Blade: Trinity

Roger Ebert started his review by saying, “I liked the first two Blade movies, although my description of “Blade II” as “a really rather brilliant vomitorium of viscera” might have sounded like faint praise. The second film was directed by Guillermo Del Toro, a gifted horror director with a sure feel for the quease-inducing, and was even better, I thought, than the first. Now comes “Blade: Trinity,” which is a mess. It lacks the sharp narrative line and crisp comic-book clarity of the earlier films, and descends too easily into shapeless fight scenes that are chopped into so many cuts that they lack all form or rhythm.”

The setup is a continuation of the previous films. Vampires are making a war to contaminate humanity, and the most powerful fighter against them is the half-human, half-vampire Blade, reprised by Wesley Snipes. He has been raised from childhood by Whistler, reprised by Kris Kristofferson, who recognized his unique ability to balance between the two, and is a dangerous warrior, but, despite some colleagues, seriously outnumbered.

Ebert said, “As “Trinity” opens, the Vampire Nation and its leader Danica (played by Parker Posey — yes, Parker Posey) convince the FBI that Blade is responsible for, if I heard correctly, 1,182 murders.” “They’re waging a gosh darned publicity campaign,” Whistler protests in that Kris Kristoferson seen everything voice.

Agent surround Blade’s headquarters, which is your simple action movie area combining the setting of a warehouse with lots of catwalks and high places to fall from and stuff that blows up good. Whistler goes down fighting (however a shotgun seems dated, given the sci-fi weapons somewhere else in the movie), and Blade is enlisted by the Night Stalkers, who reach him through Whistler’s daughter, Abigail, voiced by Jessica Biel. Ebert said, “It would have been too much. I suppose, to hope for Whistler’s mother.”

The Night Stalkers have information that the Vampire Nation is finding the original Dracula, because to spread the virus “they need better DNA; they need Dracula’s blood.” Dracula’s superior DNA means he can work by day, unlike his descendants, who must work by night. Ebert said “The notion that DNA degrades or is somehow diluted over the centuries flies in the face of what we know about the double helix, but who needs science when you know what’s right? “They found Dracula in Iraq about six months ago,” we learn, and if that’s not a straight line I’m not Jon Stewart.”

Dracula is some type of guy. Ebert said, “Played by Dominic Purcell, he isn’t your usual vampire in evening dress with overdeveloped canines, but a creature whose DNA seems to have been infected with the virus of Hollywood monster effects. His mouth and lower face unfold into a series of ever more horrifying fangs and suchlike, until he looks like a mug shot of the original “Alien.”” He doesn’t suck blood, he vacuums it.

Ebert said, “Parker Posey is an actress I have always had affection for, and now it is mixed with increased admiration, for the way she soldiers through an impossible role, sneering like the good sport she is. Jessica Biel becomes the first heroine of a vampire movie to listen to her iPod during slayings. That’s an excuse to get the soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi and RZA into the movie, I guess, although I hope she downloaded it from the iTunes Store and isn’t a pirate on top of being a vampire.”

Vampires in this movie look about as easy to kill as the creatures in “Dawn of the Dead.” Ebert noted, “They have a way of suddenly fizzing up into electric sparks and then collapsing in a pile of ash. One of the weapons used against them by the Night Stalkers is a light-saber device that is, and I’m sure I have this right, “half as hot as the sun.” Switch on one of those babies and you’d zap not only the vampires but British Columbia and large parts of Alberta and Washington state.”

Ebert continued, “Jessica Biel is the resident babe, wearing fetishistic costumes to match Blade’s and teaming up with Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds), no relation to Hannibal Lecter, a former vampire who has come over to the good side.” The vampire killers and their fellow Night Stalkers go in an increasingly cloudy series of fights with the vampires, making you ask this simple question: Why, since the whole world is theirs to take, do the vampires have to appear and fight the Night Stalkers in the first place? Why not just figure out that since the Stalkers are in Vancouver, the vampires should concentrate somewhere there, like Montreal?

“Blade: Trinity,” released in 2004, was a huge disappointment. There have been so many horror stories that were told about Wesley Snipes’ behavior on set. Allegedly, he was very difficult to work with, wouldn’t speak to his co-stars a lot, and used a racist word against Reynolds. Patton Oswalt said Snipes tried to strangle David S. Goyer, which Snipes as denied. However, Goyer made public about his difficulties with the production, telling The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn’t believe anyone involved with this film is happy with it. Oswalt also said that Snipes smoked weed in his trailer, refused to break character, and the filmmakers intentionally gave Reynolds “the worst jokes and puns” so they could “cut to Snipes’ face not doing anything because that’s all we could get from him.” Reports say Snipes was unhappy with the choice of director, refused to leave his trailer and communicated with the cast and crew using post-it notes. This put him in the negative light and damaged his career. Not long after this film, he faced legal issues and was in jail, and his leading-man status quickly disappeared. You might have heard Snipes allegedly refusing to keep his eyes open.

Other than that, they tried to make this film into a comedy, which is not what Blade is supposed to be. This, of course, was before Ryan Reynolds was liked today in cinema, because back then, his comedy didn’t really attract people. Nothing about it was funny in any way, but just came off as painful. I would recommend everyone to pass this up, especially if they liked the first two films. You don’t want to be disappointed by the end of the trilogy. Even WWE Wrestler Paul Levesque aka Triple H couldn't save this movie. However, you could see that Snipes and Reynolds have reconciled, seeing how Snipes made a cameo as Blade in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Thank you for joining in on this year’s “Black History Movie Month.” I hope everyone enjoyed. See you next month with more excitement. 

Blade II

Roger Ebert started his review by saying, ““Blade II” is a really rather brilliant vomitorium of viscera, a comic book with dreams of becoming a textbook for mad surgeons. There are shots here of the insides of vampires that make your average autopsy look like a slow afternoon at Supercuts. The movie has been directed by Guillermo del Toro, whose work is dominated by two obsessions: War between implacable ancient enemies, and sickening things that bite you and aren’t even designed to let go.”

The 2002 sequel is an improvement on the first film, which was pretty good. Once again Wesley Snipes plays the Marvel Comics protagonist who is half-man, half-vampire. He was raised from childhood by Whistler, reprised by Kris Kristofferson, a vampire hunter who kept Blade’s vampirism under control, and trained him to fight the vampires. A long time has passed, Whistler has been kidnapped by vampires and floats unconscious in a storage tank while his blood is harvested, and Blade runs the streets in his solitary war.

Ebert mentioned, “One night acrobatic creatures with glowing red eyes invade Blade’s space and engage in a violent battle that turns out to be entirely gratuitous, because after they remove their masks to reveal themselves as vampires–a ferocious warrior and a foxy babe–they only want to deliver a message: “You have been our worst enemy. But now there is something else on the streets worse than you!” This reminded me of the night in O’Rourke’s when McHugh asked this guy why he carried a gun and the guy said he lived in a dangerous neighborhood and McHugh said it would be safer if he moved.”

The Vampire Nation is under attack by a new colony of vampires named Reapers, who drink the blood of both humans and vampires, and are greedy. Blade, who is both human and vampire, is in the middle of the road. If the Reapers are not destroyed, both species will die. Ebert noted, “If the Reapers are not destroyed, both races will die. This news is conveyed by a vampire leader whose brain can be dimly seen through a light blue translucent plastic shell, more evidence of the design influence of the original iMac.”

Blade and Whistler (now rescued from the tank and revived with a “retro-virus injection”) join the vampires in this fight, which is not without danger, because of course if the Reapers are destroyed, the vampires will turn on them. Ebert pointed out, “There is a story line, however quickly sketched, to support the passages of pure action, including computer-aided fight scenes of astonishing pacing and agility. Snipes once again plays Blade not as a confident superhero, but as a once-confused kid who has been raised to be good at his work and uncertain about his identity.” He is in love with a vampire Nyssa, played by Leonor Varela, but we feel a relationship between a vampire and Blade, called a Daywalker, is sooner or later going to end in arguments over their work schedules.

The Reapers are perfectly made for this movie. They all have what looks like a scar down the center of their chins. Ebert mentioned, “The first time we see one, it belongs to a donor who has turned up at a blood bank in Prague. This is not the kind of blood bank you want to get your next transfusion from. It has a bug zapper hanging from the wall, and an old drunk who says you can even bring in cups of blood from outside and they’ll buy them.”

We find out that it is a cleft chin, not a scar. These Reapers are disgusting. Ebert said, “They have mouths that unfold into tripartite jaws. Remember the claws on the steam shovels in those prize games at the carnival, where you manipulated the wheels and tried to pick up valuable prizes? Now put them on a vampire and make them big and bloody, with fangs and mucus and viscous black saliva. And then imagine a tongue coiled inside with an eating and sucking mechanism on the end of it that looks like the organ evolution forgot–the sort of thing diseased livers have nightmares about.” Later they cut open a Reaper’s chest cavity and Blade and Whistler look inside.

Blade: The heart is surrounded in bone!

Whistler: Good luck getting a stake through it!

Ebert noted, “Del Toro’s early film “Cronos” (1993) was about an ancient golden beetle that sank its claws into the flesh of its victims and injected an immortality serum. His “Mimic” (1997) was about a designer insect, half-mantis, half-termite, that escapes into the subway system and mutates into a very big bug. Characters would stick their hands into dark places and I would slide down in my seat. His “Devil’s Backbone” (2001), set in an orphanage at the time of the Spanish Civil War, is a ghost story, not a horror picture, but does have a body floating in a tank.”

Still when he was in his 30s, Del Toro didn’t depend on computers to get him through a movie and impress those with fancy fight scenes. He brings his scary phobias with him. Ebert ended his review by saying, “You can sense the difference between a movie that’s a technical exercise (“Resident Evil”) and one steamed in the dread cauldrons of the filmmaker’s imagination.”

In my opinion, I feel like “Blade II” is better than the first one. If you like the first one better, I understand. However, I am one of those people who prefers the sequel. When I saw it, I really got into it because the action was more intense, the story was gripping, the actors played their parts perfectly, and all around, Del Toro did an amazing job with this sequel. Check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. I saw this in parts on YouTube way back when you could only see movies split up into 10-minute videos. I have been meaning to go back and rewatch the trilogy, but I haven’t gotten around to it. See this sequel to know what I mean about this one being better than the first, in my opinion.

Next week, we will be sadly ending “Black History Movie Month” with the weakest of the “Blade Trilogy.”

Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President

For this year’s “President’s Day Movie Review,” I will be looking at the 2020 documentary, “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.”

This is an energetic celebration of a good man, who became one of USA’s most effective former presidents.

Whether or not history will look nicely at his presidency, the Georgia peanut farmer who came up to the country’s highest elected office was undeniably a lovable man. Back in the 1970s, his relationships with some of the biggest names in music helped expand his charm.

In the documentary, Grammy award-winning producer turned director Mary Wharton looks at the middle of music and politics. The film takes us behind the scenes with some of rock & roll’s most famous singers and (at that time) 95-year-old President Carter in a series of intimate interviews.

Among the musical stars shown in the documentary, we hear from Jimmy Buffet, Garth Brooks, Rosanne Cash, Larry Gatlin, Willie Nelson, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon, Trisha Yearwood, Bono, and even Bob Dylan. Jonathan W. Hickman said in his review, “But most touching, I think, are the interviews with the late Gregg Allman (who died in 2017).”

“The Allman Brothers helped put me in the White House by raising money when I didn’t have any money!” Carters says in the film.

It was the 39^th president’s relationship with Gregg Allman that helps demonstrate the character of Jimmy Carter. Hickman noted, “Following Allman’s famous mid-1970s drug bust, and his subsequent testimony against his personal road manager, it would have been easy, even understandable, for Carter, a good Christian, to abandon the troubled southern rocker. But true to form, and by relying on his lifelong Christian sense of forgiveness, Carter’s big heart and loyalty to his friend endured.”

Risking political backlash, Carter maintained relations with Allman, even continuing to have the struggling musician and his then-wife, Cher, to the White House. Hickman said, “If Carter only valued the benefit of celebrity connections, he would have stopped taking Allman’s calls. The humility and grace on display are palpable.”

The interviews with Carter, whose son, Chip, describes as only being able to “play the stereo,” are rich and insightful. Regardless of where you stand politically, it’s hard not to appreciate Carter’s calming approach to life.

Aside from a flashback through political history, “Jimmy Carter; Rock & Roll President” works as a musical time capsule. Including rarely seen performances by some of the industry’s famous people, it’s an enjoyable and rocking movie. Hickman said, “And Wharton, daughter of famous blues guitarist Bill Wharton aka “The Sauce Boss,” smartly populates her film with a seamless tapestry of overlapping tunes.”

At one part, the documentary has a soulful rendition of God Bless America by Aretha Franklin at the presidential inauguration. It’s impossible not to fell something by the performance, which was followed by a surprise appearance on stage by Western actor John Wayne, the antagonism’s loyal voice. Later, it’s mentioned that Wayne helped with the iconic Panama Canal Treaty.

Despite Wharton presenting a solidly positive view of the former one-term president, whose legacy was forever damaged by the Iran hostage crisis, this documentary is not afraid of his political failures. However, as history looks back on him, bad thoughts don’t come easily. Also, his contagious smile and kind manner are highly shown here.

A must for music fans, and an interesting, unique look of interest to politicos, “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President” puts a tough time in our nation’s history in a musical contest. It also pleads with us not to turn our back on a friend even if that relationship is not good.

As I was looking for what to watch for today, I came across this documentary, which currently can be purchased on Apple TV. I think this is a good documentary to learn about our longest-lived former president, who we sadly lost at the end of last year. With all the life blessings, he lived to be a centenarian and his presidency was good, even though there were mistakes that were made. In the end, he was as human as the next man, but this shows us how he was against segregation, his friendship with other ethnicities, and just how his background really shaped him into being the great man he was. Check this out and see for yourself.

Thank you for joining in on today’s review. Stay tuned this Friday for the continuation on the “Black Trilogy” for “Black History Movie Month.”

Sleepless in Seattle

For this year’s “Valentine’s Day Movie Review,” I will be reviewing the 1993 classic, “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Roger Ebert started his review by saying, “If love at first sight is a reality, then in this information age there should also be the possibility of love at first cybercontact.”

Ebert continued, “When people meet via computers or personal ads or phone-in radio shows – when their first sight of each other is through a communications medium – isn’t it still possible that some essential chemistry is communicated? That the light in an eye can somehow be implied even over thousands of miles?” That’s the hope seen in Nora Ephron’s unapologetically romantic movie about two people who fall in love from opposite parts of the country, through the way of a radio program. In Baltimore, Meg Ryan plays a woman who is already engaged to Bull Pullman whose only problem is that he seems to be allergic to almost everything. Then one night, driving in her car, she listens to a broadcast as a young boy is appealing to the host for help with his father.

Driving through the night, Ryan listens to the story. The man (Tom Hanks) is called to the phone and we hear that after his wife died, he fell into deep depression before finally packing up his son (Ross Malinger) and moving from Chicago to Seattle. He though a change of scenery might help, but apparently it hasn’t.

Ebert said, “Something in the man’s voice – or maybe something in his soul that is transmitted along with his voice – appeals to Ryan.” She can’t stop thinking about the man. Meanwhile, in Seattle, we get to know Hanks, who is a really nice man but very sad, and his son, who hopes his dad will meet the right woman.

Ebert said, “His dad has indeed met a woman (Barbara Garrick), but since she has a laugh that resembles a hyena’s mating call, the son doesn’t consider her a contender. Ephron develops this story with all of the heartfelt sincerity of a 1950s tearjerker (indeed, the movie’s characters spend a lot of time watching “An Affair to Remember” and using it as their romantic compass). There is no irony, no distance, no angle on the material. It is about two people who are destined for one another, and that’s that. And that was fine with me.”

Ephron’s earlier film for “When Harry Met Sally…” starred Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, and spent a lot of time showing Harry and Sally not meeting. Ebert said, “This film, too, keeps its lovers separate most of the time – although there is a fuzzy scene when Ryan stands in the middle of the street and Hanks gawks at her, and bells ring in his libido.”

Ebert continued, “The plot mechanics, in fact, reminded me of some of those contrived 1940s and 1950s romantic melodramas where events conspired to bring the lovers close but no closer, and then the writers toyed with us bymanufacturing devices to keep them apart. By the end of “Sleepless in Seattle,” we’re hoping the lovers will meet atop the Empire State Building (a steal from “An Affair to Remember”), and the movie is doing everything to keep that from happening short of assigning Donald Trump to tear it down.”

The actors are well-matched to this material. Tom Hanks keeps a type of separate edge to his character, which keeps him from being simply a fall guy. Ebert noted, “Meg Ryan, who is one of the most likable actresses around and has a certain ineffable Doris Day innocence, is able to convince us of the magical quality of her sudden love for a radio voice, without letting the device seem like the gimmick is assuredly is.”

Ebert ended his review by saying, ““Sleepless in Seattle” is as ephemeral as a talk show, as contrived as the late show, and yet so warm and gentle I smiled the whole way through.”

You can currently watch this movie on either Pluto TV or Prime. If you haven’t seen this yet, you’re missing out. You should see this movie because this is a must for everyone, even if you’re not a fan of romances. This is one of the most classic movies out there and I think everyone will love this. You might compare this to the later collaboration that Hanks and Ryan did, “You’ve Got Mail.” Yes, they both have similar premises, but they’re both good in their own way. See this and enjoy yourselves.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned on Monday for my yearly “President’s Day Movie Review.”

Blade

At a time when too many movies are made from boring, TV-style visuals of people standing around talking, moves based on comic books represent of the last best hopes for visionary filmmaking. It’s strange that the comics, which borrowed their early visual style from movies, should now be returning the favor.

Roger Ebert said in his review, ““Blade,” starring Wesley Snipes as a killer of vampires who is engaged in an armageddon for possession of the Earth, is a movie that relishes high visual style. It uses the extreme camera angles, the bizarre costumes and sets, the exaggerated shadows, the confident cutting between long shots and extreme closeups. It slams ahead in pure visceral imagery.”

Obviously, anyone patiently watching the film hoping for an engaging story line is going to be disappointed. Ebert suggested, “Better to see it in comic book terms, as an episode in a master-myth, in which even the most cataclysmic confrontation is not quite the end of things, because there has to be another issue next month. The story, like so many comic myths, involves ordinary people who are connected through a superhero to an occult universe that lurks beneath reality–or, as Blade tells a young human doctor, “The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping. There is another world beneath it–the real world!”” Blade, based on a Marvel Comics character, is played by Snipes as a man in between human and vampire. Blade’s origin story: his mother (Sanaa Lathan) was bitten by a vampire while pregnant, poisoning her son, who lived in the streets until being adopted by a man named Whistler (the great Kris Kristofferson), who plans a lonely war against vampires. Ebert said, “Now Blade, raised to manhood, is the spearhead of that battle, as vampires spread their influence through the major cities. One of their chief gathering grounds: secret after-hours dance clubs where victims are lured by the promise of forbidden thrills, only to be bitten and converted.”

Ebert continued by noting, “The movie is built around a series of major action scenes; the first one features an update of an old friend from 1970s Hong Kong movies, the flying guillotine. This is a knife-edged boomerang that spins, slices and returns to its owner. Very neat.”

Blade meets Dr. Karen Jensen, played by N’Bushe Wright, a blood specialist who has been bitten by a severely burned vampire brought in for emergency treatment. Can she be saved? He returns her to Whistler’s secret lab for an injection of liquid garlic, which will give her a good chance. Ebert noted, “Blade himself lives under a daily reprieve; Whistler’s serum keeps him on the human side, although he may be building up a resistance to it.”

Displayed against Blade are the armies of vampirism, lead by his arch-enemy Deacon Frost, played by Stephen Dorff, who’s also half-human, half-vampire, who dreams of a final vampire rebellion against humans, and world conquest. Ebert noted, “His rival within the vampire world is Dragonetti (Udo Keir), a pure vampire who prefers the current arrangement under which vampires secretly control key organizations to safeguard their interests.”

There is a lot of background inspiring Frost’s plans, including the recreation of an ancient vampire god who may return to lead the vampires in their final mission. Ebert noted, “The setting for the climactic scene is a phantasmagoric vampire temple where Blade must risk everything in a titanic showdown.”

Ebert continued, “The movie, directed by Stephen Norrington, is another in a recent group of New Line Cinema movies that combine comic book imagery, noir universes, and the visual heritage of German Expressionism; I’d rank it third after “Dark City” and “Spawn.”” This material is obviously moving in the direction of complete animation, which is the look it often tries to suggest, and there are some shots here that use special effects to suggest animation’s freedom from gravity and other physical laws. Ebert pointed out, “Notice, for example, an unbroken shot where Blade takes Dr. Jensen in his arms and makes an improbable leap from a high window to a far rooftop. Can’t be done–especially not with them seemingly floating down in midair to a safe landing–but the dreamlike feel of escape is effective.”

Wesley Snipes understands the material all the way around and makes a believable Blade because he knows that the main ingredient in any interesting superhero is not power, but vulnerability. There is always a kind of sadness motivating the personalities of the great superheroes, who have been given great knowledge and gifts but few reliefs in their battle against evil. The fun seems to be entirely on the villain’s side. By symbolizing those feelings, Snipes as Blade gives the movie that edge of emotion that without it would simply be special effects. Ebert mentioned, “Of course you have to bring something to it yourself, preferably a sympathy for the whole comic superhero ethos.” This is the kind of movie that gets better the more you know about the genre.

At a time when comic book adaptations where getting critically thrashed and bombing at the box office, “Blade” came along in 1998 and helped the resurrection of the genre. We have to thank this great film into getting people back into liking comic book adaptations. A majority of comic book adaptations in the 90s were terrible and it looked like they were going to tank, but then this film was released. It helped get comic book adaptations get back up and running. This is simply a film that everyone must see, regardless of whether they like comic book adaptations or not. Snipes is the best part of the film because he plays Blade as if he was meant for the role. The action is phenomenal, the story is engaging, the characters are great, and the writing is just right. See this if you haven’t because “Blade” is a comic book film that no one should miss. I would say this is one of my favorite comic book films.

No surprise, they made sequels to “Blade.” Check in next week to see how the first sequel turned out in “Black History Movie Month.”

Our Friend, Martin

We’re back with another annual “Black History Month Movie Review.” I will be starting off with a film that I saw in the 5^th Grade, “Our Friend, Martin.”

In 1999, this animated edutainment film was released on VHS to teach young students at school, the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr (MLK for short) and how he successfully eliminated segregation altogether. The story is about two friends (Robert Ri'chard and Lucas Black) who accidentally travel back in time to MLK’s life, as they learn about his past and racism at the time.

I will have spoilers in here. However, I believe everyone learned about MLK’s life at school and how he managed to eliminate segregation by changing the way we view someone’s race. Does “Our Friend, Martin” still hold up today? Let’s find out.

Many celebrities including Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta, Oprah, among so many others, voiced characters in this film for a very good reason on why they want to show this to future generations.

Ironically, Oprah went on to co-star in Selma, a film related to MLK’s march by traveling on foot with a large crowd walking from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama.

The idea of this edutainment film was interesting to show two boys traveling in time to visit MLK, which makes the audience understand the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the horrifying time of segregation.

Nickthemoviecritic said in his review, “The Animation reminded me of HBO’s Spawn. Spawn himself, is black and he’s the most popular superhero outside of Marvel and DC Comics. If it weren’t for MLK, Spawn would’ve never existed in the first place.”

Archive footage and photographs of MLK are shown during important moments of his life.

In the final act, there’s a different timeline where MLK never delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Nickthemoviecritic is right when he said, “This is a cautionary reminder on what not to do if you’re gonna go back to the past to hang out with a historical figure, think twice before you take him/her to your own time.”

The ending feels so nice as it shows a montage of people with different races working and getting along together as equals.

Sadly, the film’s runtime is about an hour long. Nickthemoviecritic said, “They could’ve stretched out more space to fill in the blanks. An hour long film is pretty unusual, it’s sort of like the equivalent of an hour long episode of a television series.”

Nickthemoviecritic recommended, “If you’re a teacher, you should definitely show this to your students to help them understand MLK’s impact on why he changed the way we view racism and why we’re all created equal. This was the film that helped me understand the true meaning of equality and many of us will continue to honor MLK’s legacy for future generations as a reminder on why we’re all in this together as one.”

I think we all thank MLK for heling people get along with every race out there. That’s what he is forever remembered for as the one that helped us put prejudice away, even though it’s entirely expunged.

Like I said, my teacher showed this to us when I was in the 5^th Grade. I always remembered this, but I didn’t know the title. A few months ago, I looked up films to review this month, and when I saw this short, I decided to rewatch it and I fell in love with it. You should see this, as I think you can find it easily on YouTube, because I think this will be loved by people who see it.

For the remainder of the month, I will be looking at a trilogy of comic book adaptations that fit perfectly with this month.

Argylle

Today while exercising, I finished watching “Argylle,” released in 2024, Apple TV. I didn’t know this was a spin-off of “The Kingsman” franchise until I looked it up. I will let everyone know what I thought about this spin-off, seeing how critics weren’t really fond of it.

Jared Mobarak started his review by saying, “While ARGYLLE might be the dumbest of Matthew Vaughn's films, it still remains a lot of fun—something I cannot say for KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (I didn't even bother with THE KING'S MAN).” The cast is nice, the music is good, and the action goes between exciting and absurd to keep the audience engaged even if the motives and plot are as simple as simple can be.

Because while the story is great (Jason Fuchs’ creates a writer who writes her spy novels so well that real spies want to use her to help them solve a mystery strangely similar to her franchise), the almost two-and-a-half-hour runtime is mostly jokes and redundancies attempting to trick us into thinking there’s more than meets the eye. The MacGuffin isn’t nuclear codes or an world-threatening virus. Mobarak said, “It's just a dossier of the bad guys because the good guys won't believe they exist without one. (So, just make one yourself since you already know all the information it contains?)”

Mobarak continued, “I really liked the first fight scene with Bryce Dallas Howard's Elly constantly blinking between Henry Cavill's Argylle dispatching villains with a calm smile and Sam Rockwell's Wilde doing so with much less grace.” Howard and Rockwell’s bond is fun (every repetition since they changed between friends and enemies multiple times) and the main reason for the entire film considering the spy stuff is so one-dimensional beyond it’s not so many turns.

The supporting cast is great too with the large roles (the late Catherine O’Hara and Bryan Cranston) or small (John Cena and Samuel L. Jackson), but the special effects leave a lot to be wanted. The climactic Snow Patrol fight (Run as sung by Leona Lewis) is so funny – and not because of the over-the-top dance choreography. Mobarak noted, “The whole thing is shrouded in colored smoke created by awful CGI both in its visual authenticity and ability to interact with the actors.” Thankfully an oil spill scene proves a little better even if its ice-skating finale is straight out of a cartoon.

And the final shot and the mid-credits scene? Mobarak said, “Absurdly silly both in content and the intent to lazily retrofit this movie into a completely different franchise. I cannot tell if it's meant as a joke or truly a tease for more.”

For those who are fans of singer Dua Lipa, she is in the beginning of the movie. I know that this movie wasn’t liked by critics, but I enjoyed it. I think that if anyone as Apple TV should see this, especially since we just lost Catherine O’Hara, a great actress for her time. Check it out if you’re a fan of “The Kingsman” franchise because I think this is enjoyable, but if not, then I understand, this film isn’t for everyone. I thought it was one thing but then it turned to another, and maybe that’s why people didn’t like it because they predicted what was going on early in the film.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned next month for this year’s “Black History Movie Month.”

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

There’s no surprise that Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua would work together again on a new movie. They certainly hit it big with the popular and the acclaimed “Training Day.” Keith Garlington said in his review, “But I have to admit I was a bit surprised at their latest creative endeavor. I’m not sure why though. After all this is the age of remakes, reboots, reimaginings, re-everything else.”

Garlington continued, “Their newest collaboration is “The Magnificent Seven”, a modern action crowdpleaser anchored by a fun ensemble cast.” The original 1960 Western classic was based on Kurosawa’s famous “Seven Samurai.” This 2016 updated film appears to move further away from that story but never so far as to lose that trait. It accepts the basics of the story while adding in a few details of its own. As expected, it tries to do everything bigger most famously the huge wild western action.

If you haven’t seen the 1960 Western, Yul Brynner led a hired team of cowboys to protect a small Mexican village from a team of violent bandits. In Fuqua’s remake the Mexican village is exchanged for a small mining town named Rose Creek and Peter Sarsgaard’s Bogue is the evil industrialist torturing them. Washington takes Brynner’s role. He plays Sam Chisolm who is approached by a young woman from Rose Creek, played by Haley Bennett, asking for help.

Sam agrees but first he’ll need a team of gunfighters to train the townspeople and lead the defense against Bogue and his gang. His team of wild west outcasts includes an alcoholic gambler (Chris Pratt), and ex-confederate sharpshooter (Ethan Hawke), a dangerous assassin (Byung-hun Lee), a wanted Mexican criminal (Manuel Garcia- Rulfo), a big strong tracker (Vincent D’Onofrio), and a disappointed Comanche warrior (Martin Sensmeier).

Fuqua, screenwriters Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk do a good job of building a fun camaraderie between their characters. It’s one of the film’s main aspects since it really wants to be a buddy-cowboy movie. Garlington said, “There is plenty of playful banter, ribbing, and jests but never too much.” That’s because it’s also trying for something more – an old school western.

Garlington said, “Watching the movie I couldn’t help but feel a little bit nostalgic. Fuqua tips his Stetson to a number of classic western angles both narratively and visually.” His use of the camera is fantastic (great cinematography from another “Training Day” alumni Mauro Fiore) and the score has some of the last work of the late great James Horner. You’ll be able to see Fuqua channeling from a variety of western directors from John Ford to Sergio Leone.

Expect some fierce and energetic action especially in the unavoidable final showdown (which is especially fun). Garlington noted, “Following a familiar blueprint each character is given their moment to show off their gun-twirling, knife throwing, or dynamite-chunking.” What you won’t see is any deeper feel of emotional difficulties between these characters. We get flashes of it especially from one specific character but never enough to distract it from its clear want to be a straightforward action film.

That leaves “The Magnificent Seven” open to reasonable criticism. Garlington noted, “It’s not a deep contemplative character study or emotionally heavy drama. It certainly misses some opportunities to incorporate those elements which may have made it a better film. But I’m fine with it since that isn’t what this film is aiming to be. It’s an action romp and Denzel and company pull it off nicely. They are clearly having a blast doing it and I must say I did too.”

This a good remake and an enjoyable one too. You can watch this on MGM+, but when I saw it, I was able to find it on Prime. Check this one out because as a modern update, I think it was one of those remakes that people could get into. Yes, the original will always be better, but this is one of those remakes that people can see and not want to miss out, especially with the ensemble cast in here. Watch it and enjoy.

We have now reached the end of “The Magnificent Seven Month.” I hope everyone enjoyed it and next month, we’re going to be in for some excitement for “Black History Movie Month.”

The Magnificent Seven Ride

“The Magnificent Seven Ride,” released in 1972, ended the western series on a surprisingly stubborn way. The original film was a 1960 western based on Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai.” This 1954 classic involved an assorted team being brough together to defend a poor village from criminals. Padraig Cotter pointed out in his review, “Of course, Kurosawa's work proved hugely influential on international cinema, with his movie The Hidden Fortress inspiring George Lucas on Star Wars while Yojimbo formed the basis for both A Fistful Of Dollars and Walter Hill's Last Man Standing.”

“The Magnificent Seven” reimagined “Seven Samurai” in a western setting and formed a team including Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson. The movie was enough of a hit that it become one of Hollywood’s first movies to have a series of sequels, with Brynner returning for the rightly titled “Return of The Magnificent Seven” in 1966. “Guns of the Magnificent Seven” continued the franchise in 1969 with George Kennedy playing Brynner’s character Chris – despite the two actors looking nothing alike. Cotter mentioned, “The Magnificent Seven Ride closed out the series in 1972, while a TV series arrived in 1998 starring Michael Biehn (Aliens) and Ron Perlman that ran for two seasons.”

“The Magnificent Seven” remake starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke was released in 2016, but it was modestly grossed, making a sequel unlikely. Lee Van Cleef plays Chris for “The Magnificent Seven Ride,” with his performance and the movie, generally, having a much darker tone. The movie starts with Chris having become a marshal and happily married to his wife, Arrila, played by Mariette Hartley. This is one reason he refuses an old friend Jim’s, played by Ralph Waite, request for help with defending a Mexican town from bandits, with the odds being clearly against them. Arrila is later kidnapped by a gang of teenagers after they rob a bank, who also damage Chris.

Cotter said, “Chris recovers after a few days to give chase, with The Magnificent Seven Ride firmly establishing its dark tone from the off. He discovers Arrila was raped and murdered, and guns down two of the robbers in cold blood after a curt interrogation.” He chases Donovan the leader, played by Darrell Larson, which brings him to the Mexican border town his friend Jim is trying to protect. Wanting vengeance, he again refuses to help, and the next time he comes back to the village he finds it was attacked by bandits, with all the men dead and the women were beaten and raped. Chris finally decides to help after finding the bodies of Jim and Donavan, so he hires five hardened prisoners (Luke Askew, James B. Sikking, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., William Lucking, and Ed Lauter) and his biographer Noah (Michael Callan) to take the fight to the bandits in an epic finale.

Cotter mentioned, “The Magnificent Seven Ride is much bleaker and dour than the previous movies. The first three entries still had high bodycounts, but their tones were more hopeful and humorous. The final movie, on the other hand, is harsh and unforgiving, and while this sets it apart from the other Magnificent Seven movies, its also not nearly as fun.” Lee Van Cleef’s Chris also feels very removed from the previous movies, but he’s still a charismatic person.

This may not be as good as the other sequels, but I still don’t think it would hurt if you checked this out on Tubi. See it for yourself and see how you feel. Judge for yourself if you like this film or not.

How is the 2016 remake? We will be looking at that next week in the finale of “The Magnificent Seven Month.”

The Guns of the Magnificent Seven

Tim O'Brien started his review by saying, “Now this may just be me, but George Kennedy doesn’t resemble Yul Brynner too much. After two “Magnificent Seven” movies with Brynner as the star, the third movie starred a new ‘Chris’ leading a new seven. Of course, the posters for “The Guns of the Magnificent Seven” have to nail this down. So is he the same character? A different guy named Chris? Did he undergo extensive plastic surgery? Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea. So, before loyalists chap their hides over Denzel Washington leading a new Magnificent Seven, let’s take a look at the first actor to replace Brynner.” Three years after “Return of the Magnificent Seven” comes director Paul Wendko for the next sequel, “Guns of the Magnificent Seven,” released in 1969. This is different from the first two movies with Kennedy, a year after he earned the Best Supporting Actor Oscar from “Cool Hand Luke,” entering in the franchise. However, the second movie was basically a repeat of the original film, the third gets credit for originality both in story and casting. Also, Elmer Bernstein’s score is a plus, especially with some new music scores.

Deep in Mexico, a revolutionary leader, Quintero (Fernando Rey) is captured by an evil Mexican colonel, Diego (Michael Ansara), who runs a prison that looks like a fortress more than anything else. One of Quintero’s most loyal followers, Maximilliano, played by Reni Santoni, travel north to look for help in getting Quintero out of prison before it’s too late. In a border town, Max finds a man named Chris Adams (George Kennedy) who is trying to save another man, Keno (Monte Markham), from a lynch mob. Chris agrees to help out and form a group of soldiers to help him in the prison break. They find help from a local bandit Lobero (Frank Silvera) and his gang – this is a change of pace since the original film, but the odds still seem impossible.

O’Brien said, “The Seven: Kennedy is more than capable of handling the lead role, and while he doesn’t look like Brynner at all, he brings the same characteristics to the part: loyal, honest, and always willing to stand up for the downtrodden. He’s also chomping in a stogie throughout, a trademark made recognizable with Brynner.” As for the other six, this is by far the most unique group when comparing the three sequels. Markham as Keno, the Steven McQueen right hand man role, isn’t given so much to do after he’s introduced, but as a right-hand man, he does what he's supposed to. Look cool while helping the leader. Santoni’s Max is a young person with little fighting experience but who wants nothing more than to join the fight.

Adding a character of color, dynamite expert Cassie (Bernie Casey) the range of range is added and even more so with another member of the seven, Slater (Joe Don Baker), a one-armed Confederate gunslinger. Cassie and Slater would seem to have nothing in common, but a friendship develops when they realize how similar they really are. James Whitmore, as great as ever, plays Levi, an old knife fighter who’s settle with a family but takes the job for money. Adding some depth to the character, Levi bonds with Emil, played by Tony Davis, a young Mexican boy looking for his father. Unfortunately, the seventh member, P.J., played by Scott Thomas, receives little development which is sad because an expert gunfighter/rope throwing dying of tuberculosis has some potential.

O’Brien said, “The villain is a definite step-up here after Emilio Fernandez’s part in “Return”. Ansara plays Diego as a sadistic commandant trying to snuff out the revolution in his district no matter what the cost, especially when it comes to torturing his prisoners. One torture scene midway through the movie shows a creative way to take care of prisoners – bury them in sand up to their throats and then trample and suffocate them with horses walking all around them.” Ansara’s Diego may not be as developed as Calvera or Lorca in the previous two movies, but he’s a complete villain and sometimes that’s all you need.

Some critics said this movie is too slow and to be fair, there isn’t a lot of action. However, none of these movies are really action-packed. Characters are introduced, we get to know them, and then insert the action so that when some of the seven do eventually die, their deaths mean something emotionally. The finale in the movie is on par with the shootout at the end of the original. O’Brien said, “Finally ready for their assault, Chris leads the seven and a small group of farmers in an attack on Diego’s prison, dubbed the ‘Cave of the Rats,’ and his two-hundred-man garrison.”

The movie is loud, messy, and violent, and completely different from the rest of the series. First, the seven go on the attack instead of waiting to be attacked against the larger crowd. Second, two characters are killed almost at the start of the battle, and for a while it looks like the plan might actually fail. The attack is a great action scene from start to finish and the prison set also looks really nice. There’s even some surprises as to who survives and who doesn’t keep you guessing.

This is a worthy sequel to the original. O’Brien credited, “It does justice in every way while still putting its own spin on a familiar story.” Good casting and a strong script that really develops the new members of the “Magnificent Seven” with a great, action-packed finale.

This is a good sequel, even though it is not as good as the original. It is better than the last sequel, I can tell you that. Check it out on Tubi and see for yourself.

Look out next week when I look at the next sequel in “The Magnificent Seven Month.”

Return of the Seven

The first sequel to the 1960 western, “Return of the Seven,” released in 1966, only has one cast member of the original film, Yul Brynner as Chris Adams.

Emanuel Levy said in his review, “It was dismissed by most critics as unsatisfactory, repetitive, and cliché-ridden, compared to the first picture.”

Robert Fuller replaces Steve McQueen of Vin and Julian Mateos replaces Horst Buchholz as Chico.

Levy noted, “The film was written by Larry Cohen and directed by a second-tier helmer, Burt Kennedy, who made some Western with John Wayne (all mediocre).”

The cast includes Warren Oates, Claude Akins, Jordan Christopher, Virgilio Teixeira. Emilio Fernández is the villain, and famous Spanish actor Fernando Rey plays a priest.

Fernando Rey was also in the next film, “Guns of the Magnificent Seven,” but playing a different character.

Gunmen force the men in a small Mexican village to go with them to the desert. Among the kidnapped farmers is Chico, played by Julián Mateos, who was one of the seven hired gunslingers responsible for eliminated the village of the oppressive bandit, Calvera.

Chico’s wife, Petra, played by Elisa Montés, goes to find the other members of the group – only two, Chris and Vin, survived – begged them to save the village again. To replace the group’s murdered members, Chris buys the release of Frank (Akins) and Luis (Teixeira, a famous bandit) from jail, and recruits Colbee (Oates), a ladies’ man, and the young Manuel (Christopher).

The missing villagers are used as slave labor to rebuild a desert village and church as a memorial to the dead sons of wealthy rancher Lorca, played by Fernández. In a surprise attack, they force Lorca’s men to leave, and prepare for a counterattack. The farmers do not assist, but the defenders successfully reject Lorca’s main attack. The rancher then gathers his men to retreat the seven men.

Manuel finds a supply of dynamite which the seven use in a counterattack. While they are flooded, Chris is victorious from a shootout with Lorca. The rancher’s team run, leaving Frank, Luis, and Manuel dead. Chico plans to build back the village on Lorca’s land, and Colbee stays to help teach the villagers how to defend themselves. In the end, Chris and Vin ride off together.

Composer Elmer Bernstein received Oscar nomination for his score.

Levy noted, “The film earned $1.6 million in rentals during its initial release, and then re-released in 1969, earning rentals of $1.3 million.”

This is an underwhelming film, since you could say it repeats what the first one did. If you want to watch this, you can see this on Pluto TV. Check it out, but you won’t remember this one. This is easily forgettable.

Next week, we will be looking at the next film in the franchise in “The Magnificent Seven Month.”

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Happy New Year to my online readers. Another year has started and this will be my 13^th year of blogging on movies. Hard to believe that I have been blogging for this long, but I’m still going strong, so let’s get another exciting year started. We will start this year by reviewing “The Magnificent Seven” franchise. Let’s start with the 1960 Western classic, “The Magnificent Seven.”

It is basically impossible to top Akira Kurosawa’s classic Japanese epic “Seven Samurai.” Mike Massie said in his review, “But the thundering, rousing music by Elmer Bernstein is a stupendous start for this Americanized, Western take on one of the greatest of filmic imports. In shifting locations, time periods, and languages – along with several plot elements – this rugged, action-packed adaptation (by William Roberts) is, on its own, a staggering success.” Despite not straying from Kurosawa’s basic story, “The Magnificent Seven” certainly has its own type.

Calvera (Eli Wallach, playing as cruel and crafty a character as ever before), a bandit leader not afraid to rob from the poor, rides into a small town to once again steal supplies from Sotero’s (Rico Alaniz) community of farmers, who are barely able to feed their families. If anyone dares to stand up to Calvera, they get immediately shot. This method causes many of the townspeople to think about leaving the town, or hiding food, or begging for mercy. Staying is thinking of a slow death.

With the advice of the wise elder, three of the men travel to the border town to buy guns to defend themselves. “We don’t know how to kill,” they insist. “Then learn…or die,” responds the elder. In town, they’re quickly treated to a large, foreign display: Dodge man Chris Larabee Adams (Yul Brynner, dressed in all black, but still hands down a champion of purity) and Tombstone traveler Vin Tanner (Steve McQueen) volunteer to drive a hearse up to Boot Hill to bury Old Sam the Indian, a corpse not fit to be buried amongst the dead people of the prejudiced, predominantly white citizens who run the area. However, after a few, well-laced gunshots by the two clearly comfortable with guns, the procession is allowed to finish their task.

This exciting, significant act perfectly describes the heroes – men who don’t think twice about doing the right thing, even if it puts their lives in danger. The audience never finds out anything more about their past or origins or even the reasons for their chance meeting, but it doesn’t matter. Massie described, “They may be Western character stereotypes, but these roles couldn’t be better suited for a cinematic clash of good against evil. No time or subplots are wasted on painting portraits beyond what is minimally necessary (though once the battling starts, there are opportunities for bravery, fear, regret, conviction, and other details on psychological stability). Each character is distinct – and unshakably righteous – but shrouded in mystery.”

Massie continued, “Adding to the leading duo are other typical players, but they too are the types of gunslinging ruffians that need little more than a bold entrance.” Harry, played by Brad Dexter, thinks there are hidden money to be won. O’Reilly, played by Charles Bronson, is an expensive hired gun, bot doesn’t have any predictions at the moment. Britt, played by James Coburn, is the silent one, but faster with his knife than an opponent is with a gun. Lee, played by Robert Vaughn, is a solid shot and a man on the run. Finally, Chico, played by Horst Buchholz, is a reckless, overconfident, rash young man – the type that isn’t worth enlisting, but comes in handy when he refuses to be excluded from the gathering of seven rather magnificent men. Massie said, “There’s more than enough nobleness, skill, and daredevilry to go around.”

Massie continued, “Whether a test of pride, desperation, competitiveness, risk, camaraderie, or even just the amusement of the stupefying odds (40 against 7), the motives and actions of this gathering of warriors is a nonstop source of entertainment. It’s difficult not to root for these underdogs (particularly as they confront a murderous bully), even though their proficiency with deadly weapons places them at a decided advantage – not unlike the ragtag assemblage of antiheroes that would eventually populate “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Wild Bunch” (and, to a lesser degree, “The Great Escape,” which would reunite three of the main cast members).” Preparations, booby traps, and the element of surprise all put together for a slow build to an exciting climax, where death and destruction are certain to occur to the determined fighters – along with a bit of romance, a little humor, plenty of suspense, and Bernstein’s theme music at all the right moments. Brilliantly, the film isn’t as easy as a group of professional gunners going up against criminals for a just cause. There are twists, escalations, and situation reversals that make them all accept their identities and egos. Massie ended his review by saying, “When things get really tough, these seven men can’t be bothered with the sensibilities of self-preservation – it’s about standing their ground and challenging wickedness, solely because that’s what the good guys do.”

I know this film probably copies “Seven Samurai” verbatim, but it’s still a Western classic that everyone should see. I enjoyed it a lot when I saw it years ago while exercising. Currently, this is streaming on Tubi, so check it out and enjoy yourselves.

I was surprised to find out that this film had a few sequels. We will be looking at the first one next week in “The Magnificent Seven Month.” In the meantime, I will be taking some time off until next week so I can recuperate from reviewing films every day last month.