It’s usually not very often that I get taken by surprise, especially when it comes to the movie industry. I’ve been blogging about movies for the better part of a decade now, so I’m rarely surprised when a sequel or remake is announced. When the reboot of Ghostbusters came out in 2016, it was met with very mixed reviews, most bordering on negative. I, myself, didn’t hate the film, I just didn’t think it was the film it could’ve been. It was too self-aware and Paul Feig wasn’t the right person to helm the film. Due to that and the extreme negativity from fans, as well as the poor handling of the film’s PR by both the director and some the actresses, the film was a box-office flop. Because of that, the franchise was supposedly shelved until they came up with something that the fans would really like. Color me shocked and surprised, because I didn’t see this one coming: We are getting an official Ghostbusters 3. You read that correctly, and I assume you’ve seen the teaser trailer I put up here. I, like most people, didn’t hear anything about this movie until today.
From what I’ve gathered by looking at other websites like Dread Central, Ivan Reitman’s son, Jason was secretly co-writing the film with Gil Kenan, the writer for the animated film Monster House. For the better part of 30 years, Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd have been trying to get a third film into production, but time and time again, the project kept collapsing for one reason or another. The biggest hurdle was Bill Murray who played Peter Venkman, who didn’t even want to do the second film. I’m speculating here, but I’m assuming that Ivan and Jason were working with Sony to make deals with what’s left of the original cast to come back. Harold Ramis passed away several years ago, so Egon, most likely won’t show up. Right now, there is no word on what the plot details are, although some past scripts would have had the Ghostbusters team take a trip to Hell itself. We can assume that this film may be the one to be passing the torch to a new generation of ‘busters, and that would make sense. Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray are getting up there in age. We also don’t know if Sigourney Weaver will return or if Rick Moranis will come out of retirement to play Louis Tully again. There’s also the issue of how the visual effects are going to be presented. One of the big problems with the 2016 reboot was the over-use of CGI, some of which was pretty good, while the rest of it was pretty awful. I would honestly hope that the visual effects artists will use practical effects in addition to some CGI to augment each other. That would be the ideal solution. From what we do know so far, is that Ghostbusters 3 is an actual sequel to the first two, so it will ignore the 2016 film entirely. That’s probably for the best. The film is slated for a summer release in 2020. The fact that we got a teaser NOW, before principal photography begins, shows some serious confidence that the film-makers have for this new entry. I’m going to remain cautiously optimistic, because this has the potential to turn into another Ghostbusters 2016. I don’t think it will considering the talent involved, but Sony has had a bad habit recently of screwing up when it comes to tent-pole movies. This could be a major comeback for Ghostbusters, and I really want it to be. Some people have said that Sony should leave well enough alone, as a new entry won’t come close to capturing the magic of the original film. I can’t say I disagree with that, but you never know what a fresh group of talent will be able to pull. So, yeah, when I saw this teaser and the news for an official Ghostbusters 3:
Cast:
Adrian Paul: Duncan MacLeod
Christopher Lambert: Connor MacLeod
Bruce Payne: Jacob Kell
Lisa Barbuscia: Kate/Faith
Donnie Yen: Jin Ke
Jim Byrnes: Joe Dawson
Peter Wingfield: Methos
Time sometimes can change things, specifically when it comes to either loving or hating movies. Sometimes when I hate on a movie, it takes years for it to grow on me. On the flip-side, a movie that I loved when it first came out I may end up not liking it as much later on down the road. A movie can sometimes be better than you initially thought, or it can be worse. It happens. Sometimes you do change your mind on the subject. This happens to film reviewers as well. One should never go back and change the initial review unless a mistake was made. No, a reviewer should stand by that review at the time it was written. It does not mean that the reviewer can’t change his or her mind some time after the review. Sometimes it can take years, but I honestly think it is okay to change your mind on a movie. I think it’s also important to tell the audience why you changed your mind on the matter. My initial review of Highlander: Endgame was a 6.5/10: Barely above average. That was nearly 4 years ago when I reviewed the film for this website. So….how do I feel about the film now? Let’s take a look.
The film opens in 1990 as Connor and Duncan MacLeod meet up for some reason, only for Connor to go an “errand.” While on this side-trip, Rachel Ellenstein, Connor’s adopted daughter is killed when his apartment explodes. 10 years later, a group of Immortals, led by Jacob Kell, show up at a mysterious temple that’s secretly housing another group of Immortals in a sort of sanctuary. Kell slaughters the housed Immortals, while at the same time, Duncan MacLeod sees visions of this massacre. Discovering that Connor may have been in this “sanctuary,” Duncan heads to the United States to look for him. While that is the crux of the story, there’s actually quite a bit more that happens. Highlander: Endgame was supposed to connect the film series to the TV series, so this particular sequel feels a bit different from the last few movies, in a good way. The story here is actually a lot better than I initially remember as it deals with revenge and how it can consume someone to the point where they are no longer who they used to be. There is also an element of redemption and forgiveness in the film that actually kind of elevates it above the last two movies. Connor and Duncan have done some terrible things in their pasts that continue to haunt them. The film’s main villain, Jacob Kell, is a direct result of Connor’s actions in 1555 Scotland, and Duncan has to reconcile the sins he committed against the woman he loved. As Immortals, these characters have a very tragic existence of sorts, and that’s kind resonated throughout the entire film and TV series. The story is far more compelling than I initially thought.
In my initial review of Highlander: Endgame, I mentioned how awful most of the acting was. Having seen the film again after all these years, the acting is a lot better than I remember. That being said, some of the acting is still pretty over-the-top and borderline silly. Bruce Payne plays Kell a little too over-the-top, almost making him a bit of a cartoon character. That being said, there has always been a cheesy aspect to these movies that you really can’t avoid, so the performances aren’t that shabby. This is definitely Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert’s show, though. The Connor MacLeod of this film is different from the previous films. Here, the character is broken and hopeless after losing loved ones to Jacob Kell’s vengeance. Lambert really brings across the despair and tragic nature of his character. Paul’s character has demons of his own that he’s trying to deal with and we get to see how his relationship with Kate and Connor evolves. As over-the-top as Kell is, Bruce Payne is incredibly fun to watch here. He chews the scenery like it’s nobody’s business. Kell is no Kurgan, but he’s still a decent enough threat. He’s more of a threat than Kane or General Katana ever were. So, yeah, the acting really isn’t that bad.
Of all the Highlander films, Endgame has some of the best fight scenes. A lot of the martial arts stuff on display is because Donnie Yen is the choreographer for a lot of the fights. This was the first movie that I saw Donnie Yen in, and it was his first American film. It’s not a bad debut at all. The fight that his character has with Duncan is one of the best fight scenes in the entire movie. A lot of this was done without wires so the fights are somewhat grounded in reality. Most of the fight sequences are fantastic, but they are also used to progress the story. In fact, and I mentioned this in my Best Sword Fights post, one of more memorable fight scenes is between Duncan and Connor. There is definitely a very strong emotional current that runs through the entire fight, because there is only one way it can end, and to me that is a very compelling experience. Overall, the action is fantastic.
While there is definitely quite a bit to really like about this movie, there are some issues with the film that need to be addressed. While I definitely appreciate some of the cinematography here and the fight sequences are decently staged, the editing of the film is totally off the wall. There are instance where you can tell they cut the film. For example: There is a scene in which Connor and Duncan are training when Connor decides to teach Duncan a specifically lethal move. When he says “Properly executed, this move is unstoppable,” pay attention to the color of the scene between the words “is” and “unstoppable.” It changes ever so slightly, but it is noticeable. The DVD says that 12 minutes of footage were added into the film, and while some of that may be true, there is a point during the final battle where the editing is literally copy-and-pasted. This is on the DVD that came out back in 2000-2001. I’ll show you: Take a look at 1:34 of the video and compare it to the 2:35 mark. It’s literally copy-and-pasted.
Not only is the editing there sloppy, it’s fucking lazy. That’s padding out the run-time. There are also other technical issues that I’ve found in the film that are really bizarre. On the roof-top fight scene with Duncan and Connor, you can absolutely tell that it’s a JVC sign behind them, only blurred out. I can only guess that they couldn’t afford JVC, so they blotted it out, poorly I might add. There is also a scene in Connor’s loft when Kell beheads one of his cronies. His head is lying on the ground and he blinks. While a lot of the Quickening effects still hold up, a good chunk of the CGI doesn’t. I also mentioned in my previous review that the marketing for the film was a complete disaster. Check it out:
The initial trailer shows a lot of supernatural elements including Kell being able to split in two. The trailer even refers to Kell as a supernatural enemy. None of those elements show up in the final film. In fact, a lot of those effects and shots were made specifically for the trailer. Basically, the movie that you were initially shown in the teaser is nothing more than a bait-and-switch. In my opinion, that’s false-advertising. There was no explanation given for that.
Despite a number of glaring technical issues, is Highlander: Endgame still worth watching? Yes. Yes it is, especially if you’re a Highlander fan like myself. While my initial review was pretty harsh at the time, and I won’t change that review, time has dulled my dislike of the film. In fact, I consider Highlander: Endgame to be the best Highlander sequel. It has some of the best fight sequences in the entire series and a really solid story to boot. So, have I changed my mind a bit on the film? Yes. Yes, I have. I’m not going to delete my first review, as I stand by that one at the time. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes people change their minds about things. So, I definitely recommend checking this one out at least once. Don’t bother with Highlander: The Source, though. That movie sucks.
Fellow Space Cadets, welcome to my first post of 2019. 2018 was quite a turbulent year in terms of politics and social issues across the globe. It was also a very mixed bag when it came to movies, much like 2017. For every Avengers: Infinity War, we ended up with something like The Predator. From January to December, we saw many movies of varying quality. We’ve seen some pretty lousy theatrical films, but we also saw a surprising amount of fantastic films that went straight to video like The Debt Collector. With a new year comes new possibilities and new movies. It’s time to put 2018 behind us and look to the horizon for what comes next. For movies, 2019 is going to be a big year. There are a lot of films coming out this year that I can’t wait to see. So, let’s take a peek into our crystal ball and have a gander at what’s in store for us.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Infinity War represented a new era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only was the film the result of ten years and 22 movies worth of Marvel movies, it was also the first Marvel film to really raise the stakes in an MCU movie. While it was funny at times, it was also a very dark film, especially in terms of its ending when Thanos snapped his fingers after successfully nabbing all the Infinity Stones. Avengers: Endgame is poised to take the MCU in a whole new direction while bringing the current state of the MCU to a conclusion. While the film is expected to undo a lot of the damage that Thanos did at the end of Infinity War, some of that damage is going to be permanent. Some characters will not return, while others will ride off into the sunset(hopefully). One way or another, things are going to be very different after this film’s conclusion.
Star Wars: Episode IX
A year after the film’s release, The Last Jedi still sparks conversation. It is still a heavily divisive film that split the audience nearly completely in two. You had the side that hated the film, particularly in regards to Luke Skywalker, and then you had the side that loved the film and embraced its unpredictability and guts to take the films in a different direction. I was one of those that loved it. It’s not a perfect film by any means, but I think it did its job while subverting expectations of what a Star Wars movie should be. Episode IX, which will be released at the end of this year, will bring the Skywalker saga to an end, as it should. Whether you like the new trilogy or not, Episode IX is going to be one of the most important films in the franchise. Why? For one, Disney and Lucasfilm suffered their first failure in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It was the first Star Wars film to actually LOSE money. To say that any future Star Wars movie will depend on the success of Episode IX may seem like hyperbole, but if it were to flop, people will leave in droves. So, all eyes are going to be on this movie. As for where the story goes, it apparently will pick up one year after the events of The Last Jedi with Kylo Ren taking full control of the First Order and Rey becoming a Jedi Knight. It’s also going to bring a conclusion to the war between the Resistance and the First Order. I’m excited, mostly because if it’s successful, there will be new directions for the franchise to go.
Triple Threat
Director Jesse V. Johnson has had a pretty solid year in 2018 with the releases of Accident Man and The Debt Collector. Both films were absolutely fantastic especially with Scott Adkins in the lead. 2019 will again feature not just one, but two movies directed by Mr. Johnson that star Scott Adkins. Avengement which has yet to have a specific release date, should appear later this year, but the one I’m looking forward to the most is Triple Threat. The film not only stars Scott Adkins, but it also brings on board a number of other amazing action stars including Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, as well as Jeeja Yanin, Michael Jai White and Michael Bisping. From the trailer alone, I can’t even begin to contain my excitement for this, especially now that we have a release date: March 22 in the United States, according to Martial Arts Action Cinema.
Ip Man 4
Scott Adkins is going to be busy this year. He’s got 4 movies coming out this year(hopefully): Triple Threat, Avengement, The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud, and Ip Man 4. Ip Man 4 is one that I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced. There have been a surprising amount of movies about the famous Wing Chun master, Ip Man. I became an instant fan of the character when Donnie Yen first portrayed him back in 2008. That was over ten years ago. Apparently, Donnie Yen’s Ip Man will be taking on Scott Adkins in the new film. I can’t wait to see it because I’m such a huge fan of these movies. In fact, it was the original film that inspired me to take up Wing Chun in the first place. Not much is known about the plot, except that it does involve Bruce Lee. The action is being staged by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping, who also did the fight sequences for Ip Man 3. I’m definitely excited for this one.
It: Chapter 2
I was kind of wary when the re-make of Stephen King’s It was released about a year and a half ago. I mean, I’m not saying the original mini-series that debuted back in 1990 was a classic or anything, but the new film had a lot to live up to, especially it’s portrayal of Pennywise The Clown. How could you top Tim Curry as the evil being that fed on the fears of children? You can’t. Nor did Bill Skarsgard try. He delivered his own take on the character which is just as good, if not more creepy than Curry’s portrayal. Not only was the villain fantastic, but the child actors involved did an amazing job. Now, the final chapter of It will be released in September and we have a very strong cast including James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader. Last year was pretty strong for horror movies, and I’m hoping the same will happen for 2019.
Joker
Of all the comic-book movies being released this year, Joker is the one that intrigues me the most. Why? From what I’ve read, this film is not only a bit of an origin story for Batman’s most notorious villain, but it’s supposed to be a very different kind of film. People had issues with the way Jared Leto played the character in Suicide Squad. There wasn’t enough of him for me to pass judgment on, but trying to one-up Heath Ledger’s take on the character was going to be an uphill battle. Even Jack Nicholson’s version of the Joker was iconic. Joaquin Phoenix is an interesting choice to play the character, but I get a feeling that he’s going to do a fantastic job here. The overall plot is unknown at this point, but I’m sure we’ll get more details as the months go by. I’m keeping an eye this one, as it has the potential to either be one of the best comic-book movies ever, or one of the worst. There’s no way it could be worse than Batman and Robin, right? Right?
John Wick 3: Parabellum
Keanu Reeves is an interesting actor that has only gotten better with age, despite the fact that he doesn’t look his age. The John Wick films are some of the most intense and wild action movies to come out in the last decade. The first film had John Wick go after the Russian kids who killed his dog and stole his car. As a result, he waged a one-man war on the Russian mafia that was as epic as it was brutal. No fancy Kung-Fu here, just straight-up hardcore gun fighting and Jiu-Jitsu. The second film expanded the underworld of assassins even more and ended up with the entire organization going after John Wick. I don’t think they stand a chance. This new film is going to take things to a whole new level. I mean, how often are you going to see Keanu Reeves riding a horse through Times Square shooting people? Not very often, I would imagine.
While these films are just a small handful of films coming out in the next 12 months, I expect more will be announced and released as more information becomes available. While it definitely seems like I’m sticking to particular genres, I’m not necessarily going to turn aside a good drama, either. 2019 could be a very big year for movies, and some of the movies that I mentioned could bomb as well. However, there is no reward without risk and some of these films could be very risky. I’ve got my fingers crossed.
2018 has been a pretty rough year, not just for movies, but for me personally. My father passing away threw a huge monkey wrench in to a lot of things that I wanted to do on this website, so I had to take time to deal with that. There were also a lot of movies that came out this year that really weren’t so hot. I was also planning to do more for The Best of 2018, but I think I’m just going to wrap it up here with this post. That’s the problem with plans, they rarely go the way you want. But I’m not going to focus on the negative aspects of this year. Instead, I want to take a look back at some of the finest movies this year has had to offer, and there were surprisingly a large amount, be it a theatrical production or a direct to video indie film. If you look hard enough, there’s quite a bit of good movies that were released in 2018. Let’s end this year on a positive note, shall we? Here we go!!
Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel has had a huge year in 2018: Deadpool 2, Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the biggest event of the year: Avengers: Infinity War. While Marvel and Disney have had a pretty good track record with their comic book movies, Avengers: Infinity War was the one film they needed to get right. Not only did they get it right, it blew everybody’s expectations out of the water. Infinity War is the culmination of 10 years of the MCU building up to this moment when the stakes have never been higher for Captain America and company. Comparisons will be made to The Empire Strikes Back, and for good reason. This is the MCU equivalent of the 1980s Star Wars film. The fact that Marvel had the guts to end the movie the way they did speaks volumes about how much they actually care about crafting a good story. It’s not just a spectacle for the sake of spectacle. This film has some of the strongest character moments in the entire MCU, and a lot of that also goes to the film’s villain, Thanos, who doesn’t come across as a mustache-twirling 2-dimensional character. There are moments when you could actually agree with him about why he’s doing what he’s doing. That is very solid writing.
Paradox
While Paradox was released in China back in 2016/17, we didn’t get the film until it was released on Blu-Ray/DVD earlier this year. This is a serious powerhouse of a thriller. The story revolves around a Hong Kong cop who goes to Thailand to find his daughter who was kidnapped by organ traffickers. Yeah, the action is fantastic and hard-hitting, but there is an underlying emotional core that is anchored by Louis Koo’s performance. Paradox is basically the Hong Kong equivalent of Taken, but with greater consequences, and I really love the fact that the film pulled no punches. It’s a pretty compelling film, because the stuff that happens in the film, happens every day in real-life, so crafting a story around all that makes for an extremely intense film. If you can find it, definitely check it out.
The Debt Collector
While I haven’t given The Debt Collector a proper review that it deserves, that’s not going to stop me from recommending this movie. This is the third collaboration between Scott Adkins and director Jesse V. Johnson. While I saw it initially when it was released on DVD here in the States, I did get to see the UK premiere in London. It was quite an experience. This is actually a pretty damn good time. I’ve always been a fan of Scott Adkins, but he is definitely at his best, not just in terms of his physicality, but acting as well. His character’s relationship with Louis Mandylor’s character is fantastic and ends up being one of the coolest on-screen duos in years. While the film is definitely funny at times, it also a surprising emotional core that comes from Mr. Mandylor’s character. I was not expecting that and I think the film is all the better for it. The action is top-notch and the humor is spot-on. Definitely collect this one.
Hereditary
This is a horror movie that really blew me away at how powerful it is. Toni Collett delivers the performance of a lifetime in her role as a mother that’s dealing with multiple tragedies that may have some supernatural underpinnings. It’s a slow-burner of a film, so you need patience for it, but when it really goes bat-shit crazy, it goes all the way, and it’s an emotional wrecker. While the film is bleak, it deals with people that have to cope with internal demons like grief and mental illness, and I think Hereditary tackles those subjects very well. This was the first film directed by Ari Aster, and it really feels like it was directed by someone with more experience, so I can’t wait to see what Aster has up his sleeves. If you appreciate slow-burn horror movies, this is a must-see.
Mandy
Mandy could have an alternate title called Acid Trip: The Movie, and it still wouldn’t prepare for the insanity that ensues. Nicolas Cage steals the show, as he usually does, but here he just gives in to the madness. The visual aspects of the film are incredible with unique colors and hues that give the film an other-worldly vibe. Linus Roache is also fantastic as an insane cult leader that abducts Red’s girlfriend. Said girlfriend is played Andrea Riseborough, and it is one of the most unique and tragic performances in the film. It’s a revenge thriller, but it takes you on such a visual journey, it’s kind of hard to tell where reality ends and the fantasy begins. You don’t need drugs for a trip. All you need is Mandy.
Black Panther
The second Marvel film on this list, Black Panther takes a break from the global events of the previous films and focus on a much smaller part of the world: The fictional country of Wakanda, the birthplace of King T’Challa or the Black Panther. What separates this film from the other Marvel entries is the look and feel. This is a far more serious film than previous MCU movies, and that’s a good thing. The film takes place in a completely different culture, and it really pays homage to the different kinds of tribes and peoples scattered throughout the African continent. The film doesn’t talk down to its audience and tries to get them to invest in how amazing some of these different cultures are. It’s still an action movie, so there’s plenty of that, but none of that would happen if it wasn’t for the strong cast featuring Chadwick Boseman, Martin Freeman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita N’Yongo and others. It’s an incredible film that I think anybody could enjoy, even people who aren’t fans of Marvel. It’s the Marvel film that doesn’t feel like a Marvel movie, and that is an accomplishment all its own.
A Quiet Place
The next time somebody tells you that a PG-13 horror movie doesn’t work, show them A Quiet Place. Like Hereditary, A Quiet Place is one of my favorite horror movies of the year and certainly one of the best PG-13 horror movies in the last 20+ years. The film takes place in a world that’s been ravaged by creatures that hunt by sound, so even an accidental pin drop can prove fatal. Trying to build a film around a plot where you can’t have any sound is a very tricky thing to pull off, and John Krasinski does a marvelous job. Not only does he star in the film, he also co-wrote the screenplay, produced and directed the film. That’s something that only a truly talented individual can do well, and he nails it. His performance in the film along with Emily Blunt’s is amazing and truly heart-wrenching at times. Definitely check it out.
While there were a lot of really good movies that came out in 2018, these are the ones that truly stuck with me. I hope everybody enjoyed reading this, because I enjoyed writing it. I also hope most people have had a relatively decent 2018 in spite of everything that’s happened in terms of politics and social issues. What say we put 2018 behind us and look to what promises that 2019 may hold? With that, this is my last post of 2018. This is Major Tom signing off for the last time in 2018, so I will see you all next year! Drink responsibly and have a Happy New Year!
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