bankofmarquis

The knock on the previous films in the Zach Snyder versions of the DC comics' films is that the tone of the films - and the characters - was way too dark.

So...DC brought in James Gunn (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) to lighten things up while also bringing some deep cuts of the DC Comics oeuvre to the silver screen. You can see the seeds of what will be when Gunn helmed 2021's SUICIDE SQUAD (the one with Idris Elba, NOT the one with Will Smith) and the fun TV Series THE PEACEMAKER (w/John Cena playing things with his tongue firmly in his cheek).

And...with his debut as the boss of DC Films, Gunn pays off the seeds as his SUPERMAN brings a brand of light-heartedness and geekery to a film (and a character) that could have been square and stodgy but, instead, seems modern and...human!

Gunn shows off his "geek-ery" as he throws some deep cut characters at you on the screen with nary an introduction or explanation. This approach is jarring for the 1st half of the film as one is trying to make sense of the rather rat-a-tat-tat style of filmmaking. The first hour feels more like a series of scenes rather than pieces of a cohesive whole cloth, but in the 2nd hour, Gunn DOES sew these seeds together and it will be interesting to rewatch this film knowing these characters a little better to see if the first half holds together better.

As is his custom, Gunn has cast this film strongly with newcomer David Corenswat ably filling in the tights (and cape) of the Man-of-Steel with an aplomb that belies his relative lack of big screen experience. Rachel Brosnahan is also up to the task of modernizing and filling in the role of Ace Reporter Lois Lane and the chemistry between the 2 leads leaps off the screen. There is an extended dialogue scene between Lois and Clark/Superman in the first half of the film that anchors things, but almost feels like it is from a different (more seriou film than what has preceded (and proceeds from) it, which adds to the disjointedness of the first hour of the film. Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT scene establishing character and chemistry, but almost doesn't belong with the rest of the film.

As for the rest of the film, Gunn throws things at you at a fast and furious pace. From Lex Luthor (a very angry Nicholas Hoult) and his band of bad guys, The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), Eve (Sara Sampaio), Otis (Terence Rosemore) and the mysterious Ultraman (to say who this is would be to spoil it) to the gang at the Daily Planet, Editor Perry White (an underused Wendell Pierce), the best Jimmy Olson ever put on screen (Skyler Gisondo) to a "what is this character doing here", Sports Reporter Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett chewing scenery like he was starving) to Ma and Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vance and Neva Howell), Gunn assumes you know who they are and spends NO TIME setting them up.

But he doesn't stop there, Gunn brings in Green Lantern (Gunn "Good Luck Charm" Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) and, especially, Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and spends NO TIME introducing them and their talents/backstory. You just need to accept them and their superpowers and roll with it.

Oh...and did I mention...Superdog?

All-in-all a fun, professionally done, Superhero movie that assumes the audience is adult enough to "get it" or at least "roll with it" and that's what the BankofMarquis recommends you do - go in to have a good time and roll with what is thrown at you, don't worry about things that might have been thrown past you, and sit back and be entertained in the dark in a movie theater.

And...isn't that what going to the movies is all about?

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)

And now...a summer blockbuster film from the "no one asked for it" department.

It's hard to believe that the original JURASSIC PARK film brought ''shock and awe" CGI dinosaurs to the big screen 32 years ago. This Stephen Spielberg blockbuster brought in the age (good and bad) of giant CGI summer films. This led to the inevitable trilogy that were still interesting and fun...but definitely followed the law of diminishing returns.

And then...just when you thought you'd seen the last of the CGI dinosaurs of the Jurassic period, the retro/nostalgic JURASSIC WORLD burst onto the scene in 2015 and brought another trilogy of diminishing returns to the screen. And when the final installment (JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION) hit the screens with a thud, one could safely assume that we had seen the last of this series.

But...the suits at Universal noticed one thing - over $2.2 billion in Worldwide Box Office for the series.

So...whether we like it or not...we get another installment of "humans getting eaten by dinosaurs" - JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH where Scarlett Johansson (BLACK WIDOW) leads yet another group of human food onto yet ANOTHER island that INGEN was using for dinosaur genetic manipulation.

This Gareth Edwards (the best Star Wars film, ROGUE ONE) effort has quite a bit going for it...an interesting (enough) premise that is well (and simply) laid out, engaging stars in Johansson, Jonathan Bailey (Fiero in WICKED) and 2x Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali (GREENBOOK) who all earn their paychecks trying to bring some depth to thinly written characters who's main role is to look up in "shock and awe" at CGI dinosaurs and CGI that REALLY, REALLY works (for the most part), especially a water attack on a boat.

And...there is a young girl in peril, Audrina Miranda (in what looks to be her Major Film debut) who makes a pet of a young dino that is "just so cute", but Edwards knows how to pull back just in time to keep it from getting annoying.

However...this film commits many critical errors:

1). It gives work to the worst actor in the business today, Ed Skrein (MIDWAY), who comes clamoring onto the screen with such a one-note performance that he might as well wear an "eat me" sign on his back.

2). Unfortunately, that performance isn't the worst one of the film. Rupert Friend (COMPANION) plays the villain of the piece that does everything but twirl his mustache and tie Johansson to the railroad tracks.

3). The CGI in this film is great...EXCEPT...for a scene towards the end of the film where they either ran out of time, money or interest (probably all 3). My kids can make a better CGI scene on their phones than what was foisted on us at the end.

4). Everyone in this film is WAY TOO PRETTY! The couldn't throw a bone to "weathered" character actors like Danny Trejo, Dale Dickey or even good ol' Shea Wigham? Nope. They broke open the Ford Modeling Agency books and said..."if they look good, they probably will taste good to the dinosaurs".

5). NONE of the main characters are worth rooting for (I'm looking at you Johannson and Bailey), though Ali tries really, really hard to give us some sort of better character than the weakly written character he was given by veteran screenwriter David Koepp (let's go with the Tom Cruise THE MUMMY), while a quartet of the players in the "B" story are much more interesting and worth our while. Here's an idea, let's do a film focusing solely on these characters!

And, finally, this film committed the CARDINAL SIN of these types of movies: the dinosaur-to-humans getting eaten ratio is waaaaaay too low!

So, come for some very good dinosaur CGI, but you'll have to wade through all the sins of the film to find the few gems.

Letter Grade: B-

6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)

It was the film that made Marilyn Monroe an International SuperStar.

It was based on a hit Broadway comedy.

It was a biting satire of the battle of the sexes.

But the "suits" at 20th Century Fox and the "the censors" got in the way and Billy Wilder quickly grew bored and "banged out" THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH so he could move on to another project.

And, boy does that show.

Starring Tom Ewell (reprising his role from Broadway), THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH tells the tale of a NYC "everyman" who is home, alone, during a hot New York summer (while his wife and child summer in Upstate New York). Into his life comes a stunning new neighbor, stimulating his imagination.

It was the stuff of a titillating, "naughty" Broadway comedy, but the sensors (and the suits) made Director Billy Wilder tone down the "naughty bits". They also would not let him cast a young, unknown actor by the name of Walter Matthau in the lead role, forcing him to cast a game Tom Ewell fresh from Broadway.

Both of these decisions (and Wilder's eventual uninterest in his only 20th Century Fox project) leads THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH directly onto the center line - too naughty for conservative types and not naughty enough for those more liberal. With a lead turn by Ewell that is "fine", but nothing special (which makes one pine for "what could have been" with Matthau).

What elevates this - and makes it worth your while - is the marvelously comedic (and sexy) turn that Marilyn Monroe gives. She exudes sexual playfulness while also imbuing her character with a naivete and innocence that is charming and satisfying.

Oh...and it also features the famed "Subway Tunnel wind blowing up Marilyn's White Dress" scene.

And...that's about it for this film. Not good, not bad, just...average...with a fun performance by Monroe.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)