I saw Red Notice...

Red Notice's arrival took me by surprise, but there it was, all ready to go on Netflix and right on the heels of my Get Back Disney+ indulgence, no less. Hot diggity!

The movie stars Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot (for all intents and purposes, Deadpool, Hercules and Wonder Woman) in a madcap, Bondian spree about retrieving the three (alleged), adorned egg-sculptures that Marc Antony gifted Cleopatra. 

What makes this adventure such great fun is the banter among its principals, but also its globetrotting twists, which make one wonder who among the trio is fooling whom. The assumption is that Johnson's FBI Agent John Hartley is the good guy, Ryan Reynolds' Booth Nolan is the bad guy set to turn good, and Gal Gadot's "Bishop" is the presiding, manipulating baddie, but as the plot spins, not all is as it seems. (One even starts to question the film's good-gal pursuer, Ritu {The Umbrella Academy} Ayra's Agent Das, who has the ultra-buoyancy to keep resurfacing against all credible odds, not to mention the audacious intent of Chris {The Three Stooges '12} Diamantopoa's villainous Sotto Voce, a possessor of one of the fabled eggs.) 

Rawson Marshall (Skycraper) Thurber's direction holds its own with the best of 007 directors, and his script is a crackerjack one, which lends itself well to its popular, screen personalities. 

Steve Jablonisky's spy-thrill score cements everything, as does Marcus Forder's cinematography, so that when one isn't laughing (in particular at the inside-movie jokes) or second-guessing the sneaky surprises, it's easy to settle into what becomes an aesthetically pleasing, modern Our Man Flint or mega-budgeted Get Smart. (Now that I think of it, Johnson was in the latter's hefty remake. How's that for associated kismet?!)

To analyze Red Notice's histrionic points would spoil the adventure. It must be experienced in a fresh way, but it's suffice to say that it's enjoyable from start to finish, and yep, it could/should usher more.

I'm all for that. Red Notice (incidentally, a worldwide alert to seize those of monumental threat) isn't resolved with this picture, with more such "notices" insinuated by the time the end credits commence. Considering the leads' chemistry (and the opportunity to see Gadot don more slinky attire), this is a franchise just itchin' to be born, even if its relegation remains exclusive to streaming. Whatever the viewing format, let it happen. Red Notice II can't come fast enough in my eager estimation. 

PIN-UP TIME: GAL GADOT IS WONDER WOMAN

WW84: WANTING MORE (THE GREED DREAM)

Perhaps it's unwise for directors to make sequels based on prior, proven formats. Rian Johnson committed the blasphemous blunder by daring to make The Last Jedi his Empire Strikes Back, while ignoring the blaring, good-vs-evil splendor that distinguished Episode V. Patty Jenkins has been more or less accused of doing the same for Wonder Woman 1984, patterning the Gal Gadot-steered sequel after Superman II (apparently, any cut), though missing Kal-El's action-adventure mark. 

However, unlike Johnson who was compelled to change the underlying Star Wars thread to appease "woke" sensibilities, the criticism aimed at Jenkins is more a matter of forced additives and sketchy continuity, rather than a failure to transfer Superman II's spirit.

Criticisms of WW84's  Here Comes Mr. Jordan/Heaven Can Wait set-up for the channeled Steve Trevor and Diana Prince learning to fly, when it appears later down the line she didn't (couldn't) do so in Batman v Superman and Justice League: the Theatrical Cut, are all well and good (not to mention the armchair leftists' disdain that Maxwell Lord isn't the maligned, Donald Trump surrogate they had anticipated), but if any controversy were to have sprung from Jenkin's sequel, I'd have thought it to be more so political and in an allegorical, economic sense, at that.

Really, has anyone yet noticed WW84's possible stab at capitalism? I mean, it's not that great a stretch.  

Now, I'm not saying it's there for certain, even in an undercover, "Dawn of the Dead '79" way, but somewhere within the sequel's Monkey's Paw retread, that insatiable need to want more (even when "life is good", as Lord proclaims) references a craving for possession and therefore, greed. That the theme surfaces during a time of unquestionable, economic prosperity (the Reagan '80s) should make the matter even more conspicuous. 

One domino topples another in the script's grand, wish-making scheme. The desire to gain more (whether per physical possession or in the symbolic way of love) comes with dangerous consequences, or so we're shown. The story implies that contentment with one's current lot is the more harmonious path to take (be happy with what one has, even if it's Trevor-less), but is that the ideal path to follow?

Is the magnanimous Lord wrong in wanting to establish a successful, oil business and bring success to others through his ambitions? Is he wrong in going that extra, risky mile by snatching a Dream Stone to accomplish the deed, let alone forging a symbiotic relationship with it, regardless of the talisman's fickle results? 

Are others wrong in embracing Lord's vision, his too-good-to-pass-up offer? What he presents to most comes only after the calamitous chips have fallen, which of course, is Lord's fault, but still... For example, Stuart Milligan's President Reagan's response to halt global hostilities with a greater affluence of weaponry only seems sensible in light of the escalating circumstances. (Woke folks might say otherwise, but are they rationale or realistic enough when it comes to any conflict or threat?) 

If WW84 takes a stand against wanting more for the benefit of all, then I disagree with such, but on the other hand, the story does deal extraordinary, mystical circumstances that extend well beyond credibility to denounce excess. Within the plot's far-out context, the virulence of greed is widespread and extraordinary in scope, maybe enough to justify an allegorical warning in the Biblical sense.

I don't know where to stand on the matter without the filmmakers coming forth and confirming all this, but the avarice premise is WW84's strongest trait. That it isn't being debated on all fronts as an influential plus or minus is bizarre.  

Despite its surface-value divisiveness, WW84 merits further analysis on this basis. I suspect there are other plot aspects that I'm overlooking or downplaying (perhaps even one regarding addiction), which others might toss into the ring, if they re-watched the sequel. The catch is, will they revisit?

Good, bad or somewhere in between, WW84 may have more to offer than most claim. If so, for better or worse, the feasible debates it spurs could keep the sequel thriving long after its theatrical and HBO Max runs end. Does that, in itself, signal this submission a worthy sequel? Only time will tell. 

I saw Wonder Woman '84...

"Wonder Woman 1984", directed by Patty Jenkins and scripted by Geoff Johns and Dave Callahan (based on Jenkin's concept) is in part a turnabout, Donner/Lester-esque sequel to the 2017 blockbuster, reinventing the first film's endearing, fish-out-of-water motif to the '80s. In this particular chapter, Chris Pine's spiritually transplanted Steve Trevor is the symbolic fish, or is he? The catch of "WW84" is that perceptions can be tweaked, especially when old love dangles and the truth is evaded whenever one wants more.

Within the surreal set-up, Gal Gadot's fearless amazon, whether in the guise of Diana Prince or Wonder Woman, must deal with an affable but struggling, Luthor-like, oil magnate named Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro "The Mandalorian" Pascal.  

I suppose dewdrop highbrows would argue that Lord possesses Trumpian attributes, but if so, those traits evaded me, maybe because I saw no need to see them. Heck, I'm no highbrow; nor would I ever wish to be. The same goes for most who'll see this flick. Something to consider among filmmakers, critics and casual viewers alike who insist on finding one-sided, political narrative in fantasy features. I mean, why shove in stuff that the hardcore fan base doesn't want, anyway? Just sayin'. 

At any rate, thanks to a God of Lies dream stone, Lord is able to mesmerize people and bring their desires to life. Are these desires beneficial or detrimental? Well, considering that Lord is the antagonist, the answer should be clear. (Think along the lines of W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw" and its wish-fulfilling consequences: No wish is ever fulfilled without a profound and terrible price.) As Wonder Woman and the channeled Trevor's relationship grows, Lord begins to expand his empire of deception on tiers of fears, illusions and delusions to the point where one wonders if its infectious spread can be stopped. (Certainly love can't stop it, even though the script implies that heartfelt affection could and should be the antidote.) 

Along with the supporting (perhaps-faux) Trevor, Kristen "Ghostbusters '16" Wiig's  Cheetah, aka Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva, claws her way into the plot (and early on, at that, as a sheepish, Smithsonian staff member). She's without question pure flesh and blood to the script's circumstances, and though lonely, desperate and empathetic at the outset (in the same floundering-fish way that we find Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, Jim Carrey's Riddler and Jamie Foxx's Electro), she becomes Lord's accidental accomplice through basic, make-me-like-Diana wish-mastery. This leads to two brawls between Wonder Woman and Cheetah, charged by heavy, CGI prancing in the nocturnal second. (Hans Zimmer's "Batman v Superman"-linked score fuels the blurry ferocity in both instances.) 

"WW84'"s '80s setting is another distinguishing factor, with its titular date alluding to an obvious, Orwellian subtext. (High-tech charms are never trustworthy, especially when buffered by televised, "Halloween III" trickery.) Still, the decor (often prismatic and like Wonder Woman's mind-of-its-own lasso and grand, Asteria armor, golden and Reagan-era sleek) doesn't place the adventure on a par with David Leitch's "Atomic Blonde", which better stokes the decade's genuine, Cold War-finale flame. If anything, "WW84'"s backdrop is but nostalgic filler that alludes to "Wall Street" avarice, but it's purposeful enough to highlight its heroine's eternal endurance within other timelines in other possible (if not probable) sequels/prequels. (The athletic, Themyscira prologue further spearheads the evident intent.)

Though it may not emit the freshness of its origin-revamping (WWI) forerunner, "WW84" is worth trying on for size. (Whether it fits is all a matter of taste.) However, more than "WW84'"s content, it's refreshing to see a big-budget, DC/WB movie hit the scene again, despite the annoyance of a propagandized pandemic that can't help but blunt the goddess' righteous thunder. (Now, let's see if the dewdrop patrol can stop Ms. Gadot from playing Cleopatra.)

I saw Wonder Woman...

Some years back, DC/WB dished up an animated Wonder Woman direct-to-disc adaptation, which promised to be the most faithful-to-the-source to date. When it arrived, Wonder Woman turned out to be a quasi man-hater (well, cynical enough to hold borderline contempt for the opposite sex) and overall, a long-shot from an ideal, foreign ambassador. So much for promises...

With this in mind, I couldn't help but go into Patty Jenkins' directorial venture with some hesitation, hardening my heart so as not to be insulted again. On the other hand, Gal Gadot's portrayal of the legendary Amazon in Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman", as well as the recent "Justice League" trailers, gave me hope that somehow, some damn way, this new "Wonder Woman" would fulfill, despite the film taking liberties with William Moulton Marston's revisionist, Greek mythology.

This "Wonder Woman", scripted by Allan Heinberg (from a treatment by Synder and Jason Fuchs), occurs during World War I, so we don't get the fighting-the-Nazis angle of the character's comic-book genesis or what we find in the early stages of the Lynda Carter television series. It's hard to say why this period was chosen (perhaps it being the prelude to women's suffrage might be the cause); nonetheless, Wonder Woman's fight for what's right still resonates despite the alteration. Also (hallelujah!), there's no "clever" twist, where we're forced to embrace terrorists to make us feel "complete", as in that blasphemous "Lego Batman Movie". Thanks to American Army Air Service Captain Steve Trevor (Christopher Pine), our heroine quickly adapts an Allied allegiance, assured her involvement will help stop the carnage.

Though the film's early part focuses on Themyscira (aka, Paradise Island), the action soon shifts to England, but this doesn't impact Wonder Woman's insinuated and indirect support of the "Land of the Free and the Brave", let alone her heartfelt, fish-out-of-water assimilation into the modern Western world. 

When she dons her early 20th Century attire, Wonder Woman, aka Diana Prince, fits right in for basic sauntering...well, at least after Trevor and his secretary, Etta Candy (Lucy Davis), insist that she temporarily abandon her shield and "god-killer" sword. (Incidentally, Wonder Woman isn't called by her popular label in this version: her quasi-alias remaining the prevalent one.)

As with any fish-out-of-water story, humor arises, but it never turns silly: the jokes being reminiscent of those of "Time After Time", "Star Trek IV" and "Crocodile Dundee". There also comes a point when the Great War's horrors (eventually embellished by magical calamity) become so stark that the story makes an earnest turn, its tone then aligning with "Batman v Superman" and "Man of Steel". The contrast feels so seamless, however, that most won't notice or complain. 

To help the story's dramatic sweep, Gadot performs her role to the dignified hilt: a statuesque, empathetic beauty who somehow becomes even more beautiful--and sexier--as the adventure evolves. (Yeah, I know, to say a woman is beautiful and/or sexy these days is considered politically incorrect, but if Gadot doesn't get one's pulse racin', one is either a Pod Person or dead). The actress also injects a natural naivety into her performance, evident even in the island segments. All the same, when bullet-deflecting and lasso-lashing is required, she takes no guff, personifying the type of icon that those on either the side of the warring coin can (and do) respect.

Pine enhances Gadot's performance with his own no-nonsense, Kirk-like projection, his reactions to his friend's ethereal abilities being credible and sincere. Trevor knows she's special and honors her, just as she honors him. He does, however, command various scenes, as do several other decent but all-too-human men (played by Ewen Bremmer, Eugene Brave Rock and Said Taghmaoui), but it's only because it's their world that the Amazon enters. Slowly but surely, dear Diana gets into the groove and deals with matters in her own inimitable (and prefeminist) way.

With the film occurring during WWI, the historically staged factions determine not only the circumstances, but the villains, with one holding a mythological secret. He's a turn-of-the-century, pretend proponent of peace for the Allies, named Patrick Morgan, portrayed with quivering pomp by David Thewlis, who just happens to be the war god Ares. Sneaky, eh? 

The Central Power/German participants who complement Ares' agenda are Nazi forerunners: General Erich Ludendorff, based on the real-life, military legend, played by imagi-film/series veteran, Danny Huston; and the facially disfigured Doctor (Isabel Maru) Poison, an old DC foe played by Elena Anaya, who horror fans will recall from Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Live In". Though the duo is aware that WWI is ending, they seek an extension through Poison's superpower gas. 

The set-up progresses with grace and precision, as our heroes race against the clock to snuff the sinister scheme. Most importantly, Wonder Woman stays true to her roots throughout each snag and potential distraction, more than rising to the occasion in the end: something that should gratify her Golden Age fan base. 

If this new version of our celebrated Amazon is any sign of where the "Justice League" franchise is headed, we should breathe a collective sigh of relief. There's every reason to believe the best is yet to come. With gorgeous and talented Gadot on board, how could it be otherwise?