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Sunday, January 05, 2020

My December 2019 Movie Watching Roundup: 'The Peanut Butter Falcon', 'Good Boys', 'The Art of Self-Defense', 'Yesterday', and More

Last December, I caught up with 22 movies (plus tons of TV shows and anime), but I was only able to review Lady and the Tramp, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, Parasite, They Shall Not Grow Old, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection.  Electricity and Internet were down for half of the month due to Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri), so I wasn’t able to write and post reviews for the remaining 16.  And, now, I don’t think I have enough time to still make separate blog posts for them.  Thus, I’ve decided to just list down the 16 movies here, and just comment on each one briefly (note: these movies are not arranged based on my enjoyment, but in the chronological order of when I watched them).

The Peanut Butter Falcon
This movie is arguably the most sanguine, most heartwarming movie I’ve seen in 2019.  It follows a young man with Down Syndrome who runs away from the nursing home he’s been put in so that he can achieve his dream of training in the wrestling school of his favorite pro-wrestler.  On the way, he meets a young crabber with a troubled past who agrees to accompany him to that wrestling school.  The Peanut Butter Falcon may come off as a tedious indie comedy-drama at first glance, but there’s nothing tedious about it.  It’s a beautiful, Mark Twain-ian story about friendship, self-improvement, and respect.  Moreover, it features the most likable characters that Shia LaBeaof and Dakota Johnson have ever played in their careers.  The movie also features nice cameos from wrestling legends Mick Foley and Jake “The Snake” Roberts.

Good Boys
It’s the usual raunchy, coming-of-age teen comedy that we’ve seen countless of times before.  Only it’s technically not a teen comedy, as the central characters are tweeners.  And that makes the hilarity of this film fresh.  These kids acting like they have things figured out more than they actually do make for plenty of original comedic situations.  But aside from being an absolute riot, it also has a poignant message to say about the reality of how friends don’t necessarily grow at the same rate and manner, and thus, friends don’t need to always pursue the same goals and be in the same circles.  Sometimes, in order to grow as individuals, friends need to go their separate ways.

The Art of Self-Defense
It tells the story of an accountant who’s inspired to join a karate class after experiencing a traumatic mugging.  But he eventually comes to realize that, as he grows more and more enamored with karate, there’s more to his master and the dojo than he’s ever dared to imagine.  The Art of Self-Defense is entertainingly engrossing with its sharp script, outstanding deadpan humor, escalating twists and turns, and valid commentary.

Yesterday
It probably has one of the most exciting premises ever: what if you suddenly wake to a world where the Beatles and their music didn’t exist?  That is the bizarre situation the main character of this film – a struggling musician about to give up on catching that big break – finds himself in.  And thus, he begins passing off Beatles songs as his own, and he becomes a superstar.  It’s a fun movie, but I don’t think it was able to execute the strongest movie that can be made out of its concept of a musician who mysteriously shifts into a closely similar alternate universe (the movie didn’t say so, but I presume that was what happened to him since that’s the only explanation that would make sense out of the reality-changing events of the story.  On a side note, for an amazing story where the concept of shifting into a closely similar alternate universe is explored, read the short story “The Drifter” in the excellent science anthology book Crosstime Traffic by Lawrence Watt-Evans) that hasn’t had the Beatles.

Rocketman
The twist of this biopic on Elton John is it plays out like a legit musical, making use of the fantastical song-and-dance-numbers elements of the genre for its storytelling.  It’s supposed to be a great movie, but it didn’t really resonate with me – maybe partly because I’m not much of a fan of Elton John as a person, although I do like “Skyline Pigeon”, his Grammys “Stan” collaboration with Eminem, and his OSTs for Lion King and Road to El Dorado.  I actually prefer Bohemian Rhapsody, which many will say is the inferior film.  But that’s just me.

Rambo: Last Blood
As the fifth – and presumably final – Rambo film, it delivers, in my opinion.  There are events here that are disturbing to watch, but they are based on what’s really going on right now in real life.  In a sense, it can be seen as a thoughtful cautionary tale.  But, of course, the true meat and potatoes of this movie is John Rambo kicking ass, which he does so in glorious fashion during a third act that can be basically described as “R-rated Home Alone.”

It: Chapter Two
This sequel to It follows the Losers’ Club as adults, reuniting at Derry 27 years after they first defeated the eponymous “It” a.k.a. Pennywise for a round two showdown with the returning, vengeful demonic clown.  The casting done for the adult versions of the Losers’ Club is nothing short of impeccable.  Unfortunately, that’s the only remarkable thing worth praising about this movie.  It’s enjoyable, and it has solid thrills and heart in some parts, but it’s far from being as fantastic as the first movie.  However, this was to be expected.  The second half of this tale simply don’t have the makings of being as compelling as the first one, as what made It really special is the concept of mere children choosing to go against a cosmic, malevolent being.  Adults doing the same thing don’t hold the same weight.  That’s why I believe the novel did the best way of telling this tale – alternate the narrative between the events of the past (when they were kids) and the present (as adults).

Crawl
A college swimmer and her estranged father, whom she intended to rescue in the first place, are trapped in their family home during a Category 5 Hurricane as rapidly rising floodwaters and vicious alligators threaten them.  It’s a simple yet intriguing premise that this film successfully gives justice to.  It requires suspension of disbelief, but it doesn’t try to be more than what it is.  As a result, it’s a lot of fun.

Shadow
It’s been a while since we’ve had a Chinese period epic film worth seeking and watching, and 2019 finally brought us another one in Shadow.  In his previous film The Great Wall, director Zhang Yimou featured some very creative but outlandish combat dynamics and weaponry, that when partnered with its vapid story only made that film flatter if not sillier.  Zhang also makes use of some creative but outlandish combat dynamics and weaponry in Shadow, but they are taken seriously because they are in a film that’s worth being taken seriously.  Its plot – a political thriller about a bitter general who collaborates with his wife and a look-alike to bring about a difficult scheme for crushing his rival – is initially tedious, but eventually, it becomes investing, consistently making you earnestly curious of where the story is going.  Its visuals are lush, highlighted by a color palette that’s obviously referencing Chinese calligraphy and ink wash painting.  It’s a very well-crafted film.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold
It’s not an atrocious live-action adaptation.  I enjoyed the times it was self-aware and when it references/pokes fun at the cartoon.  I even chuckled a few times.  Still, overall, it’s a dumb, juvenile, unnecessary movie.

The Secret Life of Pets 2
The Secret Life of Pets was a movie that I believed had a shot at being as big as Despicable Me for Illumination.  Looking back now, I realize that it was actually a forgettable movie; I honestly can’t recall what happened in it.  Nevertheless, when I saw it, I really had a good time with it, and it felt somewhat noteworthy.  I feel that this sequel would end up the same way for me.  While watching it, I genuinely thought it was one of the better animated films of the year.  However, there’s a good chance that if you ask me about this movie in the future, I would fail to point out what I liked about it.

The Angry Birds Movie 2
Talk about forgettable animated sequels.  I guess the first one made a killing at the box office that it warranted a sequel where the birds and the pigs set aside their differences in order to team up and go against a common foe that threatens them both.  Anyway, if I will ever remember anything about this movie, it would be Zeta, because she’s easily the most terribly obnoxious cartoon character I’ve encountered in recent memory (partly because she’s voiced by the obnoxious Leslie Jones, whom I’m baffled was able to make a Hollywood comedy career for herself).

Penguins
When I watch nature documentaries like Planet Earth, the segments on penguins usually end up among my favorites.  Thus, it should come as no surprise that I immensely enjoyed this latest Disneynature film.  Narrated by Ed Holms, Penguins takes the form of a coming-of-age comedy narrative in examining the life cycle of Adélie penguins.  It primarily focuses on a young male named Steve as he experiences his first Antarctic spring as an adult, in which he has to build a proper nest, woo a female to become his life partner, and raise their first family together.  Funny, adorable, poignant, Penguins is another Disneynature gem that delights and educates without fail.  Also, the courtship scene here is hilarious, and in a way, reminiscent of Kristoff’s musical number in Frozen II .

Hellboy
Critically panned and an utter flop in the box office, this reboot is widely regarded as one of the worst films of 2019 by many people, so I had no interest of seeing it initially.  But I found myself checking it out last month, and after seeing it, I thought it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  Yes, it’s lightyears inferior to Guillermo del Torro’s original duology, but it isn’t completely devoid of any redeeming qualities.  Ron Perlman’s take on the gun-totting, demon-with-a-heart superhero remains the gold standard, but David Harbour did a fun-enough job in portraying the character (come to think of it, Jim Hopper’s personality is a perfect fit for Hellboy).  And Milla Jovovich’s acting is so bad, that it’s actually entertaining.  Nevertheless, I don’t care if it doesn’t get a sequel.

Dragged Across Concrete
Featuring a terrific pairing of Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, Dragged Across Concrete is a neo-noir crime thriller about two police detectives who are caught in video employing rough, strong-arm methods on the Latino drug dealer they are arresting, resulting to them getting suspended without pay.  Left without any money to address pressing needs, the partners are forced to plot a robbery on a group of criminals.  It’s a movie that obviously channels old-school grindhouse cinema, and is not afraid to be politically incorrect.  It’s also a slow-burn drama, so it may come off as a tad boring sometimes.  But at the same time, the deliberately prolonged pacing allows you to get gradually but thoroughly immersed into its thoughtful, hardboiled story.  And eventually, it arrives at a great payoff of a climax and ending.

Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie
This is once again another example of an anime film adaptation picking up from where the story has been left off by the anime TV series, which has been a growing trend (I prefer this practice over the traditional non-canon, inconsequential film adaptations that used to be the case with Dragon Ball Z – resulting to years of confusion for the fans – and still the case with shonen giants like My Hero Academia and One Piece).  Following the events of the final episode of the first season, where the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion is about to participate in the Empire’s campaign against the Free Republic in Africa, the movie kicks off with Tanya leading her troops to a decisive victory by annihilating the Free Republic’s headquarters.  However, upon their return back to the Empire, instead of the R&R that they’re expecting, they are immediately sent eastwards to take part in the war against the Federation. The plot is as interesting as a segment of an ongoing storyline goes, but it also presents more opportunities for us to see: a.) Tanya be an entertainingly badass, Machiavellian bee-yatch; b.) exhilarating combat sequences; and c.) its fascinating alt-history world being further explored.  In addition, it leaves the story at a place where there’re a lot of potentially exciting things to look forward to in future installments (whether that be in the form of a new movie or a new season). 

*  *  *
Phew.  There you go.  I’ve finally caught up in reviewing the movies I’ve seen.  And now, I’m seriously considering applying this same format on the 2019 TV shows and anime that I’ve already finished watching but haven’t reviewed yet, just so I can jump into 2020’s offering already.

Also, my list for “top 20 movies of 2020” is on the way.  But I hope to catch up with Ad Astra, Uncut Gems, The Lighthouse, Jojo Rabbit, The Irishman, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Ford v Ferrari, Knives Out, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 1917, and Little Women first – or, at least, most of them – before I make it.  Thus, it’s definitely going to be late (maybe around late January).

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