First Impressions | Incredibles 2

                While I haven’t discussed the film at all, I am a fan of Pixar’s The Incredibles.  It is not only one of my favorite films of 2004, but one of my favorite Disney films in general.  The animation, voice acting and story are all top tier, and its good-natured satire of superhero culture still holds up today.  While it didn’t need a sequel, I was excited when director Brad Bird announced once was in production.  If Cars can get two unnecessary sequels and a spinoff, then a superior film with a fanbase is entitled to one.

                                Picking up where the original left off, the Parr family attempt to thwart the Underminer’s plan.  Things don’t go smoothly, the villain escapes—never to be seen again—and the family is arrested.  While they are not charged with any crimes related to their illegal activity, it does result in the Superhero Relocation Program being shut down and the Parr’s being placed in a precarious financial situation.  This situation immediately is rectified by Winston Deavor, an eccentric superhero fanboy who runs a telecommunications company.  Winston longs to see supers made legal once more and has the perfect plan to bring about his vision:  shift public perception of super activity; show the moments, not simply the ending.  For this, he enlists the help of Elastigirl.  While she patrols the streets, Bob cares for the kids, leading to many comedic moments.  All is not as it seems, a villain appears, and once again it’s up to the entire family to save the day. 

                Although I enjoyed the trailer, I tried to control my hype level.  While Disney’s animated films haven’t disappointed me lately, there is a first time for everything.  Thankfully Incredibles 2 wasn’t that first time. 

                Like all Pixar films, the animation is beautiful.  One can see the budget was well spent.  While I was paying more attention to the story, I didn’t notice any frames or backgrounds that were half-rendered or sloppy.  Brad Bird and his team outdid themselves in this department. Michael Giacchino once again composed the score.  His effort was good and it was nice that he reused motifs from the previous film.  That said, it didn’t stand out to me as much, but this is an aspect multiple viewings could change.  The voice acting is still top tier, although at times you can tell it has been fourteen-years (mainly with Nelson).  It was also nice to hear a callback to the super suit scene.

While the original had comedy—monologuing, no capes, etc.—the sequel pushed this element to eleven.  This might turn some viewers off—especially considering Marvel and Star Wars going overboard in that department—but none of the jokes felt forced.  The humor arises from the characters and their interactions with one another.  Bob’s character arc is the best example of this.  With Helen now on patrol, he’s the primary caregiver.  This inverses the spousal roles from the first film, placing Bob in an unfamiliar position.  He knows his children, but he’s never nurtured them in the manner he must now.  From boy troubles to math homework, it’s all learning on the job for Bob, which lends itself to comedy.  Humor is subjective, so aspects of this arc might not be everyone’s cup of tea; I admit I’m not an enthusiastic fan of the diner scene, although it does serve the story.

                Speaking of boy troubles, Tony Rydinger is upgraded from minor character connected to a Dash’s teasing to supporting character connected to Dash’s teasing.  The first film ended with Tony asking Violet out, completing her blooming arc.  While Brad could have continued this plot development in a straightforward fashion—which would have allowed for typical adolescent comedy—Mr. Bird swerved left.  Tony ends up having his memories of Violet erased after accidentally seeing his date without her mask.  This leads to awkward adolescent moments that even Stevie Wonder could see coming a mile away, but luckily, they complement Bob’s arc.  One of Dash’s line’s sums things up.  “Is she having adolescence?”

                One aspect of the plot that caught me off guard at first was the legality of supers.  One would think after Syndrome’s attack they would be free and clear again since the government didn’t come after the Parr’s or FRO zone.  Maybe they got a one-time free pass for extenuating circumstances.  If so, that goes against the opening scene, but considering The Underminer escaped after causing millions in property damage it’s easy to connect the bureaucratical dots.  Every tragedy needs a scapegoat if the true culprit escapes justice.

                It is hard to discuss the film’s villain Screen-slaver without giving away major spoilers, but I believe I can do so.  As the name implies, Screen-slaver controls people’s minds through screens (TV, computer, etc.), controlling their actions like puppets.  As the plot progresses, Slaver’s manifesto is spelled out with each subsequent attack, but then the twist happens.  For those who are getting tired of the surprise villain angle this realization will make you groan, especially since Slaver is following in Syndrome’s wake.   That said, I thought it was alright.  I saw the twist coming twenty minutes before the film confirmed it, but its build was decent.  Slaver’s true manifesto is where things get interesting.  Without saying anything that would spoil who he or she is, Slaver hates supers and strives to make sure they remain illegal forever.  What better way to turn people against their heroes by making them the villains.  As an aside, this is why Hogan’s heel turn worked perfectly.  While Syndrome’s motivation satirized superhero culture and the trophy for everyone mentality, Slaver’s appears relatively straightforward.  Note, I said appears.  Now, it could just be me, but a handful of Slaver’s lines before and during the twist came off as a satire on modern comic book films, mainly the MCU and DCEU.  If intentionally placed, I applaud Brad Bird for going there.  If not, it’s just my personal reading of the character.

                While not as fresh or groundbreaking as its predecessor, Incredibles 2 is a worthy follow-up and not a simple retread.  While there are several potential bumps, the monorail doesn’t crash.

4.5/5 Stars

First Impressions | Avengers Infinity War

While it has its highs and lows, I consider myself a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Like many of my fellow fans, my anticipation grew as Phase One’s end grew closer, watching each film in theaters.  This anticipation grew further when The Avengers premiered.  While not perfect, it was a satisfying end to Phase One, and its mid-credits scene perfectly set up future story arcs.  That scene gave us the first film appearance of the mad Titan, Thanos.  While I had no idea who he was at first, a quick google search was enlightening.  This peaked my interest, which continued to grow as Phase Two and Phase Three moved forward.  While his on-screen appearances were brief, Thanos (Josh Brolin) hung over the MCU like a rain cloud, waiting for the precise moment to burst.  That moment has come with Avengers Infinity Wars.  

As the title suggests, the film’s plot focuses on the Infinity Stones, McGuffin’s introduced during Phase One and elaborated on during Phase Two.  Thanos’ goal is to collect all six stones and place them in his Infinity Gauntlet, which would give him the power to balance the universe.  It is up to both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy to thwart Thanos, but not everything goes as planned.  Battles are fought, stones are collected, and a smile grows.

            How did I enjoy the film overall?  While it might be too early to say for certain, I enjoyed it and Age of Ultron roughly equally, and it was a step up from Civil War.  Of those two, the latter makes a better comparison, as both films were directed by the Russo’s and are “Cross-overs.”  While enjoyable, Civil War felt off at times both dramatically and thematically.  I get what Marvel and the Russo’s intended, but their execution needed improvement; I still question the logic of putting General Ross on the presidential cabinet, to the point where it has become a personal joke.  With Infinity War, not only do I understand what the filmmakers intended, but I agree with the execution.  I personally would have made the film darker at points, I’ve long since made my peace with Disney and Darkness.

            Like Civil War, one worry I had was how Infinity War would handle its large cast of characters.  While the MCU has handled it well to varying degrees, even previous Avenger’s films hadn’t contained a main cast this large.  That said, the film balances its ensemble cast well; not one feels short-changed.  While some are more important to the plot than others and thus have more screen time, it didn’t bother me.  I expected this to be the case; my only question was who would be shortchanged.  Sadly, Hawkeye and Antman were nowhere to be seen.  While the latter’s sequel is probably taking place parallel to Infinity Wars, Hawkeye’s absence is odd.  He has a family, so one would assume he’d be in to take down an antagonist who threatens their existence.  Perhaps the Russo’s couldn’t figure out how to squeeze him in without seeming forced or wasteful.  Either way, hopefully he’ll be in the sequel, especially if the ending personally impacted him.  Loki was also presented well.  I feared Marvel would make his recent development pointless, but thankfully that worry was moot.  Without spoilers, Loki was handled respectfully.

            Like most of the post-Disney films, there is plenty of humor.  While this has turned off some to recent entries—as an aside Thor Ragnarok had several funny moments that could have been cut to help the drama—here it isn’t intrusive.  While Thanos does hang over the cast, the humor is derived from character interaction:  friendly bickering, planning and the occasional one-liner.  The cast’s great acting helps sell these moments; if anyone fell flat, a moment would fail.  The interactions provide plenty of drama, which is a foil to the humor and helps the main plot progress.  Of the new interactions if I had to choose a favorite it’d be Thor, Rocket and Groot.  While an odd pairing, the two had me smiling wide during their scenes, especially since Thor can understand Groot.

            How does the film treat Thanos?  While it can be said one of the MCU’s shortcomings is its villains, Thanos does not fall victim to that “curse.”  From the opening scene, the audience is made aware of just how threatening the mad Titan is.  While before he’d simply been talked up, when one can take out both Thor and the Hulk in single combat one’s high threat level is assured.  This threat level continues to rise as Thanos collects the Infinity Stones, this goal putting him into direct combat with our heroes.  While he only directly takes part in two battles, both effectively show off his strength and cunning.  While it will sadden some comic fans, Lady Death is nowhere to be seen, as is her part in Thanos’ motivation.  Despite this, the Titan’s reason to collect the Stones is logical:  he wishes to balance the universe by instantaneously cutting its population in half.  This is where the film becomes allegorical, as overpopulation is problem humanity will have to address over the next several centuries.  Thanos foresaw it would become a problem on Titan, but no one listened to him and the civilization eventually collapsed from lack of resources.  Thanos does not want this to happen on a universal scale, enter the Infinity Gauntlet.  While the plan is grandiose and mad, one can understand Thanos.  While he is killing millions of beings, the Titan believes he’s doing so for the greater good.  As Star Trek worded it, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

            In addition to his plan, the audience sees another side of Thanos, brought about thru his interactions with Gamora.  While he called her his “Favorite daughter” in Guardians of the Galaxy, until now the line had no context.  Here, we see Thanos interact with grown Gamora after he acquires the Reality Stone and child Gamora via a flashback.  The Titan might be harsh and his universal plan dark, but he lives his daughter like any father would; there’s even a “boyfriend meets father” moment, which is our first insight into this side of Thanos.  While touching, this love causes internal conflict for Thanos during his search for the Soul Stone, the only Infinity Stone with no recorded history.  To acquire the stone, Thanos must sacrifice someone he loves, and he only loves his favorite daughter.  Begrudgingly Thanos sacrifices Gamora for the stone, a soul for a soul.  The Titan gains power, but internally he hurts, the act having torn his heart asunder.  While the word doesn’t describe Thanos one-hundred percent, this is the closest the Titan comes to being a sympathetic figure, one worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy.  It also makes Starlord’s actions when he discovers this information understandable, even if undermines the grand plan.

            The action scenes are shot competently.  While there were some moments of shaky-cam, the Russo’s dialed it back when compared to their Captain America films, saving it battlefield tracking shots.  The special effects are amazing, as always with the MCU; with how much each entry costs to produce they have no excuse not to be. The only personal complaint I have is that two of Thanos’ new children could have been brought to life with make-up rather than motion capture; it’s simply my preference when possible.    

            The hardest element to address without major spoilers is the ending.  It should be no surprise that Thanos ends up winning, even if one has not read the source comic (raises hand).  To that end, many of the main cast end up vanishing into dust, the scene feeding off the audience’s emotional ties to the characters.  We feel a sense of loss as they crumble, spurred on by the reactions of those around them.  While I knew it was coming, two parts of the scene still moved me deeply:  the deaths of Groot and Peter.  The former I didn’t expect to die again so quickly.  The latter arises from how the scene was blocked, acted and edited; for those who have seen the film, you know what I mean.  The film ends with a cliffhanger, fading to black before the credits.  At least one member of the audience I was with was shocked by this, as he yelled “What the fuck” as the credits began rolling.  While I smirked, it shows not everyone had the same expectations for the denouement.  Speaking of which, I know not everyone will feel the ending—I know one of my contemporaries falls into this category—but I understand why.  Marvel Studios ruined part of the impact with a handful of its announced future films.  While knowledge of the comics could have caused this same feeling, it wouldn’t be to the same degree.  Future viewings could have also tempered the impact, but I’d prefer retroactive tempering to in the moment tempering; at least retroactively one can still feel in the moment, especially when marathoning a series.
           While it hadn’t crossed my mind originally, one theory I’ve seen floating online involves Iron Man’s survival.  As his life is traded for the Time Stone, Thanos spares him.  At first glance, this appears odd, but since Dr. Strange had looked at possible outcomes with the stone and found only one where they prevailed, it’s not a stretch to presume Tony had to survive the encounter for this to occur.  This raises a question of why fight on Titan at all?  Well, the good doctor never stated they won there, only that they won overall.  After handing the stone over, he even admitted they were now in the endgame.  Filmgoers will have to wait for the next Avengers film to discover if this element was a red herring; if not, I wonder how it’ll play out.  

            Overall, Infinity Wars is a great film.  While it throws dozens of characters at the audience, none feel lost in the shuffle.  While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is still my favorite entry of Phase 3, this is easily number two, as it balances its humor and drama well, even if one theme was slightly neutered (Thanks Kevin).

First Impressions | Coco

Like many of you, I grew up on Disney’s animated films.  While some have aged better than others, I still get Nostalgic enjoyment whenever the urge to watch one arises.  Despite this, I have been lazy when it comes to watching their newer films.  Bolt and Up I enjoyed in the theater, while Tangled and Princes & the Frog are still on my to watch list.  However, when I saw the trailer for Coco I knew it was one I had to watch in the theater.  Being from a Mexican family—on my father’s side—might play a part in my initial interest, but it alone does not summarize my enjoyment.

            Set in a small Mexican village, Coco is the story of a boy named Miguel.  Miguel loves music, but comes from a family of cobblers who despise the art because his guitarist great-great-grandfather abandoned the family; this disdain is so great that Miguel can’t even glance at a musician without his grandmother pulling off her sandal and committing assault.  Dia de Muertos arrives, and while setting up the family shrine Miguel learns who his grandfather could be:  his idol, Ernesto De La Cruz.  This discovery eventually lands Miguel in the world of the dead, where he must acquire his family’s blessing or remain there forever. 

            Like all Pixar films, the animation is beautiful.  From the character designs to the backgrounds, the team did their research.  Some might find it basic to use skeletons to represent the dead, but I find it logical considering the holiday associates itself with skull imagery.  Most—myself included—think of facepaint first, and the animators referenced this in their designs, small details included. 

While I have never been to a Muertos celebration—unless one counts Mass—the celebration appeared accurate from what little I know.  Now, I do want to research the celebration further, especially its native roots.  That said, how Pixar integrated the spirits of the dead was interesting.  Minor spoiler, but the dead only exist in their ethereal plane as long as the living remember them.  This remembrance allows them to crossover during the celebration, but only if their pictures are placed in their family shrine.  If no one living remembers them, they weaken and vanish.  “Death for the Dead.”  I wasn’t expecting this plot development, making it a pleasant surprise.  It adds the right amount of drama during the film’s second half as Hector—our Deuteragonist—is in danger of fading away.  At the risk of major spoilers, all I’ll say is that it’s tied into the film’s title.  I don’t know about all of you, but going into this viewing I was questioning the significance, and that continued as the film progressed. 

            The ensemble cast voice their roles well.  While I don’t recognize many voices, the ones I did made me smile.  Benjamin Bratt was perfect as de la Cruz, his voice equal parts charm and charisma; one can easily see why his character was loved in life.  Without spoiling anything, it also adds a finishing touch to the third act.  Cheech Marin is always fun to hear, even if his role is a pithy cameo. 

            Given the subject matter, I wasn’t surprised the main theme was family, mainly its importance.  Mexicans—and Hispanics in general—highly value the unit, and this came across well.  From the post backstory scene to the credits, we see this family’s interactions and their love and concern for one another shines through.  While they might not always get along—what family does—they are there for each other, no matter what.

Traditionalism vs Individuality is a secondary theme, interwoven with the first.  Miguel and his family—mainly his grandmother—are at odds with the boys musical leanings, and this conflict carries the plot forward.  Miguel wishes to follow his heart and live his dream while Grandma wants to keep her family safe and homogenized, which given the family’s backstory is understandable.  We sympathize with both sides but ultimately side with Miguel and his struggle.  He has an uphill battle against in both worlds, but he’s persistent, and persistence pays off.   Miguel is the film's heart, and without him, it wouldn’t work as well. 

With a run-time of 109 minutes, the film is well paced.  At no time was I bored, as Miguel’s plight drew me in, and I found the characters he interacted with fascinating, even though a majority of them are brief and one-dimensional.  The humor worked, and like always Pixar threw in a few for the adults.  The knuckles one, in particular, popped the audience superbly.  According to a co-worker, an interview she watched claimed one part was a shot at Trump.  While it could be interpreted as such, I don’t get that out the scene.  While it satirizes custom’s policies and officials, the humor is generalized, and thus less likely to age the joke as quickly.  The only celebrity mentioned by name is Lucha Legend El Santo, which being a wrestling fan garnered a smile and pop from me. 

If you’re a fan of Pixar’s film, definitely watch this one. While some might compare it to Book of Life, I don’t.  While both films revolve around Mexican culture and the ethereal plane, both plots and goals are different; any similarities I chalk up to culture, and both having Cheech Marin.