Written by Jambareeqi

Posted 2nd May, 2018

Wealthy tycoon Sly Baron is letting the public venture on his extravagant space ship, inviting experienced astronauts, celebrities, and contest winners Mystery Inc. Once in space, the ship starts breaking down, and everyone ends up staying in a resort on the moon. However, things get spooky, when the crew suspect that an alien is behind the spaceship’s malfunctioning!

This film opens up a bit too fast, diving straight into the space launch after the opening titles, skipping over the contest or training, and expecting everyone to just jump in to the story from this point. Then, when the film gets going, the pacing suddenly slows down, and we’re given filler & banter between the crew as we wait for alien attacks to happen. This sloppy pacing makes the narrative feel like it’s an episode of the show that’s been stretched into a feature, mainly because it fails to prove that it has enough material to carry an 80 minute production.

I had a mixed reaction to this film’s comedy, as it’s like it bounces up and down in quality as it goes along. It’s sometimes painfully bad, often either hanging too long on an awkward pause for laughs, or repeating the same stale gags again and again. Yet, in spite of this, the film still got a big chuckle out of me at points, thanks to it’s hilarious quirky supporting characters; like the deluded alien hunter Ridley, singing football star Uboat,  gruff spacemen Colt & Zip, and bonkers scientist Hudson. Sure, some of the other supporting characters were flat, like an annoying sleazy news reporter, the self absorbed Sly Baron who has the single gag of being vain, and a robot with the one joke that he’s not funny, but I did laugh loudly at the others.

Mystery Inc themselves are a mixed bag, Shaggy and Scooby are their usual goofy lovable selves, and even surprisingly play immensely active roles in the final climax, but the others? Velma is constantly bitter about Daphne scoring higher than her on the training test (although, this does shed a sympathetic light on her later on), Daphne is portrayed as an obnoxious valley girl who won’t shut up about her hair (yet the film guilts Velma for underestimating Daphne’s intelligence, kidding me?), and Fred is at his most insufferable as an idiotic fanboy gushing over the famous astronauts. Sure, I loved Shag and Scoobs eating food or having fun on the moon, but I couldn’t stand spending time with the others, and didn’t find their one joke character subplots to be funny in the slightest.

The best thing about Moon Monster Madness though? Even though it has little to work with from the script, there’s a great cinematic presentation for the film; giving us lush shiny sci-fi backgrounds that help give a unique futuristic vision to the adventure, while also relying on darkly fluorescent lighting to create tense atmospheres around the ship and resort. The music score is also surprisingly theatrical for a straight to video animated film, using bombastic orchestra or creepy ambiance to fit the movie’s themes of space travel and alien terror.

What about the mystery? An important aspect of any Scooby Doo story! Well, the alien itself is quite uninspired, being a clear knock off of the Xenomorph, but I guess younger audiences won’t notice this, and where else will we see “Alien Vs. Scooby Doo”? Haha! To avoid spoilers, I won’t say what’s really going on, but it’s a twist that is foreshadowed a tad on the nose at the start, as we get another Scooby Doo villain who is far from subtle about putting on an act; however, i’ll give credit where it’s due, and admit that their evil plan was very cleverly put together and made sense for the character.

To conclude, Scooby Doo! Moon Monster Madness suffers from some pretty boring storytelling, turns our heroes into annoying or vindictive stars, gives us lots of painfully unfunny jokes that try TOO hard to score laughs, plus even ends on a weird moral that you shouldn’t need to be an experienced astronaut to go into space, average people are entitled to board a ship just because they want to, and anyone who gets in their way is a big meanie (erm, what?…)

However, I have to admire the grand science fiction backgrounds, clever use of atmosphere, and wonderfully constructed music score. Not to mention, many of the supporting characters are a blast, all bringing the best humor in the film through their sheer wackiness or witty dry sarcasm. It’s a mixed bag, I wouldn’t watch it again, but I respect the things that work about it.

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Written by Jambareeqi

Posted 27th April 2018

Steve Rogers is a scrawny young man with a desire to join the army, but his constant attempts to enter are consistently denied, but all that changes, when he’s picked to be the guinea pig for an exciting “Super Soldier” experiment, and undergoes a scientific transformation. At first, the military don’t know what to do with him, except make him serve as the mascot of a propaganda campaign, until he decides to prove himself as a soldier, by personally taking on the threat of a cult called “The Hydra”, and defeat it’s leader Johann Schmidt – who is using the legendary Tesseract of the Norse Gods, to create powerful weapons.

The story for this film is far from anything special, your typical underdog trying convince his stuffy peers that he’s a worthwhile hero, as a a dangerous villain attempts to dominate the world; it’s a staple of Hollywood film formulas. Not helping the unoriginal narrative, is the pacing,  as the film takes it’s sweet time to get to Steve donning the suit for super hero purposes, something that doesn’t happen until half way through this two hour movie. Yes, until then, we get a glimpse into the industry of American wartime  propoganda, but the film doesn’t seem that interested in exploring behind the curtains of the Cap’s heavily staged campaign.

However, the 1940’s inspired aesthetics, help to set the film apart from other MCU entries, and give the story some period charm. Not to mention, the inclusion of fantasy science, does provide the movie with a chance to blend Norse mythology with cyberpunk technology, and this makes for some inventive action sequences that pit the physically strong Steve against Schmidt’s explosive laser weapons. I also can’t get enough of how Steve uses his Vibranium shield to his advantage too, whether he’s knocking enemies down from trees, or using it for defence against dangerous fires.

Like many Marvel Cinematic Universe films, it’s our hero that holds the movie together, with Steve Rogers’ Captain America. I don’t think I actually truly appreciated Steve as a character until seeing this film, as his origin story shows his Patriotic roots, and how he was burning with a desire to protect people even as a skinny weakling. I can’t help but feel inspired by this character, he is relentless in his ambitions to defeat evil, and his morals are movingly honorable.

The Cap also gets his own romance, in the form of Agent Carter, a high ranking military officer who is one of the rare people to see hope in Steve, and believes that his newfound physical enhancement can be put to good use. Although, she’s no token female love interest, she’s a woman who has worked hard to reach her rank, with no fear about putting her male colleagues in line, and that includes Steve.

The romance between Peggy and Steve is kind of adorable, thanks to it’s old fashioned innocence, and there’s some cute playful chemistry between them through analogy of dance. I also like how this romance doesn’t dominate the film, serving as a tense subplot for the most part, as the movie lets these two be their own characters, before letting the two express anything directly.

But Peggy isn’t the only special person in Steve’s life, as his close soldier friend Bucky, is also important to him. Bucky has an affectionate friendship with Steve, one that’s full of loving protection towards eachother, as well as honest truthfulness when giving advice. Having being already spoiled by where things go between them in future installments, I’m curious to see their story progress, and wonder how it’ll eventually lead to the events in “Civil War”.

Then we have our villain, *long exhausted yawn*, who is your tired old scary faced bad guy who wants to take over the world, and become the most powerful force against humankind. Yes, you can make a contrast between Steve and Red Skull, as Schmidt is the result of the same experiment, but he disfigured into a monster, and is using his gift for evil; although that doesn’t make him any less boring as an antagonist. Hugo Weaving is renowned for bringing creepy villains to life, and while he really sells the red skinned sinister make up, not even he can add any kind of unique charisma to this flatly written baddie.

To conclude, “Captain America: The First Avenger” is an action packed war movie about the simple tale of an under-appreciated good guy fighting evil, but it’s interesting seeing fantasy science being brought into this era, Agent Carter shows promise as a heroine in the MCU franchise, and Steve Rogers makes for an inspiring patriotic hero. It’s certainly a film that’s helped me further admire the appeal of the Cap, but I wouldn’t say it’s a remarkable Hollywood movie, because it doesn’t have very imaginative ambitions as a story.

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Written by Jambareeqi 

Posted 23rd April, 2018

WARNING: The Following review contains spoilers.

Tony Stark is a wealthy tech savvy tycoon who proudly runs his father’s weapons company “Stark Industries”, but when he discovers that his weapons are being used by terrorists, he decides to shift his company’s directions, and builds himself a metal suit to help him take down criminals. This change in motives for Stark, ruffles the feathers of his business partner Obadiah Stane, who fears for the financial state of Stark Industries.

Let’s not beat around the bush, the strength of this film IS Robert Downey Jnr’s Tony Stark, he carries the movie with his natural charisma, bringing both dramatic pathos and comic wit to the role. Stark is a man who starts out as an egocentric narcissist, but his experiences witnessing evil using his technology, opens his eyes and helps him to develop a greater responsibility. I believe in his heartbreak and guilt, when he sees that his well meaning efforts to protect America, have been exploited by crooks who have no empathy for humankind.

When donning the suit, Tony becomes a beacon of justice and a badass action star, the kind of hero that victims of terrorism need at a time of despair. It’s also great to see a hero that’s super smart and educated on technology, because he can not only continue to update his powers, but also use his engineering knowledge to recover from tight predicaments, and I have to praise any kind of hero that empowers the gift of intellectualism.

Behind his cheeky one liners though, Stark is clearly a lonely man, after years of putting himself before more sentimental connections, and he even tries to compensate for this by adding personalities to his machines. Although, there’s potential for more human companionship, in the form of Stark’s assistant Pepper Potts, a woman with a professional commitment to her job, and a determination to deliver on Tony’s frequent demands. Although, as loyal as she is, she will stand her ground if Tony goes too far, or a client pushes her buttons,  and she even plays valuable roles in uncovering a conspiracy; so she’s not simply just a shy serious secretary.

Deep down, Tony and Pepper are harboring affectionate feelings towards eachother, but it can’t be taken advantage of, because of Stark’s reputation as a womanizer, and Potts rightfully doesn’t want to people to get the wrong impression about her. Although, there’s a spark there, something sizzling that comes close to igniting a firey boom, but like I said, Pepper has her courteous reputation to look out for. I like that this relationship is on the fence, dangling between naughty office tension and stern line drawing, never truly concluding; because it opens up room for romantic development in sequels, and prevents this love story from feeling too fast.

The only aspect of the film that unfortunately lets it down, has to be it’s villain, a criticism that’s been made towards many MCU movies for years. You see, it turns out that Obadiah is heading this whole terrorist conspiracy, meaning that he’s been the villain all along, and ends up becoming Tony’s enemy once his secret is out. Don’t get me wrong, Obadiah brings some fun action and creepy tension to later scenes, but as a bad guy? Come on, he’s just a generic war hungry businessman who drearily monologues his evil plans, and I am 100% certain I’ll forget he’s even part of this franchise by my next marvel movie review. Not even the usually charismatic Jeff Bridges can bring any kind of flavour to this toothless bland role, which is REALLY saying something!

To Conclude, Iron Man is a great popcorn movie starring an actor in a return to form, that explores moral responsibility for wealthy businesses, while also giving us kickass action backed with awesome classic rock music, and teasing us with a cute office romance that’s brimming with chemistry. However, it’s weak spot, as with many MCU films, is it’s dull as dishwater bad guy, who follows this recent trend of last minute twist threats we see in films lately, and is played by a wasted talent who doesn’t bring much to the table.

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Written by Jambareeqi 

Posted 17th April, 2018

WARNING: The Following review contains spoilers.

In this film, Peter Parker must balance his new life as super hero Spider-Man, alongside his commitments as a student, all the while Iron Man’s Tony Stark keeps an eye on him. Peter becomes bored of doing local good deeds, desires a more exciting mission, and begins to investigate a weapons smuggling crime being run by the super villain “The Vulture”. The problem is, Stark underestimates Parker’s abilities, insisting that he stays away from the Vulture, but Parker wants to prove himself.

One major criticism that folks have had against the MCU’s take on Spider-Man, is that he’s too juvenile and youthful, but even as someone who has barely read the original comics, I know that’s the whole point of Spider-Man. Peter Parker is a deconstruction of the super hero sidekick trope, a realistically flawed teenage hero designed to be more relatable to adolescent readers, so I’m not surprised or annoyed at Marvel Studios’ portrayal of the web-slinger.

This film’s Peter Parker is socially awkward, clumsy, and struggling to find himself. There’s a charm to his dorkiness that I can relate to, more so than most super heroes, as a baby faced nerd who is still trying to work my life out, and that’s a credit to this Spider-Man’s appeal. Parker is a good intelligent kid with clever instincts, but he’s not some perfect super genius, he’s a massive clutz with a big ego, and he has some growing up to do. It’s his coming of age arc from immature boy playing super hero, to a man who deserves to wear the suit, that gives the story it’s sense of growth.

Peter’s frantic immaturity does make the narrative uneven at times, but it kind of works, because it helps to reflect the teen’s lack of confidence and hormonal confusion. When the plot derails, it fits the childish egocentricity that Peter is leading in life, illustrating the lesson he must learn, to become a person of self value who warrants the mature responsibility of Spider-Man, and maybe the potential to become an Avenger.

Tony Stark is his usual fire tongued self, but this time, he’s playing father figure to young Peter. Sure, he knows how to lay the ground in this parental role, but he acts like Peter is younger than he really is, and it’s this treatment that drives Peter to rebel. I really enjoyed seeing Tony in a position of raising a kid, because it shows a more mature side to him, but also exposes how he’s not quite up to the task, and must learn to not patronisingly baby his protegee.

While the film does have lots of fun action sequences, from an intense Washington monument rescue, to a showdown on a ferry, it’s the high school comedy that gives the film it’s heart. There’s a very obvious influence from the late John Hughes on this film, with it’s references to “Ferris Bueller” or “The Breakfast Club” ringing in many scenes, and I’ll admit that the movie does wonderfully recapture the magic of a Hughes teen comedy! Through it’s dry quick witted banter between students, and quirky scenarios that teenage audiences will resonate with.

Then we have Peter’s school life, where he exhibits great knowledge, but lacks the seriousness needed to excel in the real world. His best friend Ned, who just boarders on the edge of being annoying, looks at his super hero pal with an endearing admiration, but even though he can get carried away with this nerdy fanboyism, he serves as a voice of reason for Peter, as one of the only people to know Spider-Man’s real identity, and even makes helpful contributions to Peter’s self-assigned mission.

Another person in Pete’s school life, is his love interest Liz, a high achieving senior student, with a determination to excel at school. Liz and Peter share some strong chemistry, for teen romance standards, and I did want to see them become more than friends, but I wouldn’t say that Liz was a remarkable character. Sure, Liz is a hard working and thoughtful girl, but she’s pretty much relegated to being the token love interest, and very little more.

Here’s the surprise twist though, that makes the romance very tense, it turns out that the Vulture is Liz’s father Adrian! This adds some much awkward intensity to the hero-villain dynamic later into the film, because Peter has a duty to protect the city from this dangerous weapons smuggler, but he also needs to keep Adrian protected, knowing full well how important this man is to Liz. It makes things excitingly complicated, exploring a different angle to the relationship between hero and bad guy.

The Vulture himself, is one of those rare Marvel villains with actual defined dimension, because he’s more than just an antagonist bent on world domination, he’s a working class guy who wants to look after his family, and thinks that this justifies his crimes. He’s  very humanized, making him more identifiable than your usual super villain, and that’s something audiences can really resonate with about him. He also poses as a threatening presence on screen, in or out of his mechanical winged suit, because he’s alarmingly bad tempered, and even willing to kill his minions if they threaten to rat him out.

To Conclude, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is a change of pace from seeing musclebound middle aged adults stopping the doomsday or supernatural threats, bringing the super hero formula to the teenage demographic, with the charm and relatability of a John Hughes comedy from the 80’s. Does it have flaws? Of course! But some of these blemishes give personality to the film’s tale of the teenage experience, and I consider this film to be one of my “cheer up” movies.

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Written by Jambareeqi

Posted 11th April, 2018

Thor is a God Prince of the majestic world of Asgard, with the throne in his sight, but his father, King Odin, doubts his son’s maturity. After Thor carelessly puts his race in danger through his own arrogance, Odin punishes the prince by banishing him to Earth, and bans him from using his powers until he is worthy.

Once on Earth, Thor meets a scientist called Jane Foster, who wants to learn more about Thor’s world, but the Prince is more focused on getting back to where he came from. Meanwhile, Odin becomes bed ridden, and his other son Loki takes over the kingdom, but the mischievous Loki has dark plans.

On paper, the premise for this film sounds like a recipe for another “Masters of the Universe”, with it’s tale of an otherworldly warrior being transported to modern America; but while the film isn’t super sophisticated or noteworthy, it’s at least more mature than most films that use this concept. Yes, there’s culture shock jokes here and there, but not to the point where it becomes obnoxious, and the “Thor doesn’t understand Earth customs” gags are surprisingly funny.

For someone who watched “The Avengers” before this film, I actually got a lot out of it, because it became a prequel in my eyes, and I could finally learn about the backstories for certain things I saw in “The Avengers”. I enjoyed discovering new details (well, new to me), from Loki’s adoption to Thor’s origins as a super hero. I particularly liked seeing Loki trying to pull off the good guy act, before taking over the Kingdom, because it’s interesting watching him attempting to keep reserved, when I’m so used to Hiddleston hamming up the role.

The Choice of Kenneth Branagh as director was a smart move, because the story calls for a Shakespearean sense of storytelling! Branagh approaches the material with a very theatrical eye, doing a great job capturing the beauty of Asgard, and finding the right level of melodrama for the cast to pull off; although, he does have a distinct affinity for dutch angles, a shot technique that he overindulges in a tad bit too much sometimes.

If anything, it’s Chris Hemsworth that holds this film together through his sheer charisma, he nails Thor’s cocky nature, but also wonderfully pulls off his more vulnerable side, and gives the character so much endearing charm. Some of the jokes could have been corny or flat in the wrong hands, but Hemsworth brings a great sense of comic timing to them, making sure gags hit the right beats, and knowing WHY Thor is reacting to some Earth things in quirky ways.

Watching Thor being stripped of everything he’s been privileged to, makes for a really appealing arc, as we watch him grow into a more humble man, and he trades arrogance for compassion. It’s fantastic to know that he’ll be rewarded for changing his values as a person, because it means we can end up rooting for his self-improvement, and we look forward to finding how Thor will prove himself worthy of his powers.

Most super hero origin stories involve a mutation, a special gift, or tragic influence, but Thor is one of the Marvel heroes who has to work hard for his powers, and I love that! It makes for a more personal journey, one of redemption.

Thor also develops an attraction towards Jane, because she’s a strong willed and intelligent woman with a passion for understanding his home. Luckily for the big guy, Jane returns those feelings, never being exactly subtle about having the hots for him haha! I really liked these two together, they showcased some very believable chemistry, and clearly look really into each other.

To Conclude, “Thor” may not be that exceptional as a film, playing things safe and simple, with it’s cliche premise of transporting a fantasy character into modern America, but it has a fun title character, strong romantic undertones, and some very funny comedic moments. It’s Hemsworth’s acting that really makes most of it work, but credit should also be given to everyone else for handling the film with affectionate commitment.

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Written by Jambareeqi

Posted 9th April, 2018

When skilled neurosurgeon Dr. Steven Strange ends up in a car crash, he’s left with shaky hands, which makes him job impossible, and he struggles to find his new purpose. However, he learns of a secret society that teaches a powerful magic, a sorcery that could cure his hands, so he ventures to it’s leading teacher “The Ancient One”, and begins learning how to harness these fantastical reality bending powers.

Although, this leads him to being stuck in the middle of a war, as a former student of the ancient one called Kaecilius,wants to unleash a dark force called Dormammu, an inter-dimensional entity bent on destroying Earth. So, Steven must ask himself, should he join this fight? Or use his new gift of sorcery to fix his current life?

On a visual level, this film is incredibly arresting, bursting with wild inspiration, and supported by some stupendously amazing 3D CGI effects. The way the film embraces the creativity that comes with Steve’s powers is awesome, never holding back on what feats he can achieve as a wizard, and it’s this mind blowing creativity that serves as the movie’s biggest strength. It’s a bountiful parade of surreal and absurd cinematics, with the only limit being the director’s own imagination.

But the film isn’t all eye candy, as it dives into a realm of complex themes, including morality, death, magic, science, and disability. It’s great to see a super hero blockbuster film trying to delve into mature areas, as it explores the philosophy of so many subjects, openly dissecting the dimensions of life itself, and I respect it for doing these things. I did enjoy the conversations our characters shared, because there’s some fascinating debate going on between them, which made me ponder about the really interesting questions being posed, and I liked hearing the different points characters made.

Nothing is seen with a black and white point of view, characters are shown in variety of lights, our heroes are criticised for their mistakes or arrogance, and the film doesn’t shy away from going down dark roads. It’s this line of thought, that makes us wonder if our title hero will consider the path to evil, considering how attractive it is him, and the fact that the Ancient One has her own ethical blemishes.

This fleshes our protagonist into a deeper character, someone more human than your simple well meaning caped crusader. He even hears out Kaecilius, letting him explain his perspective, which becomes fascinatingly dark when we notice how this intrigues the doctor, but he still tries to counter argue the villain’s reasoning for murder.

Steven himself is a profusely egotistical man, a neurosurgeon who loves to toot his own horn, even when bragging isn’t called for at the time. Although, behind this self indulgence, is a man who genuinely cares about saving lives, someone who sees the great medical benefits of science, and discovers the same potential for sorcery.

What stands out the most about him though, is how he serves as an inspiration to the disabled! This is a guy who fights his condition, defies all possibilities, and uses his tragic setback as a chance to do greater things. I can imagine disabled audience members not only resonating with Steven, but also seeing him as a source of inspiration, a courageous hero to influence their spirits.

At the same time, as someone who has sometimes suffered from Thantophobia, I did sort of connect with the villain’s fear of death, as oddly grim as that may sound, but I couldn’t help seeing my own anxieties in his tearful eyes, and I wondered what kind of person I’d be if I had let my Thantophobia conquer me. That being said, Kaecilius isn’t the most interesting of bad guys, he has very little to do besides show off his sorcery, plus when it comes down to it, he’s just your typical ex-pupil turned evil anatagonist that we’ve seen time and time again (Kung Fu Panda, Star Wars, etc.)

The film’s heartfelt emotional core, is it’s romance between Steven and his hospital colleague Christine, who both share some adorable flirty chemistry when together. While Steven can be an asshole to her in the beginning, we can tell that there’s a kindred love between them, and he feels genuinely awful after hurting her. Christine herself is a skilled doctor, with a huge compassion for others, and you can tell that she’s got strong feelings for Steven, but isn’t hesitant to call him out on his arrogance.

It does still feel like most other Marvel films I’ve seen so far, the usual ingredients of watching a super hero learning to embrace his responsibilities, as a certain doomsday looms over the world, and he must be ready for the attack. Sure, it’s got more philosophical layers than most MCU blockbusters I’ve watched, but it’s still a showcase for speculator effects, with action being a dominating force for the narrative. While I enjoyed the film a lot, it’s not exactly new ground for the Studio, and I can’t imagine it standing out from their library of productions.

Before wrapping things up, I think I should address the elephant on the room, and talk about the casting of Tilda Swinton as “The Ancient One”. You see, this choice of thespian caused big controversy, as the character was originally an Asian man in the comic books, and so the casting decision was labeled as whitewashing.

Now, It must have been hard for director Scott Derrickson to adapt this character, as while he was of Asian descent, he was apparently a dated “Fu Manchu” stereotype, and bringing this caricature to the modern age would have been iffy. Derrickson did consider simply changing the Ancient One into an Asian woman, to distance them from being the offensive “Fu Manchu” trope, but then this would make her fit the equally cliche “Dragon Lady” category of racial stereotypes, and that would have opened up a whole other can of worms.

His solution was to change the character’s race entirely, as alterations are to expected for comic to film transitions, and while it is awesome to see a  woman in her 50’s being empowered in a Hollywood movie, it ended up completely erasing all Asian ethnicity from the original character. I can understand the outrage audiences & critics felt, considering that this casting sends a discouraging vibe to Asian-Americans, at a time when the community is struggling to find representation in mainstream US Cinema. I have a friend that’s an Asian-American actress, who is very vocal about Whitewashing in her country’s movies, and I can totally imagine her being angry at this (I even get the feeling that she’s brought it up before).

Surprisingly, Derrickson didn’t try to come up with any shallow excuses, he actually apologised for not realising the ramifications of casting Swinton in the part, going as far as taking personal responsibility for any negative repercussions, and I respect him for this. It’s a casting choice that will haunt Marvel Studios, but at the same time, it’s a chance for them to learn from their mistake. This isn’t political correctness gone riot, it’s simply learning to be consciously aware about how we represent ethnic minorities in Western cinema.

To conclude, “Doctor Strange” is an engaging action fantasy with a bombastic sense of imagination and trippy psychedelia, starring a relatable disabled hero with realistic flaws, but when it comes down to it, it’s more of the same thing from Marvel Studios, and I can imagine it boring some people who are tired of the same formula. It had the potential to be something strikingly different, as it’s willing to explore some very interesting philosophical topics, but the focus is still on telling an action packed super hero origin story about a looming doomsday.

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Written by Jambareeqi

Posted 2nd April, 2018

In “Black Panther”, a young prince called T’Challa, has been crowned the new King of the secretive African country of Wakanda, and he must live up to the throne. His first mission, is to retrieve a black market arms dealer named Klaue, who has been using Wakanda’s Vibranium to create dangerous weapons. Luckily, T’Challa has been gifted with the herb fueled powers of the Black panther, which gives him super strength, and the chance to suit up in a costume designed by his talented little sister.

This Movie has been hyped up to galactic proportions, from mainstream critics complimenting it to the high heavens, to box office numbers breaking new records for the movie industry, but does it live up to this celebrated praise? In my opinion, not really, but I still enjoyed the film, despite it not entirely blowing me away.

I love the Afro-Techno aesthetic that the film has going for it, it’s remarkably unique, building a world that blends African traditional roots with cyber punk futurism, it gives the movie a refreshingly original identity. We get to see how this world functions in great detail, as the film builds on this country’s culture, legacy, and technology. I really liked spending time in this gorgeous country, and appreciated learning about it’s inspired culture.

T’Challa himself is first introduced as a shy reserved young man, but as he experiences hardships that challenge his responsibility as King, while also exploring his feelings about his ancestors, he grows into a determined warrior that is worthy of leading his Kingdom. He has a compassion for those outside his country, which inspires him to maybe become the first King to expose Wakanda’s secrets, but should he? And at what cost? Humans who are suffering would appreciate Wakanda’s technology, but so would criminals or warmongers.

There’s also a powerful sentiment behind the movie’s sense of camaraderie, as family is seen as a strong value to T’Challa, but he also expands that affection to those loyal to royalty, and it makes for beautiful relationship building. T’Challa shares an adorable bond with his cheeky tech savvy little sister Shuri, expresses his upmost respect for his strong mother Queen Ramonda, greatly trusts his general Okoye, finds wisdom in the royal Shaman Zuri, plus exhibits some sizzling flirtatious chemistry with his former lover Nakia.

I ended up sharing T’Challa’s love for his friends & family, because these are such strong likable supporting characters, each one demonstrating a unique personality and passion for their culture. Whenever one of these loved ones came under threat, my heart would skip a beat, because I genuinely didn’t want harm or death to come to them, or see T’Challa face the grief of losing another person important to him.

Some of the other supporting characters outside Wakanda are great too! Andy Serkis steals the camera with his hammy performance as Klaue, using his strong sense of humour as a surprising force of intimidation, while American CIA Agent Everett K. Ross gets to be a witty dry comic relief for audiences to insert themselves into, but also contributes his many skills to Wakandan fight against a new threat.

So, why did the film not reach the hype in my eyes? Well, the story framing all these interesting things, is on the generic side, as it borrows well tread tropes from Hollywood blockbusters or the work of Shakespeare. The themes of royal family murder conspiracies, and a prince learning to live up to his legacy, are tired concepts in this modern age, and make for predictable storytelling beats.

What also hampers the narrative, is how everything plays out so slowly, to the point where the pacing comes off as kind of monotonous, and I wondered why the film was stalling on certain scenes for longer than it needed to. The movie really likes to linger on particular sequences, as it drags things out in a bid to heighten the drama or tension, but it just results in a film that fails to justify a 2 hour and 15 minute running time.

It’s not just that though, the film has a fascinatingly complex antagonist, who challenges the notion of villainy, because he sits on the fine line between potential hero and psychopathic mad man. While he is a dangerous man, we do kind of see where he is coming from, understand his motives, and even sympathise with him.

The complicated dimensions of his intentions and backstory, bring an intriguing challenge to our hero’s moral compass, making the whole hero-villain dynamic truly engaging. Can T’Challa bring himself to a fight this foe? He’s a threat to his Kingdom, but he could also be a valuable force of good too.

So, why is this a problem that further dowers the film? It sounds like a great compliment! Well, the villain I just described ISN’T Klaue, but a character who doesn’t show a strong relevance in the film until the climax, reserving his major contribution to the story until the final act, and thus rendering him criminally underused. He’s yet another bad guy who is saved for the end, because the movie wants to throw us off with a red herring, which undermines the real main antagonist’s room for development, what a shame!

To Conclude, “Black Panther” might have a generic slow paced narrative to work with, but it’s packed with strong likable characters, exciting action that combines cool technology with tribal combat, plus mature themes about responsibility and legacy. I enjoyed it fine, treasure the film’s celebration of African culture, and respect it’s cultural importance, but I wouldn’t say it’s an exercise in master storytelling.

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Written by Jambareeqi

Posted 27th March, 2018

In this Australian-Canadian horror fantasy, a mother called Emilia, who has lost her husband to a car crash, is trying to raise her disobedient son Samuel all by herself, while also committing to her job as a nurse. While her sister has her life together, Emilia struggles to bring up her strangely behaved son, and begins resenting the child.

One day, Samuel finds an odd pop-up book called “The Babadook” on his shelf, he asks Emilia to read it, the book warns of a dark entity called the Babadook, and it frightens Sam. Emilia gets rid of the book, only to be continued to be haunted by this creature, with the book even being restored at one point. Things get worse, when the Babadook finally appears, takes over Emilia’s already unhealthy mind, and goes after little Samuel.

I really like horror movies that set out to be more than a simple slasher story or exploitative torture porn, ones that have something deeper to them, and try to convey substance through layers of symbolism. “The Babadook” is one such film, as it’s actually less about the menacing title character, and more about a woman’s refusal to grieve over her deceased partner.

In fact, the Babadook doesn’t appear that frequently in the film, which not only builds up his disturbing presence, but also draws more attention to the more realistic plotline in the film, and thus making the film have more valuable complexities beyond being about a horror entity.

The film even throws us off sometimes, by implying that these strange things happening, are the result of Samuel simply being sick, when really, he’s the product of his mother’s cold apathetic way of dealing with her grief. However, Samuel ends up becoming the empowered hero of the film, thanks to his pure innocence and knack for building homemade weapons.

The Babadook clearly finds himself attracted to Emilia’s emotional restraint, possibly because it makes it easier to for him to possess her, and use her body to get to Samuel. He’s a figure of darkness that resembles Emilia’s stubborn denial about not being over her husband’s death, he makes his presence heard or implied throughout the film, and this keeps us in suspense about it’s eventual appearance.

When he does finally say hello, he has creepy insectoid features, the noises he makes sound familiar yet also twisted, his voice is otherworldly in nature, and his features are unnervingly hard to read in the dark. He’s meant to resemble a storybook villain, yet it’s like his author had no concern about how scary he’d be to kids, and this makes his book kind of sick to read.

It helps that this family’s house is really drab and dreary, from the old wallpaper, to the bland choices of paint colours, because it generates a moody atmosphere for horror scenes, while also reflecting the lethargic lifestyle that Emilia is leading. This is all heightened, when the home is juxtaposed against other locations, which are well lit and full of colour.

The movie is also cruel enough to play around with our perception of reality, because the director is a sadist who wants us to sweat in fear haha! The characters’ inability to stay asleep, leads to many scenes bouncing in and out of nightmares or flashbacks, while clips from the television are spliced in to create a dreamy atmosphere too.

I have to praise the excellent acting as well! Noah Wiseman is one of those rare child actors who can actually act, doing an ace job nailing the innocence and quirkiness of his character. Essie Davis is breathtaking as Emilia, realistically portraying a mother losing her mind, while also excelling in the scenes of possession, to help us believe that she’s a genuine threat to Samuel, and the Babadook is actually inside her.

To conclude, “The Babadook” is one of those rare horror films that’s actually scary, relying on atmospheric storytelling and mature symbolism, to convey a horror tale with more depth than a shallow jump scare fest. I can’t count how many times I froze up or scalded the film for freaking me out, it can get THAT disturbing.

It takes horror back to the genre’s hey day, by attaching real life suburban issues to a dark fantasy fable, and I can’t suggest it enough to my fellow horror fans. I’d even say that my review only covers a portion of the layers in this film, it has so many other themes to explore, that’s what makes it richer than your typical horror movie, and I’d love to let you all read into the film yourselves.

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