Superman

An amusing and serviceable take on the DC superhero.

I was excited when Warner Bros studios announced James Gunn would take over the DC Universe. I thought his Suicide Squad film was the best overall DC movie of the last decade. I would even put it in the same tier as The Dark Knight, not for its philosophy but for its sheer fun.

Gunn’s first major DC film, Superman, is a mostly fun action spectacle. There’s plenty of entertainment and a little heart lurking below the surface.

The comedy was hit-and-miss for me. Lex Luthor’s girlfriend constantly taking selfies wasn’t so much funny as it was mildly amusing. The same applies to Superman’s dog, Krypto. I liked the dog, but the “dog attacks Superman at inopportune times” schtick was a little overdone and wore out after awhile.

The sharp dialogue is a highlight, but because the film is so stuffed with action and spectacle, there are times that characters still seem thin when they shouldn’t be. Clark’s parents, for example, seemed more like Midwest caricatures than real people, leaving me missing past versions of them.

The casting in the film was excellent, and fortunately, Lex Luthor is a compelling villain. Nicholas Hault’s portrayal of Luthor is my personal favorite so far on the big screen.

Gunn is also a master at creating quirky and likable side characters, and Mr. Terrific arguably drove the second act of the film (so much so that at times I wondered if the movie should’ve been named after him). At times the movie felt like Guardians of the Galaxy Featuring Superman. That isn’t all terrible, as I did enjoy those films. It just left me wondering whose film this really was.

The movie ended and I was mostly just relieved that it was entertaining. It was very much a superhero movie, and it was a fun one that left me ready for more installments.

7/10

Heretic

Heretic is the most original religious horror film in recent memory.

One could also classify it as psychological thriller or suspense. I would argue the film is beyond classifying. I refused any spoilers before seeing it in theaters and I’m glad for that. I’ll avoid writing spoilers here.

Two Mormon missionaries, played brilliantly by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher, are invited into the home of Mr. Reed, a stranger apparently interested in the Book of Mormon, but with secretive plans for them (plans that do not involve them leaving). They enter the house despite not seeing a Mrs. Reed; a woman needs to be present for them to go inside, they tell Mr. Reed. “She’s in the kitchen baking blueberry pie,” he insists, and they fall for the lie.

Hugh Grant plays off-type as Mr. Reed and is perfect for the role. His charming smile and pleasant demeanor give him an air of harmlessness that this type of villain requires.

Grant deserves an Oscar for this one. He’s both captivating and abhorrent, two qualities the role requires, and he chews every line of dialogue with expertise. You simultaneously want to listen to more of his philosophy and see him brought to justice.

I won’t ruin what happens other than to say that I didn’t expect any of the ensuing twists and turns. Horror films are often victim of a weak third act, but this film’s finale will have people talking for awhile.

Unlike other horror films centered around a victim in captivity like Saw, I appreciated that this one has protagonists who are worthy intellectual adversaries to the villain. I don’t enjoy horror where the villain seems to constantly have the upper-hand, so much so that every other character is nothing more than a pawn on his board to be easily knocked off. This one is more a game of cat-and-mouse in which both sides are deeply challenged.

The violence is also more purposeful than most R-rated horror films. I’ve written before that I don’t like violence for the sake of violence. This film selects its violent scenes carefully, so that they enhance the theme of the film.

Best horror film of the year in this blogger’s opinion. 10/10

The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron is billed as Miyazaki’s final film. If it truly is it’s a great way to go out.

The film is equal parts autobiography and fantasy. A Japanese boy loses his mother during World War 2 in Japan, and moves with his father to a more rural part of the country, to live with his aunt, who is now pregnant with his soon-to-be half-sister (I hope I got that right).

A talking heron torments the boy and the aunt goes missing (did the heron take her away?). The boy wanders to a mysterious abandoned tower and into another world that seems to be a blend of living and dead souls. Is it the afterlife? Another dimension? The heron claims his mother is alive, and she resides within this world.

Some incredible sequences and visually arresting animation ensue, and the fate of several worlds is at stake.

Miyazaki is obviously a master storyteller and in my opinion, this is his best film since Spirited Away. It’s a film about life, loss, and ultimately a meditation on death. Plenty of Hollywood stars voice the characters, including Christian Bale as the boy’s father.

Narratively the final act felt like an exercise in surrealism, and I was okay with that because I was so engrossed in what I was watching.

I’ll never look at a parakeet the same way again after this movie.

9/10