Author: DamianLevy

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021) Review: Peter Problems The last 2 years have been tension filled for cinemas, and cinema lovers. We’ve all watched with bated breath to see the theatres we spent so many summers in weather the storm of stagnant business. Films have been sold on their ability to deliver a once in a lifetime cinema experience. Titans have battled, Bond came back, and somehow, the Matrix will be resurrected. Now as the year comes to a close, your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man has returned to give audiences a reason to go back to the cinemas.Yet the film’s reunion isn’t quite as romantic. ‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ sees Peter Parker facing the demons of his past. Well, sort of. Demons of Peter Parker, just not the one played so nervously by Tom Holland. How they get there is a mix of Doctor Strange magic, and Peter Parker idiocy. Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx are among the most frequent familiar faces, yet there’s a slight disconnect. It’s fun to see their characters played once again by their original actors, but they can sometimes feel out of place.The characters shine when the movie plays to their strengths. Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus have some of the film’s most tender moments, carrying with them the sincerity of their original roles. Dafoe and Molina are the scene stealers in the movie, with a special mention to Dafoe for bringing back the terror he…

'Venom Let Ther Be Carnage' (2021) Review: Symbiote Squabbles At just over 90 minutes, ‘Venom Let There Be Carnage’ is miniscule compared to your usual comic book blockbuster. The film is content with keeping things brief, something that mostly works to the movie’s advantage. The action is charged and all semblance of fat has been trimmed, but viewers might find themselves out of breath by the end of the first act.The sequel sprints from the starting line and keeps momentum at a near disorienting speed. It blazes through what feel like important story details, and keeps you from taking stock of them before it moves on to the next scene. Thankfully, once it’s laid down the building blocks with haste, ‘Venom Let There Be Carnage’ has a solid foundation for the main attraction.Watching Tom Hardy argue with himself is once again a sight to behold. Venom and Eddie Brock might be joined at the hip, but their minds are far from symbiotic in this film. Turns out, an alien being with a hunger for human flesh is a less than ideal roommate. Especially one that you can’t ever get away from. Then again Eddie Brock’s narcissism doesn’t make him an ideal candidate for friendship. The movie makes you invested in the relationship between host and symbiote much like a bickering couple in a romantic comedy. ‘Venom Let There Be Carnage’ cares more about the relationships with its characters, than the overall plot. A…

'Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings' (2021) Review: Martial Arts Marvel After crafting a universe spanning 24 films, multiple television series, the 25th film in the interconnected Marvel franchise attempts to go back to basics. Introducing a new face to its ever growing pantheon of characters with Shang-Chi, the first ever Asian leading a major American superhero blockbuster. As the audience meets Shang for the first time, we enter into a world that’s become all too familiar, almost to the movie’s detriment. It’s a difficult thing to evoke surprise in a universe where the impossible has been seen time and time again. The film acknowledges this in Shang Chi’s first fight. In it he battles a gang of experienced martial artists, and a man with a glowing blade for a hand, adequately named Razor Fist. Instead of shock and awe, the onlookers are mostly unbothered by what’s occurring. One character even seized the opportunity to live stream the event to his audience. The indifference of the citizens lets the action commence without consequence as Simu Liu tears through his opponents like a Jackie Chan tribute artist.The film’s attitude towards its more fantastic elements reflects the journey of Shang Chi himself. He’s a young, unmotivated millennial with no conception of anything close to a 5 year plan. As the movie progresses Shang is revealed as less of a hero in the making, but more of a reluctant one. As he moves closer…

'Respect' (2021) Review: Requiem For A Queen There are many roles that feel like the result of divine intervention. Actors who come along at the right time for the performance they were born to play. For Jennifer Hudson, that destiny is manifested in ‘Respect’, as she pays tribute to the Queen of Soul. Hudson was even selected by Franklin herself. Still, while the royal appointment was made, the rest of the film had the work of doing justice to the story of an icon. Thankfully, ‘Respect’ delivers. The film is a moving story that chronicles the journey of a young woman beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. From her controlling father to her abusive husband, much of Aretha Franklin’s story is portrayed as a tale of the world's strongest voices being silenced at every turn. The darker elements of this biopic give the movie a sense of despair, yet through it all Hudson gives Franklin a quiet resilience. There’s a confidence she has in moments of dread. Whether it’s confidence in her talent, or her trust in the Lord, Hudson moves with a faith that’s tested repeatedly throughout the film. The movie is also a who’s who of 60s and 70s. Legends like Dinah Washingston and Smokey Robinson make brief appearances. Beyond the music, the film makes a point of Franklin’s activism. ‘Respect’ is a wide reaching and expansive film that takes a person who…

'The Suicide Squad' (2021) Review: Dream Team For the uninitiated, comic books can be incomprehensible. They’re chock full of strange elements of a wide variety. Yet beneath the trippy visuals and concepts, lies an undeniable humanity in its characters, and their stories. The Suicide Squad is a film that embraces that truth, leaning into the weird and delivering a movie that has more heart than most blockbuster movies. That, and a giant bipedal shark with the voice of Rocky Balboa.‘The Suicide Squad’ depicts the latest mission of Task Force X. A team composed of the most disposable supervillains in DC comics. Villains such as Idris Elba’s Bloodsport, John Cena’s Peacemaker, and most importantly, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. The mission is simple. In the dead of night sneak into the island nation Corto Maltese, infiltrate their secret facility, and destroy the mysterious “Project Starfish” before it can be used as a weapon against the United States. Along the way they’ll encounter numerous obstacles, most of which are self imposed. The Suicide Squad isn’t the most accomplished team, but it’s by far the most entertaining. Their antics and mishaps are also profoundly bloody. The violence in ‘The Suicide Squad’ is visceral and gratuitous, lingering on grotesque imagery, but not quite long enough to process what you just witnessed. Viewer discretion is highly advised for the faint of heart. Despite it’s gore, the movie is also remarkably beautiful. It manages to create empathy for the worst of…