(film review) - The Flash

I took a little time to let this movie sit with me before I wrote the review for several reasons. I wanted to address the "so-called" 'elephant in the room' as well as the current state of affairs of the DC universe. I have been gathering my thoughts to try and explain this the best way I can, without going too deep and losing anyone who does not really care and to also give an explanation as to where we are going forward with DC. So first and foremost, this movie has been 9 years in the making. In those 9 years, since 2013, we had 'Man of Steel' to kick it all off, but 12 movies before this and out of those 12 movies, we had 2 that were excellent, 4 that were really good, 2 that were pretty much identical, but still very different in execution and 4 that were either just ok or trash. I have said this before and I will say it again, Warner Bros. the owners of Detective Comics aka DC spent a lot of time trying to chase the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so much so, they felt to deviate drastically and produce movies like 'Joker', which is not apart of the DCEU. The Batman came out also, which is also not part of the DCEU and both of these movies are great, but WB have no clue what they are doing. Also there has been controversy with studio heads at WB, bad decisions, reactive behaviour and all sorts of problems with directors and actors also in this time. When one director was "removed" from a project due to a personal family tragedy, another director took over and seemed to cut out storylines and dialogue from specific characters leading to another version of the same film being made with the original director because what we initially got, was not the vision the original director had. Lastly, Ezra Miller, whilst not very well known but a terrific actor, in the last few years has become known to the public due to a series of events and situations that have painted Ezra in a very bad light all in the lead up to the release of this movie. This movie has gone through various directors and undoubtedly, various reshoots to try and counter the problems and/or salvage what they have. So whilst you may be upset, disgruntled, or feel a type of way about Ezra in their personal life, their acting, skill as an actor and sheer ability to finesse this craft cannot be mistaken. Ezra, as an actor, as this character and in this movie is excellent which in turn makes this movie a very good watch. However, with not only a new DC universe on its way, not knowing if this movie ultimately connects with the past and/or future of DC, will definitely make one wonder if watching this movie is even necessary if you want the whole connectivity of it all. Whilst I cannot actually answer that question specifically, I will say, I do have some thoughts as to the direction DC could take.

Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) accidentally stumbles on time travel and decides to travel back in time to try and fix a very open wound he has surrounding the death of his mother and the incarceration of his father. Having asked for advice and given a warning not to travel back in time, Ezra travels back in time anyway not realising, not only has he travelled back in time, he has ultimately travelled into a separate universe where Zod attacks Earth looking for Kal-L. Barry must team up with the Batman (Michael Keaton) of that world along with the Kryptonian to battle Zod, defeat him and find a way back to his own universe and at the correct time.

I had fun with this movie. It was a great watch. A lot of laugh-out-loud moments as Ezra, at this point IS Barry Allen. We have seen Barry Allen portrayed in a few movies now and also in the 'Peacemaker' season one finale, but Ezra shines as Barry Allen. They are great, captivating, moving, emotional, not to mention playing two Barry Allens at different times in his life. Ezra is simply phenomenal and carries this entire movie acting against theirself and with Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle. This movie has been 9 years in the making and whilst the film does not look dated exactly or feel dated, I do feel from completion to release, there was a lot of time to iron out and polish the special effects. Whilst not terrible, some moments look weird, purposefully or not and it is possible, some things could have been re-thought. For example, the film starts off with a big action set piece involving a hospital. Some of the decisions made here for the movie do not work visually although it is a great scene. So as a viewer, you are left with the choice to accept it as it is or take umbridge over the look and quality of said scene. Personally, I did not mind, although I could understand why things looked the way they did visually AND take that on the chin and disregard the visuals simply for the playthrough rather than be bothered about it. Had they used the time to re-think this set piece, maybe they would have realised that some of the visuals here were not great and gone for something else. But I am sure they had more pressing matters of concern. Talking about the CGI, towards the end of the movie, there were some very heavy-handed decisions to either "serve" the fans, or pay homage. The problem is at this point in the movie, whilst everything is wrapping up, doing what they did ultimately felt a little weird and too outside the box and far-reaching rather than it feeling contained within the film. You could say, it felt unnatural. Without going into spoilers, if you are going to go in, go in. If you are going to try and do the distance, go all the way in and explore every avenue you can. That would make it feel more authentic, but in the end, it only raised more issues with what has happened over the years without providing any solutions or possibilities. Whilst one-moment kind of honoured that, for the most part, was great, but felt weird and also seemingly forced, especially when the majority of the audience are not aware of the why, so why?

The music, the acting, everything here was top-notch. Very serious in moments but also very funny. A very cool moment at the beginning of the movie was the "title" screen. It was so cleverly done and well executed. It was great to see some returning actors from previous movies and the Batman of it all, was simply great. Having grown up on Michael Keaton as Batman from the Batman 1989 movie followed by Batman Returns, a lot of people see Michael Keaton as their Batman, so hearing a cheer when he first shows up was amazing. Michael felt like he had never left the cowl as he slipped back into his rendition of Bruce Wayne and The Batman. With that said, the memorabilia was also great to see as well as some of the advances. You will see in the trailer, a room opens up and you see lots and lots of Batman suits, most of which are from the comics, but they ultimately told a story which was great. Sasha Calle is excellent. The way she portrayed her character left me wanting more from her in a spin-off with their own movie or simply anything else. All in all, the movie is just a really fun watch.

The problem with it all. When the film was completed and due for release, the world went into lockdown due to a global pandemic. However, problems for the movie started to come about when the lead star Ezra Miller kept getting into trouble due to their actions. Not only was the film completed, but DC were also going through a change due to a bunch of lacklustre movies and the audience not gravitating towards these movies. With word of a new DCU incoming by a former Disney-employed director who was fired, then rehired by Disney but ultimately got a job to head this new DC universe for Warner Bros, the audience are simply left in limbo. I saw the damage control to be, "this is a great movie" which it is, but why would they say differently with all the controversy surrounding Ezra, they need all the bums on seats they could possibly get and all the money. If the movie were to do well, regardless of Ezra continuing as Barry Allen or not, the former heroes such as Aquaman (who has a movie out next), Wonder Woman, etc, could all be apart of the DCU IF, navigated correctly. At a point, James Gunn said he has no need for Henry Cavill at present to play Superman and will be going with a new actor, which made me think, the doors are still open, kinda. If Barry Allen can transcend timelines and universes, surely we can have multiple Supermen like how we had different Batmen, correct? James can release all the films he likes and maybe in 15-20 years' time, have two Supermen in a movie and the old guard can resume their role "co-signing" the new guard. All in all, if you want to see this movie due to simply wanting to see a Flash movie, I would definitely say, you should get yourself to the cinema and watch it due to it being a great experience. If you want to know if there is any interconnectivity with other superheroes from Justice League and such, whilst we cannot be certain if it is all connected, they are there, but time will tell. If you want to see Ezra as a superb actor, then definitely go and watch it, otherwise...other than being a really good watch which is fun and enjoyable, there is a chance you may not want to watch it due to Ezra and their antics or the "lack of" position this movie has in the greater universe of it all, so if that is the case, I understand, but this is a really good movie.

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(film review) [STREAMING] - Extraction 2

Straight out of the gate in 2020 when the entire world was told to stay home due to a global pandemic, Netflix dropped a movie called 'Extraction' starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if you did not know the actor's name). It was at a time where there were no trips to the cinema, we could only rely on home entertainment and while Netflix has been pretty hit-and-miss when it comes to a lot of the products they put out, Extraction was another hit, like how 'The Old Guard' with Charlize Theoron was...well, it was decently received, at least. Whilst this might seem irrelevant now, but both 'John Wick', 'John Wick: Chapter 2' and 'John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum' was already out by then and taking the world by storm. A former hitman takes on a crime lord due to killing his dog. Riviting storyline, but it was nothing but action on top of action inside an action sandwich and it was very well praised and beloved by many. Those movies were directed by stuntmen, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Whilst David Leitch has gone on to direct other movies (since the first John Wick), Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Nobody, Bullet Train and Violent Night, all films that have received some kind of praise due to the action and visuals, Sam Hargrave, another stuntman is responsible for both Extraction and Extraction 2, which leads me to this; there seems to be a new trend in Hollywood where a stuntman can act, stunt co-ordinate and pick up the camera to direct compelling movies that are not too deep on story, but can deliver a heavy punch or eight to the face, providing the audience with nothing but action in a way that many of us love and enjoy. So while Extraction was Sam's first feature movie...and it was really good, Sam raised the bar this time around and he simply made an even better sequel.

Extraction 2 picks up where the last one left off, and the story of Tyler Rake continues as a black ops mercenary who has been specifically selected to carry out a job which is very close to home for him. Tyler and his team must infiltrate a Georgian prison for an extraction, but in his way are two warring gangs and one of the leaders of the two gangs is a ruthless drug lord and has a personal army. Tyler just do this quietly, failure to do so, means he is likely to disrupt the prisoners and bring on a fight, likely die and fail his mission.

Surperb. You know when you are sitting/laying there watching a movie and then all of a sudden, you sit up as if the movie has commanded your undivided attention, like it never had it in the first place. There was a scene where someone was going to fall, but what the other person does to catch them made me sit up straight. It was a great moment, one of many in this movie. If you do not know already but I love a long take. A long take is where it seems as though the camera stays locked on the action covering many angles, following characters and not "cutting" to a different angle. This has been achieved in many films and TV shows, but I think I first recognised it in the first Netflix Daredevil season one taxi scene from inside the taxi where the camera turns in a 360 degree turn without cutting or again in Daredevil and the famous action-packed hallway scene. The Michael Keaton film Birdman (I think, from memory) is all one take too. The first extraction film achieved this as a car chase scene that started from a jungle and ended in a street fight. Without giving away too much, this long take starts from inside a prison and ends on a train. It is amazing to watch and a lot of the time I kept thinking, "How?" "How did they achieve that?" Moreover, we are simply looking at a video game at this point. The film was soo good, when the film finished, I was buzzing with excitement wondering if and when there will be a sequel. If a computer game developer would take this franchise up and develop a game to play on consoles and PC. Man like Tyler Rake, has simply shot up as one of my favourite action heroes next to John McClane and Ethan Hunt.

Sam Hargrave's directing is a work of art. I believe coming from a stuntman background allows him to see angles or action in ways others cannot, hence why the action in these films feel soo intense, gritty and gripping. The only franchise that comes remotely close to this franchise is, John Wick and The Raid. Even the TV show Gangs of London comes close to this but Extraction is something different entirely. No glamourous or beautiful shots, no or not many sequences where you have to suspend disbelief, everything feels real as if it could really happen and characters can actually die. Insane are the stunts, but we are not talking Fast and Furious type of stunts, you know? Sam levels up the story this time around with more characters and a complex situation that changes the dynamics of the characters involved. Without going into too much detail, but a character is disillusioned and thinks wholeheartedly that something is a certain way, but later faces the realisation that all is not what it seems. There is a "side character" from the first movie who returns with a bigger role in this and their scenes are excellent.

The action, superb. The cinematography, excellent. The pacing, swift. The music, good. The acting, great. There is even another actor who joins the franchise in whom was a surprise to me just like the first movie had a surprise actor in it as well. The stuntwork, top form and amazing, but what would you expect from a director who is a stunt co-oridnator. All in all, this franchise seems to be getting better and better with each outing and I sincerely hope, we do get a 3rd to leave us with a trilogy at least...unlike The Raid franchise that only gave us 2 great action-packed films. Make it a trilogy and we can mention it as part of the most underrated trilogies ever made. Oh, and watch them back to back, Extraction 1 and then 2.

(film review) - Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

You know what is really wild to me? This movie coming to an end and I was smiling from ear to ear gassed about what I had just watched (for context, to be gassed, is to be excited). I mean, I had watched the trailer and given the trailer high praise. As I said in my trailer review "...Michael Bay took my childhood cartoons and ruined them..." (I guess I was also referring to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films too, as he was a producer on them). Although Michael Bay was also a producer of the 2018's Bumblebee movie (It should have been called 'Transformers: Bumblebee'), I am guessing he did not meddle with that one because that movie was far better than the previous Transformers movies and it is quite possible, he learned from possibly poking his nose in where it did not belong for TMNT. The Bumblebee movie was really good and I was hoping for more...and it looks like we have got it, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and for me, it did not disappoint!

Noah, an ex-military electronics expert is trying to get by and support his family, but when he decides to take on a risky job for his friend Reek, Noah is catapulted into a world of robots in disguise who have learned of a planet-eating alien seeking to devour Earth. Noah must join the Autobots to help save the planet, even if it means joining up with the Maximals.

I will start with the negatives first. The Music. Do not get me wrong, the music was fantastic and there was a moment towards the end of the movie where a certain song came on and the scene was simply perfect. I was smiling so hard, enjoying the moment way too much for a Transformers movie. The special effects, in places; not great. This might be due to the budget Steven was given but in a couple of places, it seemed very 'green screen'. The nostalgia factor. Where this movie is set in the 90s I am not sure, if the movie came out in the 90s the film would have simply felt like it fit in with the times we are "currently in", but as I grew up through that time and we are currently out of that time, some 30 years ago, I felt that the 90s influence was somewhat heavy-handed. Not as heavy-handed as Captain Marvel, but I just felt like it was just a tad too much nostalgia for me. The Humans. Nobody cares about them. Nobody wants them in a Transformers movie. They get in the way, they do dumb things and for the most part, they are simply there to also help hold the audience's hand for exposition. On top of that, they are also there to help keep what would be a special effects-heavy movie, costs down, but for the most part, the humans were not terrible, they help bring a little humour and help ground the movie.

The positives, loads! The story was a simple one; bad guy coming to do bad things, so the relatable [human] good guy teams up with unknown [robotic] good guys to help stop the [robotic] bad guy from succeeding, nothing new right? But I will say, Steven handled the franchise with care. I never watched Beast Wars nor did I care for it, but seeing these animals looked absolutely great. The size of the Autobots and the size of the Maximals compared to humans is staggering. They all just looked great and very well realised. The Music, although sounding like a 90s best hip-hop hits album, was really good. The irony of going to the cinema to watch this movie on this occasion for me was, whilst a song from a band is currently playing in the movie, the very same band is currently at the same complex I am in and likely performing, had performed or due to perform the very same song I am currently listening to. Trippy. All the music pieces were a great fit, but I do think it was a little heavy-handed as a lot of the music was back-to-back-to-back. The fighting scenes. Whilst I ultimately did not get what I wanted (and I will not mention or allude to it due to spoilers), the fighting scenes were really good. The action was really good and the 3rd act was surprisingly good, especially when that particular song I mentioned earlier dropped. I think I was in the cinema by myself and I really should have cheered as loud as I could because the moment was simply great and I wouldn't have been disturbing anyone, but it was soo good. The humour' decent. While I will say, having Pete Davidson as Mirage was funny, I felt that maybe they could have made some of the lines uttered in the movie less cheesy, but I guess we need a little bit of cheese now and then. The voice acting. Pete Davidson; great. I was not aware he could do some brilliant voice acting and having Peter Cullen is always a bonus, but I had no idea, Ron Pearlman, Colman Domingo and Peter Dinklage were in this lending their talents.

In regards to the rest of the movie, there was a Lord of the Rings moment, visually anyway, when you see it, you will know and the acting was not superb, especially as it is a Transformers movie so I could not have expected anything less (how the movie and the characters were written), but Dominque Fishback is the anchor to this movie while Anthony Ramos was just ok to me. I felt Anthony's quieter scenes with Dean Scott Vazquez were better and written very well, whereas his other moments could have been fleshed out more. There is also a moment with Dominique which was really good too, but ultimately, I feel his character could have been written and acted out better. But other than that and some other moments that do not escape any Transformers movie, on the whole, a very good watch, especially if you leave any opinions of previous movies and the bad taste in your mouth from them, at the door before you sit and watch. Lastly, the mid-credits scene; interesting, very interesting. I wonder what Hasbro has in store, hopefully, something great than trying to build a universe and simply messing it up just because they are trying to build a universe as capable, vast and great as the MCU, like how DC and Universal have previously tried and failed trying to do so, although DC might actually be able to salvage what is left of that mess. If you can, go out and see this movie as it IS a lot better than the previous movies we have had before.