THE PIGEON TUNNEL -- A Comprehensive but Not Completely Accessible Account of John le Carré's Life10/18/2023 Review by Camden Ferrell Errol Morris is an Oscar-winning filmmaker, and his solidified himself as a significant American storyteller. With films like The Thin Blue Line and The Fog of War, he has proven that he can craft a compelling narrative. His newest movie is about someone who also has experience with telling stories. The Pigeon Tunnel tells the story of John le Carré and while it’s very cinematic in nature and visually appealing, it may not be the most accessible to those only casually familiar with his work. John le Carré is a pen name associated with novels like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He was born David Cornwell and has lived a life as adventurous as one of his novels. Morris tells the story of his life and unique experiences in all corners of the world, and the audience gets to experience this life, intimately told to us from the man himself. It’s an accomplished and impressive life for just one man, and this is a story that many people may not know much about and is as interesting as it sounds. Despite it being a fascinating subject, the movie does feel a bit too rushed for its own good. Clocking in around ninety minutes, it feels like he has done so much in his life that it couldn’t possibly be covered in this brief runtime. Even though it does tell a cohesive life story, there are moments that feel rushed or omitted for the sake of time that make the story feel like it has the occasional missing piece. I think this is mostly done at the expense of people like me who knew next to nothing about le Carré coming into this film. le Carré does prove to be an entertaining subject. Even at his advanced age, he told his life story with lots of energy and eloquence. Even if some parts feel sluggish for other reasons, he still brings a lot of life into this film. It’s a blessing that he was able to film these interviews before his passing in 2020 because I can’t say the movie would work quite as well without his insight and narration.
One of the aspects I appreciated most about this movie was its cinematic nature. Morris helps tell his story using reenactments of scenes from le Carré’s life, and these are visually strong and give a distinct character to the film. There are some moments where the movie doesn’t work on a narrative level, but the cinematography ensures it still works on a superficial level if nothing else. However, despite all that work’s in this movie’s favor, it ultimately feels a little too inaccessible to those who are not already fans of the film’s subject. It tells a competent story, but it doesn’t do too much beyond that. The Pigeon Tunnel finds le Carré divulging an intimate account of his life prior to his death, and it’s competently made if nothing else. There are some great things happening with his narration, the cinematography, and Morris’ signature storytelling, but something just feels missing at times from the movie. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s not as innately captivating as I hoped it would be. The Pigeon Tunnel is streaming on Apple TV+ October 20. Rating: 3/5
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Review by Joseph Fayed More than three years after production wrapped, Sick Girl starring Nina Dobrev has finally been released. Picked up for distribution by Lionsgate, the quality of humor and lack of comedic timing or decent performances make it surprising to learn this wasn't a shelved Netflix original film. The film follows Wren Pepper (Nina Dobrev), who feels like she is growing apart from her best friends. In the midst of a personal crisis, she lies to her friends, telling them that she has cancer. Wren's friends decide they need to step up their support of the newly "sick" Wren, and her lie starts to spiral out of control from there. This comedy about a little white lie would have been elevated if it was a satire on cancer and the gatekeeping — or lies in Wren's case — around it. Instead, what we get is the misadventures of Wren. While Wren tries to carry on with her life, she still acts as normal as possible. There is no tonal shift in her personality, which wasn't very interesting to begin with, mind you. The biggest reactionary moments feature Wren's tight-knit friend group. Ironically, her friends aren't too discernible from each other. But that is what makes Wren stand out from the shadow of being a plain protagonist. While most of the film follows Wren carrying on with her lie, the supporting cast, who are meant to bear the weight of Wren's journey along with her, give bad performances too. The characters are so one-dimensional you learn next to nothing about the personal stakes this had on them. Beyond their friendship to Wren, their character arcs aren't expanded. Wren being a selfish individual who would tell such a lie should give the script leeway into exploring how her friendships reached the crossroads they did in the first place, and why they continue to have such an emotional bond towards her. The acting chops of the cast also feel bland, and their line delivery — even during humorous moments — felt off. Comedic timing is an underappreciated skill that none of the actors had to carry this film.
Sick Girl doesn't have an interesting enough protagonist to make up such a bold lie. It is a missed opportunity to explore the inner workings of someone who fools everyone around her, or how a community deals with a sensitive issue like cancer. It's not particularly funny, either, as its humor feels recycled from a million comedies in the past. Maybe with a better cast and crew, this could have been a dark satire that didn't hold back in how ridiculous those in a rather serious situation tend to act. Sadly, all hopes for that are just wishful thinking for a film that feels like it would've been one of the top 10 movies on Netflix for a week before it's collectively forgotten. Sick Girl hits theaters and VOD on October 20. Rating: 1/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Having debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the Argentine crime dramedy The Delinquents became its country’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar. While it’s refreshing to see writer-director Rodrigo Moreno take such an unorthodox approach to its genre, the laid-back nature gives way to an air of nonchalance that is difficult to overlook.
The movie follows two bank employees whose lives are fundamentally changed after one of them becomes fed up with his monotonous life and decides to steal enough money to retire. While this may sound like the set-up to a heist movie — and to an extent, it is — this portion lasts only about a half hour, with the rest of the runtime being focused on the quiet aftermath. Ultimately, the biggest thing working against The Delinquents is its length. Clocking in at right around three hours excluding credits, there’s really not a lot of reason for this to be as long as it is. The first hour and a half are effective, if slight, but the back half of the film meanders. Although the purpose of this more meditative is clear, it is too lacking in personality to work. That being said, the movie does manage to give us two protagonists who are very compelling. Moreno uses parallelisms — in both the script and the editing — to connect the arcs of these two men. Part of what makes this film work is that Moreno is so effectively able to make us care about these characters individually, while also weaving the arcs together in a way that is easy to get invested in.
Both actors also give phenomenal performances. Esteban Bigliardi is the bigger standout of the two, giving a quieter, sadder turn, but Daniel Elías brings an ineffable charm to his character. Legendary character actor Germán De Silva also shines in the supporting cast in his dual role — a casting decision that is extremely bold, but pays off extremely well by adding an element of absurdity to the movie.
The Delinquents is at its best when it interrogates the system that has driven people to such feelings of hopelessness. Early in the film, one character asks “three and a half years in prison, or a lifetime in the bank,” referring to the fact that he would do less jail time for his crime than it would take to earn the money he stole legitimately. It’s an eye-opening fact that serves as the foundation for the anti-capitalist sentiments of the messaging. All the below-the-line aspects of the movie are on point as well. The cinematography is great, with the second half being where it stands out the most aesthetically — almost making up for the fact the sense of inertness of the script in this portion. The editing is also quite strong, doing a great job of making this undeniably complex story feel simple. The Delinquents is definitely a well-made film. It’s well-shot, well-acted, and well-written. However, there’s a disconnect — likely owing to the bloated runtime — that prevents it from ever having the impact it deserves. The Delinquents hits theaters on October 18. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Luke Gilford’s directorial debut National Anthem debuted at SXSW in the spring to almost universally positive reviews, but little fanfare. Now, it is making a reappearance on the fall circuit, and audiences are finally getting to recognize the warm, restrained beauty of this poignant drama.
National Anthem follows a construction worker who stumbles across a troupe of queer rodeo performers in his search for work, only to find something else within him in the process. Gilford’s film is the type that rewards patience. With the occasionally meandering pacing, it’s often easy to think that this could have been tightened into a short, but Gilford along with co-writers Kevin Best and David Largman Murray manage to keep adding meaningful new layers to the story. Charlie Plummer has never been better than he is here. Plummer is known for performances that are quiet and somewhat withdrawn, and while that usually results in a feeling of awkwardness, it works perfectly in the context of the role he has here. Even in the more melodramatic beats, such as the subplot about his relationship with his mother, Plummer manages to show an incredible amount of restraint. It’s easy to have incredibly mixed feelings about Eve Lindley’s character. Although Lindley’s performance is fantastic, the character essentially falls into the archetype of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" as the protagonist’s love interest that pushes him into his awakening. And while this trope is generally condemned for its objectification of women, the fact that the character is genderfluid does bring a unique (if not always effective) perspective.
However, the protagonist’s storyline is so compelling and nuanced that it’s hard not to be won over by the movie. Although this is essentially a coming out story, it’s refreshing to see National Anthem take such an introspective approach — where the obstacles are not homophobia or prejudice, but something much more quiet and contemplative.
Gilford clearly has such a love for this band of characters, which should not be surprising considering that in his work as a photographer, he had already gotten a chance to get a glimpse into the world of the real International Gay Rodeo Association. While Gilford easily could have painted this culture as strange and otherworldly, he presents it with an undeniable and affecting warmth. It should also surprise no one that the feature debut of a photographer is visually stunning, but Gilford clearly has an extraordinary eye. Katelin Arizmendi’s cinematography beautifully captures not only the Western landscapes, but also the more surrealist sequences of the film that lend it an airy, dreamlike quality. National Anthem is not a perfect movie, but its quaint coming out tale feels very authentic and unique. Luke Gilford is clearly a talent to watch in the director’s chair, thanks to both his command of the visual medium and his ability to get exceptional performances out of his actors. National Anthem screened at the 2023 edition of NewFest, which runs October 12-24. Rating: 4/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda With hits like Oppenheimer and Tetris and highly-anticipated movies like Priscilla and Maestro, 2023 is a big year for biopics. The Netflix film Rustin is another addition to that list. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground Productions, Rustin tells the story of Bayard Rustin, a gay Black civil rights activist who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. When most think of the March on Washington, they immediately remember Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. While Rustin doesn't discredit King's involvement in the creation and outcome of the march, it instead focuses on the development of the march, which was spearheaded by Rustin. Even more so, though, the film focuses on Rustin's identity as a semi-openly gay man in the '60s. Throughout the movie, he faces prejudice and criticism from those of his own race and others regarding his sexuality. Even though the movie follows his work in the civil rights movement, the conflicts of Rustin's sexuality are frequent. Because of this, Rustin is a queer liberation film, as well as a Black liberation one. Co-writers Julian Breece (known for the series When They See Us about the Central Park 5) and Dustin Lance Black (who wrote the film Milk) ensure Rustin's gayness is just as prevalent as his Blackness. While it is a movie with lots of personality and filled with humor and heartfelt moments, Rustin does have its flaws — namely the performances. Colman Domingo leads after having starred in mainly supporting roles in shows and movies such as Euphoria and If Beale Street Could Talk. Unfortunately, in what should be an Oscar-worthy performance, his portrayal of Rustin comes across as a caricature of the influential figure.
Other performances, such as Chris Rock as NAACP leader Roy Wilkins and Jeffrey Wright as U.S. representative Adam Clayton Powell, feel equally stagelike. Some of this might be a result of director George C. Wolfe's prominent work in theater. Yet, other roles, like Audra McDonald as activist Ella Baker and Aml Ameen as Martin Luther King, feel more realistic and less cartoonish. Even with its shortcomings, Rustin is a powerful and moving film that gives voice to an otherwise forgotten hero. It is also an unflinching portrayal of the historical and modern problems that face non-white members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In a time when more and more civil rights leaders are being erased from textbooks, Rustin is a reminder of the instrumental work done by a then-controversial figure who deserves to be remembered. Rustin screened at the 2023 edition of NewFest, which runs October 12-24. Rating: 4/5 Review by Jonathan Berk There are seven Nicolas Cage films releasing in 2023 in some capacity or another. The thing is, most of them have been pretty good this year — especially compared to some of his recent output. Butcher’s Crossing is a slow-burn of a Western that initially is hard to read what role Cage will take in this film. Will he be the protagonist, or will he be the crazy evil antagonist looking to pull one over on the actual hero? Instead, Cage delivers a much more nuanced performance in director Gabe Polsky’s film. In 1874, Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) is the son of a Harvard man who is set to have an easy life, but chooses to drop out of school to explore America’s Western frontier. He meets Miller (Nicolas Cage), a mysterious but ambitious hunter who claims to know of a gigantic Buffalo herd hidden in the Colorado wilderness. Andrews is warned that Miller has been claiming this for a long time, but trusts Miller’s story and pays for the expedition. The film is based on the novel by John Edward Williams and adapted by Polsky and Liam Satre-Meloy. Cage looks cool in this film. Opting to go full bald, Cage’s character immediately feels hard to read. He seems kind to Hechinger’s character, despite him being clearly out of his depths. There are comments made by several characters that this isn’t the world Hechinger's character is cut out for. Thus, it would be wise to anticipate this being a film about a double cross. We may read that Cage sees Hechinger as an easy mark, with money just waiting to be taken from him. Instead, that’s not at all what the story is concerned with. While the film reflects on the role of masculinity, it is most concerned with man’s relationship with nature and human nature. The hunting party adds Charlie (Xander Berkeley) and Fred (Jeremy Bobb), and they venture off with lots of questions. Cage looks down on the current skin trade, as hunting has gotten scarce because the buffalo are being picked off at alarming rates. He is determined to land a big score of quality skins. The men are tested at every step of the journey. Even before they leave, we start to see the potential explosive personalities in the party and how things could easily go wrong. The tension builds and releases multiple times during the film, keeping the audience hooked.
Of course, a Western requires great cinematography with gorgeous landscapes. The film was primarily shot on land owned by the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. There are some breathtaking shots throughout the film that fit right into the genre. Then, some moments are designed to reflect the characters' emotional state, as things take some twists in turns and their survival is questioned. The overall look of the film works and builds to a strong ending. Butcher’s Crossing is a well-made film with a story worth thinking about once the credits roll. There is a lot to reflect on in the film. Not every theme is fully explored, and some aspects that seem vital to the overall commentary don’t land as hard as they should. However, the images shown just before the credits and title cards about the buffalo ensure audiences get the point. Butcher’s Crossing will be in select theaters on October 20. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen I don't think anybody can debate the fact that Martin Scorsese is an auteur director. He has done some interesting films in his career. He's tried some things that haven't always worked, but most of the time his films are considered masterpieces of cinema. In Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the David Grann book of the same name, he uses every trick in the book as a filmmaker to get the story across to the viewer in the most informative way possible. Even though everything he tries doesn't always work, it's still another achievement in cinema. David Grann's book is mainly from the perspective of the police in Pawhuska County on the Osage Indian Reservation and FBI agent Tom White (Jesse Plemons), but this version of the story by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese is from the perspective of the Osage nation, mainly Molly Kyle-Burkhart (Lily Gladstone). She is what they call “oil-rich.” Her people were considered the richest people in the world per capita at this time in history because they struck oil on their land. This didn't sit well with everybody, especially the King of the Osage Hills, William Hale (Robert De Niro) Hale hatches a plan to try and get his nephew Earnest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) to befriend Molly and try to become romantically linked to her. Unbeknownst to Ernest, there are numerous killings of the Osage people, often labeled as suicides or illnesses. History isn't always defined by the victors — it's often defined by those who lost. In the case of the Osage people, they lost a lot at the hands of a greedy businessman and racially-charged intentions by white people looking to get rich from the deaths of these innocent victims. De Niro's Hale was disguised as a white knight, when in reality he was the perpetrator of quite a bit of the pain, suffering, and deaths of these people. It's a typical trope in films like this. There are a lot of things about Killers of the Flower Moon that worked for me. One of them is the cast — from the biggest-name actors to the extras in the background of many scenes, often Osage and the townspeople. Scorsese has assembled a talented group of actors to round out this expansive cast. The three main actors — Gladstone, DiCaprio, and De Niro — are all standouts in their roles and should garner awards contention. Gladstone shines opposite two of the heavyweights of the industry in the past and present. She goes through so much as this woman who sees everything she knows being torn away from her. She emotes extraordinarily well by using just her eyes and very little facial movement. She doesn't say much but when she does it's very powerful. She is a surefire contender for a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. As mentioned before, Scorsese uses some tricks of the trade to get across a lot of information about this story. First off, he uses what looks like old pictures to show various Osage people and the ones that died already as this story starts. Those pictures are in black and white and are framed in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Another trick is the narration by both Gladstone and DiCaprio. DiCaprio's narration is while reading a book about the Osage people and turning the pages so the viewer can see images of what happened to these Native Americans and their history. Scorsese is truly a master filmmaker, and he used every trick up his sleeve for this film.
However, what didn't sit well with me were the length of the film and the editing. This movie has a big story at its center, but is no different than any other story in that it could have been condensed down a little bit. There are some redundant scenes and other scenes that don’t make much sense if you didn't read the book. Thelma Schoonmaker is a great editor, and she does as well as possible with what she's got to work with. That being said, this film was too long and dragged in the second act especially. I know Scorsese had a blank check, but the story needed to be a little tighter than it was. Furthermore, there was often a sense of humor in the movie when I felt it shouldn't have had this sort of vibe. DiCaprio’s character was a bit of a dunce, and while he was very good as the character, he got people laughing at him. I don't think he should have been a laughing stock. Other moments also made my audience laugh at the wrong times, and that didn’t seem to be the intention. This isn't a comedy — it's a drama. I didn't want to laugh at the absurdity or moronic nature of this story. I felt like I should be mad at what happened to these people. Scorsese has been a director of some of the most iconic films of the last fifty years. Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas are among my personal favorite films. He has made character pieces that say something about specific groups of people — mostly Italians. In the case of this film, though, it's about the persecution of the Native American people. I don't think he took the material as seriously as he should have. Even though the performances were very good by the big three and a lot of the production was done thoroughly, I just can't get my head around the comedic moments. Killers of the Flower Moon was my most anticipated film of the year, and now that I've finally seen it, I was let down a tiny bit. The production design, cinematography, and acting, by DiCaprio, De Niro, and Gladstone specifically, were all impeccable. It was just the length of the film and the odd script choices that threw me off a bit. Scorsese, like all directors, was trying to make an entertaining film. He didn't go out trying to make a movie where people were laughing at such a tragic time in American history, but people were laughing at the misery of others. That isn't something I can abide by regarding this story. Sure, drug-fueled craziness and opulence in The Wolf of Wall Street can get people to laugh, but that’s not so appropriate here. Other than this problem, I loved the movie and its execution by Scorsese and company. Killers of the Flower Moon hits theaters on October 20. Rating: 4/5 BOSCH: LEGACY (Season 2) -- Another Stellar Season of Television Featuring the Tough PI, Harry Bosch10/16/2023 Review by Dan Skip Allen Michael Connelly has created quite a legacy during his writing career. Having created a big connected universe as part of his literary world, that world has spilled over onto streaming services as two of his most popular literary characters, Mickey Haller (aka “The Lincoln Lawyer”) and Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch, have had successful series in the last handful of years. Bosch: Legacy is the extension of the latter’s story. Season 2 of Bosch: Legacy starts out a bit ominous, as LAPD officer Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz) gets kidnapped by a man in a lucha libre mask and held captive as a ransom for his past crimes of rape and kidnapping of various women. Her father gets wind of this, and nothing can get in his way to try and get his daughter back from her sandy underground prison, which could become her tomb if he doesn't get to her in time. He has to use all his experience to help rescue her. This follow-up series relies on many characters from the previous 7 seasons of Bosch on Prime Video. Honey Chandler (Mimi Rogers) is a close friend of Harry and Maddie now, and she has a big case she has gotten herself and Bosch embroiled in, besides a case from the past that has come back to haunt them as well. She has to use all of her courtroom tricks and lawyerly ways to help herself, Bosch, and her client convicted of a murder he didn't commit. Welliver has played the character of Harry Bosch for quite a while now, but he and his blue Jeep Cherokee are ready for what comes their way. Harry can't do all the work himself though, so he also relies on Maurice (Stephen Chang) — "Mo" for short — his trusty hacker friend. Together, occasionally with Crate and Barrel and Detective Jerry Edgar, they have quite their work cut out for them. With this series — and the same goes for the past series — the writers, directors, and creators of this show have infused it with plenty of realistic police and law enforcement jargon. The show details procedures of all the various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and other Los Angeles police departments. This is what makes this show and its predecessor so good.
As mentioned, the first two episodes dealt with the kidnapping of Lintz's character, but the rest of the show settles into what audiences are used to in these series. There are action sequences and quite a bit of cat and mouse games, as Welliver's character and his allies have their hands full with the FBI, circling an old case with a controversial ending to it. Bosch: Legacy has many twists and turns from the start of this series. Ten episodes were barely enough to contain it. The main story was brought to life immersively, and the subplots were all fleshed out very well. The stellar cast — including Welliver, Lintz, Rogers, and Chang — are all quite good this season. There is even a cameo from the late Lance Reddick, who played a major part in these shows. That was a nice touch from the producers and showrunners. The writing and direction of the show are so realistic to law enforcement and how the police and various other agencies work, making it one of the best shows in this regard. And this season is even better than the last. Bosch: Legacy streams on Freevee with two episodes on October 20, with new episodes streaming subsequent Fridays. All ten episodes reviewed. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda While Natalia Dyer is most well-known for her role in Stranger Things, she's been a lead in indie films such as Yes, God, Yes and I Believe in Unicorns. Now, she leads the queer coming-of-age film Chestnut. The film derives its name from the historic street in Philadelphia, where the movie takes place and was shot. The premise centers around Dyer's character, Annie James, who is a recent college graduate with plans to move to LA at the end of the summer. Then, while at a bar, one night she crosses paths with friends Tyler and Danny and finds herself reluctant to leave. Alongside Dyer, Danny Ramirez (On My Block and Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Keller (Legion and The Society) portray the alluring Danny and Tyler, respectively. With a cast of established and talented actors, it's surprising how disappointing their performances are in Chestnut. In an attempt to be understated and contemplative, the film comes across as dull and uninspired. For a movie that feels very personal to the director, Jac Cron — as she also attended college in Philadelphia — there isn't a lot of personality in the film. As a movie that attempts to tackle the complexities of bisexuality, it doesn't have a super nuanced take. Chestnut is most comparable to Princess Cyd, a film about a girl who falls for people of the same and opposite sex over the course of a summer. While Princess Cyd centers more on the realization of being bisexual, the protagonist of Chestnut has already established her queer identity by the beginning of the film. This does feel refreshing in a sea of LGBTQ+ films that tend to focus on the coming out portion of being queer. Still, the queer aspects of the movie get lost in the underdeveloped portions of the story, including Annie's relationships with Danny and Tyler.
It's clear what the movie attempted to focus on, such as Annie's conflicting feelings toward Danny and Tyler, and her jealousy of both, along with her introverted nature and hesitance to relocate to a new city. Yet, it feels like Chestnut is telling us these things are important to the story, rather than properly developing these topics and letting them evolve as the film goes on. Instead, the movie is about an hour and a half of jealousy, longing looks across bars, and Annie's discussions with a friend about her relationship with Tyler and Danny. Overall, Chestnut has potential, with the stellar cast and interesting conflicts of allowing yourself to fall for someone (or some people) even if it's temporary, but it falls short in giving these conflicts a unique voice. Chestnut screened at the 2023 edition of NewFest, which runs October 12-24. Rating: 2/5 MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS -- Another Far-Flung Monster-Filled Expansion to the MonsterVerse10/13/2023 Review by Dan Skip Allen The MonsterVerse has had a few starts and stops over the years, but the purchase of these characters' rights from Toho about a decade ago by Warner Bros. was the beginning of something bigger and more connective for this massive franchise. Now they've spun it off into its own streaming series on Apple TV + called Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. This show ties together some of the loose ends from the films. This series deals with multiple time periods. It starts in 1972, when John Goodman's character Bill Randa from Kong: Skull Island is running from a giant spider who ends up fighting a giant crab. Before it cuts away, he throws a waterproof package in the ocean, where it was found by a fishing boat in 2013 in Tokyo, Japan. The story then focuses on a young girl looking for her father. Instead, she finds her illegitimate brother and his girlfriend. There is also a flashback to 1959 Kazakhstan, where a couple — a seismologist and cryptozoologist — are tracking a signal they found in an abandoned radioactive facility. Fast forward back to the future, where, unbeknownst to them, the relatives of these people would all end up meeting each other and finishing the job their parents started: learning what's going on with the monsters and why they are here on Earth. The series refers to the day Godzilla fought the MUTOs as D-Day. Everything after this day is considered the time of the Monarch. They even have an agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, like the FBI or CIA. They are now the main authority on all things monster-related. Kurt Russell plays Colonel Lee Shaw. He has secrets that he knows about the monsters he's not sharing with Monarch, but he did try to help these young people who approached him about helping them figure out why these monsters exist and why they keep popping up around the world. Maybe their father's notes or Bill Randa's package can lead them to the answers they seek. Even though the MonsterVerse is mainly about monsters attacking or fighting other monsters, there are occasionally good human characters. This show allows the writers to build on the human characters from the past and their pregnancy from the present. One story I thought was quite fascinating was how one character had two families — one in San Francisco and the other in Tokyo, Japan. Even in a series like this, there are still domestic issues. The writers, Chris Black, Milla Bell-Hart, and others, did a great job of infusing reality into this fictional world. One of the best things about the MonsterVerse is that it is a globe-trotting series of films, and the same goes for this show. In just five episodes, characters go from the past to the future in Eastern Europe to the Far East and various places in America, including the Western United States, where the first attack happened in this iteration of the MonsterVerse. With the movies, we already know that monsters exist everywhere, but this series continues what the filmmakers and writer started almost a decade ago. It just shows the series and shows are very far-flung, and this affects the entire world. It is a worldwide threat.
This series doesn't have a big cast, but it does have a good one. As mentioned, Kurt Russell and John Goodman are in it, but there are some other recognizable faces to complement the new ones, too. Kiersey Clemons plays a hacker, May, who helps the brother and sister duo of Cate and Kentaro (Mari Yamamoto, Ren Watabe). Also, Wyatt Russell plays the younger version of Kurt Russell's character. I'm sure filmmakers won't miss another opportunity to use these two in a situation like this again in the future. The real find in this series is Yamamoto, though. She brings all her emotions to this character and more. She is a bonafide revelation to me in this show. I am completely transfixed by her and her performance in this series. I can't wait to see her in more films or series in the future. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters shows how the films and shows are connected in so many ways, but also how the attacks are connected as well. This show makes Monarch a key to everything going on from the first film until now. The writers and directors have infused many elements into this show to make it fascinating to those interested in this world Legendary and Warner Bros. have created. The human characters, though annoying at times in the film franchise, are very interesting in this show because they have domestic problems like the rest of us, and we can relate to them, making this different from an average sci-fi show. Add in the monsters, and you have another very good addition to the MonsterVerse. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streams on Apple TV+ beginning November 17 with two episodes, with new episodes streaming subsequent Fridays. Five out of ten episodes reviewed. Rating: 4.5/5 |
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