Category Archives: Fantasy

Turning Red

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Turning Red                        4 stars

Pixar’s 2022 animated film Turning Red takes a different twist on the coming-of-age theme. This first full-length Pixar film to be directed by a woman (Domee Shi) tackles the subject of puberty and menstruation in a teen-age girl by using a metaphor in the form of a giant red panda. 13-year-old Chinese Canadian Mei lives with her immigrant Chinese family in 2008 Toronto and is a normal kid, though anxious and an overachiever in school. Her mother, Ming (Sandra Oh) is very controlling and likes to keep a watchful eye on her only daughter. Mei likes to hang out with her girlfriends and talk about their favorite boy band. Things seem perfectly normal, that is until she experiences a sudden change in her mood and finds herself very attracted to a certain boy in school. It is then that she discovers that feeling strong emotions makes her transform into a giant red panda with extraordinary strength. This is symbolic in movie terms of something powerful going on in her body, making her temporarily lose control of her emotions, a common occurrence in teenagers. Naturally, she tries to hide the transformation from her friends; that is, until she finds it can be a way to be more popular. Then the trick is to hide the change from Mom and her family. The girls secretly scheme to use Mei’s gift to raise money so they can attend a concert of their favorite boy band, 4 Town. (Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell wrote much of the original music that makes the boy band seem genuine.) But then there is more to the story when it is revealed that the giant red panda is really a sort of family curse that is visited upon all the female members of this family. Traditionally, they must perform a ritual that will keep the panda in check. The movie is a tactful yet amusing way of presenting the change that will relate to teenage girls while likely be over the heads of, yet be fun to much younger viewers. Turning Red adds to Pixar’s list of successful films dealing with certain human conditions that includes Coco, Soul and Inside Out. In a way, Inside Out 2 addresses the same subject as Turning Red but is a little more abstract. Unfortunately, for Pixar, they were forced to remove the movie from theaters and show it exclusively on streaming platforms because of pressure put on them from concerned parent groups who found the subject matter too controversial for their sensitive tastes. But at least young audiences have a way of seeing this colorful, action-filled film from Pixar. Domee Shi is an Academy Award winner having previously made the animated short film, Bao, about Asian parents becoming empty nesters.

Oxygen

Oxygen                 3 stars

Oxygen is a new sci-fi horror thriller from director Alexandre Aja that has one of the most limited sets I have ever seen. It opens with a young woman (Melanie Laurent of Operation Finale and Now You See Me) who awakens inside a futuristic cryogenic pod with only a computer voice named MILO for company. She is told that her oxygen supply is running out and to make matters worse she has no memory of where she is or even who she is. To say the movie is thin on plot is a colossal understatement. The woman slowly pieces together who she is through visual clues provided by MILO who is not always very helpful, and phone calls she is able to make to the authorities who it seems have something to hide. The hidden secrets eventually do get revealed but the events seemed to take forever to get there. It helps not to think about the situation too much or you will start to see some holes in the story. The movie is aided by a great performance by Laurent who puts plenty of energy into this very limited role. In fact the entire movie depends on how convincing she is. The movie could have been significantly shorter without losing any of the story. The director is known for other stylistic horror thrillers like Crawl, Horns and Piranha, so if you have seen any of these you have some idea of what to expect. The movie is in French with subtitles. If you ever saw the French horror film High Tension (also filled with plot holes) you will know what I mean. Oxygen is available on Netflix.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness      4 stars

The world’s most powerful sorcerer, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch returning to the role after an outing as a cowboy in The Power of the Dog) makes another entry in the Marvel universe in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This second installment about the man who can control portals to other realities and can battle demons is directed by Sam Raimi, the man who brought us the Spiderman movies of the early 2000’s and a host of horror movies including the popular Evil Dead movies. This time out Doctor Strange crosses paths with a young girl named America (Xochitl Gomez) who is being pursued by demons and is forced to become involved and protect her. It seems that America has the power to travel to other universes that make up the multiverse, a reality that exists in the MCU. This power and a book that figures in the story is what some entity is seeking to obtain for itself, and it is Strange’s mission to prevent this union that could result in the destruction of the universe. (What else?) For help Strange goes to an associate, Wong (Benedict Wong) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olson). I can’t go into the story much more than that except to say that the viewer is in for a real roller coaster of an experience as the characters travel to other universes, battle demons and meet alternate versions of themselves and other people in their lives including some very different Avengers. The movie is very action packed as one would expect in a Marvel movie and has a story that can be followed by most viewers. Fortunately, it does keep the number of characters limited, which can’t be said for two recent Avengers movies. The concept of a multiverse was used recently in Everything Everywhere All At Once, but with much greater comic effect than Doctor Strange, something I greatly enjoyed. Strange gives it a more serious tone which I also approve of. It has been nine years since Raimi’s last directorial effort, Oz the Great and Powerful. Let’s hope that he finds another suitable project without waiting that long. Be sure to watch for some interesting cameos, including one of a street vendor by Bruce Campbell!

Suspiria

Suspiria                 3 stars

To say that the horror movie Suspiria is not for everyone is putting it mildly. The 2018 “remake” of the seventies Italian horror movie by the same name is greatly expanded at two and a half hours from the original. Set in 1977 Berlin, a young American dancing student, Susie (Dakota Johnson) auditions for a world renowned dance academy and is soon accepted by one of the instructors, Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) to be a lead dancer. While this is going on an elderly male psychoanalyst, Dr. Klemperer is taking in a story from one of the young women (Chloe Grace-Moretz) of the dance troupe about strange goings on in the company, but he initially writes them off as hysteria. The movie credits didn’t acknowledge it, but Dr. Klemperer was apparently also played by Tilda Swinton in heavy makeup. (I thought the voice sounded off.) The viewer soon becomes aware that the academy is actually run by a coven of witches who are looking for certain special female dancers that they hope to feed off of in some horrific fashion. The movie is set against the backdrop of the terrorist actions of the anti-Nazi Baader-Meinhof Gang, that was plaguing Germany in the seventies. There are references to the past horrors of the war and the Berlin wall that divided the city at the time. The film goes into full blown supernatural horror scenes mainly while the dancers are rehearsing. One of the dancers is brutally beaten and her body bruised and disfigured beyond recognition as a result of a supernatural connection to the lead dancer. At this point you must be advised that this movie is not for the squeamish and you should probably avoid it if such a description bothers you. It is one of those movies you either love or hate. Internally in the coven there is a struggle for control between the witches that will end badly for some when the witches all gather for a ritual of feasting on the new blood. I like a good supernatural horror movie, but this one got a little too intense too long for me. For a good movie of this genre you should check out Hereditary or even Mother!. I was very curious about Suspiria so now I know what it is about.

Mami Wata

Mami  Wata.   4 stars

From the country of Nigeria comes the movie Mami Wata by C. J. “Fiery” Obasi. This is a story taking place in a fictional African village called Iyi where the old traditional ways are still observed,  but the influence of Western culture is pressuring the people with its promises of development and technology.  Mami Wata is an all powerful water diety that protects the people,  but can only be reached through the Intermediary,  Mama Efe. Mama has two daughters,  one of which,  Zinwe is to be Mama’s successor as Intermediary.  Then a mysterious visitor arrives who is a rebel deserter from a nearby wartorn country and will change everything in this small village.  The movie depicts the struggle between a traditional matriarchal culture and modern militants common in African societies.  The production is relatively simple and is done in black and white.  The language is some combination of an African dialect mixed with English.  Subtitles are provided. The story is full of deceit, treachery, intrigue and murder, all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy making it fascinating and emotional as the conclusion is reached.  I am hoping to see it chosen as one of the award winners this weekend. 

Sorcery

Sorcery  4 stars

From Chile comes a story of witchcraft set in the historical setting of the 1880’s on the Chilean island of Chiloe. The actual events feature a crackdown on the indigenous Huilliche natives by the ruling Chilean authorities and the German settlers.  The fictional story features a young Huilliche girl, Rosa, whose father is murdered by one of the German settlers. She is sheltered by a lone indigenous man,  Mateo and learns about the ways of witchcraft practiced by her people going back centuries and vows to seek justice for her dead father.  It is a very dark and sad story that is aided by a threatening score.  It is yet another example of the unresolvable clash in cultures between native people and the white settlers who came to seek a new life. The story includes acts of the supernatural and the use of trained animals. I found it an effective and haunting way to tell the story. 

Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water            4 ½ stars

The most anticipated release of the holiday season has finally arrived with James Cameron’s return to Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water. Following the success of the original Avatar in 2009, this sequel can’t help but have some high expectations to aspire to. In the first movie we had the conflict between the technologically advanced humans from Earth and the primitive tribespeople of the planet Pandora called the Na’vi. In that battle one human, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), an avatar in the form of a Na’vi man switched sides and aided the Na’vi leading to the expelling of the humans with the help of the sentient natural world. Now after many years of peaceful living, the humans or “sky people” have returned to Pandora where Jake has made a new life for himself with his Na’vi family. Everything about the humans is violent as their very landing on the planet destroys the environment in a firestorm. Leading a commando unit of humans converted into blue Na’vi bodies is Quaritch (Steven Lang) whose mission in life is the capture of Sully the traitor in order to help subjugate the indigenous population and conquer the planet for human habitation. That’s the background but there is much more to the movie and more than I can adequately describe. The scenes of the natural world of Pandora with the otherworldly creatures of the air and the sea are amazing to watch. The color and movement we see on the screen are beautiful and something we never grow tired of. The story itself is rather basic with the focus on the struggle between the invaders and the primitive but determined defenders represented by Jake’s Na’vi family. They are forced to flee their home in the forest and learn the ways of the island people who survive with the help of some incredible sea creatures. There are a variety of subplots that involve the four Na’vi children, the island people and the giant whale-like creatures called tulkun that may be as intelligent as people. Part of the wonder of the movie is the way that it was filmed. Most of the movie is animated but the animated characters are superimposed over the human actors. So this means that the scenes taking place underwater were actually filmed that way with the actors having to act out their scenes underwater, requiring them to learn to hold their breath for several minutes at a time for the filming. Then the creation of the world of Pandora is done with an army of animators. Part of the attraction is the amount of detail that went into making the facial expressions of the Na’vi characters. This goes a long way toward making them seem real. As far as the story itself goes, the conflict involving Jake seems small when you consider that an entire planet is being invaded. But since this movie is actually the second of an expected five movies in the franchise, I can forgive that. The situation is similar to that of The War of the Worlds where Earth was facing a technologically superior race, which itself was said to represent the plight of the American Indian. The ending is definitely set up for a sequel that is to come in 2024. Look for a multitude of awards for Avatar, The Way of Water and repeated viewings from the fans. But be prepared for a long sitting for a runtime that exceeds three hours!

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid          4 ½ stars

In 1989 Disney started a new era in their animated films with The Little Mermaid, a fairy tale featuring a female lead that became an instant hit and a classic. Now they have continued with their latest trend of making these animated stories into live action films bringing The Little Mermaid to life with heavy use of CGI as part of their movie magic. The star of the film is relative newcomer Halle Bailey who previously has appeared in sit coms and in some movies as a child. Now she combines her very expressive face and angelic voice to this fairy tale. We follow the story of Ariel, the curious mermaid who longs to see what is out there in the world of humans and so challenges Triton (Javier Bardem), her father’s thinking about staying isolated from the humans. Her curiosity only grows when she spots Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) on a passing ship and has the chance to rescue him from drowning when the ship encounters a violent storm. Everyone knows the story of the mermaid and her transformation into human form, giving up her voice, so she can be with the humans. I will just mention some of the better performances as I saw them. Beside Bailey there is Sebastian (Daveed Diggs from Hamilton) the crab who must keep an eye on Ariel and follow along with her mischief. He does an outstanding job with the Disney classic song Under the Sea. The most comedic role goes to Scuttle, the confused pelican played by Awkwafina of Crazy Rich Asians. She combines with Sebastian to perform a rap number called Scuttlebutt that is very entertaining. Of course Melissa McCarthy is appropriately villainous and glamorous as Ursula the sea witch who schemes to get Ariel’s voice and doom her to captivity. We get a little of her backstory about her being Triton’s brother and a tragedy than befell their mother. Credit must go to the animation too with all the musical numbers that feature the various dancing sea creatures. While making them alive with color and movement, we still get the feeling that they are animated and not just realistic images of animals generated by a computer. Lin-Manuel Miranda, a producer of the film played a significant role in rewriting the lyrics, giving them a more modern take. The film has a length of two and a quarter hours having been expanded from the animated version. This may be a little long for very young audiences, but hopefully it will keep their attention. All this was put together by director Rob Marshall who previously gave us Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns. It looks like he has another hit.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings           4 stars

I’m not a great fan of the Marvel movies but I took in the acclaimed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings from 2021 to see what it was about. This is certainly an action filled story with plenty of martial arts fighting and CGI effects combined with an intergenerational origin story about characters trying to find their place in the world while dealing with family expectations. There is a lot of back story involved despite most of the time seemingly devoted to one extended fight scene after another. I can’t go into great detail, but the two main heroes are Shang-Chi (Simu Lui) and Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), brother and sister who are each on their own having left their father’s world who is a legendary warlord (Tony Leung as Wenwu) who has great power due to the ten rings he wears on his arms when engaged in battle. The pair are drawn back to their father when he reaches out to them to confront a great wrong done to their family many years before. The past events took place in a magical place called Ta Lo, hidden in a deep forest where many strange creatures live with the humans. The village is protecting the world from a great evil force that would like to take the souls of all the creatures it can, as happens in a superhero movie. Shang-Chi and Xialing find themselves on the opposite side from their father, thus we have the setting for the many fights that take place. The story is interposed with the action scenes along the way allowing the characters to show off their martial arts skills and their powers over the forces of nature. Special mention must go to Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan who shows off her fighting skills before she was in Everything, Everywhere All at Once. As well as Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s girlfriend from San Francisco, a civilian who gets caught up in the action. There is a lot more to the story than I have described, and a lot of action packed into the two and a quarter time of the movie. As with any superhero movie you must suspend your disbelief when characters take all sorts of punishment from super destructive forces without sustaining injuries (something that tends to bore me). As Marvel movies go, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is better than most and I understand that there should be more expected from this lesser known hero of the MCU.

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps      3 ½ stars

It was Halloween night, October 31 so what better way to celebrate than to see an old-fashioned creature feature at a local theater nearly full of horror movie fans? I took in a viewing of director, John Fawcett’s Ginger Snaps, a horror movie set in a suburb in October, leading up to Halloween night. It is a revival of the feminist menstrual horror genre that got its start with Carrie back in 1976. Teenage sisters Brigette (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) are outcasts in their high school, but are close to each other and like to spend their time staging photos of teenage death scenes, a hobby that is useful when you want to cover up a murder. As the film opens, we learn that there is a vicious creature lurking outside that has been attacking and disemboweling the neighborhood dogs. Coincidently, 16-year-old Ginger is experiencing her first period, thus drawing the attention of the creature which claws her badly and bites her. Luckily, the creature, that seems to resemble a large dog is struck and killed by a van driven by Sam, a young greenhouse owner and local pothead. We then see how Ginger is slowly transformed into something foreign, as she starts to sprout hair, and grow claws and a short tail. Younger sister Brigitte is always there to keep Ginger’s secret from Mom and Dad and try to find a solution to the mess, even getting Sam’s help to formulate a cure using his knowledge of lycanthropic folklore and herbal cures. Unfortunately, things get out of control as Ginger must satisfy her appetite for human flesh at the expense of fellow classmates and unlucky school staff members! The film is quite bloody and violent as expected and a little weak on special effects as it was made back in 2000, making a measly $27,000 at the box office. But the writing is good enough to keep viewers in suspense as events spiral out of control but reminding us of the powerful connection between the two siblings. Ginger Snaps is a must for werewolf movie lovers everywhere and is best seen in the company of friends. If that isn’t enough for you, there was also Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning.