Monthly Archives: January 2019

Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2019) Review: An Aquired Acid Trip If you were a certain age, specifically 8, growing up at a certain time, specifically the late 90s to the early 2000s, there was one show you were unable to escape. Dragon Ball Z. The show that chronicled the adventures of Goku, a protagonist who is equal parts Superman, and Jesus all mixed into one spiky haired strong man. Sent to earth to avoid being hunted down by his planet’s authorities, Goku remains one of the only survivors of his race, the Saiyans. For years, Goku reigned as the strongest there was. That is of course, until the subject of this new film arrived: Broly. Those unfamiliar with the mythos can relax. ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ does a reasonable job with catching you up to speed on the two characters you’ll be following the most. Goku and Broly. The first 20 minutes is devoted to what began their stories. Broly being marooned as a child on a volatile planet where the only source of sustenance is a viscous yellow liquid, and Goku having been sent to earth with the love of his friends and family. It’s a retelling of the Charles Dickens classic ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ if instead of the French Revolution, it centred on two super aliens throwing each other into mountains. After that 20 minute grace period, the film essentially throws you in the deep end and hopes…

Glass (2018) Review: Frustratingly Imperfect After almost 20 years the story that began at the start of the millenia has come to a close. ‘Glass’ concludes what began in 2000’s ‘Unbreakable’, and continued in 2017’s ‘Split’. This time reuniting the characters of David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis, and Elijah Price, played by Samuel L. Jackson, each now going by ‘The Overseer’, and ‘Mr. Glass’ as their superhuman moniker. In the middle, there’s James McAvoy as ‘The Horde’ whose multiple personalities pose a threat to the civilian population, particularly ‘The Beast’. If ‘Unbreakable’ is a family drama disguised as a superhero movie, and ‘Split’ is a horror flick disguised as a superhero movie, then ‘Glass’ is a psychological thriller. It poses a central question to the viewer. Do these people actually have abilities, or are they the victims of psychological delusions? The way it plays with this idea is intriguing and compelling, and under some incredible direction. M Night Shyamalan may not have the best track record, but his ability behind the camera is well thought out, massively creative, and a testament to the craft. When it comes to the writing? Not so much. ‘Glass’ has some incredible direction and acting, but it seriously falters in the writing department. For a film that’s taking a fantastic idea like superheroes and breaking it down for the real world, the characters can sound remarkably cartoonish. A scene can be composed beautifully with some of…