MORBIUS

 Jared Leto     Adria Arjona     Matt Smith

Jared Harris     Tyrese Gibson     Al Madrigal

            This production is interesting, which is likely an assessment below what the filmmakers were hoping for.  The CGI is good, especially in transforming the faces or Dr. Morbius and Milo, but at times when it becomes just a riot of color on the screen, it’s a bit much and dilutes any meaning filmmakers hope to convey. Jared Leto is at his usual level of excellence, always adapting to whatever character he is playing.  It was fun to see the British actor Sam Smith playing a good/bad guy, dropping his usual polite British demeanor.  Jared Harris is likewise at his usual best as the kind and humble physician.  Adria Arjona’s character as Martine spices up the screen with her good looks and noble character.

            The movie begins with Michael Morbius as a young boy meeting Lucien (whom he names ‘Milo’ right away) in the hospital for blood disorders.  They have rare diseases for which there is no known cure, which binds them together as life-long friends.  Michael becomes a Boy Wonder who already is showing a kind of promise that impresses his doctor (Harris), who arranges for him to be in a gifted and talented program in the U.S.  Fulfilling the doctor’s hope, Michael is brilliant and studious, quickly earning his doctorate at age 19.  Currently as a young adult, he is making a name for himself by creating artificial blood that can be used on the battlefield, but his hope is to create a cure for his disease.

            With the help of his colleague/fiancé Dr. Martine Bancroft (Arjona), Michael (Leto)  begins conducting research on animals, then moves on to human research.  Of course, he can’t resist trying it on himself, the consequences of which are like the boy in the childhood poem, “when he is good, he is very, very good; when he is bad he is horrid.”  The positive is that his body recovers so well, he becomes superhuman, able to fly and have phenomenal strength.  The bad part is that he requires human blood to sustain his improvement, making him vulnerable to destructiveness.  Since Michael is an ethical, thoughtful man, he must wrestle with himself when he has certain urges.  But things get complicated when Milo (Smith)—who has become his friend and benefactor and who doesn’t have the ethical grounding Michael has—thinks he is entitled to the serum.  

            Direction by Daniel Espinosa reflects his interest in mixing Marvel type of action with horror.  He successfully does it here, merging a basically honorable personality with one affected by blood thirst, and illustrating the contrast between someone like that and someone who is mostly in for a good time to compensate for the years he has lost because of his illness.  This kind of dilemma and soul-searching is uncommon for Marvel-based films but reminds me of the recent Warner Bros. produced The Batman, in which he questions himself and tries to listen to his conscience.

            Marvel fans may regard this production as the “same ol’, same ol’”, but I suggest looking at the deeper issue Espinosa is trying to put forth—that of a superpower in the hands of ethical vs. unethical characters.  I think the writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless achieved that goal, although it may not be obvious to many.

 

Dr. Morbius finds himself in an ethical dilemma when as a basically honorable man he develops a serum that cures blood diseases but creates superpowers as a side effect.

 

Grade:  B                              By Donna R. Copeland

6 UNDERGROUND

Ryan Reynolds     Melanie Laurent     Manuel Garcia-Rulfo     Adria Arjona     Corey Hawkins

Dave Franco     Ben Hardy

     Six characters so closeted, when someone says, “Who are you?” the answer is, “No one.” They like to see themselves as “ghosts.”  Number One (Reynolds) (they use numbers, rather than names) who essentially functions as the leader (and founder, perhaps) has strict principles to live by, which precludes forming attachments, having cell phones, or leaving any digital trace of their footprints.  (This code is bandied about from time to time, with some squirming against it, and some openly questioning it; but One always defends it.)  They’re a “Delta” force doing risky, undercover work; but unlike the Navy Seals, for instance, they are not attached to a government.  It’s part of their creed that they take orders from no one and make their decisions to take action all on their own (vigilantes).  This also means that things like “due process” and written laws of justice are not a part of their value system.  They do believe that if they see broad social injustice—such as a despotic leader exploiting his people—they have a right/duty to intervene through whatever means it takes.

     This system presents a wondrous opportunity for filmmakers (Michael Bay, director) to devise a point-by-point account of the group’s derring-do against a backdrop of luxurious settings (e.g., Florence Italy and Hong Kong), on gigantic yachts, in elegant hotels, and so on.  It’s like a James Bond film, but here you have six/seven heroes/heroines to gaze upon.  Likewise, it’s an opportunity for a macho extravaganza of destruction.  (Thank goodness, they spared Michaelangelo’s David sculpture in Florence!)  It’s the cinematographer’s (Bojan Bazelli) job to show off the visual elegance of these scenes, accompanied by Lorne Balfe’s reverberating score.

     6 Underground is a libertarian’s wet dream about heroic acts being achieved outside the strictures of authority and government.  It’s likewise a video-game-like lavish display of machismo—executed by women (thank you very much!) as well as men.  I do appreciate females being portrayed with as much authority as the males. And it even shows their superiority at times when two males can’t keep from fighting like little boys.

     As in many action films, 6 Underground is heavy on the car chases and heroics at the expense of story and character development. Maybe this was meant to be more tongue-in-cheek than I got, but, to me, Ryan Reynolds did not fit with the hard-edged character he was meant to be.  Just to look at him physically, is to see a nice and gentle guy who could pull off Deadpool beautifully.  I think a more sharp-edged—going toward the cynical—look in the actor would be more apropos in this case.

     I can say that on the one hand, 6 Underground is entertaining in places and has unexpected elements, and I always like to see the evil man get his due.  On the other hand, envisioning a vigilante force outside of law exerting its judgment (including killing) without benefit of a lawful trial makes me uneasy.  I’m also against the wanton destruction shown during much of the film, especially when cars are careening every which way and bashing into other cars, buildings, and historical sites along the streets in Florence and elsewhere. These scenes become tediously repetitious.

     Aside from Reynolds—who I think was miscast, although he is a good actor—Melanie Laurent, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ben Hardy, Corey Hawkins, Adria Arjona and Dave Franco enrich the plot and inhabit their characters well, especially Laurent, Hardy, Hawkins, and Garcia-Rulfo.  

If you’re up to a video-game kind of movie, this will please you.  But if you have a problem with vigilantism and absurd car chases, find another film to watch.

Grade:  D+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

PACIFIC RIM

John Boyega     Scott Eastwood     Tian Jing     Cailee Spaeny    

Rinko Kikuchi     Burn Gorman     Adria Arjona     Charlie Day

     At first, I thought that the only reason to watch this film is for the special effects, which are spectacular, but I wished for more dramatic impact, which is so minimal.  Then later, I was intrigued with its treatment of the Amara Namani (Spaeny) character, a young sassy girl who had done amazing things on her own (such as assembling a Jaeger from scraps), failed at first at cadet school, then managed to become a central element in saving the earth.  That redeemed this film to some extent in terms of dramatic import and being more than the usual fight-game.

     Another interesting twist is one of the characters’ going rogue after some of his vital fluids got mixed with that of a Kaiju in the first Pacific Rim film, making him eventually a traitor to the Pan Pacific Defense Force.

     In Pacific Rim Uprising, several story lines play out.  There is the one about Jake (Boyega) trying to live up to his father’s heroic brilliance, his competitiveness with his fellow pilot, Nate (Eastwood), his argumentative relationship with Amara, and the competition among scientists (Gorman, Arjona, Day) to produce the most effective force, drones versus Jaegers.  If these stories had been fleshed out and the incessant, senseless robot fighting reduced, this would have been a lot better film.

     To complicate matters, the music and sound effects often drown out dialog, and some subtitles flash by so quickly they’re missed. 

     John Boyega, the recipient of a number of rising star awards for his work in Star Wars:  The Force Awakens and Attack the Block, is good in the starring role, which is very similar to his past roles, so it was not much of a stretch.  The new up-and-coming star here is Cailee Spaeny in her first feature film.  She is a natural in her range of expressions and her ability to capture the spotlight.  Tian Jing as head of the Chinese Shao Corporation’s drone project is icily attractive and clearly shows command of those under her purview.  Eastwood playing rival to Boyega’s character is very effective, although his resemblance to his father both in appearance and mannerism is a bit distracting.  (Not his fault, of course.)  I missed not seeing more of Rinko Kikuchi, who had a major role in the first Pacific Rim; her role here is minor.

     This is a film for special effects fans who are less interested in drama and more enthusiastic about seeing robots engaged in physical combat.

Meager in story; incessant in fighting.

Grade:  D                                    By Donna R. Copeland