Latest news with #DonMorton
Metropolis Japan
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Superman
By Don Morton Super reboot 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' may not exactly ring true these days, but Superman's motto served close to a century of comic books, TV shows and movies, and some hope we Yanks can regain the power and trust those words once implied. Maybe we need a… Look! Up in the sky! I was a fan from early on, starting with the DC comic books and then the B&W television show in the '60s starring George Reeves. So of course I ate up Richard Donner's seminal movie in 1978 Starring Christopher Reeve. Looking back, however, how were we to know that this entertaining flick would arguably kick off the endless tsunami of superhero sequels, prequels, origin stories, remakes and reimaginings that has come to define Hollywood's lack of originality? I stopped bothering with the genre a few years ago, at about the time when Coppola and Scorsese redefined superhero flicks as theme parks rather than actual movies. I simply had nothing to say about the endless combinations and permutations that lazy filmmakers came up with to lure pre-teen butts into theater seats. But I went to see James Gunn's reportedly new take on the Man of Steel. It was getting some good press for its fresh approach and was supposed to be pretty funny. Plus there's nothing else opening this weekend. Refreshingly non-macho Cast-wise, the new Superman, David Corenswet, does what needs to be done without getting all macho about it. Refreshing, that. A delight is Mrs. Maisel herself, Rachel Brosnahan, as Lois Lane, managing the right blend of glamor, grit and wit. The weakness is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The man's a gifted actor but simply lacks the weight for the part. He's no Gene Hackman. The good stuff: Since this is Gunn's re-launch of the DC universe, there's little need to catch up on dozens of origin movies; no homework. Then there's the emphasis on fun. The movie concentrates on the lighter side of being able to leap tall buildings at a single bound. Despite its tentpole status, it even dips into satire of its own genre with the introduction of the 'Justice Gang,' the comically vain members of which can't even agree on their name. Great stuff. It's human scale, whimsical, silly, positive and intentionally cornball. The whole thing feels like a comic book but, you know, in the best way. Oh, and there's a superpowered flying dog. Have fun. (129 min)
Metropolis Japan
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Metropolis Japan
F1: The Movie
By Don Morton Cruise is jealous The old auto-racing chestnut has been done before. Many many many times. And it will be done again. But I seriously doubt it will ever again be done better, or even this well. Not what you expected from an old cynic like me? Well, credit where credit is due. The action scenes are, as you might expect from Joseph Kosinski, the guy who directed Top Gun: Maverick, state of the art, you-are- there and totally believable. The between-races melodrama — about a veteran race driver (Brad Pitt) coming out of retirement to mentor a talented young rookie (Damson Idris) on an underdog racing team — is surprisingly coherent and no dopier than it needs to be. Javier Bardem is effective as the team leader, and Kerry Condon nails it as the car-designing love interest. But let's be honest; the film succeeds mostly on Pitt's breezy charm. His character is not above wink-wink skullduggery and making creative use of the sport's myriad rules and regulations to gain an often decisive second or two on the track. Movies like this can, literally, go around in circles and quickly grow dull. Kosinski brilliantly prevents this from happening. It runs two and a half hours with never a dull moment. An instant classic. The movie had me at the opening race; a stroke of genius was backing up the sequence's vroom-vroom with Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. Magic! Big screen, please. For the sound. (155 min)
Metropolis Japan
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
28 Years Later
By Don Morton Infectious entertainment Back in 2002, with 28 Days Later. director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland blew up our expectations of what a zombie movie might be by having the brain-hungry masses running rather than the more traditional (Romeroian?) lumbering menacingly. (Yes, I know. The drooling evildoers in this franchise are not strictly zombies as they are not undead but rather infected with the classically named 'rage' virus.) 2007's sequel, 28 Weeks Later, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo) had the US military trying to isolate the virus and create a safe area for the survivors. It goes without saying that this latest sequel benefits from our having together undergone a global pandemic. Boyle's back at the helm and Garland at the typewriter, and they haven't lost their potency or their unique ability to shock and surprise. It is also, at points, quite moving. Tech note: Boyle shot this largely on iPhones and drone cams. Now, a group of survivors ekes out a medieval living on an island connected to the mainland UK only by a shallow causeway that floods twice a day. The central character is young Spike (Alfie Williams), who undertakes a mission to no-man's land along with his dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) to find a doctor for his ailing mom (Jodie Comer). I'll let you discover the A-list actor that revitalizes the third act. Big screen, please. For the sound. (115 min)
Metropolis Japan
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Novocaine
By Don Morton A painless viewing experience When the new love (Amber Midthunder) of a mild-mannered bank assistant manager (Jack Quaid) is kidnapped, he brushes off his 'superpower' and leaps to the rescue. You see, he suffers from something called congenital analgesia (a real thing), preventing him from feeling any sort of pain. I had fun with this slapstick romantic actioner, but it's far from perfect. You can't say the directors, Dan Berk & Robert Olsen, haven't explored every possible aspect of an unfeeling action hero, and the earlier, rom-com scenes are above average and charming. (Fun fact: If Jack's goofy grin and infectious cheerfulness seem familiar, it's because he's the son of none other than Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.) On the whole, it's surprisingly relatable and deeper than you may think. But the latter, admittedly inventive action and fight scenes get unnecessarily violent and gory. The directing duo's previous work (Significant Other, Villains, Body) are all in the cheapo horror genre. The third act drags on forever, and the villains are not all that threatening. I wouldn't mind if this turned out to be an origin story. I'd watch a sequel before most big-budget Marvel flicks. But the directors need to leave the gore behind and grow up a bit. (110 min)
Metropolis Japan
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Megalopolis
By Don Morton He did it his way A lot of self-appointed cinema experts have commented on what a financial flop this movie is, noting that Francis Ford Coppola spent $100 million of his own money on it and is unlikely to ever see a profit. But what they don't know is that Coppola is admired, not for making moneymakers, but for making the films he wants to make. He made movies like The Godfathe r (I&II) and Apocalypse Now so he could fund The Conversation, One From the Heart and Rumble Fish. Francis has never shied away from risk, and maybe today's film industry needs more of that. So, what's it about? Reader, I have no friggin' idea. The production notes call it 'An epic Roman fable set in an imagined modern America.' Here's some of the critical buzz: 'Dazzling and audacious, uncompromising, satirical yet sincere, magical, meandering and maddening, windy, overstuffed, baffling, too talky, an idea-bloated monstrosity, a garish wonder to behold, a nakedly personal statement.' See what I mean? The massive, often baffled but uniformly committed cast includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, and dozens more. The whole thing eventually buckles under its own weight, but it's a thrilling demolition to behold. In sum, it's precisely the movie Coppola wanted to make. Whether it's a movie you want to watch depends on who you are, and I can't help you there. It's one of those you have to see to believe. Then we'll talk. (138 min)
