Showing posts with label gemma chan. Show all posts
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| "Thanos? Bring it." |
•First of all, I've only seen this once, and I came out of the theatre with very little to take home with me. This is one of those very rare films which I practically forgot as soon as I exited the cinema. Is it because I may have been a bit sleepy? Maybe. But again, that's very rare. Even Brie Larson's pretty mug was forgettable.
•As a "girl power" film, it of course makes sense that this film was released to coincide with International Women's Day, which is on the 8th of March. I guess you could classify Captain Marvel as a feminist movie, and an enjoyable one at that. Although DC beat Marvel to the punch with the critically-acclaimed Wonder Woman, this film is a step in the right direction. So, good job, Marvel, and may you release more films about superheroines.
•The songs used were great, of course, especially for kids who grew up in the 90s. However, I am of the opinion that the music used was great on its own, but not as a soundtrack. The way the music was used in Captain Marvel was a far cry from how James Gunn used his 80s soundtrack in Guardians of the Galaxy (both Volumes I and II), which was more cinematic. The Guardians of the Galaxy music not only set the time the films were set in, but they also set the mood, and were somehow connected to Star-Lord's journey. Captain Marvel's song catalogue, on the other hand, felt like it was just there to set the milieu.
•I've been more of a Marvel fan than a DC one, and that was since grade school. Sadly, I was not a fan of Captain Marvel as a character. The only thing I remember was that Captain Marvel in the comics was a male. I'm basing my memory off a Marvel trading card, and I have to admit, my memory may be hazy. Anyway, whether or not Captain Marvel was originally a male or female is moot: the fact that Marvel Studios decided that the superhero who bears the studio's name, and the superhero rumoured to be the only one who can whoop Thanos's ass, would be female, that's a big step in the fight for gender equality in Hollywood.
•Honestly, I found the plot a bit confusing. But then again, I've only seen it once, and I was a bit sleepy. Anyway, the film was set in the 90s, right? But then Carol Danvers was having flashbacks of a different life, which kind of looked like it was a life in the 90s. So what is it, really? I think I need to watch this again, at least before Avengers: Endgame hits the theatres.
•Now let's talk about Samuel L. Jackson. The modern-day Nick Fury is a bad-ass, and he even looks the part, with his eyepatch and slightly toned down Pulp Fiction swagger. Then we find out how he got the scar. Scratched by a cat. I guess people just assumed he got it fighting some super villain, then he just kept silent and let people go on thinking that.
•And speaking of cats, that ginger feline kind of stole the show. The name Goose, I think, is a Top Gun reference, because of the whole fighter pilot vibe they got going. And the whole tentacle-shooting-from-the-mouth thing makes the cat look like it came straight out of Men In Black. Anyway, I think Goose is more than just comic relief. He may have a bigger part to play in Avengers: Endgame. Wouldn't it be cool if it was actually Goose that defeats Thanos?
•Yes, we know this movie is about girl power, but is there also a queer angle to it? I've heard opinions that Carol Danvers and her Air Force BFF Maria, played by Lashana Lynch, are lesbian lovers. Honestly, I didn't get that vibe, although my gaydar has never been accurate. If the lesbian angle was intentional, it wasn't obvious. And if it was obvious, it doesn't really matter. They're close friends, and whether or not they're lovers doesn't matter.
•And of course, no Marvel movie is complete without special effects. Marvel has been setting the standard for popcorn flicks even before the MCU was introduced. With these kinds of storytelling, world-building is crucial, and with world-building comes believability, because what good is an alternate world if it's not believable?
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| Men do not generally give up their seats to powerful women. |
Captain Marvel. USA. 2019.
Original rating: 6.6/10
Gemma Chan: +0.2
Gemma Chan in blue makeup: -0.1
Unrecognisable Ben Mendelsohn: +0.1
Unrecognisable Lee Pace: +0.1
Recognisable Djimon Hounsou: -0.1
Jude Law plot twist: -0.1
Annette Bening: +0.1
Clark Gregg: +0.2
Final rating: 7/10
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| Yes, Scamander's suitcase is like the TARDIS. |
Thank you, J.K. Rowling. For a lot of things.
While a part of the movie-going populace laments the lack of original screenplays in Hollywood, you have given us something new with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Well, it's not wholly original in the sense that Inception and Interstellar were original; I meant original in the sense that this wasn't adapted from any existing literary material. Technically, this movie would be classified as a spin-off, very (very) loosely based on the book of the same title released as part of Comic Relief in 2001, which was basically you bringing one of Harry Potter's fictional textbooks to life. I guess an original spin-off is way better than an adapted screenplay.
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| Cover of the original Comic Relief book. |
Thank you for bringing magic across the pond to America. Your skill in creating a solid fictional universe is unparalleled, rivalled only by maybe George Lucas. I think Fantastic Beasts is more than just a mere spin-off. It's like a break-away religion that has taken a life of its own, and after the five movies you promised, the American wizarding world could be even bigger and more complex than the one in Britain.
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| "Honestly, I'm not happy that I won't be back for the sequels." |
Thank you also for the great casting choices. Much like you had a hand in casting Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, I'm sure you also had the final say in the casting of Fantastic Beasts. Eddie Redmayne seems perfect as the bumbling magizoologist who's like a duck out of water, although I wonder if Matt Smith could have played the role with equal brilliance. Colin Farrell is spot-on, if only because the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay describes his character Percival Graves as "very handsome, early middle age". Alison Sudol also gave a very convincing performance as the blonde bimbo American witch Queenie Goldstein, and I'm rather interested in how her skill in Legilimency will play out throughout the franchise. Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald was surprising (I had no idea coming into the cinema), and I hope his future performances as Grindelwald show no trace of Captain Jack Sparrow, a role he has a habit of falling back on. My most favourite character in this movie, however, is the
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| I mean, come on, look at Kowalski's face. |
Thank you, Ms. Rowling, for your hyperactive imagination. These beasts you conjure from your imagination are awesome, although almost of these creatures have already made their debut in the Comic Relief book. The niffler is so adorable, although of course I wouldn't want to have a kleptomaniac for a pet. The demiguise still has the most awesome ability of them all – invisibility. The erumpent is just too big to be allowed, even in Scamander's TARDIS-like suitcase (bigger on the inside). And the thunderbird, oh what a glorious beast. Thank you also for designing the sorting test for Ilvermorny, because I took the test and got House Thunderbird.
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| Now isn't that a majestic creature? |
And finally, thank you for ensuring that all screenplays of Newt Scamander's franchise will be penned by you. What better way to preserve the voice and feel of the original wizarding world we all grew up with. I eagerly await the second film in this series with as much anticipation as I had waiting for the Harry Potter books to come out.
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| "Bravo, Jo Rowling. Bravo." |
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. UK/USA. 2016.
Original rating: 8.1/10
Gemma Chan as Madam Ya Zhou: +0.1
Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski: +0.1
The niffler: +0.1
No wizard-on-no-maj sex: -0.1
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald: +0.1
Jon Voight not playing a wizard: -0.1
Ezra Miller's weirdly nice face: +0.1
Ron Perlman looking like Gnarlak: +0.1
Pacing of screenplay: -0.1
Final rating: 8.4/10
What do both Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have in common, aside from both being writers of Doctor Who, and proper Whovians in themselves? The answer is that they are both big fans of Arthur Conan Doyle, and the ones who came up with the idea of putting the Conan Doyle's famous creation smack in the middle of second millennium-London.
This is the first time I've actually encountered a TV show with only three episodes per series ("season" in the US), with each episode lasting 90 minutes. I'm familiar with the 6-, 12-, and 24-episode series, but not this. Anyway, I'm not complaining. I just wanted to mention that I learned something new from the Brits. Yet again.
This first series came out in mid-2010, and fans had to wait a year and a half for series 2. Blame it on Peter Jackson, whose film The Hobbit created scheduling conflicts for Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins, and maybe Benedict Cumberbatch as well, who voices the dragon Smaug. But the BBC decided to start the year right, by bringing series 2 on New Year's Day itself, creating the grand fireworks display between Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler.
But before we go onto the review of the first episode of series 2, here is a recap of the entire first series. Clicking on the episode title links back to the original review, which is actually already here, so it wouldn't be necessary to click it. Unless you want to give this blog more hits, then by all means, click away.
1. "A Study in Pink"
I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since grade school. Although I admit, I haven't read the entire canon. But I've read quite a lot. And if you've been a fan of Holmes for some time now, you'll recognize the title from A Study in Scarlet.
Then you get to the part where Sherlock asks John:
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| "Afghanistan or Iraq?" |
More Sherlock. Man, I love this show so much.
This episode shows us more of Sherlock's eccentricities. Sherlock Holmes is not just a genius. He's half-genius and half-madman.
This episode also shows us more of Watson's normal side. He actually goes out on dates. And his date is quite pretty, too.
What makes the chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman work so well is the contrast between their characters. The normal-ness of John Watson balances out the pure weirdness of Sherlock Holmes.
And once more, Steven Moffat, you are a damn good writer. For those who don't know, every episode of Sherlock is kind of a hodge-podge of different Sherlock Holmes stories. This episode in particular takes from "The Valley of Fear" and "The Dancing Men". Now you have to admit that Steven Moffat is a master of adaptation. And this makes me excited about the upcoming Tintin flick. Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Moffat. Perfect.
Also, this episode introduced me to the beauty that is Gemma Chan. You are so damn cute, Gemma. But you died in this episode, so I guess you won't be coming back.
Sherlock (Episode 2). UK. 2010.
Rating: Eight point eight out of ten.
*some info from Wikipedia
pics from Tumblr, VLC, and Comics Alliance
This episode shows us more of Sherlock's eccentricities. Sherlock Holmes is not just a genius. He's half-genius and half-madman.
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| The master at work. |
This episode also shows us more of Watson's normal side. He actually goes out on dates. And his date is quite pretty, too.
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| Gotta love John Watson's expression here. Sherlock, as always, is a third wheel. |
What makes the chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman work so well is the contrast between their characters. The normal-ness of John Watson balances out the pure weirdness of Sherlock Holmes.
And once more, Steven Moffat, you are a damn good writer. For those who don't know, every episode of Sherlock is kind of a hodge-podge of different Sherlock Holmes stories. This episode in particular takes from "The Valley of Fear" and "The Dancing Men". Now you have to admit that Steven Moffat is a master of adaptation. And this makes me excited about the upcoming Tintin flick. Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Moffat. Perfect.
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| "Two Stevens?" |
Also, this episode introduced me to the beauty that is Gemma Chan. You are so damn cute, Gemma. But you died in this episode, so I guess you won't be coming back.
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| Click here to go to The Crush Archives. |
Sherlock (Episode 2). UK. 2010.
Rating: Eight point eight out of ten.
*some info from Wikipedia
pics from Tumblr, VLC, and Comics Alliance
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