I have been looking forward to this movie since the credits were rolling on the first Deadpool. The first one was just so much of what a Deadpool movie should be with the self-awareness, hyper-violence, and comedy. They stayed true enough to the source material (at least from what I’ve read). The second movie was more of the same which is exactly what I wanted. They had a bigger budget so they were able to add a few more characters. However, the movie still messed with your expectations and they were masters of playing around with their trailers. I have always appreciated Ryan Reynolds’ sense of humor and he is at the top of his game in this one. As with most sequels, this one is better if you have seen the first one but why have you not seen the first one yet? Josh Brolin was a great Cable and a great straight man for Reynolds to play off of. Once again, the movie has some hidden heart to it as it explores how we treat people and the consequences of our actions. The movie was so funny and just plain fun. It made me look forward to what the Deadpool/X-Force/X-Men franchise might do in the future. I definitely recommend this one as I will probably give this one a rare second watch. (For those who don’t know, I have a loose policy of not watching things more than once as there is too much to watch out there.)
Sicario
So I really did not know anything about this one other than it had a high score on Rotten Tomatoes. After a little research, I realized that it starred Daniel Kaluuya, Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Victor Garber, and Josh Brolin (third movie in three weeks!). To me, it looked like every other military movie that all seem to blend together. I am not really a fan of the rah rah ‘Merica military movie because they creep me out (American Sniper for example). This is not that. This is a movie that shows how complicated the war on drugs can be and how our government can be tainted while trying to win a largely pointless war. The movie is full of tense scenes punctuated by great, largely realistic action scenes. It also covers some of the psychological effects of being in combat situations for so long and so often. Blunt is impressive as usual but she shares the main character role with a silent but intense Benicio Del Toro. While it is probably not an accurate depiction of the actual war on drugs, it definitely nailed my general feelings on the subject. Everybody is covered in shades of gray and nobody is innocent and there is far too much violence. It was a surprisingly good movie and I was hooked minutes in. I definitely recommend it.
Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell
After last week’s weird, harrowing journey through some crazy movies, I felt I had to watch something a little lighter to reset. Marvel animation has been on a pretty good roll. Their animated movies use a different continuity from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They lean into the cartoony nature of things without losing the sense of adventure in the live action movies. This movie teams up The Hulk, Doctor Strange, and the modern incarnation of the Howling Commandos. For those who don’t know (because I didn’t), the Howling Commandos are a SHIELD-sponsored group of monsters. In this case, it included Warwolf, Vampire by Night, Zombie Jasper Sitwell, and Man-Thing. The big selling point for me is that Doctor Strange is voiced by accomplished voice actor Liam O’Brien (of Critical Role fame). Also, Doctor Strange has recently become a Marvel character I am interested in and I have always been into the Hulk. This one deals with dreams, nightmares, and Hulk’s duality so we get a lot of both Hulk and Banner in a more meaningful way. This includes the two of them actually interacting. While this short movie is nothing to write home about, this was a solid story with some solid voice work. I recommend it if you want to watch a good comic book story.
Weekly Update:
– This week’s theme is “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work”
– I started watching Supernatural Season 13
– I started watching The Flash Season 4
– I started watching Arrow Season 6
– I watched more Gurren Lagann
– I watched more Glitter Force Doki Doki Season 1
– I watched more Barry Kramer on YouTube
– I finished iZombie Season 4
– I started the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 4
– I finished Season 3 of Better Call Saul
I love a good comic book movie and I have been all about Charlize Theron’s career as a badass so it was a no-brainer that I would eventually see this. Then I found out that this movie is actually a project that Theron championed for years. The first (and only) trailer I saw for the movie was exciting and funny. When I actually started watching the movie, I realized that I was in for something quite different from what I expected. This is not a bad thing. The rest of the films on this week’s edition have a lot of action and explosions and whatnot. This movie is an actual slow burn film noir/spy film with a lot of twists and turns. Theron is great as the cold as ice main character who does get a chance to tell a few straight-faced jokes along the way. James McAvoy plays a much different agent, playing his part loud and wearing his heart on his sleeve. The whole thing is set against the backdrop of the Cold War in the days surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall. While there is plenty of intrigue, the movie does not skimp on great fight choreography. This is what I saw in the trailer but it led me to believe that this was all the movie was. The movie had a lot more depth than advertised and a lot more attitude. I definitely recommend it.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
I love Samuel L. Jackson, the louder and more belligerent the better he is. Ryan Reynolds is in the middle of a period where he is picking great projects to work on that show off his comic skills. Samuel L. Jackson plays the titular hitman and Reynolds plays the titular bodyguard. Reynolds often plays the straight man to Jackson’s laugh out loud humor. Of course, Reynolds does get his own jabs of comedy in as the put-upon bodyguard who has to handle the worst client he probably could have ever gotten. The movie is a comedy/action road trip story that mostly allows Jackson and Reynold’s characters to talk as they travel in between awesome, elaborate action set pieces. I was impressed with how well the dialogue is written for what appeared to be just another dumb blockbuster. Not surprising is how well all of the gun fights and martial arts scenes are choreographed. There are bullets, fisticuffs, car crashes, and plenty of explosions to go around but it only adds to the story as the action sequences often do not stop the two characters from arguing. Elodie Yung does a great job as the Interpol agent who sets a lot of the movie in motion. Throw in some cameos from Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek and you have a great small cast for a big movie. I definitely recommend this one as well.
Salt (Director’s Cut)
This movie is similar to Atomic Blonde in that both are about foreign intelligence service spies trying to navigate loyalties. However, this movie is more filled with literally explosive action scenes. Where Atomic Blonde is more subtle, this movie is a bit more blatant in almost every category. That does not mean that the spy intrigue is not present. There are plenty of spy moments where we are left with a mystery to try and figure out before the end. While the two movies are similar, this movie seemed like a more personal story but a less polished movie. Angelina Jolie is the star of this one and much of the movie follows her as she tries to figure things out and the viewer tries to figure her out. We also follow both Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor who play off each other great. What I find most interesting about this movie is that it was originally written with a male lead in mind and it was changed to fit Angelina Jolie instead. I recommend this one as well.
Music of the Week:
Wavves – Million Enemies
Brujeria – La Ley De Plomo
The Devil’s Daughters – Pass That Bottle
Childish Gambino – Sweatpants
Kesha – Woman
Weekly Updates:
– This week’s theme is “Foreign Intelligence Intrigue”
– I started The Crown Season 2
– I am watching Longmire Season 2
– I watched more Fate/Apocrypha
– I watched more Blindspot Season 1
– As with most weeks, I watched GTLive, Critical Role, Game Grumps, LordMinion777 and KittyKat Gaming.
– I really need to get my act together for Christmas. Always waiting until late.
Wolf of Words 