Creed II

Every one of the Rocky films has been at least watchable. That’s not to say they’ve all been good. In fact, what made some of the sequels so entertaining was leaning in to the ridiculousness. This is certainly the case with Rocky IV, the multiple-montaged piece of uber-patriotic late Cold War cheese.

Creed II, which follows up on the story of IV, takes the opposite approach.

In the movie, it’s revealed that since the last film, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has become the World Heavyweight Champion. Meanwhile, Russian ex-boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who killed Creed’s father in the ring before being defeated by Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) in IV, resurfaces with a ferocious son (Florian Munteanu) who challenges Creed to a fight. The bout goes badly for Creed, but this being a Rocky movie, it’s of course nothing that a few montages and clichés about having heart and so on can’t cure before the rematch.

It’s just as cornball as any of the series’ middle sequels. Yet the film takes things so seriously. The training montages don’t get the audience pumped so much as instill a sense of dread. The famous theme is all but absent, in its place a weepy piano score or foreboding hip hop. Stallone throws in some of the lovable lunkhead humor that’s always served the series well, but here it only punctuates the grimness like bits of levity at a funeral. Even the moments meant to be touching and heartwarming feel somber.

There are moments of undeniable loving chemistry between Jordan and Tessa Thompson as Creed’s musician partner. However, she mostly seems like less of a full character than before, with little in the way of her own arc. Same goes for Phylicia Rashad as his mother and even Stallone, who with the exception of a single scene only appears to spout wise old mentor clichés. As for Jordan on his own, he’s ferocious in the ring and in training, but outside of either feels too detached. He’s clearly not just going through the motions in the role (like everyone clearly was in a couple of the later sequels), but he just doesn’t connect with the viewer, so a lot of scenes meant to be emotional seem so distant and uninvolving.

Oddly, the most emotional and compelling character moments belong to the Dragos. In a few brief asides, we get to see their desperate straits and how it motivates them in the fight game. And frankly, their motivation is a lot more convincing than that of the protagonist. It’s strong work from Lundgren and Munteanu, so much so that it’s arguably a drawback because here lies the more interesting and involving story, and nearly causes the audience to empathize more with the nominal villains.

I’ve always said that it’s impossible to not enjoy a Rocky movie, even the bad ones. Creed II is not a bad movie, but it comes closest to disproving that. It’s well made, sometimes touching, sometimes thrilling (the fights aren’t nearly as masterful as those in the first Creed, but are still exciting). Overall, though, it’s not a lot of fun.

Halloween

Despite a few that have been quite good, this recent trend of years-later sequels that are selective about which previous entries count has produced mostly mixed results. Between that and the fact that horror sequels almost always offer diminishing returns (this franchise included), there was little reason to expect a new Halloween movie to be anything more than just decent. So color me surprised: the Eastbound & Down guys absolutely hit it out of the park, delivering the best Halloween since John Carpenter’s original. Maybe even—dare I say it?—a little better.

In this film, only the events of the 1978 classic ever happened. The towering, essentially mute killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney), locked away in a mental institution since then, is now a figure of interest to true crime podcasters (Jefferson Hall and Rhian Rees). Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode (no relation to Michael in this one) has spent the last 40 years planning for Michael’s inevitable return, training herself and her family in weaponry and turning her house on the edge of Haddonfield, Illinois into a small fortress. Laurie’s survivalist tendencies have made her a local outcast and alienated her from her adult daughter (Judy Greer) and teenage granddaughter (Andi Matichak). But, she doesn’t seem so crazy when Michael just so happens to escape during a prisoner transfer gone awry the night before Halloween.

Curtis is great. What at first seems like a fairly silly concept turns out to work splendidly because she plays it with a steely confidence that nearly rivals the man in the mask. Matichak and Greer also turn out to be pretty badass co-leads. The old “final girl” trope is not in effect here. Rather, the film employs a subtle girl power subtext that’s nonetheless palpable (and timely, frankly), and an unsubtle rooting spirit that makes for a killer final act.

That’s far from the only subversion in director David Gordon Green and Danny McBride’s smart script. There are witty winks at and takedowns of genre clichés that are cleverer and funnier than anything in the (vastly overrated) Scream movies. References to the series’ past are plentiful and recognizable, yet worked in organically and subtly, save for one that is forgivably used for an ecstatic applause moment. The film also has a hilarious sense of humor, but one that seems natural and not a bit intrusive.

And most importantly, it’s scary. I know, it’s hard to imagine slasher jump scares being too frightening after decades of Halloween sequels and knockoffs. Yet, this one has some terrific moments of terror, expertly building tension that explodes like firecrackers. Carpenter’s new spin on the iconic score (cowritten with his son Cody) is at once familiar and fresh, and as effective as ever. And after so many approximations ranging from not quite right to appalling, the Michael Myers mask finally looks right again. A small thing, maybe, but The Shape has never looked better, or more menacing, lumbering silently through the streets and houses of Haddonfield.

As for the issue of rewriting series canon, the movie is respectful and self-aware enough that it doesn’t negate any of the previous entries (most were bad, but II and at least parts of 4 were pretty good). Rather, it works in much the same way last year’s Logan worked for the X-Men franchise. It’s a sequel, but also kind of its own separate entry, its canonical status murkier and better for that (also like the X-Men series, the Halloween franchise continuity is kind of a mess). Whether or not it, too, is a definitively final chapter remains to be seen (ol’ Mike has a habit of coming back, after all). Either way, this Halloween is a damn fun, scary great time.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

I’ll go ahead and say it: this Jurassic World reboot/spin-off is pretty bad. 

Okay, the first one wasn’t quite so awful, but it was underwhelming as could be as the successor to one of the biggest movies of all time. But at least that movie was passable as a mindless, loud summer diversion. Fallen Kingdom fails even at that. This one is just bad, from start to finish. If this is the best that one of the once-premier blockbuster franchises could crank out, “Fallen Kingdom” would be more apt as a descriptor for the state of the series.

Three years after disaster befell the eponymous theme park, the now-abandoned resort island is suddenly volcanic, a prospect which would mean the end of the poor dinosaurs. As the world debates the merits of saving the dinos, the park’s former manager (Bryce Dallas Howard) and trainer (Chris Pratt) are recruited to rescue them by a seemingly-benevolent organization. Predictably, it turns out said organization is less interested in saving them than in making money off of them.

The trailers looked to be promising some spectacular dinosaur chases on an exploding island, a terrific summer B-movie template if there ever was one. Instead, we get roughly ten minutes on the island, and a whole lot of mediocre dark house action inside the mansion of a kindly billionaire (James Cromwell doing his best Richard Attenborough impression), who somehow missed the evil corporate bastards building a major dino holding pen in his basement.

In between that, there’s lots and lots of filler. And not fun filler. It’s painfully boring, as none of the banter between Pratt and company is amusing, and none of the villains (Rafe Spall as the typical greedy corporate bastard, Ted Levine as the typical one-note grunt, and Toby Jones doing his typical slimy villain thing) are interesting. And Jeff Goldblum…sadly, the trailers misled there, too, for he only has snippets of screen time. So much time is instead devoted to spewing exposition for more sequels but gives little reason to even stick around for this one, let alone come back for more.

But, little of this matters, really, as long as the dinosaurs are cool, right? Well, it’s a negative on that front, too. What sense of wonder and awe and terror there was in the franchise 25 years ago is completely gone. There’s not a single impressive visual that wows the viewer, no tension to any of the chases. Furthermore, not only are the new creatures total disappointments (and unlike the Indominus rex last time, didn’t even need to be spoiled by the marketing to underwhelm), but the film even reduces the series’ iconic dinos to cute and cuddly. It just feels wrong, like if H.R. Giger's Alien or Michael Myers suddenly became kid-friendly.

Simply put, this is the worst of the Jurassic Park movies by far, and keep in mind one of them involved the cast digging through dinosaur dung to find a (sill-ringing) cell phone. That was only a single scene, at least, whereas Fallen Kingdom is a two-plus-hour dino turd.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

I’m decidedly in the “like” camp in regard to The Last Jedi, and while my enthusiasm for The Force Awakens has diminished a bit with repeat viewings, I won't deny I enjoyed it opening night. Where Disney has been fumbling the Star Wars property, though, is the spin-off films released between official Episodes. Rogue One was a terrific finale with a totally average sci-fi action movie in front of it. Solo is likewise as pedestrian as they come. And while Rogue One's shortcomings could possibly be pinned on reshoots resulting in a sometimes stilted, inconsistent final product, it's harder to make that case this time. Despite the change in directors and reported overhaul in tone well into production, Solo still feels like a full, cohesive film. Just, not a very good one.

Now that the story of the Skywalkers before the classic trilogy has been told, this film aims to do the same for the best character in the whole saga. Born into poverty and raised in a life of crime on the industrial planet Corellia, the young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) escapes by joining the Imperial military, intending to become a pilot. When that doesn’t work out as planned, the future smuggler deserts and joins a group of thieves out to steal valuable hyperspace fuel. Through these events, he goes on adventures and sees some faces all Star Wars fans know, such as the Wookiee Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), the charming con artist Lando Calrissian (Donal Glover), and a familiar spaceship.

Ehrenreich is no Harrison Ford, in both the sense that he’s nowhere near Ford's level as a leading man, and that he's not trying to do an impression of Ford's portrayal. Instead, he seems to be imitating Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord. But the overall tone is a lot less jokey than the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, so his cocky façade comes off as totally artificial instead of natural. Never does he seem like anything but a performer playing a character. Glover, on the other hand, is doing a bit of imitation of his predecessor (that being Billy Dee Williams), though peppered with his offbeat and self-deprecating comedic persona. It might be a stretch to say he would have saved the picture in the lead role, but he certainly carries scenes better even when he's relegated to co-pilot.

Though big name pros like Woody Harrelson and Paul Bettany do solid supporting work (Emilia Clarke, not so much), every new character seems like a well-worn archetype. The same goes for the plot, which hits so many beats of adventure and heist films that the viewer's almost never surprised by what transpires (save for one moment that comes way out of left field, obviously planting seeds for potential sequels). The writing’s focus appears to have been on cramming in as many pivotal moments in Solo’s backstory and references to franchise lore as the film could fit, leaving little room for an original story. And it mostly disappoints at that, too. That legendary moment Han boasted about in the Mos Eisley cantina? It's here, and it's the most underwhelming of several underwhelming action and effects sequences (the lone exception being a high-altitude train heist, which is pretty fun).

There’s undoubtedly fun to be had in picking out all the references (one line directed at a certain much-derided video game even elicited a hearty laugh out of me). But that should be a fun bonus for fans in the audience, not the best part of the picture. Solo may have been aiming for a lighthearted adventure yarn, like the supplemental comics and novellas from the old days before franchise canon became so rigid. It doesn't even clear that bar, in quality or even just being fun.

Deadpool 2

Deadpool was such a hit, and Ryan Reynolds’ take on the character has become so beloved, that it’s easy to forget the film was originally considered a risk, and so, made on the (relative) cheap. Since initial fears turned out to be very unfounded, the sequel gets the big budget and all the CGI toys usually afforded to a superhero production. Bigger isn’t quite better, but thanks to a terrific cast of characters and a still-sharp sense of humor, the drop in quality amounts to, at most, a baby step down.

The film finds Reynolds’ mouthy mutant mercenary on the befalling end of a personal tragedy. Reduced to his lowest, ‘Pool finds some purpose in trying to save a troubled young mutant (Julian Dennison), not only from the persecution of a cruel world, but also the time-traveling cyborg soldier Cable (Josh Brolin). To do so requires forming a new team of ragtag mutants dubbed X-Force, as well as some familiar faces from the X-Men.

That vague description is about all I can offer for a synopsis, not only to withhold spoilers, but also because the plot is a bit all over the place. Therein lies the biggest drop-off from the first Deadpool, which was a tightly-plotted film that worked as both a straight-up origin story and a parody of the same. This one plays more like one of the gritty, uber-macho, ridiculously convoluted stories from the regrettable era of comics that birthed Deadpool (and which the character later lampooned). While the picture is on the side of parody, it’s only just so.

But, the humor is the driving force of the movie, and luckily keeps it from crossing the line into actual ridiculousness, rather than the fun kind. A few repeated gags get old (the recurring ironic use of soft or cheery songs makes for diminishing returns), but the script makes up for those with some real howlers, particularly the (harsh but deserved) blows at the films from the other big comics label, and some gory and gross-out moments that are truly hysterical. Also, there are a few great deep cut references and lines for the true comic fans in the audience.

Reynolds has not worn out his welcome since last time, and never does; he’s as charming and quick on the quips as ever, and even the tiniest bit sincere in the moments of pathos. Speaking of pathos, Dennison pulls double duty as maybe the strongest depiction of young outcast alienation in the whole of the X-Men franchise (I’m not kidding), while also filling the annoying, bratty kid role nicely. Other new and returning characters mostly amount to bit players but are still strong in that capacity, especially this big brother version of Colossus (Stefan Kapičić in voice, Andre Tricoteux in mo-cap). And Brolin playing Cable completely straight as a grim, stiff badass (ridiculous in itself) makes for hilarious contrast with Reynolds.

The future of Deadpool on film (and the whole X-Men franchise) is kind of up in the air, given the supposed acquisition of Fox by Disney. Any studio would be foolish to scrap, neuter, or recast this character, though. If Deadpool 2 is any indication, Reynolds has a long way to go before getting old or stale, and having carried two films, has earned the chance to anchor a spin-off franchise. But that’s all for another day. Here and now, Deadpool 2 is a damn good time.

Avengers: Infinity War

So, here we are. Not only the biggest, most ambitious crossover event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but likely also in the history of the superhero film. And while it’s far from the first company-wide crossover for Marvel Studios, it’s frankly the first one to feel like a bona fide event since the initial Avengers movie six years ago. It’s pretty exciting…as long as you don’t think too much about the fact that they’ve done this in comics many times, and with a few exceptions, these events rarely live up to the promise laid out in the months and issues of other series leading into them.

This event (as if anyone needs me to explain it at this point) involves the powerful space Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin), to this point only seen in cameos and post-credit teasers. Now, this hinted-at threat is finally on the warpath, scouring the galaxy for the all-powerful Infinity Stones to fulfill his ambition of committing genocide on half the universe’s sentient beings (in his view, “saving” it). Stopping this godlike force of destruction and his followers requires the combined forces of nearly all the Marvel heroes. Namely, the now-disassembled and scattered Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the forces of Wakanda we were just introduced to in Black Panther.

The “good stuff” promised by such an event is pretty much a home run. The final act features not one, but two terrific action set pieces (one a large-scale battler, one more up close and personal) that eventually combine in a climax that’s a real gut punch. A prolonged gut punch at that, for the finale takes its time to misdirect the audience about which characters suffer which fate, before leaving them utterly stunned and unsure of where things go from here. That much is worth the price of a ticket and the wait.

But, the wait really does feel like a wait. The picture up to that point feels a bit like the middle filler episodes of a continuing series. Although it’s filled with the patented Marvel humor and has some good fights, it still seems to drag more than the previous Marvel films, even though it’s not that much longer than some of its predecessors. And though it manages to juggle all the characters and subplots into a cohesive and followable narrative (at these amounts, a minor miracle for a single movie), the balance of those events and faces is skewed all over the place. Some get little screen time and little to do, some reveals are so slight they almost feel anticlimactic. On the other hand, there are a few subplots that are very good, as well as one or two cool surprises

There is one consistent through line that makes the movie, however: Brolin’s Thanos. He'd make a formidable foe on brawn alone, his physical (okay, technically digital) presence alone exuding power and pain. But the film’s best moments intimately familiarize the audience with the guy’s psyche in some pointedly, and surprisingly, emotional scenes. It doesn’t go so far to elicit sympathy, though, and never lets the viewer forget that he’s truly evil, for all his mannerly monologuing. Rather, it serves to make one feel personally invested in the fight against him, more so than with any one-and-done Marvel bad guy; you truly want to see him defeated.

In short, Thanos lives up to the hype, and on his back, so too does Infinity War. Now, the MCU faces their biggest challenge: writing a conclusion for next May that lives up to what they’ve done here. Though they’ve yet to make a true failure of a feature film, that’s going to be tough; the note this one ends on is really something.

Black Panther

True, Black Panther is not actually the first movie with a black superhero. But as a major blockbuster film with a majority-black cast and a black director, and so proudly Afrofuturistic in aesthetic and outlook, it’s plain to see why this picture means so much to audiences, especially in today’s climate. The film shoulders such expectations with ease, while delivering one of the very best pictures in the Marvel canon. And it feels exciting and new, never repetitive or derivative of entries that came before it.

It’s undoubtedly a recognizable Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe product. Like he did with Creed, though, director Ryan Coogler livens up a working formula with some distinct touches. The most obvious being the action sequences, particularly an eye-catching long-take fight scene that recalls Creed’s thrilling boxing bouts. The patented Marvel humor is there, but a little less silly. The Kendrick Lamar soundtrack is killer. And the moments of stoic character introspection present in Coogler’s previous work take creative turns here.

The film’s setting is the fictional African nation of Wakanda, which presents itself to the world as a poor, reclusive country. In reality, it’s a technologically advanced kingdom sitting on top of a massive deposit of vibranium, an indestructible metal from space with tremendous properties. After the death of his father (John Kani) in Captain America: Civil War, the prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) inherits the crown of Wakanda and the mantle of the country’s protector: the Black Panther. His reign is tested early by a South African vibranium smuggler (Andy Serkis) and an American assassin (Michael B. Jordan) with Wakandan ties.

The world of Wakanda is wondrously realized, a gorgeous, stunning mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and African culture. Newcomers to this corner of the Marvel universe will be sucked in and awed, while comic-readers will be pleased (and as a white viewer, I can only imagine what it means to some audiences as far as representation). In fact, it feels bigger than a single movie, like Wakanda could sustain its very own franchise of interconnected individual films and team-ups.

And it’s a world populated by so many compelling figures. Boseman is impeccable, resolute and charismatic while betraying just enough doubt to render him human. Jordan makes a case for the best Marvel villain ever. Despite a hardnosed brutality that’s effective, he has moments that catch the viewer off-guard and have them feeling a little empathy for him and his worldview. Besides hero and villain, a rich cast of characters is filled out by A-listers and at least half-a-dozen performers whose roles could be called star-making. Not a single one of the other MCU heroes makes an appearance, and yet the ensemble work rivals that of the Avengers movies (maybe even surpasses them, because every part here feels organically important to the whole, while the Avengers films always feel first and foremost like team-ups).

This film’s release has rocketed past the typical once-or-twice-a-year Marvel tentpole opening to become a major, even sociopolitical event. Far from falling short of the expectations built around and placed upon it, Black Panther has an outsized scope, spirit, and sense of joy befitting such a pop culture moment.