All age comic books, Kidlit, mglit, movies, entertainment and parenting
Category: Daddy Mojo at the Movies
Going out to the movies is a rare act for moms and dads. In this series we’ll go to the movies, so you can judge for yourself if it’s a good investment.
When The Last Jedi came out I was reluctant to criticize it
because the one before it was so entertaining. It had some built-in good will
that made it relatively critic proof initially. Star Wars: The Rise of
Skywalker doesn’t arrive in movie theaters with that luxury. That’s unfortunate
because the movie tries very hard to succeed. It jams so much content, loose
plot stories and guest stars from previous films that the final third of the
film feels like a talk show saying goodbye as previous guests walk on screen.
When Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle came out audiences weren’t expecting anything. The internet was more abuzz about how the film couldn’t live up to Robin Williams’ performance and why Karen Gillan’s character was wearing a crop top. That film blew any low expectations away and was a manic blend of action and humor. Jumanji: The Next Level doesn’t achieve an Empire Strikes Back, but it doesn’t entirely drop the video game ball either.
Frozen makes me sick. Literally, in 2013 when I was supposed
to go see Frozen I got sick. On the way to see Frozen II I had to pull the car
over and have my wife drive the kids to the movie theater while I went home and
got sick. The other week our eldest came into the office and asked me, “Is
Frozen II a girl’s movie?” I told him no, there might be things in that film,
as well as, the first one that appeals more to girls, but it’s not a girl’s
movie. He went back and forth about wanting to see it until everyone was fully
jazzed to see it, but the Frozen curse struck me down.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil has a moment late in the film
where it almost redeems itself. It’s a hook that, had left it would in place
would’ve made for a more satisfying film. Alas, a couple of minutes after the
twist it resumes its jumbled, bloated course. Mistress of Evil feels like the
seedling of a Disney princess film, but then forces in some Lord of the Rings
action and end battle sequence that’s looking for an Avenger. Our 8 year-old,
who is able to sit through two-hour films, was squirming 45 minutes into this
one and it only got worse (for all of us).
The theme song to The Addams Family is very catchy. The song is so endearing that our 8 year-old, despite having never seen any of the movies or the show was walking around the house humming the first couple of bars. Unfortunately for anyone over 11 years-old the Addams Family (2019) is a stiff, lifeless affair-and not in the way that it could’ve been for a children’s movie. At the end of the day, the biggest winner in The Addams Family (2019) is Snoop Dogg and not just because he has the least amount of time on screen; more on that in a moment.
In a parallel universe Joker is an indie film that was shot in the backwoods of Norway. The film is a serious approach to mental illness, gorgeously shot, with a bleak and powerful soundtrack that matches its visuals. It’s also masterfully acted and doesn’t pull any punches. The art house crowd loves every minute of the film and singing its praises. While the mainstream audience is appreciating the film, but it’s not breaking records. Joker is like that description, for the most part, except in reverse.
Joker is a drama for those 18 and up. It fully presents itself as a story in which we’re watching a mentally troubled character whose life is one step away from imploding. Arthur Fleck is bullied, beaten up, delusional and suffers from a form of Tourette Syndrome that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times. The film paints a world that we wouldn’t knowingly want to live in, yet also mirrors the one that we currently live in.
We have a child that absolutely goes mental over lovies. These are the stuffed animals that populate a child’s room, they can be an alligator, bear, character from a movie or a stuffed thing that he won from a claw machine, but they all have the same name: Lovey. If you’ve seen Men In Black: International there’s a cute scene where an alien hides amongst some lovies. That film is available on Blu-Ray DVD now and they’ve partnered with Budsies to remind people that anything in a child’s imagination can be a lovey.
The MCU film that I compared Spider-Man: Far From Home when
I left the theater was Iron Man 3-and not for good reasons. Elements of the
film have the same bait and switch trick that the later had and I wasn’t a fan.
However, since that film we’ve had almost two dozen entries into the MCU, a
mythos has been created, fandoms built and a series of movie juggernauts
launched. We’ve also had three really entertaining Spider-Man films in three
years and that’s a great thing.
By now the history of Spider-Man and his MCU lineage is established. The snap occurred, was undone, albeit with some casualties and life has pressed on. What Spider-Man: Far From Home gets 100% down correctly (in an entertaining fashion) is how the snap impacted everyone involved. Some of Peter Parker’s contemporaries return as young adults who were nerdy, but now are the prettiest ones at school. Tributes to Iron Man are all over town and the rumor mill is a buzz as to who will helm The Avengers.
Factor all of this on top of the fact that Peter Parker’s
class is taking a trip to Europe. He’s trying to be a friendly neighborhood
Spider-Man, has a crush on a girl, wants to hang out with his best friend and
isn’t sure about his status in the superhero world that’s suddenly gotten weird.
A weird superhero film that focuses on the human elements of
superhero lives calls for a heel that’s not typical; and here enters Mysterio,
AKA, Quentin Beck. The snap comes into play to an extent as alternate Earths
and their terrestrial based heroes are referenced. It tore a hole through
dimensions which caused other people’s bad guys to come over to ours. Don’t
think about things too hard in the film or you’ll see plot holes, but that’s
part of the fun about the film.
It gleefully pokes fun at aspects of the snap while
referencing other heroes that might seem more mature or well suited for this
adventure. The film also lets the secret identity spider out of the bottle on
more than one instance. Holy Michael Keaton Batman, suddenly MJ is Kim
Bassinger as Vicki Vale.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is almost as much of a teen
romance, as it is a superhero movie. There are some nice comedic elements and
two great credit sequences that fans of the MCU need to see. One of them clears
up a couple plot holes and the other one sees the MCU looking down the rabbit
hole.
There are periods in the film where it gets a bit too big
for its britches. One sequence with Mysterio is a bit long, the road trip
element could’ve used a haircut here and there also. 15 minutes shorter and the
film would’ve been a guilt-free summer popcorn flick. It’s longer than ideal
run time doesn’t spoil the film, it just feels padded at times.
Having said that, it’s a fun film that ages 9 and up will
clamor to see and will be the talk of the playground. It also cements
Spider-Man as the youngest superhero that is OK for younger fans. Granted
Spider-Man is high school, but some of the content might not be fine for most
elementary viewers. The length of the film, combined with some language and
mild adult situations will be too much or bore those kids 8 or younger.
Our 9 year-old loved the film and immediately asked when the
next one would come out. As a fan of most films in the MCU, we liked it too,
although not as much as Captain Marvel or some of the recent entries. It’s just
barely above average, and that’s OK for a nice summer romp.
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