King Arthur and his band of knights
Were questing for the Holy Grail.
(We only know the big highlights
Or else ‘twould be a boring tale.)
Their names in legend often show,
Like Galahad and Lancelot,
Though some had names we’ll never know
Because they liked to dance a lot.
They fought with dragons, rabbits, lust,
And knights called green ere green was cool.
So yes, they quested, as discussed,
Don’t read it; watch the film, you fool!
_____________________
MPAA rating: PG (should definitely be PG-13)
Well, I’ve gotten 2019 off to a slow start as far as this blog. I’m already behind on my Blindspots, but it’s time to get started.
So why did I select Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a Blindspot pick this year? I thought it was about time that I see the source of lines like “It’s only a flesh wound,” which has creeped into the everyday speech of even those of us who haven’t seen this classic comedy. Honestly, there are so many well-known scenes from this irreverent British farce that I just wanted to see whatever connected them. (Note that the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog made it onto my Top Twelve Rabbits in Movies even before I’d watched the full movie.) Plus, I came to realize, although I’ve seen the likes of John Cleese and Michael Palin, I’ve never seen the whole Monty Python troupe together as they are in their first film, each of them playing multiple varied roles.
While I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t much connective tissue between the individual memorable scenes apart from King Arthur’s quest for the Grail, there were plenty of chuckles to go around. Sometimes it was random meta moments like escaping from an animated creature because the animator keeled over or even more random gags that became funnier with repetition. Some of the jokes do go on too long, losing their humor in the process, but even this weakness often becomes another chance for the film to poke fun at itself. (“Get on with it!”) I also got to recognize moments that have been borrowed in other media, like the way the Knights’ Trojan Rabbit is heard being constructed in the woods.
The hilarity wasn’t constant, but Monty Python and the Holy Grail certainly made me laugh with its rye British absurdity, even right from the start with the opening credits about moose and llamas. (It reminded me of the equally hilarious end credits of a weird little film called Roller Town. Seriously, why don’t more movies use their credits as part of the jokes?) The ending was a bit of a letdown, abrupt in a way that reminded me of An American Werewolf in London, but I can see why Holy Grail has become such a lauded and influential comedy, even if it’s not among my personal favorites. I did like those French insults, though, and will be looking for chances to use them myself. 😉
Best line: (French soldier/heckler) “I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!”
In the deep glades of the forest
Where we humans rarely dare
Grows a flower raised on rumor
No one really thinks is there.
In this flower dwells a power,
Magic purely legend-born,
Waiting for some wanderer
To chance upon this plant forlorn.
When this power leaves its petals,
Gift for better or for worse,
Its new owner must decide
If it’s a blessing or a curse.
__________________
MPAA rating: PG
I know I was not the only person to be bitterly disappointed when Studio Ghibli announced its hiatus, which has since been reversed with Hayao Miyazaki again coming out of retirement for one more film. Even if that last film really is their last, though, there is hope yet that its imaginative spirit will live on in Studio Ponoc, a new animation studio founded by former members of Ghibli. Carrying on the legacy, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, previously director of Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There, brings much of the old Miyazaki-style magic to Studio Ponoc’s first feature, Mary and the Witch’s Flower.
Based off a 1971 children’s book called The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, Mary and the Witch’s Flower follows a young British girl who discovers a mysterious flower in the woods, which grants her temporary magical powers and allows her to visit the prestigious Endor College for witches, where the magical faculty are up to no good. Beyond the very similar art style, the film draws enormous inspiration from the catalog of Studio Ghibli, as any fan of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, or Howl’s Moving Castle will easily tell. It’s not just the plucky young heroine either; individual scenes are clearly echoed as well, from broomstick-riding with a black cat to climbing up the roots of a giant tree. Yet for everything it borrows, Mary and the Witch’s Flower also feels of a piece with those classics, like a respectful grandchild.
Speaking of which, there’s something refreshing about the difference between this kind of Ghibli fare and western animation. Whereas most western cartoons paint adults as either jerks or fools, the Japanese esteem for elders shines through in the respect Mary shows her grandmother. This reflects the overall gentleness of the story, again another Ghibli trait. Despite an adventurous plot involving high-flying brooms and animal experimentation, Mary lacks depth and sometimes comes off a tad too genteel, in a way with which not all adults will connect.
Gorgeously animated, Mary and the Witch’s Flower is too derivative to compare with Ghibli at its best, but it’s a lovely film nonetheless, with enough affectionate detail and colorful whimsy to satisfy fans of the films it emulates. No doubt kids who grow up watching this movie will feel the same way about it years from now that many feel about Kiki or Arrietty. It’s certainly a sign of promise for Studio Ponoc’s future.
Here at last is another post I’ve been putting off for far too long, my annual Top Twelve of my favorite songs of the previous year. I’m always notoriously behind on catching up with movies, so a list of my top 2018 films will have to wait a bit, but songs are shorter and easier to rank (for me at least).
And boy, has 2018 been a banner year for music! And that’s despite songs that seem to indicate the end of good music as we know it, like “This Is America” or the dreadful rise of Cardi B. It was harder than usual paring down last year’s musical offerings to a mere twelve, so please forgive the excessive length of the Honorable Mentions. Honestly, most of the honorable mentions could have knocked off songs from my 2017 list if they’d had to compete, so I’d say 2018 easily outclassed its predecessor, though perhaps I’m just being exposed to more music lately.
Beyond specific songs, 2018 helped me to pin down exactly what my preferred kind of music is, which had always been rather vague and definitionless for me. It seems that it includes adjectives like “progressive,” “chill”, “tropical,” and “house”; as a fan of Kygo and Avicii, I suppose I should have known that, but it’s nice to have a label for it now. Don’t be discouraged, though, if those genres aren’t your cup of tea, since I think my list below has a fairly well-rounded mix of styles to appreciate.
On top of that, 2018 introduced me to artists that have become new instant favorites. Previous years have sort of been defined for me by one great discovery, an artist I listen to and love nearly every track of theirs (Florence and the Machine in 2016, Kygo in 2017), but 2018 had a record four! These favorites are Chvrches, Aurora, Tom Odell, and Rufus Du Sol, all of which blew me away with every song, and thankfully, they all put out new music this year. For anyone who hasn’t heard of them, do yourself a favor and check them out (perhaps in the list below), and for anyone who already loves them and is thinking “Boy, he’s late to the party,” at least I’ve finally come around to become a fellow fan. 2019 has already introduced me to other instant favorites like Sigma and Kensington, so I can’t wait to see what other discoveries await.
Do be aware that this list is entirely my personal preference, which could easily change based on my tastes and what songs I might stumble upon. (For instance, if I’d known of it, the awesome adrenaline shot that is Royal Republic’s “Getting Along” would have easily topped my list last year.) Also, I’m not including covers or rereleased songs, so my apologies to Morgxn’s “Home,” Lumidelic’s “Magic Garden,” and Bad Wolves’ version of “Zombie.” I’m aware too that this is only my personal slice of last year’s music; for a different top music list, check out Chris’s top 10 songs of 2018 at Movies and Songs 365. Lastly, if anyone has a personal favorite of their own, please share in the comments and widen my horizons further!
Thus and therefore, I present my Top Twelve Songs of 2018!
“Paradise” by George Ezra
This infectious pop tune was one of the first new songs I heard in 2018, and it’s still on this list a year later. I’ve been a bit overexposed to George Ezra, thanks to my workplace seemingly playing his entire discography on repeat, but, while “Shotgun” might have become more famous, “Paradise” is his irresistible best.
“Back Down” by Bob Moses (also “Don’t Hold Back”)
It took quite a few listens for me to fully appreciate “Back Down,” but now that I do, I can’t see why its inclusion on this list wasn’t an instant no-brainer. With vocals reminiscent of the Alan Parsons Project, it resides in a strange sweet spot between head-bopping catchiness and soothing coolness. This is the first song I’ve heard of theirs on the radio, so I hope it’s helping them reach a wider audience.
“Something Strange” by Vicetone, feat. Haley Reinhart
Oh, how I do love a heavy-handed piano! Reminiscent of Vicetone’s 2015 favorite “No Way Out,” “Something Strange” delivers an iconic piano riff that would be just as at home in an Avicii song, and it gets my head pumping every single time. Special mention also to Vicetone’s “Way Back” featuring Cozi Zuehlsdorff and “Walk Thru Fire” featuring Meron Ryan.
“Ride or Die” by The Knocks (feat. Foster the People)
It didn’t get nearly enough airplay on the radio, but “Ride or Die” is the essence of a summer hit IMO, easy to sing along to while cruising down the road. I’m still not entirely sure what the phrase “Ride or die” means, but it’s so cool that I don’t even care. (Plus, movie lovers will appreciate the music video.)
“Lucid Dream” by Owl City
Ethereal and dreamy in the best way, “Lucid Dream” is a return to the best of Owl City, conjuring imaginative mental images and a heavenly synth beat.
“Soul Train” by Just Loud, feat. Debbie Harry of Blondie (as well as “Electrified,” “Ghost,” and “Angels and Demons”)
Just Loud was yet another great discovery this year, and while it might be too soon with just one EP out, I’m tempted to label the Afro-wearing singer the new incarnation of Prince. “Electrified,” “Angels and Demons,” and “Ghost” are also solid tunes, but “Soul Train” has a uniquely funky and classic sound and jams like few rock songs have since the 1970s.
“Handyman” by AWOLNation
A subtly emotional anthem, “Handyman” was yet another early 2018 release with a memorable pensiveness that kept it popular on my playlist throughout the year. There’s something rich and satisfying about the lyrics, like “I’m not brittle; I’m just a riddle born of white, blue, and red,” but maybe that’s just the poet in me.
“Forgotten Love” by AURORA (and “Gentle Earthquakes”)
Here at last is the first member of the big four that became instant favorites this year, and despite this one coming in at #5, Norwegian singer Aurora Aksnes may be my favorite of the four. Her ballads are unlike any other music I’ve heard, and “Forgotten Love” is a prime example of the primal beauty her voice can summon, complete with a bridge in a supposedly made-up language that sounds like an ancient lost tongue. I could listen to this and all her songs on repeat . . . and often have.
TIE: “Lost in My Mind” and “Underwater” by RÜFÜS DU SOL
And here’s another discovery of mine, the Australian alternative dance band RÜFÜS DU SOL, formerly known as Rufus. Whereas other times that I mention more than one song by the same artist, anything but the main song are secondary recommendations, but this one is an outright tie, because I just couldn’t decide between the pounding, hypnotic electronica of “Lost in My Mind” and the mesmerizing, swelling beat and chant of “Underwater.” Put simply, this is my kind of music.
“Remind Me to Forget” by Kygo (and “Happy Now”)
At this point, I love these songs so much that the top 5 might as well be one massive tie, but I must give Kygo his due, as the one artist to make last year’s list and this year’s. He’s quickly become my favorite DJ, and “Remind Me to Forget” is a brilliant contribution to the genre of break-up songs. The happily bouncy “Happy Now” is also practically an undeclared tie for this spot.
“Body Talks” by The Struts
There are some songs that feel like instant rock ‘n’ roll classics, and “Body Talks” deserves a place alongside the work of artists like Queen and Joan Jett. This is energetic modern rock at its finest and has led to many a head-banging jam session in my car. The version with Kesha is good too, but I think I prefer the one with just The Struts, likely because I heard it first.
“Miracle” by Chvrches (as well as “Heaven/Hell,” “Graves,” and “Get Out”)
Chvrches was the first band I stumbled upon this year that made me wonder “Why have I not heard of this group yet?” Their synthpop style quickly captured my ears, and “Miracle” was my introduction. I’ve repeatedly second-guessed whether it should be #1 or not, but when I’m actually listening to it, the doubt disappears. The forceful drop, the chorus of “whoas,” the metaphorical single-take video – everything comes together into a luminous earworm I was glad to discover.
Now that the main list is through, here is the list of Runners-Up, listed in descending order as if the list were continuing (#13, #14, #15, etc.), and yes, I know there are a lot of them. All I can say is that this list could have been much longer; I just couldn’t post a best songs list without giving these lesser favorites a plug. Many of these are vastly underappreciated, so check them out if you’re looking for a potential new favorite.
“High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco
“Just Got Paid” by Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, feat. French Montana
“I’ll Be Gone” by Avicii, feat. Jocke Berg
“Lullaby” by Sigala, feat. Paloma Faith
“Something Human” by Muse
“Lash Out” by Alice Merton
“Gold Rush” and “Northern Lights” by Death Cab for Cutie
“Make Way” by Aloe Blacc
“It Might Get Dark” and “Sky Beaming” by White Denim
“She’s Kerosene” by The Interruptors
“If You Wanna Love Somebody” by Tom Odell
“High on Life” by Martin Garrix, feat. Bonn and “Burn Out” by Martin Garrix & Justin Mylo, feat. Dewain Whitmore
“Uh Huh” by Jade Bird
“The One” by Michael Christian & AMB (especially the Maratone Dub Remix)
“Celebration” by Lumidelic
“Quarter Past Midnight” by Bastille
“All Your Love” by Flight Facilities, featuring Dustin Tebbutt
“Electricity” by Silk City & Dua Lipa, featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson
“Promises” by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith
“Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy
“Open Doors” by Awolk
“One Thing Left to Try” by MGMT
“Shallow” and “Black Eyes” from the A Star Is Born soundtrack
“Get Up” by Shinedown
“Hunger” and “Sky Full of Song” by Florence and the Machine
“Blackout” by Frank Turner
“IJskoud” and “Diamant” by Nielson
“Guiding Light” by Mumford and Sons
“Head Above Water” by Avril Lavigne
“My Blood” by Twenty-One Pilots
“More Than I Am” by Mountain Heart
“POP/STARS” by K/DA
“Far Away Truths” by Albert Hammond, Jr.
“Without Me” by Halsey
“Ran Away” by Hollow Coves
“Somebody’s Daughter” by Tenille Townes
“Give a Little” by Maggie Rogers
“Rescue Me” by Thirty Seconds to Mars
“99” by Barns Courtney
“White Flag” by Bishop Briggs
“Missing U” by Robyn
“joy.” by for KING & COUNTRY
“I Know You Can Dance” by Chris James
“Your Side of the Bed” by Loote
“Right of Passage” and “Setting Sail” by Eastern Odyssey
“New Birth in New England” by Phosphorescent
“Last Lion of Albion” by Neko Case
“Bit Logic” by The Bottle Rockets
“Tangerines and Daffodils” by The Voodoo Children
“Apollo” by St. Paul and the Broken Bones
“A Trick of the Light” by Villagers
“Come Tomorrow” by Dave Matthews Band
“New Compassion” by Haerts
“The Somnambulist” by Echo and the Bunnymen
“In Betweenin’” by Austin Brown
“Girls” by AJ Mitchell
And as with the last two years, I wanted to end this post with a short tribute to the musical artists we lost in 2018, including Betty Willis, Ray Thomas, Dolores O’Riordan, Lari White, Leah LaBelle, Dennis Edwards, Johann Johannsson, Avicii, Bob Dorough, Yvonne Staples, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Aretha Franklin, Ed King, Charles Aznavour, Tony Joe White, Marty Balin, Hugh McDowell, and Roy Clark. All of them will be sadly missed, but may they live on in the music they shared with the world.
Here’s to finding even more great music in the year to come!
Like, share, post, delete,
Play, search, hide, repeat—
On the screen, our lives connect,
While off the screen, they show neglect,
Not knowing how we each affect
Each other in ways indirect.
Liars, lovers, fathers, friends
Dwell online, but each depends
On flesh and blood that can’t suppress
The need to fill its loneliness.
_____________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
Hollywood is all too often invaded by gimmicks. The found-footage style, the zombie craze, the Alien-style plotline (come to think of it, most of them are horror gimmicks) – there’s more than enough copycats to go around, but there’s always that one that did it best and usually first, like Alien or Night of the Living Dead. Using only a computer screen for a movie may have been done before, as in the Unfriended films, but it’s hard to imagine it will ever be done better than in last year’s Searching.
John Cho plays David Kim, a California father whose daughter goes missing, sending him on a frantic search through her online life and uncovering just how little he knew about her. The computer screen “gimmick” is at its best in the opening scenes, which play out in a way reminiscent of the beginning of Up yet exemplify how the computer has become a partner and observer to so many aspects of our lives. I could easily see this beginning as a standalone short film, as it was originally intended, but instead, it simply sets the stage and grounds the story in characters we care about from the start.
My VC was a little tired of the gimmick by the end, but I admire the variety of methods the filmmakers employed to restrict the story to a computer screen while not letting it become dull or overly repetitive. It often depends on David not closing his FaceTime camera window even after a phone call ends, but the story also unfolds through news footage, live recordings, home videos, file searches, and real-time texting. (I couldn’t help but wonder if the texting was at all inspired by the anime Durarara, which also used texts to depict long-distance conversations.) The way it does much of this without spoken words is like a new kind of silent film and is executed brilliantly to suggest emotions we aren’t actually seeing on someone’s face.
Beyond existing for itself, the innovation serves the mystery, a great one full of twists and turns that may not be prediction-proof but offer no shortage of red herrings to keep you guessing. And even once you know the film’s secrets, there’s still more to appreciate; one of the DVD’s bonus features revealed the level of extreme detail that went into creating every web page from scratch, many of which are full of in-jokes, foreshadowing, side plots, and M. Night Shyamalan references. (Even when David’s daughter and an anonymous friend share their favorite Pokémon with each other, those in the know will recognize deeper meaning behind their choices.)
Considering how profitable Searching became, earning back several dozen times its limited budget, there’s no doubt that other films will aspire to emulate its style, but I feel that Searching might be cinematic lightning in a way. I doubt it will hit twice, with any unoriginal copycats likely to overstay their welcome. It’s an outstanding debut from director and former Google employee Aneesh Chaganty, one that uses its gimmick in the best way possible.
Now that last year’s Blindspots have been wrapped up with a bow, it’s time to begin anew in the new year. (I was really hoping to post this a month ago, but better late than never.) I’ve really enjoyed this Blindspot series the last two years, finally exposing myself to some movies I’ve been meaning to see for far too long. I’m already behind for 2019, but once I catch up, I do hope I can keep to one per month and find some new favorites along the way. Thus, below are my 2019 Blindspot Picks:
Well, it’s a bit later than planned, but I’ve finally finished my Blindspot series from last year, so with great satisfaction, it’s time to rank them before starting anew. While my 2017 Blindspots resulted in at least three films added to my Top 365 List, this year had some truly great films that didn’t quite make the cut to be List-Worthy, though that’s largely because I don’t include documentaries like #1. I did actually count #2 as List-Worthy at first, but on further thought decided it lacked the rewatchability factor. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed watching these former Blindspots, especially #9 and up and can’t wait to begin this year’s picks.
The world can be cruel and compromising,
Goodness crumbling, evil rising.
Such a fact isn’t at all surprising;
Simply look around to see.
But harder to view is where the fantastic,
Magic subtle and not bombastic,
Turns the desolate and the drastic
Into beauty’s final fee.
And when the fee is finally paid,
The horrors that happen when humans degrade
Are quickly forgotten, and when they fade,
We welcome sweet reality.
______________________
MPAA rating: R (mainly for violence)
Sorry for the longer-than-expected hiatus lately. I’ve been in the midst of the busiest time of my class project, and just graduated from the program, so now I’m job hunting but also have a little more extra time to post again. I hate that my 2018 Blindspots have run so late into 2019, but I just have this one last review to finish off what I began a year ago! So before I announce the Blindspots for 2019, it’s time to cover Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed Spanish fantasy.
I didn’t realize when I picked them, but my 2018 Blindspots have introduced me to some directors that I only knew by reputation. I’d never seen a Charlie Kaufman-written movie before Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I’d only seen one other Billy Wilder film before Some Like It Hot. Surprisingly, I’d also never seen a Guillermo del Toro-directed movie either, so Pan’s Labyrinth was like a fresh initiation into the Oscar-winning director’s style. And what a style! Pan’s Labyrinth is as skillfully directed a film as I’ve ever seen, and it’s mind-boggling to me that del Toro wasn’t nominated for a directing Oscar that year, though it did win deservingly for Cinematography, Production Design, and Makeup. The movements of the camera, often changing scenes as it passes behind an object, lends the film a lucid fairy tale quality, despite the contrast of its more true-to-life content.
The storyline is also engaging, split between the realistic and the magical. Young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is taken by her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to a military base in the woods in 1944 Francoist Spain. There, Ofelia’s merciless new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) is hunting down armed rebels and eagerly waiting like Henry VIII for his wife to bear him a son. Meanwhile, Ofelia discovers a mysterious faun (Doug Jones) in a nearby labyrinth, who gives her three tasks in order to supposedly claim her rightful place as princess of the underworld.
At times, the juxtaposition of truth and myth don’t quite mix. When rebels are fighting and dying on the battlefield, it’s a bit hard to care about Ofelia’s forays into fantasy, which may or may not be real themselves. Yet these fantasy sections remain the most memorable, offering the film’s most lasting creature creations, and even these flights of imagination remain somewhat grounded in life-and-death stakes, harkening back to the grimness of the original fairy tales. You know it’s a fantasy when there are giant toads and transforming fairies; you know it’s a dark fantasy when a monster with eyes on its hands bites the heads off those fairies!
Personally, I thought the film as a whole was much more graphic than it needed to be, whether it be some unflinchingly brutal battlefield violence or a firsthand look at how the Joker got his scars. Even so, Pan’s Labyrinth has craft to spare, particularly in its enchanting score and the ornate production design and makeup work of its fantasy elements, laudably brought to life with a bare minimum of CGI. The ending is especially moving, combining the climax of its real-life and fantasy stories into a bittersweet conclusion that artfully leaves its interpretation up to the viewer. It left me haunted in a way great cinema should, and even if not everything melded perfectly, Pan’s Labyrinth proved to be a very worthwhile Blindspot pick.
Best line: (Captain Vidal) “You could have obeyed me!” (Doctor) “But Captain, to obey – just like that – for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.”
The universe is vast and grand
And larger than we can explore,
Yet what if there were more than one
With possibilities galore.
In one dimension, you might be
Reclining underneath a tree.
In one, you’re driving;
One, in bed;
In one, surviving;
One, you’re dead.
In one, you may be ten feet tall
Or climbing up a building wall.
In one, your hair is blond or red;
Another, you have none at all.
You might be human or a fish
Or living in a Petri dish,
Or made of metal, made of wood;
You might be evil, might be good;
You might be famous or obscure,
Or wearing tentacles or fur.
Who knows what new alternative
Beyond dimension walls might live?
____________________
MPAA rating: PG (probably the most family-friendly big-screen version of Spider-Man to date)
Many out there who are experiencing superhero fatigue might roll their eyes at the prospect of yet another Spider-Man movie. After all, they’ve already covered this Marvel character with an excellent trilogy with Tobey McGuire, two lesser reboot films with Andrew Garfield, and an MCU incarnation with Tom Holland, so how else could another film retread the same material? A better question after actually watching Into the Spider-Verse is “How can a film with so much prior history turn out to be possibly the most original and innovative movie of the year?”
I remembered the Spider-Man cartoon from the ‘90s had multiple versions of Peter Parker teaming up at times, but I never expected that kind of universe-spanning storyline to make it to the big screen, considering that the spider-mantle keeps getting handed off every few years. Animation was clearly the best medium for it, especially with the involvement of producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie), the latter of whom also co-wrote the screenplay.
The story is quite simply everything we know and love about Spider-Man mixed, mutated, and amalgamated in ways I never thought I’d see. By diving into the multiverse, full of different incarnations of the wall-crawler, it combines the familiar with the new to create something fun and unexpected. For one thing, there are at least seven spider-people total, along with alternate versions of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, and while the story focuses on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a black teen bitten by a universe-hopping spider, there is so much going on in Into the Spider-Verse that I won’t even try describing it all, which is best anyway since I don’t do outright spoilers anymore.
Miles himself is an authentic and relatable kid, street-savvy but smart, who is pulled in way over his head when the hulking Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) opens up a portal to other dimensions, summoning varied Spider-people, from a spider-powered Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) to an over-the-hill Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) to a talking pig from a universe of funny animals (John Mulaney). While it gets as crazy as it sounds, the characters are marvelously written, each one with their own in-jokes, histories, and personal arcs, most notably the older version of Peter Parker, who is forced to mentor Miles in order to get back to his own universe.
The character dynamics are great, yet I feel like I’ve barely scratched everything to love about this movie. I never knew much about Miles Morales’ origin story in the comics, but it’s hard to imagine it being better than this film version. There are touchstones to the familiar Spider-Man origin, but it plays out with clever and unique differences, which, along with the multitude of jokes and gags, especially reward the geeky knowledge of fan nerds like me. I don’t usually like familiar characters being reimagined for the sake of diversity, as Hollywood so often does, but the multiverse concept is the perfect way to handle it, introducing new versions of characters, whether it be a black Spider-Man or an anime-style girl and robot team, while leaving the familiar intact.
And let’s not forget the animation; it’s quite literally unlike anything we’ve seen before, a mixture of 2D and 3D with images that feel ripped from the panels of a comic book while also boasting amazingly fluid action scenes. Somehow, the mixing of animation styles (anime, exaggerated cartoon) merges with the main style seamlessly, which fascinates me to no end. Comics are an unmistakable visual influence, such as the dotted background texture of many scenes, and I liked how thought bubbles and such became more pronounced when Miles began experiencing the heightened senses of his spider-powers.
Speaking of heightened senses, the animation in Into the Spider-Verse is likely to yield sensory overload, not unlike Lord and Miller’s earlier film The Lego Movie. The pace and visuals are similarly frenetic, though more sophisticated and not as hard to follow, especially during the eye-popping, reality-warping finale, which might be as close as I ever get to an LSD trip. Every scene is full of such life and detail that I honestly cannot wait to see it again.
While I loved everything –characters, animation, action, story, the touching Stan Lee cameo/tribute—I will say one thing didn’t thrill me, namely the soundtrack. Befitting the urban setting of Miles’ world, it’s largely hip hop and rap, the value of which still eludes me. (Seriously, what’s catchy about someone talking to a beat?) Post Malone’s “Sunflower” was the only song I halfway liked, but that’s likely a personal gripe, since I’ve heard other people laud the soundtrack. One brief scene featured a great little snippet of John Parr’s “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion),” which only made me wish the soundtrack had less rap and more ‘80s rock.
My VC enjoyed the movie overall and agreed the visuals were amazing and Oscar-worthy, yet, though she recognized the trippy style as something outstanding, it simply wasn’t for her. Then again, she also tends to discount the value of animation, viewing it generally as lesser than live-action, to which I quote the talking pig: “You got a problem with cartoons?” I certainly don’t. This film just keeps getting better in my head the more I think about it, and I’m actually looking forward to the inevitable spin-offs and sequels it will spawn. If you have any fondness for the character of Spider-Man, I suspect there is something or many things you will love about this movie. Spider-Man may be a well-worn franchise by now, but Into the Spider-Verse just reinvented it in a way no one saw coming.
Best line: (Miles, buying a Spider-Man costume) “Can I return it if it doesn’t fit?” (Stan Lee) “It always fits, eventually.”
Danger after danger,
And mission after mission,
Facing constant opposition,
Can exact a taxing toll
On the few who fight for strangers
Who know nothing of their role.
Mission after mission
Must depend on these defenders
Who know nothing of surrenders.
They are safety’s heart and soul,
Keeping evil in remission
And the world under control.
_____________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
Well, it took a little longer than I was expecting, but here at last is the final installment of my Mission: Impossible marathon, a chance to catch up with this franchise that started way back in August. I had intended to see Fallout at a second-run theater after watching Rogue Nation, but sadly I missed it and had to wait for the DVD. Hearing all the praise for this latest film only raised my hopes that it would match its predecessors, and, at least in the action department, it didn’t disappoint.
One thing I’ve enjoyed about M:I films since J.J. Abrams got involved back with Mission: Impossible III is the greater focus on continuity. They each had their own storylines and their own characters that were mysteriously never seen again, but there were carryovers beyond Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt alone. Ving Rhames is still around since the first film, and Fallout sees the welcome return of other characters too, like Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn, Alec Baldwin’s IMF Secretary, Michelle Monaghan as Hunt’s wife Julia, Rebecca Ferguson’s British agent Ilsa Faust, and Sean Harris’s hissable villain Solomon Lane from Rogue Nation. As the only villain to not be outright killed by movie’s end, it made sense to bring Lane back for another round, though I really wish they could have gotten Jeremy Renner back again. While the constant action depends on the characterization established in past films, the IMF crew have their team dynamic down to a science, and they bounce off each other splendidly, with Ferguson fitting in well in her second outing as Hunt’s female equivalent.
Of course, there are new faces too, most notably Henry Cavill’s FBI agent ordered to accompany the IMF team on their latest mission to recover three nuclear cores they neglectfully lost before a group of terrorists can use them. Honestly, Cavill is a passable Superman, but his muscles and deep voice are better served in this kind of role (plus, he’s got a beard and mustache, much to my VC’s delight), and his stoic delivery leaves his loyalties in doubt from the start. Yet it’s still the familiar faces that make M:I better than your typical action movie, particularly Cruise, whose character is faced with several moral tests along the way, making him question the value of one life over many.
So what about the claims that Fallout is the best film of the franchise and even one of the best action films of all time? I’d say that’s debatable, the former assertion more than the latter. I would agree that this is the most action-packed movie of the series, culminating in one of the most intense climaxes of them all. Cruise continues to dazzle with his absurdly ambitious stunts (watching him break his leg during the shoot is still painful), and the chases and fistfights are as good as they’ve ever been. There’s a one-take skydive that is particularly awe-inspiring and nail-biting. As far as action, it delivers in spades, but the plot takes a little while to settle in. This series is known for its twists, but the story gets a little muddled changing directions in the first half before we get to the villain goals and what must be done to stop them. At one point, there are three double-crosses in quick succession so it takes some effort to keep up.
As far as rankings, I just can’t quite decide. I’ve said before that I like M:I:iii, Ghost Protocol, and Rogue Nation about equally, but for different reasons. M:I:iii has the most personal stakes and best ending, while Ghost Protocol has the best plot and team dynamic, and Rogue Nation has the best script and mixture of everything the series does well. I have no problem adding Fallout to the grouping, since it has the best climax, though I was a bit disappointed with how it backtracked on the happy ending of the third film. Fallout is once again a credit to the series and could act as a good conclusion if they decide to stop here. I don’t know if Cruise and company will continue churning out these action hits, but if they do, I’m game for whatever comes next.
Best line: (Walker, frustrated with the lack of a plan) “Hope is not a strategy.” (Ilsa) “Oh, you’re new!”
Rank: List-Worthy (joining the last three sequels)
Behold, the fifth iteration of my own private compulsion, THE LIST, featuring my top 365 favorite films. My 5th blogiversary post yesterday detailed the latest additions and drop-outs, but I’ve put the newest insertions in bold so they’ll stand out more.
Last year’s additions didn’t leave much of an impression on the top 200, instead clustering in the bottom third, but it seems to me that the higher rankings of the most recent films added should give you an idea of just how much I loved them. Even so, the Top 100 remains pretty solid, with only four additions, three of which are being grouped with films that were already there. (Again, Dead Men Tell No Tales is mainly on here because it continues the original Pirates trilogy).
Perhaps because I haven’t had a lot of time to revise, the rankings of existing films haven’t been touched much (Your Name went up; Out of Africa went down, but no major shakeups). Seven additions are being grouped with their respective franchises, and I’ll admit to cheating with a tie here and there when faced with two very similar and closely ranked films (e.g., A Quiet Place with Hidden, April and the Extraordinary World with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow). And once again, I just couldn’t bring myself to knock off Psycho, even though it’s been at #365 for the last two years, so I moved it up a little for good measure.
Without further ado, I present my Top 365 Movie List, all of them true favorites. The rankings are all based on my personal tastes and opinions and could easily change with time. I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and/or recommendations! After finding new favorites in unlikely places in 2018, who knows what might find its way on here a year from now? A very happy 2019 to all!
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Rhyme and Reason 