Jan/Feb Movie Roundup
Haven't seen that many movies this year, even with Regal Unlimited. Here's a quick recap of what I've watched lately.
Doctor Who: Spyfall Part 1 and 2 - ok, not a movie, but I did watch it on the big screen. I had mixed feelings about series 11. The cast was good, but the episodes were hit and miss and the lack of a series-long arc hurt it. Based on these two episodes, I think I will enjoy series 12 a lot more. There was a confidence to the storytelling from the start and Jodie Whittaker is becoming perhaps my favourite Doctor after Matt Smith. The return of the Master was nicely done, and I can't wait to watch the rest of the series (once the whole thing is available streaming legally).
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - the latest entry in the DC Extended Universe was a film I wasn't sure what to expect of. Would it be good like Wonder Woman or mediocre to terrible like, um, all the rest? I'm happy to report that it leans closer to Wonder Woman, though it's not without a few problems.
Starting with the positive, the cast is great. Margot Robbie gives it her all as Harley, while reining in some of the character's more annoying tics. Ewan McGregor happily chews the scenery as the villain, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is always welcome. The visual style and action are tons of fun.
The main problem with the movie is that it never really earns the Birds of Prey title because the team of women don't come together until the last act of the movie. This makes their joining forces to fight a common enemy less satisfying than if we had seen them interact earlier in the movie and gradually overcome their differences. But aside from that gripe, this is definitely a step in the right direction for DC movies.
Sonic the Hedgehog - video game movies have been slowly improving their reputation of late, thanks to movies like Detective Pikachu, and this movie is about as good as you could hope for from a live action Sonic. The plot is basically a rerun of Hop with bland nice guy James Marsden teaming up with a lovable talking animal and hijinks ensue. Jim Carrey seems like he stepped right out of one of his 90s movies as Dr. Robotnik and the whole thing moves as fast as that spinning hedgehog, with enough jokes to keep parents interested.
Doctor Who: Spyfall Part 1 and 2 - ok, not a movie, but I did watch it on the big screen. I had mixed feelings about series 11. The cast was good, but the episodes were hit and miss and the lack of a series-long arc hurt it. Based on these two episodes, I think I will enjoy series 12 a lot more. There was a confidence to the storytelling from the start and Jodie Whittaker is becoming perhaps my favourite Doctor after Matt Smith. The return of the Master was nicely done, and I can't wait to watch the rest of the series (once the whole thing is available streaming legally).
Starting with the positive, the cast is great. Margot Robbie gives it her all as Harley, while reining in some of the character's more annoying tics. Ewan McGregor happily chews the scenery as the villain, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is always welcome. The visual style and action are tons of fun.
The main problem with the movie is that it never really earns the Birds of Prey title because the team of women don't come together until the last act of the movie. This makes their joining forces to fight a common enemy less satisfying than if we had seen them interact earlier in the movie and gradually overcome their differences. But aside from that gripe, this is definitely a step in the right direction for DC movies.
Sonic the Hedgehog - video game movies have been slowly improving their reputation of late, thanks to movies like Detective Pikachu, and this movie is about as good as you could hope for from a live action Sonic. The plot is basically a rerun of Hop with bland nice guy James Marsden teaming up with a lovable talking animal and hijinks ensue. Jim Carrey seems like he stepped right out of one of his 90s movies as Dr. Robotnik and the whole thing moves as fast as that spinning hedgehog, with enough jokes to keep parents interested.
posted by A.S. McDermott at 4:29 PM
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