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Date: 6/15/2017
So this is what I’ve been watching:
In theaters: Wonder Woman
Movies based on comic book characters have become huge moneymakers – “tent pole” films which can support a slate of movies from a studio – and “Wonder Woman” has proven to be a superhero film that has clearly broken new ground at the box office and artistically.
Now I readily acknowledge this kind of film is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’ve seen some of the Marvel movies, or enjoyed “Deadpool” or have seen some entertainment value from “Batman Versus Superman” or “Suicide Squad,” then I’m willing to bet you will enjoy this new film.
If you’re a movie person or fanboy like me, then you know there has been a lot of talk about how the movies based on DC characters (Superman, Batman) have not done as well as the Marvel films featuring the likes of Ironman and Captain America. That is really inside baseball for most of the potential audience for this new film, but let me say that director Patty Jenkins got it right – finally.
“Wonder Woman” does adhere to many of the story points from the original comic book that made its debut in 1941. Princess Diana is the daughter of Zeus and her mother the queen of the Amazons, whose mission it is to protect the world from the return of Aries, the god of war.
Their wait is over when WWI comes to the hidden Amazon’s island of Themyscira in the form of Allied spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) Diana realizes the war may be the way through which Aries is returning to earth and she must go to it and fight.
Diana is an innocent and the world of human shocks her, but her core values of love and justice aren’t shaken. What sets this film apart, other than having a very strong female lead – and Gal Gadot does an excellent job – whose character is not motivated by revenge, guilt or obligation. Love and hope are part of her makeup, something you don’t see all that often in this kind of film.
Is this a perfect film? Of course not. Some people have claimed to anticipate the end. Others have said the film when the action goes to the world of the humans has a “murky” color palette and have clearly ignored that is the intent of the filmmaker to make a point about humanity at war.
Perhaps I’m being a Pollyanna here, but at current events swirl about us, I enjoyed seeing a hopeful heroine making things right. When it comes out on DVD, I’ll be buying it.
On DVD/Blu-Ray:
Cops versus Thugs
Wow, Arrow Video keeps sending me intriguing films and this Japanese police drama from 1975 delivers the goods. A dense and multi-level story requires your attention, but essentially it is a tale of police and yakuza interacting in a small Japanese city.
The two groups are frequently at odds, but still drink with one another and see each other as the two sides of the same coin. There is a level of understanding that keeps the excesses of both of them at bay.
All of that détente dissolves into chaos when a new yakuza group moves into town using a local politician to advance their goals and become dominant.
This is a very Japanese film and a very tough film. There are few female characters and they are either prostitutes or police wives who are sick of their husbands. Neither are treated well.
The themes of urban corruption and the blurred line between right and wrong transcend the cultural differences. This is a fine film for those who enjoy gangster dramas.
On Streaming: Get Me Roger
Political operative Roger Stone is the subject of an amazing documentary that paints a complete but highly uncomplimentary picture of the guy who played a major role in helping to get Donald Trump elected.
Stone is clearly highly intelligent, has a sense of humor and is a charming rogue. He is also clear that he will do anything to make money – he was a partner in a lobbying group that specialized in representing dictators to this country – and that he will do anything to achieve his political objective.
His ego is large enough that he enjoys the chance to expose himself in the manner that he does in this film and doesn’t care of the consequences. At the end of the movie, his reaction to people who disapprove of what he does is, “I revel in their hate.” Tune into Netflix for this film.