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Launchpad – Disney’s Gift of Shorts

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I’m always happy to promote short films as part of the entertainment landscape. Often the only chance people get to see shorts is at film festivals or during the Academy Awards season. But now Disney has created a program of live action shorts streaming on Disney+ called “Launchpad”. Disney describes the goal of “Launchpad” as “to diversify the types of stories that are being told and to give access to those who have historically not had it.” For their inaugural series they have chosen six filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds. The theme for this set of shorts is “Discovery”. The films included in “Launchpad” range from 14 to 20 minutes.

American Eid, from Aqsa Altaf, tells of a Pakistani family that has recently moved to the US. It is seen through the eyes of the two daughters, one who is trying to fit in, the other seeking to hold on to the traditions that are meaningful to her (like getting out of school for the Eid holiday). This was my favorite of the strong field.

Dinner Is Served, from Hao Zheng, is the story of a Chinese student at a ritzy school who desires to be the dining hall maître d’. He sees it as being recognized for his abilities. But it may not be how others see it.

Growing Fangs, from Ann Marie Pace, is the story of a Mexican-American teen from a mixed marriage—human and vampire. She doesn’t fit in with her human friends and is afraid to let the monsters at her new school know the truth about her parentage. This is the film with the best humor and most imaginative concept.

The Last of the Chupacabras, from Jessica Mendez Siqueiros, is another light-hearted (but not without meaning) story. The last tamales cart vendor in LA discovers a Chupacabra in her yard after an earthquake. It’s not as terrible as legend suggests.

Let’s Be Tigers, from Stefanie Abel Horowitz, is the story of a babysitter who is trying to cover up the grief over the death of her mother. Of course, sometimes it can sneak up on you.

The Little Prince(ss), from Moxie Peng, tells of two Chinese school kids who become friends, but the father of one of the boys is taken aback by his son’s friend’s affinity for dolls, pink, and ballet.

All of these films allow us to see people discovering themselves. Most of them also deal with the tensions of culture and tradition—of holding true to one’s values while trying to fit into a world that may not have those same values. The discoveries that the characters make in these stories show that we can often affirm both worlds if we are willing to be honest with ourselves.

I will confess that I often look at Disney as a behemoth—a cinematic/business empire that takes what it wants and only cares for the bottom line. That allows them to make lots of movies we all love. But it also sometimes makes them seem like they like to throw their weight around. But “Launchpad” certainly does not fit that image. These shorts are a nice gift that Disney has given us. It not only gives us a chance to watch some shorts, it also is giving wonderful opportunities to filmmakers who have a hard time finding ways to tell their stories.

Photos courtesy of Disney

Jupiter’s Legacy: Processing The Power that We Leave Behind

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JUPITER’S LEGACY (L-R) LESLIE BIBB as GRACE SAMPSON, JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON, and BEN DANIELS as WALTER SAMPSON in episode 2 of JUPITER’S LEGACY. Cr. STEVE WILKIE/NETFLIX © 2020

The legacies that heroes leave behind are supposed to inspire people and give them something to look up to. But what if your own parent was one of these heroes? Talented ex-marvel writer Mark Miller’s comic book series ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ uses the superhero setting to dive into the topic of family dynasties and the scars that they can leave behind. 

Jupiter’s Legacy takes inspiration from DC’s Justice League with its characters, and appears to be Netflix’s answer to rival Amazon’s superhero show, ‘The Boys.’ Coming to Netflix this May 7, can this live action series compete in this already overcrowded and competitive market that’s filled with big names such as Marvel, the Arrowverse, DCEU, and Amazon?

JUPITER’S LEGACY Episode 101 of JUPITER’S LEGACY Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

In Jupiter’s Legacy, the driving force behind superhero group “The Union” is to uphold “the code” which they view as the core of what makes you a great hero (and a good person). The greatest hero is Sheldon (Josh Duhamel), aka the Utopian who stands by the believe that heroes don’t kill anyone no matter what, don’t govern politics, and try to save as many lives as possible. (Fairly standard superhero stuff, actually.) 

From the beginning of the first episode, there’s an obvious difference in ideology between the old guard and a new generation of heroes, including Sheldon’s son, Brandon (Andrew Horton). Expected to be a hero as great as his father, Brandon struggles with his own identity and feels the weight of the world on his shoulders as he’s pressured to take over his father’s position. In these moments, the show really portrays the impossible standard of being born into a family with such a high legacy to uphold. What’s more, Sheldon’s daughter, Chloe (Elena Kampouris) also has superpowers yet decides to go the opposite route, rejecting her family’s legacy and decides to party it up as a celebrity. (In this way, Chloe’s character draws a parallel between rich heiresses who have all the resources in the world but decide to rebel against all the family and societal expectations of their path in life.) 

JUPITER’S LEGACY (L-R) JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON in episode 3 of JUPITER’S LEGACY. Cr. MARNI GROSSMAN/NETFLIX © 2020

There’s also an interesting debate that takes place after Brandon watches his closest friends die at the hands of a villain. Tramautized by the event, Brandon ultimately decides to kill the villains in order to save his parents from becoming their next victims. Sick and tired of these villains, the public loves that Brandon kills them, which is strictly against the code of The Union. These events lead to The Union questioning whether their old ways still work anymore (and whether or not they ever did in the first place). These conversations are fascinating as they bring in strong points from both sides, such as the ideas that killing villains would prevent them from creating further death of innocents and whether it is doing more harm than good letting them live. On the other hand, the main counter argument is that nobody should be judge, jury, and executioner. To them, nobody should decide who lives and dies, especially those with so much power. This debate persists throughout the series and is incredibly relevant with today’s views on police brutality and how criminals are treated within the detention system. 

JUPITERÕS LEGACY (L to R) JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON and IRON ORCHID in episode 101 of JUPITERÕS LEGACY Cr. ADAM ROSE/NETFLIX © 2021

One of the things I most enjoyed about Jupiter’s Legacy was the fact that they took inspiration from the non-linear storytelling that made Arrow so enjoyable. By showing the origins of how The Union got their powers, what drove them and how that has shaped current character motivations and storyline the series fleshes out their characters well. A major concern that often takes place in superhero shows is that the action can get sloppy and, due to budget constraints, the scenes with powers look ridiculous. (Not to point fingers but Season One of Supergirl is a prime example of this.) No matter how good the writing is, laughably bad CGI and poorly choreographed fighting scenes can be detrimental to the immersiveness of any show.  Thankfully, Jupiter’s Legacy does not have that issue at all. Their effects and action scenes are done well and are comparable to movie level quality, which I find incredibly important in a superhero show in order to not to be taken out of the experience.

Overall, Jupiter’s Legacy is a very fun watch that is able to stand on its own. Though borrowing from the legacy of DC’s Justice League, Legacy dives into stories that viewers have not seen before revolving around superheroes which makes it worth recommending.

JUPITER’S LEGACY (L to R) TYLER MANE as BLACKSTAR, ANDREW HORTON as BRANDON SAMPSON, and TENIKA DAVIS as PETRA SMALL in episode 101 of JUPITER’S LEGACY. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

Jupiter’s Legacy is currently streaming on Netflix.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Reborn film finally does justice to the franchise

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You could forgive me if I doubted.

After years of hearing about the mythological ‘Snyder Cut’, there was simply no way that this film could meet expectations. After all, the original film was such a tepid piece of fodder that there was simply no way that a few tweaks or additional scenes could self-correct a franchise that had fallen so far off the rails. Now, with a refreshed budget and a new home on HBOMax, Zack Snyder’s Justice League has finally arrived. 

And I admit that I was stunned by the results.

The details of the Snyder Cut’s resurgence has been well-documented. Determined not to copy Marvel’s roadmap to success, DC chartered their own path that rushed the process. By the time that The Avengers came around, standalone films had charted a path that allowed audiences to connect with the characters before they attempted to work together. Falling behind in the box office, the release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice gave DC the chance to try and regain some traction in the pop culture world. In their attempt to speed up the process, they threw their characters into films without any proper introductions. Whether they were attempting to ‘catch up’ to Marvel or simply afraid of being accused of ‘copying’ Disney’s juggernaut franchise, the result was a middling mess of confusion that left no time to create something special. 

After Joss Whedon’s cut of the Justice League failed to catch on with audiences, WB may have thought they were free of the franchise with a chance to reboot things once again. However, they underestimated their fans. After an unprecedented fan campaign that lasted three years and a hashtag (#ReleaseTheSnyderCut) that simply wouldn’t die, WB found themselves portrayed as the villains of a fiendish plot to suppress a director’s vision. Even so, they held firm to their comment that any other version for the film simply did not exist.

All that changed with the creation of HBOMax. Even if Snyder had been able to complete the film initially, there’s simply no way that the WB would have allowed a 4-hour cut to be released in theatres, especially for a franchise that had been viewed as flailing. Although, with the move to streaming, Snyder suddenly had the opportunity to lean in to his longer take on the film. All of a sudden, he had the time (and freedom) to tell the story his way. Given more space in the world of digital media, Snyder’s League feels less like a theatrical release and more like the first chapter of a mega mini-series event. At a time when binge-watching has taken over the ‘theatrical experience’, Zack Snyder’s Justice League leans into our current obsession with long-form storytelling, complete with ‘chapters’ marking breaks within the film. 

Most importantly though, what about the quality of the film itself? 

The truth is that it’s good. Very, very good. 

Shockingly good, really.

In the new cut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League picks up immediately following the events of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. After Superman’s (Henry Cavill) death, the world is left with a need for heroes. As such, Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) begin building a team of super-humans who will stand together against an ancient evil that is preparing to return and exact revenge on humanity. 

Although I have never considered myself a ‘Snyder-apologist’, one can’t help but recognize the quality of his epic saga. The ‘director’s cut’ is far from a new concept in our culture. Even so, the extent of these re-edits usually amounts to a few additional scenes or some updated special effects. In the case of the new League, Snyder offers an almost entirely different story with new subplots and expanded character beats.

In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to suggest that it improves on the original theatrical cut in virtually every way.

While Whedon’s original film attempted to ‘lighten’ the tone with more quips and less exposition, that vision never truly fit with the world that Snyder had already created. Marked by rushed character arcs that never satisfy and a bland villain, the original film rarely works. Nevertheless, with the move to HBOMax, Snyder’s version has the proper time to explore the stories of new characters without betraying the larger superhero story. Though this saga would obviously have benefited from prior stand-alone films, Snyder’s League does its very best to compensate by giving meaningful backstories to its new additions, especially Ray Fisher’s Cyborg. Once a side character with little relevance, Cyborg has suddenly become the film’s emotional core with an arc that has a significant impact on the outcome of the story.

In addition, the most notable change comes through a more fully realized villain in Steppenwolf. Whereas Whedon trimmed the brute’s story down to almost nothing, Snyder’s new footage offers a meaningful role to the character. Instead of a standard ‘big bad’ who’s forgettable (at best), the new League highlights his motivation and relationship to the larger impending force of nature in Darkseid. As a result, not only does Steppenwolf become more interesting to the viewer but his actions simply make more sense. (What’s more, new special effects give the character a much more menacing look, a factor that was lacking in the original cut.) 

Of course, it’s also important to know that the film ends on an enormous cliff-hanger. Originally conceived to be the first of three films, League operates in grand strokes but never fully concludes. (For the record, Snyder has currently stated he has no intention of returning to the world.)

What’s more, despite its overall quality, this League will not likely win any new converts from those who struggle to connect with Snyder’s vision. Although it goes without saying that this a vastly improved version of the film, all the Snyder-isms that will cause derision remain front and centre. Off-putting to some for his showmanship, there’s little question that his visual polish drives his work. Featuring a litany of stylized effects, slow-motion action and dark, gritty story-telling, League is Snyder is at his free-wheeling best yet he will still likely alienate viewers who are looking for something more along the lines of Marvel’s lighter, more humorous tone.

However, these vast differences are all very intentional. Whereas Marvel has taken a much more scientific or ‘human-centred’ approach to their content, Snyder’s vision for the DC Universe has always included viewing these heroes as modern gods. Though Marvel seems to create heroes on par with mankind, Snyder views characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as super beings who have been sent as examples to inspire humanity to greatness. (One need not look further than the giant monument to Superman to see that this is true.) There’s a deep admiration for his characters within Snyder’s work that hints at the spiritual longings of a culture looking for heroes. As such, his vision for the League meets every superhuman act with a grand crescendo. Bursts of electricity, clangs of metal and a bombastic soundtrack give the film an epic scale that highlights his vision. To Snyder, the DC Universe is an example of our modern mythology and, as such, he is unapologetic in his reverence for the material.

With the release of his ambitious superhero opus, Snyder truly does come out as the winner here. With grandiose storytelling and vastly improved character arcs, Zack Snyder’s Justice League shows what the director can do when given the time (and money) to bring his vision to life. As a result, this reborn League certainly feels like the unexpectedly epic conclusion that this chapter of the DCEU (and Snyder himself) needed.

That is, until #RestoreTheSnyderVerse takes effect.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available to stream on HBOMax on Thursday, March 18th, 2021..

Ramy – Searching for God

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“I feel that the problem’s really that I just don’t know what kind of Muslim I am. Like there’s Friday prayers and then there’s Friday night and I’m, like, at both. I wanna pray. I wanna go to the party.”

The Hulu original series, Ramy, takes us into the world of a young Muslim man as he struggles to live out his faith. Ramy (played by Ramy Youssef, who created the show and co-wrote most of the episodes) is from an Egyptian-American family living in New Jersey. His life is directionless. He and his friends are concerned with, but not always observant what is halal (permitted) or haram (forbidden). Ramy does not drink or do drugs, but he sleeps around and watches a great deal of porn. He wants to be a good Muslim. He is clear that he believes in God (“God God, not yoga”). But he’s not sure how to live up to the calling of being Muslim.

The fact the Ramy is Muslim is important to the story, but it should be noted that the kinds of struggles he goes through are really not that different than they are for someone seeking to be a good Christian, a good Sikh, a good Jew, or a good Buddhist. He recognizes that there is more to being Muslim (or any religion) than just prayer and worship. If one doesn’t shape one’s life to the teachings, what good is the religion?

It is hard to characterize the series. On the surface it is a sitcom that looks at Ramy’s life with his friends and family. He and his sister Dena (May Calamawy) are thoroughly at home in American culture. His parents (Amr Waked and Hiam Abbass) still hold on to many of the ways they brought from Egypt. Ramy also struggles in his job working for his rude bigoted Uncle Naseem When the film is in sitcom mode it often relies mostly on sexual humor (sometimes crude sexual humor). But then an episode will come that is heartbreakingly serious. Some of those serious episodes center on one of Ramy’s family members. We get a chance to see their struggles with living in two cultures as well.

There are two seasons of the series currently available on Hulu. In Season 1, we follow in Ramy’s failing search for balance in his life. He keeps looking for ways to live in accord with his faith, but not only comes up short, he often makes even bigger mistakes. He understands that his life is sinful, but seems powerless to overcome himself. At the end of the first season, he makes a trip to visit family in Egypt. This is a pivotal event. He meets and falls in love with his cousin (Rosaline Elbay), but he also discovers Sufism, a more mystical movement within Islam that speaks to him.

Season Two has a much different vibe. Having returned home, Ramy learns of a Sufi center near him, and connects with its leader, Sheikh Malik (the fabulous Mahershala Ali). The Sheikh is initially uncertain about taking Ramy on as a student. He senses that Ramy is too self-centered to truly learn. That self-centeredness becomes an ongoing issue in Ramy’s life through this season. But soon, we see Ramy begin to mature. He seems to be living into his faith for the first time. He even gains the romantic attention of the Sheikh’s daughter, Zainab (MaameYaa Boafa). But the more he seems to mature, the more he risks losing if he fails. And indeed, his self-centeredness will prove his undoing.

Ramy is the most spiritual show I’ve seen on TV in many years. Although it is centered in Islam, it offers insight for people of any (or no) religion. It treats religious faith as an important part of life. At the same time, it makes it clear that following a spiritual path can be very difficult. It also gives us some insight into some of the barriers that we can place between ourselves and God. Is it enough to follow the rules? Even that seems beyond Ramy’s abilities. Do we improve ourselves by helping others? Or is helping others only a way of making ourselves feel better about our shortcomings? It even raises a difficult question of if we practice a religion because of ourselves or because of the God in the center of the religion?

Near the end of the final episode of Season Two, Ramy, his life in ruins hears a CD made for beginners in Islam. It quotes the Quran: “Truly God loves those who come unto him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves”. I suspect this is part of the framework for the next season. It is also an important concept for Ramy (and us all) to come to terms with. It suggests that God does not turn away from us even when we fail in living in God’s ways. It also suggests that the recovery of spiritual wholeness begins by our turning again towards God. I am reminded of one of the most significant phrases in Islam is three words (in Arabic) that are put at the beginning of all but one of the Suras in the Quran. They translate as “In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful”. It is the compassion and mercy of God that many of us—across religious boundaries—rely on.

Snowpiercer – Dantesque Train Ride

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All of life has been reduced to the inhabitants of a 1001 car long train that continually circles the earth where the outside temperature is -119° C. In TNT’s new drama series Snowpiercer, that train becomes a microcosm for society. The series is based on the 2013 Bong Joon Ho film (Bong is one of the Executive Producers) and a series of graphic novels starting with La Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Jean-Marc Rochette, and Benjamin Lagrand. The stories of all these manifestations differ. What they all have in common is this train traveling through a post-apocalyptic frozen world. I’ve had a chance to watch the first five episodes of the first season. The series has already been renewed for a second season.

The TV series takes place seven years after the world was frozen by scientists seeking to end global warming. But it went terribly wrong. The prescient Mr. Wilfort designed and built this train to save some of the people—mostly the rich and those needed to take care of them.

As the series opens, seven years after the train set off, some of those in charge come to the Tail of the train, where the dregs of this society are housed, to find Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs), who is one of the leaders planning a revolt. He is also a former police detective. There has been a gruesome murder on the train. Although the regular order keepers (The Brakemen) on board don’t really trust anyone from the tail, they need his expertise. It is through the investigation of the murder that we discover this rolling world. And what we discover is a world that is full of the same injustices and inequalities of our own society.

There is a very rigid class structure on the train, which corresponds with the closeness to the front of the train. The engine is the realm of Mr. Wilfort, who is something of a benign god who is the supreme authority. With a touch of almost religious reverence, authority is sometimes said to come from “the eternal Engine”.  People are told at one point that “the Engine will provide”. The engine’s decrees are mediated through Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly), a sort of high priestess of the “faith” of Wilfort. She is the day to day hands on ruler of the train. (Although, [minor spoiler] by the end of the first episode we discover that Mr. Wilfort is a convenient fiction.)

Just behind the engine is the First Class area, where the people who had money to invest in the train live in the luxury, entitlement, and privilege they are used to. Think of them as the 1%. Next comes Second Class, the middle-class, white collar section of the train. This is life akin to the suburbs—comfortable but not luxurious. Third Class is the blue collar section of the train. Here is where all the workers who keep things going are housed. It’s a harder life here. They survive, but live in cramped quarters.

At the very rear is The Tail. These are people who forced their way on to the train without tickets. The rest of the train considers them freeloaders. They live in utter squalor. They have no windows, no privacy, and no rights. They are fed some gelatinous protein bars. And they want something better. As Layton moves uptrain, it seems almost a Dantesque ascension from hell to paradise (with a few glimpses of purgatory).

Because the story is told in all parts of the train, the series becomes a multilayered narrative with an large ensemble cast. In addition to the two main actors, Connelly and Diggs, look for Alison Wright as Ruth, a stick-up-her-butt assistant to Melanie; Mickey Sumner as Bess Till, a young brakeman who slowly warms to Layton and begins to sees him as a mentor; and Annalise Basso as LJ Folger, a First Class teenager who, well, spoilers should be avoided, but keep an eye on her.

The murder mystery is solved after a few episodes, but it lays the groundwork for the story of class struggle that is bound to erupt. Certainly the Tailies are being pushed to the point of insurrection. Layton had hoped to see enough of the train that he would be able to pass word back to the tail to aid in that insurrection. When the investigation is finished, however, he knows too much to be allowed to return to the Tail.

For those running the train, order is of the highest importance. This is not a democracy. It is more like a theocracy (but remember we know that the seemingly divine Wilfort is not what everyone thinks). In the film, this desire for order took on an almost Calvinistic sense of predestination. It is less so in the TV series. Still everyone has their assigned role and place in this society. But everyone wants more. The Tailies want access to the rest of the train. Those in Third Class want a voice. Even those in First Class are dissatisfied and are looking for their own advancement.

The injustice inherent in these class distinctions is especially evident in the episodes I’ve screened. Justice is shown to be subjective. The train has been set up as a trickle-down society. Each level has not only less comfort, but less influence. But even the one percenters don’t have control. They are also looking to get more, even though it seems they have all they could want. I expect, as I continue on in the series, to see this class struggle take on more and more importance. This inequality was also evident in the film, but was more centered on the Tail. In the series, this dissatisfaction is spread throughout the train. The revolution that seems to be coming will not have a single source, but will likely come from many sides.

You may have noted various somewhat religious references throughout this review. While this is not an overtly religious series, there are definite spiritual undertones. However, much of what sounds religious is in fact a façade to provide authority to those uptrain to maintain the social order as they see fit. That is not unlike the way some in our society confuse social structure with religion. But just because semi-religious authority is improperly used, doesn’t mean that the spiritual nature of the series is only about the misuse of religion. There are spots, even early on, that we see the spiritual side of come of the characters. This becomes most evident when we discover The Night Car—ostensibly a brothel, but in reality it provides something much deeper. This is at base a humanistic spirituality. It is in the way people relate to one another that brings out their spiritual natures. And it is those natures that will be essential to the unfolding story.

Snowpiercer airs on TNT beginning on May 17th, 2020.

Photos courtesy of Warner Media.