Lightyear (2022) Review

Title: Lightyear
Year: 2022
Director: Angus MacLane
Country: US
Language: English

Pixar's first film, Toy Story, was a monumental commercial and critical success. The first fully computer generated feature length film, the picture was a huge step in the evolution of animated cinema. Though there were a few years of hand-drawn animation post Toy Story, this new CGI animation would be the industry standard from 1995 until present day. 

While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source.

Lightyear is a fun animated film that embraces sci-fi cliches in an ironic self-aware way, making allusions to not-for-children pictures like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Costing Pixar an estimated $200-million, the visuals are nothing short of an impressive spectacle. We get a varied array of set pieces, including  massive jungle, volcanic terrain, and “beyond the infinite”. 

Chris Evans replaces Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz in Lightyear. Evans' voice adds a new dimension to the character; giving Buzz more flaws and a less certain demeanor. Much of the picture is a conventional action romp, but the third-act presents more complicated social implications. Perhaps in order to move forward we must be quick to embrace new ideas & be less interested in preserving the past. 

Lightyear manages to presents its social discussion without being preachy and, thankfully, with a little bit of subtlety. Considering a lot of Disney products need to loudly proclaim to be progressive, this picture is a refreshing departure. This film is a worthwhile viewing, albeit a younger audience will get more out of it. 

Pinocchio (2022) Review

Title: Pinocchio
Year: 2022
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Country: US
Language: English

Aside from possibly The Jungle Book (2016) all these live-action Disney remakes have been varying degrees of terrible. The only way they can get a small fan-base to approve of their pictures is if they manufacture controversy via twitter trends (The Little Mermaid). The only positive response to these movies is backlash against perceived bigotry, rather than actual enjoyment of the picture. Sigh. Lets get this Pinocchio review over with! 

A puppet (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) is brought to life by a fairy, who assigns him to lead a virtuous life in order to become a real boy.

Recycled from the 1940 classic, Pinocchio hits all the same storyline beats yet feels incredibly hollow and without heart. Our main protagonist puppet goes through each scene without any real agency, which undermines the point of the original; to earn the ability to be a "real boy" he had to CHOOSE to do good. Pinocchio is an endearing character because he is flawed in his ethics & his hero's journey is becoming somebody who wants to do good. 

In the 1940 film Pinocchio loves Pleasure Island. He indulges in gambling, beer and other addictive activities. His donkey transformation is comeuppance for his "jackass" behavior and he learns a well-deserved lesson. The Disney+ version gives us a Pinocchio who is timid and scared of Pleasure Island. This kid doesn't even want to try the more tamed down "root beer". The "lesson" (can you call it a lesson if the character already knows the action is bad?) has no emotional impact. 

This Disney+ iteration of Pinocchio misses the point of the original film & ultimately feels like a pointless remake. The 1940 version still packs an emotional punch & can still serve great lessons to new generations. Watch that one instead. 

No Stars

Elvis (2022) Review

 Title: Elvis
Year: 2022
Director: Baz Lurhmann
Country: US
Language: English

I have a love/hate relationship with Director Baz Luhrmann. His hyperactive editing, combined with frenetic camera work & spectacular imagery can be used creatively (Romeo + Juliet) but often distract from the story he is trying to tell by relying far too much on style over substance. Moulin Rouge (2001) is beloved for being such an outlandish musical, but I found myself quite overwhelmed by the nonstop fast pace. 

Elvis follows the story of infamous rock 'n' roll star Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) seen through the eyes of his controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).

Too many biopics of Elvis are long tedious drolls; retelling the same story we have heard countless times. Luhrmann's take is unique because his off-the-wall film-making style zaps a much needed burst of energy into our iconic historical character. His visuals paint the man as larger than life; the camerawork explores how truly legendary Elvis was. 

Lurhmann's script underlines Elvis' controversial role American culture. Finally, we are shown his black inspiration & Elvis' role in racial desegregation. Portrayed as an agent of change, it's nice to see Elvis' contribution to humanity through a socio-political lens. Luhrmann's film is a demonstration of how great art can push beyond the acceptable limits of culture. 

The film isn't perfect by any means; its exploration of why Elvis stayed with his manager is surface level at best. Lurhmann also isn't too keen on exploring Elvis' own seedy side; such as his inteerest in teenage girls. Still; I found the film very entertaining and informative. There is a lot to like about this picture. 

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) Review

Title: Love and Thunder
Year: 2022
Director: Taika Waititi
Country: US
Language: English

I first heard of New Zealand Director Taika Waititi when Jo Jo Rabbit won People's Choice at Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. His brand of off-beat humor was controversial and subversive considering the subject matter at hand. We had great hope that his brand of film-making would change cinematic language, but instead it seems he's content on making  Marvel films where the "highlight" is screaming goats. 

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to fight Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who intends to make the gods extinct.

Love and Thunder attempts to weave dramatic & comedic tones, but does so in an unbalanced awkward way that derails our interest in the story. In one scene Jane is struggling with cancer & a minute later we're expected to laugh at bumbling Thor. The villain of the film is a frightening force to reckon with, but our intimidation of him plummets as characters make cutesy one liners towards him. 

Its structure is messy and, although at times Love and Thunder feels like a spectacle, the picture leaves audiences unsatisfied. Christian Bale was a huge remarkable standout as The God Butcher, but he was limited by the vast tonal and visual shifts. There are four credited editors to this film; one wonders if they actually spoke to each other during the process. 

Love and Thunder is a fun, mindless popcorn munching picture that will leave your mind as soon as you leave the theatre, Forgettable. The "funny" goat screams may make you annoyed enough to never watch this film again. 

Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) Review

Title: Three Thousand Years of Longing
Year: 2022
Director: George Miller
Country: US
Language: English

George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) is a magical - yet frustrating- film that strays from the conventional Hollywood Blockbuster by telling stories within a story to convey the importance of storytelling as whole. The trailers make it look as off-the-wall as Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), but unfortunately this is not very mind melting at all. 

A lonely scholar (Tilda Swinton), on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn (Idris Elba)  who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.

There’s “no story about wishing that isn’t a cautionary tale,” Swinton tell the Djinn, as he then proceeds to tell very cautionary tales about the destructive quest for love, knowledge & power. This is the most interesting part of the film as we are treated to the ancient mysticism of King Solomon and we bear witness to the gorgeous Queen Sheba. The set design, costuming. and cinematography shines in these scenes. 

The third act is where the film falls flat. Her first wish completely defies everything we have been told about the sinister history of wishes. The chemistry between the two characters is completely void; they don't even look like they'd make causal friends. It's a letdown, which is unfortunate, because the build up to Swinton's first wish was so well written. 

Three Thousand Years of Longing has a different feel from the usual Hollywood affair. I admire George Miller's tenacity to take such big creative risks, even though I feel he was a little misguided. The majority of the picture is fantastic, but the overall package leaves much to be desired from the remainder of the story.