Bummer Summer?
Lately I have found it hard to motivate myself to go to the cinema. With a lack of “summer blockbusters” I have chosen to jump into a public pool rather than sink into a bucket of popcorn. It may seem like a bummer summer but I remain optimistic.
Deadpool and Wolverine finally claw their way to the top in this buddy farce
The first 20 minutes of Deadpool and Wolverine had me terrified. The words Time Variance Authority sent a chill down my spine and my heart racing. Sacred timelines, branches, blah…blah…blah... I am tired of Marvel’s Multiverse. Let’s face it, it’s annoying, redundant and extremely confusing. In comparison it makes Christopher Nolan’s Memento a straightforward plot. However, as I gently clung to my Wolverine Best Friend’s necklace for support, a shift began to take place…the movie began to get really good. The story revolves around the fact that 20th Century Fox was sold to Disney in 2019. Consequently, imploding 20 years of Fox/Marvel content. Nevertheless (to my chagrin,) through the help of the multiverse Wolverine and Hugh Jackman are resurrected. To be clear Deadpool and Wolverine is not meant for children but it is fun and action packed. With all the hallmarks of Planes, Trains and Automobiles intertwined within the superhero genre, the story takes you on a road trip filled with hijinks and surprising characters. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman play off each other to perfection, while Channing Tatum must be commended for both his indecipherable delivery and deadpan face. While the story fails to propel the Deadpool franchise forward it will leave you with a pain in your side and hope for the future.
Trap takes you on a cat and mouse chase through the Rogers Centre
Upon seeing this trailer I was transfixed by Josh Hartnett’s gaze into the camera with a plastered on smile and twitch in his eye. Immediately it brought back images of Anthony Perkins in the final few moments of Psycho, and I was intrigued. Let’s get this out of the way. M. Night Shyamalan is not the inspiring director he once was, but movies such as Split and Old have set his trajectory on the uptick with Trap continuing that momentum. Trap takes place during a Taylor Swift-like concert attended by a serial killer and his daughter. The Rogers Centre is transformed into Tanaka Arena while a tween paradise is converted into a psychological playground. I will admit at first I was annoyed by the fact that Shyamalan nepo-cast his daughter in a central role. Nevertheless, Saleka does a good job and the reality is that Shyamalan has earned the right to cast whoever he wants. Boy am I glad he cast Josh Hartnett though, because it is refreshing to see him lead a good movie again. Although it has been long time it is clear that Hartnett has evolved his craft. As Hartnett’s character struggles we feel both his fear and need to escape. With each psychotic smirk he makes us cringe in response followed up with our own smirk, perhaps even hoping for his success. This movie is clever, multi-faceted and a mere fraction of the price of an Eras ticket.