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where faith and film are intertwined

Samuel L. Jackson

The Protege: Hand on the Trigger, Eye on the Soul

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Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), The Protégé follows Anna (Maggie Q), the world’s most skilled assassin. Rescued as a child by Moody (Samuel L. Jackson), Anna was both raised and trained by her beloved mentor who taught her everything she knows. However, when Moody is viciously murdered, Anna swears to avenge his death and sets out on a mission to bring his killer to justice.

As the man charged with rebooting the Bond franchise twice, Martin Campbell certainly understands his way around grittier action films. While he admittedly has some blemishes on his stellar record (*cough* Green Lantern), his career contains far more hits than misses. With Protégé, the director is in full form, creating action sequences that are a treat for the eyes. Featuring some truly wonderful set pieces, Campbell creates a world of danger and destruction that keep the viewer glued to the screen. Similar to other recent revenge features like John Wick, Nobody and Atomic Blonde, the energy behind The Protégé may be its wanton recklessness but the film also gives space to his cast in their performances. 

Of course, any action film requires a solid cast and Campbell has some enjoyable talent to work with here. While we’ve seen Jackson in this sort of role many times before, seeing Keaton as the villainous Rembrandt is a treat. With an aura of charming creepiness, Keaton is clearly enjoying himself as a bad guy and he’s a joy to watch onscreen.

Having said this though, the brightest star in the film remains Q herself. Like Daniel Craig before her, Maggie Q provides Campbell with an absolutely charismatic yet lethal lead and she absolutely makes the most of the opportunity. While she is no stranger to the action genre, Protégé gives her a time to shine. As Anna, Q has a charisma about her that makes her endearing yet she also imbues her character with darkness. We trust her but we also know that she means business. Focused and fierce, Q is simply a delight to and her chemistry with Keaton is surprisingly palpable.

Personally, I will always respect an action film that tries to be more than a simple revenge thriller. With its recognition of the importance of the soul, Protégé falls into that category. Whereas most films of this nature treat its characters as empty targets, Protégé at least takes pause to remember that the victims still matter. Despite the nature of his profession, Moody understands that each of the people that he’s killed have a soul worth remembering. In addition, as Anna must return home to Vietnam for the first time since her childhood, the film explores the effects of generational trauma and its burden on the soul. While the film’s primary focus remains on Anna’s vengeance, moments like these acknowledge the complexities of the murder biz and the fact that violence has very real consequences in the larger scheme of things.

Stylish and energetic, The Protégé is another fun ride into the elite world of assassins and vengeance. Led by Martin Campbell’s ability to create visually interesting action sequences and combined with the magnetism of its leads, the film entertains with enthusiasm. However, what truly makes the film unique is that, even with its hand on the trigger, Protégé keeps its eye on the soul.

The Protégé is available in theatres Friday, August 20th, 2021.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: Reynolds, Hayek and Jackson comedy goes Fast & Furious

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The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard brings back beloved (and unlicensed) bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), who is having an identity crisis of sorts. While taking a sabbatical from work, Bryce is thrown back into action when Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) drops back into his life and demands his help in rescuing her kidnapped husband, hitman Darius (Samuel L. Jackson). After freeing him from his abductors, the three are recruited by the FBI to prevent madman Aristotle Papadopolous (Antonio Banderas) from bringing his maniacal plans to reality. Though they can hardly stand the sight of one another, the three must set aside their differences in order to save Europe from total chaos. 

Wild and unruly, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a fun but flawed ride that earns its credibility through sheer star power. Back behind the director’s chair is Patrick Hughes who kicks things up a notch from the last entry. Whereas the first film kept things (relatively) straightforward with its plot, the sequel goes for more… everything. More comedic banter. More gunfire and blood. Higher stakes and stunts. (In fact, the story has leaned into its own wildness so much that it borders on the type of mayhem that have made the Fast and Furious films a global success.)

However, while Wife’s Bodyguard may be over-the-top with its story and characters, it still remains a fun ride. Despite its madness, Hughes understands that the true building block of the film remains its leads and they receive the attention that they deserve. Even though Jackson and Reynolds have great comedic banter together, the most welcome piece is Hayek, whose role is increased significantly (as the title suggests). Though she has mixed up her acting choices throughout her career, Hayek’s comedic talents have always been her greatest strength and she bounds around onscreen with an energetic silliness.

Although the leads receive significant screen time, it’s worth noting though that the supporting characters feel like they’re given little to do. While Freeman’s role is more of a cameo, one would expect that Banderas would have more time to establish himself in a villainous role but his scenes feel minimal. (Having said this, it is fun to see him working again with Hayek. Desperado reunion!) However, one could argue that the actor who suffers most in the film is the stellar Frank Grillo. As FBI Agent O’Neill, Grillo’s character is set up with a significant introduction and then almost criminally underused within the film, despite his seeming importance to the script.

At its heart, Wife’s Bodyguard emphasizes the importance and impact of our parents. Here, all the characters are either feeling the damage left by their families or looking to begin one of their own. For example, the film highlights the pressure that Michael feels to live up to his father’s legacy. As one of the world’s best bodyguards, Michael’s step-father is respected by all. Although he loves his father, Michael constantly views himself as a comparative failure, especially without his AAA license. At the same time, as Sonia and Darius try to set out on their honeymoon, she yearns to be a mother. While the two try desperately to have children of their own, they have yet to be successful and Sonia is growing increasingly frustrated with the delays.

While the two stories seem to differ, the film holds them up against one another in such a way as to highlight what it means to choose your own family. Though the characters may not be related, Darius, Sonia and Michael continue to establish a bond of support for one another that draws them together. In a strange way, this creates a newly supportive (but dysfunctional) environment that becomes a family that we choose ourselves. (Again, this theme seems to echo the heart of the Fast and the Furious films…) By taking biology out of the equation, Hitman’s Bodyguard emphasizes the importance of our relationships and having people around us that have our backs.

To Wife’s Bodyguard, that is the nature of family.

With heightened stakes and antics, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard should entertain fans of the first film and its leads. Despite the film’s flaws, Reynolds, Jackson and Hayek have a zaniness about them that always makes them interesting to watch, even in moments when this Hitman misses the mark.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is available in theatres on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.

Captain Marvel: Nothing to Prove

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There’s a lot to be said about longevity. Over the last ten years, Marvel Studios has released twenty-three films. Halfway through, many talked about superhero fatigue and yet, they’re still a seventeen-billion-dollar juggernaut that has fans coming out in numbers for the next wave.

As we drew closer to the much anticipated Avengers: Endgame, Marvel sent us back in time to the nineties for Marvel’s next origin film, Captain Marvel. After Infinity War, one of the biggest questions was, if Fury knew her beforehand, where was she? That question is definitely answered in this film (among others, like Fury’s lost eye). However, the film came with some early (and unwarranted) controversy. We now live in a world where taking to the interwebs and bashing a film one has not seen because of ‘made up’ reasons is okay.

Now, what about the movie itself?

First and foremost, thank you Marvel for that wonderful opening tribute. And THANK YOU STAN LEE!

As a film, Captain Marvel doesn’t land in the top five of Marvel films. It’s an above-average origin film that has funny moments and some good action scenes. Some of the CGI could have been better, but overall it is definitely a good film to watch. There are some tender and heartbreaking moments as well. Like all other origin films, Captain Marvel contains a message where the hero must find themselves and choose which path to take. This one stands out in that story because her path to get there was different. The twist is both expected and surprising at the same time. Though not perfect in terms of film making, this is easily the second most influential film Marvel has released.

The film isn’t the “social justice warrior” hogwash that “those people” will have you believe. It is, however, a film that inspires and empowers women, and rightfully so. It’s no coincidence that Marvel/Disney decided to release it on International Women’s Day. As a male, I cannot begin to fathom this era in films. But as a father to an eight-year-old young girl, I am thankful that, for her, there aren’t just princesses that need a prince or damsels in distress. My daughter now has princesses that are strong and courageous. She has leaders, Jedi, rebels and warriors in a galaxy far, far away. She has  Wonder Woman. She was warriors and tech genius in Wakanda that look like her. And she now has a Captain.

All these heroes have something in common and is what stands out in Captain Marvel. They have nothing to prove. They are strong and don’t need affirmation from men to prove it. They remind me of Queen Esther, as they are here ‘for such a time as this’. Forget the “rules” of the past. Kick open the door and present yourselves as worthy because your people, the next generation, needs you. This doesn’t mean that men are not wanted or that we are inferior. But as men we need to support and empower the women around us. The world is a better place with both strong men and women. When we value others by their own merits and not the standards that we place based on ours, we as a society can overcome.

Captain Marvel is a fun film that serves a deeper purpose than just film. Men, see it and enjoy. Appreciate that it isn’t for us, and that’s ok.

Again, THANK YOU STAN LEE….this film embodied your spirit.

Special features on the Blu-ray/Digital combo pack include commentary on the film, six deleted scenes, and a gag reel. But fans of the film will enjoy the special features about the heroine and heroes, “Becoming a Super Hero,” “Big Hero Moment,” and “The Origin of Nick Fury,” as well as a few bonuses, “The Skrulls and the Kree” and “Hiss-sterical Cat-titude.”

Glass: Picking Up the Pieces

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Lauded for his shocking twists throughout his career, Shyamalan fell off the map for over a decade due to a string of high-profile box-office failures. (Does anybody rememberThe Happening? And we don’t talk about The Last Airbender…) With Glass, however, Shyamalan combines the worlds of two of his most memorable pieces—2000’s Unbreakable and 2017’s Split—in a truly unique exploration of the superhero genre. 

Lauded for his shocking twists throughout his career, Shyamalan fell off the map for over a decade due to a string of high-profile box-office failures. (Does anybody remember The Happening? And we don’t talk about The Last Airbender…) With Glass, however, Shyamalan combines the worlds of two of his most memorable pieces—2000’sUnbreakable and 2017’s Split—in a truly unique exploration of the superhero genre. 

Beginning after the events of Split, Glassfinds David Dunn (Bruce Willis) pursuing Kevin Wendall Crumb (James McAvoy, who attacks the role with frantic energy) until both men are captured by Dr. Ellie Price (Sarah Paulson), a psychologist charged with attempting to understand her subjects and discern the truth about their behaviour. In the process, they also reacquaint themselves with Elijah Price aka Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), whose shadowy presence emerges as an orchestrator whoholds secrets critical to both men.

By bringing his hidden hero David Dunn, Mr. Glass and the mentally unstable Kevin Wendell Crumb together, Shyamalan has the opportunity to further explore the realm of superhuman beings in a grounded, personal manner. In many ways, the film exemplifies Shyamalan’s signature style, unspooling his narrative as a slow burn with long takes and quiet dialogue. (In doing so, similar to Unbreakable, Glassserves as the polar opposite to examples of the current superhero genre which relies heavily on special effects and epic battles.)

Having collected all three characters into a high-security mental institution, Dr. Staple meets with her potential ‘heroes’ in a series of intense meetings attempting to cure them of any delusions. In each conversation, she points to events in their lives, questioning whether or not there is anything truly ‘special’ about each individual. Couldn’t Crumb have performed his wild physical feats after watching internet videos on parkour? What if Dunn’s superhuman strength was merely a result of weakened materials? In doing so, Staple calmly begins to deconstruct their understanding of reality in a way that challenges their beliefs about the world and themselves.

As a result, it’s this relationship between belief and reality that becomes the film’s central focus. Whereas Staple continuously calls into question the quality of her subjects, the ultimate question becomes whether or not that changes who they are. While doubt can creep into our minds (even to the point that it reframes our understandings), it does not change who we were created to be. (In fact, without giving away any spoilers, is it also possible that the lies we’ve been told could prevent us from reaching our full potential?) Whether it’s David Dunn, Elijah Price or Kevin Wendal Crumb, each primary character in Glassis on a journey of self-discovery as they attempt to discern truth from lies. While, in the end, Glasswill hardly be the film that defines Shyamalan’s legacy. However, there is also a lot to like in the film through its conversations about what defines our character and makes us who we are.

For its home video release, the film truly looks remarkable on 4K UHD, as Shyamalan manages to sharpen his colours in a way that help him tell his story more effectively. (The Pink Room, in particular, looks stunning.) Special features of note includeGlass Decoded, which details Shyamalan’s process of continuity over the three films (over 19 years!), and Connecting the Glass Universewhich explores his unique vision for such a grounded take on the superhero genre. Including the usual ‘alternate takes/deleted scenes’, the film does not include a director’s commentary. (However, there is a conversation between James McAvoy and Shyamalan who discuss the importance of originality for the genre.)

Glass is available on 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD on April 16th, 2019.   

GIVEAWAY: GLASS in 4K!

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M. Night Shyamalan brings together the narratives of two of his standout originals—2000’s Unbreakable, from Touchstone, and 2016’s Split, from Universal—in one explosive, all-new comic-book thriller: Glass. From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast. Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Dunn pursuing Crumb’s superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

The winner will receive a copy of Glass, the 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Edition.

To enter, simply like or share our post on Facebook and answer the following question in the comment section: What is your favourite M. Night Shyamalan movie? Why?

For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter and Instagram.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, April 17th, 2019.

Glass is currently available on digital and will be released on Blu-Ray on Tuesday, April 19th, 2019

Captain Marvel – Putting the Super in Human

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“There is nothing more dangerous for a warrior than emotion.” (Yon-Rogg)

A new superhero comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain Marvel brings us the MCU’s first woman superhero, a soldier in the midst of an intergalactic war who ends up on earth and becomes ground zero for that war. Ah, but all may not be as it seems at first.

We first meet Vers (rhymes with fears, played by Brie Larson) in her dream. She seems to be haunted by some dreams that come from her past, which she doesn’t remember. All she knows is that the last six years she has been training as a warrior for the Kree. She trains with her commander and mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) who keeps pushing her to not use her ability to throw proton beams, except when needed.

She is being sent on her first mission to rescue another soldier from the enemy Skrull. But before she goes, she has to meet with the Kree’s Supreme Intelligence (Annette Benning). Vers ends up captured, tortured as the Skrull leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) seems to mine her mind for information from her past (which triggers bits of memory in her), escapes from their ship and crash lands in a Blockbuster store on earth in 1995.

Once she communicates with Yon-Rogg, who starts a rescue mission, she is discovered by young S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Eventually Vers realizes that she must team up with Fury to trace back the mystery of her past. She discovers she was an Air Force pilot named Carol Danvers who was part of a secret project and was killed in a crash. She traces down her friend Maria (Lashana Lynch) who was also a pilot. But Talos is also trying to find Vers again. At this point the twists start coming into play. Oh, and there’s a cat (sort of).

The journey from Vers to Captain Marvel requires her to rediscover who she is and what she is. It also requires that she come to terms with the very emotions that Yon-Rogg has been trying to have her bury. It is only after she finds her human side that she is able to make the transition from soldier to superhero. It is not so much a matter of power as it is of confidence, attitude, and compassion.

A part of that transformation is not just discovering her humanity, but embracing it. That means accepting the emotions that come so naturally to her—including fear, compassion, and even love. These are things that Yon-Rogg tried to suppress in her, but they become a kind of liberation as Vers becomes more than she knew she could be—and discovers that she has already been more that she knew.

The phrase “only human” comes up at one point, but for Captain Marvel the idea of being human is not about being “only” human. Her humanity opens up for her a new range of possibilities. It is only in being human that she becomes superhuman. This is emphasized visually near the end when Captain Marvel hangs in space in a pose very similar to paintings of the Ascension.

Within the Judeo-Christian creation story, humankind is created in the image of God. It just seems wrong to think “just human” when we have that understanding. Instead we should consider that fully understanding our humanity allows us to see the divine within ourselves—the superhuman.

Note: There are two scenes embedded in the credits. The first, midway through the credits, sets the stage for Avengers: Endgame. The second, at the very end, is a humorous scene, which may or may not have something to do with Endgame. There is also a montage of Stan Lee at the very beginning of the film, which got a bit of applause at the screening I attended.

Photos courtesy Marvel Studios

Incredibles 2: Together We Rise

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It’s been a while.

The goal of a film critic is to encourage people to go and see high quality movies while steering people away from titles that aren’t very good. To do this, the critic watches a film, then dissects it like an expert surgeon, analyzing it for plot holes, characterization, quality of CGI, music selection, theme, and at least a hundred additional items.  With so many variables, a film can receive vastly different reviews depending on the reviewer.  And to make things even more interesting, theater-goers may feel differently than the critic when the credits roll.

In the case of director Brad Bird’s latest film Incredibles 2, I believe the two groups will agree the film is a fantastic way to spend a couple hours in an air-conditioned theater.  Whether I2 holds up to fourteen years of waiting will depend on your personal perspective.

If you recall, the end of The Incredibles found the Parr family—burly Bob (Craig T Nelson), Stretch-Armstrong-like Helen (Holly Hunter), teenager Violet (Sarah Vowell), lightning-fast Dash (Huck Milner), and baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile)—preparing to take on a burrowing villain called the Underminer.  In Incredibles 2, we finally get to see how the battle turns out.

It’s not pretty. At least half the town is destroyed, including cars, freeway overpasses, buildings, and at least one character’s emotional stability. As a result, the Supers are forced underground yet again (and the Parr family into living out of a hotel room). But there may be some hope in the form of Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), a multi-billionaire who has been fascinated with superheroes his entire life (even singing their theme songs). He meets Bob, Helen, and Frozone (Samuel L Jackson) in order to reveal a plan to get Supers back on the good side of the general public. But in a surprise to Bob, Winston wants Helen to be the face of positive public perception, leaving him to stay home and take care of the kids.

Helen Parr (AKA Elastigirl) meets some new Supers.

Helen, in her Elastigirl outfit, immediately has to deal with a runaway monorail in New Urbem that showcases her talents as well as the new motorcycle Winston’s sister and uber-talented Evelyn (Catherine Keener) designed.  Her success leads to more Supers coming out of hiding, including Void (Sophia Bush), a superfan of Helen’s who creates interdimensional portals out of thin air. But there’s a more sinister villain than the Underminer on the loose—one that always seems to be a step ahead of Helen.  The Screenslaver hypnotizes people who are looking at video screens into obeying their commands, threatening to destroy Supers once and for all.  Helen thinks she’s got the villain figured out—but is sorely incorrect.

Meanwhile, Bob struggles mightily to be an effective full-time dad. Dash can’t figure out his math homework; Violet is an emotional mess regarding a boy; and Jack-Jack keeps Bob up at all hours while harboring multiple superpowers that are beginning to manifest themselves.  It all exhausts Bob, leaving him gruff and unshaven, and in one of the craziest scenes in the film, asleep while Jack-Jack combats his new arch enemy—a territorial raccoon.  Thankfully, the kids intervene in the form of Frozone and a diminutive yet pugnacious fashion designer named Edna Mode (Brad Bird himself).

In order to defeat the Screenslaver, it’s going to take more than Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.  As a result, the final portion of the film is an action-packed spectacle I won’t spoil for you.  When the credits rolled, the crowd applauded and cheered loudly.

In the end, I felt Incredibles 2 was just as good as the original film.  Michael Giacchino’s score delivered the right amount of gravitas while keeping pace with the action onscreen. All the actors did well with their roles, but I’ll single out Vowell for her emotional portrayal of an uncertain, surly, yet teenage Violet who needed some form of support from her parental unit.  Animation has always been one of Pixar’s hallmarks, and Incredibles 2 is no exception.  They’ve come a long way in fourteen years with gradation, shading, water effects, and sense of speed.

“We’re all in this together.”

As for the film itself, Dash seemed to fall to the wayside on a few occasions and was a bit one-note with his performance.  Jack-Jack stole each scene he was in, but was surprisingly tame in the final sequences.  But when he and Edna were on the screen together, it was absolutely electric.  I wanted more.  The Screenslaver was a worthy villain and provided caution for each of us about devoting our lives to video screens—be they televisions, tablets, phones, or computers.  Another line that struck me was when Evelyn said, “People will trade quality for ease every time.”  Perhaps we all need to up our standards in our daily activities and not settle for second best when something better is available.

The focus of Incredibles 2, despite the superhero title, remains the family.  In many ways, I saw in the Parrs a microcosm of my own family.  Not everything in life goes the way we would like it to (and often doesn’t).  We struggle, we run away, we argue, we lose hope, but we always fall back on each other when the day is over. And in that, the Bible reminds us to “encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception” (Hebrews 3:13 HCSB).  The world can be a very evil place, so we must make sure we’re not falling captive to the issues around us while making a difference for good wherever we go. Together we rise; apart we fall.

That’s something all film critics can agree with.

Incredibles 2 – Family Bonds

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Incredibles 2 continues the story of the Parr family from The Incredibles. While it is ostensibly a superhero story, at its heart this is a film about family and especially about parenting as children go through all the changes of growing up.

As in the original, superheroes are still illegal, but with the supervillain The Underminer on the loose, the family of superheroes goes into action—rather heavy-handedly, creating a mess of the city and being relocated. Forced to live in a motel, the family tries to think about what the future will hold for them. The parents, Bob, aka Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson), and Helen, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), know that one of them will need to get a job to support the family. Meanwhile, their middle school aged daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell) is attracted to a boy at school, son Dash (Huckleberry Milner) struggles with his homework, and toddler Jack-Jack is a handful just in himself.

But Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and their friend Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) get an offer from industrialist siblings Winston and Evelyn Deavor (Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener). They want to improve the world’s opinion of superheroes and make them legal again. Their plan is to use Elastigirl to stop some crimes (she does far less damage in the process that Mr. Incredible or Frozone). So Helen goes off to the big city while Bob stays home with the kids.

It turns out that Bob is a stereotypical incompetent father. He tries, but he can’t grasp new math, has no idea how to help Violet with the boys, and Jack-Jack is impossible to get down for the night. Plus, Jack-Jack now is manifesting his own superpowers—a wide array of powers.

Helen is busy doing battle with The Screenslaver, a villain who uses screen (TV, computer, whatever) to hypnotize people and have them do his will. She feels bad that she isn’t with her family, but relishes the opportunity so show off her skills. It’s not unlike the juggling of priorities that many parents experience. But when The Screenslaver gets the upper hand, Bob and the kids head off to save the day and the world (mostly it’s the kids, including Jack-Jack, that get their parents out of hot water).

What is charming about the Incredibles films is that they give us a chance to see superheroes who aren’t sullen loners, but rather people with happy family lives—happy even when the going is hard. The film, I think, allows parents to be reminded that the job they do matters.  As the diminutive designer to the superheroes Edna Mode (Brad Bird) says, “Done properly, parenting is a heroic task.” As Bob mopes about being left out while Helen is fighting crime, this is a reminder of what the really hard job is. Parents aren’t gifted with super strength and powers—only with the love they have for their children. With that, parents face years of problems but also years of joy.

For the Parrs, a family where everyone has special powers, what really ties them together is not being strong, fast, elastic, invisible, or having lasers shooting out of their eyes. The connection they have is really the bond that can exist in the families of all those who go to watch the movie together.

Let me also put in a word here for Bao, the short directed by Domee Shi (the first woman to direct a Pixar film), playing along with Incredibles 2. It is a delightful story of a woman whose handmade dumpling comes to life. We watch as she and the dumpling go through the years. The dumpling passes through all the phases of childhood and into being a young adult. It is hard for the woman to let go of her baby dumpling, but in the end, we see just how wonderful it is to see your child grow into an adult.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The Hateful Eight: When You Go Looking For Trouble…

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Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film, a western that wasn’t a sequel to Django Unchained, focuses in on eight characters of ill repute who find themselves stuck in an isolated cabin in the midst of a snow storm. In true Tarantino fashion, the complexity of the characters will come to the forefront as bullets start flying, and sides are drawn. Who will be left standing when the smoke fades and the cards are all on the table?

The film opens as John “The Hangman” Ruth (Kurt Russell) violently transports the deadly outlaw Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) via stagecoach, just ahead of a blizzard. Along the way to Minny’s Haberdashery, a stopgap station along the way to Red Rock where he’ll collect his bounty, Ruth picks up Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Chris “The Sherriff” Mannix (Walter Goggins). They arrive at Minny’s just as the storm catches them, where they find themselves trapped with several other violent men.

In the cabin, Bob “The Mexican” (Demian Birchir) tells them that Minny and her crew have left him in charge of the cabin, while fellow travelers, Confederate General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), Oswaldo “The Hangman” Mobray (Tim Roth), and cowboy Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) are already there. Each of the men have weapons that Ruth goes out of his way to relieve them of, convinced that at least one of them has a connection to Domergue and plans to help her to freedom.

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Like many of Tarantino films, there is a beauty, a poetry, to The Hateful Eight. There are few other films that have made such wonderful use of snow, showing the beauty and danger of a blizzard; the witty dialogue and banter nearly lends itself to ‘rap battle’ status as many of the characters wield their tongues like weapons. And there’s also Ennio Morricone’s (Sergio Leone films, The Mission, The Untouchables) score that wonderfully connects our emotions and thoughts throughout the film.

But, also like Tarantino’s other films, this is also a violent, gory, explosive film with gunplay and violence that ends horribly. Seriously, I imagine that Tarantino and George R.R. Martin meet over lattes to discuss how they can startle us by whacking a character just when we’ve gotten comfortable with him or her. Nothing is sacred (even the crucifix depicted in the film was ‘snowed under’), and nothing is untouchable.

Most Tarantino films wear me out. The never-ending stream of epithets, racism, and violence seems designed to push the viewer to some extreme reaction. [Vomiting in this one almost made me gag.] But I have to believe it’s all for a purpose in Tarantino’s mind, even if I (or others) don’t quite get what the connection is. For Tarantino, it’s all tied together, even if the loose ends are sometimes frayed.

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In The Hateful Eight, the action is broken into six chapters. The first four play out in “chronological” order, while the fifth flashes back to the moments prior to and concurrent with chapter one; the sixth chapter takes the plot to its conclusion. I’ve never felt the need to go and revisit a Tarantino film after seeing it the first time (probably due to oral and visual exhaustion) but it seems like there’s enough here to go back and check for marks along the way. Tarantino’s genius is in making the film tension-filled and suspense-filled; because all of the characters are knee-deep in their own “stuff,” we’re kept guessing about any conspiracies that might be in play.

While nothing that happens here will surprise you after the fact because it’s Tarantino, it’s still surprising! We’re exploring typical Quarantino territory, from racism, violence, greed, power, and relationships. You’ve got some ‘typical’ Tarantino actors like Jackson (sixth collaboration), Roth (four), and Madsen (four). His use of a female outlaw, and the North/South conflict, make this a political/social commentary even with everything else that’s going on about bounty hunting and revenge. With Tarantino, you just never know what point he is going to make.

But… is it too much? Is Tarantino so focused on offending that he loses his story in all of the “stuff” added on? Is he so clear that this is all hyperbole that we shouldn’t critique the violence, the abuse, or the abundant use of the n-word? His dialogue set up against the backdrop of the Civil War (and the resulting discord that wasn’t suddenly ‘fixed’) makes it more like Django than say Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction, but we’re still looking at a set up where every heart is corrupt, and death is just waiting for us all.

I’m always intent on finding out ‘the point’ of a film, and if I had to say what it was in The Hateful Eight… I’d change my mind five times. As I left the theater, I was finally resolute that Tarantino showed how enemies could be friends when faced with a danger or foe that was strong enough to unite them. We all bleed red blood; we all have a tendency to bear our grudges and seek revenge whenever we believe we have the upper hand. But those who live by the sword, die by it… right?

It seems like I read that somewhere before.

Barely Lethal: Another High School Movie… With Assassins

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barelylethal1The Prescott Academy breeds orphaned kids to be killer assassins in the latest take on high school, Barely Lethal. Agent 83 (Hailee Steinfeld) breaks free from the watchful eye of her training officer, Hardman (Samuel L. Jackson), and enrolls as an exchange student studying at a normal high school. Going by the name Megan Walsh, she lives with an accepting mother of two (Rachael Harris, Suits), chases the cool kid (Toby Sebastian), and befriends the dork (Thomas Mann). In the mean time, forces filled with both good and bad intentions vie to get her attentions back on the shadowy world of espionage.

Like Ashton Kutcher’s Killers (or a mashup between Kingsman and Mean Girls), Barely Lethal aims for funny, balancing real life in high school with killing people. I’m not sure I’d say it totally succeeds in reaching those goals (and yes, I find Killers rewatchable), even though Steinfeld’s repertoire (True Grit, Ender’s Game, 3 Days to Kill) has shown she’s got the chops for the more violent or gritty aspects of this. Still, the high school side plays out predictably–even too predictably–to be more than derivative. [Some might say we learned our lesson on this one in the original Back to the Future!]

barelylethal2The casting is pretty funny though, as sideshows like Steve-O, as Hardman’s henchman, and Jessica Alba, as an enemy agent, play their type in comedic ways. (Seriously, Steve-O gets to throw live wires around, and Alba is back in a funnier version of Dark Angel, right?) And, if you want to add a trivia aspect to what’s going on during the film, just play the “who do I recognize from Game of Thrones?”

There are two competing themes going on here, and neither will surprise you. On one hand, 83/Megan deserves to live a life that’s free and full of normal situations for adolescent high schoolers (even ones being played by college students, or older). Nevermind that we may not have had any of these ‘normal’ experiences in our high school days, but we know people who did.

On the other hand, there’s the fact that 83 is good at what she does. She can’t deny who she is or what her gifts and talents are. She’s something special, and she can’t cloak that by ‘trying to be like everyone else.’ While other high school students might not know what to do in these situations, 83 is an introspective view of herself, her community, and the world. (Okay, so the last is a bit of a stretch.)

What is apparent is that no one should (or is it can?) make it through life without attachment to anyone or anything. It’s not natural, or good, or fulfilling. We are meant for community, whether it’s in the way that I see our Creator God as a Trinity or the way that God made human beings in community. We need each other, and we can’t make it on our own. Surviving on our own? That’s barely… lethal.