Fast & Furious 9 (F9)
Synopsis
Dominic Toretto and his crew race against time in order to stop a global terrorist plot, lead by Dominic’s estranged brother Jakob, making the stakes far more personal this time around.
Review
The latest Fast & Furious film is as formulaic and generic as one can infer from the aforementioned synopsis. The lazy shorthand of referring to the film as F9 also represents what the film is to its makers – existing solely for the purpose of reaping profits, and barring any creativity in the process.
In a state of being artistically bankrupt, F9 not only recycles plot elements from prior films, features tired and subpar attempts at humor, and weak character interactions, but also disregards the established continuity of prior films, and does a disservice to some of its most iconic and popular characters.
While the film has a ‘fast’-paced plot, and immediately drops the audience in the events of the film without wasting any time, this lends an incomplete quality to the film. Important sequences that would have been interesting for the audiences to witness are merely mentioned and dishearteningly glossed over.
The Fast & Furious franchise has gained notoriety for its over the top action sequences that readily defy the laws of physics, but are nonetheless fun to witness when they explode on to the screen. However, the action sequences reach an unbearable crescendo in F9, and the audience is assaulted by an onslaught of endless action sequences that are at best, mind numbing. To make matters more vexing, the film piles on numerous but needlessly convoluted plot twists that only disrupts the flow of the film.
Sorely lacking and missing the presence and charm of franchise veterans Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot, F9 suffers from an overabundance of characters and features some of the most bland and dull performances ever put to screen, especially from Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Tyrese Gibson, who seem content with not developing their performances and characters further.
While franchise newcomer John Cena makes a promising turn as the villain, the film under utilizes the talents of veteran actors such as Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, Michael Rooker and Kurt Russell.
Undoubtedly, F9 is a tedious film to sit through and is yet another disappointing entry in a once entertaining franchise that has now needlessly been stretched for far too long.
Jungle Cruise
Synopsis
Botanist Dr. Lily Houghton, along with her brother McGregor enlist the help of ferry skipper Frank Wolff to locate a mythical and magical tree hidden deep within the Amazon Jungle, whilst battling a competing expedition seeking the tree for themselves.
Review
Reminiscent of a classic era of film making, Disney’s latest film is a good old fashioned action-adventure film (on par with Indiana Jones, The Mummy and Romancing the Stone), full of humor, heartfelt moments and plenty of escapism to offer.
Based on a Disneyland theme park ride of the same name, Jungle Cruise provides a wonderful showcase for stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt to expand and diversify their acting abilities and their amiable chemistry is a definite highlight of the film. While Blunt remains as committed to her role as ever, the film must be commended for allowing Johnson to develop his character with depth, something that his usual roles do not afford.
Jungle Cruise aims to keep on entertaining its audience and rightfully does so with an endless barrage of humor that stays fresh, courtesy of Jack Whitehall’s comedic delivery and performance, another memorable aspect of the film.
For an adventure film aficionado, Jungle Cruise will prove to be an amazing entry into the genre, with the sense of fun and wonder typical for a Disney film, and a surprisingly balanced script.
The film’s major limitation lies in its overuse of CGI which are weak at some points and may take one out from the overall experience of the film.
Further praise must be given to Jesse Plemons’ villainous performance and the set design that lends authenticity to the practical action sequences and lets them shine.
Jungle Cruise is a film that knows its strengths as well as its audience, and succeeds in providing a well rounded dose of escapist entertainment.
The Suicide Squad
Synopsis
A covert group of criminals and villains known as Task Force X infiltrate a South American island nation in order to destroy a Nazi-era secret facility known only as Jotunheim.
Review
Functioning as a 1970s war film and a comic book greatly come to life, DC’s latest film The Suicide Squad is a wildly entertaining, colorful, outlandish and darkly funny piece of superhero cinema and is sure to be a guilty pleasure for many fans of the genre.
A standalone sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad greatly benefits from director James Gunn and his unique and singular vision for the film. His love and admiration for the source material is present in every single frame from the start, and is complimented by his signature artistic touches and flair through his assured direction, unpredictable and twisty script, dynamic camerawork, shot composition, soundtrack and signature brand of offbeat humor.
Gunn makes sure to keep things flowing and interesting, subverting the conventional superhero narrative in this manner. The resulting product is something that is unique and refreshing in a genre becoming increasingly riddled with fatigue.
Gunn has a knack for bringing obscure and oddball comic book characters into the limelight (such as the Guardians of the Galaxy films), and rightfully presents characters worth rooting for in The Suicide Squad. While essentially antagonists and antiheroes, the humanity and softer side of each of the protagonists are brought out for the audiences to witness and connect with.
The diverse ensemble cast enthusiastically embody their respective characters, with Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, and newcomer Daniela Melchior delivering memorable performances.
Along with the release of this year’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad also goes on to prove how memorable and enjoyable of an experience superhero films are able to provide if filmmakers are afforded complete creative control over their films.
The Suicide Squad is a massive improvement over its predecessor and continues the trend of DC superhero films being distinct, experimental and catering to the taste of a diverse audience.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 