The latest Netflix Marvel series is out, and it's about a man that would risk his neck for his brother man.
Mike Colter owns this role, and his portrayal of Luke is fantastic. Just getting that out there to start with. Luke is in Harlem trying to lead a quiet life (after JJ!) working in a barber shop and a nightclub. Events start to unravel when an exchange of money from the bad guys gets interrupted by some punks who figure they can get some themselves. Luke is pulled in to find one of them, the son of Pop, who owns the barber shop, and from there comes up against Cottonmouth. Who isn't interested in dealing with Luke in any sense, and is quick to scale up reaction...
We get the set up, but also a fair bit of plot. A lot of the cast changes in just the first five episodes, so this isn't a series that will have the same players again and again (unlike some other Netflix Marvel series that could be mentioned). Episode four is the obligatory flash back episode, and we even get a nod to the original Luke Cage outfit... not that I know anything about the comics. Which is also why I don't recognise all the names when we see them. Apparently Misty Knight is an important person?
Given all this, I really don't know what they are going to do with Iron Fist when it's his turn.
[END]
Monday, 10 October 2016
Luke Uncaged 1.1-1.5
Sunday, 9 October 2016
The New Seven Magnificence
Now it's time for the latest remake of this Japanese movie.
It doesn't get especially complicated with its story. We get the introduction of the bad guy, then the slow introduction of the good guys, then a lot of action scenes.
Which is where some of the problems reside. This is a very slow start. In the earlier version, we know they are good because they take non-white folk to be buried with the white folk despite what others think, but here it's just them going about their jobs. He's a bounty hunter and he collects his bounty, and that's all there is to it. Then once we've collected everyone, we get to town and have some action pieces. The first one is pretty good, but it's just the precursor to the main fight. And the main fight goes on for a long time. A very long time. So much so that I was getting fatigued by it and wanted something to break it up. Just shots of people shooting each other doesn't really make for great film-making, and there wasn't character progression either to keep narrative going.
Denzel Washington was largely playing the same character he usually plays, and does his usual acting with his tongue and mouth (ever watched that? it's moving like all the time). Chris Pratt doesn't feel like he's stretching either, and neither do the other characters. At least Vincent D'Onofrio put on an unusual voice. Haley Bennent actually puts on a performance, and as such does the best in the film.
Ultimately, it's just another remake, nothing spectacular for me here.
[END]
Saturday, 8 October 2016
Speciesist IV
This is... The Awakening! Which I'm not even sure is really in the same universe as the other movies.
A scientist and another guy made the scientist a daughter that partially used alien DNA, although she didn't seem to have the growth spurts of the others? Anyway, she gets into an accident and her alien side comes to the fore, so of course they go to Mexico... where the other guy is. And he's been making himself more of these creatures, only they look far worse. It turns out Miranda is dying of old age, and so to help her they kill another woman... and now she's even more alien!
This movie does have Dominic Keating in it, but other than that, I can't say I recognise anyone. I also can't recognise any action, because there is bugger all of it. There is ponderous amounts of faux moralising about creating alien creatures and about what they have to do, and then there's a lot of wandering around in Mexico, and lots of unsexy sex.
And eventually the movie, and this series, dribbles to a close. A pathetic half-breed of a film, incapable of interesting anyone.
[END]
Friday, 7 October 2016
One Bojack Horseman
This is one of those cartoon series that everyone must see. Like a lot of other cartoon series that people must see that I haven't. But now I have watched season one.
The premise is an actor who had a hit show in the 90s is now washed up and trying to regain glory by writing his autobiography. But that's not working, so he gets a ghost writer, and so falls in love with her, but she is marrying his best friend, and... lots of other standard domestic comedies that you have seen in tonnes of other places.
But here's the twist! The lead is actually a horse! A horse that is talking and walking on hind legs like any other person! And there are other animals doing the same! As well as normal humans, so some are human and some are animal... Woo! Innovative! (I don't recall any normal animals so don't know how that works.)
If I sound unimpressed that's because I am. Aside from the animal aspect, this is just typical comedy fodder that I usually avoid these days. This series is supposed to be amazing so... I'll continue to watch, but I'm not getting it.
[END]
Thursday, 6 October 2016
Snowpiercer V.5
I got the movie on BluRay, because it deserves the great resolution, and this was apparently one of the few imprints which have language subtitles for the Korean and such. Odd that this is such a rarity.
Anyway, aside from the movie, also on the disc is some behind the scene featurettes. Quite small talking head features that you'd expect to get from the director and main cast members. There is also an Q&A from one of the screenings, and we also get an animated feature that is easily a prologue that should have been released. (For all I know, it was.)
The better feature on the disc is about the original comic. It follows the pairing who worked on the second volume as they come into contact with Bong Joon Ho, and then as they go through the development of the movie and its screenings. They talk about the comic itself, about how it was obscure until this film made it popular, and about where they are now. It's a long piece, but it's a better behind the scenes look than the other pieces.
Also on the disc is a commentary from film critic Scott Weinberg, who brings in some of his friends as well so it's not just him. They talk about themes and characters, and get into the movie's meaning. It's clear they really enjoy the movie, so if that's what it takes to do a commentary, why not me?
Anyway, good comic, good movie, and good features.
[END]
