Spirited (2022) review (re-upload)

Does this new take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol manage to distinguish itself from the countless adaptations of the legendary novel that have been made before it, or is it just a dull cash-grab trying to capitalize on the holiday season and the popularity of its lead actors? Let's find out the answer to this as we prepare to get: 

Happy holidays, everyone! Although I'm familiar with 1843's A Christmas Carol, the main selling point of this movie for me was seeing comedic actors Will Ferrell (aka Buddy the elf in 2003's Elf (another classic Chistmas flick), the eponymous lead of the 2010 DreamWorks film Megamind, and Lord Business in 2014's The Lego Movie) and Ryan Reynolds (who's become beloved for his role as the title character in the Deadpool franchise) share the screen. I'm more than pleased to say Spirited is a heck of a good time and something I can definitely see myself and/or my family watching on future holiday occasions, so let's go into what gives this Christmas movie its 'soul'!

Spirited follows the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who, led by Jacob Marley, spend every year engaging in research and preparation to 'haunt' a human soul (which they refer to as 'perps') at Christmas-time, with the intent of making them better individuals. However, a media consultant by the name of Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) ends up catching the attention of Present (Will Ferrell), who manages to convince a reluctant Marley to let him, and the other Ghosts make Clint their next 'haunt' target. Can Present succeed at redeeming Clint, who has been labeled by Marley as an 'unredeemable' soul?

What makes Spirited stand out from previous adaptations of A Christmas Carol is how it presents the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come's 'haunts' as their job (i.e., akin to how monsters scaring kids in Pixar's Monsters Inc. is depicted as their job in society) in a 'company' located in the afterlife, complete with support 'divisions' that specialize in providing for different facets of the Ghosts' 'haunts' (e.g., spirits who build recreations of various parts of the haunt 'victim's' lives, spirits who trigger flashbacks or visions of the present or future upon request from the Ghosts, etc.), among other things. In addition, the film asks the question, 'What if the Ghost of Christmas Present had more dimensions to him as a character (e.g., was more than just a one-dimensional plot device)?', and ties his growth to Clint's in a way that feels organic and compelling; Present sees Clint as not so different from how the former used to be (in a surprising way that's revealed in the second act), which makes Present more invested in seeing Clint redeemed. While Spirited may more-or-less follow the same plot beats as precursory A Christmas Carol adaptations, it can be argued that it adds enough new elements to distinguish itself from its predecessors!

Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds lead a very talented cast in this holiday flick, and after seeing them onscreen together, I'm surprised they haven't costarred in more films! With both of them being such scene-stealing presences in their respective individual movies, there's arguably a risk of one actor overshadowing the other, but thankfully, that isn't the case in Spirited! Ferrell and Reynolds bounce off each other impressively, which makes the moments of humor between them land even harder, and as enjoyable as they may be together, they also bring their respective characters to life (individually speaking) quite believably. While Ferrell does have his share of humorous moments throughout Spirited's runtime, it's interesting how in this movie, he acts as something of a 'straight-man' to Reynolds, with Present becoming increasingly frustrated by Clint's stubbornness and 'genre savviness', characteristics which Reynolds conveys onscreen with little discernible effort. What I was notably pleased by was how believable Ferrell was at depicting Present's insecurities regarding his deeds in his past life (which I'll leave at that, to avoid going into spoiler territory); it shows viewers that while Ferrell is in his element delivering laughs, he does have the range necessary to add emotional nuance to his characters, and as someone who's struggled with self-doubt, I found Present's moments of self-conflict compelling, which is testament to Ferrell's acting abilities. On the other hand, Reynolds owns his character's numerous comedic moments, which, combined with his natural charisma, help to prevent Clint from becoming an outright loathsome character, which is essential in a story about redemption. In addition, Reynolds manages to 'sell' Clint's more dramatic moments (e.g., what's depicted throughout the flick's third act) in a way that feels believable, which helps to convey to audiences what's at stake throughout the climax. While Ferrell and Reynolds are easily the highlights of the cast, Tracy Morgan deserves special mention as the voice of the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come; while the character merely plays a supporting role, Morgan's rather un-intimidating voice coming out of a figure as foreboding as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come (who was portrayed on-set by former professional basketball player Loren Woods) is the perfect type of vocal dissonance for the kind of movie Spirited is! The rest of the cast, consisting of the likes of Octavia Spencer as Kimberly, Clint's assistant, Sunita Mani as the Ghost of Christmas Past (who goes by Bonnie), and Patrick Page (aka Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin in the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) as Jacob Marley all manage to do a commendable job in their respective roles (though Kimberly arguably could have had more to 'do' as a character), though it's safe to say Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds are the leads for a darn good reason!

Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who previously made a splash with their work on La La Land and The Greatest Showman, serve as the songwriters on Spirited, and suffice to say, they conjured up another banger of a soundtrack! While the songs admittedly may not be Encanto levels of memorable (then again, trying to outdo the musical wizardry of Lin-Manuel Miranda is a nearly impossible feat in itself), they are nonetheless still a highlight of the overall movie! From "That Christmas Morning Feelin" that the film both opens and ends with, to "Bringin' Back Christmas", which acts as one big 'establishing character moment' for Clint Briggs, to "Good Afternoon" (which unfolds in the backdrop of 1800s England, where the original A Christmas Carol novel took place), Spirited's compilation of songs are incredibly fun to listen to! This can be attributed to Pasek and Paul's engaging songwriting as well as entertaining dance choreography (which incorporates very impressive tap dancing courtesy of the film's choreographer, Chloe Arnold) that make the musical numbers that much more engrossing. However, the 'piece de resistance' has to be Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds making for terrific singers on top of their acting & comedic abilities, as when they perform the songs, there's little doubt that it's actually them singing (it helps that Reynolds in particular has prior experience performing musically, as seen here), which makes it easier to get enveloped in the spectacle unfolding in terms of visuals and audio. If you're the kind of person who watches musicals primarily for the songs sprinkled throughout, you're in luck, because Spirited certainly delivers in this 'department'!

I had a thoroughly great time watching Spirited, as it delivers a fun new take on the Christmas Carol narrative, topped off by enjoyable musical numbers, numerous laugh-out loud moments, and the comedic pairing we never knew we needed to see in the form of Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, who play off each other especially well and make me want more movies with them co-starring! I wouldn't go so far as to say it's up there with Home Alone and Die Hard in terms of holiday flicks, but Spirited was the most unabashed fun I'd had with a movie (in 2022) since Bullet Train (which came out the same year, albeit released in theaters, unlike Spirited), and I strongly recommend giving it a watch (especially if you have an Apple TV+ account, which is where it's streaming on), even if it's not that 'time of year'; while it may be perfect for the Christmas season, I'd say you'll get a comparable amount of enjoyment out of watching it regardless of the time of year it is! Hope everyone reading this have very happy holidays, and here's to 2024!

Five Nights At Freddy's (2023) review

Is this adaptation of the beloved video game franchise worth the almost 10-year wait, or does it deserve to be stuffed inside a Fazbear suit and left to rot? Let's uncover the answer to this question as we make it through: 

Five Nights At Freddy's (also abbreviated as FNAF) follows Mike Schmidt, who was just given the boot from his position as a mall security guard over a heat-of-the-moment misunderstanding. In order to provide for his younger sister Abby (as their mother has long since passed away and their father left shortly after), Mike takes up a security position at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, essentially a fictional version of places such as Chuck E. Cheese that was once extremely popular during the 1980s, but was ultimately abandoned following the disappearance of 5 children at the pizzeria. However, shortly after Mike starts his new gig, he comes to learn that the pizzeria's animatronic mascots come to life at night and are hostile to (almost) everyone. As Mike learns more about the family entertainment center's history, the plot thickens whilst steadily becoming much darker and more personal than Mike or Abby could imagine...

As someone not deeply familiar with the FNAF lore prior to seeing this movie, I was pleasantly surprised with how thoroughly invested I was in the narrative; the way Mike's story arc (trying to figure out the identity of who abducted his younger brother Garrett years beforehand) ends up intertwining with the mystery of the missing pizzeria kids helps to keep the main plotline engaging, even if one is already familiar with the backstory behind the animatronics' sentience from the games; the way the plot threads connect with one another makes things intriguing enough that one can't help but have to know how things are going to be resolved, which is testament to the screenwriting of Seth Cuddeback, FNAF's director Emma Tammi, and Scott Cawthon, the man who created FNAF in the first place (who also has a 'story' credit and serves as a producer on the film). Combine this with more Easter eggs to the wider series than can be listed here, and you have a flick that's written in a way that long-time fans will relish while serving as an effective introduction to the FNAF franchise for newcomers!

It can be confidently said that the child actors who portray the missing kids (Grant Feely, Asher Colton Spence, David Houston Doty, Jophielle Love, and Liam Hendrix) have bright futures ahead of them (career-wise), as their performances (particularly Feely's) manage to come off as mysterious and disconcerting (in a good way, mind you), and help to amplify the atmosphere of the scenes they're in. While the rest of the 'human' cast do well in their respective roles (especially child actress Piper Rubio as Mike's sister Abby), special props have to go to Matthew Lillard (best known as the current voice of Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo franchise, having also played the character in the 2 live-action movie adaptations released in the early 2000s) WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! as the FNAF series' iconic 'big bad' William Afton. Lillard successfully captures the aura of a depraved (and abusive on top of that) child murderer, and despite Afton being such a despicable piece of work onscreen, Lillard somehow infuses his portrayal with enough liveliness/charisma that viewers will likely be unable to help but be hooked when Afton emerges to wreak havoc. Being able to tow this line of playing someone so reprehensible whilst being a treat to watch onscreen isn't exactly an easy feat, yet Lillard manages to pull it off rather deftly; it helps that he does have experience playing a repulsive, yet enjoyable to watch serial killer, having previously made a name for himself playing Stu Macher in the late Wes Craven's 1996 slasher Scream. While there could've been other options in terms of who to play William Afton that might have been impressive in their own rights, END SPOILERS Matthew Lillard arguably makes the role his own, and is a more-than-worthy addition to the cast of Five Nights At Freddy's!

For the main animatronics of FNAF, the filmmakers could have easily chosen to realize them onscreen via digital effects, but instead, recruited none other than Jim Henson's Creature Shop, a puppetry and visual effects company which has a filmography including The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, the very first live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adaptation (from 1990), and of course, the two most recent Muppets movies. Suffice to say, director Emma Tammi made the right call bringing Jim Henson's Creature Shop on board, as the resulting animatronics are incredibly faithful to their video game counterparts, and the fact that they're physical creations present on-set adds to both the atmosphere of their scenes and the performances of the human cast (when the animatronics share the screen with them) in a way that only practical effects could bring out. In an era where CGI dominates mainstream films, it becomes that much easier to appreciate instances where practical effects like what Jim Henson's Creature Shop produced are utilized, and even if one isn't really into the FNAF series, one could argue it's worth seeing this adaptation just to appreciate the hard work and craftsmanship that went into bringing the iconic animatronics to life onscreen! Heck, part of me is glad Five Nights At Freddy's is currently doing so well at the box office, as maybe this will prove to Hollywood that there's still a strong appetite among film-goers for practical effects with the level of care and attention to detail showcased in this movie!

If it wasn't obvious already, I very much enjoyed Five Nights At Freddy's, as while it may not be on the level of classics like Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street, it provides an intriguing mystery-thriller plot that's accessible to general audiences whilst being a narrative hardcore franchise fans can appreciate, has a well-directed and talented cast who prove you don't need to have the biggest stars on the planet to create decent characters, and terrific work on the animatronics for Freddy and co courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and you have an ideal movie for the Halloween season that arguably deserves the financial success it's been enjoying!

Blue Beetle (2023) review

Is DC's latest comic book movie the breath of fresh air the brand needs after the box office disaster that was The Flash, or is this flick proof that DC is beyond saving on the big screen (with the exception of The Batman films helmed by Matt Reeve and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker films)? Let's find out as we look at:

Blue Beetle follows Jaime Reyes, a young college graduate who, upon returning home to Palmera City, finds his family is in financial straits, with his father and uncle having been forced to shut down their auto-repair business, putting the Reyes at risk of eviction. Jaime's search for employment to aid his struggling family leads to a series of events that culminate in him unexpectedly becoming the latest host for an extraterrestrial artifact called the Scarab, which grants Jaime an array of superhuman abilities produced from a set of futuristic armor that forms around his body. With the nefarious Victoria Kord, CEO of Kord Industries, gunning for the Scarab as the final piece of her OMAC (an acronym for 'One Man Army Corps') military project, can the Reyes family, with the help of Victoria's benevolent niece Jenny, figure out how to get the Scarab off of Jaime?

At first glance, Blue Beetle's premise doesn't seem much different from superhero flicks such as the first Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man and 2008's Iron Man before it. However, what sets this movie apart from the aforementioned Marvel flicks is its focus on not just Jaime, but his family as well. Unlike numerous similar supporting characters in previous comic-book movies, the Reyes family are present to witness Jaime being 'chosen' by the Scarab and subsequently becoming Blue Beetle for the first time. As a result, the Reyes clan have a greater role to play alongside Jaime as the plot subsequently unfolds, and the stakes that are produced end up feeling more 'personal' since they're "All in this together" (to borrow a phrase from one of the most iconic musical numbers of High School Musical). This sense of personal stakes even extends to the climax (WARNING: SPOILERS), as while stopping Victoria Kord’s OMAC project is an objective, the primary objective for the Reyes is rescuing Jaime, who’s been captured by Victoria for the Scarab embedded in him (END SPOILERS). Jaime and his family's dynamics with one another and the struggles they go through together are what give the film a beating ‘heart’ (emotionally speaking), and therefore can make viewers more readily invested in seeing the Reyes come out on top over the daunting odds stacked against them.

What is also commendable about Blue Beetle is the message it communicates of how not all well-off people are arrogant, condescending jerks, which is epitomized through the dichotomy between Victoria and Jenny Kord. On one hand, Victoria is pretty much what one expects from a usual ‘upper-class scum’ type of antagonist, even going so far as to derogatively refer to the Reyes family as “Edge Keys trash”. Jenny, conversely, is stated early on to be regularly engaged in philanthropic work (using the resources afforded to her as a member of the board of Kord Industries), and is shown to be deeply compassionate toward the Reyes family, offering to find Jaime an alternate means of employment at Kord Industries after his sticking up for her (when a confrontation between Jenny and Victoria over the latter’s OMAC project goes sideways) contributes to his dismissal from his current lowly gig (as a cleaning person for Victoria’s estate) and actively works to help the Reyes in the mission to try to get the Scarab off Jaime.

Furthering this theme of showing that not all affluent people are bad can be seen in the progression of the Reyes’ relationship with Jenny Kord. At the start of the film, the family, especially Jaime’s Uncle Rudy, have disgruntlement/disdain for virtually anyone & everything with the Kord name, due to the negative impact the company’s activities are leaving on the Reyes and their neighborhood. This isn’t helped when Jenny spontaneously handing off the Scarab to Jaime ultimately leads to the alien tech unexpectedly bonding to the latter, which later puts Jaime and his family in Victoria’s crosshairs. However, Jenny sticking by the Reyes’ sides and doing what she can to help resolve the main conflict (along with revealing that her missing father, Ted Kord, had been Blue Beetle decades prior to the film’s events, much to the surprise of Rudy in particular, who turns out to have been a great admirer of Kord’s hero work) leads to her becoming an extremely close ally of the Reyes by the end of the movie.

Although Blue Beetle’s plot doesn’t exactly break new ground in terms of superhero film narratives, the great amount of heart offered by Jaime and his fellow Reyes family members, along with the deep care they have for one another, can make it rather easy for viewers to become invested in seeing them triumph against everything Victoria Kord throws their way throughout the plot.

While the entire cast by-and-large are commendable in their respective roles, it’s the actors & actresses behind the Reyes clan that really ‘take the cake’, collectively succeeding in capturing Hispanic family dynamics onscreen in a way that feels authentic and engaging. However, in terms of this set of supporting cast members in particular, George Lopez is easily the standout as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy, as his sense of comedic timing enables him to steal the show in some of the film’s most humorous moments, whilst maintaining a likable presence. In addition, while Lopez nails his comedic bits, he also manages to shine during his character’s more somber scenes, most notably a quiet one-on-one Jaime and Rudy share during the middle of the flick’s second act (it’s the scene where Rudy’s “The universe has sent you a gift” line from the trailers can be heard). Suffice to say, if any members of the Reyes family besides Jaime return in future installments of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe (DCU) ‘shared universe’ series of films in the future, I hope Lopez’s Rudy is one of them! Finally, Xolo Maridueña (aka Miguel Diaz in the Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai) plays Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle; after Puerto Rican director Angel Manuel-Soto was first brought on to helm Blue Beetle, Maridueña was the first actor Soto thought of to play Jaime, with Soto stating in 2021, “I couldn’t stop seeing [Maridueña] as the character”; after viewing the finished film, I can see why Soto was so fixated on Maridueña in the lead role, as while the latter’s portrayal isn’t exactly what one would consider Oscar-worthy, it’s nonetheless difficult to picture anyone else in the role, as Maridueña brings a youthful energy to the role (that’s befitting of Jaime’s in-universe age), has believable chemistry with his costars (namely Belissa Escobedo, who plays Jaime’s younger sister Milagro), and succeeds in conveying palpable bewilderment/confusion, most notably during the ‘systems test’ sequence (a highlight of which is arguably how Maridueña delivers the line, “Overreacting?!? YOU KIDNAPPED ME!”), when the Scarab, after bonding to Jaime and forming the Blue Beetle suit on him for the first time, rockets him into orbit and then propels him around Palmera City, with chaotic results. What also stands out about Maridueña's portrayal is how well he conveys emotion through non-verbal physical cues; whether it be an eye roll of exasperation or a head bow of defeat/resignation, Maridueña's execution of these non-verbal beats add a good deal to the scenes they're part of, and serve as a reminder that acting is about more than just delivering lines properly! However, the highlight of Maridueña's performance comes during the second half of Jaime’s ‘boss battle’ against Victoria Kord’s right-hand man Ignacio Carapax in the climax (WARNING: SPOILERS), specifically when Jaime thinks that his Uncle Rudy has just been killed distracting Carapax from delivering the final strike to the young hero. The way Maridueña portrays Jaime’s grief-fueled fury as he goes to town on Carapax reminded me (in a good way, mind you) of Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of the title character during the finale of 2002’s Spider-Man (specifically, after the web-slinger gets a ‘heroic second wind’ as a result of the Green Goblin making one too many taunts threatening to go after one of the former’s loved ones), and makes Jaime turning the tables on Carapax that much more impactful (END SPOILERS). While their costars did quite well in their performances, Xolo Maridueña and George Lopez were arguably the highlights (cast-wise) of Blue Beetle, and they prove that they EARNED their respective roles!

For someone whose previous works don't have much in the way of high-octane action (as far as I know), Angel Manuel-Soto made a solid first impression in terms of the 'action department' of Blue Beetle! From the Scarab's impromptu 'test flight' it takes Jaime on after bonding to him, to two instances of Blue Beetle fighting through Victoria Kord's goons, to the one-on-one bouts against Carapax, this film manages to have its fair share of action sequences that manage to be coherent without sacrificing 'flair' (choreography-wise). In addition, Xolo Maridueña manages to make an effective showcase of the martial arts skills he gained during his time on Cobra Kai, whether it be the spinning kick delivered during Jaime's first fight with Carapax, or the moment when Blue Beetle sends one of Victoria's minions into a mid-air summersault before kicking him into a wall during the film's third act. During production, Angel Manuel-Soto favored the use of practical effects wherever possible, "Not just the practical Blue Beetle suit, but we also used real locations so that we weren’t heavily dependent on visual effects." This emphasis on practicality arguably works in the movie's favor, and helps its action sequences to stand apart (aesthetically) from those of other recent comic-book movies such as last year's Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Thor: Love and Thunder.

If there was anything that could be improved about Blue Beetle (in terms of flaws), Victoria Kord could've had more screentime to be fleshed out; granted, the origin of her despicable and ambitious demeanor is explained onscreen, but providing an opportunity to give her more depth as a character would've benefitted Victoria and the movie in general. Finally, Jaime and Khaji-Da (the Scarab's real "name") could've had more scenes interacting, as this would arguably give their 'relationship' a sense of progression and (WARNING: SPOILERS) could make the moment Khaji-Da stops Jaime from delivering the killing blow to Carapax have much more of an impact (END SPOILERS).

Despite the aforementioned issues, Blue Beetle manages to be a step in the right direction for DC, as Jaime and the rest of his family are very engaging characters that aren't at all hard to root for, the action sequences are enjoyable to watch, and the film has a prominent sense of heart that it wears on its sleeve that can make it easy to get invested in what unfolds onscreen. Suffice to say, I really enjoyed this movie, and if Blue Beetle is any indicator of where the fledgling DC Universe is headed, this successor to the divisive DC Extended Universe has a promising future ahead of it!

Avatar: The Way of Water quick-view

Welcome back to another 'quick-view' everyone! Is this sci-fi epic worth the 13-year wait (since the release of its 2009 predecessor), or is it another instance of a highly anticipated sequel dropping the ball (e.g., Transformers: The Last Knight and Alien 3, to name a few)? Only one way to find out, as we examine: 

Avatar: The Way of Water takes place over a decade after the 2009 original, and follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), who have started a rather sizable family in the time since they drove the morally bankrupt humans of the Resource Development Agency (RDA) off of the awe-inspiring world of Pandora. However, the humans have returned, and with them, none other than Colonel Miles Quaritch (the main antagonist of the first film, played by Stephen Lang), having been revived as a 'Recombinant' (aka 'Recom') and set on exacting retribution for his death at the end of the previous film. The Sully family end up having little choice but to leave the Pandoran jungles they've called home, and take refuge with the Metkayina Na'vi clan, who live near Pandora's reefs. Can the Sullys adapt to this new way of life, and ultimately come out on top against the destructive RDA forces knocking on their doorstep?

I had the privilege of seeing Avatar: The Way of Water the day it came out (December 16), and I am certainly pleased to say this is a must-see flick! While the narrative isn't anything on the level of what Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, or the talent at Pixar Animation Studios have produced, it nonetheless manages to tell a cohesive story that succeeds in being both engaging and well-paced, whilst continuing/expanding upon the pro-environmentalist and anti-colonial themes (to name a few) of the 2009 original. In addition, despite the significant number of subplots that exist alongside the main narrative, writer-director James Cameron manages to ensure that most of them get a reasonable amount of screentime to sufficiently unfold, whilst tying into the thematic messages he's communicating to viewers as well as the overarching plot.

In terms of the cast, Sigourney Weaver, aka Ripley in the Alien franchise and Dr. Grace Augustine in the first Avatar, has to be the biggest surprise as Kiri, the 14-year old adopted daughter of Jake and Neytiri. Despite portraying a character decades younger than herself, Weaver manages to bring Kiri to life so effectively that if one went into the movie not knowing the seasoned actress was playing this new character, they'd likely be hard-pressed to guess it was Weaver! On the other hand, Zoe Saldaña (aka Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), like in the previous film, unequivocally owns the role of Neytiri, infusing her with an emotional multi-dimensionality that makes it pretty easy to get invested in what happens to the character, ESPECIALLY during a pivotal moment in the third act (which I won't give away for spoiler purposes, but those who have seen the movie should likely know what I'm talking about); Saldaña also shines during the various action sequences Neytiri is involved in, bringing the Na'vi warrioress' distinctive physicality and combat skill to life in a way that elevates whatever set piece Neytiri happens to be involved in. The vast majority of the rest of the cast, meanwhile, both returning and newcomers, do a solid job in their respective parts, and collectively serve as an example of how shrewd James Cameron and his casting staff are when it comes to assembling the right actors/actresses for given roles!

Arguably the main highlight of The Way of Water has to be its visual effects (VFX for short), because as revolutionary as the VFX for Avatar may have been (and continue to be), the effects for this movie are on par with, if not superior, to its 2009 predecessor! Potentially the most innovative facet of this part of the movie is the innovations that allowed the filmmakers to use performance capture technology underwater, and 'impressive' probably don't do the end result of what's shown onscreen justice! The underwater scenes depicted onscreen are extremely well-realized, and the work done on them alone are what make The Way of Water a worthy contender for Best Visual Effects at this year's Oscars!

While I'm conflicted about how Avatar: The Way of Water compares to the first Avatar, I feel confident in saying The Way of Water is a clear example of how James Cameron is the guy to turn to if you want a sequel done right! With engaging characters, a more complex (compared to its predecessor) but still coherent narrative, enthralling action sequences, fantastic VFX work, all topped off by a good serving of heart, this is a return to Pandora that's definitely worth watching, especially if you're a fan of sci-fi!

My take on the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars incident

Happy April, everyone! I simply wanted to provide my thoughts on a now-infamous moment from this year's Oscars ceremony:

For those who have been living under a rock for a week, actor/comedian Chris Rock poked fun at Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head (a byproduct of the alopecia the latter has), jokingly calling her 'G.I. Jane'. Moments later, Jada's husband, Will Smith, marched up to where Rock was standing and slapped him, as pictured above, before returning to his seat. Rock subsequently tried to poke fun at what happened, light-heartedly declaring, "Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me!" Smith wasn't finished, though, as he shouted for Rock to keep Jada's name "Out your F***ING mouth!" not once, but twice, with the second instance being much louder and angrier-sounding. Despite this, Smith would ultimately take home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in King Richard, though what would normally be a triumph for most actors would become sullied by what he'd just done prior.

I think it's safe to say Will Smith could've handled this a lot better than what we witnessed; for instance, he could've waited until after the Oscars ceremony finished and met with Chris Rock one-on-one to explain how the latter's attempt at humor was hurtful to Jada. Heck, if all Smith did was shout out (as described above) at Rock without the physical contact, I'm willing to bet this incident wouldn't be anywhere as talked about as it currently is. On the other hand, I can empathize with what motivated Smith to do what he did. Granted, he may have been chuckling at Rock's humor before seeing that Jada did not feel the same way about this ad-lib as Smith did, but if someone said something about, for instance, my little sister in an attempt at humor that was hurtful to her, I for one would make it very clear to said individual that their 'joke' was in poor taste (albeit with words). Not to mention, alopecia, while thankfully not deadly, is something many people could be insecure over (given the hair loss resulting from the condition); as such, Rock arguably went a bit 'further' (verbally) than necessary, even if it was for the sake of comedy. Now, I know some people might say that no one is safe when it comes to who comedy 'jabs' at, but at the same time, there should be some standards to prevent comedians from going too far!

While Will Smith should certainly be called out for his ill-advised conduct at the Oscars, I can't help but feel as though his behavior that night is being overplayed; after all, it's not like he did anything on the level of O.J. Simpson, for crying out loud! And, unlike someone like Kanye West, Smith hasn't exactly been a controversial figure up to this point (not counting the questionable decisions his kids have made that've previously gained coverage), so people shouldn't unanimously turn on him for a single lapse of judgment. Heck, Smith issued a public apology for his actions on social media the very next day, and recently it was revealed that he's voluntarily stepped down from his position at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This establishes that he clearly acknowledges he was out of line and is willing to own up to what he did, so let's cut Smith a bit of slack, dang it! On the other hand, while Chris Rock more than likely had no ill intent when he poked fun at Jada Pinkett-Smith's lack of hair, it could nonetheless still be viewed as insensitive given that Pinkett-Smith didn't exactly ask to have alopecia in the first place; despite this, it's still commendable how Rock doesn't seem to be ruminating on what transpired, and I hope both parties can reconcile with one another so everyone can move past this (though the memes of 'the slap' that've been spreading like wildfire can stay/keep on coming, as I find them to be smile-inducing at worst, and downright hilarious at best)!