‘Blade Runner 2049’ Review: A Sci-Fi Classic For the New Age

Few movies have divided and engaged audiences quite like the original Blade Runner. Not only are there multiple versions of the film with slightly different conclusions, but it essentially created the entire cyber-punk landscape that still exists today. Denis Villeneuve, riding high after Arrival which took audiences by storm last year, takes a step into Los Angeles’ dark future with Blade Runner 2049, a stunning, thought-provoking new chapter for the “franchise.” Set 30 years after the original, the movie feels like a modern sci-fi classic perfectly crafted for audiences craving a mature story.

Unfortunately, in the case of Blade Runner 2049 there’s no way to talk about the plot without spoiling it in some way. With that in mind, it’s even hard to discuss the characters and how long each of them appear because that in itself dips into spoiler territory. What I can say is that Harrison Ford delivers the stand out performance as he returns to the role of Rick Deckard. He seems more at home and happier to return to the Blade Runner universe than he did in either Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and that directly translates to a genuine, emotional performance from the 75 year-old thespian. Robin Wright, on the other hand, seems like she’s phoning in her performance as Lt. Joshi. Hot off her performance as General Antiope in Wonder Woman and Clare Underwood in House of Cards, it seems like Wright is now simply being typecast as the aggressive woman willing to do whatever it takes. It’s not that she’s bad in the role, it just feels like she’s going through the motions instead of giving audiences something new with her performance. And Jared Leto… well he just keeps on doing his Jared Leto thing.

Also read: ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Tracking For $40 Million-Plus Opening In U.S.

Thematically, the movie is very much so a follow-up to the first one. As the relationship between replicants and humans becomes more complicated, conversations about what freedom and humanity truly mean move to the forefront of the film. Hidden underneath a detective story — because what is Blade Runner if not a classic noir film set in an unorthodox setting — is a movie filled with heart as these characters explore what it takes to survive and thrive in 2049.

The world and consequences are bigger but the story is more personal. Ryan Gosling, as the lead character Officer K, does a great job grounding the whole movie in his quiet, thoughtful performance. Gosling — who has said multiple times he doesn’t want to work on a superhero project — seemed right at home in the sci-fi epic driving speeders and chasing after bad guys. Whether we are watching K sit in his small apartment or walk through a rain soaked, neon-infused alleyway, his soft introspection serves as a perfect contrast to the encroaching world of the future.

To create such an impressive world, Villenueve knew he had to tap the best. Roger Deakins has turned in some stunning cinematography over the years in films like No Country for Old Men and Prisoners, but Blade Runner 2049 may be his most impressive work yet. Science-fiction projects don’t tend to fare too well during award season, but if anyone deserves a golden trophy this year, it’s Deakens. Whether we’re zipping through tight city streets or exploring vast, open areas,  Deakins knows how to frame everything for maximum effect. A big boost to his work is the fact that the movie relies heavily on real sets and physical props — even utilizing miniatures — instead of digital effects to generate its dystopian look. In addition to excellent framing, his use of dim lights and fog gives the world a lived in feeling.  Some of the shots are so beautiful and masterfully crafted that it’s hard to describe them as anything but breathtaking. In fact, pause the movie at any moment and I’d frame the still image to mount the sucker on my wall. The whole film is that beautiful.

Also read: ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Cast & Crew On The Film And Limiting Spoilers

To match the world’s beautiful, muffled look, the film has an extremely layered sound design. Like the original Blade Runner, 2049 leans heavily on reverb to generate a dream like effect within scenes. While the score doesn’t match the highs of Vangelis’ synthesizer-infused original, Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch do a solid job of creating tension and guiding viewers through the world with their work. For reasons that still haven’t been disclosed, Jóhann Jóhannsson, who collaborated with Villeneuve on Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival, walked off the project in early September and all of his work was replaced with pieces composed by Zimmer and Wallfisch. The music was enjoyable and never detracted from a scene — in fact, there are a lot of great, silent moments, but it never felt like it was baked into the movie quite like Vangelis’ original did. There’s no way of knowing whether or not Jóhannsson could have delivered something inspiring enough to match the original, but it is rather telling that he decided to walk off the film with less than a month before its release.

At the end of the day, Villeneuve and company succeed in creating a great sci-fi movie. It stands as a solid sequel to the original, but it also works as a great piece of work on its own. The neon-infused gritty streets of Los Angeles look beautiful on the big screen and it’s a movie I’ve been thinking about almost non-stop since first seeing it. This is a great way to continue (and hopefully cap) a beloved story, but I don’t want to visit the Los Angeles of 2069 anytime soon. Instead, I’m excited that Villeneuve, a work horse who’s had five films hit theaters since 2013, is sticking with his sci-fi kick. After a bit of a well-deserved break, he’ll start work bringing the Frank Herbert classic Dune to the big screen. And for all of you who have seen the trailers for Blade Runner 2049, you know that this movie does a great job dealing with shades or orange and desert settings, so hopefully Villeneuve will bring the same level of craftsmanship and dedication to his next project.

Score: 9/10

7 Movies Still Worth Catching In Theaters In 2017

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The summer movie season may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some amazing films still coming out this year! It just opened the fall box office with a bang, earning the highest opening for a horror film, and there are quite a few films set to follow its lead. The holiday season in particular is always a great time for movies, with Oscar contenders and big-budget family-friendly movies being released simultaneously.

Of course, the movies on this list aren’t the only films coming out this year — they’re just some of the ones with the biggest marketing budget, making it easier for people to know they are coming out soon. So, if none of these movies seem interesting to you, do a little research and see if there are any great independent or foreign films coming to your local theaters!

Hit Next to learn about seven movies still worth seeing this year!

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The post ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Review: A Sci-Fi Classic For the New Age appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Review: A Superb Expansion Of The World

Eggsy (Taron Egerton), Harry (Colin Firth), Merlin (Mark Strong) and The Kingsmen are back and this time they are teaming up with their American counterparts, The Statesmen (led by Jeff Bridges), to take down a shady criminal enterprise known as The Golden Circle, led by Poppy (Julianne Moore), a megalomaniacal drug dealer with a love for 1950s Americana.

I absolutely loved Matthew Vaughn’s first Kingsman movie, which was based on the comic book The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, and I was ecstatic that Vaughn was returning to direct the sequel (a first in his career). The only question now is, how does Kingsman: The Golden Circle stack up compared to its predecessor? Read on to find out…

Also read: New ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Trailer Hits The Web

First and foremost, I’d like to talk about the cast. All of your favorites from the first movie are back, including a handful of characters that I wasn’t actually expecting to see return. I won’t go into great detail for all of these, as this is a non-spoiler review and I don’t really want to ruin anything that wasn’t given away in the trailers, but I will say that there is one character from the first movie in this one that was actually in the trailer and I didn’t even recognize them. I really liked the way this particular character was brought back and used in this film too.

When the first film was released in 2014, Taron Egerton was pretty much an unknown quantity, but his performance as Eggsy has made him one of those up-and-coming actors that we should all keep an eye on. Egerton does not disappoint in his return to this franchise. He is just as charming and likeable as he was in the first Kingsman. The character seems to have grown up a bit between the two films, taking on his old mentor’s codename, Galahad, but his signature streetwise cheekiness is still there. I was very much looking forward to seeing how this character’s life had changed since the first movie and I was pleased to see that, while many things in his life have changed, and even improved, he’s still the same old Eggsy.

Again, avoiding any spoilers that aren’t already revealed in the trailers and other marketing materials, I will just say that it was awesome to see Colin Firth return as Harry Hart, the man who first recruited Eggsy. I won’t say how he was brought back after getting shot in the head by Samuel L. Jackson’s character Richmond Valentine in the first film, but I thought it worked pretty well within the heightened comic book/spy movie reality of this series. I also liked the way he was utilized in the story and his arc in the film.

Other returning Kingsman include Mark Strong as Merlin, who delivers just as good of a performance as he did in The Secret Service, and Sophie Cookson is also back as Roxy. I really liked the way her character was used in the first movie. It would have been incredibly easy to just make her Eggsy’s love interest, but having her instead be his best friend and the one that actually made it all the way through the Kingman’s training process where as Eggsy did not was a much stronger move in the first film. As far as this film goes, however, I would have liked for her to have a more significant role to play.

Also read: New ‘Kingsman 2’ Promo Teases Difference Between Kingsman & Statesman

This time around, the Kingsmen must team up with their American “cousins,” known as the Statesmen, and just as the Kingsmen have a specific, Arthurian theme to their codenames, they too have their own naming convention befitting of their organization. The always fantastic Jeff Bridges is great as Champagne, the somewhat laid-back leader of the Stateman, something that this Dude does really well. Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones‘ Oberyn Martell) is awesome as Whiskey and I loved his expert use of both a lasso and a whip in his asskickery. I also really liked Halle Berry as Ginger Ale, Stateman’s equilavent of the Kingsman’s Merlin. Her inclusion in the film alone is a nice wink and a nod to her time as a Bond Girl in Die Another Day — I just wished she was used a bit more in the film.

The final member of the Statesman is Channing Tatum’s Tequila. I thought he was excellent in the role, but I didn’t love how he was used in the film, for the most part. I could have used more of him too. Honestly, after seeing him in this film, for the first time, I’m actually a bit more interested in seeing him as Gambit. I was never really all that sold on his casting before, but now I think I would be down to see it. He encorporates a great southern accent into his role as Taquila and with a bit of a tweak to it, it could easily be made to sound more like Remy LeBou’s signature Cajun twang. Now, I just really want to hear what Tatum’s Gambit would sound like.

The Kingsman movies are very much a loving response to the greatest of the spy genre, mostly the Bond franchise, and what makes a great Bond movie more than a great Bond villain? All the best Bond villains are over-the-top and eccentric, and I love the way that this series encorporates these types of Bond-esque villains. Julianne Moore is delightful as this film’s antagonist, Poppy. She has this wonderful facination with 1950s nostalgia. I got a huge kick out of her secret hideout, Poppyland, a slice of ’50s Americana nestled in the middle of these jungle ruins, complete with an old-school diner, a theater, a salon and more. This place is the perfect embodiment of Moore’s quirky, almost bubbly performance as the character. Honestly, she would be outright adorable if it wasn’t for her whole evil plan that puts a large percentage of the population in jeopardy. I would say Poppy easily stands toe-to-toe with Samuel L. Jackson’s Valentine, just without the lisp, which was something that was a bit tough for me to fully get behind.

Also read: ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Director Says He May Release A Longer Cut Of The Film

With each film he makes, Matthew Vaughn rises higher and higher on my personal list of favorite directors. I have yet to see a film he’s directed that I did not love and I am overjoyed to add Kingsman: The Golden Circle to that list. He and his frequent collaborator Jane Goldman did a fantastic job with the script. Sequels are hard to pull off well, but so much about this film just worked for me. There were a ton of fantastic nods to the first film. I tend to rewatch all prior films before I see a movie so most of these were pretty easy to spot for me, but if you haven’t seen the first Kingman in a while, I would suggest revisiting it before checking this one out to pick up on all of the great Easter eggs and references. Don’t worry, though, everything significant to the plot is presented in a way that refreshes one’s memory.

I did have a few issues, but nothing that hampered my overall enjoyment of the film. There were a couple of characters that I would have liked to have seen a bit more of. Also, the first film had that amazing Church sequence, which, for me, was an instant classic action sequence, but this one does not have anything that stands out as much as that scene did. The action is still excellent, but it’s a bit more spread out in this film. The opening action sequence is terrific, but after that it’s a bit of a long stretch before any significant action beats take place. However, when they do, they do not seem to slow down in the least bit. While the film may be a bit on the lengthy side, it doesn’t really drag either. I was fully engaged with the story the whole way through. Finally, I will say that this film is a bit lighter on the comedy side than I would have prefered. There’s certainly a good amount of humor, but I just didn’t find myself laughing out loud as much as I did the first time around. Again, though, there were plenty of other things going on to keep my interest. There was one overly graphic moment, however, that a went a bit too far and I felt was a tiny bit unnecessary.

Overall, I didn’t like Kingsman: The Golden Circle quite as much as I liked the first film, but it’s pretty damn close. While it may not be as solid as its predecessor, it is at least worthy of the Kingsman name. It was a fantastic expansion of the world introduced in the first film and I’m hoping we’ll see more of this franchise in the years to come. I somewhat doubt Matthew Vaughn will return, though, especially considering that this is the first sequel he’s ever made, but I certainly would love if he did come back for one more and make it a trilogy. If you loved the first Kingsman as much as I did (which was a whole hell of a lot), I think you’ll really enjoy this film.

Score: 8.5/10

Kingsman: The Golden Circle hits theaters September 22, 2017.

7 Movies Still Worth Catching In Theaters In 2017

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The summer movie season may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some amazing films still coming out this year! It just opened the fall box office with a bang, earning the highest opening for a horror film, and there are quite a few films set to follow its lead. The holiday season in particular is always a great time for movies, with Oscar contenders and big-budget family-friendly movies being released simultaneously.

Of course, the movies on this list aren’t the only films coming out this year — they’re just some of the ones with the biggest marketing budget, making it easier for people to know they are coming out soon. So, if none of these movies seem interesting to you, do a little research and see if there are any great independent or foreign films coming to your local theaters!

Hit Next to learn about seven movies still worth seeing this year!

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The post ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Review: A Superb Expansion Of The World appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

‘Wonder Woman’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Review: Bring The Wonder Home

Although fans can already own Wonder Woman digitally, the film will soon be available to own on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on Tuesday, September 19. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, I had an opportunity to have an early look at a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray copy of the film to explore the picture quality, surround sound and special features. Here are my thoughts…

Picture Quality

When it comes to their Blu-ray releases, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is a viable contender for the best overall picture quality in terms of their new releases. The consistency from each of their most recent releases is almost unmatched, and their DC Films may be the pinnacle of their catalogue. Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad all had stellar transfers, but this transfer of Wonder Woman is easily at the top of the ranks in terms of DC Extended Universe visual presentations.

In particular, the High Dynamic Range (HDR) showcases the incredible colors seen throughout the film beautifully. In particular, every scene that takes place on Themyscira is demo-worthy. The shots of Steve Trevor’s plane crashing into the ocean before Diana rescues him from drowning is a feast for the eyes in this 4K transfer. Also, the sequences that place Diana right in the middle of World War I showcase the remarkable contrast between the warm embrace of her home and the dark nature of mankind.

The post ‘Wonder Woman’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Review: Bring The Wonder Home appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

‘American Assassin’ Review: A Middle-Of-The-Road Action Thriller

Directed by Michael Cuesta and based on the series of novels by the late Vince Flynn, American Assassin tells the story of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien). After his fiancé is viciously gunned down by terrorists, Rapp dedicates his life to eliminating them. When he is discovered by the CIA, he is recruited to be a counter-terrorism operative in a black ops program and trained by tough-as-nails veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton).

American Assassin is just one of fifteen Vince Flynn novels featuring the character of Mitch Rapp. The idea, of course, is for this to be the first film in a franchise, as is always the case these days. So, does the film show the potential to kick start a whole series of Mitch Rapp movies? Read on to find out…

Also read: New Trailer & Poster For Dylan O’Brien’s ‘American Assassin’

Going into this film, I did not know how to feel about the casting of Dylan O’Brien as this character. I’ve never read any of Flynn’s books, so I didn’t know much about the Mitch Rapp character, but I initially found it a bit tough to buy “the kid” from The Maze Runner and Teen Wolf as what is supposed to be this badass assassin (by the way, that “kid” is 26). He just reads too young on screen to be taken seriously as an action star. Hell, just a little over a year ago he was one of the actors rumored to be up for the role of Spider-Man. Again, these were the thoughts running through my mind on my way into the theater. However, credit where credit’s due, I was pleasantly surprised by O’Brien in this film. I thought he managed to pull off the emotional heavy-lifting, as well as all the action, pretty damn well. There was even a handful of humorous moments that he made work for him. He still has such a babyface, though, and that did distract me a bit at times, but he was definitely putting in the effort to make you look past that. I’ll admit it, he impressed me in this film simply because my expectations were so low.

I don’t know if we’ll be seeing a whole slew of Dylan O’Brien action movies any time soon, but if this film is a financial hit, who knows? Stranger things have happened. With the studio’s hopes for a potential franchise on their hands, the casting does make sense. The studio chose to start with the prequel story (American Assassin was the eleventh book in publication order), so they went with a younger lead to start him off at the beginning of his story. We’ll have to wait and see if this film is successful enough to kick off a new franchise before determining if this was the right call, but I’d say it worked out okay enough for this film.

For me, the biggest attraction for American Assassin was Michael Keaton co-starring as Rapp’s trainer, Stan Hurley, and he’s fantastic as always. The last few years have been great for Keaton fans, with the actor turning in phenomenal performances in films like Birdman, The Founder and Spotlight, not to mention his return to comic book films this year as the Vulture in Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. While this film as a whole might not be as strong as those, I thought Keaton delivered yet another wonderful performance in this film. At the age of 66, he is so believable as the badass veteran who can physically dominate his much younger trainees, seemingly without expending any effort. Keaton was easily the best part of the film. He too had some funny moments, some of which actually harkened back to the “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts!” scene in Batman for me.

The main goal of Rapp’s team’s mission is to track down a former operative gone rogue known as “The Ghost,” played by Taylor Kitsch. Kitsch is one of those handful of actors over the past few years that Hollywood desperately tried to sell us as the next big movie star (along with others like Sam Worthington and Jai Courtney). The former Gambit has not had the best track record in recent years when it comes to blockbusters, but he has put in a few great performances here and there. I’m not the biggest fan of his. Truthfully, I didn’t even know it was Kitsch until the end credits, but I still thought he was pretty good in this film. He needs more roles like this and less starring roles in ill-conceived board game adaptations.

As far as the rest of the cast goes, Sanaa Lathan was solid as CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy, who recruits Rapp. I also really liked Shiva Negar as Annika, another undercover operative who has a decent enough chemistry with O’Brien in certain scenes. Scott Adkins played Victor, yet another operative, and while he did everything required of him in the part, I do wish he was given a bit more to work with than just the simple tough guy role. Another cast member who I was pleased to see was Navid Negahban, who was excellent as Abu Nazir on Homeland. His role here, as Minister Behurz, was a relatively small one, but he is a strong actor, so he made the part stand out for me.

I thought Michael Cuesta, who is known mostly for his television work on shows like Dexter and Homeland, did a fine job of directing American Assassin. The visuals were pretty solid for the most part. Some beautiful locations were utilized, as well as some decent production design. The only visual element that wasn’t entirely up to snuff for me was some CGI, especially in the film’s climax, as well as a few wonky digital gunshot wound blood effects here and there. Other things in the film that I took issue with were some instances of stilted dialogue and less than stellar performances in a couple of minor supporting roles. Also, I would have liked for the story to go a bit deeper with some of the dramatic beats that it only tip-toes around. Finally, one thing that bugged the hell out of me was that there were far too many scenes where these operatives, who are all supposed to be trained black-ops agents, are undercover in the field, and instead of remaining inconspicious, they are just flat out staring at their target while making no effort at all to maintain their cover. That’s like day one stuff!

Also read: ‘American Assassin’ Featurette Spotlights Dylan O’Brien As Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp

American Assassin definitely felt like it was going for the whole Tom Clancy vibe, but it didn’t quite hit the mark. The closest thing in recent years that I would liken the film to in terms of tone and action style is the Bourne films, but it doesn’t exactly live up to that either. However, with its R-rating, this film was a bit more violent than the PG-13 Bourne franchise. It’s definitely a lot bloodier and has a lot more course language. American Assassin definitely will not be held up against the best of the Tom Clancy or Bourne films, and I doubt it will prove to be as successful financially without a star like Matt Damon in the lead, but in terms of simple entertainment value, I think it does the job okay enough. It had the potential to be something more, though. It doesn’t break any new ground in the genre and I don’t really see this version of Mitch Rapp becoming the next Jack Ryan, but if you’re into political thrillers at all, you might find what you’re looking for here.

Score: 6.5/10

American Assassin hits theaters on September 15, 2017.

Batman’s Top 5 Gadgets In Film & Television

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Batman’s gadgets have helped make him one of the most interesting characters in comic book history. Whether it’s for intimidating thugs or fighting villains like the Joker, Penguin or Two-Face, Batman has used his gadgets to assist the people of Gotham on several occasions. Of course, the Caped Crusader has a ton of gadgets in his arsenal, which begs the question of which ones are the most important.

On both the big and small screen, Batman has shown that he always has the right gadgets for the job. His utility belt houses some of the greatest gadgets in the world, allowing him to get away from any situation in just the nick of time.

Each hero has their own unique fighting style and way of helping people — it’s just a matter of finding your niche. But what’s cool about Batman is that he doesn’t have any superpowers. All he needs is his intellect and a few gadgets. Think of it this way: Batman without his gadgets is kind of like The Flash without his speed, but he’s cool even without them.

Click Next to learn more about Batman’s top 5 gadgets. 

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The post ‘American Assassin’ Review: A Middle-Of-The-Road Action Thriller appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

Nicole Kidman Describes Filming ‘Aquaman’ During TIFF

While promoting Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Toronto International Film Festival, star Nicole Kidman discussed her character for the upcoming Aquaman film.

Kidman’s role in the film is that of Atlanna, the mother of Arthur Curry/Aquaman, and she seems to have had a blast while filming. Kidman discussed her look of Atlanna while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, who tweeted out a snippet of the interview, which you can check out below:

Nicole Kidman describes filming #Aquaman! More to come from her #THRatTIFF interview for 'Killing of a Sacred Deer' http://pic.twitter.com/vBrJ7vyg5J

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 9, 2017

Also read: Gal Gadot Shares New ‘Wonder Woman’ Blooper Reel

“I got to be a mermaid! I got to be a queen, I got to wear a crown…I have a particular way of looking. I got to lie on a rock with my hair strewn, and blood. And I kind of liked it.”

While Kidman’s remarks don’t speak much regarding the film or her character, they do certainly offer a rough outline of what her character will look like.

While we won’t be seeing Atlanna on the big screen for a while, Aquaman will next be seen in the long-awaited Justice League. You can check out the full synopsis below.

In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter 

7 Green Lantern Stories We’d Love To See Adapted For The Big Screen

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While it’s still unclear whether or not Green Lantern will debut in the upcoming Justice League film, the hero is eventually set to hit the big screen again in 2020 with Green Lantern Corps.  The real mystery is what kind of Lantern stories will the movie have and who will wield a ring? The only thing I know is it’s not a good idea to wait for Ryan “Deadpool” Reynolds to mutter the Green Lantern oath on the big screen anytime soon.

There are so many stories and unique Green Lanterns the movie could draw from, so at the end of the day I hope the material is treated with the respect it deserves.  It took some hard work, but I whittled my favorite stories down to this list of seven easily adaptable arc that show off some of the action and emotion Green Lantern has to offer.  Don’t expect to recommend any simple origin stories here, though — man-oh-man am I tired of seeing those.

Click Next to check out the seven Green Lantern stories we’d love to see adapted for the big screen!

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‘It’ Review: A Fantastic Adaptation Loaded With Horror, Humor & Heart

An appropriately-timed 27 years after the famous 1990 TV mini-series, director Andy Muschietti delivers a brand new take on Stephen King’s insanely popular novel It. When children start to go missing in the small town of Derry, Maine, seven misfit youths realize that strange things are afoot. The kids, who call themselves “The Losers’ Club,” set out to put a stop to the carnage perpetrated by the terrifying clown known as Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård).

I’ll be honest, I was not looking forward to this film when it was first announced. Horror remakes are a dime a dozen these days and they are almost never any good. I much prefer original horror films, which have been slowly starting to make a comeback after over a decade of terrible remakes, with such recents hits as The Conjuring, Don’t Breathe and Get Out. However, my outlook drastically changed when I saw the first trailer for It. This film looked like it could finally take a recognizable horror property and breathe fresh life into it. So, is It actually one of the rare horror remakes worth checking out? Read on to find out. This review is spoiler-free!

Also read: First Trailer For Stephen King’s ‘IT’ Remake Released

First and foremost, the single best thing about the film is the young cast — the kids that make up the Losers Club. These kids were charming, funny, and most importantly, great actors. They were equally adept at pulling off the terror that they are supposed to be feeling during some of the scarier moments and the true acting chops required for the emotional ones. You genuinely fall in love with these kids, which is always really important for a horror film where you have to truly care about the protagonists, because otherwise, the danger opposing them means nothing, no matter how high the stakes. The cast Muschietti has assembled here is phenomenal. There is not a weak link in the bunch.

Jaeden Lieberher was excellent as the Losers’ leader, Bill Denbrough. The stutter is not an easy thing to pull off, but Lieberher manages it quite well. I also really liked Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom. Growing up a heavy kid, I found it really easy to relate to him, however, I do wish that there was a bit more to his character than just that. There are strengths that his character has in the novel that weren’t really touched upon here, and those things would have been nice to explore, especially since they will no doubt be touched upon in the sequel. Still, Taylor excelled at pulling off the character’s awkwardness, especially in scenes shared with Beverly. Chosen Jacobs was great as Mike Hanlon, if not a little underserved. This character’s role in the sequel is an important one, and while I do think all the necessary traits are there, I would have liked to have seen him get the chance to solidify the bonds with the rest of the cast a little more. His family life is also the most drastically different from that of the source material, but I felt it served its purpose in the film’s story.

I wasn’t the least bit shocked to see that some of my favorite characters from the book were among my favorites in the film. Sophia Lillis was wonderful as Beverly Marsh, and had some of the strongest acting moments, I feel. I did have an issue or two with her characterisation (from a writing standpoint, not acting), but I’ll circle back around to that in a moment. Finn Wolfhard was absolutely hilarious as the group’s resident jokester Richie Tozier, easily the funniest character in the film. Wolfhard was the only young actor in the film (hell, perhaps the only actor in the film period, aside from Bill Skarsgård) that I’ve ever even seen in anything else before, but it was nice to see that his character here was a far cry from his Stranger Things role. One character that actually surprised me quite a bit in the film, a character that wasn’t a particular favorite of mine in the book, was the littlest Loser, Eddie Kaspbrak, played by Jack Dylan Grazer. This kid was fantastic. He was really funny and had such an excellent screen presence. Of all of the kids, Grazer was the standout for me.

Also read: The Losers’ Club Face Their Fears In BTS Featurette For Stephen King’s ‘IT’

Finally, I thought Wyatt Oleff did a fine job as Stanley Uris, but this character was my least favorite Loser in the book, mini-series, and now this new film. However, this is through no fault of the actor’s, but moreso in the writing of the character, going back to the original novel. I’ve always felt that Stan Uris is the least developed of the seven kids, but fans of the book and mini-series will know why that is. He did have one moment, though, that was completely in character for Stan that made me chuckle, in which all the other kids dropped their bikes on the ground one by one before Stan, always the neat and tidy one, took the extra time to prop his up on its kickstand. It’s little moments like these for all of these characters that made the young cast work as well as they did. I felt like each character got just the right amount of moments that harkened back to the source material to make them all ring true. I might have wanted a few more of these moments or defining traits, but there’s only so much time.

The final major piece of the cast puzzle is Pennywise the Dancing Clown, played in this film by Bill Skarsgård. A clown is scary enough, but one that can discern your greatest fear and bring it to life before your very eyes is the stuff of nightmares. I was nervous about how the actor would do, as I was decidedly not a fan of his Netflix series Hemlock Grove and his screentime was limited in the only other film I’ve seen him in, Atomic Blonde. There is no question that Tim Curry’s highly-regarded portrayal of Pennywise is iconic, so Skarsgård had some enormous clown shoes to fill (pun gleefully intended). That being said, I thought Skarsgård did a brilliant job in giving us a fresh, new take on the villain. It’s a very different take than that of Curry’s — from design to voice all the way down to the way he moved — but it worked all the same. Speaking of movement, one of the things that I found most effective about Pennywise, as far as the character’s creepiness is concerned, was the spastic, herky-jerky way he moved, especially whenever he was coming right at the kids (this Pennywise got mad hops too!). Additionally, I thought all of the visual effects worked incredibly well.

Also read: Stephen King’s ‘IT’: Tim Curry Shares Thoughts On New Pennywise

As a jaded horror fan that has been watching scary movies from an age far earlier than I should have, I didn’t find anything in the film particularly “scary,” but I will say it was genuinely creepy at times. It also got in a couple of good jump scares — one or two that even startled me. However, if you’re one of those filmgoers that gets genuinely unnerved by a good horror flick, I think you’re going to have a grand ol’ time. Tommy Lee Wallace’s mini-series instilled a deep-seated fear of clowns into millions of people around the world, but that’s nothing compared to the terror that this film will no doubt plant into the minds of a younger generation of viewers that are experiencing Stephen King’s world for the first time. For the most part, Tim Curry’s clown was just a clown, but Bill Skarsgård is a horrific, creepy ass murderous clown. One of the edges that this film has, versus the mini-series, is the advantage of its R-rating, which it takes full adantage of, both in terms of language and violence, as the opening scene establishes from the jump.

I’ve mentioned it a few time in this review, but I was actually pretty surprised by just how funny this film was, with numerous laugh-out-loud moments and lines of dialogue. Humor can be a great tension reliever in a horror movie, but I felt like the comedy here was even more prevalent than your average horror flick, which worked to its strength, not detriment. There was never anything out of place — every funny beat was absolutely true to the characters or the situation at hand. There was also a lot of heart in this film, with some real sweet and touching moments between the seven friends. It is kind of bittersweet knowing that the next time we’ll see them all, in the sequel, they won’t be the same adorable kids anymore.

For the most part, it seemed like anything from the novel that was used in the original 1990 mini-series was avoided in favor of other previously unused elements from the book, which I actually thought was pretty cool. Coming in at 1,138 pages, the novel is quite a lengthy one, so it actually made a lot of sense to me to touch on some of the stuff that we haven’t yet seen before on-screen. It did seem like the film jumped from scene to scene at a rather quick pace, but it sort of had to be done in such a way to cover as much ground as possible and hit all the required beats of the story. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, it’s a somewhat long film, but it doesn’t really feel it. I could have sat through another hour.

There were a few liberties taken by the filmmaker in regards to the source material, and for the most part, those worked for me (and Stephen King too). One of the things that jumped out to me straight away after seeing the film was just how little a role the Barrens — which was a pivotal location to the original story — played in this version. I found that to be a bit peculiar, but ultimately forgivable, however, there are one or two differences here and there that I did take issue with, the biggest being something that happens to Beverly in the third act that turns her more into a damsel in distress rather than the strong, proactive character that she was in the rest of the film, as well as in the same scenes in the book. I normally wouldn’t even have a problem with events playing out differently in the adaptation like this, if I didn’t think it had a negative impact on the character involved, and in this case and a few others, I felt it did. The absence of Ben’s aforementioned strengths was another.

On the other hand, there are some changes made that were more than welcome for me. For example, I was glad that we didn’t learn too much about what “It” actually is and where it comes from. This stuff is covered in the book, but my usual rule of thumb is the less we know about horror villains, the better. There’s more, but I’d have to dive into spoiler territory, so I’ll leave that for another article.

Also read: ‘IT’ Director Looks Ahead To Sequel’s Cosmic ‘Deadlights’ Dimension

Overall, I was thouroughly pleased with this adaptation. Finally, a Stephen King novel done justice on the big screen. It’s been far too long since we’ve had one of those. It might not be 100-percent faithful to the source material, but it is where it counts the most: the horror, the right balance in tone and most importantly, the characters. I had a few issues with It, but nothing that impacted my overall enjoyment of the film. The fact that this is only Andy Muschietti’s second feature film (after his 2013 horror-thriller Mama) is quite remarkable. I can’t wait to see what the director does with the sequel, which will not only explore the Losers’ return to Derry as adults to once again take on “It,” but will also feature flashbacks to the children as well, something that I’m really looking forward to after seeing how well the young cast performed here. For Stephen King fans, horror fans, ’80s fans, or just fans of great storytelling, this one is for you.

Score: 8.5/10

It hits theaters September 8, 2017.

10 Stephen King Adaptations Hollywood Needs To Get Right

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With The Dark Tower and It, two of King’s most famous and beloved works, reaching the big screen, it feels like the gates are opening on a new age of Stephen King adaptations

Already we’ve seen 1) a new Carrie movie, 2) Under the Dome and 11/22/63 get TV adaptations 3) Netflix’s upcoming Gerald’s Game, 4) a TV series based on the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, 5) Josh Boone looks to make Revival his follow-up to X-Men: The New Mutants, 5) a new version of Hearts in Atlantis is in the works (just called Hearts) and 6) a Cujo remake, with the amazing title of C.U.J.O. Even Cell got made, plus a personal favorite of mine The Mist is back in the form of a new Syfy series airing later this year (based on both the original novella and Frank Darabont’s superb 2007 film).

Our age of cinematic universes feels tailor-made for the world-renowned author. King is known not only for his productivity but for how his stories interlock together in the same universe (multiverse, if you want to get specific). His entire oeuvre is connected by characters, locations, and events, all centered around the literal and figurative Dark Tower, the structure and book series sit at the center of King’s worlds. Of course, no one entity owns the rights to all of King’s works, so we won’t be seeing, say, Pennywise the Dancing Clown say hi to Idris Elba’s gunslinger in a movie anytime soon, but it speaks to King’s continued relevance.

There are, of course, the adaptations that are sacrosanct and need to no update, plus others where we are simply waiting to see if they happen. Speaking of Darabont, he delivered a trilogy of amazing King adaptations in my opinion between The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist. Rob Reiner also mastered the artform, giving us Stand by Me and Misery. There’s already a perfectly-good The Dead Zone movie and TV show. The Tommyknockers and Desperation got the miniseries treatment in 1991 and 2006, respectively. The latter came with a teleplay by King himself, while the former was announced for a new miniseries back in 2013 along with Rosemary’s Baby, the failure of which may have something to do with the radio silence since the announcement. The Shining is actually not one, with King famously disliking the Stanley Kubrick film enough to make a miniseries of his own to “correct” the record (and a Shining prequel is first on our list).

While some works defy or seek re-adaptation, the breadth of the man’s work means there’s plenty of new stuff to mine in the coming years as well. Click Next to learn which to watch out for!

Honorable mentions: The Dark Half, Dolores Claiborne, Apt Pupil, Dreamcatcher

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