An Impossible Mission

Coming to theatres thirty-five years after the original motion picture, Blade Runner 2049 is set thirty years after the original film, expanding the vivid dystopic universe and the deep philosophical questions brought forth all the way back in 1982. Perhaps the most unexpected query to come out of the movie. . . can a world truly be dystopic if people are still listening to the one and only Frank Sinatra? At least to me, it cannot be too far gone if there is still the music of Ol’ Blue Eyes. Transporting us into the world in almost the exact same fashion as the original, director Denis Villeneuve (with original director Ridley Scott now executive producing) miraculously captures the original fusion of futuristic sci fi and film noir, with touches of his own unique style – all done in a more expansive, epic way.

It’s funny. As I chatted with my cousin while on the way to see Logan, I mentioned one of the most frustrating aspects of comic book movies – that it is somehow expected that the newest effort has to outdo the previous one, which is then interpreted by going bigger in the realm of special effects and mind-numbing final battles that end up feeling more than ludicrous (even for a sci fi fantasy). That is why I was so pleasantly surprised by James Mangold’s 2017 offering; a more personal, pared down feature that, at its heart, is about learning to live with your past, as well as recovery and redemption. Taking a page from the popularity of last year’s Deadpool, Logan does not hold back in the realm of violence, profanity, and one small moment of nudity. Set approximately a decade into the future, the opening shot may be jarring to some fans of the X-Men franchise. When we first see Hugh Jackman’s titular character – his big, bushy beard (not the perfectly trimmed mutton chops) and hair flecked with grey, it is an aged Wolverine like we have never seen. He more closely resembles a modern day Mel Gibson (perhaps after a lengthy bender) than the regenerative, sarcastic being we know and love. He is haggard, depressed and has lost a step. . . maybe even two. It is a world that has not seen the birth of a mutant in quite some time, and these gifted individuals are dying out.

It’s funny how the brain works. As I sat waiting for Andy Muschietti’s It to project onto the screen, I thought of what a disappointment it would be for the crowd if they had misconstrued the title – in for an unwelcome surprise as “I.T.”, the story of an ordinary Information Technology guy who struggles with work on a daily basis, popped up onscreen instead. Thankfully, that was not the case. It is very much a two-pronged film; a coming of age dramedy and a horror flick, the former works extremely well, the latter falls more into the average range. Set in the late 1980s, the town of Derry, Maine (Port Hope, Ontario a perfect stand-in the for the quaint locale that holds multiple mysteries) has six times the national average when it comes to disappearances and murders.

Let’s be honest – we don’t go to see a movie like Spider-Man: Homecoming for its shocking twists and turns. Now on its second reboot since the Tobey Maguire starring, Sam Raimi directed 2002 film, it draws us to the theatre as it is a known commodity, a popcorn flick that we feel comfortable settling in to. . . and its biggest twist is probably that the creative team chose to go with The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” instead of the band’s remake of the Spiderman theme song. Also, there is a little twist with the second post credit scene, a cheeky cameo that will have some happy they persevered, while others will complain that it didn’t pay off. Directed by Jon Watts, the narrative follows unusual high schooler Peter Parker (Tom Holland – the first time an actual teen has been cast in the part), the web-slinger must contend with those complicated teenage years, while also doubling as a quote/unquote intern with Stark Industries – motor-mouthed Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) flits in and out as the kid’s mentor.

A woman – bruised, battered and alone in a cool, sterile bathroom, attempting to lick her copious wounds (literally and figuratively) prior to being brought before an equally uninviting clandestine location filled with higher ups is the lead in (to clarify, it is the second scene) to the new David Leitch (co-director of the first John Wick) action thriller Atomic Blonde – based on the graphic novel “The Coldest City” by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. Set during the last days of the Cold War, the female spy is Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron), an MI6 agent who, ten days previously, had been sent into Berlin to complete an unenvious mission. Retelling her tale to her twitchy superior, Eric Gray (Toby Jones), and the seemingly more daunting CIA agent, Emmett Kurzfeld (John Goodman), she is watched closely by Chief ‘C’ (James Faulkner), who sits just behind a one-way mirror – it feels like the dame is utterly alone, perhaps more fragile than she has ever been before.

Very much a coming of age story, Patty Jenkins’ 2017 comic book film Wonder Woman is a tale of adventure and self discovery, a sweeping journey into all of the beauty and horrors this planet, and those living on it, must contend with. A young Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), for those of you who do not know, is an Amazonian princess, the daughter of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), living on the untraceable island of Themyscira. Mixed up in the age old story of the Greek Gods, their protector Zeus, though dying by the hand of his war driven son Ares, is able to protect the race and give them a weapon for when the God of War mends his wounds and returns to create havoc once more (the historic scene is beautifully depicted as if we were observing a moving Italian fresco).