Tag Archives: demigods

Moana 2

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember the last time we watched a Moana movie?

Vampire Bat: That was surely an eternity ago.

Vampire Owl: I wonder why it took so much time to release the second one.

Vampire Bat: Maybe they were thinking about how to make this one have an even heavier environmental message.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that there can ever be a message that will work in real life?

Vampire Bat: The environmentalists these days are basically against the nature themselves.

Vampire Owl: Well, the pretenders to the love for environment, aren’t they?

Vampire Bat: They can still act really well as environment lovers.

Vampire Owl: This is a world of actors, who become leaders?

Vampire Bat: The human world rarely has any person who is honest.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Three years have passed since Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) and demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson had their last adventure together and achieved the impossible, which involved life-threatening situations. With the demigod nowhere to be found, Moana has been on a solo adventure, even though her followers in the form of a pig and chicken continues to be around wherever she wanders to. She has been searching for people living near her home island of Motunui connected to the ocean. On her partially successful return from one of similar explorations, Moana is provided the title of tautai, the master pathfinder – this is a title which has not been bestowed upon anyone from the island in a thousand years. It is then that she has a vision of Tautai Vasa (Gerald Ramsey) who had travelled and discovered the paths of the oceans. He talks to her about the legend of Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: He tells her that Nalo, a god that controlled the storms of the oceans had sunk a grand, legendary island called Motufetu, which connected all of the islands, right down to the depths of the ocean. This action had made the people of the islands disconnected, and if the connection is not made in time, her people would not survive to see a future. The choice was now simple, to find a way to raise Motufetu from the depths of the ocean, or face extinction, not just for their people, but also of whoever might exist in other parts of the world. In response to this vision, Moana assembles a crew of people from the island of Motunui — craftswoman Loto (Rose Matafeo), historian Moni (Hualālai Chung) and an expert elderly farmer Kele (David Fane). With the pig and the rooster added to the list as usual, this does not seem like a strong team, but is expected to be the best for the situation.

And what more is to follow in another ocean adventures with an angry god and clueless humans that go all around? :: At the same time, Maui is on his own adventure against the same god, as he moves forward only to be captured by Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), an enforcer of Nalo who controls bats and can even transform into one if needed. Maui had decided to go on this mission alone without asking Moana as it was thought to be a very dangerous one. At the same time, Moana and her team are captured by the Kakamora, a group of savage coconut-like pirates who also wishes for the island to be raised from the depths of ocean, as they are also disconnected from their island. One of the pirates also volunteers to fight with them. Meanwhile, Matangi is not really happy with her dealings with Nalo and Maui has almost escaped. Between them and their mission, stands a giant monster and a long path ahead with terrible creatures controlled by a hateful god. Can they go past all these troubles and save the world?

The defence of Moana 2 :: The visuals of the movie remain stunning, just like the previous ones, and the main characters continue to be solid. We never stop feeling the need to see The Rock around, whether in animated form giving voice, or with that full power as in Hercules, Black Adam, Red Notice, Jumanji, Jungle Cruise, Journey to the Mysterious Island or those never-ending franchises like The Fast and the Furious and spin-offs. Auliʻi Cravalho stays strong as the leading voice yet again. There are also more interesting characters around here, and the danger that they face are more real than ever, as the opponent here is a god that wishes to bring terror upon on humans and stop them from uniting and progressing. The emotional side also seems to be getting stronger and so are the entertaining sides with humour as much as action. One cannot deny the strength of whatever is seen on the screen, as we keep looking, and we keep being entertained.

Positives and negatives :: Comparison to the first movie, the freshness is still not felt and the big villain never really makes a straight attack. Some new characters are also lost, especially the young sister seems to be just a random addition to get more emotional support. I do not remember any mention of her having any younger sister, and with this addition, the movie seems to go a step backward with its ability to go for content and instead makes it feel the Bollywood drama effect for a change. But we know that it was something created for a purpose and not required at all. The first movie’s innovation seems to have disappeared. Family theme remains strong, and the environmental message stays somewhat there, but we know how much Avatar itself came down from the classic first movie. The beauty of the world, even when animated feels so good here, and as long as the sequels hold on to the basics, this one is surely here to stay.

How it finishes :: Among the animated movies that have stayed with us for a long time, this one will stand tall as a sequel. We remember the earlier movie releasing close to another interesting animated flick, Zootopia. Also, among the movies on the seas, with an environmental message, this one holds a fine place. So, while this movie dazzles with its design and continues the titular character’s tale with more emotional layers, it doesn’t quite match the original. It remains enjoyable with all the fun, and maintains its quality. After watching this movie, and seeing the scope for sequel, we know that something big might be coming. We also wonder if such a movie with an environmental message can be made in the God’s Own Country, as nature is all that matters in this part of the world too. One would keep wondering if such a fine myth can be created with focus most on the ancient green past. For now, we will enjoy this world.

Release date: 27th November 2024
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: David Derrick Jr
Starring: Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Rachel House, Alan Tudyk, Gerald Ramsey, Remuera Morrison, Awhimai Fraser

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Black Adam

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Vampire Owl: I have heard about this person before.

Vampire Bat: He is not the Adam from your Frankenstein’s tale.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Frankenstein has already confirmed it.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frank cannot claim to know these many people.

Vampire Owl: He has lived enough to come with such a claim.

Vampire Bat: Well, he is not a true old immortal like us.

Vampire Owl: He has been a semi-immortal with the help of science.

Vampire Bat: There is no semi-immortal. We only have immortals and mortals.

Vampire Owl: You should be better aware of the ways of science.

Vampire Bat: The ways of science do not work in our realm.

[Gets a Hyderabadi biriyani and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) was provided the powers of ancient deities of Egypt as he fought a tyrannical ruler in Kahndaq who had enslaved the people of his nation a long time before the great civilizations of the world held their powers. The king who was trying to use the artifact known as Crown of Sabbac to attain power like no other mortal could, but is defeated by this new champion, thus ending the evil reign. Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) who lives the same city in the present finds her people oppressed by an international criminal organization named Intergang. As the new hope for resistance and as a renowned archeologist, she is determined to make sure that the Crown of Sabbac does not fall into the hands of any of those mercenary groups. As she almost reaches the crown, she is ambushed by a team sent by the organization which wants to use the artifact to control as much of the world as they can. The group looks forward to a kind of world domination like never done before with the ultimate control in Kahndaq. The group has the military strength with air, land and water support like most of the nations of the world can never dream of.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As she is captured by the mercenaries who look forward to kill her, she uses her last option and chants the incantation which awakens Black Adam from beneath the tomb. It is seen that the newly unleashed metahuman is extremely powerful and he violently destroys all the enemies of Adrianna who keeps shooting at him without success. As Adam is wounded by one of the rockets which he catches on the way, he is taken to Adrianna’s home, where he begins to realize things and understand the new world, he lives in. He understands that the ways of the world have changes the situation is much different now. Considering his murder of many assassins, he is considered as a threat and the Justice Society sent to annihilate him, even though the Suicide Squad was also an option. The team includes the leader Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), the veteran sorcerer Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), molecular manipulator Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and wind-controlling Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), a team which seems to have members with their own inner struggles.

And what more is to follow in this tale of a centuries old superhero? :: Hawkman doesn’t consider this to be too much of a task, but Doctor Fate who has seen many dark futures doesn’t think so. They arrive at the city only to find Adam murdering more mercenaries. The battle goes very much in favour of Adam, as he seems to have an answer to everything which is thrown at him. It is then that Adrianna’s teenage son Amon Tomaz (Bodhi Sabongui) is kidnapped by Ishmael Gregor (Marwan Kenzari), who had disguised as a friend for a very long time. Ishmael wishes to gain the powers of the six powerful demons of Hell: Lucifer, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus and Crateis using the crown. As the Justice Society and Adam fight each other, there seems to be other forces gaining control of the situation. Can the superheroes find a way out of it? How much can this possible terror from hell be stopped or delayed? Can Black Adam, with a troubled past defeat his enemies on all sides? Will he understand the new world and adjust to live in it? Will this ancient city be finally free in the end? The situation seems bleak for everyone around him.

The defence of Black Adam :: There is a lot of entertainment that goes around this movie, especially with Dwayne Johnson in the lead. There is no lack of fun when he is around, even if he did not have those superpowers. Unlike the overrated all-powerful heroes like Captain Marvel, Black Adam is the kind of superhero who seems to be more believable and enjoyable inside the willing suspension of disbelief with the addition of ancient magic. Despite being a dark enough movie with demons ready to be unleashed and having wrath of the ancient gods in control, the movie manages its light-hearted moments really well with a touch of effective humour. The comic side never gets out of control, and the Rock provides an assurance about it. Sarah Shahi nicely blends in, and looks even younger with some moments of action added to her work. Marwan Kenzari’s villainous side would also be memorable, as the sinister side works really well. We can be assured that Black Adam will have a bigger role to play than most of those overrated superheroes who jump around in the different comics universes, as there is a certain amount of class written over this particular character played by Dwayne Johnson, and that too beyond this world.

Positives and negatives :: The movie is a visual stunner as expected, and the graphics used here is really good. The setting is interesting, as we have a city away from the usual areas, and the need for protection that it requires and the type of hero that it gets, are all different in nature. The action sequences with the display of superpowers manage to be really good, and the Justice Society makes an interesting group of people, and the presence of Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate stands out, seemingly asking for Doctor Strange of the of the other universe to do better. The movie also has a strong villain, and finding one has not been easy in this particular universe in comparison to that of Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is the presence of the usual repeated elements, but we know that it is supposed to happen in almost every superhero flick. It doesn’t deviate and become that dull superhero movie even though the tendency was always there, and the length is surely a little more than the requirement. The movie still rises a long way above the usual Shazam movie which is too childish for anyone to make it the top favourite superhero movie.

How it finishes :: Black Adam is a nicely done superhero film which is powered by the Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson who never ceases to entertain us. This has been one film which we have been waiting for, and seeing him as the superhero brings no surprises, but appreciation. Most of us have always wondered how a full-superhero movie would look with him around, and a full-horror film would look with the Undertaker around. We can be sure that no other WWE wrestler can make the impact in film industry like the Rock has done with the movies like Jumanji, Fast and Furious and others, with action films like How it will bring the power to the DC Extended Universe is yet to be seen, even though, the final moments and the end credits scene do provide us with a lot of hope. These are the times when Marvel Cinematic Universe has been losing in power, especially by making Thor a silly person and with having the tales move through series instead of movies where it should have always focused. Marvel’s overuse of humour will only come back to strike it one day, and DC finding balance will elevate its status as the superior comic book adapted universe.

Release date: 15th Match 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 21st October 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 125 minutes
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Pierce Brosnan

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Wonder Woman 1984

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Vampire Owl: It has been too long since we wanted to watch Wonder Woman.

Vampire Bat: I thought that we wanted to watch Black Widow more.

Vampire Owl: Yes, that too, but this is a sequel, and we will end up forgetting the first film.

Vampire Bat: Well, it is like we have almost completely forgotten Avengers too.

Vampire Owl: Nobody forgets the Avengers.

Vampire Bat: Everybody forgets everyone, not just Avengers. It is only a matter of time.

Vampire Owl: Vampires have their memories towards eternity.

Vampire Bat: Not at all vampires. There are levels.

Vampire Owl: Levels like in Super Mario?

Vampire Bat: Not exactly. But existence for a long period of time matters.

[Gets some french fries and three cups of grape juice].

What is the movie about? :: In 1984, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) works at the Smithsonian Group in Washington DC, and in a flashback, we see that when she was little, she had taken a shortcut to win a tournament among the Amazons. There, Antiope (Robin Wright), the general of the Amazon Army had told her there are no shortcuts, and everything has to achieved with honesty, and her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), the queen of Themyscira had agreed on the same. Even though Diana is doing the usual kind of job in the 1980s, she is also going through the superhero stuff. In the same city, Barbara Minverva (Kristen Wiig) lives, and as a new recruit to The Smithsonian, meets Diana. Barbara is not popular at all, and she feels that nobody likes her. People usually walk around her as if she doesn’t exist, and she is highly disappointed about that kind of treatment with even her name being forgotten.

So, what happens with the events here? :: Barbara becomes friends with Diana very soon, and they notice one item, a stone that contains a Latin inscription which claimed to grant the holder one wish. Barbara wishes that she becomes as good as Diana in all ways, while Diana wishes that Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) comes back to her. They see both wishes being fulfilled very soon, as Barbara finds herself stronger and sharper, as well as liked by everyone around her – she finds out that even her body structure has undergone some change, and she is no longer the clumsy person she used to be, along with finding herself able to lift heavy objects. At the same time, Steve has returned as his soul has possessed another man (Kristoffer Polaha) whose original form can be seen in the mirror reflections. The confusion of entering a new world is with Steve, but with Maxwell Lorenzano (Pedro Pascal) trying to get that stone, it will be the least of their problems.

The defence of Wonder Woman 1984 :: We do feel that the original essence of Wonder Woman is maintained up to an extent, even though it is indeed faded when do a comparison with the previous film. There are some fine action sequences, even though we should have had more grandeur. The best fight is the one in the White House, and showing the helplessness of superheroes making connection with the audience works most of the time. It manages to keep its level high enough among the other DC movies if we make more comparisons with more. The characters in the film are nicely linked with the tale’s progress, and how it finally sets things well for a possible sequel later. There is the message that goes against selfish motive, and going for your desire without thinking about others – against those people who are completely into their ambitions as if people around them do not matter. The setting of 1980s also work really well, and there is a lot of background here that works nicely.

The claws of flaw :: A movie on Wonder Woman can always be better, and there is no doubt about it, for we know what happened in the first film. There could have been more fight scenes around here, and the action could have been bigger. The last fight with the two characters in strange costumes makes things rather weird instead of making everything better in quality. Cheetah should have been a case of terror much earlier as the only character worthy of giving a fight, and should have really had a costume to go with the villainy. The fun that superhero movies usually have, and the dark side that the DC films have had, are not here to make the impact on both sides. The film only gets more and more predictable in its run, and its more and more so by the end. There are moments when CGI doesn’t look that good, especially when the protagonist in the air. There are moments when the movie also feels stretched, and this time even the cameo between credits feel unnecessary.

Performers of the soul :: Gal Gadot, as we always know does remain the strength of the movie, even though there is the feeling of tiredness here in comparison to original Wonder Woman and Justice League. She manages this role very well, as we would expect her too, and the feeling that Wonder Woman brings is different from Marvel’s Captain Marvel – a feeling which is not always easy to manage, but is done really well here. Among these lady superheroes, the gap between Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel is rather too high, with latter as a character is not the person we love. Kristen Wiig does make a pretty good villain character as she handles the spirit, but not much of a Cheetah that we had expected, despite the first half of the movie had her nicely set, even though in a predictable manner. Pedro Pascal does well as the villain who causes the big trouble. Chris Pine returns, but despite everyone having needed the same, this is short-lived.

How it finishes :: This version of Wonder Woman doesn’t match up to the original, and that point is made clear very early into the movie itself. Well, we are sure that it is not possible to match the skill of Marvel here, but we did expect an exception in this case, which didn’t happen though. There was the chance of making some great action sequences here, but they are limited, and Cheetah itself could have been further grand. When we consider the grand scheme about the last movie, this one surely trails behind. But with the entertainment that the movie provides, it is always nice to have another superhero during these times of trouble. The film also has its moments, and we get this on Amazon Prime Video at a time when we are in lockdown. During these times of COVID-19, stay at home, and thus stay safe. After all, entertainment keeps more people at home than anything else. At the same time, let us hope for a better tomorrow.

Release date: 16th December 2020 (United Kingdom), 25th December 2020 (United States), 15th May 2021 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 151 minutes
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen

<— Click here to go to the previous review.

<— Click here to go to the previous Hollywood review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.