Mike Goes To Movies

The Old Guard (2020) TLDR: Immortal and yet still unable to elevate this one past your standard run-of-the-mill action flick. Netflix's newest romp-and-stomp, The Old Guard, based on the comic series by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez, may give you that temporary adrenaline fix you crave but, ultimately, it is fairly standard fare that will likely come and go like so much other contemporary content. The Old Guard is about a small group of immortals who, throughout history, have acted as a for-hire squad. The team is led by Andy (Charlize Theron), the oldest (and most badass) of the four. The film centres around a plot by a business man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who seeks to expose the group's incredible power so that another more-cruelly minded business man may distill and capitalize the group's immortality. At the same time, the group becomes aware of a brand new immortal (Kiki Layne) whom they attempt to integrate into their way of life. The concept - while not en...

The Sandman (Audiobook) (2020) TLDR: One of the best graphic novels of all-time has just become one of the best audiobooks of all-time. Here we go again, venturing into new and ominous directions. As you can see, this is not a review of a film or series, but of a new audiobook. I will admit that, going into this I was not unbiased however. The Sandman graphic novel series, written by Neil Gaiman, and published by DC/Vertigo through the late 80's into the early 90's, is one of my favourite works of fiction ever. Yes, that is a strong statement, but I  wholeheartedly stand by it. I will try not to delve too deeply into the majesty of the specific graphic novel series here, and, instead, try to focus on the audiobook that has just been released by Audible that adapts the first three books of the series. The Sandman is a dark fantasy series that rivals almost any other work of fiction in its grand and daring scope. While it technically takes place in the DC universe, it...

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) My expectations going into Birds of Prey was pretty close to ground-zero - something that I am continuing to realize is a good thing. After a string of okay-to-horrendous recent DC films (*cough* Batman v Superman *cough* Justice League *coughcoughcough* Suicide Squad), my excitement for this film was as tepid as the water dripping from my ever-broken kitchen sink tap. It was a joyful surprise then to find myself (for the most part) quite entertained watching Birds of Prey last week.  Like Birds of Prey the movie, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), at the start of this film has smartly broken away from any connection she might have from Suicide Squad and has now broken up with Mr. J (that's the Joker, to all you hopeless non-nerds). And so, Harley tries to strike out on her own not knowing that she very quickly will be running-in with local mobster Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). Harley soon finds out that ...

Joker: Discussing Its Laughable Reception Alright! So, Joker is finally out and I assume most everyone who is going to go out and see the film has by now done so. Like our titular character, this post is going to be a little all over the place with random thoughts, anecdotes and discussion that have popped into my head since seeing the film about one month ago. Obviously, SPOILERS AHEAD. One thing that I think everyone can agree upon (even most of the assholes that have condemned the film) is Joaquin's astounding performance. Though there are many elements of his manifestation that can be detailed and applauded, there is one in particular that, quite literally, stuck in my head for many days after seeing the film. That is - the laugh. Joker's laugh is one of his most important attributes and each actor who has portrayed Joker has put a unique spin on it. (Hamill and Ledger's are two of my personal favourites.) However, Joaquin (along with Philips and Silver) put a who...

TIFF: Joker (2019) Part of the magic of the Batman and the Joker is the fluidity we have seen throughout the years in their character and genre of story. From the 1960's tv show, to the Burton era, to the various animated shows, to the Nolan trilogy, each variation has had its highly-unique and also successful take on these legendary characters. With regards to Joker himself, I don't think I'd be wrong to say that many of us did not think a new spin on the character could ever reach the heights of Heath Ledger's portrayal in The Dark Knight (this is even coming from me who has read plentiful intriguing Joker stories with  potential for adaptation). And yet, here we are today, with Todd Phillip's "Joker" and I do say with confidence - it is a game-changer. Joker is an absolutely incredible film that plays tribute not only to classic Batman stories but also, astoundingly, to some of director, Martin Scorsese's, classics. It is like the love child of...

Spoiler Discussion - Avengers: Endgame (2019) Now that a week has passed since the mammoth release of Endgame, I feel I can now go into a more-spoilery discussion about the film, and about the general ending to the Infinity Saga. Disclaimer: Spoilers for Endgame Below! There are two particular reasons why I so immensely liked Engame. No, it is not perfect at all, but these two elements of the film let me see past the flaws and elevate it to great heights in my eyes. Firstly, is the final battle scene - truly a cornucopia of amazing moments and fan-service. From the appearance and inclusion of almost every hero of the MCU - amazing team-ups and interactions - to a few specific moments, such as Cap's long-anticipated wielding of Thor's hammer and Iron Man's use of the Infinity Gauntlet (with his iconic line), it has to be one of the most epic battle scenes in film history. The second, and even greater, reason why I thought Endgame was so fantastic though, was because ...

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - Spoiler-Free This is it - the culmination of 11 years and 22 films - a wholly unprecedented achievement in cinema history of a story-line that began more than a decade ago and has since weaved its way through various franchises, characters and plot threads, all under the banner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is the end of the Infinity Saga. And, in that, Endgame is a resounding success. As most of you know, this is absolutely a film to go into blind - there are many twists and turns that are obviously left unspoiled that will have you clinging to your seat and cheering out in the theatre (perhaps to almost-deafening levels by the true die-hards, as we evidently experienced last night). What makes this film truly special is that, unlike most of the MCU's previous films that always seem to be setting up the next film/character, Endgame is a love letter and a proper conclusion to all that has come before. Not only does this film end the narrativ...

Hellboy (2019) Like Hellboy himself, this film was clearly created in one of the deepest layers of hell... but, unlike the hero of Mike Mignola's universe, this film is completely devoid of any saving graces or shreds of humanity. Simply put, this film is an abysmal failure. Personally, I am a huge fan of the character and world of Hellboy, which makes this year's reboot really one of the greatest disappointments I have experienced at the theatre thus far.  Supposedly, there was quite a lot of drama going on behind the scenes during the making of the film - a power struggle between a few of the producers and the directors, re-writing by the actors while filming, firings, and walk-offs. This may account for a few final deficiencies, however, while watching this film, it is quite remarkable to see how this film failed to do pretty much anything correctly. The script is awful - there is no justification for the abundant profanity and gore, the plot feels like a string of unco...

Shazam (2019) I think we can all confidently say that it's nice to no longer have Zack Snyder spearheading the cinematic DCU. No offence to Snyder - he has a specific style that works for those dark and stylistic stories - but he is not the right man for the usually whimsical and optimistic tone that permeates much of the DC universe. Aquaman and the studio's newest entry, Shazam, have now both succeeded in effectively evoking that fantastically high-concept and family-oriented side of the DCU that has been missing for quite a long time. Overall, Shazam is a fun and entertaining superhero film. In this it is quite reminiscent of Donner's original 1978 Superman playing out with a lighthearted self-awareness. There were a number of children in the theatre when I saw the film who were audibly enjoying the film with laughter and cheering - a nice change from the morose and grimness of BvS (which those kids likely weren't even allowed to watch). The cast here are all g...