Today, I've Watched: 2019

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

'Mary Poppins Returns' Movie Review: Practically Perfect Perpetuation

Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” stars Emily Blunt (“The Girl on the Train,” “Into the Woods”) as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn a routine task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure.

In this all new sequel, which has a fresh sensibility yet celebrates the spirit of the original, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives after they experience a personal loss. The enigmatic nanny is joined by her friend Jack, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”), an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”) and produced by Marshall, John DeLuca (“Into the Woods”) and Marc Platt (“La La Land”). The screenplay is by David Magee (“Life of Pi”) and the screen story is by Magee, Marshall & DeLuca based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with music by Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray”) and songs by Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray”).

The first film released 54 years ago, making it one of the longest gaps between film sequels in cinematic history. The 1964 film was considered as Mr. Walt Disney's crowning live-action achievement after earning a Best Picture nomination - the only one in his lifetime. Plus, it features Julie Andrews in her unforgettable feature film debut.

The first film that starred Julie Andrews will always be an all-time classic. Plus it has some really great soundtrack, from "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "Feed the Birds" and my favorite "A Spoonful of Sugar". With these all in mind, it is hard to exceed or at least, meet the expectations set by the first. So it is quite challenging to make a follow-up to the 1964 classic. But Rob Marshall managed to create a sequel that is as fun and entertaining as the first.

Unlike the first film, the conflict in 'Mary Poppins Returns' is more economical in nature as the Banks family is now struggling financially. This sets up the events in the film as they try to find a way to save their family's home from being repossessed by the bank. The film has a more energetic and lively tone that matches the serious threat in the story. There's more humor here than the original film, making it more light and easy to take in.

Of course, the musical numbers are more extravagant than the first film. The scenes are more imaginative and colorful, thanks to the help of amazing CGI and production value. The songs were okay, but admittedly the music was the film's weakest point. But thanks to the fantastic performances of Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the magic of the movie never faded. Blunt's portrayal of Mary Poppins was the film's biggest strengths. She was perfect for the role and I couldn't think of any other actress that can fit into the character.

'Mary Poppins' (1964) may have better songs, but its sequel, 'Mary Poppins Returns' is more enjoyable and heartfelt than its predecessor. And Emily Blunt is that 'spoonful of sugar' that makes everything so much fun.

Rating: 10/ 10 • Verdict: Must Watch

Verdict: Must Watch • Highly Recommended • Entertaining • Tolerable • Boring •

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Sunday, January 6, 2019

'Bumblebee' Movie Review: The 'Transformer' Movie We Deserve

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.

I was never a fan of Michael Bay's Transformer film series. I couldn't get myself to accept the story of the films, featuring alien robots that transform into vehicles or aircrafts. I couldn't get pass the ludicrous plot of the films and kept asking myself, how can these alien robots turn into cars and talk with perfect American accent? These are the reasons why I never enjoyed watching any of the past 'Transformer' films.

Then, out of nowhere came 'Bumblebee'.

The film borrows heavily from beloved 80's classics (with 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' being the most obvious inspiration) that makes it feel so familiar yet so refreshing. Charlie was even wearing a denim jacket with the letters BFG printed on the back in one scene, an obvious reference to the 1982 novel by Roald Dahl entitled "The BFG (Big Friendly Giant)" about a girl who befriends a giant, which was adapted into film by Steven Spielberg (one of Bumblebee's executive producers) back in 2016. There are even scenes that echoes Stephen King's homicidal car 'Christine' (1983) and the Prom night of 'Carrie' (1976). The story is something we've seen many times before, with a kid (this time, an 18 year old in the form of singer actress Hailee Steinfeld) from Earth befriending an alien (here, an Autobot) and helping it fight from the bad guys around them. Yes, it is a tried-and-tested formula. And it works, thanks to the solid direction of Travis Knight (of 'Kubo and the Two Strings' which I am yet to see), the sentimental script from screenwriter Christina Hodson and the powerful performance of Hailee Steinfeld.

Hailee imbued her character Charlie with a bit of teenage angst and lots of emotional depth that we become so invested in her character. There were times when I couldn't help myself think if I'm really watching a Transformers film. Hailee's Charlie felt like someone straight out of a John Hughes film due her fully realized character. Speaking of which, I absolutely love the film's numerous references to 'The Breakfast Club' (one of my all-time favorites). All these 80s pop culture references (posters of Indiana Jones and 'The Thing' in Jorge Lendeborg's room), plus the perfectly matched soundtrack completes the film's nostalgic feels.

The film's action set pieces are also commendable, because compared to the massive battle scenes from Michael Bay's past films, the action scenes here are more effective and properly orchestrated. You can really feel the intensity of the scenes, from thrills of each car chase to the impact of each blow during the battle scenes between Bumblebee and the Decepticons. The threat here feels more grounded because of the story's small scale, and so the danger feels more real for the characters as we've become attached and invested to them already- rarity among sci-fi adventure flicks nowadays.

I did not expect this but Bumblebee is the Transformers movie we deserve. Believe it. The hype is real.
It's the best Transformer film yet. And definitely one of 2018's biggest surprises.