“The Color Purple” stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Released on December 25, 2023, the film follows a woman and her struggles living in the South during the 1900s. The film was directed by Blitz Bazawule, who also directed “The Burial of Kojo” and “Black Is King”. He’s also a rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. It is based on the stage musical of the same name and the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. Warner Brothers Discovery proved that victory is sweeter than chocolate regarding its solid opening weekend for “Wonka”. It also showcased that the movie musical genre is still alive and kicking like its choreography. Although, I can’t say the same for the studio’s struggling DC cinematic universe. Now, it’s looking to continue its harmonious streak with a musical surrounding the harsh reality of surviving the South in the 1900s. This is the latest adaptation of Alice Walker’s emotionally compelling novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg, who serves as one of the producers of the music-driven version, which hopes to provide a unique flavor to its timeless story. With that said, let’s see if this song-filled adaptation can sing its way to the top during the holiday season. The story follows Celie Harris (Barrino), a young woman living in the American South in the 1900s. Celie spends most of her life being abused by her ungrateful father but keeps her spirit strong thanks to her relationship with her young sister Nettie (Bailey). Things take an even more depressing turn when Celie is forced to marry a widower named Albert “Mister” Johnson (Domingo), who’s equally as abusive as her father. As the years pass, Celie endures many obstacles in an attempt to survive the dog-eat-dog world, involving domestic violence, racism, and sexism. It goes without saying that I hadn’t watched the 1985 adaptation of “The Color Purple” before seeing this version. It’s considered an unnerving but powerful classic, and I love most of Spielberg’s works. However, I just couldn’t find the right time to watch it before Bazawule’s musical version. So, you can say that this was my first experience with the popular source material. Regardless, I was excited to see “The Color Purple” due to the talented people involved in the acting and music departments, and I’m a sucker for movie musicals. However, I’m also curious about its combination of depressing themes and musical vibes. If you’ve seen the 1985 version, you’ll know that “The Color Purple” isn’t for the faint of heart, as it deals with abuse, violence, and trauma in the African American community. While rated PG-13, the movie will probably make you think twice before taking your young kids. But despite its problematic elements, the new version of “The Color Purple” offered a lighthearted approach to the subject matter yet retains the awful nature of how women were treated in the 1900s. The result is a magnificent and visually compelling adaptation that honors the source material’s themes and characters and provides a fresh yet familiar experience for both new and old generations. Packed with Southern musical flair and strong talent, the film delivered a thoughtful reflection of the timeless messages that don’t shy away from delighting its target audience. As someone who hasn’t watched the original version and heard bits and pieces of its disturbing content, I was genuinely surprised to see how well-balanced it was regarding its high-spiritedness and depressing tone. Usually, it can result in a film being too safe or preachy for its distressing and emotional moments. We got enough of that from the low-quality, faith-based films. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case in “The Color Purple,” which offered enough goodwill to coincide gracefully with its topic’s emotional beats. Like the novel and the 1985 version, 2023’s “The Color Purple” showcases Celie’s lifelong journey of finding hope, freedom, resilience, and love amid her traumatic childhood and toxic relationship with Albert. The word “purple” in the title represents those things, as well as independence, peace, and forgiveness. It’s possibly why the 1985 version was so timeless outside of its unnerving violence. It reminds people to hold onto faith and hope during the darkest hours of their lives, especially when someone treats them like garbage. Regarding its well-written screenplay by Marcus Gardley, the 2023 adaptation lived up to that difficult challenge without being a carbon copy of the original or the stage musical, thanks to the changes that worked well with the story and themes. Bazawule is no stranger to musical elements due to his involvement in Beyoncé’s “Black Is King, " which I enjoyed. However, it’s also his first time directing a narrative-driven movie instead of a feature-length music video, so a lot was riding on him as to whether he’s capable of tackling other projects as a filmmaker. Based on what I’ve seen from him, I think Bazawule might have a promising future ahead of him. Along with the mixture of lightheartedness and emotional drama, Bazawule provided a rapturous soul in the musical numbers and the humanity of the movie’s characters. His directorial style was a superb and emotionally charged visual grandeur that’s neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, especially the ending. Spoiler alert: I almost cried during that scene. More importantly, Bazawule knows how to keep the pacing consistent with some nifty editing choices despite the film being over two hours long. I’m not sure if it’ll be enough for him to win the Best Director award, but I do not doubt he deserves some recognition. In addition to Bazawule’s style, the movie boasts an incredible cast of talented actors and musicians from the African American community. Unsurprisingly, everyone put their heart and soul into their gripping performances, but only a few stood out. One of them is Fantasia Barrino, who makes her film debut as Celie. Fantasia is one of the artists-turned-stars who proved that their acting is as good as their singing. She’s absolutely magnificent as a woman driven by trauma and her struggle to become resilient against her abusers. The fact that she also played Celie in the stage version makes her performance all the more authentic and compelling. Taraji P. Henson was also stellar as the spicy yet angelic Shug Avery. Danielle Brooks, another actor who reprised her role from the stage musical, was another highlight, as she delivered the sass, joy, and heart into her career-best performance as Sofia. I would also credit Halle Bailey for her heartfelt portrayal of Nettie, only because she has a bright future as both a singer and an actress. With the adaptation taking several cues from the stage production, it’s unsurprising that it features several musical numbers involving people breaking into song and dancing their feet off. While some of them may feel like filler, the songs managed to find ways to be highly engaging, fun, and even profound. It’s got a mixture of long and short musical numbers that don’t feel drawn out or unnecessary. Each song has an appropriate length for me to admire the framework in Dan Laustsen’s cinematography, the costume designs, and the marvelous choreography. Whether they make you tap your feet with delight or provoke tears, the songs offer a Broadway-like, gospel-filled pizazz that’s instantly charismatic. Even the musical score by Kris Powers was an emotional delight. Overall, “The Color Purple” is a crowd-pleasing and heartfelt experience that offers many shades of movie musical greatness. It respects the emotional impact built from Alice Walker’s novel and Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation and introduces it to a new generation through its unique vision and heartfelt vibes. Thanks to its strong cast, Blitz Bazawule’s visual presentation, well-written screenplay, and superb soundtrack, the 2023 musical version is a dazzling treat that’ll make you see purple. It might be enough for me to check out the 1985 version someday, although I am still hesitant about its portrayal of violence, so we’ll see. I highly recommend this one to those who love the source material, whether from the 1985 film or the stage musical. A
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“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” stars Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman. Released on December 22, 2023, the film has Aquaman saving the world from an ancient power. The film was directed by James Wan, who also directed films such as “Saw,” “Insidious,” “The Conjuring,” “Furious 7”, and “Malignant.” It is a sequel to the 2018 film, “Aquaman”, also directed by Wan. It is also the fifteenth and final film in the DC Extended Universe. After a decade of controversies and misguided directions involving the actors and their beloved characters, we have officially reached the end of the DC Snyderverse era. While it is bittersweet for some fans of Snyder’s unfinished universe, it’s also for the best, considering the many problems that arose in the franchise financially and outside the installments. Fortunately, we have a seemingly solid way to honor this occasion: the return of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. Throughout the franchise, Momoa delivered a refreshing and entertaining take on DC’s aquatic ruler, making him one of the tolerable elements to come out of the divisive DC cinematic franchise. It even made Aquaman’s first solo adventure the most successful installment in the DC Extended Universe. So, it’s no surprise that Warner Brothers Discovery wanted to return to this underwater world for the franchise’s last hurrah before James Gunn remakes it from scratch. Does it deliver another fun aquatic adventure for the holiday season, or does it deserve to drown in the deepest part of the ocean? Let’s find out. The story takes place several years after the first film. Arthur Curry (Momoa) is now the king of Atlantis, protecting the peace between land and sea. He’s also a father to his newborn son Arthur Jr. after marrying Mera (Heard). Unfortunately, his new life is suddenly altered by the sudden return of mercenary David Kane (Abdul-Mateen II). Now known as Black Manta, David continues his quest for revenge by obtaining a cursed and powerful weapon called the Black Trident. With the Black Trident in his possession, Black Manta seeks to get back at Arthur for killing his father by destroying everything he holds dear to him, including his family. With both land and sea in danger once again, Arthur travels beyond his home to seek help from an unlikely ally, his half-brother Orm Marius (Wilson), who’s imprisoned for treason. Arthur and Orm must rekindle their sibling relationship to save their home before Black Manta unleashes a devastating threat from the mysterious lost kingdom. The first “Aquaman” movie wasn’t without its flaws, but I personally enjoyed it for Momoa’s performance and entertaining story. More importantly, it showcased James Wan’s impressive knack for displaying action scenes and visual designs. But, of course, it’s not without a few horror elements thrown in there that made him a household name in the genre. It’s doubtful it would be enough to convince Wan to create an original action movie, but you never know. That’s the only reason I was looking forward to the sequel. But of course, I tend to keep my expectations low regarding DC’s recent track record and Amber Heard being a disgrace to the Hollywood community. It also garnered some iffy reviews declaring it inferior to its predecessor. After watching it for myself, I can surprisingly see why. 2018’s “Aquaman” was a fun, albeit by-the-numbers, superhero adventure involving Arthur’s coming-of-age journey of becoming Atlantis’s ruler. “Lost Kingdom” continues that journey with Arthur facing the pressures of uniting land and sea together while struggling to live in both. It also throws in plenty of other things to make his new life as king even more complicated, including Black Manta’s revenge and reviving his estranged relationship with Orm. Oh, and don’t forget about an ancient evil seeking world dominance. That’s what every superhero movie needs to make the characters' lives a living hell. With these elements at its disposal, “Lost Kingdom” had an opportunity to provide a thrilling and heartfelt closure for the character and the DC Extended Universe, with Arthur learning the importance of leadership, unification, and brotherhood. Sadly, that isn’t the case. While it’s a fun watch in some places, the film struggled to turn the cinematic tides and keep itself from sinking faster than David Zaslav’s reputation. Instead of using these elements to provide a high-stakes story, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” resorts to being a bunch of ideas sewn together with regular tape. They only stick for a little bit before eventually falling apart minutes later. The big problem with this regarding its screenplay is that it has some neat ideas to empower Arthur’s growth further and deliver some enticing stakes, but it failed to find ways to stick with them. It focuses more on the characters saving the world from a powerful enemy, which is like any other superhero movie we’ve seen for the past fifty years. Of course, as long as it has several diverting moments involving the characters and scenarios, the formulaic plot would hardly matter for those looking for simple superhero entertainment. Unfortunately, it only had a couple of them, which is surprisingly less than I expected yet passable enough to entertain several followers of the genre. There’s also the fact that the charm, stakes, and humor weren’t as compelling as the first film, in my eyes. While it has one or two sequences that made me smile, the humor fell extremely short of overcoming its uneven tone and hit-and-miss dialogue. Considering that it’s written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, the same person who wrote James Wan’s “Conjuring” sequels and the first “Aquaman” film, this was a pretty big letdown. What are the diverting moments, you ask? Well, for starters, the sequel benefitted well from Jason Momoa as the aquatic superhero. Like its predecessor, “Lost Kingdom” managed to stay afloat due to Momoa’s charismatic presence. While it falls short of what he delivered in its predecessor, Momoa continues to prove himself to be a fitting choice to play Aquaman, which makes it all the sadder to see him as the character for the final time. Patrick Wilson also did pretty well as Orm, which is enough to make the movie’s brotherhood aspect mildly sweet compared to the underwhelming leadership aspect. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II made another decent effort to portray David Kane, the revenge-seeking mercenary. However, his role is pretty much the same as in the first movie: a second-rate villain promoted as the true antagonist’s sidekick. Dolph Lundgren gets more screen time in the sequel as Nereus, Mera’s father, more so than Amber Heard. The result is another serviceable effort from the “Rocky IV” actor. Another entertaining moment was James Wan's direction. As mentioned earlier, Wan is not only skilled with the horror elements but is also capable of directing the action choreography. “Lost Kingdom” is no different, with Wan envisioning the film’s comic-book-like violence with his signature framework and visual presentation. Some of its action sequences may not have captured the spark and thrills of its predecessor, but they’re passable enough for me to admire Wan’s technique behind the camera, especially the Aquaman vs. Black Manta scene in the third act. However, it’s not just the action scenes that make the presentation tolerable. It’s also the visual effects that bring the world of “Aquaman” to life. Regarding its world-building, “Lost Kingdom” delivered a visual wonder that expands the sea world in a serviceable way. It even has a South Pacific island that resembles Skull Island—a wasted potential for the filmmakers to include a King Kong cameo just for giggles. The visuals are far from perfect, especially the underwater hair effects, but they’re good enough to stand on their own. Overall, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” treads on too many familiar waters to swim past its muddled and uneven shortcomings. Like its predecessor, the superhero sequel is powered by Jason Momoa and filmmaker James Wan, who made their admirable intentions to entertain audiences hungry for straightforward superhero entertainment. Jason Momoa made his final run as the seaworthy meta-human count regarding his diverting performance, and his chemistry with Patrick Wilson was enough to make their brotherhood moments tolerable. As for James Wan, the filmmaker continued to shine as a confident director for the horror and action genres. Unfortunately, their talents were undoubtedly wasted on an underwhelming and jumbled series of similar tropes that lacked the charm, stakes, and heart of the first film. As its own thing, “Lost Kingdom” is a watchable yet messy comic-book-type movie for young fans of DC. However, when looking at it as the finale of the DC Extended Universe, the film is a disappointing and inconsequential chapter that’s more disheartening than rewarding. From its mediocre plot to the uneven tone and weak execution, this latest undersea adventure should’ve stayed lost along with some of the forgettable superhero movies of years past. Those who don’t care much about the story would find some enjoyment from “Lost Kingdom,” although not as much as they had with its predecessor. This wasn't the best way to close off this problematic superhero franchise, but what can you do? D+“Migration” stars Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Casper Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, and Danny DeVito. Released on December 22, 2023, the film has a family of ducks going on an adventure during their migration. The film was directed by Benjamin Renner, who also directed “Ernest & Celestine” and “The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales…”. We always wonder why ducks fly south for the winter. For all of us, it’s due to them migrating from the harsh cold weather. From Illumination’s perspective, they want to spend more time together as a family. After bringing the iconic plumber brothers to the big screen in April, Illumination is heading back to original movie territory with the studio’s latest family-friendly adventure filled with talking birds and road trip mishaps. Considering that the holiday season is about spending time with family, it’s fitting that the folks behind “Despicable Me” would release something like this during the Christmas weekend. After all, they released the “Sing” movies around the same time, which proved successful for their target audience. Was this film able to fly toward those similar heights regarding its quality? Let’s migrate and find out. The film centers on the Mallard family, who lives with the other mallards in the New England pond. However, the Mallards are different from the rest of the ducks due to Mack (Nanjiani), the anxious father, tending to keep his family safe from the outside world. However, that all changes when adventurous mother Pam (Banks) decides to show their children Dax (Jennings) and Gwen (Gazal) the world beyond the pond after hearing thrilling stories from a migrating duck family. Along with Uncle Dan (DeVito), the Mallards embark on a migrating family trip to Jamaica. Unfortunately, their “vacation” takes a heavy detour when the Mallards are forced to face countless dangers, including a chef seeking to make them his next cuisine. With the help of some new allies, including a pigeon named Chump (Awkwafina), the Mallards attempt to survive their migrating trip while facing trials that’ll bring them closer than ever. If you’ve been following Illumination’s film library as I have, you may have noticed that “Migration" is the first original project for the money-making company in seven years. The last time this happened was in 2016 with both “Secret Life of Pets” and “Sing” before they switched gears to make sequels and IP-based properties. So, it’s pretty much a big deal for Illumination regarding whether its audiences would prefer something new over another “Minions” movie. While I didn’t mind some of its follow-ups and IP adaptations, including “Super Mario Bros”, I prefer to see the animation company balance them with more original content to provide more variety in its library. “Migration” looked to be the start of that potential next step, especially since it has a director with two well-received animation projects under his belt. While it may not provide something special in its concept, the film offers just enough for Illumination to take that leap of opportunity. It bears repeating that if you watched the other Illumination movies, you’d know exactly what to expect from “Migration.” It’s a CGI cartoon that resembles something out of a Looney Tunes short, complete with adorable characters made to sell toys, charming scenarios, and even a heartfelt moment or two. However, the company often falls short of delivering something more than random gags and obnoxious noises when it comes to storytelling. “Minions: The Rise of Gru”, anyone? So far, “Despicable Me” and “Sing” are the only Illumination movies I’ve seen that handled the narrative and entertainment aspects effectively. “Migration” doesn’t quite soar as high as it wanted to regarding the former, but for the latter, it works as a harmlessly entertaining and sublimely gorgeous animated adventure that benefitted solely from Illumination’s strengths and weaknesses. The story in “Migration” is easily summed up as a family road trip comedy but with mallards. The characters get into crazy situations while traveling from point A to point B and rediscover what’s really important along the way. In this case, the film depicts Mack learning to overcome his fear of the unknown and reconnecting with his family, including Dax. It has the usual trappings we’ve seen numerous times in other road trip movies, but that doesn’t make this movie terrible. Yes, it’s simplistic and predictable. Yes, it holds itself back regarding its themes of fear and family, especially Mack and his lack of explanation for his phobia. But it’s also entertaining and heartfelt to keep young kids and adults distracted, even with its 83-minute runtime. It even has the usual brand of humor that Illumination is known for in its other projects, especially the slapstick and cartoonish expressions. Thankfully, it’s not as repetitive as the humor in the “Minions” movies. Instead, “Migration” uses it to carry the story’s weight, resulting in some amusingly delightful moments that are more endearing than ear-grating. Illumination also continues its tradition of providing all-star lineups in the company’s films. While some are there due to star power alone, the voice actors make their best intentions to play the studio's fictional characters. “Migration” is unsurprisingly no different, with Kumail Nanjiani leading the pack. Nanjiani has done some impressive work over the years, including “The Big Sick,” so it was nice to see him continue to find work in the film business. Of course, what better way to maintain his success than by voicing an overprotective cartoon duck? As usual, Nanjiani was delightfully entertaining regarding his performance as Mack. Elizabeth Banks and Awkwafina were also decent as Pam and Chump, respectively. However, the ones who stole most of the show were Danny DeVito as Uncle Dan and Tresi Gazal as Gwen, Mack and Pam’s daughter. These side characters had the potential to become the disastrous parts of the road trip regarding their personalities, but they wound up being the opposite. Whether it’s Dan’s curmudgeon attitude or Gwen’s young, innocent mind, these mallards put a duck-billed smile on my face every time they’re on screen. Finally, we have the animation. “Migration” was Benjamin Renner’s first attempt at directing a computer-animated feature film, as his previous projects were 2D animated. So, the filmmaker had plenty of challenges to accomplish regarding the standards of the format, mainly the ones from Illumination. Thankfully, the studio was kind enough to allow Renner to do his own thing compared to its previous works. Renner’s approach toward its formulaic story was hit-and-miss regarding his direction, but he easily compensated for it with the film’s gorgeous animation. Regarding the vibrant and lively backgrounds, expressive character designs, and cinematography, “Migration” is another example of Illumination’s admirable sense of beauty and liveliness in the colors and cartoonish vibes. The best uses of the movie’s animation are the flight sequences involving the Mallard family, especially their arrival to New York City. These scenes make me feel like I’m part of the action, almost akin to a 3D movie ride at a theme park or, in this case, a Universal Studios theme park. Better get that blueprint ready, Mr. Chris Meledandri. It may not be groundbreaking style-wise, but it shows that the regular CGI presentation may still have some gas left in its tank. Overall, “Migration” soars at a respectable height to provide a fun, feathery treat for families, even if it doesn’t fly above its traditional narrative clouds. It’s another movie from Illumination that benefitted from the studio’s pros and cons of animation storytelling, which will depend on your expectations. If you expect it to be the next “Despicable Me” narrative-wise, you may not get that from this movie. It offers a predictable yet delightfully diverting road trip plot that’s scared of leaving its comfort zone. However, if you’re looking for a fun, harmless, family-friendly movie that favors entertainment over substance, “Migration” delivers precisely that. With its delightful voice cast, humor, entertaining plot and messages, and stunning animation, the film makes a solid landing as another decent addition to Illumination’s flawed yet heavily charming lineup. B-“Poor Things” stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael. Released on December 8, 2023, the film has a revived Victorian woman embarking on a journey of self-discovery and liberation. The film was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also directed films such as “My Best Friend,” “The Lobster,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” and “The Favourite.” It is based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray. This year’s awards season is already heating up, with the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon continuing to take the world by storm with its amount of nominations. However, several critically acclaimed movies seek to spoil the thunders of Barbie girls and nuclear bombers. One of those films comes from the uniquely imaginative and bizarrely narrative mind of Yorgos Lanthimos. His latest feature is just as absurdly odd as one would expect from the filmmaker, as he puts a steampunk twist on a woman’s coming-of-age journey who happens to have the mind of a child. Since I enjoyed Lanthimos’s previous film, “The Favourite”, it would be fair that I go further down his darkly comedic rabbit hole in preparation for the upcoming awards shows next year. So, if you’re wondering why I saw this movie first instead of “Aquaman” or “Migration” over the Christmas weekend, that’s why. With that in mind, let’s dive into its Victorian steampunk wonderland and see if the movie is as weird as it is hilarious and thoughtful. The story takes place in an alternate steampunk version of Victorian London. It centers on a young woman named Bella (Stone), who was brought back to life by surgeon Dr. Godwin Baxter (Dafoe) after committing suicide following her pregnancy. However, Baxter resurrected Bella by swapping her brain for her living baby’s brain, resulting in her having an infant’s mind. After becoming the wife of Godwin's medical student, Max McCandles (Youssef), Bella becomes fascinated with being free. This resulted in her running off with a fancy lawyer named Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo). As Bella and Duncan embark on a sexy and bizarre journey across London, Bella explores life around her and discovers what it means to have free will. My first experience with the director’s presentation dates back to 2018 with his previous movie, “The Favourite”. While I didn’t love it as much as everyone else due to its sluggish pacing, I enjoyed it enough to see what Lanthimos was cooking next. I know he’s got other movies that are as weirdly compelling as his recent ones but don’t worry, I’ll get to them eventually. This brought me to “Poor Things”, which looked more interesting than the period black comedy starring Olivia Colman based on the marketing. But, of course, a unique concept always comes down to the execution and whether it’s suitable for audiences to watch a woman act like a six-year-old for two and a half hours. For the former, it’s a surreal and visually bonkers treat that’s also engagingly reflective in its themes. For the latter, it’ll depend on how much they can handle its risqué material. “Poor Things” is what happens when Tim Burton and Wes Anderson make an old-school science romance film together, with Lanthimos being in charge of the editing. The bizarre yet wonderfully vibrant Victorian steampunk settings have an oddball fairy-tale essence that only Burton knows how to conjure. The film also includes plenty of dry adult humor resembling those from Anderson’s works. But at its core, Yorgos Lanthimos takes complete control of its unique storytelling and visual presentation, and the result is just as weird, freakish, and sexy as one would expect from Lanthimos. However, that’s not the only reason I adored this subtly wacky cinematic art. It’s the artistic craft and refreshing perspective of its coming-of-age story that sells its weirdness. The film’s story depicts Bella’s quirky odyssey that leads her to discover herself and experience sexual desires, but that’s not all it has to offer. Underneath its series of bizarre and risqué encounters lies a reflection on the complexities of humanity through philosophy, socialism, classism, and pleasure. More importantly, it represents the meaning of free will, in which Bella learns to understand how she wants to be treated. Its feminist commentary can be pretty tricky to get right, especially when you have a main character who’s obsessed with sexual pleasure. But when the movie focused on providing a uniquely bizarre and hilariously compelling experience, “Poor Things” became more entertaining than I expected. However, it can also be concerning when half of the film’s runtime is spent on displaying graphic sex scenes. If you’re easily uncomfortable seeing people perform soft-porn acts, you probably might want to spend two and a half hours at a church instead. Besides the sex scenes, “Poor Things” delivered an effectively written, well-paced, and bizarrely sublime experience whose story and humor carry the weight of its cast and technical aspects. This is the latest collaboration between Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos, following “The Favourite”, and I remember liking Stone’s performance in that movie. After seeing “Poor Things”, I’m convinced they might be one of the best cinematic pairings I’ve seen. Emma Stone was equally charming and incredibly humorous, thanks to her award-worthy performance as Bella. Her portrayal of a wondrous child in a woman’s body was delightfully odd and fittingly deranged. Willem Dafoe was also marvelous as Godwin Baxter, and Mark Ruffalo’s performance as the ungrateful Duncan Wedderbum never ceased to amaze me. Duncan is a butthole, but Ruffalo knows how to portray one effectively. Ramy Youssef also did very well as Max, Bella’s fiancé. As for everything else, I feel that “Poor Things” may have a chance of sweeping most, if not all, of the technical awards, especially for its cinematography and production design. The Victorian settings have a colorful sense of awe and wonder that combines the steampunk-like essence with a Burton-esque flair. It’s a vibrant, London-like wonderland filled with adult themes and sex. Lots and lots of sex. The costume designs by Holly Waddington also did wonders in displaying its mixture of Victorian clothing with imaginative bizarreness. Finally, we have the movie’s musical score by Jerskin Fendrix. Unsurprisingly, the music fits the strangeness and punk-classicalness of the film’s characters and settings, and it’s impossible to resist. Overall, “Poor Things” is a fantastical and oddly compelling character-driven odyssey that’s anything but poor. Its graphic material may force specific people to cleanse their eyes with holy water. However, those willing to stomach these risqué sequences may find themselves with an astoundingly bizarre and subtly thoughtful depiction of humanity and free will. The cast was marvelous, especially Emma Stone, Lanthimos’s vision was creatively influential and loopy, the screenplay was well-written and amusing, and the technical aspects were imaginative. Usually, I’d start the holiday season with a traditional blockbuster or family movie, but this film proved that there’s no harm in celebrating Christmas with something artistic, weird, and delightfully challenging. A“Wonka” stars Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant. Released on December 15, 2023, the film chronicles the early days of an eccentric chocolatier. The film was directed by Paul King, who also directed “Bunny and the Bull”, “Paddington”, and “Paddington 2”. It is a prequel to Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Many people have known the story of the happy-go-lucky chocolate lover responsible for creating the best chocolate in the world and even punishing the selfish kids with his factory’s trappings. However, none of them knew how that phenomenon came to be and how that chocolatier became so…willy. At least, not until recently. This weekend continues one of Hollywood’s holiday traditions, releasing one or more movie musicals to brighten everyone’s moods amid the stressful Christmas shopping. This year, Warner Brothers Discovery is releasing two movie musicals during the holiday season, and the first one it's releasing to conclude its mediocre 100-year celebration is the early chronicles of one of Dahl’s iconic characters. I guess if they want to end its centennial celebration with a bang, they might as well do it with chirpy songs and teeth-rotting chocolate. With that said, let’s see if this music-driven prequel is as wondrous as Wonka’s magical chocolate. The story centers on a young Willy Wonka (Chalamet), an aspiring magician, inventor, and chocolatier. He travels to an unnamed European city to fulfill his dream of opening his chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet. However, his journey to make his dream a reality isn’t without a few obstacles standing in his way. One of those obstacles is his competition, the “Chocolate Cartel”, led by Arthur Slugworth (Joseph), who’ll stop at nothing to stay on top of the chocolate game. The other is paying the rent for Mrs. Scrubbit (Colman). With the help of his trusty companions, including an orphan named Noodle (Lane) and an Oompa Loompa named Lofty (Grant), Willy strives to become the best chocolate maker in the world. My first exposure to Roald Dahl’s delectable source material was the 1971 film adaptation starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, which I still love. While I also have a soft spot for Tim Burton’s kooky version with Johnny Depp walking in Wonka’s shoes, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” remains a timeless classic for all ages due to its charm, child-like wonder, and message involving selflessness over selfishness. It’s one of the movies we all need to escape from the horrors and stupidity of the outside world, especially during our current predicaments. From the marketing alone, “Wonka” looks like it’s attempting to recapture the magic of the 1971 adaptation while becoming its own thing. Was it able to accomplish this daunting task? Honestly, yes. It’s far from a perfect adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book, but it retains the charm and wonder that made it as tastefully divine as a piece of chocolate. The film follows the usual “origin story” playbook, with the young Wonka learning to become the famously wonderful chocolatier shown in the source material and movie adaptations. It also contains several elements from the 1971 film, including the orange-skinned, green-haired Oompa Loompas and the musical songs. However, the movie has its own style and world-building that makes it look similar to the previous film adaptations but also refreshing enough to revitalize them for newcomers. It even has plenty of Easter eggs that hearken back to the 1971 version, which should delight many nostalgic people who grew up with that film adaptation. Those ingredients, along with its cast and director, Paul King, are mixed together to create a whimsically delicious snack that pops and oozes with delight, awe, and even heart. Its storytelling doesn’t break any new ground regarding the musical genre and its commentary involving greed and corruption, but it doesn’t need to. “Wonka” only exists to provide entertainment escapism and a harmless, old-fashioned depiction of following one’s dreams and sharing them with the people they’re with. It has a sense of warmth and comfort that reminds us why we like watching movies, even if they don’t match the quality of its award-worthy competitors. More importantly, it reminded me of the other Roald Dahl adaptations I grew up watching in the 90s, including Willy Wonka and “Matilda”. Despite feeling a bit dragged out with its runtime and a couple of iffy visual effects, “Wonka” retains the child-like imagination and heart of those adaptations and delivers a sincerely eye-popping and comforting tribute to the dreamers of today. While I wouldn’t call it Paul King’s best work, the director never disappoints in portraying the subtleness and silliness in its upbeat and fantastical tone. Considering how much I loved his take on the “Paddington” films, this doesn’t surprise me. Along with Paul King’s direction, the film’s cast also provides some pizzazz with their performances, including Timothée Chalamet as the titular character. This was a huge change of pace for the young actor, mainly because I’ve only seen him in some dramatic movies like “Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women,” and “Dune.” So, seeing him play a cheerful yet naive chocolate-making magician is a complete 180 for me. But it’s a complete 180 that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of. His dynamically charismatic performance as Willy showcases that Chalamet has the right acting skills to expand his performing horizons. It shows that the actor can do more than just play moody characters all the time. Plus, his singing voice was surprisingly decent. Hopefully, this type of praise will be enough for Chalamet to get more roles like this in the future. Calah Lane, known for playing young Laurel in “This Is Us," also did very well in her breakout role as Noodle, Willy’s assistant. Another highlight I should mention is Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa. Despite being in a minor role, Grant made his small screen time count regarding his performance and humor. Keegan-Michael Key and Paterson Joseph also delivered some likable moments as the Chief-of-Police and Arthur Slugworth, respectively. Another element I adored was the production designs. Like the candy shown in the film, the settings in “Wonka” are packed with eye-popping and colorful flavors that make my taste buds dance with delight. It’s a sweet and sugar-coated wonderland that captures the wonder and innocence of the 1971 adaptation. It does sound like I’m sugar-coating it a bit, but how else am I going to describe a film like this, by comparing it to healthy vegetables? Additionally, the production designs effectively made the movie’s musical numbers fizzle with joy like the sparkling candies kids liked to eat back in the day. Neil Hannon, the lead singer of the Divine Comedy, was responsible for the film’s original songs, with Joby Talbot composing the score. While most of them may not stay in your head during the drive home, the songs are joyous enough to inject their show-stopping, Broadway-esque flair into the movie’s tone. If someone asks me what my favorites are, I would say “A World of Your Own” and “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This” were decent toe-tappers, and Chalamet’s rendition of “Pure Imagination” was surprisingly good. Overall, “Wonka” is a delectable and feel-good treat that honors the joy and dynamic charm of the iconic chocolatier with its flavorful touch of sincerity. Its sugar-coated and kid-friendly sweets easily overshadow its thematic undertones and hit-and-miss plot elements. However, that hardly matters, as the movie accomplished its goal of delivering an entertaining and harmless musical fit for kids and adults who grew up with Roald Dahl’s novel and the film adaptations. From its likable cast to the dazzling production designs and a decent story, the film is a piece of chocolate that’s easy to consume without giving me an irritating cavity. If you’re familiar with Willy Wonka and want something light-hearted and joyful, this film is a delicious choice for this holiday season. B |
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