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Reviews
Deadpool (2016)
An amazingly true adaption
Deadpool truly is the role that Ryan Reynolds was born to play and this movie is an utterly phenomenal adaption of the property.
The movie remains remarkably true to it's source material. There are fourth wall breaks within fourth wall breaks. Jokes at the expense of the actors playing the characters, at the expense of the cast and crew, the movie and comic book industries in general, comic book movies in particular, the history of the star in comic book movies, and more.
The movie was clearly made for adults, although possibly not oriented towards our most mature and adult sides. It is utterly unsuitable for children, both in terms of graphic violence, sexual innuendo, graphic male nudity and hilariously scarring depictions of self affection. Even the end credit stick figure graphics include content that that is hilariously unsuitable for children.
As a long time fan of the comic books, I was immensely happy with the movie. It was everything I could have hoped for from a Deadpool movie. It was low brow, offensive, violent, adult humor done extremely well. I think however that even for someone who is not an existing fan of the comics - the movie stands alone well as a brilliantly funny and irreverent spin on the comic book adaption genre. And in light of the news that a sequel has been green lit - it seems like a fantastic launch platform for a phenomenal franchise.
I highly recommend that every adult who has ever appreciated super hero violence or laughed at a penis watch this movie at the first opportunity. I can't wait to watch it again.
Jessica Jones (2015)
Netflix and Marvel's partnership is the ballad of the villains
Much like Daredevil, the real saga of Jessica Jones is that of the Villain. David Tennant shines as a dark and broken sociopath. His performance is chilling and terrifying and asks dark questions about what we would do with ultimate power over those around us, and about what would become of us.
Stepping past Tennant's breathtaking performance, the rest of the casting is apt and on point. Any fan of the comic books will be hard pressed to fault Jessica Jones or Luke Cage. Their chemistry and dynamic is ink made flesh and the characters that we loved brought to screen. The supporting cast are equally brilliant, especially the trio of Australian actors supporting in the roles of Trish Walker, Will Simpson and Malcolm. Comic book buffs will quickly spot the nods to comic cannon and the fascinating divergence and rebirth of comic book icons. There is extensive dialogue and set references to comic book icons that shows a phenomenal attention to detail that becomes a love letter to long term fans of these properties.
Jessica Jones breathes yet more life into the promise of the Defenders franchise at Netflix. Bring on Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and future seasons. If for some reason you haven't yet signed up for Netflix - this show alone is a reason to do so.
Daredevil (2015)
A reason to sign up for Netflix, all other facts aside
As a long term comic book nerd, and a huge fan of the Marvel cinematic universe and television properties - I wasn't sure what to make of the proposed Street Heroes development deal with Netflix, especially in light of the history with those characters in film (Affleck's disappointing Daredevil in particular). I was however pleasantly optimistic from the teaser releases.
I am breath taken with the end result. Vincent D'Onofrio is to my mind the standout star and an act of sheer casting genius as Kingpin. The menace and complexity in his voice even when he's not on screen, and the cold, calculating and distant aspect of his body language, and the delivery of his dialogue, shows both the depth of his talent as an actor and the brilliance of his casting. As a long term fan of D'Onofrio - and a huge fan of the king pin in the comic book universe - I'm thrilled at the prospect of his continued involvement with the Marvel cinematic universe.
The sound editing for the series in general, from D'Onofrio's voice overs to the audible representations of the protagonist's enhanced senses is a triumph. It begs to be recognized and awarded. It is perhaps as integral to success of the series as the performance of any of the characters.
Also, Deborah Ann Woll who played Jessica Hamby in True Blood remains equally gifted as an actress, stunning as an aesthetic work of art, and for a moment, just a little bit more naked than she was in her prior works. Which after 71 episodes of true blood with a celebrity crush on her - has to be a acknowledged as part of the reason for my immediate fondness for the series. But as talented as she is, the show would stand as remarkable even without her.
In the interest of fairness, there are some rough moments in the dialogue. The visual effects have moments of awkwardness in the earlier episodes. There is a sense in a few corners of the production group finding its feet. But it does seem to level out (and up) as the story progresses.