Held in a secret facility against their will, five new mutants have to battle the dangers of their powers, as well as the sins of their past. They aren’t out to save the world — they’re just trying to save themselves.
The cast includes Maisie Williams as Wolfsbane, Anna Taylor-Joy as Magik, Charlie Heaton as Cannonball, and Henry Zaga as Sunspot. New Mutants is due out in theaters April 13, 2018.
A powerful performance from Sally Hawkins and an incredible, engaging narrative help make The Shape Of Water a phenomenal film.
Summary
Our story centers around Eliza Esposito (Sally Hawkins), who lives in an apartment above a stylish movie theater. Even though Esposito is mute, her eyes and expressions show off her playful side. Most of her life is rote, but Hawkins character always seems to find solace in the simple things. At night she’s working on a janitorial crew at a government secret lab with friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer).
One night she’s taken aback by a delivery which ends up being an amphibian-like creature, one would have to suspect Guillermo Del Toro’s take on the Creature from The Black Lagoon, played by Doug Jones. They immediately start a bond over music, and her endless demonstrations of kindness win him over. Eventually, they fall for each other but danger lurks as a government agent – played by Michael Shannon at his sneering best – desires to dissect the very person that means the world to Eliza.
What Worked
Taking the storyline from The Creature From The Black Lagoon and tweaking it was a wonderful surprise. Often we see the cryptid as the pursuer but in this case, it’s Hawkins character.
Hawkins performance is marvelous. She exudes such compassion and kindness on screen. In Del Toro’s fairy tale, Esposito is the princess looking for her prince charming. While it’s easy to assume that the film is about our cryptid’s, but in reality, it’s about Eliza’s awakening. Her transformation from a woman whose life is dominated by routine and silence to a world full of love and possibility is the thread woven throughout this touching tale.
Del Toro and co-writer Vanessa Taylor have crafted a delicious tale that’s haunting yet exhilarating at the same time. This quite possibly could be the best-written piece of Del Toro’s career.
The film walks a fine line in the tone it seeks to set. At times we are treated to gruesome images of metaphorically rotting fingers on the hand of Shannon’s character, then we pivot to dazzling shots of Esposito embracing in the water with her newfound love.
The Shape Of Water delves deep into themes such as good vs evil and the impact of science. While good vs evil isn’t a foreign theme in any number of fairy tales, what was compelling is its commentary on science. Del Toro appears to be asking when does decency supersede science. Shannon’s character is brutally mauling the cryptid all in the interest of discovery. Is the possibility of finding something out scientifically enough to justify any action?
Dan Laustsen’s cinematography captures all the magic of the film’s gorgeous production design. Lausten’s use of a vibrant color palette accentuates the character’s surroundings as well.
Alexandre Desplat’s score is a revelation. His use of three different parts – the use of piano and what sounds like a harmonica gives it a spooky tone which eventually morphs into something special.
Overall
The Shape Of Water is easily one of the ten best films of 2017. Del Toro’s bold direction has a resulted in a tale that can resonate with anyone, in any situation. Hawkins will certainly be nominated for her performance as will Del Toro and Taylor for their writing. Anyone who is going to the theater this weekend should make this a priority.
Welcome to the twenty-third episode of the Comic Show by Monkeys Fighting Robots! Grant Morrison continues his weird alternate Santa Claus story in Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville #1. (Santa fights aliens, and that’s all you really need to know.) Then we get to see a more human side of both Batman and Superman as they question their friendship following Bruce’s engagement in Batman #36. Finally, beat reporter Nick Enquist swings by to discuss the controversy around Marvel’s new Editor-In-Chief creating an Asian persona to write under.
Gunned down and left for dead on a New York rooftop, Alex Underwood’s life should have ended there—but instead, at the moment of death, she became host to the Witchblade, a mystical artifact that grants the woman wielding it extraordinary powers. But the power comes with a heavy cost, and Alex finds herself thrust into the center of an unseen battle raging on the snowy streets of NYC. Demons are real and walking among humans, and every one of them is intent on taking out the Witchblade’s newest host before she becomes too strong to kill. But the artifact chose Alex for a reason, and she’s not going down without a fight.
Witchblade #1
‘Life After’ Part 1 Written by: Caitlin Kittredge Art by: Roberta Ingranata Colors by: Brian Valenza Letters by: Troy Peteri
Writing
It’s a testament to Caitlin Kittredge’s writing that so much groundwork is laid down in this first issue without relying on exposition or call back’s to previous Witchblade comics. She makes this concept and the main character Alex Underwood completely fresh and compelling, complete with an all too recently familiar and tragic backstory. Alex is both vulnerable and tough, a combination that is not easy to pull off. She is the kind of female protagonist that is much needed in today’s social climate. The ‘voice over’ narration also creates a dialogue with the reader, bringing us that much closer to Alex. What we learn of her past bonds us to her.
There is also a deep mythology being created, and although it is only hinted at in this first issue, it’s enough to hook you and give you a glimpse into this world.
What struck me the most about this comic though is that it is a concept about women, in a book about a woman, that is being told by a female creative team dealing with issues that are unfortunately always timely. That alone is fantastic. It feels vital and necessary. But it’s also a kick-ass comic, filled with action and a growing mystery.
Art
The art here is a strong contrast to what many people remember about Witchblade in the past (and that’s not a dig at the original comics as I and many more made it a huge hit back in the day). What Ingranata and Valenza are creating is a fusion of minimal indie comics-style art and high energy urban action comic book storytelling. There are also subtle touches like backgrounds being slightly out of focus, inventive layouts, panels and texturing that give much-added weight to the pages.
The coloring is great, with a muted palette that serves the art and mood, giving in the winter feel it has (the story takes place in snowy New York). Too many modern comics have distracting art and that is not the case here.
Conclusion
It’s great to see the Witchblade concept back on the stands and at the hands of a fresh, contemporary creative team. This classic property of modern comics has found the perfect team in Kittredge, Ingranta, and Valenza. This team reinvigorates the ‘urban fantasy’ genre for a whole new comic book reading audience.
John Travolta has been circling Gotti, the biopic about the New York Mafia boss and head of the Gambino crime family, for some time now. Turns out the film got made, the trailers have been making the rounds these past few weeks; and now, only ten days before its release, Lionsgate has decided to remove the movie from their schedule.
The Tracking Board broke the news earlier, which surely isn’t totally weird and non related to the current cultural purge in Hollywood. It surely has nothing to do with Travolta being accused of sexual misconduct by a masseuse.
The charges of sexual harassment, or misconduct, or however you want to categorize it, have been coming fast and furious, systematically cleansing a polluted, disgusting Hollywood machine that sorely needed a sociological renaissance. Travolta appears to be in line next, as rumors of his seedy sexual aggressions towards male massage therapists and the like have been floating around for years.
Also, let’s be clear here, Gotti getting pulled is no big loss. Gotti was never going to be a good movie; those days for Travolta are way back in the rearview mirror, making his compelling work in The People Vs. O.J. Simpson feel like an anomaly more than a second or third comeback. And his irrelevance also means that Travolta’s misgivings will be largely overlooked and forgotten.
Stay tuned for more accusations, er, “delayed movies.”
Marvel’s Iron Fist has added Alice Eve to season two of the Netflix series.
The English actress’ role has not yet been disclosed.
“We are very excited to have an actress of Alice’s stature join the cast of Marvel’s Iron Fist,” Marvel’s Head of television and executive producer Jeph Loeb said in a news release. “Her exceptional talent brings an intrigue and danger to her character unlike anyone else.”
Many will know Eve from her role as Carol Marcus in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness. Most recently, she appeared in the Black Mirror season three episode “Nosedive.”
Eve joins returning cast members Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Tom Pelphrey, Jessica Stroup and Sacha Dhawan.
The second season of Iron Fist will follow Danny Rand and Colleen Wing as they set off on a new adventure as protectors of Chinatown in New York City.
Iron Fist will return with new showrunner Raven Metzner (Sleepy Hollow) at the helm. Scott Buck left the series to work the Marvel-ABC series Inhumans.
Netflix has not yet released a premiere date for season two.
This series is based on the 2002 book by Richard K. Morgan and takes place 300 years in the future, one where human consciousness can be stored in ‘sacks’, rather digital implants, and allow the wealthy to continually upgrade their bodies, or ‘sleeves’, and live forever.
Takeshi Kovacs is an elite soldier for hire and traditionally a revolutionary. He is imprisoned and his conscious is stored. Centuries later, he is awoken in a different body. He is essentially brought back by Laurens Bancroft, who offers him a pardon for his crimes. In return, Kovacs must solve a murder case, that of Bancroft’s own death, by the hands of a previous sleeve.
Quell trained Kovacs. She is the leader of the ‘Envoys’, a group of interstellar warriors that hone skills in combat, survival and that of intuition. His awakening stirs controversy as Detective Kristin Ortega has now started to follow suit. There are also quite a few other storylines that follow and intersect with all the characters. Society is ultimately on both ends of the spectrum on the controversial choice of transferring one’s conscience to another body. Thus, the future is riddled with constant riots and protests.
The project is a longtime coming for screenwriter and creator Laeta Kalogridis, who refers to this show as her passion project. She optioned the rights almost 15 years ago and has long been trying to bring it to life. The original plan was to make it a feature film, but as a ‘tough sell’, but Netflix stepped up.
“We tried to imagine what a potential globalized future on Earth would look like, with a certain amount of technological change, familiarity and a large degree of human familiarity,” Said Kalogridis.
Just ten days away from the release of The Last Jedi, the international trailer gives us a first look at a much-teased new location, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Spoilers below
The Star Wars Galaxy Coninues Expanding
RIP Cantina, there’s a new bad guy haunt in town. This one looks a lot brighter, with wide stained-glass windows and a well-lit bar. The international trailer for The Last Jedi shows a split-second view of Canto Bight, the 1%s answer to the original Cantina. The Star Wars website describes the new location as a “casino city and playground for the galaxy’s ultra-rich”. Wonder if they serve droids…
The rest of the international trailer shows footage we’ve already seen, including some flashbacks to The Force Awakens. The Hollywood Reporter explains that Canto Bight exists on the planet Cantonica, the second confirmed “new” planet for The Last Jedi. The trailer also shows a new creature helping destroy the bar; a less-icy version of the snow fox/wolf introduced in previous trailers (and included in the international version, as well.)
New footage begins around 1:58, but it’s worth checking out the whole trailer. While details about Canto Bight and the bar itself are still scarce, we do know it will serve as homebase for Benicio Del Toro’s “DJ”.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi continues the story of Rey, Poe, Finn, and Kylo Ren. It picks up where its predecessor left off, with Rey on a mysterious island where Luke Skywalker has been hiding. She has come to him for training, but the force is unbalanced and the threat of the dark side looms once more. The Last Jedi stars Daisy Ridley (Rey), Oscar Issac (Poe Dameron), John Boyega (Finn), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), and newcomer Kelly Marie Tran (Rose). Cast also includes Carrie Fisher (General Leia Organa), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Andy Serkis (Snoke), Gwendolyn Christie (Captain Phasma) and Laura Dern (Admiral Holdo).
In case you’ve missed the teaser teaser, or the teaser to the teaser of the introduction of the trailer, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is getting a trailer this week. Ahead of that we’ve gotten photos, lazy viral marketing and, now, a synopsis.
The most amazing thing about this synopsis is the way it can be completely dismantled in more than one way if you take even the slightest moment to think about it. Read this, courtesy of EW, and let’s discuss:
“Directed by J.A. Bayona, the sequel — set several years after 2015’s billion-dollar smash Jurassic World — concerns a volcano on Isla Nublar that threatens the dinosaurs that had overrun the park at the end of the previous film. Who has the best shot at preventing the prehistoric beasts from becoming extinct (again)? That would be Chris Pratt’s dino trainer Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s former park manager Claire Dearing.”
Ok. Things start off well: J.A. Bayona not Colin Trevorrow. Right after that, things begin to wobble. So, there’s a volcano threatening to kill these dinosaurs, who were created in a lab. But… we don’t like these dinosaurs, right? They’re vicious killers. Also, since they were created in a lab why not.. oh I don’t know… make more? Why tackle a volcano?
Oh, right. Because we have to have another Jurassic movie and this is a soulless cash grab just like Jurassic World and execs don’t give a damn about the audience because DINOSAURS!
Enjoy Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom when it comes out June 22. Let me know if it’s anything more than complete garbage.
Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is one of the more fulfilling hits of the summer. It made a ton of cash, earned a ton of critical clout, and was generally a great time for audiences, and it was AN ORIGINAL IDEA OMG! Of course, this means a Baby Driver sequel is en route.
Wright recently spoke to EW about the possible sequel, and it seems that while he might write the screenplay, he may hand off directing duties to someone else:
“Those talks are already in the works. The deal is being hammered out as we speak. So, hopefully, I’m going to at least write a second one. I’ve definitely got lots of ideas. Whether it’s the next movie, I don’t know. I’m just working that out at the moment, actually. I have a couple of things that I’ve been developing, and also a couple of new ideas that I had, and all the nice things things that I’ve been offered since [the release of Baby Driver]. I would like to get back on the saddle very shortly, because — slightly beyond my control — but there was four years between The World’s End and Baby Driver. I don’t want it to be that long again. I would love to have a film out in the next two years.”
All positive stuff. He wants to get going on his next project, and we should all be happy for that. Handing off the Baby Driver sequel to a different director might be an issue down the road. Sometimes it works out well – James Cameron’s Aliens, Guillermo Del Toro’s Blade II – sometimes it does not (*cough* Batman Forever).
Stay tuned for more news about the Baby Driver sequel as it pops up.
