Friday, July 23, 2021

Space Jam: A New Legacy - Movie Review - An outing with the Lousey Tunes

I'm not really a fan of the original Space Jam from 1996; I mean, I think it's okay, but nothing much more. I understand that it's a film a lot of people have a certain nostalgia for, but it doesn't really do much for me. To be honest, I'd also go as far as to say that I'm not really that attached to the Looney Tunes in general. Obviously I know who they are and enjoy their antics, and as someone who loves animation I of course recognise their significance in shaping the medium, but I don't have much personal fondness for them in ways that I do for other cartoon characters. Despite all this, Space Jam: A New Legacy had my attention. I was very curious to see how this sequel would end up, and also got the sense that I may actually enjoy it, based on the trailers which looked like a ton of fun. So, I went to see it.

In the film, LeBron James' son, Dom, is sucked into a computer system operated by an A.I. named Al G Rhythm. He is told that the only way he can get his son back is if he plays Al G at a game of basketball. After searching the vast Warner Bros. 'Serververse' for characters to play on his team, James ends up gathering up the Looney Tunes to help him play the match against Al G's 'Goon Squad'.

It's no surprise that this sequel to a twenty-five year old film is almost identical to that original film, in the same way that Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are very similar to their original counterparts. The set-up is just as contrived, the outcome is just as predictable, and there's little to no variety when comparing the tone and humour across both films. However, there is one notable difference that kind of strikes me as baffling, and that's the pacing. The original feels like it's rushing from point A to B all throughout the film, meaning there's hardly any time for the audience to engage themselves in what's happening as it all happens so briskly, which is my main problem with that film. In contrast, this one feels like it just takes ages to do so; it feels so drawn out and overly long, as you can probably tell from the film's nearly two hour runtime, which is considerably longer than the original. Seeing this film makes me somewhat keen to revisit and perhaps reassess the original Space Jam, because maybe its more flippant and frantic pace is better suited for a movie of this nature. After all, the Looney Tunes are best known for just appearing in short vignettes, so maybe a film that stays more true to that style is better off. 

This issue is exacerbated by the fact that Space Jam: A New Legacy is also a really tiring experience. Not because I was getting bored, but because the film has so much spectacle and so much CGI chaos going on that it eventually just devolves into mindless and headache-inducing noise. This may only be as problematic as it was because I was watching the film on a day where it was thirty degrees here in the UK and also because the audience I was with in the cinema was uniquely terrible, but I do tend to get a little fatigued by films that just go overboard with all the ridiculousness they have on offer, which this absolutely did. The central basketball match is given more screentime in this one compared to the original, but I was remarkably unengaged with it. I was just so exhausted by most of everything that'd happened up to that point that I didn't really want to see more.

It's also largely evident that the film feels very corporate. There are tons of attempts to shove a bunch of recognisable IPs beyond the Looney Tunes into the film, including an entire montage dedicated to assembling the Looney Tunes and doing so by showing each of them inhabiting different worlds owned by Warner Bros. such as DC, Mad Max, and The Matrix. This obviously isn't anything novel nowadays, especially from Warner Bros. after Ready Player One from a few years ago, but what Ready Player One does differently to Space Jam: A New Legacy is that, in that film, not only are these other recognisable characters more naturally integrated, but some play a role beyond just appearing, serving a purpose in the narrative, not to mention the fact that that film is infinitely better paced. Here, they are completely superficial and their inclusions feel extremely forced, making the film seem very self-indulgent and even more bloated.

So, with all that being said, is there anything good about the movie? Well, yes, there are a few things I liked. I don't know if this will be a popular opinion or not, but I actually preferred LeBron James over Michael Jordan. While I'm completely unfamiliar with both in reality as well as the world of basketball in general, from what I have picked up after watching both of them in these two movies, James struck me as just a lot more charismatic and also as if he was a lot more in the moment compared to Jordan, which I'm guessing is probably because he has had a bit more experience with appearing in films before. 

Additionally, although the film was quite fatiguing, I still think the visuals it depicts are mostly really cool. The Serververse in particular is a really inventive and dazzling setting, mixing all the different worlds of Warner Bros. very creatively and always being visually appealing. It was also really neat to see the Looney Tunes given the CGI / photorealistic update and, surprisingly, not losing any ounce of their charm as a result of that transition. I also like how the movie gave more of the gang a time to shine - characters such Wil E. Coyote, the Roadrunner (my favourite of the bunch), Speedy Gonzales, Foghorn Leghorn, and Gossamer, all of whom weren't too prominent in the original (at least from what I can recall), get a lot more to do here, which was nice. In general, I had no problem with the Looney Tunes themselves in the movie, they have an innate charm to them and are always a fun and welcome presence. 

Overall, Space Jam: A New Legacy is fine, but nothing more. It has a likeable star, boasts some interesting visuals, and has fragments of the charm you expect from the Looney Tunes, but it's far too long, gets very tiring after some time, and is bogged down by a very corporate nature. I can't really label this as a let down as I wasn't really expecting much in the first place and always had an underlying sense that it probably wasn't going to be that good. Still, when you've got one hundred and fifty million dollars and access to some of the most timeless and fun characters in animation history, I also can't help but feel like something better could've been done. In terms of how it compares to the original, I think I'd rather go with that film over this, and purely because of pace. Although I don't like the pace of either, if I had to choose between the lesser of two evils, I'd probably go with short and fast over long and slow, because at least the former is over sooner and doesn't outstay its welcome, which A New Legacy definitely does. 

I'm going to give Space Jam: A New Legacy a 5.5/10

Friday, July 9, 2021

Black Widow - Movie Review - A little too overdue

Although I do like the Marvel Cinematic Universe quite a bit, I have been reasonably fine with the relative lack of new content over the last two years. In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, it felt kind of suitable to let some time pass before continuing the series. That and because I feel it was the point where the franchise would peak, I'm somewhat disinterested in seeing what's going to happen next, which has impacted some of the Disney+ shows we saw earlier this year. But, with cinemas back up and running and studios less hesitant to release their new offerings, a cinematic return to the MCU was here and I was keen to see it, Black Widow.

I've always enjoyed the character of Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson has always done a great job making her extremely likeable and charismatic, and she does have an interesting backstory / conflict. Unfortunately, she has usually been in the background of the conflicts of other characters such as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, which is a shame. But, before we say farewell to her after she heroically sacrificed herself in Endgame, we delve into her backstory in greater detail. In this film, set shortly after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Romanoff confronts her past and seeks to rid the world of what made her history as troublesome as it was. 

First off, I have to say, it was rather wonderful to be watching a new MCU movie in the cinema. The last time we had one of these was over two years ago, with Spider-Man: Far From Home, so it had certainly been a while. Seeing the glorious Marvel Studios logo on the big screen once again after all this time was magnificent; it gave me chills and put a big smile on my face. So, despite how I may slowly be losing interest in this franchise, my love for it felt kind of reinvigorated here.

Black Widow offers much of what I like to see from this franchise. While being a very action-heavy movie, it does take its time to tell a thoughtful story, this one regarding things such as sisterhood and family, which is very heartfelt at times. Additionally, it has all the things you've probably come to expect from this franchise, namely great characters and exciting action. The characters are great here mostly because of some really terrific performances - Scarlett Johansson is as good as usual in this role, Florence Pugh continues to show she is a wonderfully talented actress, as if Little Women and Midsommar weren't enough, but the standout for me was David Harbour as the Red Guardian; he gave an extremely fun and consistently entertaining performance throughout the film. They all have a really enjoyable dynamic, namely Johansson and Pugh, who frequently bicker with one another as you'd expect siblings to. The action is slightly bland and does rely a little too much on CGI and fast editing for my liking, but on the whole was still enjoyable. So, it's evident that Black Widow has plenty to offer and is undeniably good. 

My biggest problem with the film was that I wasn't really engaged in it overall. This isn't really the fault of the film itself, I think it's purely down to timing. As I said, this takes place just after Civil War, but it's being released at a time when we've seen how all the conflicts in that film are resolved. As a result, I couldn't really bring myself to care much about what was happening. I'm not really interested in any part of this franchise pre-Endgame as we've seen how it all ends up, so I wasn't really interested in this movie as an addition to that part of the story. Had this come out shortly after Civil War, I'd probably have enjoyed it more because it would have felt a lot more in the moment and timely, but because we're seeing it over five years after (an issue exacerbated by COVID), it almost feels like old news. 

This is especially annoying when considering that the film does successfully build on Natasha's character, and had we seen this film before Endgame, it definitely would have made her death feel more impactful. So, in this sense, the film is partially a victim of circumstance. Obviously, this isn't a criticism I can see being valid for long. If someone were to discover the MCU ten years from now and watch all the films in the Infinity Saga in chronological order, they'd obviously watch this film in the right spot and the fact that it was released way after the rest of the bunch would be irrelevant. Still, it's annoying for people like myself who are following along with these stories as they're being told and having things being added to established aspects. 

I've also heard the criticism that the film is solely a vehicle to set-up future elements, particularly involving Yelena, Florence Pugh's character. I only take issue with this when the film doesn't offer much else to compensate, such as Captain Marvel, which to me felt as if it existed solely to set-up things in Avengers: Endgame and didn't have much else about it that was compelling. But, Black Widow had enough to keep me entertained throughout, so the fact that it might only exist to service whatever comes next didn't bug me as it wasn't so obvious. Additionally, the post-credit scene in this movie (which I won't spoil) did get me quite excited for what's on the way.

All things considered, I was mostly satisfied by Black Widow. To say it was a disappointment feels a little harsh as it has all the attributes of a solid Marvel offering and my key issue with it wasn't to do with the film in itself, so I don't really feel that applying that label is suitable. It's a well-acted, charming, heartfelt, and generally enjoyable film that'd probably have gone down better if we'd seen it a little sooner. Don't give it a miss if you're a fan as I'm sure it'll be able to fill the MCU-movie-shaped hole in your life to some degree. 

I'm going to give Black Widow a 7.0/10