The Banker - Just see it

Christopher Reeve once spoke about the power of film. That it can raise awareness and promote change in all aspects of the human condition, especially in regards to injustice and inequality. In my opinion, the real trick in telling these kinds of stories is striking a balance between informing and entertaining the audience. Because movies are and always will be entertainment first and foremost. We watch movies to escape the real world and all of its ugliness, now more than ever. So if you plan on using the medium of film to tell a relevant story and make a valuable statement, it is crucial to do so in a way that still gives the audience what they paid for. Fortunately for us, The Banker is such a film. An entertaining tale of two people fighting against inequality in their own way. 

Inspired by actual events, the story follows a young prodigy named Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and a successful club owner named Joe Moris (Samuel L. Jackson), who decides to take on a career in real estate. However, to do so, he must have assistance from the bank, which will offer no help to him simply because they're black. Eventually, the two men realize that to make their business work, they need to find a way around the broken (racist) system. They get the idea to take on a young white man named Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult) to pose as the face of their business. Together, they buy a bank and start handing out loans for people of all races to purchase homes and start businesses. The only question is, how far can their plans reach? 

The real strength of the film lies with its writing. The witty dialogue, apt character beats, and robust narrative cohesion make for an entertaining and informative yarn. There are more moments of awe in this film's writing than I was expecting. Every once in a while, I found myself watching a scene, then rewinding it to see it again because it was just that cool. 

In all seriousness, the only aspect about this movie I kind of didn't like is that it's only available on Apple TV streaming service. I am glad that it is available on some platform or another, but this is one of the aspects of digital platforms that bothers me the most. That there is so much great content out there only viewable on multiple streaming services. The good news is that you can still see this film and not subscribe if you so choose. Apple TV has a free one week trial, which you can cancel anytime. My recommendation would be to sign up for the free week-long trial, watch the movie, then promptly cancel the whole thing. Unless you find one or two other things there, which you might be interested in. 

In any case, I do highly recommend this film. It is entertaining, informative, and quite timely. It may not feel like it at times, but progress does march onward. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

Joker - An assault and an insult walk into a bar...

This was a long time coming. When I first saw the trailers for this film, I was not sure if I was going to appreciate it, let alone like it. Because on the surface, it did look like a compelling character study with the backdrop of one of the most iconic villains in comic book history. However, my most significant concern was that at its core was, in actuality, a pale imitation of classic films from the 1970s like Taxi Driver. The more I examined the film, the less interested I became in seeing it. Then came it's theatrical release, along with with the reviews, and the audience reaction, all of which kept me from even giving this film a shot. That is, until today, when I finally hunkered down and rented this film to see what all the fuss was really about. As it turns out, all of my initial fears were correct. Everything about this film, say for the genuinely stellar performance by Joaquin Phoenix and haunting music, this movie is an assault! As in the terrible kind that no one should ever have. 

Taking place in the fictional city of Gotham, which is in the middle of a garbage strike, the story follows a man named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who has severe mental health issues. The most difficult of which is a condition that causes him to randomly laugh to the point where it seems to cause him pain. He works as a clown-for-hire, has no social life, is bullied by everyone, and has dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. All the while struggling to take care of his ailing mother. All of this and more build-up to a massive mental breakdown where Arthur, while dressed in his clown gear, kills some Wallstreet jerks on the Subway. This prompts a city-wide "Anti-Rich" movement causing riots and the like. Arthur, enjoying this level of attention, takes on the mantle of Joker and begins embracing his insanity in the worst possible way. 

Now, there is a lot more to this plot, which I didn't go into, but please believe me when I say that this film has no clue what it's doing. 

As I had feared before, Joker is a mere attempt at capturing the essence and original message of the classic film Taxi Driver. In that, it is a story about the ugliness of society, apathy, and arrogance. All of which are important things to address, and have been in significantly better movies. Joker, on the other hand, pretends to understand what it's talking about, under the assumption that throwing shock value at the audience is enough to pass as "deep." The movie doesn't do anything with an ultimate purpose or meaningful goal, it just does stuff because...Martain Scorsese did it. 

The film's most significant problems are twofold: First, it bashes the audience with visual cues and references to better movies without understanding them. Second, it claimed to be a "real movie" disguised as a comic book movie. 

First of all, if you just paste the style of other more accomplished filmmakers onto your own work, all you're gonna do is call attention to what little skill and talent you have yourself. Second, if you want to make an original movie using familiar characters, then do so. Don't make the film then act like you accomplished something superior to everyone else's hard work. Not only does it make you look arrogant, but it's also just mean spirited and wrong. Finally, the idea that the only way to be taken seriously as an artist is to be dark and gritty and depressing is not only outdated, it's stupid! 

Aside from the genuinely excellent lead performance and the gorgeous music, Joker has no redeeming value. It is an insult to your intelligence, an assault on your emotions, and it has no justifiable reason for any of it. If you've managed to miss this film so far, keep on doing so. You can live a long and happy life, having never seen this atrocity.  

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

Terminator needs more spin-offs not sequels

The Terminator series is one of my all-time favorites. The first two films are bastions of excellently crafted sci-fi action. Many people, including myself at some time or another, have argued that there should never have been any more movies after the masterpiece that is Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Mainly for the reason that, given the films ending, there was no room for any more content. While that has not stopped Hollywood from trying, I would personally argue that there is, in actuality, plenty of space for more Terminator content. The only problem is that those who are in a position to provide said content are continually looking in the wrong places. 

For the sake of keeping everyone on the same page, The Terminator is a science fiction action thriller by visionary filmmaker James Cameron released in 1984. The story follows a young woman named Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who becomes the target of a strange and lethal behemoth known only as The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Fortunately for Sarah, she has a companion in Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who is on a mission to protect Sarah from the mysterious walking machine. As it turns out, he and The Terminator are from the future: when an advanced computer system called Skynet gains self-awareness and decides to destroy all humankind. They are met with resistance lead by Sarah's future son, John Connor, who has become a thorn in Skynet's side. Therefore, Skynet sent one of their machine soldiers back in time to kill John's mother, thereby eliminating the resistance. In response, the opposition sent back one of their soldiers to protect Sarah from The Terminator. In the end, Kyle sacrifices himself to save Sarah, The Terminator is defeated, and Sarah rides off with her unborn son preparing for the impending future of war.

The Terminator is one of the greatest movies ever made. It paved the way for future action films and, to this day, serves as a template for how to construct proper action narratives. By having a sympathetic protagonist whom the audience can relate to in some way or another, the action becomes more visceral and engaging. Also, if you build and photograph the movie in a way that is comprehensive and layered, with rises and falls and fun beats in between, it will add a texture to the narrative, thereby making every victory feel earned and more triumphant. All of this and more was elevated even further in the most surprising sequel ever to grace the silver screen.

Released in 1991, Terminator 2: Judgement Day reigns supreme as one of the best sequels and greatest sci-fi action films ever crafted. It is even surpassing the first movie in some ways. This time around, The Terminator (once again played by Arnold) is reprogrammed by the resistance and sent back to project John Connor as a child. Meanwhile, Skynet has sent back a more advanced and powerful machine known as the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), made of malleable liquid metal. As such, it can morph into any person it chooses and reshapes its limbs into knives and other such deadly weapons. At the end of this film, our heroes succeed in preventing the war from ever happening. Thereby saving all of humanity and providing a blank slate for the future. Incidentally, there is where many people, including myself, agree that the franchise should have ended, or expanded upon in unique and more original ways. 

Sadly, that never happened. 

Every one of these films was utterly terrible, with the slight exception of Terminator: Dark Fate. I say "slight" exception because even though I did mostly enjoy that movie, I still had a ton of issues with the script. Meaning I do recognize that it is just as insultingly awful as all the other Terminator films post-Judgement Day, but at the very least, it had more heart in some areas than any of the others combined. Other than that, all of these movies are insulting to the integrity of the series. 

There are many reasons why these films are terrible. However, except for Terminator: Salvation, I believe that the most significant reason these movies are awful is that they all take place in modern times. Most of these films tried and failed to reboot the franchise for new audiences. They were trying to keep what long term fans loved while bringing in new concepts for younger people, which was their greatest mistake. Aside from the conclusion of Terminator 2: Judgement Day leaving no possible room for a story taking place after those events, there has been a veritable goldmine sitting right in front of Hollywood, which they either ignored or simply didn't see. The time travel concept. 

The entire mythology of the Terminators and their future war against humanity is tied to not only the machine's creation of time travel but their apparent reliance upon it. As suggested in Terminator: Genisys, Skynet used time travel as a last resort to win the war. Why would they just stop at sending one or two soldiers to kill the leader of the resistance? As also suggested in Terminator: Dark Fate, they didn't. They sent back many killing machines as contingencies. So, having established all of that, why would they not also send back terminators to other points of time to further their efforts? 

Here's an example: Let's imagine that for this thought experiment, time is not linear. Instead, time is a continually changing mishmash of realities, continuities, and dimensions, all existing simultaneously. Therefore, if we can accept this idea, at least for the sake of argument, then we can work our way around the one narrative wrinkle that some people have had a problem with forever. That being, if Judgement Day didn't happen, then John Connor would not exist, because he would not have sent Kyle Reese back in time to become his father. Anyway, what if Skynet sent back multiple Terminators to various points in time? A machine sent to the 1700s, one to the 1950s, and so on. There is a multitude of stories that can be told with this concept allowing tons of different settings and themes. Be honest, how awesome would it be to see a Terminator as a Cowboy? 

Art by Ben Munson 

Now, some of you might be thinking, "well, even if we did do something like that, it would still be the same story. A Terminator goes back in time to kill someone related o John Connor, and someone else has to protect that person." Well, you would be right. However, there is no reason for this new story to do any of that. Let's imagine that a Terminator was sent back in time to prevent a specific historical event that could go on to play a significant role in the future war. Say a particular political document or the outcome of a previous ancient battle. Any number of ideas could work in this context with the right creative team behind its conception. 

There is a great deal of space for more Terminator stories. None of which requires the dismissal nor continuation of any of the previous films that came before. With the right amount of creative talent and heart, there can be many Terminator films that retain the same amount of excitement and visceral storytelling as the first two. If only the owners of the franchise would realize it as well as we all do. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

I AM MOTHER - Asimov meets Darwin

Of the many reasons I mostly enjoy science fiction, few are as prominent as this: it makes you ask important (if occasionally uncomfortable) questions. Be they about humanity, society, or the Universe as a whole, a decent sci-fi yarn will cause you to contemplate the human condition in one way or another. Today's Netflix original film, I AM MOTHER, is such a story. Aside from one or two somewhat annoying plot holes here and there, this movie is loaded with symbolism and character beats that provide a robust and intellectually satisfying narrative. How good is this film? Well, it makes subtle nods to Blade Runner. That should give you a clue.

Taking place sometime after a massive extinction-level event, the story follows a Robot dubbed MOTHER (Luke Hawker & Rose Byrne), who is in charge of an enormous facility meant to re-populate Earth. Housing thousands of embryos to be grown and shaped into good human beings. MOTHER starts with one child, a little girl named Daughter (Clara Rugaard), who has been raised into a loving environment by MOTHER, who says the world outside is dangerous due to lethal contagions. Life seems pretty stable until a stranger from the outside, only referred to as Woman (Hilary Swank), makes her way inside the compound. According to this stranger, Robots are the cause of human extinction and attempts to persuade Daughter to escape with her. So begins the journey to uncover the mystery, and to determine who is the real enemy.

This is a well-crafted piece of science fiction cinema. Without spoiling anything, the narrative goes into tight places about morality, nature vs. nurture, and what it might take to renew the world as we know it. While some may find its ideas a little uncomfortable for understandable reasons, I personally found myself engrossed in the ideas it presented. Not necessarily because I agreed with them, but it was all presented in a way that made me contemplate its philosophy. Which is precisely what good science fiction should do. This is not the kind of story that provides clear answers. Instead, it makes you look more inward and think.

The MVP award for the film goes to, without questions, MOTHER herself. The robot suit was built by the WETA Workshop, the special effects team behind Lord of the Rings, and the new Planet of the Apes films. Because of the movie's small budget, the team was only able to build a single suit for the whole production. Designer and physical performer Luke Hawker wore the costume for shooting while actress Rose Byrne provided the voice of the robot. The results are not only a beautifully crafted piece of practical effects but also perfect chemistry between the robot, and the other characters that would never have been accomplished had the robot been CGI. Not to mention a much-desired new case for the defense and superiority of practical effects. Not to say that CGI is horrible, far from it. Instead, CGI is a great tool that has become far too overutilized.

I AM MOTHER is a rare gem of science fiction cinema. It strikes the right balance between being intellectually stimulating and viscerally thrilling. Sci-fi fans will love it, and casual movie buffs will appreciate it. If you need something a little deeper than an excellent brainless action movie to tide you over and give your brain a jolt, this is the movie for you. Check it out.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.

Holiday in the Wild - Cute, pleasant, and just what the doctor ordered

There are times when for some reason or another, you just want to watch something that makes you feel right. Regardless of a movie's quality or lack thereof, if it provides a pleasant distraction from an otherwise unpleasant situation, then it's just the right tool for the job. Holiday in the Wild is far from a perfect film, but it is precisely the kind of story that we need at present. A heartwarming tale of love, family, and care. Call it cheesy or fuzzy, but don't call it unappreciated. 

The story follows a woman named Kate (Kristin Davis) as a licensed Veterinarian who's son has just gone off to College. Immediately after sending him away, Kat's husband reveals that he is not in love with her anymore and promptly takes off himself. His timing could not have been more terrible as Kate had planned a surprise second Honeymoon in Africa for the two of them. Unsure of what to do, Kate takes the trip herself. Soon after, she meets her tour guide Derek (Rob Lowe), who also happens to work at an Elephant Orphanage/Recovery Center. After the two of them discover a baby Elephant who just lost his mother to poachers, they whisk the young animal away to the center, where Kate decides to stay and help at the center. From there, Kate rediscovers who she wants to be and finds something new and meaningful in her life. 

Objectively speaking, this film is a bit ridiculous—both positively and negatively. On the one hand, it stars two attractive people who aren't acting, but rather are playing exaggerated versions of themselves if not characters which made them famous. The plot is yet another tale of a rich white woman going on what they consider a walkabout. Not to mention it is yet another movie about white savior figures in Africa.

On the other hand, for every issue I just raised, this movie offers a decent counterbalance. Even though the two main leads are not playing actual characters, they both still have a great deal of charisma, which provides most of the film's energy. Although the plot does center around a rich white woman, it has the good sense to make her character intelligent and fully prepared to get her hands dirty, unlike the stereotypical "city girl who never worked before" cliche often found in these kinds of films. Also, and this is especially appreciated; the main characters are not white savior figures. Yes, they are white people in Africa who help out with an important cause, but they are just people joining the fight. Things don't just miraculously get better when Kate arrives, she doesn't wave her money around to "update" the orphanage, and none of the black characters appear incompetent or apathetic.

Holiday in the Wild is just the right amount of warm & fuzzy that we all could use right now. It's pleasant without being childish, intelligent without being condescending, and relevant without being pretentious. If you need a cute "feel-good" movie (as I'm sure we all do right now), give this one a shot. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.

Special: Netflix Month Vol. 2

My beautiful readers, In light of the pandemic known as the Coronavirus, there will be a temporary halt of reviews of new theatrical releases. As attending the movie theaters is not advised at the moment. Rest assured, I eagerly await the moment things become significantly more manageable, and we may continue to enjoy our lives as usual. In the meantime, I would like to encourage all of you to stay safe and healthy. Let us do all that you can to prevent the spread of this terrible disease. Together, we can beat this thing and come out more robust, and maybe a little wiser. 

While we all now have a justifiable excuse to remain indoors and at home as much as possible (albeit for an uncomfortable reason), I think this would be a perfect opportunity for me to revisit a fun and enlightening special. Starting today and going on for at least the next several weeks, I will be reviewing original films found on Netflix. There is a whole universe of movies on this network, and I only scratched the surface last time around. Since we're all stuck at home for a while, it's high time I took another look at what home entertainment has to offer. 

Don't worry. As soon as it is safer to go out into the real world again, I will be back to reviewing theatrical releases. I will also continue with the occasional specialized essays here on my Blog. I intend to provide you all with as much content as possible, given out strange situations. I hope you will all enjoy it. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

TheNorm's Bottom 5 Marvel Movies

Well, I guess this had to happen at some point. 

At the end of my list of my Top 5 Marvel Movies, I asked if I should also contemplate a list of the Bottom 5 as well. As in the ones that I didn't find all that fantastic. This is actually a bit of a tough challenge because Marvel hasn't really made any bad movies. Oh sure, they've made films that lacked the same amount of impact and panache as some of their betters, but I would not go so far as to call them awful, just underwhelming. Now, I can assure you that this is not me trying to fanboy my way out of being objective. Because while I genuinely like all of the Marvel movies, I can assure you that I don't love them equally. Some of the Marvel films have disappointed me in some way or another. So, it seems only fair that I balance the scales a little bit and discuss a few of the movies that I personally didn't find to be all that marvelous. 

This is TheNorm's Bottom 5 Marvel Movies. 

#5 - Captain Marvel 

Now, hold on! I know what you're going to say! "But Norman, you loved this movie in your original review. You dubbed it Marvel's equivalent to Wonder Woman!" Yes, in my original review, I did say that I liked it, and I did indeed put it on par (mostly) with Wonder Woman. However, you may also recall that I never said I absolutely liked it. The parts of this film I did enjoy were more than enough to overshadow the parts that I didn't.

On the one hand, I love how it has become a significant contribution to feminism (regarding women in the armed forces in particular), and I especially admire how the narrative took a rather unexpected turn with the "villains" of the story. If you've seen the movie, then you know what I'm talking about. However, on the other hand, the film is sprinkled with little things that just rubbed me the wrong way. The first half of the film drags with the amnesia plotline rendering the protagonist into an empty vessel with little to no personality. Also, as much as I loved the Cat, I hated that he became how Nick Fury lost his eye. It's a minor thing, I admit, but I thought they wasted a potentially great story with that little part of his past, as referenced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 

Captain Marvel is ranked #5 on this list because, at the very least, it has enough goodwill to allow me to overlook its shortcomings. Which, incidentally, brings me to the next film on my list. 

#4 - Doctor Strange 

Let me get this out of the way: Benedict Cumberbatch is an awesome actor, and he is perfect for this role. With his physicality, haircut, and booming voice, he was practically born to play this character. Not only am I glad that Marvel cast him, but I am also happy that Benedict Cumberbatch actually enjoys playing the part. It is always a relief to me when I learn how much an actor loves the role they land in projects like this. 

That said, it's really too bad that the movie doesn't really give him a lot to do. 

For those of you who don't know, Doctor Strange started out as a competent but pompous too-hip-for-the-room surgeon who loses the use of his hands in a car accident, prompting him to spend his fortune searching for a cure. His journey eventually lands him at the doorstep of a mystical master known as The Ancient One, who takes on Doctor Strange as a pupil training him in the mystical arts. Through his training, Doctor Strange learns humility and discovers a new way to help people. 

Now, all of that is indeed in the movie. However, it just doesn't feel as prominent as I thought it should have been. Moments that should have been spent developing the character were wasted on cheap & childish jokes (a problem shared with many of the Marvel films I must admit), and the film never delves deep into what ultimately drives Doctor Strange as a person. He just goes through the motions and becomes the hero that we recognize him as because...the plot demands it. At least, that's how it felt to me. 

The good news is that there is an alternative. There is another Doctor Strange film out there, which I actually prefer because it does a lot more character development. That is the animated film from 2007. 

While I still enjoy the live-action film, mainly for Benedict Cumberbatch, I usually turn to the animated movie for a more satisfying story. I can still enjoy the official MCU movie for its own charm and jaw-dropping special effects. Which is more than I can say about the next film on my list. 

#3 - Avengers: Age of Ultron 

This was one of Marvel's lower points. The real title of the film should have been Avenges: Build-up to Phase 3 because that's what over half of the movie does. Vast chunks of the film, which serve no purpose to the overall narrative, are spent setting up places, characters, and events that are going to happen in future movies. Even worse, some of the film's best scenes (the Farm segment in particular) were practically held hostage by the producers. Who demanded that writer/director Joss Whedon include all of the build-up stuff they wanted, or they would cut out the parts that he wanted. In the words of Joss Whedon himself, "they put a gun to the Farm's head." 

Although, Joss Whedon isn't entirely blameless for the movies underwhelming quality. After all, it was he who suddenly decided to shove the character of Black Widow (Marvel Studio's prominent female role) into three of the worst and most overdone cliche's in cinema history. Those being who is she sleeping with, would she be a good mother, and when does she get kidnapped? 

Also, let's be real: As excellent as James Spader was as Ultron, he was basically playing Raymond Redington from The Blacklist, but as a Robot. 

Now, on the flip side, the movie does have some good merits to it. It still carries Joss Whedon's signature style and charm which is often entertaining (at least to me), It does a good job introducing new characters, and it has some of the best cinematography of the Marvel films. Namely, its accomplishment in creating gorgeous uniform images despite utilizing at least five totally different cameras.  

Even though it has a difficult time justifying itself in certain areas, it is still, at the very least, a fun little romp with characters we still care about. Unlike the next film on my list. 

#2 - Ant-Man and The Wasp. 

The first Ant-Man was a wonderfully surprising gem! Despite its early production woes, it managed to cross the finish line with flying colors. Delivering an entertaining adventure with a sympathetic protagonist, witty writing, and incredible special effects...and I really, really wish I could say the same for its sequel. 

Ant-Man and The Wasp is the filler episode of the MCU. The only part of the film that has any relevance to it is one of the post-credits scenes. It bides its time with a story that doesn't feel important or compelling. Worst of all, it feels so poorly constructed. Almost as if the director was on auto-pilot, which seems to be a likely scenario. 

The only thing I can really say in the movie's favor is that it brings The Wasp into the roster of characters, and she is totally bad-ass! I genuinely hope to see her in better films in the future. 

And now, we come to what I consider to be the lowest point in the MCU. 

#1 - Thor: The Dark World

This is, without a doubt, my least favorite of the Marvel movies. The only thing that keeps me from calling this film terrible is the incredible charisma of the main cast, who all tried their damndest to make something watchable out of the lackluster material they had. This movie doesn't do anything compelling, it has no idea what it wants to be about, and it tries (rather aggressively) to cover it all up with broad over-the-top comedy. Yes, Thor: Ragnarok was also mainly a comedy, but that movie had better justification for being so and was genuinely clever with its jokes (mostly). As opposed to this film, which isn't bright or genuine in any way at all. 

I think the primary source of the film's lack of quality lies with its director, Alan Taylor. A television director mostly recognized for his work on the HBO series Game of Thrones, he somehow got it into his head that he could handle feature films after years of working on, at most, two episodes of any given series. I am not saying that television directors cannot make the transition to movies, many people have successfully made that leap. Sadly, Alan Taylor is not destined to become one of them. He has no sense of personal style, no idea how to construct compelling action scenes, and no clue how to establish or even maintain a consistent tone. This is all further exemplified with the movie he made after this one, Terminator: Genysis, which is not only a bland and lifeless movie; it is also the absolute worst Terminator movie ever made! Yes, even worse than Terminator: Salvation. 

Thor: The Dark World is the equivalent of receiving a store-bought cake from a master baker, despite that same baker delivering you perfectly crafted hand-made cakes in the past. It's lazy, tasteless, and reeks of apathy. Even so, if I had to choose between watching this or Terminator: Genysis, I will gladly take Thor: The Dark World. Because, at the very least, it is still a Thor movie, and Thor is always entertaining. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.