Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald Entertains Despite Somewhat Uneven Storytelling

      Few franchises experience the good fortune and lasting appeal that J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series has endured as a worldwide phenomenon, both in the form of international best-selling literature as well as a critically acclaimed blockbuster movie franchise. With the Fantastic Beasts film series, the intent was always that the same kind of lightning and excitement from fans that made the Harry Potter series a global hit would strike twice with the prequel series of books leading up to The Sorcerers Stone. The first film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, proved itself to be the prequel that fans were hoping it to be both in terms of quality and box office. It succeeded in introducing newer characters who stem from the same world, while building up connections to the later stories involving Harry Potter and Dumbledore. With Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald, the filmmakers aim to bridge the two stories even closer together with a follow-up to the 2016 film, that's even darker and more intense than the first chapter. Whereas Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them boasted a straight-forward narrative, which made it relatively easy for both fans and non-fans to understand and enjoy it, The Crimes Of Grindelwald possesses a more uneven narrative that doesn't quite feel as well-executed and put together as its predecessor despite still managing to be a strong follow up to that film, along with possessing some of the older films magic.

      The plot for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald continues from where the previous film left off in J.K Rowling's Wizarding World series. The new installment has magizoologist Newt Skamander (Played by The Theory Of Everything's Eddie Redmayne) and his loyal companion (Dan Fogler) traveling to Paris in hopes of preventing a dark wizard (Played by Johnny Depp) from leading all the pureblooded wizards in an attempt to take over the world, along with ruling over all non-magical people. The first Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them worked well in regards to building off the mythology of the Harry Potter story, while creating its own new spinoff of films that remain interesting with intriguing characters. The film was not only visually stunning to watch but had humor, heart, and strong performances from a talented cast that brought a fresh dose of energy and excitement to the story. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald retains much of the elements that made the previous film work so well with the films scenery once again being breathtaking to watch with the majestical feel of the universe remaining intact. The cast of Grindelwald once again shines through the material despite the films narrative finding itself struggling to remain focused in certain areas. What the new film does well that keeps it from being a major disappointment after a solid beginning to the prequel series, is it continues the world building that the previous film initiated along with raising the stakes for the characters in the story. The film settles for a darker and more mature tone compared to the first Fantastic Beasts, which could be summed up as being a fun-filled story from start to finish. The main issue with the new Fantastic Beasts is despite successfully relaunching the Harry Potter franchise from a different perspective, the newer series runs into the issue of it not being sure exactly where it wants to go next with the films story with subplots feeling like they're all over the place, ultimately resulting in creating more unnecessary mandering rather than moving the story along in a fashion that's both exciting and thrilling. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald is a film that had all the potential of surpassing its predecessor in every aspect of its storytelling, yet it ends up feeling less satisfying of a film in terms of its overall storytelling despite having enough of what made the previous film work to make it a reasonably satisfying effort.

      As far as the films acting goes, the performances are key to bringing the Fantastic Beasts storyline to life in a way that's both believable and convincing. The cast is extremely well put together and make the most of the roles given to them, even if some of the key characters from the previous film feel like they've been brushed aside here with the main example being Eddie Redmayne's character Newt. Redmayne once again delivers a strong performance with his character despite him being sidelined in the films middle portion. There's a sense of fun, goofiness, and wonder about his character which was introduced in the previous film, that appears to be absent here with his character feeling more straight-forward and bland given the newer films tone (Still Redmayne manages to deliver and make the best of the material given to him). Johnny Depp delivers a strong performance in the role of the films main antagonist Gindelwald, an infamous and powerful dark wizard who causes mass violence, terror and chaos around the globe. Depp brings his A game to the part with him portraying the character as being dark and eccentric, making him fall in line with the unique style of characters he generally plays. Jude Law not only impresses but proves to be a perfect fit as a young, wise, and manipulative Dumbledore with him resembling Richard Harris version of the character moreso than Michael Gambon. Dan Fogler reprises his role from the first film as Newt's loyal friend Jacob Kowalski, a No-Maj veteran of World War l as well as the primary love interest to Queenies character. Fogler returns and once again delivers a likable and charming performance with his character. His chemistry with Redmayne remains spot on with the two working well together in the previous film. Alison Sudol also returns and shines once again as both Newt's friend and Jacob's lover Queenie Goldstein. Ezra Miller also reprises as the severely abused and disturbed Aurelius Dumbledore/Credence Barebone. He does a convincing job of playing a character, whose essentially fed up with people's overall treatment of him. His character played a significant role in the previous films third act with his role being expanded here, mostly due to the subplot involving him being sought by Gindelwald. Zoe Kravitz impresses as Newt's emotionally damaged and confusing ex- lover, who still exerts some form of control over him despite showcasing mixed feelings. Other notable supporting cast roles are Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, a promoted Auror for the Magical Congress of the United States Of America. Carmen Ejogo reprises her role from the previous film as Madame President of the MCUSA Seraphina Picquery, though her role here is limited compared to the last film. Other noteworthy supporting roles in the film are Callum Turner as Newt's older brother Theseus Scamander, Claudia Kim as Nagini, the main attraction of a wizarding circus and freak show called Circus Arcanus, with a blood curse that can permanently transform her into a snake, and William Nadylam as a French-Senegalese wizard named Yusuf Kama. Whereas the film has issues that pertain to the way it tells its story, the same can't be said for its cast as everyone delivers performances that are not only convincing, but well-crafted and show the actors obvious enthusiasm for being apart of the franchise. The films casting along with the actors performances are a key reason the newer Harry Potter franchise has been as successful as it's achieved thus far.

      On a directorial note, David Yates who helmed previous installment as well as other films in the Harry Potter franchise such as Order Of The Phoenix, Half-Blooded Prince, and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, returns to the directing chair for The Crimes Of Grindenwald and further expands the world building of the new series universe with an atmosphere, that serves as being both dark and visually stunning  One thing that can be said about Yates directing with the series, is how he's able to bring the world of the books to life on the big screen in a way which makes them feel real and dazzling. Here he doesn't disappoint on that end, but allows the story to be rather unfocused compared to the previous film. The use of CGI in the film also feels heavier in usage compared to the first Fantastic Beasts despite appearing to be impressive, particularly the look of the magical creatures. Where Yates excels as a director is building the trust of the audience in allowing him to take the material that J.K Rowling writes and bring her groundbreaking Wizarding World to the big screen. An example of Yates compatibility as a director of Rowling's work is the films stunning opening sequence that's exciting, breathtaking to watch visually, and immediately draws the audience into the story. As a chase scene, its brilliantly well done and one of the main highlights of the newer series of Harry Potter films thus far. Yates skillfulness as a director of the series is accompanied by the films technical elements such as its stellar cinematography, that captures the beautiful imagery in the wizarding world. In addition to the film being well-shot, its set and costume designs go hand in hand with putting the audience in the scene with the characters. As far as the films editing goes, the story tends to feel both long and drawn-out at times when the narrative detours from the main plot to set up characters and events with the intent of being explored in later films. The adding of in depth backstories for certain characters tended to feel rather unnecessary and ultimately resulted in making the plot harder to follow narratively speaking. That's the total opposite of the previous film where the audience was able to follow the characters of Newt and Jacob with Newt attempting to rectify the problems created by the opening of his suitcase. Whereas Yates remains a strong director for the series as a whole in regards to bringing the story from page to screen in a way that feels both real and convincing, he struggles in regards to keeping the narrative focused on the characters that made the original a hit with audiences.

      The films screenplay by J.K Rowling despite being detailed and overall workable, hands down poses the films strongest issues in regards to its storytelling. Outside of the audience focusing on the character of Newt, Grindelwald, or Dumbledore, the story isn't as interesting nor as engaging as it was the previous time around with the films main issue being its uneven narrative. The script does far too many shifting around with characters and subplots, that it often confuses audiences in regards to them understanding what is happening with the general narrative along with slowing the films pacing. The film is basically a story about how a sociopathic individual essentially manipulated good people into committing atrocities with both the era of the story, as well as the character of Gindelwald himself sharing direct parallels with 1930's Germany. The films screenplay carries with it themes not just pertaining to magic but those of revenge, freedom, siblings, family, regret, discovering one's family tree, one's lust for power, and doing what is right for no other reason other than the simple virtrue of it being right. The films ultimate message that J.K Rowling drives home with her script as convulted as it comes across, is that it's never too late to unburden oneself from past regret and guilt. The biggest problem with the films script is that it feels like it tries to have everything crammed into it with the film setting up elements for future installments rather than just focus on the plot at hand. Whereas the story for the first Fantastic Beasts wasn't anything groundbreaking in particular, it set up a strong foundation for a new series of films with characters that were not only appealing, but showed potential to grow with the right development depending on the scripts for the sequels. Instead of the characters further progressing in terms of development here, they ultimately feel as if they took a step back by both the films messy and uneven narrative.

      In the end, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Gindelwald will prove to be a divisive film in the new prequel series as fans will either accept it as a worthy follow-up to the last film or flat out reject it with the feeling that both Yates and Rowling could've developed the story much further with a stronger and more consistent film. For all its faults, Crimes Of Grindelwald is not a bad film as the positives far outweigh the negatives along with Rowling's touch of Wizardly magic present in the story. However, it's not going to go down as being the epic follow-up it was intended nor get fans psyched for the release of the third film. Despite it's faults, it still manages to entertain and keep the newer series alive for a future installment. Though hopefully the next one is more focused in terms of story and goes back to the basic fundamentals that made the first Fantastic Beasts such a hit with the focus being on the main characters. As a bridge between the first and third movie, The Crimes Of Grindelwald manages to work though as a sequel to the first Fantastic Beasts that's meant to take things out futher, it comes up short. The apparent lack of originality with the films story becomes evident when the filmmakers showcase Easter egg after Easter egg from previous Harry Potter films so that certain events and moments could be recollected, even to the point where it feels forced. Although not perfect, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald aims to please those who enjoyed the previous film along with introducing more fans of the original set of Harry Potter films to the newer story. However, it can be said that if one hasn't read the book for this film nor seen the previous movie, they will not understand the story being presented and ultimately end up being both disappointed and frustrated. The Crimes Of Grindelwald can be considered a lot of things from being rich in visuals though uneven in storytelling, but it still manages to be a reasonably satisfying follow-up to the previous Fantastic Beasts with hope that the third film will revert back to the character driven style of the first that made it a significant hit with audiences.

Final Verdict: If you're a fan of the Harry Potter series and enjoyed both the movies as well as the last Fantastic Beasts film, then The Crimes Of Grindelwald, despite its share of issues, is ultimately worth the watch.

The Maze Runner: Death Cure Concludes Its Popular Trilogy in A Fashion That's Both Respectable And Honorable

   Movies based on best selling books are hard to transfer to the big screen. In most cases, these films fail to live up to the standard set by the source material. The ones that rarely succeed are either successful as their own standalone stories, or become sizable enough hits to generate their own franchises of films. The latter ended up being the case for The Maze Runner series with the first film performing well enough with audiences to spawn two sequels with The Scorch Trials, and the much-anticipated conclusion to the storyline titled Death Cure. Greenlighted at a time where The Hunger Games series was at it's prime in terms of being huge hits both critically and financially, Hollywood looked for every type of story with similar narrative structures to bring to the big screen in hopes of generating similar levels of success from box office and critical misfires such as The Giver to series that began strong but ended in disappointment such as the Divergent series. With The Maze Runner, the end result was being a low-level hit at the box office despite mixed reviews, that pushed its team to produce three full movies with the end result being diminishing box office returns despite the overall arc of the trilogy becoming more interesting. With Death Cure, The Maze Runner series comes to its fitting yet somewhat uneven conclusion, that wraps up its three film story arc in a matter that proves to be fairly satisfying for fans of the series.

      The third installment of The Maze Runner trilogy sees its plot focusing on the leaders of the surviving Gladers (Played effectively by Dylan O' Brien, Thomas BrodieSangster and Dexter Darden) fighting to free the teenage victims of unethical medical experiments designed to find a cure for a zombie virus. The first Maze Runner wasn't anything groundbreaking by any means but it was effective in setting up the main characters, as well as the atmosphere and tone of the story. The audience didn't know much about what was happening outside the Maze until the films third act with the first two acts successfully setting up the films characters and themes. The second Maze Runner surprised as being a stronger film than its predecessor with the audience knowing more about the zombie virus, as well as the powers at be who are using the kids as experiments to find the cure. Whereas the first Maze Runner left things rather vague but created a mysterious yet exciting atmosphere with a sense of urgency to it, the second takes it all to the next level with a darker and more mature storyline that contained even more action while shedding the mystery of the previous film. Death Cure doesn't possess the mystery of the first film, but takes the action of the second and gives audiences more of it while working tirelessly to present a bloated yet fitting end to the franchise. While fans of the previous two films will accept the conclusion that the filmmakers deliver to them in most cases, newer audiences will not understand Death Cures story as it's required that they watch the previous two films prior to this one to fully understand and potentially enjoy it, whereas those were strong enough to be watched on their own respectably unlike this one. The key to enjoying this trilogy is that fans must catch the story from the beginning to understand the plot, as well as grow connected with the characters in order to understanding their motives here. Of the three Maze Runner films, Death Cure provides the weakest installment of the trilogy, but still manages to provide enough action and character development to end the series with a reasonable ounce of dignity. However, no one who didn't catch the previous two Maze Runner films will enjoy this movie nor understand it without getting the full grasp of the story.

      One of the strongest elements of the trilogy thus far has lied within the performances of it's main cast. The young actors go a long way with adding much believability and tension to the films story with Dylan O' Brien once again delivering a terrific performance as the Gladers main group leader Thomas. Brien brings the same likable and sympathetic performance to the part with his character showing true progression from where the story began along with proving to be a fitting young lead, who manages to make his character both a strong and relatable one. The same can be said for Kaya Scodelario as Teresa with the audience left questioning her characters actions with the end of Scorched
Trials. Her chemistry with Brien remains strong and on point with the audience caring about their relationship. Thomas Brodie-Sangster once again steals the show and gives the main leads a run for their money as Thomas friend and partner Newt. His character has been one of the main highlights of the first two films in terms of casting with his performance here being no exception. His character carries his strongest and most emotional arc of all three films in Death Cure. Ki Hong Lee does well playing Minho, glader and former keeper of the runners of Goup A, who becomes Thomas best friend throughout the course of the series as he joined him to escape WICKER'S attempts to restore their memories along with saving the immunes from the maze. Will Poutler reprises his role from the first film as Gally, one of the head members of the running team, that was against Thomas from the start and saw him as trouble for the maze group. His characters transformation at the end of the first film to his surprise appearance here, proves to be both a genuine and slick surprise for the audience. Rosa Salazar from Alita: Battle Angel continues to impress as Brenda, a member of Thomas group who helps him, Minho, and Newt escape from WICKED'S headquarters. As for the older actors, Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito returns from the second film as Thomas ally Jorge, leader of a group of rebels the Gladers met in The Scorch Trials. Game Of Thrones Aidan Gillen also reprises his role as Janson from the second Maze Runner with him, the assistant director of WICKED with Gillen continuing to chew up the scenery as one of the films main antagonists. Patricia Clarkson also shines as Ava, the trilogies central villain who happens to be the chancellor of WICKED as well as being the one responsible for both managing and organizing the search for a cure to the virus called Flare with her tactics including the sending of young teenagers into the Maze to study the minds of the immune. Other notable supporting roles are Barry Pepper as another ally of Thomas and the group Vince, Nathalie Emmanuel as Harriet, and Jacob Lofland as Ari's. One of the strongest elements of The Maze Runner trilogy has always been the type of actors the filmmakers choose to play the characters in the stories as everyone not only works well off each other, but demonstrate strong chemistry along with strength as an ensemble. The performances play a huge part in why the series was able to make it as far as it has on film with Death Cure being the emotionally fitting finale that the story requires it to be.

      In terms of the films directing, Wes Ball who helmed the previous two films in the series, returns to the directors chair once again and films this one much in a similar fashion that he directed the first two. He keeps the tone dark like The Scorch Trials and the action intense like that film with steady pacing. Much like the previous two films, the special effects are both well-done and handled with the fight scenes being intense, thrilling, and well-filmed with solid cinematography. The films score by John Paesano, who also helmed the previous installments in the series, proves to be both solid and effective with the music enhancing the action and adventure aspects of the story, along with the drama. The films editing makes this the longest installment of the series clocking in at 142 minutes with the expectation being that the series gets its explosive and grand finale with the third film. The films long running time also keeps in line with each previous film expanding its length significantly as more subplots and character moments are thrown at the audience on top of the action. The films visual effects and set designs are impressive with the film carrying a dystopian setting, that consists largely of glass and steel with scenes taking place within long corridors and laboratories with the intention of giving audiences the symbolic feeling that the characters are trapped in a maze again. What's most interesting about the series is how each film carried with them a distinct look and appearance with the first movie being a maze full of mostly cement and ruins with the second heavily consisting of sand and rust. The films set decoration and costume design both prove to be successful in terms of selling this world to the audience, while giving Death Cure a life of it's own. Overall, Wes Ball does a solid job with helming the picture with its main issue being that the movie is longer than it needs to be. Despite that, he brings the same kind of energy, enthusiasm, and passion for concluding this story that he had directing the previous two films. His work ensures that Death Cure comes out looking like a gorgeous film visually regardless of the quality of the script.

      The films screenplay by T.S. Nowlin who helmed the previous two Maze Runner films
, returns to the writing chair to give The Maze Runner series its Return Of The King style finish to the story arc it's been building for a total of four years since the first movies release in 2014. For the most part, Nowlin succeeds in giving these characters, particularly Thomas, their proper closure to their journey while closing up every other subplot. Whereas the script as a whole succeeds in wrapping up the trilogies arc overall, it also suffers from tired old cliches and predictable moments that audiences saw coming a mile away, such as the films climactic helicopter scene. Despite the scene being well-executed, the audience knew what was going to happen before it did with the end result being a lessened impact than what the scenes reaction required in that moment. The script also shows that the franchise was growing tired with some of the same moments from previous films happening again in this one such as characters looking out at horizons along with windows. The script also has characters crying and then someone giving a heroic speech to reassure everyone (As well as the audience), that the main characters will prevail in the end. Add to that people pointing guns at each other without the intention of actually pulling the trigger and characters who were once thought to be dead later revealed to be alive (We're looking at you Gally). The scripts structure remains balanced for the most part, though occasionally runs the risk of being uneven at times due to the writers desire to throw everything possible into the movie to send the franchise out on a high note. He even goes as far as having one of the films main characters who died in the story, give an emotional final speech in a letter that Thomas character reads to the audience with the film showing what happens to each of the characters in the end. It certainly comes across as being mushy as well as cliched, but it manages to work in giving fans the happy ending they desire.

      In the end, The Maze Runner: Death Cure manages to finish off the series on a note that's honorable and legitimately feels like the end for both the story and characters. It will undoubtedly be the one out of the trilogy that will divide fans as the overall film definitely could've been stronger (It needed to be trimmed shorter to cut down on some of the films most random moments), but it satisfies in bringing the series to a decent close. The film won't win over any new fans as it's not possible to fully understand its story nor appreciate its efforts to close it out without having seen the first two Maze Runners. As a whole, the trilogy has much to offer in terms of being entertaining while drawing it's audience into a unique dystopian world, that allows them to become invested in both the story and characters. The best thing that can be said about each film in the franchise despite the fact that they're all connected in terms of story, is that they all differ in regards to style with the first film being the most vague and mysterious of the three with the later films bringing in the action. Looking back at how the first Maze Runner began to how Death Cure concludes, one would be shocked at the fact that they all belong to the same trilogy of films. For that reason, The Maze Runner franchise is worth the time and effort to watch with Death Cure despite its share of faults, presenting a respectable finish to the storyline. The film is enjoyed at it's maximum best when one watches it with the previous two films to see how all the stories ultimately connect for better or worse.

Final Verdict: For those who've seen the first two Maze Runner flicks but not this one, Death Cure is worth watching to see the trilogy conclude in a fashion that's both respectable as well as honorable.

Ant-Man And The Wasp Gives Marvel Fans The Much Needed Dessert After Bearing Avengers: Infinity War

      Before the release of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel released it's much anticipated sequel to Ant-Man titled Ant-Man And The Wasp. The film not only served as being fun popcorn entertainment, but carried with it the task of making audiences laugh again after recovering from Infinity Wars shell-shocking climax. The film essentially provided audiences with the sweetest dessert after their first full-blown experience with the Infinity War saga. For Marvel fans as well as the studio itself, 2018 proved to be both a groundbreaking and defining year for the MCU as the universe had reached its first full ten years of functioning. With Black Panther starting out that year on a tremendous note both critically and financially, Infinity War followed suit not just being the most successful Avengers
film to date prior to the release of Endgame, but also marked a massive improvement over Age Of Ultron both financially and in terms of overall quality. With the success of those films, the expectations were set for Ant-Man And The Wasp to deliver a similar splash with audiences, while lighting the tone significantly as audiences were left devastated by Infinity War's finish along with waiting anxiously to see how Endgame concluded. Thankfully Ant-Man And The Wasp lives up to those expectations while essentially giving both Marvel fans, as well as audiences a detour from the intensity of the Infinity War saga.

      The plot for Ant-Man And The Wasp picks up after the events of the first film as well as Marvel's Civil War with character of Scott Lang (Played by Paul Rudd) finding himself balancing out his two different lives with him acting both as a member of the Avengers team with the other being a father figure. Scott however, soon finds himself being presented with an urgent mission by Hope Van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym (Both played by Evangeline Lily and Michael Douglas), that places the Ant-Man teaming up with the Wasp to help uncover secrets from their past. Much like the first Ant-Man which was enjoyable though not thought-provoking or deep in regards to carrying social themes, the sequel retains the same kind of lightheartedness the previous film had while taking the story in a more emotional direction, which largely revolves around the theme of family. At a time where Marvel was heading in its most serious and mature direction with the latter Avengers films and Black Panther, Ant-Man And The Wasp proves to not only be a joy to watch but also a reminder that not everything needs to be taken seriously. What makes the film so work so well is the strong screenwriting which included Paul Rudd's input, as well as the easygoing chemistry that the main cast shares. As a sequel to the first Ant-Man, The Wasp is a solid sequel that builds upon the story and characters established by the previous film. It feels like it carries more freedom in regards to creativity, as well as confidence in its intentions to be light-hearted entertainment coming out in a year where Marvel films were aiming for large doses of maturity or darkness that gave audiences flashbacks to The Empire Strikes Back, Ant-Man And The Wasp serves as being the one entry in the Marvel universe in 2018 that dared to take things down several notches in regards to being less serious and dramatic, but make things fun and colorful again, even if its for a brief period as Endgame came right after it.

      One of the films key elements that makes it work is the strong performances from its main cast, all of whom possess great chemistry as a whole. Paul Rudd once again proves to be the perfect choice as Scott Lang with his performance blending both comedy and heart, along with possessing great comedic timing. Evangeline Lily does a solid job once again playing Scott's love interest and sidekick Hope Van Dyne, with Michael Douglas delivering a strong performance as her father Hank. Michael Pena once again steals the show as Luis, Lang's former cellmate and member of his X-Con Security crew. Other returning faces from the previous Ant-Man film are Judy Greer reprising her role as Scott's ex-wife Maggie along with Bobby Cannavale as Cassie's stepfather Jim, T.I and David Dastmalchian as Scott's friends and other members of his X-Con Security Crew Dave and Kurt, with Abby Ryder Fortson in an impressive role as Scott's young daughter Cassie. As for the films new casting additions, Michelle Pfeiffer proves to be a welcomed addition as Hopes long lost mother as well as Hank's long lost wife. Randall Park adds to the fun with a notable performance as the FBI detective Jimmy trying to catch Scott's character in the act. Laurence Fishburne and Hannah John Kamen both give likable performances as Hank's former colleague Bill Foster and Ghost, one of the films main antagonists who possesses molecular instability allowing her to phase through objects. What makes the cast work so well in this film is the fact that they all share fantastic charisma together. Rudd and Lily make a perfect superhero duo and love interests with Hannah John-Kamen shining in her supporting role along with Walton Goggins as one of the films main antagonists. It also helps that the films source material allows for the actors and actresses to have fun playing their parts as the audience can clearly witness, as well as feel the energy being poured onto the screen from the performances.

      The films directing by Peyton Reed proves to be a solid effort as Reed gives the movie a more fun-spirited atmosphere by allowing it to further embrace its comic book origins, while delivering moments full of seriousness, goofiness, and sentimentality. Peyton finds the right balance with the film in terms of making it fun for the audience, while connecting them with the characters in terms of feeling their emotions (Particularly Hope and Hank when they're temporarily reunited with their mother/wife through her using Scott's body as a form of communication. It's a scene that both hilarious and touching with a clever mixture of the two emotions). Compared to the first Ant-Man, Reed directs the sequel with more confidence in what he wants to show that's largely thanks to having a bigger budget. He keeps the films atmosphere light-headed​ and full of laughs, while directing the films action sequences with a steady hand. As far as the films technical aspects go, the movie is well shot with its impressive cinematography that gives the film a comic book style edge to it when the story has Scott shifting into Ant- Man mode. The films editing allows the story to keep moving at a fairly quick pace, while allowing both the plot and characters to develop thoroughly. The film never moves too fast nor moves too slow either with it being shorter than the average Marvel film nowadays, which run on average from two and a half to Endgame clocking in at a full three hours. The films score by Christophe Beck does an effective job of adding to the fun and excitement of the story, with the music projecting the right emotions for the story when cued. The films visual and sound effects are once again top notch and impressive with the CGI emphasizing the strength of Scott's suit, which allows him to both shrink as well as double in size. The makeup effects are often quite impressive particularly when Michael Douglas character is shown to look much younger during key flashback sequences. The films visuals once again dazzle, which has come to be the expected norm when dealing with an MCU film as the cinematography gives it the look of a comic book movie brought to life. In terms of the films overall directing, Peyton Reed does an admirable job of creating an atmosphere that has the appropriate balance of excitement, comedy, and heart in regards to storytelling with the films technical aspects complimenting those strengths of the film.

      The films screenplay written by Chris McKenna, Erick Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari does a notable job of taking the characters from the first movie and further elaborating on them, as well as expanding the Ant-Man universe in a way that's both effective while maintaining the audiences interest. The scriptwriting works effectively in regards to the films main plot being both fun-spirited as well as humerous and never taking itself too seriously. This time audiences get to see the aftermath of the events of the first Ant- Man with Scott attempting to balance out his two lives while being there for his daughter Cassie. His relationship with his ex-wife and her new husband, is also shown to have improved after the end of the previous film despite the desire of the authorities to catch Scott in the act of breaking his parole requirements to be Ant- Man again given the events of Civil War. The film also offers more development aimed towards Hope and Hanks family tree, which makes the audience care about their characters even further along with giving a plausible reason for their partnering with Scott again. Walter Goggins character is effective as being the sleazy low-level criminal, who wants Pym's technology to sell on the black market. His character arc is about as as generic as one would expect from this type of character in a Marvel movie, but the writing as well as Goggins performance still makes it work. The audience even manages to care about the character of Ava Start/Ghost with the script portraying her character as being a bit mysterious while adding to the fathers-and-daughters theme, that mirrors the other arcs in the film. Even Laurence Fishburne's character despite looking like an antagonist, is presented as being complexed like Ava, though ultimately likable and sympathetic as both men show Hanks success as well as his shortcomings with his work. The rivalry between Hank and Bill is well-established with both men shown to be highly intelligent individuals, who think they know better than the other. The film does a strong job of driving home the stories themes regarding superheroes, family, friendship, parenting, trust, regrets, and forgiveness with the films ultimate message being that working together towards a common goal can benefit many others. Given the emotional investment that audiences had with Black Panther as well as Avengers: Infinity War, it's refreshing that in between the large scale spectacles is a film that possesses all heart with the intention of being just playful fun for the fans. It maintains themes that can be considered mature or serious, but presents them in a fashion that feels down to earth and excellently weaved in with the films action and laughs.

      Perhaps the fact that both this film and Ant-Man are too lighthearted for the MCU given how their recent movies have delved into deeper themes, is ultimately a factor that works against them as these films while being extremely entertaining and harmless, don't have the same kind of impact the recent Marvel films have on audiences. Despite that shortcoming, the first Ant-Man as well as Ant-Man And The Wasp work great together as their own story within the MCU. Perhaps a little detour for the fans was needed after being taken on an emotional journey with Infinity War, which stayed with the audience long after its gut-wrenching finale. It was the palate cleanser the MCU needed in order to make it's fans laugh and be hopeful again after what they experienced prior. With the scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to this point, Ant-Man And The Wasp being just a simple superhero movie with funny laughs and solid action sequences may seem like a step back given how much more mature and serious the universe has come with incorporating serious elements into it's stories. However, given the wild ride that Marvel has put it's fanbase through as well as the general movie going audience, one can't help but feel Ant-Man And The Wasp was necessary in order to change up the current flavor. As a sequel to the original, it's solid and manages to surpass the previous film in terms of both storytelling and quality. However much like that film, it doesn't go beyond both movies amounting to just being fun experiences with the occasional nod to the rest of the MCU. Considering how devastating and impactful the current ending of the MCU turned out to be, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Final Verdict: For fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Paul Rudd in general,  Ant-Man And The Wasp is absolutely worth watching even if it doesn't stack as high as the recent additions to the MCU.

The Commuter Is A Serviceable Action Movie Made Watchable Thanks To Its Main Star

 

       When one thinks of the most generic action movie plot involving the family of the main character being threatened by the films main antagonist in order to gain leverage over them, generally an action flick with Liam Neeson as the main star with him in full Taken mode comes to mind. In the case of The Commuter, what you essentially get is a remix of a previous Neeson film titled Non-Stop with the main difference being the setting is now set on a train instead of an airplane. Liam Neeson's newest action/Hitchcockian style thriller The Commuter, serves as being a midly entertaining yet generic action flick, that basically recycles every cliched subplot in the book, yet is made watchable due to Liam Neeson's commanding screen presence both as a dramatic actor and action movie star.

      The plot for The Commuter centers around an everyday family man (Played brilliantly by Liam Neeson, whose excellent as usual) experiencing both financial issues and loss of work, ends up boarding the usual commuter train to head home to his family. During his ride, he meets a mysterious woman (Played by Vera Farmiga), who offers him $100K to perform a seemingly simple task involving a deadly conspiracy with his family ultimately being attached to it as well as the potential murder of a witness. The film is nothing that audiences haven't seen before with it often choosing to stay close to the formula involving Neeson's character being transformed into an action hero throughout the course of the story. As far as the films overall plot structure goes, if one happened to enjoy Non-Stop which also starred Neeson as an Air Marshal thwarting a terrorist plot on his plane, then they will also like The Commuter as both movies share similar concepts even though the overall executions of both are different. The film is a prime example of how it's talented cast of actors appear to be stronger than its source material, which genuinely feels like it's designed to capitalize off it's main stars recent career resurgence as a middle-aged action hero. While there's​ nothing creative nor original about the script that makes it appealing to audiences, the performances of it's main cast ( particularly Neeson), proves to be enough to elevate the film to the point where it passes as being reasonably solid entertainment if one watches it under the right conditions.

      The key element that makes the film work above all else is Liam Neeson's always dependable and strong performance as the films main lead. Here he excels once again with playing insurance salesman Michael MacCauley. Neeson portrays the character as being a regular everyday business and family man, who ends up getting put in a unique scenario that allows him to channel his character of Brian Mills from Taken when the film shifts into action mode. Neeson has a specific style and formula that he approaches with the characters he plays in the action movies he stars in with The Commuter proving to be no exception to the rule. Neeson takes both the script and character he's given and makes the most of it, while giving audiences what they want which is seeing him go full Taken with the films baddies. Another strong performance in the film comes from Vera Farmiga as Joanna, the mystery woman who presents Neeson's character with the offer of $100K in exchange for him to find the witness of a murder on the train in exchange for his families safety. Although much of Farmiga's role is left up to the mystery of the audience, she does a good job of selling her character to the audience as well as making her come across as being interesting, effective, mysterious, and chilling. Other strong supporting roles are Patrick Wilson as Neeson's ex partner and friend Det. Lt. Alex Murphy. Wilson's character comes across as being the generic friend of the main hero, who later is revealed to have a surprise twist of his own that pertains to Neeson's characters dilemma in the story. Though his role is minimal, Sam Neil makes a notable appearance as Captain David Hawthrone with his character being designed for the audience to suspect that he's somehow involved in the plot to hold Neeson's family hostage in exchange for the witness. As a whole, the cast for The Commuter proves to be strong and appropriate fits for their characters despite everyone receiving minimal character development outside of Neeson's character. The Commuter was designed to be a starring vehicle for Liam Neeson with his character meant to be the driving force behind the story. Like Non-stop, The Commuter further demonstrates Neeson's strengths both as a dramatic actor, as well as being a commanding action movie star. The film goes from essentially buckling under its own weight to being watchable thanks to his presence in the film.

      The films directing by Jaume Collet-Serra is both standard and serviceable for the type of story The Commuter is. Serra directs the film like a mystery thriller with the audience being left guessing what's gonna happen next, or which characters involved are helping the films antagonists as several key passengers on the train are instantly painted as suspects. The film bears resemblances to Murder On The Orient Express in regards to Neeson's character attempting to find the person he's forced to search for on the train along with a touch of The Source Code and The Taking Of Pelham 123 thrown into the mix. Serra makes a smart decision to keep the camera focused on Neeson, allowing the audience to experience the full emotions his character conveys, while giving the rest of the film a mysterious atmosphere that delivers Hitchcock style suspense and tension. The films cinematography is effective in building up the mystery behind the story with the pacing of the film being brisk. The films fight sequences are well choreographed for the most part making for some of the films most memorable moments. The CGI look of the film however, isn't anything to write home about with the camera zooming between the train cars nor the films climactic train sequence that involves explosions. The films score by Roque Banos comes across as being both effective, as well as economical for the films setting with the score managing to shift from the commuter aspect of the story to both its mystery tone and action themes. For the most part, Jaume Collet-Serra tries his hardest to make something more of the script and give a commendable effort to create an atmosphere thats bathed in Hitchcockian style suspense, while also not being afraid to shift into Taken/Non-Stop mode when required. His efforts along with Neeson's to make the script into something more than just throwaway entertainment, serve as being admirable and worthy of commending.

      The films screenplay by Byron Willinger, Philipde Blasi and Ryan Engle mounts to being full of endless cliches, that have been seen before in other films with similar story structures, most notably Non-Stop for example. Although Neeson's character is designed to be the films hero who conveniently possesses combat skills, his character is presented as being more realistic and vulnerable than some of his previous characters in the action films he did prior. There are some scenes where his characters actions require the audience to suspend their disbelief and just go with it. In regards to the usage of the films setting, The Commuter utilizes the train setting very well giving it a claustrophobic feel that keeps the audience engaged in regards to their attention span, as well as leveling down the suspects in the film with the audiences main focus being directed towards finding out who the person on the train is that Neesons character is searching for. For the rest of the films cast that doesn't include Neeson, the character development for the most part remains minimal with every side character feeling like generic tropes lifted from a typical action and suspense thriller with examples being Vera Farmiga's character being the mysterious lady, who gives Neeson's character the offer involving the money for the mysterious passenger, the inclusion of Neeson's character being a grizzled ex-cop, and Patrick Wilson's character being the typical loyal friend of the main character whose meant to both encourage and keep them on the convenient path of being the main focus of the story. The script for The Commuter is rather formulaic and recycles all the key ingredients to make for an effective thriller, ultimately proving to be nothing to write home about in particular as the main strength of the film rests on Neeson's performance, along with the most interesting part of the screenplay solely being his character attempting to find the mysterious passenger on the train while limiting his suspects. For a standard action flick and suspense thriller, the script gets the job done even if it relies too similar to Neeson's previous action flick Non-Stop for comfort.

      Despite its efforts to be something more than what it ultimately is, The Commuter ultimately settles for being just an average and mildly entertaining action thriller with its strongest asset being it's main star. The film suffers from being far too close and repetitive to Non-stop to be considered anything more than just passable entertainment, as well as lacking both originality and a creative flare. If one enjoys fast-paced style action movies like Taken and Non-Stop, then they'll like The Commuter. However if one is expecting a significant amount of substance in regards to its story, then they're bound to be disappointed. The film works best as being a typical Liam Neeson vehicle, that's both gritty and carries with it decent amounts of suspense and fun. The films strong cast along with it's interesting premise and workable directing is enough to serve as entertainment that's passable, yet ultimately forgettable once the credits roll. For it's efforts to thrill it's audience, The Commuter is worth a watch, especially if one pairs it up with Non-Stop as a back to back feature given both movies are nearly identical with the exception of the settings. It's not a secret why this one didn't land with audiences at the box office like Neeson's previous action films did (Besides it's thrilling premise, there's no real creativity to it as it borrows many elements from other successful films in the genre), but it ultimately serves it's purpose as being an entertaining yet forgettable thriller that's ultimately made watchable thanks to the strength of it's main star.

Final Verdict: For both action and Liam Neeson fans, The Commuter works as being an interesting and mildly exciting train ride that warrants at least watch on the basis of being reasonably entertained.