The Toxic Avenger.

Review #791: The Toxic Avenger.

Cast
Mitch Cohen (The Toxic Avenger), Kenneth Kessler (Voice of The Toxic Avenger), Mark Torgl (Melvin Ferd III), Andree Maranda (Sara), Pat Ryan Jr. (Mayor Peter Belgoody), Sarabel Levinson (Mrs. Ferd), Dan Snow (Cigar Face), Dick Martinsen (Officer O'Clancy), and Gary Schneider (Bozo) Directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman.

Review
Well, I can certainly say this is one superhero film that stands out among the rest in terms of uniqueness, in part due to also being a horror comedy film with a toxic hero from New Jersey (of all places). While one could classify this as campy or schlock, there is a certain level of charm amidst all the laughs, blood & gore. The acting is nothing to praise about, but it's the way the movie just has fun with itself and entertains in such a bizarre format that runs effectively without tedium that makes for an effective film. It's a hokey kind of a movie, with no shame for what it does, because why not? You honestly can't be shocked at what you get from something titled "The Toxic Avenger", but you do get an entertaining movie. The villains are as expected to be: over-the top (with one group even playing a game of hit-and-run with their car), but the movie is campy enough to where you just enjoy it all. The movie turned out to be Troma Entertainment's most popular film, with three sequels (and a television series) being made in its aftermath. I'd recommend seeing it, especially if you're looking for something different.

Countdown to #800: 10, 9...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Emperor's New Groove.

Review #790: The Emperor's New Groove.

Cast
David Spade (Emperor Kuzco), John Goodman (Pacha), Eartha Kitt (Yzma), Patrick Warburton (Kronk), Wendie Malick (Chicha), Kellyann Kelso (Chaca), and Eli Russell Linnetz (Tipo) Directed by Mark Dindal.

Review
The movie actually has a deep production history, with development of what at first was called Kingdom of the Sun beginning in 1994. However, the movie soon spiraled from being a romantic comedy musical in the style of The Prince and the Pauper to a buddy film. A documentary of the process (and its retooling) was even made, and while I do appreciate the movie that was ultimately made, it is slightly bittersweet, with regards to the movie that was never made. Anyway...

I vaguely remember watching bits and pieces of the movie once (or twice) during one of my classes around 8 years ago, and I remember it certainly seemed to do its job to the class (I was a kid, cut me a break for not remembering more about it). Years later, I finally get a chance to watch it again, and it's interesting how short the movie is, running in at only 78 minutes. The movie certainly has a simple structure, with a narcissistic lead that has to redeem himself, with a good-hearted buddy, and so on. But at least it can be said the movie keeps itself contained to only a few batch of important characters, and it never really feels like the movie is padding itself out. The way that it handles itself as a light-hearted buddy film is the main selling point, because it manages to have a good degree of fun with itself, from the main character recapping and narrating over the first half of the movie (complete with barbs) to a chase scene montage, complete with a map marked by dotted lines...which the characters notice. The main four cast members seem to have a good time (particularly Kitt, who wonderfully hams up as the villain), and the movie runs as a good pace with just enough flair and quickness to make for a relatively decent experience. Is it a great movie? No, but it doesn't need to be.

Guess what? It's time for another countdown, this time to Review #800, starting with this review.
10... 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Break-Up.

Review #789: The Break-Up.

Cast
Vince Vaughn (Gary Grobowski), Jennifer Aniston (Brooke Meyers), Joey Lauren Adams (Addie Jones), Cole Hauser (Lupus Grobowski), Jon Favreau (Johnny Ostrofski), Jason Bateman (Mark Riggleman), Judy Davis (Marilyn Dean), Justin Long (Christopher Hirons), John Michael Higgins (Richard Meyers), and Vincent D'Onofrio (Dennis Grobowski) Directed by Peyton Reed (#728 - Ant-Man)

Review
A movie I had to watch for a Speech class? That's one good opening sign. To be clear, I had to do an assignment that dealt with stuff that happened in the movie that relates (for the most part) to what we are currently learning, such as the escalation (and de-escalation) stages of a relationship, and to the movie's credit it does at least fits the bill for an assignment and is reasonably something that could used a tool for at least some sort of learning.

It's a shame the movie isn't enjoyable as well. Yes, the movie does have a break-up, in fact it happens quite early on in the movie, a little over 20 minutes into it. Which means the rest of the time is dedicated to their attempts at trying to make the other move out of the condo they live in. This is such a miserable movie to watch mainly because not only do you know they won't get back together, you really just want the movie to end. The movie might've been better (if not at least slightly more tolerable) if it had waited longer for the two to break-up. All we really see of them before the breakup is them meeting at Wrigley Field (in probably one of the more weirder meet-cutes in recent record) and...a bunch of photos of them together over the opening credits, before the set up to their breakup. The vagueness of their happy relationship means that we never really get to care about the fact they break up. Seeing them bicker (And trying to get back at each other) is more tedious than mean-spirited, and while Vaughn and Aniston are at least passable leads, they can't save a movie that makes them feel so under developed, with only the latter seeming remotely close to being likable, and the latter barely edging towards likability near the end. The supporting cast isn't much better, barely ranging an emotional response from me that wasn't just a dejected sigh, save for D'Onofrio, who manages to be one of the only really interesting (if not weird) characters in an otherwise boring flick. Ulimately, everything seems so forced, and consequently I couldn't find myself to care about anything that goes on during the movie. The ending in which the two meet up a few months (or whenever) later and exchange pleasantries and regrets (compounded with a smile) just feels forced and (mercifully) is the final scene in an otherwise dreary movie that is neither memorable nor interesting. It is sometimes funny, but not enough to carry a movie.

But hey, at least it isn't Four Christmases.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Review #788: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Cast
Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne / Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman / Clark Kent), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth), Holly Hunter (Senator Finch), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince / Wonder Woman), Scoot McNairy (Wallace Keefe), Tao Okamoto (Mercy Graves), Ray Fisher (Victor Stone / Cyborg), Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry / Aquaman), and Ezra Miller (Barry Allen / The Flash) Directed by Zack Snyder.

Review
The idea of a movie with Batman and Superman facing off against each other is not a new concept (in fact, a script had been written back in 2002, though naturally that idea did not come to fruition), but in theory the concept shouldn't work, considering that Superman is....well, Superman. But of course this is not a movie about a face-off, it's a movie that attempts to establish other DC superheroes (such as Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, the Flash) which I do applaud in the sense that the DC movie universe has had very little success with franchises not named Batman or Superman, with their biggest problem being that it took them this long to even put these characters to screen. But does it make sense to include numerous heroes in the same movie?

The answer to all the questions (including the unasked one of if it is actually any good) is a no. And yet, it works for April Fools Day because of the fact that I was laughing at it. It was the only way that I kept myself sane for a movie that has the nerve to be 151 minutes long and manage to feel even longer (apparently there is even a 3 hour edition, because I guess home media releases will really need it). When I said "establish" other superheroes, I did not mean a conventional way of say, having the heroes we know (like Batman and Superman) encounter them (save for Wonder Woman, who is in the movie for about 20-25 minutes)...but instead have them introduced to us via video files. The fact that the movie really doesn't do a great job in actually giving us a glimpse into heroes not named Superman and Batman is troubling, but not exactly the biggest sin in this movie.

The movie starts out with (spoiler alert for anyone who's never heard of Batman's origins - which would be no one) the death of Bruce Wayne's parents (with some inspiration taken from The Dark Knight Returns, which I had read earlier in the week), but honestly there's no point to the scene because that (plus the scene with the bats) is completely unnecessary. The acting in the movie ranges from passable to deserving of mocking. Affleck is pretty decent, and it is nice to see an older Batman for once (unnecessary opening scene non-withstanding), but not even he can save a movie that can't keep focus. The plot feels very ham-fisted together, with events happening and going without any real definition. The dream sequences are especially jarring, mainly because they don't really gel well, only seeming to make the movie feel even longer. Saying the words "Jesse Eisenberg playing Lex Luthor" does seem a bit ridiculous, and his performance actually makes me wish I was watching Robert Vaughn in Superman III. He never seems evil, coming off more as a Willy Wonka reject, and he just gets on your nerves after a while.

Batman and Superman do indeed fight...for maybe 10-15 minutes. Naturally, it's a one sided fight (that is predictable if one saw the trailers beforehand), and while I will admit that it is a decent fight...it ends in the most idiotic of ways. It isn't a spoiler to mention that both of the heroes' mothers have the same first name of Martha. Yes, that is actually the word that essentially stops their conflict. Not an epiphany, not a third party hero, a coincidence that someone probably figured out when reading Wikipedia articles on Batman and Superman. It's weird how one can make a movie that feels so detached from reality (compared to other, better comic book movies); even scenes where cities are being totaled don't really evoke any feelings. The final fight in the movie (with Doomsday, who also was spoiled in the trailer, and manages to look really ridiculous) is a jumbled mess, but at least Wonder Woman is finally given something to do, like fight, for one thing.

The movie feels so bloated and so untrained that it made me laugh (albeit in a sad way); the fact that I saw it in a half empty theater is also a bit sad, but the fact that Marvel not only had a head start on making a movie universe, they also seemed to be the only one who can properly set a timetable on what to do. Even though the movie is bound to be a moneymaker, not even money can hide the sad fact that this movie just does not work. I understand if people like the movie (grim-dark is admittedly entertaining, and I did like reading The Dark Knight Returns), but for me the movie was only really enjoyable when I laughed to myself about it.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Redux - Special Edition: Return of the Jedi.

Review #115: Return of the Jedi.

Cast
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), David Prowse (Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), Sebastian Shaw (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (The Emperor), Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Frank Oz (Yoda), Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles), and Timothy M. Rose (Admiral Ackbar, Sy Snootles and Salacious Crumb) Directed by Richard Marquand.

Review
In my original review (#115 - April 1, 2012), I had given the movie a 9/10 rating, and while I stand by the rating, I regretted not saying more about the movie, with regards to the characters, action and effects. Because of this, I decided to finally make a Redux - Special Edition (which I had done for A Christmas Story, Halloween, Licence to Kill, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service). 

Now, with May 25, 2023 on the horizon, it is time for a bit more editing. Don't worry, it's just the addition and subtraction of certain sentences to give better clarity. Enjoy.

Decades after its release, Return of the Jedi always seems to be lumped in as the lesser of the three films of the so-called Star Wars Original Trilogy. On an emotional level, the movie is a bit too safe, particularly with the ending. Granted, The Empire Strikes Back is a tough act to follow, because that film basically saw the series grow up a bit when it came to the stakes being even higher in terms of space opera while separating its characters into neatly defined plots. I maintain of course that the original 1977 film is the one with the most punch in terms of "first-time joy", but with Return of the Jedi, it does have the benefit of closing its door of a story not one of simple rebellion, but of one with father and son. Howard Kazanjian replaced Gary Kurtz as producer. The director would be Richard Marquand, who had directed The Legacy (1978), Birth of the Beatles (1979), and Eye of the Needle (1981), with the latter being cited by Lucas as key to hiring. This time around, Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas wrote the screenplay with Lucas providing the story (Kasdan used tape transcripts of him, Lucas, Marquand, and Kazanjian in conference discussing ideas to help make the script). The film was a tremendous success, although for Marquand, having to direct with Lucas looming on set frequently when it came to handling effects certainly must have been a challenge. Marquand directed three further films after Jedi before his death in 1987 at the age of 49 following a stroke. 

Of all the cast in the movie, the one actor with the most impact is the one with little screen time and only 24 words, Sebastian Shaw, who manages to evoke the dying words of a redeemed but withered man with such little time and be one of the more memorable aspects of the film. The Emperor, after being seen briefly in Empire Strikes Back (voiced by Clive Revill in 1980 but replaced by Ian McDiarmid with computer-generated imagery for the 2004 alteration), is given his time to showcase his power over the Empire and Vader himself. McDiarmid plays this master of deception with an unsettling tone of voice that makes the villain more than just a hammy bad guy, compelling even without much revealed about him (until the prequels, anyway, which let him play a double act). Hamill's best scenes are with McDiarmid & Jones, and they make for compelling entertainment, with the lightsaber duel being a key highlight. While the trio of Hamill, Ford & Fisher doesn't really cover any new ground, it is nice to see them again. It's interesting that Ford wanted his character to die as a "self-sacrifice" for a character that progressed from a rogue who didn't particularly care about the Rebellion (while caring mostly about himself) all those years ago to one who decides to die for his friends; Kazanjian had got Ford to return to the role and actually agreed with Ford's suggestion to kill the character off, but Lucas refused. The reveal of Leia being Luke's sister isn't a bad scene, but after everything the two characters had gone through (such as the kiss in Empire to make Han jealous - at least I hope so), it comes off as somewhat strange, especially with Leia stating that she apparently always knew. Circle of life and all. The movie ends with everyone happy (complete with celebratory music in both the original and Special Editions), but does an Empire truly end just because you take down the leader? By this point, Lucas wanted to end the trilogy and curtail any plans he (supposedly) had for Episodes VII-IX and just end it, even if it wasn't as poignant as it could've been. My thoughts on the film have shifted the tiniest bit when it came to the Ewok battle on Endor, since a group of teddy bears that believed a golden robot was a deity manage to take down Empire soldiers with logs and...overpowering them seems more and more amusing when considering the idea of a technological empire losing to a primitive tribe was evidently Lucas deciding to evoke the Vietnam War. Hell, he calls the Ewok sequences a "distraction", not a win, so keep that in mind. The opening rescue sequence on Tatooine with the loathsome Jabba the Hutt is a delightful way to spring adventure from the get go.

Of course, the space dogfight is as fun as ever, probably more so when considering how the series would do them in later years (to say nothing of the Special Editions, which are most apparent here, from the ridiculous song in the first half to the ending); Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston and Phil Tippett were each given a Special Achievement Academy Award for their work in the film in effects. Once again, the music by John Williams is excellent, being entertaining (any of the themes from the Battle of Endor, with one of my favorites being "Into The Trap", but "Emperor's Throne Room" is also a chilling brilliant one). For all I said about how it seems too safe at times, Return of the Jedi an enjoyable film, full of spectacle that has enough fun to mostly overcome its emotional shortcomings. Is it slicked in more commercial flavor than the other two? Sure, but it still an enjoyable adventure, one that showed what is fun about making space adventure that turns old cliches into new enjoyment for all to see.

32 years later, Star Wars: The Force Awakens bridged its continuation to the old and new generations of fans, doing a fine job as a beginning of a new trilogy. Time will tell how the new trilogy (and spin-off films) will go, but as someone who saw Episode VII on opening day and enjoyed himself, I sure can't wait.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.