sony Archives - Page 15 of 22

Tag Archives: sony

TV Review: Powers S1E4 Devil in a Garbage Bag

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Brett

Walker (Sharlto Copley), Pilgrim (Susan Heyward), and the rest of the Powers Division must prevent Wolfe (Eddie Izzard) from escaping the high security prison that holds him, The Shaft. As Wolfe goes on a murderous rampage from within these walls, the Powers team are forced to try a new top-secret technology to keep him detained—Code name: The Drainer.

Out of the first four episodes, I think this one encapsulates the issues I have most with the series. At times it wants to be a more serious and grounded “comic” television show like Gotham, The Flash, or Arrow, at other times it looks like a bad fan-film, and at other times it’s over the top with the camp. The lack of consistent tone seems to show off an inconsistent vision for the series….. and this might be the best episode of the series so far.

All of the acting issues are there, by Copley and Heyward are very passable in their respective roles and are absolutely the best of the bunch. Copley especially shows off a cop who is torn about who he was, and who he is, and when the series focuses just on these two it’s not bad. It’s when everything else is thrown in that things go very off the rails.

Take Eddie Izzard’s Wolfe who is an interesting character. A complete psychopath and killer, he quickly heals and is difficult to take down. The more he kills, the stronger he gets. That’s interesting. Then there’s the killing itself which has so much blood thrown in there that it’s over the top comical in how bad it is. It seriously reminds me of a D-grade horror film where the solution to scares is more blood. Maybe that’s why the other fx and costumes are so bad, the budget all went towards the blood in this episode.

But hey, at least we know what Johnny Royalle’s been up to. So there’s that.

With so many other choices out there, there’s many other shows featuring powers I’d choose before this series.

Overall Score: 6.75

TV Review: Powers S1E3 Mickey Rooney Cries No More

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Brett

As a lethal powers-enhancing drug is unleashed on the public, Detectives Walker (Sharlto Copley) and Pilgrim (Susan Heyward) seek out the criminal mastermind behind it with the help of iconic Power, Retro Girl (Michelle Forbes). As clues come to light, Walker considers the possibility that Wolfe (Eddie Izzard), his dangerous former mentor turned nemesis, might have the answers he seeks.

Its been a while since I reviewed an episode of Powers, though six have been released. Partially this is due to my frustration with the Playstation store and how they provide video (a rant for another time, Netflix it is not), the other issue…. the series is so so so so so so bad. Like 1990s Generation X television movie bad.

In my previous review I harped on some of the reasons I felt this series was an abysmal failure. But, I think it comes down to two things that are on full display here. Horrible acting, and a production value only slightly better than a fan film.

Everyone, seems to either not care, or have so little direction, they have no idea what to do when it comes to their characters or the world they inhabit. There’s also the option that some were told to go over the top , and embody their character giving them small quirks that at this point is irritating. Case in point, Noah Taylor‘s Johnny Royalle who growls his way through his lines never quite making his character scary or feel like a tough villain, only a cheesy 80s/90s bad guy in a cop movie. Michelle Forbe‘s Retro Girl feels like a stiff board with every word uttered. Olesya Rulin‘s Calista Secor seems like a lost Olsen twin and the acting range of their Full House days. The acting is atrocious, making watching the show comically entertaining and not in a good way.

I’m familiar with past work of Sharlto Copley as well as Eddie Izzard (though we haven’t seen much of him yet). I know those two can act. Which also makes me think it has to do with substandard writing. Copley helped take a low-budget science fiction film (District 9) and made his character believable. He’s been solid in everything I’ve seen him in, no matter how poor the actual film was. So, there has to be more than just the acting. I shall keep watching to see if I can pinpoint it.

The costumes, locations, and special fx continue to be sub-par from not just the big screen, but the other superhero shows on the small screen. Any one currently on television, and I’d throw Grimm in there too, all have production value that outshines any moment in Powers. Any money spent isn’t transparent on the screen.

With so many other choices out there, there’s many other shows featuring powers I’d choose before this series.

Overall Score: 6

TV Review: Powers S1E2 Like a Power

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Brett

Conflicted with the loss of his former life as a Power, power-less Detective Walker (Sharlto Copley) must overcome his personal demons and find Calista (Olyesa Rulin) who has gone missing. Now with the reappearance of old friend turned foe, Johnny Royalle (Noah Taylor), Walker is left with more questions than answers.

I went into the second episode of this new series hoping for the best, but expecting much of the same as the first episode, which left me underwhelmed.

I spent much of the episode trying to pinpoint exactly what my issue is not just with this episode, but the previous one as well. I think it really sits with the most glaring change between Powers the comic to Powers the television series. The comic takes place in Chicago, and is often colored dark, taking place at night for example. By shifting the location to Hollywood, the series is bathed in brightness that shows off the cheapness and cheesiness that is the special fx of the series.

That cheesiness overflows into the acting, the characters, and story, almost as if it’s being embraced by those who put together the series. The episode starts to unveil more of Walker’s history and “torture,” something I praised in the first episode, but by the second is quickly becoming tiresome. Enter Johnny Royalle and the scene chewing performance that is Noah Taylor. There’s a long history between Royalle and Walker, and numerous mentions of how everyone thought Royalle was dead. But with his return, I the reactions don’t quite seem to match the revelation, another example of the rather odd disconnect of the television show. As if it’s just slightly off and not clicking.

With so many other choices out there, there’s many other shows featuring powers I’d choose before this series.

Overall Score: 6.75

TV Review: Powers S1E1 Pilot

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Brett

When a famous superhero turns up dead, it’s up to Detective Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley), a former Power himself, and his new partner, Detective Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward), to track down the one witness to what happened that night – a young girl by the name of Calista (Oleysa Rulin).

I’ve only read a few issues of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming‘s comic book series Powers. The series published by the Marvel imprint Icon is an interesting one of detectives having to police in a world where superheroes exist. The concept isn’t unique or new, but it is interesting, especially when one of those detectives is a former superhero himself. It’s a nice twist to make the series stand out a bit.

The first season of the digital television series seems to give a spin to the comic series’ first volume, the investigation into the murder of a superhero. Having gone into that first episode a pretty blank slate, I thought I’d have little when it comes to pre-judgement of the source material. Instead, I found an interesting twist where instead I was comparing it to other television series, and even at times video games.

Powers is an interesting series, where I almost feel like the platform its delivered on (a Playstation exclusive) might actually hamper the quality of the series. Powers is a big deal, in that it not only is the latest comic adaptation for television, but it’s also the Playstation’s jewel (at this point) for their original digital content available on their Playstation Network. The series is available for free through Playstation Plus (the first episode can be watched for free though), and clearly its though the series might entice individuals to join, like House of Cards or the other offerings due for Netflix or Amazon Prime (individual episodes will be for sale too). Instead though, the series feels like it could have been helped with a bit higher profile, and a higher budget.

At times the characters, costumes, and even sets, feel like a cheap fan-film or cosplay you might see at a comic convention. Battles in the sky between heroes and villains also looks like it could have been a trailer or cut scene from the video game City of Heroes. In other words, it looks cheap and on a budget. Something I couldn’t help but keep in my head, especially when comparing it to other shows on television, especially the fx driven The Flash on The CW. There’s a bit of a cheese factor to it all.

What stands out though, and what will get me coming back is Sharlto Copley’s performance. Though it’s the stereotypical damaged detective, he throws in an ounce of sleaze factor that makes him, and his character, stand out. From his outright flirting with a witness, to what he does later, it’s clear this detective is beyond damaged, and comes closer to self-destructive. That is what I look forward to seeing.

The pilot is just ok, and in a world of so much quality comics turned shows on television, it falls a bit flat and left behind. If this was supposed to draw me in as a Playstation Plus member, it doesn’t quite complete that task (though I’m one already). It does however have a lot of potential. Much like Constantine on NBC, it hopefully gets better and improves over time. Powers is interesting, but it’s not in a vacuum of choices, and will face even more competition when Netflix launches it’s own superhero original programming in a month. The fact we’re spoiled for choices, is this series greatest weakness so far.

Overall Score: 7

6 Actors Who Should Play Spider-Man in the Reboot

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Brett

Yesterday, Screen Rant posted six actors they think should play Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot (of the reboot). The thing that ties all six choices together is that they’re all white men. Screen Rant overlooked the much more inspired, and I’d argue lucrative, path of replacing Peter Parker with Miles Morales and giving us a Spider-Man for the next generation. I guess thinking out of the box isn’t that site’s style.

We’re very pro-Miles Morales here, and as soon as Marvel and Sony announced their joint venture for the next step in Spider-Man on the big screen, we immediately felt Miles was the way to go.

So, presenting six choices for the next Spider-Man.

Damarr Calhoun

Calhoun comes to us from the Nickelodeon family of shows where he’s played the role of Aaron Phillips on the television series Instant Mom. The show is in its third year, and is about a 25-year old part girl who becomes a mom when she marries an older man with three children. Before that, he appeared in an episode of Scandal.

Though he might look young, Calhoun is actually about the right age for Miles Morales. Morales in the comics is about 14 years old and Calhoun will turn 11 this year. That makes him a bit young for the part, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing and might help get some continuity in the actor for the type of commitment Marvel looks for. Three films, one every two years, would put him around 16 years old by the third film hits.

Roshon Fegan

If I were casting Fegan would near the top of my list. If Miles is supposed to be in high school, Fegan could pull it off with his youngish looks. It also helps that Fegan comes from an ethnically mixed background, like Miles. Even better, he’s already part of the Disney family having appeared in numerous shows and movies of theirs like Camp Rock 2, and Shake It Up!. Even better, Fegan has appeared in Spider-Man 2 as the “Amazed Kid.” Get a fancy writer, and you can say that was a young Miles and he was inspired by Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man in the first trilogy.

Fegan is an actor, music producer, recording artist, and songwriter, and if done right, he could bring in a younger, tween, late teen audience, something the movies really need to do. In fact in the direction we’d go, the movie would be specifically focused with a younger audience in mind, and Fegan is already a familiar entity to them.

Born in 1991, he’ll turn 24 this year, so Miles would need to be in high school, but also means we could follow the character through college and beyond, jumping in time between movies.

Marcus Scribner

If you watch the hit ABC television series Black-ish, you know Scribner who plays the slightly dorky oldest son. He has that nerdy thing down, and has shown he has some comedic timing in the show’s first season. Even better, Black-ish is in ABC which is owned by Disney, Marvel’s parent company. He’s already in “the family.”

At age 15 he’s the perfect age to play Miles, and between the television show being a hit, and the movie likely be a sure-fire hit, he’s an actor that a studio could back and build some long-term plans around.

He’s active when it comes to sports, so he’ll likely do well in the type of physical role this would turn in to.

Honestly, we can’t think any reason he wouldn’t be at the top of anyone’s casting list.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler will be turning 23 this year, forcing his portrayal of Miles to be in high school like Fegan above. But Willams is a very known entity, and talented to boot. He was a regular on the series Little Bill back in 2000, but really broke out in the title role of Chris in the series Everybody Hates Chris, and on that he showed off his comedic chops. He held that role for four seasons.

In 2010 he dipped his foot in the “geek” world voicing Firestorm/Jason Rusch on the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Most recently, he’s been playing Noah on the hit series The Walking Dead. There he’s shown off his physical side of things and really shown off his depth of emotions.

In his time on television, he’s shown his acting range from the comedic to the dramatic, something anyone who plays Miles would need to do, if they stick to the stories from the comics.

Jaden Smith

The 16 year old (turning 17 this year) son of actor/rapper Will Smith, his acting career is actually much shorter than you’d think. But, since he began in 2006, Smith has been in four pretty high-profile movies, and will be getting a sequel to his remake of The Karate Kid.

He’s already been a part of a reboot in The Karate Kid, and clearly has no issues with being a part of a franchise, since he’s getting a sequel to that film. He’s also shown off his physical abilities not just in that film, but also the film After Earth.

There are some downsides, in that he’s rather outspoken and gotten folks to scratch their heads with some of his statements. That will cause anyone to pause when casting him, though doesn’t necessarily reflect his work ethic.

He is a youth ambassador for Project Zambia which helps children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. That is in conjunction with Hasbro, which will likely handle any toys that come out of the film.

Oren Williams

Lets start with the fact that Williams looks like Miles. That alone gets him on this list. Age wise he’s around the same age as Williams and Fegan. Williams has appeared in both television and the big screen with his most high profile roles being a recurring role on Chicago Hope, a voice in Clifford’s Really Big Movie, and Calvin in Calvin and Freddie’s Cosmic Encounters.

Having done voice over work could be vital for anyone playing the character as Miles will have his face covered up while fighting crime, and we’d expect some CGI, so there’ll be some studio voice work.

He’s shown off a bit of an athletic side in his role of Keith Ellis in the movie Rebound. Looking at his career, he might be the least known of the bunch, but that just means he’s poised for a huge break.

And there you have six solid choices to fill the costume of Miles Morales if Marvel and Sony were to try something rather bold and give us a Spider-Man for the next generation. But, why stop there? How about Spider-Gwen (we suggest Miley Cyrus) or Spider-Man India? Marvel and Sony have a clean slate, why give us something we’ve seen twice before?

Why Spider-Man Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe Isn’t a Good Thing

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Brett

It was as if the collective scream of joy of a million geeks was heard last night as word came down that Marvel would be entering into a partnership with Sony to create future Spider-Man films. This would mean that Spider-Man would be entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe and interacting with Captain America and Iron Man, something before last night that was just a dream.

While Marvel has been a juggernaut at the box office for the last half-dozen years, that wasn’t always the case. Marvel wasn’t always in the move business, and for various reasons the company to licensed out their X-Men universe to Fox and Spider-Man to Sony. This means that those two movie studios have the rights to the characters within those worlds when it comes to movies (among other things) and that they couldn’t appear in the Marvel universe without some fancy footwork. That fancy footwork has happened and Marvel and Sony are now teaming up for future films.

But, is this actually a good thing? Here’s why I’m not convinced and possibly what can be done to make these films special (and I’m not even going into the fact that Marvel’s releases so far have been the same thing over and over).

1) Yet Another Beginning – Sony’s original Spider-Man trilogy began a little over dozen years ago and the latest reboot just three years ago, with just five years between the two takes. It was sixteen years between the first Batman films in contrast, and ten years between the last Batman film and the reboot. This introduction possibly means we’d have yet another origin story and absolutely a reboot in another two years.

How to fix this – Skip the origin story, we all know it. Unless this Spider-Man greatly veers from what we’ve seen before, speed through the origin and get right to the meat of the story. The smarter move would be to continue what Sony’s already done, in essence making The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel canon and continue the story from there.

2) Sony didn’t have a bad track record – When you look at films based on Marvel characters, Sony’s Spider-Man films hold 4 of the top 10, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ranks 16th domestically. When it comes to global earnings, all five Spider-Man films are in the top 10. That’s an impressive record when you look at the box office. When you adjust the earnings for inflation, the original Spider-Man trilogy holds spots 2, 3, and 4 domestically. All together the five films have earned just shy of $4 billion at the box office and average $792.66 million dollars a film. Marvel’s 11 films (including the original Hulk and Big Hero 6) have earned $7.9 billion for an average of $719.15 million a piece. Spider-Man has two films higher than their average (40%). Marvel has three (27%). That’s actually a good track record for Sony. Which leads us to….

3) Marvel’s record isn’t better than Sony – Remember all the griping about Iron Man 3? How about Thor: The Dark World? The Incredible Hulk or Hulk? For as much as folks praise the films, and the amounts they earn, the quality of the films vary greatly. Marvel’s record for sequels (and even a reboot) is not better than Sony’s, so why should we expect them to do better than Sony when it comes to Spider-Man? Quality is subjective, but to say Iron Man 3, or 2 are better than the original is just false. Much like Spider-Man 2 and 3 were worse than Spider-man. Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2 did out-earn the originals, but so did Spider-Man 3, and even the director of the film has said it was bad.

4) We already have the everyman – Spider-Man’s fantastic role in the Marvel comic universe is the everyman we can relate to. He’s a teenage super hero who deals with similar things we do, dating, homework, getting picked on. It just so happens he has powers and fights crime. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe we already have that covered with Phil Coulson, the character who has appeared in almost every Marvel film and is the “average” person we relate to. He is supposed to be us in the film, much like Spider-Man (and his alter-egos of Peter Parker or Miles Morales) is in the comics.

5) Do we need another white male? – Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain America, Thor, notice a pattern here? All are white men, and four of the five have had multiple stand-alone movies made. Peter Parker can be a teenager, or he can be in his 20s, the former would be something “new” but the latter not so much. Even Guardians of the Galaxy centered around Peter Quill, another white male, and all of these folks tend to save the day. White male saviors gets old really quick. Do we really need another one? It’s time to switch things up.

How to fix this – Two words. Miles. Morales. Forget Peter Parker, and give us the popular Ultimate Universe version of Spider-Man who really paved the way for diversity of characters in modern comics. Imagine the reaction of the public (and kids – see spot 10 below) if their new hero is a teenage half-black, half-hispanic hero.

What we need is more diversity, and that leads us to….

6) Spider-Man’s entry has shifted Black Panther and Captain Marvel (and Inhumans) release date – Marvel has bumped back the release dates for the Black Panther and Captain Marvel’s solo films, by about six months. This is to make way for “Marvel’s” Spider-Man before even more before them. Marvel can only work on so much at a time, and already the two films that would actually focus on minority characters, something the Marvel Cinematic Universe desperately needs, are pushed back for another film starring a white male (though doesn’t have to).

And that leads to….

7) Less of a reason to mine Marvel’s catalog and take risks – If Marvel had a juggernaut of a franchise in Spider-Man, do you think they’d have needed to give us Guardians of the Galaxy? Not having access to Spider-Man and the X-Men is a GOOD thing when it comes to Marvel’s movies. It’s forced them to think outside the box of films to do, and their storylines. Add in the Spider-Man franchise, and that’s less focus on other things they could do, because remember, it’s not just Spider-Man that Sony was planning, but also a film based on the Sinister Six which was to come out in 2016. That’s a lot to work on and wedge in, and as I’ve stated above, Marvel doesn’t always have a fantastic record for their films.

8) Is MORE continuity a good thing? – What’s one of the top complaints about comics? People don’t know where to start, and there’s 50 something years of stories and continuity they need to catch up on. This is such an issue DC Comics is moving away from continuity to focus on stories you can just pick up and enjoy in comics. Marvel is weaving a massive story throughout their films leading up to the two-part Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and 2019. Add in Spider-Man and you have yet another film franchise you’ll need to go see to catch-all of the story. If you want to see how this is already tripping up Marvel, you can just look at last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy whose wedging in of Thanos, and even the Infinity Gems, seemed a bit convoluted and more of just a way to get us from point A to point Z.

How to fix this – Keep it all to nods and cameos. There’s nothing that says Spider-Man HAS to be in the Avengers, or Captain America has to show up in Spidey’s film. There’s nothing that says the Spider-Man film HAS to be a part of the storyline leading up to the Infinity War. Keep it to nods and winks and things will work out great.

But then there’s….

9) Spider-Man in Civil War wasn’t a good thing – Comic fans are pumped for Captain America: Civil War, which is based on the epic Marvel storyline Civil War. In 2006 and 2007 Civil War saw the Marvel heroes split down the middle as the government forces them to register with the Super Hero Registration Act. This forces them to reveal their identities to the government, splitting the camps into a battle over civil liberties. The storyline had some fantastic moments and took on a subject very much in the public eye. This is a good thing. The upcoming third Captain America film will do its own spin on the story. Spider-Man was front and center (in a way the everyman caught in the middle of the debate), and SPOILER, reveals his identity to the world in an act that’s pro-registration. This leads to his Aunt May being shot (showing why secret identities are needed), and Spidey regretting the decision and cutting a deal with Mephisto to erase the fact he demasked. That was the much hated One More Day storyline. He had to give up his marriage to Mary Jane Watson in a sort of reboot. Yes, within a year the unmasking of Spider-Man was so bad Marvel actually retconned it out of the existence. So, tell me again why people are excited about his possibly being included in the film?

10) Will a teenager work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? – A super soldier, a billionaire scientist, a rage machine scientist, deadly assassins, and a god. And you want to throw a teenage in the mix? One of these things is not like the other! There are jokes about how Batman should be in jail for child endangerment, and you want to add the same joke to the Avengers? Unless, Spider-Man isn’t a teenager and in his 20s, which leads us back to the issue of another white guy in the films. The fact that Spider-Man will first appear in an upcoming Marvel film, before his own next one, says the character will likely be tied into it pretty tightly.

How to fix this – The solution I’d prefer is to go with Miles Morales and give him his own corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’d save the day, and then SHIELD or Captain America would find him at the end of the film to congratulate him. This ties him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but doesn’t make him beholden to it. The other option is to do what Fox did with the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot and change the ethnicity of Peter Parker if you were to make him in his 20s.

11) Sony still has the final say! – Though many folks are acting like Spider-Man will be handled the same way as all the other Marvel films, the fact is, they are putting it together, but Sony has the final say. Here’s the exact quote from the announcement:

Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

Want to know why the Spider-Man films have issues? If you ask those involved, it was Sony’s involvement. They are still being involved, and you can expect them to continue to meddle. The world collaboration was used in the release, and a release’s wording (especially a joint one) is gone over with a fine tooth comb. Marvel doesn’t have full creative freedom, they now just have a second boss to deal with.

Which leads us too….

12) Two bosses isn’t any better – Remember the kid in Iron Man 3 and how that entire part of the movie sucked? That had Disney written all over it. Now, when creating these films Marvel will not only have to deal with Disney’s input, but also Sony’s (see above). We all know from our own work experience, one boss is fine, two is WAY worse.

After all of the above, if you’re still super pumped about Marvel’s role then god bless you. I’m taking a wait and see approach. The release put it best “opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.” There’s a lot of opportunity, but that also means a lot of possibilities of failure.

It won’t take long to see, the next Spider-Man film will be released July 28, 2017.

Marvel and Sony Are Teaming for a New Spider-Man Film

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Brett

Marvel has announced that Spider-Man is getting some help when it comes to movies. Sony Pictures Entertainment is entering into a partnership with Marvel Studios which will bring Spidey into the Marvel cinematic universe. The next Spider-Man film will hit theaters July 28, 2017.

It is unknown what the fate of the current cast is, including Andrew Garfield who suited up for the last two films.

The movie will be produced by Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal who recently stepped down as co-chairman of Sony. Sony will finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the films, but the character will be weaved into the greater Marvel cinematic world.

In a show of friendliness, some Marvel movies have been moved around. Thor: Ragnorak, which was originally planned to open on the July 28, 2017 date, it moves to November 3, 2017. Black Panther, which had the November 3 date, will now move up to July 6, 2017. Inhumans has now moved back to July 12, 2019 while Captain Marvel moves back to November 2, 2018.

February’s Nerd Block features an Exclusive Breaking Bad Spinoff Item!

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Brett

The February Classic Nerd Block is all about exclusives! That’s why, they’ve partnered with Sony to commemorate the launch of the Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul, with an exclusive item that can not be gotten anywhere else! You won’t want to miss this!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Brian Michael Bendis Heads to Late Night with Seth Meyers

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Brett

Marvel has announced that comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis will make his “Late Night” debut to discuss the upcoming PlayStation original series, Powers from Sony Pictures Television. Inspired by Bendis’ graphic novel series of the same name, Powers is an edgy dramatic series that follows the lives of two homicide detectives, Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley) and Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward), who are assigned to investigate cases involving people with extraordinary abilities, referred to as “Powers.”

The episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers will air this Wednesday at 12:35 am on NBC, the episode airing after Tuesday’s the Tonight Show.

Review: The Interview

Posted on December 27, 2014 by

Believe it or not, Seth Rogan and James Franco managed to create a real conflict, however minor, between North Korea and the United States, with a movie absolutely seething with unbridled, loud America-brand stupidity. Filled with rather easy pop culture references steeped in celebrity culture, and a knowledge of social justice neither particularly intelligent nor carefully done despite dealing with immensely heavy subject matter, Sony’s The Interview does not exactly impress with its writing. With all that being said, it is hard to deny how technically well-made the film is, and how many genuinely strong laughs it manages to find itself worthy of. It has its troubles, but it’s a technically great and generally decent flick that finds some joy in a lot of ridiculousness as well as in a little bit of nuance in its commentary on celebrity-gossip journalism.

The opening scenes of The Interview actually serve as a pretty apt summation of the movie’s quality. A young Asian girl sings a song with ghastly lyrics that wishes ill upon the United States, going from as tame as accusing Americans of being fat, to wishing beasts rape American women for American children to watch. It’s here that the movie’s troublesome portrayal of social justice begins, exploiting a serious women’s issue like rape for a plot device in a dumbass movie with no shortage of shocking things that could have been said by a fictionalized version of the real-life North Korea. After, viewers are treated to a juxtaposition between how the more serious media outlets cover this performance (and the military action from North Korea that followed) and the goofy, trivial kind of journalism Aaron Rapaport (played by Rogan) and Dave Skylark (played by Franco) beam across the country at the same time. Funny cameos from Eminem and Rob Lowe characterize the film’s main characters in an enjoyable fashion while simultaneously satirizing the real, embarrassing side of contemporary journalism.

It’s easy to view the rest of the film’s content similarly. Whenever the two dopes score an interview with evil dictator Kim Jong Un (played by Randall Park) on their joke of a television show, Skylark buddies around with Un and hits it off almost immediately. Un is a huge fan of the idiotic Skylark, and the two enjoy playing basketball and taking a tank for a spin whilst jamming with some Katy Perry and margaritas, the latter activity totally not gay, says the two heterosexuals, amusingly insecure in their sexual orientation. Unfortunately, they also sleep with a ton of beautiful women in North Korea like the dunderheaded men they are; this ultimately comes off as more than a little uncomfortable, considering the context of how the actual North Korea under Un treats women.

The majority of the content in The Interview is harmless, filled with comedy like slapstick and exaggerated expression. The butt off these jokes are the stupid main characters and the evil dictator, who is more than worthy of the piss being taken out of him. The acting is great, Rogen playing an effective straight-man to Franco’s positively bonkers, over-the-top performance. Park’s Un is particularly hilarious, acting like a spoiled, bratty and weak child, cutting into the literal man in a satisfying fashion. When it comes to even more technical aspects of movie-making, like cinematography, The Interview continues to impress with stunning wide-angle shots that accompany the rest of the always dynamic and cool visuals.

It’s just hard to ignore that this movie isn’t done as carefully as should have been, especially considering the sensitive subject matter. Django Unchained is a good example of this done right, with its wacky comedy and action served alongside an honest and genuine portrayal of slavery. Currently, North Korea is horrifically torturing and denying civil rights of its citizens, all the while propping up a disgusting fascist as a literal god. It would have been nice if, in between solid comedy appealing to average, globally-privileged Americans, some light was shone wholesomely on the injustice in North Korea. There are much more substantial problems in North Korea than fake grocery stores and planted “fat kids,” which serves as the shock to Skylark’s system that illuminates the amoral nature of that country’s government.

The USA’s guarantee of freedom of speech saved this movie, and it’s an alright piece of cinema that is enjoyable to watch. It even manages to do some okay satire of an issue relevant more or less only to Americans. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough intelligence on display to save this movie from its discomforting habit of prancing around, ignorantly telling its jokes. At the end of the day, though, how can one not laugh at Kim Jong Un crumbling to tears over the lyrical content of Katy Perry’s “Firework”? It’s funny, gosh-darn it.

Check out Matt’s online portfolio here

« Older Entries Recent Entries »