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The Ages of Disney Animation – Part I: The Age of Innovation
Feature-length Disney animated films are a hallmark of cinematic culture, and it is strange to think that they date back to before the beginning of the second world war. As we approach 80 years of animated features from Disney, I find myself looking back at that history and noting the various high-points and missteps in an all-encompassing retrospective of Disney Animation.
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Review of “Deadpool” Trailer Trailer and “Deadpool” Trailer Review
The Merc with a Mouth had something to say to us on Monday about the trailer for his new movie. Like the hipster asshole that he is, Deadpool narrates the trailer to his trailer with some bourbon and a pipe in full costume (which makes holding the pipe in his mouth fairly difficult). His voice pierces the darkness that only relents upon his activation of The Clapper to turn on his lamp, and Deadpool has some great news for us:
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“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” Ascends to Brilliant Heights
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation revels in its tropes. Heists, MacGuffins, and double/triple crosses abound and elevate the film to the very apex of the spy film genre. Director Christopher McQuarrie (director of Jack Reacher, writer of Edge of Tomorrow) ably adds his touches and always keeps the action intelligible, but this is unequivocally Tom Cruise’s movie. Cruise’s portrayal of Ethan Hunt has carried the Mission: Impossible franchise since its inception, but in the past his task has sometimes bordered on Sisyphean thanks to poor plotting, writing, and directing. Rogue Nation is a much easier boulder to push, and never tumbles from its well-earned heights.
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“Ant-Man” Offers More Wit, Subtlety, and Heart than Standard Marvel Fares
Every new entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has multiple obstacles to overcome. First, and most importantly, the film must fit into the rest of the MCU in a way that feels genuine and earned. Also, it must be careful not to retread old ideas and instead offer us something fresh. The latest offering, Ant-Man, ably navigates these potential pitfalls and presents a deftly told story full of humor and emotion that rivals some of the best moments in all of the MCU. All told, this is probably the funniest Marvel movie to date, with its most direct competition being last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Further, the theme of living up to the expectations of one’s family is probably the most human and relatable that we’ve seen. That being said, Ant-Man is not afraid to kick some serious ass and present some truly ground-breaking special effects-fueled action sequences in service of its greater story. That these scenes and effects are in service of telling a nuanced heist story instead of a grandiose world-saving kind of story is just one of the many strengths of Ant-Man, but the film is far from flawless.
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Visual Power Structures in the “Spectre” Trailer Promise Greatness
The first full trailer for the next entry in Daniel Craig’s James Bond begins with Ralph Fiennes’ M chiding Bond for carrying out an unauthorized operation in Mexico City. Fiennes stands behind his desk and towers over a seated, subservient Bond asking, “Mexico City: What were you doing there?” We cut to the event in question and see Bond targeting someone in a building – and then effecting an enveloping explosion in the man’s room. Bonds wry answer to M nearly suppresses a laugh: “I was taking some overdue holiday.” The MGM and Columbia logos blazon across the screen, and that is our introduction to Spectre:
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“The Revenant” Agonizes through the Frontier in a Perfect Teaser Trailer
The Revenant has been anticipated since April of 2014, when Alejandro G. Iñárritu announced that he had started to work on the project with Leonardo DiCaprio in the leading role. The story was to be based on a novel of the same name detailing the true events of a fur-trapper on the American frontier at the beginning of the nineteenth century. After the world saw the heights Iñárritu was capable of with Birdman, that anticipation skyrocketed, and we are fortunate to finally get a brief look at The Revenant with a haunting teaser trailer which revels in the mood of a dark, savage thriller. Watch the teaser below:
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“An Honest Liar” Focuses on Our Relationship with Deception
Think about something in which you truly believe. It could be quaint, or it could be defining – but is it the truth? Do you believe this thing because someone has tricked you into it, or is it genuine? In An Honest Liar, escape artist, magician, and debunker James Randi investigates the world of professional deception. Following in the footsteps of Houdini, The Amazing Randi spent a career freeing himself from straightjackets and others from the fantastical claims of faith healers, psychics, and other charlatans through his own brand of trickery. Replicating or revealing their tricks, however, is shown to be insufficient, as belief in telekinetic abilities or divine communication persists after Randi has shown Oz behind the curtain. But, Randi holds secrets in his own life, and their revelation causes great tension and a profound humanizing effect on this titanic man.
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Oh, That’s Where All the Fun Went: the “Suicide Squad” Full Trailer
So I definitely found all the fun in the DCCU, and it looks like I was right – it is going to come from the villains. Look no further than the recently released trailer for Suicide Squad, where I finally get the sense that there is more to the DCCU than brooding, gritty darkness. Somehow, the characters that are supposed to be the baddest and meanest have the most time to have fun, joke around, and lighten the mood. That’s not to say there aren’t some really disturbing visuals, though. Have a look:
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A Glimpse of Fun in the “Batman v Superman” Trailer?
It is no secret that the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has darker ambitions than its brightly colored and quip-filled Marvel counterpart. Since the DCEU is late to the shared universe party, they are tasked with differentiating themselves, and if Man of Steel and the teaser trailer for the follow-up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are any indication, they want to skew more serious and dramatic. This is fine, as Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy leaned more realistic and was a success. But, this strategy could be quite dangerous if applied across the board (including Man of Steel, 13 DCEU films are in various stages of planning). While a single film can focus on the darker aspects of the world, I feel like the weight or power of such a choice is diminished by each successive trip to that well. With that in mind, I looked to the new Batman v Superman trailer with the question: is there ever going to be any fun at all in the DCEU?
Film Criticism and Fiction Writing by Derek Jacobs
