saviours – Movies of the Soul

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.

Vampire Owl: I don’t really know these people. Are they from the shooting range?

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that you haven’t watched the 1995 Power Rangers movie? I thought we all had.

Vampire Owl: I already have too many superheroes, and they all have better names.

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that you don’t remember Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as Dulcea.

Vampire Owl: Who in a ranger world is she?

Vampire Bat: I believe that you liked her a lot.

Vampire Owl: You talk about the girl in green.

Vampire Bat: Yes, she is the one. I see that you remember now.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that she was no Poison Ivy of Batman.

Vampire Bat: Your superhero encyclopedia surely needs some special attention, and so does your memory.

[Gets three cups of special tea with Tiger biscuits].

What is the movie about? :: A high school football star Jason Scott (Dacre Montgomery) gets dismissed from the team and has to go for detention after a prank fails miserably. It disappoints his father Sam Scott (David Denman) that he wasted his opportunities and reached this miserable state of life. There he comes up against Billy Cranston (RJ Cyler), a nerd whom he saves from a bully. Billy asks for his help, and offers to deactivate his ankle monitor as well as lend him his van in return. Jason decides to help him even as he is doubtful about it. There, after providing some help to him at an old abandoned gold mine, he runs across Kimberly (Naomi Scott), his crush from the school, who is taking a bath in the nearby river – she tells him that she often goes through the place, as her home is on the other side. At the same time, Billy uses some explosives to break part of the rock in the quarry.

So, what happens next? :: The blast gets the attention of Jason and Kimberly, as well as two other students, Trini (Becky G) who is spending her lone time away from the family, and Zack (Ludi Lin) who lives nearby, taking care of his sick mother. There they pick up five pieces of rock, each having a different colour. They are chased by the mine’s security, and their car gets hit by a train, but they wake up at their houses, feeling different, and rather a lot powerful. They five teenagers return to the mine to find answers to what they are going through, and they find a space ship and inside, Alpha 5 (Bill Hader), a robot. He introduces them to the consciousness of the person known as Zordon (Bryan Cranston) who is supposed to have been a power ranger until he and his team of rangers were betrayed by another team member, the Green Ranger, Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) who is also on Earth. He tells them that they are chosen.

And, what is to follow next in the adventure? :: With the new power rangers being chosen, he tells them that it is only a matter of time until Rita finds her full strength, gets to the Zeo Crystal which will help her to destroy all life on Earth. The teenagers leave, but reluctantly come back as Jason convinces them that they need to try so that their powers don’t go wasted. They keep training with Alpha 5 and the simulations of Rita’s minions, but they are unable to morph, which means that they will have no power ranger suit or armour. Zordon is disappointed that the chosen ones are acting more like kids, and have no sense of purpose. Meanwhile, Rita awakens and goes on a killing spree, collecting all the gold that she can on the way, looting people and places, hoping to summon her favourite minion, the giant winged monster known as Goldar (Fred Tatasciore) made of gold. Can the rangers be good enough to stop her before she gets what she wants?

The defence of Power Rangers :: The new version is surely an improvement from the tales which have been going through, and with the improvement, this brings the nostalgia from the childhood, when we watched the rangers and felt that they were so good. The movie is light-hearted, and would appeal to kids more than anyone else. The movie does have the right cast at the top though, with Dacre Montgomery as the hero and leader, bringing the charm, while Naomi Scott, brings a beautiful presence supported by the right performance – we see more of Power Rangers in these two than anywhere else. RJ Cyler provides the comedy along with an emotional side. There are some nice action sequences, especially in the end, and we see another grand battle between the good and evil, with destruction all around. There are also some messages in the movie about superpowers and responsibilities, like the ones you find in an earlier Spider-Man, a later Iron Man, or even in the ideology book of Captain America.

The claws of flaw :: One has to admit that the nostalgia related to Power Rangers is applicable to less number of people. Not many people were qualified enough to get this deep into superhero stuff of Hollywood during that time, as some thought that it was for children, and other felt Hollywood to be clearly beyond them. This movie also has a tale which has been going on and on with not just this movie, but also with many others, whether it is of Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or that long list of superheroes from Marvel and DC – Power Rangers won’t sound that good, and will never be that effective with lesser known cast and teenagers there in the suits. When Avengers and Justice League will fight to save the world from alien trouble with better budget, one has to feel that this one will struggle forever – to go with it, the yellow and black rangers are not likable at all. The villain also seems to have replaced her fiery elements with something else – wonder what it is.

How it finishes :: The world has surely changed from those times when Power Rangers were there earlier. Now we have a long list of superheroes, and there is no shortage of people with superpowers wandering around on the screen – this would be the cause of Power Rangers no longer being an effective franchise at the box-office here. There is the nostalgia for sure, but this is just one of those lesser group of heroes to whom people have that feeling for. Power Rangers: The Movie of 1995 might be the one thing which would have gotten these superheroes those fans, especially considering the fact that this along with Starship Troopers, Waterworld and Vampires were a few of those Video CDs available during those times – also, a lot of the youth of that time liked Gabrielle Fitzpatrick more than the movie, as for some, she was more joy to watch. Therefore, Power Rangers had that less power here, but it is an entertainer, and can be watched without going too deep.

Release date: 24th March 2017 (US) 31st March 2017 (India)
Running time: 121 minutes
Directed by: Dean Israelite
Starring: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, Becky G, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Elizabeth Banks, Bill Hader, Bryan Cranston, David Denman, Caroline Cave, Anjali Jay, Patrick Sabongui, Erica Cerra, Kayden Magnuson, Fiona Fu, Sarah Grey, Emily Maddison, Jaime Callica, Matt Shively, Garry Chalk, Fred Tatasciore