Greetings, Gothamites!
Last month I finally went back to the cinema for the first time in nearly a year. I was nervous going back after not being able to go for half the year due to pandemic lockdowns. Then when the cinemas did reopen late last year, I was still too nervous to go back straight away. But I finally got up the nerve and was so happy that I did. The first film I saw upon my return was Wonder Woman 1984 and, maybe it’s just because I was so overcome with emotion at being back in a cinema, I enjoyed it so much more than the writers of other reviews I had seen. More on that later.
I also corrected a grievous cinephile oversight on my part and finally watched The Karate Kid for the first time.
Was it over the top? Yes. Did I enjoy it anyway? Absolutely! There was a lot going on in the plot. And at 181 minutes, Wonder Woman 1984 is a pretty long film but it didn’t feel long to me. Admittedly, I found the fall of certain major characters quite sudden but that does seem to be the formula for most modern superhero films. Even the best of them have the story pretty well wrapped up by closing — with the exception of Marvel’s later phases. I enjoyed the action, I enjoyed the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed being back in the cinema for a fun retro romp with Wonder Woman.
The Dry is a thoroughly enjoyable Aussie mystery flick with a couple of great twists. The nuances of small Aussie towns features as a major plot point and is well pulled together — the prejudices, the long memories and the tough residents. Eric Bana is fantastic but let’s face it, when isn’t he? Great film for anyone who enjoys good whodunnits with historic storms brewing in the background.
Monster Hunter isn’t particularly memorable, the CGI isn’t amazing, there’s little to no plot and the acting is just scratching the surface of okay. But. It achieves what it, and many video game films before it, aims to achieve — an hour and a half of watching people beat the snot out of giant monsters. Entertaining, if you don’t mind a little mindlessness.
The Firm by John Grisham (1991)
An oldie but, as I discovered, a goodie. I remember watching The Firm’s movie adaptation when I was far too young to really absorb what was going on, so I only had flashes of what I could remember. The story in the novel is a beautifully detailed story of corruption and trying to beat a system that has killed others for trying. The thriller kept me hooked and guessing almost the whole way through. The only thing I didn’t love was that most of the main characters aren’t particularly likeable as protagonists, particularly Mitch. The plot and pacing more than makes up for that though.
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (2005)
I saw the movie version of The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix but wanted to read the novel upon which it is based before I watched the movie. I’m glad I did. I like Mickey Haller as a character despite his flaws and found the rest of the characters to be dimensional even if they aren’t around for long. The plot is well put together and the twists are brilliant. Usually in courtroom heavy dramas I find myself skimming, but I was hanging on to everything happening in Mickey’s courtroom.
Horrible Histories: The Movie — Rotten Romans (2019)
I love Horrible Histories in 30 minute educational skit show format. When I found the movie on DVD, I was dubious about how the format would relate to movie. I was right to be concerned. While Rotten Romans is entertaining in its own way, it doesn’t have the same charm and heart as its predecessors. The musical numbers don’t flow well with the feel of the film as a whole and it all ends up feeling cheap and tacky. It’s not rotten but it certainly doesn’t have the je ne sais quoi that made the television show special.
If you have a different take or would like to chat about what you’ve been watching and reading, drop a comment here or hit me up on Twitter.
Gotham City Times 