Ready Or Not Review

Ready Or Not Review

      Never knowing her own family, Grace (Samara Weaving) is excited, even anxious at becoming a part of the La Domas board game dynasty by marrying youngest son Alex (Mark O'Brien). After a lavish wedding, the newlyweds spend their honeymoon at the La Domas family mansion. As midnight comes, per family tradition, new family member Grace must play a game with the other relatives also staying the night at the mansion. Picking from a mysterious card box, the game is "Hide and Seek" with the twist being that if Grace is caught, the La Domas will kill her in a dark ritual. But if she survives the night, the La Domas family may be doomed.

     "The Most Dangerous Game" is a short story written by Richard Connell in 1924. It introduced the idea of humans hunting other humans for sport. Countless movies and stories throughout the decades have either elaborated (Hunger Games), parodied (The Pest), and/or continued the concept. The axiom is true, it's all been done before. Execution of repeated premises and tropes are how one separates the good from the bad in terms of storytelling. I firmly count Ready Or Not as one of the best "Most Dangerous Game" type of films in recent memory.

     Ready Or Not presents a darkly comedic, gothic, future cult classic horror film with a quirky, but demented cast of characters. There's a kind of dark, relatable humor in seeing this family interacting together with clashing personalities that are picked up on right away. This brother-in-law doesn't like this sister-in-law, this aunt can't stand this nephew by marriage, husbands and wives bicker. Were it not a wedding bringing them all together, one could assume these same arguments occur every Thanksgiving about whether or not the cranberry sauce is fresh or canned.

     Having previously seen her performance in Netflix's horror-comedy romp "The Babysitter" (which I highly recommend), Samara Weaving is quickly making a name for herself as not only a modern-day Scream Queen, but an actress to look out for in the coming years. Her performance runs the gamut of emotions for someone in such an absurd and terrifying situation. From catatonic shock to just being flat-out done with everything, I firmly believed Weaving's performance from beginning to end.

     The gothic aesthetic to the La Domas mansion gives it a chilling atmosphere. Within its opulent halls are secret passageways, service entrances, resplendent fields of green as well as a security lockdown with surveillance cameras. The dim creepy interior lighting lent itself to the archaic nature of the game as well as the backstory and the rules of said game.  The production design of the mansion itself made it also feel compact despite its immensity, providing a lot of nice tension for Grace trying to flee her pursuers.

     There are some pretty grisly imagery to watch out for and the directors of the film pull no punches, in some cases, literally. People are severely wounded, some meet slow, gruesome ends. A lot of it was done with a darkly humorous tone, in particular, when some of the servants meet their untimely demise via an accidental shooting. It also shows that despite thinking of their deceased employees as human beings, the La Domas ultimately only care about themselves and their own survival.

    Speaking of the La Domas family, it'd be real easy to see the surface level criticism about rich people's behavior towards those not as well off and call it a day. They do display a willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve their goal, but the underlying desperation of needing to sacrifice Grace for the continued existence gives them an unexpected humanity. One of them laments that their family has to go through with this, saying "We all deserve to die." That statement is rebutted with "My children don't deserve to die." The family members, while each given easily recognizable traits (Ditz, drunk, gold-digger, etc;) they also show that they aren't kill-crazy psychopaths. That being said, their actions are inexcusable, are rightly framed in the narrative as horrific and morally wrong.

     Overall, Ready or Not is a darkly humorous, tremendously acted horror comedy romp with heart, intensity and blood to spare. I won't spoil the finale, but it does provide a suitably satisfying conclusion and a bloody good time for horror fans. And I never thought I'd say this, but Andie MacDowell should play more villains. She is incredibly effective and easy to despise as the matriarch of the family.

Blinded By The Light Review

Blinded By The Light Review

      Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra) dreams of leaving the sleepy town of Luton, England to pursue a career as a writer, and who could blame him? With labor shortages, bigotry and an overbearing father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) trying to plan his life for him, there appears to be no escape. That is, until one night when Javed pops in a cassette of Bruce Springsteen and listens for the first time. The words of The Boss strike the young author's soul like a bolt of lightning and, for the first time, Javed feels that someone can relate to his plights. Through his new inspiration, Javed works towards his dreams, but a clash between generations with his father threatens to not just derail his dreams, but cause an irreparable rift in his family. 

     We're all looking for someone who can relate to our situations in life. It's a universal desire within just about every human being. People have a natural urge for connection, a yearning to be heard and to be listened to, to feel that they aren't alone. We don't always choose what inspires us. It could be as obvious as an uplifting movie or song, or as unconventional as a candy bar wrapper or a flower. But when you finally witness or hear that intangible spark of creativity or motivation to ignite the fire of your ambition, it changes everything. 

     Viveik Kalra gives a stand-out performance as hard-luck university student and aspiring writer Javed Khan. He carries himself like a young man with heavy expectations on his shoulders as well as the awkwardness of trying to come out of your own shell and embrace a more confident version of yourself. Kalra lays bear all the feelings his character experiences, perhaps to an over dramatic, even dare I say, corny degree.

     If one isn't paying attention and not looking beyond the surface, one might consider Kulvinder Ghir's performance as Malik to be a bit one-note, especially as an antagonist. But it's always a good rule of thumb to remember: antagonist doesn't mean villain or bad guy. He's a loving, doting father who wants his son to be a provider for his family and a responsible adult. Malik finds writing to be a frivolous pastime and isn't a stable, reliable way to make a living. Well, he's not exactly wrong. His relationship and struggles to relate to and be a good father to Javed are equal parts heartwrenching and heartwarming, even if you can see where the story is going.

      There are parts where this movie almost wants to be a Springsteen-inspired musical, particularly a number where Javed, his girlfriend Eliza and his best friend Roops dance and run around Luten to Springsteen's classic "Born To Run." It starts at the university, then winds its way through a group of dancers in a town square, alongside a row of out-of-work factory workers and then to an open field. Though numbers like this are few and far between, the direction takes a more visually unique approach by having the words appear in various ways as the songs are being sung.

     I'm no expert on Bruce Springsteen. I've only heard a few of his songs and I wouldn't consider myself a superfan. That being said, I don't consider that a requirement to understand the main themes of working hard and pursuing your dreams but never forgetting where you come from that the film ultimately espouses. Though there were times, and I said this to the friend I watched the movie with, it almost came off as Javed was proselytizing the gospel of The Boss. He quotes Springsteen lyrics in everyday conversation, tries to get everyone to listen to cassettes, it becomes close to obnoxious when he dismisses the music choices of a childhood friend. However, the film does show that condescension to other's tastes and opinions is foolish and not at all what Bruce is about.

     "Blinded By The Light" is a fun, cheesy, over-the-top but heart-filled time at the theater. It gave me an appreciation of the power of music and it's ability to inspire change in a person's life, which can affect change in others.While there's no post credits sequence, the audience is treated with follow-ups on the real life inspiration for the movie, British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, who co-wrote the film's script. A sweet, touching end for an uplifting, if a bit corny, at times, experience.

Fast and Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw Review

Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw

     MI6 agent Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) is on the run after injecting herself with dormant capsules of a deadly virus that can be reprogrammed to kill any target it infects.Her only hope are her brother, mercenary and former MI6 agent Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and Luke Hobbs, a DSS agent sent in by the CIA to help retrieve both Hattie and the virus. But the mysterious Eteon organization sends out its cybernetically enhanced super-soldier Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) to retrieve the virus and kill Hobbs and the Shaw siblings. Not necessarily in that order.

     I will admit to not having seen all of the Fast and Furious movies. That being said, of those that I have watched, Fast Five is perhaps the best. But a point in the favor of this spin-off of the popular franchise is that prior knowledge of the previous films involving Hobbs and Shaw is unnecessary. While it does explain several instances, like why Helen Mirren is in prison, it isn't crucial to the plot. Our main duo are introduced very well in simultaneous sequences where they're entering the hangouts of low-level bad guys and make quick work of their targets to get information. You can get a sense of what they're all about from these segments and it works with the tone of the film.

     I came into this expecting a big, dumb, loud action film and that's exactly what I got. That being said, I love big, dumb, loud action films that are, at the very least, entertaining.I can tell the cast and crew behind this film had a good time making this movie and when they have a good time, more often than not the audience has a good time. It knows what kind of movie it is and what it's going for and doesn't pretend to be anything other than popcorn-flavored shut-off-your-brain entertainment.

     Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham play off of each other beautifully. Their chemistry lends to not only some kick-ass action sequences but for great chuckle-worthy gags between the two. Sometimes it does get a little overbearing and even the villains in the movie harp on it to the point where it becomes somewhat obnoxious, but Statham and Johnson have the combined chemistry and charisma to at least make the banter fun.

     One of the standout performances is from Vanessa Kirby who looks like dynamite. She carries her own weight not just in the snark and character department with the two leading men, but also a fierce whupper of asses in her own right. Her genuine charisma elevates her well above the usual eye candy one finds in this movie. Also, given she's playing the daughter of dame Helen Mirren (who is delightful in her brief cameo), she has a grace and attitude that I think would make Dame Helen proud.

     Idris Elba gives a truly villainous performance as Brixton Lore. When he says he's Black Superman, you damn well believe it, especially with his heavy baritone. It's not an original character by any stretch; Brixton has a past with Deckard Shaw, joins evil organization and wants to show how much better he is with cybernetic enhancements that give him superhuman strength. Tale as old as time, really. But Elba  convincingly sells the over-the-top villainy and sheer intensity of a half-man/half-machine assassin.

      The action is exactly as the franchise portends: fast and furious and they're all very well done, but it does get a bit monotonous during the second act. Things do pick up at the end with a set piece involving a helicopter chained to several big muscle cars hanging off of a cliff. I wouldn't ever call the action in the movie boring, but you do start to feel the two-hour run time when the lights in the theater come up. And while Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds do have funny cameos to give in this movie, it's pretty much just them doing their usual schtick, which is fine if that's what you like. Fortunately for me, I do, but if they aren't your cup of tea, this won't change your mind on them.

     Overall, worth at least a matinee viewing if you just want something that is, as I said before, big, dumb, loud, and fun.

SummerSlam 2019 Review

WWE SummerSlam 2019

Becky Lynch (champ) vs Natalya- Submission Match for the Raw Women's Title

      This was a pretty impressive match and a great way to start strong with. A brutal back and forth war of attrition with two fierce performances from two of WWE's best female wrestlers. Some of the more awkward transitions can be attributed to the nature of the match. One of the highlights was when the Toronto fans booed Becky putting Natalya in a sharpshooter While it isn't exactly the best submission match ever, it's still worth a watch. There was some selective selling but nothing too flagrant. Becky picks up the hard-fought win after a DisArm-Her.

Three tight leather armbars out of five.
   

Goldberg vs Dolph Ziggler


     Dolph, sporting a pretty cool "Shout At The Devil" jean vest, berates the crowd and thinks the Hall of Famer won't even show up. Then the music hits and out comes Goldberg in classic fashion, a knock on the door and being followed out of the backstage area to walk through a hail of sparks. Ziggler lays into Goldberg with two superkicks which the legend kicks out of each consecutive pinfall attempt. Goldberg then gives Dolph a huge spear. One Jackhammer suplex later and it's all over. Dolph then grabs a microphone and trash talks Goldberg, prompting a second spear. Dolph grabs the mic a second time to trash-talk the Hall of Famer one more time, which ends with, well you get the picture. This match might have been more interesting had Ziggler been booked to get in a little more offense, but I suppose Goldberg's age is a factor and it's probably the best we'll get out of him at this stage of his life.And while there were three in total, this match and segment gets:

One and a half fifty-two-year old spears out of five.

AJ Styles (champ) vs Ricochet for the WWE United States Championship

      Ricochet graces the ring in a Nightwing-inspired outfit which looks pretty damn slick. An incredible highlight is where Ricochet walks on the shoulders of AJ Styles's companions, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to hurricanrana AJ. It becomes a hard-hitting, high-flying battle between two of the best performers in WWE. AJ gets the victory with countering a Phoenix Splash into the Styles Clash. Anderson and Gallows then hit a Magic Killer on Ricochet to add insult to injury.

Three Dick Graysons out of five.

Bayley (champ) vs Ember Moon for the Smackdown Women's Championship

      This match had something of a slow start. The problem when you have a match between two good guys (or Faces/babyfaces) is that it leaves the crowd a bit unsure of who to root for and it showed with the lackluster crowd reaction. Things did pick up later in the match until Bayley comes up with the W with a Bayley-To-Belly suplex from the second rope. A serviceable match but the crowd reaction did sort of hurt it.

Two Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men out of five.

Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon (If Owens loses he must quit WWE)

      Shane McMahon tries to get Kevin Owens counted out by having him argue with special enforcer Elias (fresh from eating a spear from Hall of Famer Edge). Shane's style makes for a perfect heel (bad guy), cheapshots, using Elias to distract Kevin, even having the ref pulled out of the ring. It was a fine enough match in terms of a dirty rotten scoundrel getting their comeuppance. A nice-feel good moment with Kevin Owens winning with a low-blow and a Stunner.

Two and a half Sweaty Shane-O-Mac jerseys out of five.

Charlotte Flair vs Trish Stratus

      A clash of generations. Trish shows she still has it with a great performance, willing to take a pretty brutal and extensive beating from Charlotte. The grit and determination on both women's face told more of a story than the last two weeks of lackluster promos ever did. Though there was a time in the match where Trish's shoulders were down for a little longer than they should've been, it set up for the Hall of Famer to steal Charlotte's Figure Eight leglock for a brief moment. Though she brought a tough fight, Trish succumbed to The Queen's Figure Eight and tapped out. After the match Trish bade the Toronto crowd and all her WWE fans a fond adieu.

Three Stratusfactions out of five.

Kofi Kingston (champ) vs Randy Orton for the WWE Heavyweight Championship

     Of all of Kofi's title defenses, I'd consider this one his weakest. Randy's slow, methodical style fits his character to a T and it sometimes makes for a compelling good-guy-in-trouble story and makes the comeback all the richer. The crowd didn't seem to find the action all that entertaining and frankly I agree. Kofi does his best with what he's got and tries to elevate the match to at least a better quality. After eating Orton's patented RKO, Kofi rolls out of the ring, in front of his family. As Randy taunts said family with the prone body of Kofi, the champion becomes furious once the bell rings and both contestants are counted out. While Kofi annihilates Randy with a kendo stick and a Trouble In Paradise, the understandably cheesed off crowd goes "Bullshit!" And while I get booking maybe wanting to drag the storyline out for a little more, but personally speaking, I agree with the crowd.

One and a half Pancakes out of five.

Finn Balor vs The Fiend Bray Wyatt

      Finn Balor comes out in just about the whitest outfit I've ever seen. A stark contrast to Bray Wyatt, coming out with a really sick monster mask and a lantern with a human head cover on the lantern. I'm surprised Bray got away with that, to be honest. This was, in the common parlance, a squash match; where one wrestler gets in ninety-nine percent of the offense in the match. While Finn made the best of his one percent, it was still a showcase of Wyatt's newly honed skill. Wyatt looked like an absolute beast and he needed to to make an impression. The Fiend wins catching Finn Balor with the Mandible Claw for the pinfall "Holy shit" indeed.

Three demon contact lenses out of five.

Brock Lesnar (champ) vs Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship

      Seth Rollins, taped up ribs and all, came out swinging against The Beast Incarnate, or as my friend Jared would say the YEET Incarnate due to Brock's penchant for throws and German Suplexes. After a couple of superkicks and a stomp, Brock begins annihilating his challenger with his usual methodical but explosive style. Seth sells his hurt ribs nicely and Brock, while I personally find limited in terms of personality and moves, is every bit the beast he's advertised as. One moment showed Seth being literally slung across the ring by the tape on his ribs. Seth follows up with a frog splash onto Brock through a table, then a frog splash in the ring five minutes later, two Stomps later and Rollins comes out with a satisfying, hard fought win, conquering The Conqueror.

Three Burning It Downs out of five.

Overall grade

Three Missing Roman Reigns Out of Five!

      This PPV, for the minimal or dismal build-up it had garnered for the last three weeks since Extreme Rules, SummerSlam gives us a pretty good show where only one match could really be considered weak, but it wasn't what I would call a full one-star match (The difference between this and Goldberg vs Dolph was that despite that being a squash match, it was a little more entertaining despite the limited moves on display thanks to Ziggler selling the spears like death.). On that note, none of the matches were truly amazing or instant classics, but they were still pretty damn good for the lack of build-up and anticipation.

Match Of The Night Goes To

     

      Brock and Seth told a hell of a complete story and had a satisfying payoff plus some pretty intense moments. A spot-on performance from both wrestlers led to one of Brock's better matches in recent memory.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Review

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

 

A Star-Studded Fable Or Historical Fan Fiction?

     Hollywood's a tough town to try and make a living. It's even tougher when your star is seemingly fading, as believes actor Rick Dalton, portrayed beautifully by Leonardo DiCaprio.With his faithful companion and stuntman Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt, Rick tries to navigate through a career of Spaghetti Westerns, TV Pilots, and his own existential crisis. Meanwhile, young expectant starlet Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie, goes about her apparently charmed life, unaware of a dark specter looming over her future.

      Quentin Tarantino's 9th film brings us what may appear on the surface to be an ode to Hollywood's last golden age, the 1960's. Looking past the cameras, the fame, money and high-rolling lifestyles, Hollywood is a town that, even to this day, will chew you up and spit you out without a second thought when it finds it has no more use for you. And opportunities don't come often, so when they need

     The production value is top notch, with the styles, decor, and even authentic sounding radio stations playing the music of the time. Tarantino naturally nails the time period with classic cars and streets and shops and even movie theaters that look like they pop right out of a history book. Plus, the way the movie is filmed, it lends itself a little extra authenticity in looking more like a 1969 film than something from 2019.

     Those familiar with Tarantino's signature style can spot them a mile away; long takes, mountains of dialog, and of course, gratuitous feet shots. Though this movie isn't quite like the rest of Tarantino's filmography in that the usual criminal or unseemly element that usually makes up the acclaimed auteur's movies takes something of a backseat to show people who, while not angels, are not stone-cold killers. At least most of them aren't, anyway. They are people who eat at high-end restaurants, drive Cadillacs, go home and learn lines via tape recordings.

     Leonardo DiCaprio gives us a likable but heavily flawed protagonist in Rick Dalton. He isn't strong-willed and world-hardened like Django, suave or cool like Vincent Vega or Jules Winfield. Rick is a victim of his own demons as well as the realization that he's getting older and being passed by as a leading man. An opening monologue by Al Pacino's film producer Marvin Schwarz regales us with the usual business of what happens when a TV star begins to head into the twilight of his career; taking dives for the new, up and coming new stars. It catalyzes Rick's purpose for the entire film. DiCaprio's performance gives us something of a more pathetic take on his insecure, affluent and greedy manchildren from Wolf Of Wall Street or Great Gatsby.

     The rest of the acting is top-notch all around. Everyone brings in great performances. Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth comes off like the kind of guy Tyler Durden would've wanted to look like. Cool, unflappable, though not always all there. Ironically enough, he does get into an even-sided sparring match with Bruce Lee, played by Mike Moh in something more of a comedic impression than an actual portrayal.

     For a large portion of the running time, we're taken through a single day where Rick tries to get his act straight while filming an episode of a western TV show, Booth fixes a TV antenna and visits The Manson Family hideout at an old filming ranch, and Sharon Tate has a nice day out watching The Wrecking Crew with her bare feet up on the seats and enjoying the reaction of the crowd around her. It does slow the pacing of the movie to a grinding halt, but it does provide the audience with a pitch-perfect demonstration of Rick's deterioration and his attempts to save a disastrous day on set.

     The best scene comes from the scene where Rick is filming a scene of the old TV western "Lancer" it begins as though we, the audience, are watching the episode itself unfolding. The camera moves and repositions to its previous spot when Rick messes up his line. It's a visually captivating way to bring the audience in on some of the magic of bringing stories to life on the screen, while at the same time playing up Rick's downward spiral.

     The less I say about the ending the better. Not because I think it's bad, it's actually a very well filmed and effectively brutal finale. Though I think most of the shock value comes from the majority of the movie being relatively tame, at least by the usual Tarantino fare. The speed and impact of the violence unleashed on film is gruesome, almost farcical, ending on a callback to an earlier scene that might've seemed like a one-off joke, but is set-up for those with a keen eye.

     I imagine that bringing up not only the Manson "family" but conjuring up the memories of the tragic murder of Sharon Tate and her ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring (along with Wojciech Frykowski and his girlfriend Abigail Folger) might seem insensitive, and the thing is, it does add a bit of oncoming dread to the proceedings. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate makes her seem almost unreal, though she does exhibit a flaw or two (she uses her celebrity to go see a movie that she stars in in the theater without paying). The air surrounding her is infused with light, her voice welcoming and sweet.

     Which brings me to probably one of my problems with this film. Margot Robbie is more playing Tarantino's idealized, almost manic-pixie-dream-girl version of Sharon Tate. She doesn't feel like a real character or add much to the movie except to let us know she existed and using the terrible tragedy that happened to her (amongst many others) by using our knowledge of history to play up an almost bittersweet sorrow. He essentially uses the real-life horror to drum up impending dread for a majority of the movie. Only for it to be yanked away in a few moments of cathartic, if not a bit excessive, over-the-top violence.

     Those who've seen Inglorious Basterds know Quentin Tarantino is not averse to having original characters of his mete out extremely bloody vengeance on horrible people who've done horrible things. It's almost like historical fan fiction in a way, which can be seen as disrespectful to the memory of those who've passed. But I can also see the desire in wanting to right the wrongs of the past. I have no sympathy for the characters who meet their grisly ends and I think that's the point. It's Tarantino saying "These people aren't masterminds or innocent, led-astray malcontents. They're the scum of the Earth and should've been eradicated in the most satisfying way possible."

     Overall, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a love letter to Sharon Tate, 1969 Hollywood, and something of a eulogy for a starlet whose light was extinguished far too early told through the ups and downs of a man in way over his head. 

The Lion King (2019) Review

The Lion King (2019)

Can photo-realistic CGI capture the liveliness of the original Disney classic?

     

     Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King is considered by many to be a modern day masterpiece. As part of the much-acclaimed 90's Disney renaissance, the film combined fantastic hand-drawn animation combined with what was at the time cutting edge computer animation to bring together a movie that all ages could enjoy. Twenty-five years later, as part of its new crop of live action remakes of its well-known classics, The Lion King returns to theaters. The epic tale of Simba and the search for his place in the Circle Of Life is now rendered in photo-realistic computer generated animation. 

     This is a very nice movie to look at. The setting is magnificent, with picturesque horizons in the day and calm, star-woven skies at night. The jungles are awash in green, teeming with life both great and small. The mountains are jagged and steep with rugged cliffs on all sides where one wrong step meant certain death. Pride Rock is beautiful to behold and its denizens are rendered well enough to mistake it for a nature documentary. Unfortunately the movie comes across like a nature documentary that got bonked on the head and thinks it's The Lion King. 

     Cartoons made in traditional illustration or even some computer generated animation can allow for a much more expressive and elaborate range of emotions and action. The faces never change in terms of conveying emotion except when it roars or leaps in for an attack. Which is true to life, yes but not what you want to see in a drama with heavy emotional overtones. During the battle at Pride Rock or even the recreations of "Circle of Life," "Just Can't Wait To Be King" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," the animals movements are about as realistic as it gets, which is a credit to the tireless work of the animators. That being said, take those very same scenes and compare them to the 1994 film. There's a lack of excitement and energy behind the movements. These changes are most glaring not just during the dramatic scenes, many of which were altered, but the renditions of "Just Can't Wait To Be King" and "Hakuna Matata." The classic villain song "Be Prepared" is heavily abridged, as well.

     Now, I'm not saying that the faces needed to be exaggerated to the point of cartoonish proportions because then the opposite problem occurs and you can't take anything happening on screen seriously. But with the characters unable to provide any sort of expression aside from their natural state, it falls on the voice actors to bring the emotional weight to the dialogue and scenes as presented. 

     The performances here are something of a mixed bag. John Oliver and Seth Rogen more or less play their typical types but as Zazu and Pumba, respectively. Eichner's Timon does seem a bit less aggressive than his usual schtick, channeling Nathan Lane's laid back rendition of the mouthy meerkat. They don't light the screen on fire with their portrayals so much as lend their highly recognizable voices so you can go, "Oh, hey it's [insert name here]. Neato." They have some of the better lines in the movie, though there is a lot more meta humor than I was expecting. James Earl Jones still has the gravitas and commanding presence he's always had. 

     Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a decent performance but despite having many of the same lines as Jeremy Irons spoke in the 1994 version, the newer Scar comes across as a bit more of an entitled whiner with a bit of a misogynistic streak. A significant change from the previous incarnation is that Scar is adamant that Sarabi,Mufasa's widow and played nicely by Alfre Woodard, mate with him as his Queen so as to make the remaining lions of Pride Rock fall in line. Her steadfast refusals are a constant jab at not only his rule, but his "lionhood" for lack of a better phrase. Adding an unrequited romantic feeling for Sarabi ultimately changes nothing for Scar's motivation from the first: his desire to see Mufasa dead and wanting to rule in his place.

     Another problem I'd found is a lot of the line deliveries felt lifeless. Donald Glover's delivery (or at least the takes used) seemed kind of subdued, which worked fine for the scenes when we meet adult Simba in his carefree lifestyle, but not when the time came for him to have more emotion behind his lines.

     In conclusion, The Lion King 2019 is, like many of the live action Disney remakes, wholly unnecessary. The differences from the 1994 version are in the wrong area, in my opinion. While the photo-realistic computer animation is breathtaking at times, it didn't quite lend itself to the emotional impact of the story. If you have to scratch the nostalgia itch, it'd be more worth your time to just watch the VHS/DVD/Blu-Ray copy of the previous version or see it on a streaming service.

State Of The Blok (7-15-19) Announcements about postings going forward...

     Good morning, everyone. It's been a while since I've used this blog regularly. I haven't written anywhere consistently since my time on The Outhousers and that was a while back. Since reboots, do-overs, re-imaginings are all the rage, I figure, why not try my hand at it as well? To be honest, a return feels long overdue.

     For those who follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that life issues have gotten in the way and health scares have been on my mind for the better part of almost two years. But while I try to sort those issues out, it's important to remember that life doesn't stop just because you get sick or are feeling depressed and sometimes the only way past the mountain is to climb the son of a bitch. That being said, I'll also keep in mind not to overdo it and work myself into an early grave. That's what day jobs in retail are for, anyway.

     With all of that out of the way, I'd like to officially welcome you all back to the new semi-spiffed-up Writrzblok blogspot. It's still a work-in-progress with the design, but I'll experiment with a few things in the coming weeks. And that's what it's going to be about here for a while on here; finding new and different things for me to talk about and review. I'm going to post articles here talking about the things I enjoy and want to talk about. They may be editorials on trends happening in popular culture, observations, reviews, maybe even a short story just to shake things up.

     Now some may ask, "Does this mean you're done with making videos?" The short answer is: For now. I am happy to lend my character out for cameos and will actually be appearing in one of my friend's videos in the near future as soon as I can get my scenes filmed. The way I see it, I'm back where I was in 2011 with a blank slate and essentially rebooting from scratch. It's both exciting and terrifying to be starting over again. But hopefully I won't let you down again.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a mountain to climb.