REVIEW! - 'BLUE BEETLE' (2023)

'Blue Beetle' (2023)

The reason that this review of “Blue Beetle” is coming so late after the movie’s release is due to the fact that I wasn’t originally going to see it in theaters. Not only am I suffering from superhero fatigue to a certain degree these days, I’m not really interested in films from DC due to how hit-or-miss their films have been in the past. Then, National Cinema Day came around and I figured that for a $4 ticket, this movie would be worth my time.

Then, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this movie! DC, why couldn’t you have been making films like this from the beginning!? “Blue Beetle” is an entertaining, action-packed, humorous movie that also happens to have a lot of heart.

The movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a young man who has just graduated college and has returned home to find that his parents are about to lose their house. He gets a low paying job in order to try and make things right, but after a run in with Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) from Kord Industries, he is given the mysterious and alien Scarab. The device quickly merges with Jaime and the Blue Beetle is born!

Now, Jaime must figure out how to harness the power before Jenny’s evil aunt Victoria (Susan Sarandon can get to him first. She wants the Scarab to power her new OMAC suits at Kord Industries. Jaime must figure out a way to keep his family protected as well once they get into Victoria’s crosshairs.

Xolo Maridueña stars as Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. the Blue Beetle!

Okay, so first thing’s first just to get it out of the way. The movie does NOT break the superhero formula and it even takes more than a few narrative cues from 2015’s “Ant-Man”. Both have characters that once utilized their superhero mantles, a love interest that has a lost parent, and a villain that wants to acquire the superhero’s tech in order to make lots of money. However, the movie utilizes the tried-and-true superhero formula to great effect.

First, it has plenty of action scenes that are fun to watch. With the Blue Beetle suit, Jaime can fly and he can manipulate it to make anything he wants from swords and shields to non-lethal weapons. That is, if he can ever learn to properly communicate with the Scarab in order to control said power.

The second thing this film has going for it is that it has a great sense of humor. More often than not, the jokes land and they usually revolve around Jaime and his family’s reaction to the Blue Beetle powers. I even enjoyed George Lopez as Jaime’s uncle Rudy and that’s saying something as Lopez has never exactly been one of my favorite actors or comedians.

What was surprising about the movie is how much heart the movie has. The DC films have usually ranged from bitchy and moody to downright dumb in the emotional department. Watching how much Jaime cares about his family and the few emotional moments that arrive in the movie’s second half, I’m a little angry that DC wasn’t making more movies like this earlier in the franchise’s history.

At the end of the day, I almost avoided this movie due to DC’s track record. I’m thankful that I ended up watching the movie on the big screen. It is a fun-filled movie that shows DC Films is capable of making fun superhero films. I’m just sad it came so late in the game during a time where most audience members may have already lost interest in the DC film franchise.

'Blue Beetle' is a fun and worthy ride that may be
a little too late for most people to care.

REVIEW! - 'OPPENHEIMER' (2023)

'Oppenheimer' (2023)

“Oppenheimer” is the biopic to end all biopics from Christopher Nolan, the man that not only directed the movie but also wrote the screenplay based on the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer”. Nolan tells the story through two perspectives. In the color segments of the movie, we are seeing the movie through the eyes of our titular character, Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) while the black and white segments are through the eyes of the man that would be Oppenheimer’s greatest villain, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.).

The movie moves backwards and forwards through the narrative’s timeline. Some of it takes place during Oppenheimer’s rise through the Manhattan project while another thread follows Oppenheimer’s security hearing after the war and during the Red Scare. A third thread follows Strauss as he is trying to get confirmed to a cabinet position in President Eisenhower’s administration.

This movie brings the full weight of Nolan’s talents as a filmmaker to the forefront. The movie is shot on film with no extensive CGI shots, including a practical recreation of the Trinity Test, the first time we detonated an atomic bomb. The effect is astounding and great to watch yet while it does capture the full power of what we unleashed, it is also not the highlight of the movie.

The highlight of the movie are the amazing performances throughout. Murphy is on the fast track to win the Academy Award next year for Best Actor. Unless some surprising performance appears over the next four months, I feel like Murphy has this one in the bag as he completely falls into the role of this historical and, at times, controversial character.

Cillian Murphy is the tragic hero of Christopher Nolan's latest epic.

Another Academy Award that may be in the bag is a Best Supporting Actor statue for Robert Downey Jr. This movie proves once again why the actor is one of the best of his generation even before he donned a metal suit for Marvel Studios. Downey Jr. is at the top of his game here as he brings to life the cold, spiteful, grudge-holding Strauss and he truly disappears into the role.

Beyond both Murphy and Downey Jr., all of the actors in the movie give great performances as well. Matt Damon is dependable as ever as General Leslie Groves, the military director of the Manhattan Project. Emily Blunt is also in the running for Best Actress for her performance as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, and Florence Pugh may be in for a nomination for Best Supporting Actress as Oppenheimer’s tortured mistress, Jean Tatlock.

Then, there is Nolan’s storytelling along with the editing skills of Jennifer Lame. Yes, the movie is three hours long but they tell the story at such a brisk and nonlinear pace that I never once felt that the movie was too long or that there were things that the movie didn’t necessarily need. Not only do I think that Nolan will win his first Best Director Oscar, Lame will win for editing and Hoyte van Hoytema will win for his stunning cinematography.

I have yet to find a Nolan film that I didn’t like. I keep waiting for the director to make a movie that doesn’t work for me, but so far he’s on a winning streak that hasn’t stopped yet. “Oppenheimer” may very well be another masterpiece from one of the best directors working in the business today.

Not only is it one of Christopher Nolan's best films,
it is the film to beat for Best Film of 2023!

RETRO REVIEW! - 'HACKERS' (1995)

Hackers (1995)

The computer lingo and imagery in 1995’s “Hackers” admittedly shows us just how much we didn’t know about computers or the internet at the time. Still, as Roger Ebert said in his own review when the film came out, I take the computer stuff in this movie about as seriously as I take the archeology in an Indiana Jones movie. What the film gets right is the cyberpunk hacker culture of the day and it includes likable characters, a delightfully over-the-top villain, and a fun action thriller story.

The movie’s main protagonist is Jonny Lee Miller as Dade Murphy, a.k.a. “Crash Override”, a character that was sentenced to never using a computer until he was 18. That’s because he crashed over 1500 computer systems. Now, he’s been forced to move to New York and soon finds fellow hackers including Jesse Bradford’s Joey, Matthew Lillard’s “Cereal Killer”, Laurence Mason’s “Lord Nikon”, and Renoly Santiago’s “Phantom Phreak”.

He also gets into a rivalry with Angelina Jolie’s Kate Libby, a.k.a. Acid Burn. Soon, though, all the hackers become a target of “The Plague” (Fisher Stevens), a hacker that works for cyber security for a mineral company. He created a worm in order to extort money from the company, but after Joey discovers the “garbage” file that the worm is in, he decides to pin the blame for the worm on Joey and his fellow hackers while Plague eventually escapes with the money along with his accomplice, Margo Wallace (Lorraine Bracco).

Crash Override and his fellow hackers
prepare to take down the Plague in 'Hackers'!

The first thing to note are the likable characters. Miller is great as Crash Override while Jolie shows off her early yet still formidable acting talents as Acid Burn. These two are obvious love interests for each other, but their rivalry also feels real. There is a secret service character named Richard Gil (Wendell Pierce) that gives our hackers some trouble in addition to the Plague. One of the best sequences in the movie is when Crash Override and Acid Burn enter into a competition to see which one can cause more grief for Agent Gil.

Not only are the characters likable, the world they live in is fun to visit as well. Whether they’re at school or at a place where hackers go to hang out and talk shop, you feel like this world is real even though it is over-the-top.

The movie’s music is also worth noting. It is a techno fueled soundtrack and, along with the first “Mortal Kombat” film, it helped raise techno music’s popularity at the time. The music helps sell this crazy techno world that our characters reside in.

Visually speaking, the special-effects featured on the computers are complete nonsense. They’re just made to make you feel like the hackers are diving deep into a computer to retrieve data and information. Surprisingly, these visual effects still work to help sell the story as well even though we now live in a world where people are far more literate when it comes to computers.

The movie didn’t do well when it was released in theaters. It only made $7 million against a $20 million budget and seemed destined to be forgotten. Thankfully, “Hackers” went on to become the cult classic that it deserves to be. The computer lingo and effects may be nothing more than eye candy, but the fun story, interesting world, and great characters keep you engaged in what turns out to be a fun ride straight out of the ‘90s!

A blast from the 1990s that holds up surprisingly well!

FILM REVIEW! - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

 

Director: Jeff Rowe

Writers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit

Based On: Characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

I’ve been a fan of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” since the premiere of the 1987 animated series that was based on the independent comic book by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It was also the show that initially created the phenomenon that sold a lot of toys and started a mega franchise. Over the past 38 years, the Turtles have gone through various changes, some good (the 2003 and 2012 animated series were pretty good) and some that were god awful (the less said about the two Michael Bay produced live-action films, the better).

Now, producer and co-writer Seth Rogen and his crew have taken the reins and gifted us with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”. So, how does the new iteration of the Turtles stack up in the long-running franchise? Well, it is slightly different… and a total blast!

In “Mutant Mayhem”, the four Turtles known as Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello are actual teenagers that have largely been confined to the sewers by Splinter. Their master is a mutated rat who does not like humans and he just wants to protect his adopted sons. Splinter is aware that there are humans out there that are cruel, bigoted, and would do anything to destroy something that is different from them.

One night, though, the Turtles run into April O’Neil and help her recover something that was stolen from her. She is a high school student that is trying to track down the mysterious Superfly, a criminal boss that is stealing high-tech equipment for unknown purposes. Seeing through April that not all humans are bad, the Turtles decide that if they do good things, then maybe the human world will eventually accept them… but is this the best reason to become heroes?

The movie is being compared to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” due to having a similar artstyle, but take it from me, this movie has its own identity. Every scene oozes (pun intended) with frames that look like they were taken directly out of someone’s sketchbook during class. The animation is fun to watch and captures the spirit of the Turtles perfectly.

Now, I can say that the mutants’ origins are changed slightly here, especially Splinter’s own backstory. Yes, this may anger some of the gatekeeping purists out there, but ignore them. The changes actually play a role in telling the film’s story which has a not-too-subtle theme about prejudices built on past trauma and how we can all fall victim to said prejudices if we wanted to.

Another great aspect is that the Turtles are actually played by teenagers and all four voice actors (shoutout to Nicholas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., and Brady Noon) are fantastic. The supporting cast that is stacked with stars such as Ice Cube, Paul Rudd, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Hannibal Buress, Seth Rogen, John Cena, and Giancarlo Esposito also successfully add their talents to the proceedings. Aside from all of them, though, I think a special shoutout is due for Jackie Chan as the Turtles’ protective father figure Splinter.

The movie is packed with a lot of action and a few twists and turns. The animation is solid, the performances are good, and the movie is a charming addition to the franchise that isn’t afraid to add its own unique identity to the story when it is needed. There has already been a sequel greenlit by Paramount and if they want to continue with more films and other properties set in this new era, then I’ll be the first in line!

JT'S FILM REVIEWS - 'Nope'

Writer and director Jordan Peele tackled the many layers of systemic racism with his first horror film “Get Out” in 2017. He then tackled psychological horror and classism with “Us” in 2019. Now he’s tackling sci-fi horror and our obsession with attention and fame seeking spectacle with “Nope”, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea.

The movie is about Otis “OJ” (Kaluuya) and Emerald  “Em” (Palmer) Haywood, a brother and sister that operate the Haywood Hollywood horse ranch. After their father Otis Sr. dies when mysterious debris falls from the sky, OJ is trying to keep things afloat at the ranch while Em is trying to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood. Soon, they start to experience other mysterious situations such as fluctuating electricity and the horses going wild.

After OJ catches a glimpse of a UFO, Em convinces him that they need to try and capture it on film in order to reveal it to the world and get their fame and fortune. While Em just wants fame, OJ can use the money to keep from having to sell his ranch to Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yuen), a man who owns a nearby carnival. What follows is a film that redefines the alien invasion movie in fun and exciting ways.

Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, and Steven Yeun star in Jordan Peele's 'Nope'.

It may seem like I revealed a lot in my description of the movie, but the truth is that I’ve barely scratched the surface. This does present a problem in that I can’t really say too much more without giving away the film’s twists and turns. What I can say is that the movie explores our obsession with trying to seek attention and quick fortunes.

After all, think about what we do when we see something strange and even potentially dangerous. We don’t call the authorities right away or try to run away. Instead, we get out our phones hoping to capture whatever it is so that we can then post it on social media for that instant attention and gratification.

Another thing I can mention is that the performances are fantastic. Kaluuya gives another great performance as the weary OJ, a man who wants to keep his father’s legacy alive despite the trials and tribulations that come with the job of operating the ranch. At first, you don’t really like Em, but that’s by design with Palmer’s spectacular performance. You begin to relate more to the character when we learn more about her story and why she acts the way she does.

I absolutely loved “Get Out” and “Us” and now I can add this to the list as a fantastic horror film from a modern day Master of Horror. You can see Peele’s influences here such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Jurassic Park”, and “Signs” but once again Peele takes his inspirations and crafts something original out of the proceedings. The movie is without a doubt Peele’s most ambitious film technologically but he never loses an inch of his unique style as a director.

In short, say "Yes" to "Nope"!

RETRO REVIEW - 'Thief' (1981)

"Thief" is the feature film directorial debut of Michael Mann.

It is an extremely rare thing for a feature-film director to come out of the gate almost fully formed. However, with 1981’s “Thief”, director Michael Mann did just that as you can instantly recognize that this is a film from the director of later film classics such as “Manhunter” and “Heat”. The unique score (this one by Tangerine Dream), the stunning and gritty cinematography (shot by Donald Thorin), and recognizable scenes where we learn more about our anti-hero protagonist are all there for audiences to devour.

The movie opens with Frank (James Caan), an expert thief, in the middle of a job. While we see in great detail how he is breaking into a vault, we also meet Frank’s getaway driver who is monitoring police frequencies and his partner Barry (James Belushi) who has the alarm system. Soon, he has found the diamonds that he is looking for and they all get away without a trace.

The next day, though, they learn that the guy who is supposed to move the merchandise has been killed. The men with the person behind the killing, Leo (Robert Prosky), accidentally took the money due to Frank and his associates. Soon, Leo returns the money but it also comes with a proposition for Frank to do two or three jobs for him.

Frank usually wants to work alone, but the money may give him the life he wants, particularly with his love interest Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and old mentor and father figure Okla (Willie Nelson). That means that the movie quickly turns into a “one last job” film that is expertly told by Mann. There are many details about the upcoming heist that are interesting, but we soon find that we’re more focused on Frank and his story.

Tuesday Weld and James Caan during the famous diner scene in 1981's "Thief".

This is epitomized in the now famous diner scene between Frank and Jessie where we learn where Frank comes from and why he lives the life of a thief. We also learn who Jessie is and why she would ever want to be with a thief. The scene could also be viewed as a prototype for the even more famous diner scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” several years later.

The scene in “Heat” works due to the expert dialogue by Mann and the powerhouse performances by Pacino and De Niro. The same can be said here about Caan and Weld. They easily make you believe in these characters and it is also refreshing to see that this would not be a story where Frank kept what he does from Jessie. While Caan gives one of his best performances in this scene, Weld should also not be ignored as she has the more challenging role of convincing us that Jessie would want to be with a guy like Frank.

Of course, the movie centers around Caan’s character and this movie is a true highlight of why Caan was such an appealing leading man. Yes, Caan can easily play the tough-as-nails aspect of the character, but what lies beneath the tough exterior that Caan easily taps into is Frank’s vulnerability. Frank is someone who simply wants to escape his life and feels like he is behind due to his previous stint in prison that took over a decade of his life away from him.

Due to Caan’s performance, you want Frank to succeed and get the life that has always been denied to him. Unfortunately, he has to contend with Prosky’s Leo and Prosky delivers a sly yet very vile crime lord. Prosky is good at sucking Frank and the audience into his web at first with a sort of fatherly charm, but there is always a sinister touch lying just below the surface.

Leo is the opposite of Frank’s father figure and mentor, Okla, played to surprising effect by legendary singer Willie Nelson. We only get to see Okla for a couple of scenes and Nelson is so good that you wish there was more with the character. Nelson may not have been a professional actor, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell if this is the only thing that you have ever seen him in.

The only real criticism that I can bring up here is not even my own criticism. The ending has been noted for its ambiguity and its seemingly anticlimactic conclusion. However, I’ll go ahead and say that, in my opinion, it’s really the only ending that I think makes the film work. By the time credits roll, the movie sticks with you and you might have a lot of thoughts, but one thought that I think you’ll have is that you have just seen one of the best thrillers ever made.

REVISITING 'TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES' (1987) 35 YEARS LATER

The Original 1987 Logo for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

In 1984, two comic book artists named Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird released their independent comic book titled “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. Originally, the comic was only supposed to be a one issue story stemming from a fun brainstorming session between Eastman and Laird. The first issue’s initial run of 300,000 copies sold out quickly and the young artists realized that they were on to something that could be much bigger than they had initially imagined.

The comic book continued beyond issue one and it became a huge indie hit. Soon after the comic’s success, a toy company named Playmates Toys was looking for a potential action figure line. They chose the Turtles, but they needed to know if kids would actually want the toys as the comic book’s audience was fair but small overall. In the ‘80, the biggest way to appeal to American children was to develop an animated series featuring elements that would be turned into toys.

Soon, a show developed by David Wise and Patti Howeth and led by production company Murakami-Wolf-Swenson (later Fred Wolf Films) premiered and aired from December 14-18, 1987. This five episode first season proved to be insanely popular and soon more episodes were ordered for the series and the toy line from Playmates began soon after. The phenomenon known as “Turtlemania” had officially begun.

The show ended up running for 10 seasons from 1987 to 1996 for a total of 193 episodes. It spawned a major franchise that would include more comics, toys, products of all kinds, and live-action films. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, you couldn’t escape the Turtles as they were everywhere.

Later, after the series had ended, more television series would come around that would reinvent the concept. That would include a series in 2003, another CGI animated series in 2012, and yet another series called “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in 2018. Each series has had their own set of followers and success, but for some reason the ‘87 series is still fondly remembered by most fans of the franchise across the board.

The Turtles often found themselves facing off with Shredder, Krang, and the dreaded Technodrome.

Part of this can undoubtedly be attributed to the fact that it is the first series in the franchise and was the one that started it all, so to speak. Still, its popularity has continued to thrive for so long that new products related specifically to the ‘87 series continue to be produced to this day. Just recently, a new video game called “Shredder’s Revenge” was released that takes its visual cues and story directly from the Fred Wolf produced series.

So, why does this show continue to stick with fans well into their adulthood when so many other series from the era eventually fell to the wayside? Well, I have a few thoughts on this and one of those has to do with how meta the show is. I noticed this recently when I was revisiting the series.

Other Saturday morning cartoon shows of the era had their fair share of cheesiness, but they still tried to be more straightforward than what “TMNT” did. Instead, this series embraced how absurd it was and even broke the fourth wall from time to time to not only let us know that they were in on the joke, but also to let the parents know as well. I remember that of all the shows I watched as a kid, my dad found it easier to watch this show with me than he did others. I now know that they let him in on the fun as much as they did myself.

I think it is also for this very reason that the show has stuck with us into our adulthood. Make no mistake about it, this show was made to sell toys and when I rewatch it, I definitely notice all of the characters and things that ended up as toys in my bedroom as well. Yet, the show is still a lot of fun to watch thanks to all of these colorful characters.

First, there are the Turtles themselves. The fearless leader is Leonardo, the wild card is Raphael, the tech expert is Donatello, and the partier is Michaelangelo. They are led by their wise and fearless master, the rat known as Splinter. Together, they are in a never ending battle against the forces of evil, mostly personified by their mortal enemies Shredder and Krang.

The popularity of the original series eventually led to crossovers with other series.

The biggest ally of the Turtles is April O’Neil, a reporter from Channel 6 who often joins them on their adventures in addition to protecting their privacy from the outside world above their Sewer Lair. To be honest, she’s mostly used as the stereotypical damsel in distress that the Turtles have to save, but I’ll be honest, I always thought she was a pretty strong character at heart. April is headstrong, independent, and never afraid to go out there to get the story for her job or to fight alongside her friends.

Then there are the primary villains I’ve already mentioned, Shredder and Krang. Shredder is the human mortal enemy of Splinter and the Turtles who leads the Foot Clan and Krang is an interdimensional brain from Dimension X that wants to conquer Earth. The unique thing about these two characters, though, is that while they may want to take over Earth, they are more like an old married couple that constantly bicker and this adds to the humor of the show that helped make it so popular.

In shows such as “G.I. Joe”, “Thundercats”, and even “Transformers”, you had variations on warrior characters and villains that pretty much just wanted to take over the world. In “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, you have a wide array of colorful cast members that you can just have fun with. There are the Punk Frogs from Florida, the hot rodding Neutrino teens from Dimension X, the Rat King in the sewers, Baxter “The Fly” Stockman, and many more characters in addition to our primary heroes and villains.

Animation wise, the show is admittedly rough. Again, let’s just acknowledge that the show was a giant toy commercial more than anything else. Yet, unlike other shows, this one seems to have aged better than others. Now, this is where I should admit that I’m probably looking at it through rose colored glasses a bit, but I actually found myself enjoying all of the little flaws as it feels like it adds more to the overall charm of the series.

Now, the last three seasons is where things got a little weird. To be honest, it was extremely rare for a Saturday morning cartoon to last as long as this show did. By the time season eight arrived, there was plenty of new content to take kids away from this show and the popularity had already started to wane pretty extensively.

The "Red Sky" seasons (8-10) marked the beginning of the end for the original series.

Shows like “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Gargoyles” were reinventing what animated shows looked like in the ‘90s. As a result of this, the series tried to mature with its audience a little bit. They used the same techniques as “Batman” by drawing on black paper, giving the show a much darker look and a noticeably red sky. In fact, the fans often refer to these seasons as the “Red Sky” seasons.

Shredder and Krang are eventually replaced by an alien warlord named Lord Dregg. This villain is a more stereotypical antagonist that didn’t have the same appeal as the often bickering Shredder and Krang. I’ll be honest, when I did catch some of these episodes back in the day (I was already out of the show by this point for the most part), I found Dregg to be utterly boring and there was also a weird storyline about the Turtles and their mutations being out of control.

The truth is that the show did outstay its welcome. That means that it never got a truly good series finale by the time season 10 wrapped up in ‘96. The characters in this show, however, did have multidimensional crossovers with both the ‘03 and 2012 series, showing that these versions of the characters still existed and were continuing their fight against the forces of evil.

At the end of the day, you don’t see the popularity of too many Saturday morning cartoons carrying over into future generations nor do you rarely see the original generation of fans stick with said shows. For some reason, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seem destined to stick around for a long time and their popularity doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

If you’re ever looking for a retro distraction from your childhood or you just want to see what a prime example of a Saturday morning cartoon looked like from yesteryear, then order yourself a pizza and sit down with some bodacious ninja fighting friends! Cowabunga!