Well, the Wonder Woman era was nice while it lasted. Justice League is a return to awful form for the DC cinematic universe. It might be a leaner, more light-hearted movie than its predecessors, but it’s only a marginally better one. At least the plot’s coherent: when New God Steppenwolf invades Earth with his army of demonic insect people, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit superpowered allies to defend the planet. Apparently just aping the tone of Marvel’s The Avengers wasn’t enough- they had to borrow the narrative as well, even down to the magical, power-generating box the villain’s plan revolves around.
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Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon’s script is most egregious in the first act. The film lurches from scene to scene with practically no connective tissue between them. Awkward exposition plagues many scenes, particular those involving Amazonians or Atlanteans. A steady stream of genuinely funny quips and banter just barely keeps the first forty minutes from being painful to watch. Thankfully, once the plot setup is finished and the disparate narratives connect, the quality of the writing improves. However, lackluster resolutions to character arcs and clumsy franchise planning continue to disrupt the movie.

The rote story at least introduces the movie’s best quality: the members of the Justice League. DC finally seems to have realized that their heroes shouldn’t be dour assholes. Charming character interactions, both funny and heartfelt, make for the most effective scenes in the film. Notably, an observation Batman makes about Superman’s humanity provides a more compelling examination of the two characters than the entirety of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) endear themselves immediately, while Gal Gadot is once again effortlessly charming as Wonder Woman. Even Ben Affleck’s Batman and Henry Cavill’s Superman manage to display a modicum of warmth and humor. The Flash’s neuroticism and inexperience and Aquaman’s gruff machismo contrast perfectly with the unflappable Wonder Woman and world-weary cynic Batman. The supporting cast of Amy Adams, JK Simmons, Amber Heard, Connie Nielsen and Diane Lane fare more poorly, though through no fault of their own. They each appear for couple of scenes and deliver some plot-relevant information before being shuffled off.

Justice League manages to stumble in areas where director Zack Snyder’s films generally excel, with a surprisingly bland visual style. A surprisingly large portion of the movie takes place in dull, cramped building interiors or in front of green screens. Noticeably poor CGI rears its head as well. The not-quite-right upper lip resulting from the digital removal of Henry Cavill’s mustache is particularly distracting. Even when the movie does break out the spectacle, the striking imagery of Snyder’s previous work is nowhere to be found. Diminished too, are his trademark visceral, epic action sequences. Arbitrarily placed slow motion and indifferent cinematography hamper enjoyment of the fight choreography. Danny Elfman’s score is similarly lackluster, and the music is largely forgettable.  The only memorable moments are taken directly from Elfman’s prior work on Batman Returns and Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel soundtrack.  

Justice League effectively addresses many of the shortcomings of the DCEU, but fails in so many other areas, even franchise strengths. They’ve finally got the characters right, but creating an engaging narrative remains elusive. Hopefully there will eventually be a movie worthy of the Justice League’s superheroes, but this isn’t it.

Grade: C

​Richard Linklater’s latest feature follows the story of Vietnam veterans Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston), Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) and Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) reuniting under tragic circumstances. Doc enlists the help of his friends to take it upon themselves to bury his son, a young Marine killed in Iraq. That’s all you need to know going into Last Flag Flying because it really is something special. Heartwarming, true to life and absolutely hilarious above all else. The premise of this movie is anything but funny, yet somehow Linklater manages to deliver a superb comedy-drama that never loses momentum and stays engaging all the way through to the last frame. 

All of the three leads are incredible but Bryan Cranston shines here. His performance as the nihilistic Sal rivals that of his work in Breaking Bad and easily ranks high among his film roles. He gets a chance to sink his teeth into the soul of this disillusioned vet who is just over the bullshit he has seen in his life. Sal has a refreshing level of honesty and an utter lack of filter. He will hook you in from the opening scene in the bar. Some of his best one liners materialize when he squares off against Mueller who is his mirror image. They both have strong philosophies and get at each other’s throats trying to make sense of the other’s way of life. Doc is the emotional anchor is this trio as his tragedy is the driving force and the reason these old friends embark on this bittersweet trip. I almost see these characters as three variations of the same man. Sal is the bitter extremist, Mueller is the peaceful sage and Doc lands somewhere in between. 

Backstory is handled well in the film. There are no forced, unnecessary flashbacks to past memories. Instead, the audience has to rely to on the strength of this cast to get the impression that Sal, Doc and Mueller have had shared experiences off camera. These men reminisce about Vietnam and it is clear that that war has changed all of them in profound ways. They come to terms with the fact that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The next generation of soldiers will soon feel the same level of disenfranchisement that they do. My favorite moment comes when the three vets are laughing about an inappropriate memory and for the first time, we see the heartbroken Doc crack a smile and join in. At that instance, you can tell these people used to be close brothers in the good old days who have sadly grown out of touch and forged their separate paths. 

My only gripe with the movie is that it sort of lacks a plot. There is a story being told here but it is extremely character driven instead of a series of events being triggered in order for things to happen. This is really a road trip movie so the majority of scenes are in cars, trucks and trains as the men unpack their issues. If anything, it’s just strange. The actual story seems to just be an excuse to get these individuals talking to one another and reliving their glory days. That’s fine by me when the emotional journey is this good. At a runtime just over two hours, you can’t really go wrong with this one. The movie respects your time and trusts that the characters will keep you laughing and occasionally make you reflect on the unpredictability of life. 

I cannot recommend Last Flag Flying enough. It will probably be in limited release but if you don’t catch it in theaters, check it out when it hits VOD. It is a gem of a movie that I hope finds its way to more people because it is surprising and touching. 

Grade: A-

As a film buff, I find it fascinating to see how filmmaking styles have changed over time. From the classic Westerns of the 60s to the film noir of the 40s to the testosterone overdosed action flicks of the 80s, each time period has its own distinct charms. And every so often, a film is made in conscious emulation of the style of an earlier era, and takes on elements of both time periods. Kenneth Branagh’s adaption of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is one such film, combining the grace and elegance of times long since passed with visual flair enabled by 21st century cinematography. 
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It is the 1930s, and famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is returning from a case in Jerusalem. Desperate for a vacation, he decides to journey home on the luxurious Orient Express, with the three day trip from Istanbul to Paris giving him ample time to relax and catch up on his reading. Shortly after departure, he is approached by a paranoid man named Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp), who believes his life is in danger and desires a bodyguard. Poirot, cautious about Ratchett’s colorful past, declines. But when the train is trapped in a mountain pass by an avalanche and Ratchett is found with numerous stab wounds, Poirot takes it upon himself to determine which of his fellow passengers is a murderer. 

Murder on the Orient Express is a film which simply oozes style and splendor. From the gorgeous period dress to the rich cinematography and the expertly crafted sets, this is a film which defines the luxury of the time period in which it is set. Unlike many modern remakes of classic stories, Branagh resists the temptation to spice the film up much for modern audiences. Like the classic murder mysteries of decades past, the film maintains a steady and even tone throughout. Physical action is minimal, and most of the focus is on Poirot as he gathers clues and interviews the passengers. While in the hands of a less-skilled director this could have spelled disaster, the wonderful cast and smooth script make sure the film never drags during its 114 minute run time.

Speaking of the cast, all the members are excellent. Along with the aforementioned Branagh and Depp, the passengers include Judi Dench as a deposed Eastern European princess, Willem Dafoe as a vaguely-Nazi Austrian scientist, Michelle Pfeiffer as a husband-hunting socialite, and Josh Gad as the victim’s exasperated assistant, not to mention Penelope Cruz, Daisy Ridley, and more. Each of them give a wonderful performance, even if some their accents are a little all over the place. But Branagh’s Poirot is the really fascinating character in the film. A man obsessed with balance and perfection of all sorts with an unshakeable moral compass, Poirot describes himself as a man cursed with only being able to see the world “as it should be, not as it is.” Of course, as anyone familiar with the source material knows, this is a case that forces Poirot to challenge his rigid view of right and wrong, and accept that maybe there is space between how things are and how things should be. 

A stylist, graceful, and well-acted who dun’ it, Murder on the Orient Express is a must-see for fans of mysteries and period pieces, as well as Christie faithfuls of course. Even if you don’t fall into one of those categories, this film should make excellent counter-programming to the autumn superhero line-up. This is the kind of film that you don’t see much anymore, and I urge you to give it a shot while you can. Its not often we get such a fascinating glimpse into the past.

Grade: A-

At the risk of sounding like a broken record to those who have read my other Marvel reviews, I’m not a huge fan of the MCU for a variety of reasons. The first and foremost of these is that (to me at least) the majority of the Marvel films are simultaneously too campy and silly to be taken seriously while also not being funny enough to make good action-comedies. This is why my favorite MCU films have been those that actually have serious plots (like Winter Soldier and Civil War) and the ones that completely embrace the craziness of the setting (Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel). Thor: Ragnarok is a film close to the second category- while not a full-blown comedy like Gunn’s films, the third iteration of the Thor sub-series finally stops caring what people think of it. 
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Thor: Ragnarok does have a plot involving Thor’s battle with his long sister and Goddess of Death Hela, his stranding on the alien planet Sakaar, and being forced by Jeff Goldblum to fight in gladiator battles against the Hulk. However, I’m not going to summarize it because despite the world-shaking events depicted in the film, the story isn’t really that important. Instead, this film is all about the fun. Unlike the Guardians of the Galaxy films which bordered on outright comedy, Ragnarok is essentially the film that fully confirms that Marvel just doesn’t care what any of us think anymore. It has everything from Thor fighting a dragon to rock-aliens with New Zealand accents to Loki being Loki to jokes about Jeff Goldblum having orgies with hot aliens. 

Unlike Guardians though, this film is not really an outright comedy where the characters are constantly cracking jokes, even if Hemsworth mostly drops his ye olde Norse accent in favor of more snark. This is simply a film that throws some of the weirdest shit in the MCU at you and doesn’t bat an eye at it at all. It really says a lot that the franchise has been around long enough that it can throw together this crazy mis-mash of superhero, science-fiction, fantasy, and comedy elements in the same film and it actually all gels shockingly well. The delivery of everything is simply so dry and matter-of-fact that after a while Doctor Strange randomly appearing out of nowhere and Asgardians mowing each other down with AK-47s and Cate Blanchett doing a whole film as evil Galadriel actually seems normal.  

And that’s why this film is both such a fun ride and a huge milestone for the MCU- it’s simply beyond the point of caring. This movie has no pretense of being anything other than what it is, which is just a fun, wacky ride. Director Taika Waititi has already shown that he understands what makes a great comedy with gems like What We Do in the Shadows, and with Ragnarok he has shown that he also gets what makes a great fun, action-packed adventure film too. Not every MCU film needs to be Guardians-esque comedy, but I think that “fuck it” spirit is also the key to truly making it into a great franchise.

So if you’re in a fuck-it mood too, go see Thor: Ragnarok this weekend. It’s weird, it’s wacky, and it doesn’t give a shit what you think about it. But above all, it’s simply a movie that not afraid to have fun and embrace what it is. I wish more Marvel films (and, indeed, action/adventure films in general) had the same desire to experiment and get a little freaky. 

Grade: B+