Retro-Reviews: Birds of Prey (SPOILERS)

It's oh so quiet...

It's been an interesting time for DC. After a series of mishaps in their plans for the DCEU, the execs have taken a step back and done a bit of course correction. To put it simply, they are now letting directors do their own thing and tell their own stories. The best thing about that is that some have chosen to take what was great about the DCEU beforehand and run with it. In this case, Harley Quinn. Easily one of, the not the very best, thing about Suicide Squad, it's nice that Margot Robbie can continue to shine in the role of this iconic character, and even better that it's in a self-contained story that allows us to enjoy the vision of what a look into Harley's world would look like. Still, as fun and cool as Birds of Prey is, there are some flaws that bring it down quite a bit for me. Let's get into all of that right now:

UPS

1. Margot Robbie. I loved her take on this character, and she shines just as bright here as she did in Suicide Squad. Her fun, quirky, infectious personality is matched perfectly with a sheer unhinged ferocity that compliments this character well. Having her break off from the Joker also allows the character to take new directions which make her come into her own and make her be one we can appreciate following. What I think I like most is that even though she's our protagonist, that still didn't make her a hero, and it's nice to see that they didn't try to force that change when it really wasn't necessary. Really, having films that follow these morally ambiguous characters with infinite shades of grey make for interesting stories, especially when it comes to comic book films, where most of the conflicts are black and white. Of course, we still needed a villain to compliment our "hero," and we've thankfully got a great one with...
2. Ewan McGregor's Black Mask. The DCEU has had some dud villains (take your pick between Steppenwolf and Enchatress) but it's also not without its exceptions. Thankfully, Black Mask falls within the latter. It's nice to see this villain come into the spotlight after being relatively obscure from the mainstream, with McGregor making this take wildly fun, creative, and unique. Some have their issues with how different he is from usual interpretations, but I think it makes him more compelling, because while he is wacky, eccentric, and over the top, he also proves to be brutal, vicious, and menacing. Alas, since he's killed off at the end, we'll never see more of him :(
3. Cathy Yan. In order for this movie to work, it needed to be fun, unique, and energetic. While the story doesn't do much in service of that, Yan's direction manages to pull it forward. This film is vibrantly filmed, with every detail and choice being used to the fullest extent possible. Yan took a simple story and made it her own. Because of her direction, this film is able to stand on its own despite its familiarity.

DOWNS

1. The overall story, or at least how its structured. While Yan manages to still inject this film with a vibrant life, I don't think the plot is that well put together. For one, this film relies heavily on flashbacks, all with Harley's narration. After a while, it gets tedious and overplayed, which even writer Christina Hodson seems to acknowledge since she decides to rush through one flashback towards the end. The downside? It's the backstory of one of our central characters! Which brings me to my next point...
2. All the other characters aside from Harley feel sidelined. Of course, they are all played well by their actors, but a good performance can only go so far when the script doesn't utilize them to their full potential. I've already covered Black Mask, but I find that even though I enjoyed watching these characters unfold, I felt like I needed more time with them. The most egregious example of this has to be Huntress, whose aforementioned backstory is the one they decided to rush through. It's such a shame, because I could imagine her being one of my favorite characters in the film if we just gotten more screentime from her. 
3. As fun as all the action was, I felt this film didn't take full advantage of its R-Rating. Sure, it doesn't need to be an all out splatter fest, but it all just felt rather tame for a movie that could've really put the petal to the metal with the freedom that they had. There were some standout moments, like Bruce the Hyena munching on that poor sap's leg, but these moments are few and far in between. 

OVERALL

Birds of Prey (or whichever title you choose to call it) is another win for DC, even if it isn't as strong as other recent offerings. I hope we see more of these characters and look forward to seeing Harley return in James Gunn's Suicide Squad. 

And that's it for this post, guys! Tune in for more coming your way and take care till then :)

The Best of The 2010s (SPOILERS)

Well here we are, the end of the decade. There have been several amazing films to come out of this decade, some of which you'll see on my list. Probably the hardest one I had to make, I really tried my best to pick the ones that I felt the best about. To make this fair, I picked two films from each year that I saw and felt had the best chance of deserving a place on the list. I'm sure they'll be disagreements, but hey, opinions are opinions. Reviews for movies I've covered will be linked, and be sure to check out my lists for the best movies from 2017, 2018, and 2019. Now let's begin:
 20. The Revenant
 19. Rise of The Planet of The Apes
 18. Alpha
 17. Deadpool
 16. The VVitch
 15. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
 14. The Wolf of Wall Street 
 13. The Irishman
 12. Prisoners
  11. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2
 10. Django Unchained 
 9. The Dark Knight Rises
 8. Coco
 7. Logan
 6. Whiplash 
 5. Dawn of The Planet of The Apes
 4. Avengers: Infinity War
 3. How To Train Your Dragon
 2. Joker
 1. Toy Story 3

And that's a wrap on the 2010s. What a decade it has been! Here's to what the 2020s have in store. As always, tune in for more posts coming your way and till then...

The Best of 2019 (SPOILERS)

Well, we are about to each the end of the 2010s, and what a decade it's been. Before we take a look at the best that this decade has had to offer, let's take a look at some of the best the year of 2019 had to offer first. 2019 was an interesting one in that it started off pretty good before meandering in the middle then blowing me out of the water by the end. As such, this was a pretty hard list to make. Reviews for the movies I've covered will be linked here, and be sure to check out my lists for the best movies of 2017 and 2018 in the links below:

• The Best of 2017
• The Best of 2018

Now let's begin:
 10. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

 9. Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood

 8. Avengers: Endgame

 7. IT: Chapter Two

 6. Toy Story 4

 5. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

 4. Doctor Sleep

 3. Marriage Story

 2. The Irishman

 1. Joker

And that's it for this list guys. Tune in for my Best of The 2010s coming up!

In The Mind Of: Arthur Fleck/The Joker (SPOILERS)

I used to think my life was a tragedy...but now I realize...it's a comedy...

Everyone has a bad day. Several in fact. It's a natural part of life in the end. But what happens when someone so broken experiences that one bad day that pushes them over the edge. Over his long career as a comic book supervillain, the Joker has shown us what that could look like...at least given what little we know about him. Each iteration gives at least some background on why he came to be the way he is, but none have ever come close to making us feel for him the way the 2019 version does. 

Arthur Fleck is a failed comedian with an ailing mother and a condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at the most inappropriate times. Throughout the movie, Arthur experiences hardship after hardship, each worse than the last. He loses his job, gets embarrassed on national television by his idol, and learns the extent of his traumatic childhood. Combine all this with his deteriorating mental health, and Arthur finds himself walking down a dark path. What is interesting about Joker is that even though he is probably the most sympathetic interpretation of the Joker to date, Arthur is not someone to root for. His actions are truly horrific and at the end of the day, he's still the Joker. He may have had it hard, but it does not excuse the carnage and chaos that his actions have caused. 

Arthur is a truly unique interpretation of one of my favorite characters in all of fictional media, brought to life by the vision of Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's powerhouse performance. With what the ending of Joker entailing and the news of a sequel being in development, it seems this isn't the last we'll see of him after all...

Joker (SPOILERS)

Put on a Happy Face...

For so long, I have always had a fondness for villains. Yes, we're supposed to root against them, but at the end of the day, they always end up being the most compelling character in the entire story. One of the best examples of that being the case is when it comes to a character like the Joker. He has become so ingrained into pop culture that it'd be hard to imagine a world without him. Throughout his long tenure, the character has received several iterations; some that were absolutely stellar and others that ended up missing the mark. This year, we have received Todd Phillips' take on the beloved character, and to say that it is unique is putting it ever so lightly. Joker is a film that is unlike anything that came out of the comic book movie genre before, with a message that is important and relevant for people to experience. It is certainly a film that will be talked about for years to come, much like the film that inspired it, so let's get into why that is the case:

UPS

1. JOAQUIN PHEONIX!!! Holy cow, where do I even begin! He was phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal! No easy task for an actor who had to craft a performance that would live up to, if not outright exceed, the bar set by the iconic take given by the late great Heath Ledger. Thankfully, Phoenix proved up to the challenge and gave it his all. I don't really have many words to describe it. It was human, authentic, terrifying, tragic, funny...to put it simply, he became Arthur Fleck, who in turn became the Joker. A masterful performance that should, no must, get some form of recognition at the Academy next year. Make it happen!
2. Gotham City. Not what you'd call idyllic, but this film takes that to a whole new level. We get a real sense of the kind of world it would take to create a monster like the Joker and incite the madness that he inspires, and the way the city is designed and captured in this film allows us to be immersed in that.
3. The score! When it comes to talking about musical scores, I can't really find the words to describe how magnificent it is, so I just leave a link to it so that people can experience it for themselves. In this case, here you go. 
4. The way they tie Joker's origin to Batman's. Yes, that actually happened, and in a pretty clever way too! I dare not spoil it should anyone manage to go check it out, but it truly was a neat way to make it happen and it leaves me wondering where it could lead...possibly to a crossover with the upcoming Robert Pattinson trilogy?!
5. As I mentioned in the intro, this movie offers up an important message that must be addressed. Society has been shaped so that there are those who make it to the top...and those that are tossed to the curb. Here, Arthur falls into the latter, and it is that along with his deteriorating mental illness that contributes to his ultimate transformation into the Joker. To put it simply, the structure of society can contribute to the creation of monsters like the Joker, and if not careful can have drastic consequences. It is this message that the film conveys, and one that hopefully will be addressed and talked about for years to come. 

DOWNS

1. Ultimately, when being inspired by Taxi Driver, Joker starts to get a little self-indulgent in that regard. Having recently rewatched Taxi Driver, I realized this, and it got to the point where for a majority of the first half, it felt like the exact same film! Thankfully, Joker managed to come into its own as it progressed, but man, the similarities were distracting, thus keeping this film from being completely perfect. 

OVERALL

I have no words to describe Joker. It was a truly surreal experience and definitely the best film 2019 has offered so far. I don't think there can ever be a film quite like it, but it's nice to see that DC is finally allowing directors to craft character-driven stories that embrace their visions. The success that Joker is experiencing will no doubt shape the future of the industry going forward. Based on the movie, it seems like the best move possible. 

And that is is for this post guys, tune in for more coming your way and don't forget to...

Gotham Top 10s (SPOILERS)

With Gotham officially over, it's time to take a look back and do the usual top 10 bests. Without further delay, let's get into it:

Top 10 Moments
 10. "I'm the King of Gotham!" (Season 1 Episode 22 "All Happy Families Are Alike")

 9. "See you in Hell, Theo" (Season 2 Episode 20 "Unleashed")

 8. Bruce meeting Ra's Al Ghul (Season 3 Episode 21 "Destiny Calling"/Season 3 Episode 22 "Heavydirtysoul") 7. Jerome revealing his true colors (Season 1 Episode 16 "The Blind Fortune Teller")
 6. Bruce sparing Matches Malone (Season 2 Episode 14 "This Ball of Mud and Meanness")
 5. Bruce sparing Jerome (Season 3 Episode 14 "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies")

4. Jerome's death/Jeremiah going mad (Season 4 Episode 18 "That's Entertainment")
 3. Jeremiah becoming the Joker (Season 5 Episode 7 "Ace Chemicals")
 2. Jeremiah shooting Selina (Season 4 Episode 21 "One Bad Day")
 1. Batman (Season 5 Episode 12 "The Beginning...")

Top 10 Episodes
 10. "All Happy Families are Alike" (Season 1 Episode 22)
 9. "Destiny Calling"/"Heavydirtysoul" (Season 3 Episode 21/Season 3 Episode 22)
 8. "The Blind Fortune Teller" (Season 1 Episode 16)
 7. "The Last Laugh" (Season 2 Episode 3)
 6. "This Ball of Mud and Meaness" (Season 2 Episode 14)
 5. "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" (Season 3 Episode 14)
 4. "No Man's Land" (Season 4 Episode 22)
 3. "Ace Chemicals" (Season 5 Episode 7)
 2. "One Bad Day" (Season 4 Episode 21)
 1. "The Beginning..." (Season 5 Episode 12)

Top 10 Characters
 10. Lee
 9. Jim
 8. Ed
 7. Barbara
 6. Selina
 5. Harvey
 4. Oswald
 3. Alfred
 2. Bruce
 1. Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska

And that's it for this post, guys! Tune in for more on the way :)