one for 10 minutes tops and at such random intervals that you wonder why he's here at all. For all the talk about how memorably crazy he was on set, the character's presence in this movie has been butchered beyond belief.

In my review of Batman v Superman, I wrote that Warner Bros, in their zeal to catch up to Disney/Marvel, have rushed their characters onto the screen without proper buildup. Now with Suicide Squad, we see even more what hack jobs these movies are. Say what you will about the "assembly line" quality of Marvel's films; at least they're put together more cohesively than the first-draft-quality script we have here. After a promising first 30 minutes, Suicide Squad progressively loses steam, wit, and any sense of fun through the end, when most "regular" moviegoers (i.e. not comic book die-hards) can manage little more than a shrug. This is a February caliber of action movie which somehow found its way into summer blockbuster season. Credit great marketing and trailers but a poor product. And that's about where the DC Expanded Universe sits right now.

Rating: ** (out of ****)

Review of X-Men: Apocalypse

When it comes to the ensemble superhero movie, much has changed in 16 years. The first X-Men got the ball rolling in 2000, and for years, this series had an iron grip on the multi-hero movie market. Fast forward to today, and the extraordinary success of Disney/Marvel's Avengers series has kicked the merry band of mutants from the top of the "A-list" to roughly the "A-minus list" at best. Still, in spite of lagging well behind the Avengers in box office muscle, I would argue the X-Men series has become better since the start of this decade. First Class and especially Days of Future Past weave superhero action, appealing characters, and social commentary into an exciting whole, and the latter film scored extra points by clearing away the bitter aftertaste left by 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. But in the third movie lies several traps. How do you build on the promising "new look" of this series and at the same time avoid the dreaded superhero fatigue (this is the fourth superhero movie of the year thus far)?

As the title Apocalypse applies, the stakes are greater than ever before, and director Brian Singer's cast of mutants is larger than ever before, outnumbering even the group featured in Captain America: Civil War. The film begins a decade after the events of Days of Future Past, where Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has turned his School for Gifted Children into a thriving environment. Quick and effective backstories are given for young versions of Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan) and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), who will go on to become Cyclops and Phoenix, respectively. Meanwhile in Poland, we catch up with Magneto (Michael Fassbender), who has assumed a new identity and enjoys a quiet life with his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, a careless act gives away his true identity and forces him to go on the run. And finally, CIA agent Moira McTaggart (Rose Byrne) investigates a cult in Egypt whose activities awaken a long dormant, God-like mutant named Apocalypse (Oscar Issac). After spending a little time catching up on history, Apocalypse deduces that humanity has wrecked the Earth, and he and his followers must purge it of humanity to "start over."

Apocalypse has a central narrative thrust, but it also spends ample time introducing new characters and fleshing out their personalities. With only 2 1/2 hours to work with, however, some of these are explored with more depth than others. Unsurprisingly, the strongest subplot is Magneto's, which is laced with tragedy and nuance that actor Michael Fassbender flawlessly brings to life. The new versions of Cyclops and Jean Grey also score high marks, as both actors offer more sympathetic portrayals than those of James Marsden and Famke Jansen in the original films. And Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is back as well with another showstopping slow-motion sequence (this time saving people from a burning mansion). Finally, while Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) indeed appears in what amounts to an extended cameo, his presence is much more effectively integrated into the story than Spiderman in Civil War or Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman.

Unfortunately, not every mutant shines. Surprisingly, the movie's most glaring flaw is the main villain. Apocalypse is certainly all-powerful, and there's certainly suspense as to exactly how the X-Men can defeat him, but the character himself is flat, uncharismatic, and poorly motivated. A physically overpowering villain of this stature deserves some pizazz along the lines of a Darth Vader or a Bane. But as played here, Apocalypse utters not a single line you can quote with any pleasure. Why bother hiring a man of Oscar Issac's considerable talent if you're not going to let him loose like in Ex Machina (or hell, even his small role in The Force Awakens)? Plus, his reasons for wanting to destroy the world aren't nearly as well-developed as they could be (it's confined to one scene of him "reading" human history through a television). This is where a miniseries could've fleshed out both him and his underused minions including Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel (Ben Hardy), and a young Storm (Alexandra Shipp). As is, of his Four Horsemen, only Magneto has a compelling reason to turn to evil.

In past X-Men films, the Civil Rights allegory played as much a role as the action. Of all superhero series, this one has done the best job with addressing the tension between a superpowered class of people and the rest of human society. The last two films in particular integrated mutants within historical events in very clever ways. Sadly, this aspect is on the back-burner in Apocalypse, and that's unfortunate given that this series' competitors are finally introducing political material. Here, the movie mentions that tensions have cooled but doesn't pursue this idea in any detail. This doesn't wreck Apocalypse by any means but it keeps the movie on a lower plane than most of its predecessors.

The problems with Apocalypse are larger than what we've seen before (excepting The Last Stand, the unquestionable runt of the litter), but the movie nevertheless soars in plenty of places. The action sequences, including the aforementioned Quicksilver sequence and a mutant-on-mutant skirmish late in the film, deliver the punch fans come to expect. Singer also delivers a strong sense of spectacle, especially in one scene involving a huge-scale nuclear launch. And the final confrontation with Apocalypse, though slightly contrived, cleverly involves Professor X in the action. Unlike Batman v Superman, these characters (excepting the main villain) are easy to connect with and enjoyable to spend time around. The momentum never flags, resulting in a faster-paced 2 1/2 hours than you might expect.

For anyone who enjoys the X-Men series, Apocalypse delivers the goods. It won't convert a non-believer and it doesn't do anything to transcend the superhero genre, but it fills a niche and gives us an appealing new cast to move forward with. But as the fourth superhero movie in four months, fatigue may become inevitable with some viewers. This outing needs a tighter focus and a better villain to rise above the pack. As it stands, however, Apocalypse still delivers an energetic, well-paced spectacle for its entire running length. For many who enjoy this type of movie, that's about what you can reasonably ask for.

Rating: *** (out of ****) 

Review of Captain America: Civil War

Though the title says this is the third Captain America movie, this is more along the lines of Avengers 3, with a little Iron Man 4 thrown in for good measure. That's not the only thing thrown in of course, as this latest offering in the Marvel Cinematic Universe boasts the largest cast as well as the longest running time to date. The movie's chief selling point, that of a superhero smackdown, is nothing new for comic book stories. Hell, this is the second movie in 2016 driven by this concept (following Batman v Superman). But Civil War is thankfully a much more compelling, not to mention more entertaining, version of this premise than Zach Snyder's unholy mess. The reasons behind why Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) come to blows are clear and well-developed, and while the movie suffers from a few supporting players and subplots too many, that's a small price to pay. After last summer's mediocre Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel has latched this series back on the tracks.

Civil War gives political weight to superhero action by finally addressing the concept of collateral damage. The Avengers have saved the world numerous times, but what about innocent people who perish during all the fighting? That happens once again during the opening action sequence in Lagos, where Cap, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) thwart a bombing but leave many civillians dead in the process. Fed up with the Avengers' recklessness, 117 countries band together to create an accord by which the superhero squad will be regulated by the United Nations. It's here that political tension simmers between Iron Man, who is all for regulation, and Cap, who distrusts government interference. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), a Manchurian Candidate of sorts for Hydra, is on the loose once again with Cap desperately wanting to prove his longtime friend's innocence. And a nefarious foe named Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) lurks behind the scenes with a vengeful endgame of his own.

Obviously, matters escalate into physical conflict between our 12 (yes, 12) heroes. And that much-talked about battle royale at an airport you've seen in the trailers delivers the goods. In the blue corner is Captain America, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Barnes, the newly-unretired Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Opposing them on the red side is Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine (Don Cheadle), Vision (Paul Bettany), and newcomers Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Directors Anthony and Joe Russo expertly cut between the various skirmishes with a fluidity that always reminds us where each hero stands (or punches, kicks, flies, etc). in relation to the others. Everyone receives multiple opportunities to shine, and the Russos keep the tone relatively light throughout this sequence and others. Even with serious issues at stake, the goal is to entertain viewers, not pummel them with relentless darkness.

When the movie sticks to its primary relationships, that of Cap/Barnes and the conflict between Cap/Iron Man, Civil War rivets viewers. The movie contains a multitude of fascinating points and counterpoints around the issue of superhero regulation. It's not as poignant as what we've seen in the X-Men films, but it nonetheless engages the mind and provides substance to go along with the action. It's also refreshing to see that in this universe, killings in an African country (as opposed to a predominately white one) are what finally prompt huge-scale reform. I certainly can't imagine that in today's world. Finally, though the airport sequence is the movie's big "money" action sequence, it's not the best. That honor goes to the two-on-one fracas between Captain America/Barnes and Iron Man. It's smaller in scale but contains much greater emotional weight. The earlier battle royale, as fun as it is for everyone from the casual fan to the die-hard, is little more than an exhibition.

Some of Civil War's supporting characters shine brightly while others miss the mark. The biggest mistake is arguably Spiderman, who is shoehorned into a story he doesn't belong in (much like Wonder Woman in BvS). Introduced in a quick, albeit funny five minute conversation between him, Iron Man, and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei, glammed up to such a degree that the script pokes fun at her for it), the character has little to do besides this scene and the airport battle. Fans will be happy to see him depicted as a realistically high-school aged kid for once, but his presence in the movie still feels rushed. This is especially odd for Marvel, which has exercised meticulous patience in developing each of their main heroes for the screen. As for Scarlet Witch and Vision, two of Age of Ultron's head-scratchers, they're okay but equally unnecessary, and I'm still not sure I understand the latter character's limitations. Is he essentially a mortal version of Superman?

Counter-balancing those missteps is Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, an outstanding addition to the ensemble. His character, a warrior from the fictional country of Wakanda, is given a clear background and motivation (an attack by Barnes killed his father), and that's precisely where he needs to be for this team-up before his solo outing lets us spend more time with him. Acting-wise, every major player is in top form, especially Chris Evans, whose Steve Rogers represents all-around heroism and virtue while never becoming boring. And Downey Jr. shows no signs of tiring of playing Iron Man here, as his quips and acerbic wit are back at lively levels.

For serious movie buffs, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies may never escape the criticism that they're more like blown-up, extra-long TV episodes than cinema. For me, that's okay as long as the result engages and entertains. Taking this wide variety of heroes and developing their movies in a plain-looking, homogenized way is simply the studio's strategy, like it or not. I've made peace with it. In this case, despite the movie feeling overcrowded at times, it also works on a more personal, intellectual, and emotional level. As team-up movies go, Civil War doesn't reach the sheer exhilaration of the first Avengers, but it's a distinct improvement over Age of Ultron and miles ahead of Batman v Superman. In a year stuffed with comic book movies, it earns its place and justifies taking a trip to theaters to see.


Rating: *** (out of ****)

Review of The Jungle Book

Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book may be the first live-action version of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale, but such a label might be a misnomer. Aside from Mowgli (Neel Sethi) and a few glimpses of live-action humans, this gorgeous motion picture was crafted entirely on a computer. And while it's a pastime of critics and movie buffs to bemoan the appearance of "too much CGI," it's impossible for anyone not to be awed by what Favreau, cinematographer Bill Pope, and the FX team have accomplished here. This is how you do it. The lush widescreen environments, impeccably rendered characters, and thrilling action sequences can compete with the most lavish summer blockbusters out there. But this Jungle Book wouldn't work as well as it does without a compelling storyline, near-perfect pacing, and a successful juggling of dark and jovial tones.

This isn't Mowgli's origin story, although we do receive a brief flashback during a scene when he stares into the eyes of the seductive python Kaa (Scarlett Johansson). The movie introduces us to Mowgli's life of literally being raised by wolves, including father Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) and mother Raksha (Lupita Nyongo). The panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), who found Mowgli long ago, tries his best to teach him discipline (consider him a Jedi Master of sorts), but the young boy is very impetuous. One day, during a "water truce," where all manner of animals gather at a watering hole during a drought and refuse to hunt one another, complications emerge. The bengal tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) seethes at the presence of a boy in the jungle, fearing that he will grow up to be as barbaric and bloodthirsty as most men. He will accept nothing less than the boy's death, but Bagheera nonetheless helps Mowgli escape. However, instead of the "Man Village" Mowgli is supposed to run toward, he falls into company with the wisecracking bear Baloo (Bill Murray).

What a cast! The Jungle Book boasts a hugely distinctive cast of vocal performers, all of whom work to perfection. This isn't a mere case of "spot the star" but well-defined, clearly-motivated characters brought to even greater life. Who would be a better match for Baloo's laid-back, jokey personality than Bill Murray? A more authoritative tone for Bagheera than Sir Ben Kingsley? A more menacing bass voice than Idris Elba for the villainous Shere Khan? And though the character only appears in one extended, thrilling sequence, Christopher Walken turns out to be an inspired choice for King Louie the orangutan. The actor's quirky mannerisms shine through as this version is a little more sinister and mafia-like than we're used to seeing (although not so much that he'll frighten kids). As for the only live-action actor in the cast, newcomer Neel Sethi is mostly convincing, though there are times when his delivery of lines is stiff. It's much more difficult than it looks for any actor, let alone a child actor, to interact entirely with special effects.

The Jungle Book pushes the limits of the PG-rating; it's unafraid to show animal-on-animal violence and death when need be, but it's by no means a joyless slog. The movie finds extra character dimension in Shere Khan, whose motivations and hatred of human hunters/colonizers we understand even though his plan would mean the death of our hero. The openly comedic scenes featuring Baloo are extremely welcome, and the movie retains two songs--albeit abbreviated-- from the 1967 animated feature ("The Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You"). It is, after all, impossible to imagine The Jungle Book without these tunes, but Favreau integrates them with such success into this mostly serious adventure tale that we don't feel whiplash in the movie's change in tone.

The movie's vibrant, exciting brand of storytelling very much feels like a storybook come to life that its title implies. It can make us laugh one moment, make us shudder the next, and endlessly fuel our imaginations around every corner. From an awe-inspiring time lapse showing the change between seasons, to Shere Khan's memorable entrance (animals cower toward the sides of the frame as he appears in the center), to the amazing rendering of the chase and fight sequences, The Jungle Book represents the true power of CGI spectacle. And its message, that man and beast can exist in harmony by compliment one another with their unique talents while still holding respect for one another's customs, will resonate well with both children and adults. Whether this Jungle Book inspires a franchise is left to be seen, but for now, we have a thrilling adventure that moviegoers can savor with or without families in tow.

Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

Review of Hardcore Henry

If you're looking for-- as the ads promise-- an experience you've never had before in a movie theater, Hardcore Henry is it. But that doesn't necessarily qualify as a ringing endorsement. Director Ilya Naishuller has created a 90-minute action movie filmed entirely from a first-person perspective so that we see everything our mute protagonist sees, from every punch and shot fired to every frenetic jerk of the camera. If it reminds you of a video game, that's obviously by design. As uber-violent as its title implies, Hardcore Henry slides proudly into the "style over substance" category, but it can't fully overcome two key problems. It lacks any identifiable characters whatsoever and a little of the first-person craziness goes a long way.

The story's basic outline, that of a person waking up from a deep sleep with no memory of who he is or any idea of the power he's capable of, is always an intriguing science fiction concept. It begins with the human/cyborg Henry waking up in a lab to a doctor named Estelle (Haley Bennett), who claims to be his wife. Mere minutes later, the lab is raided by a warlord named Akan (Danila Koslovsky), who's more than eager to show of his telekinesis powers. Henry and Estelle escape the lab and end up in the streets of Moscow, where Akan's henchmen promptly ambush him and kidnap Estelle. Now, with the help of the ubiquitous Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), who has a seemingly endless supply of avatars of himself, it's up to Henry to take down the bad guys videogame style.

The plot is paper-thin, rocketing from one action set-piece to another, but that's fine (arguably preferred) for an action movie. It lets us concentrate on other things. But Hardcore Henry's problem is the complete absence of a relatable protagonist. Henry is a voiceless, faceless avatar who has no defining characteristics beyond his physicality. This works well when playing a video game, where a mute main character serves as an extension of the player, but a passive experience like Hardcore Henry needs some form of characterization. Without that, it's up to the supporting players to give us something to latch on to. Sharlto Copley certainly goes all out, firing away with gag after gag the way other characters fire bullets, but his zaniness can only do so much without a compelling main character. Haley Bennett and Danila Koslovsky fulfill their roles of damsel-in-distress and over-the-top bad guy, but aside from an intriguing late-game twist, there's not much to chew on regarding them, either.

And so we arrive at the million-dollar question: how does the first-person viewpoint hold up for an entire action movie? On the plus side, this approach sidesteps the trap of fast, incoherent editing (though the movie isn't shot all in one take; Naishuller makes small cuts here and there). Since we see everything from one man's perspective, we always know where the combatants are in relation to their environments. The unfortunate downside is that the spastic camera movements will give more than a few viewers motion sickness. Compared to this movie, popular "found footage" flicks like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield might as well be playing AA-ball. A few people left my screening and didn't come back. Even I had to close my eyes for a few seconds at a time to re-adjust.

Naishuller is acutely aware of the first-person-shooter influences in Hardcore Henry. The movie calls upon many tropes of the popular gaming genre, sometimes in very funny ways. The way Henry quickly switches from unarmed combat to an opponent's AK-47 is amusing, as is Jimmy's glib advice to Henry (consider him the fairy to Henry's Link). There are also some effectively bizarre touches, like the subtitles of two yelling women overlapping one another and an impromptu performance of Frank Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin" performed by all off Jimmy's avatars. Another musical moment tops even that when Henry injects himself with adrenaline and goes on a rampage to the tune of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." In a way, Hardcore Henry reminded me of Crank 2, where the filmmakers throw everything including the kitchen sink at us to compensate for the slim narrative and characters. Like that movie, it almost works. Almost, but not quite.

As a technical exercise the likes of which you probably haven't experienced before, Hardcore Henry fits the bill as long as you're not prone to motion sickness. But for me, I need a little more besides pure style to give a movie an unqualified recommendation as opposed to a so-so one. The movie lives up to the first word of its title, alright; it's graphic violence takes no prisoners. And as mixed as the results on screen are, I have to give Naishuller credit for trying something different. But perhaps it would play better as the video game it emulates after all.

Rating: **1/2 (out of ****)