Avengers: Endgame

Beyond arguably the most star studded cast in a successful film franchise, Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of a decades long legacy and realization for the Marvel franchise and it doesn't disappoint.  It delivers and then some, in hefty but fitting doses for the fans and critiques alike.  In the aftermath that is Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame is exciting, witty, surprising, unexpected, nostalgic, and delivers tons of obligatory action.  At 3 hours long, the Russo brothers pack it with story oriented trips down memory lane and the like, that return the franchise to it's roots started in 2008's Iron Man and send it off with a conclusion and continuation rarely seen in this type of genre.  Free range is given to explore and celebrate the original Avenger characters and this is just as great as the action that we've come to expect.  Those character bonds, their angst, tragedies, and triumphs are dived into wholeheartedly.  Much of what ties all the characters, including the seemingly ordinary ones, of these 21 films together in story and ultimately as an integral solution to their current dilemma is a treat that is sprinkled in generous doses throughout here.  Avengers: Endgame certainly has it's flaws, mostly in terms of uneven tone and pacing for the length. A mandatory second viewing may flesh them out further. But whatever minor criticisms I may have on that front, are just that in the overall scheme of things.  Endgame is what we've been waiting for and it's a celebration of all of these successful films (let's not forget TV, too)  tied together and if you've enjoyed anyone of those films, then Endgame will resonate with you on some level.  Marvel has made so many ascending strides in the superhero genre and they flaunt it here, sometimes unabashedly.  So while there is a somberness and celebration here, there is also a continuation in more films in the works and on the way.   

Shadow

The Girl In The Spider's Web

Claire Foy is a very fine actor and all and she's capable enough in the role here, but she surely ain't no Noomi Rapace.  Director Fede Alvarez does a fine job of updating the technical capabilities of our favorite dark vigilante heroine and her alies, but too much emphasis is placed on that at the expense of other essential elements.  It's cool and all, but The Girl In The Spider's Web ends up becoming just another almost composite of  the Jason Bourne films at best.  Lisbeth's backstory, as interesting as it was and integral to the whole story, was not fully dealt with enough getting lost in a plot that was more suited to Bourne or Bond.  The look, pacing, and action were all right and it had a creative premise, but it didn't fully live up to the expectations of what I've come to expect in this franchise. One other notable omission was the rapport with partner and  journalist Mikael Blomkvist (played by Sverrir Gudnason), who was almost reduced to just an extra here. This is a shame, because there is so much inherent possibility in characters that rich and that we've seen done well on the screen in the 3 original Swedish films and even in the well edited and executed Netflix TV series which takes a different slant.

Native Son

Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) is the highlight here taking on the role of misguided youth Bigger Thomas.  It can be challenging turning a classic novel into a film of the same esteem, much less updating the story to suit contemporary times.  Native Son has a talented director in artist Rashid Johnson and Pullitzer Prize winning screenwriter Suzan Lori-Park. Both Sanders and KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) are more than up to the task in their portrayals, but Native Son falls a bit short in it's overall depiction of the story, particularly in the end and it's omission of key moments.  Nonethless, the parallels of a novel written decades before and its meaning now, seemed a bit undercut here.  That may not be necessarily the fault of the film or those involved, but somehow the almost futility in relevance of a classic American novel becoming almost irrelevant in scale in a sea of films throughout the years that intentionally or not, also illustrate the constant vigil and exploration for solution we must have for the plight of young Black men, the justice system, and social class.

If Beale Street Could Talk

If Beale Street Could Talk is a great film adaptation of the James Baldwin novel with a stellar cast.  Barry Jenkings deserves much credit as director and for the screenplay.  It is interesting in that there are many parallels and similiarities this year with Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, notably in that both of these films take place in the 1970's, are concerned with the everyday life of black and brown folks, and make great use of creative cinematography and music to elevate the poetry within the stories.  Like Roma, If Beale Street Could Talk also addresses the very real and still relevant issue of a class divide among multiple generations.  Two films set in the past that echo the current environment that we live in.  What we also have in this film, is a unique depiction of the dynamics of everyday Black family life and young love. Regina King is always just amazing to watch and behold how her talent has just matured to another level.  Kudos must also be given to the rest of the cast Kiki Layne (Native Son), Stephan James, Pedro Pascal, Michael Beach, and Coleman Domingo.  This recent resurgence of similiar Black films from promininent Black authors and playright (Native Son and Fences) has been really exciting to see. 

Captain Marvel

You gotta admire the Marvel franchise.  It's had so many inroads and successes for this long and how each of their films is more than dual purpose in offering extended narratives, introductions, context, and clues to ultimately push the Avengers narrative further. So after the success of the groundbreaking Black Panther, I would think that Marvel's first real ambitious endeavour into a female character would also catch fire in a unique way.  This is not to say that Captain Marvel is a bad movie and that Brie Larson wasn't great because she was.  One of the major problems I had was with the tone of the film being part campy like Ant Man or Guardians Of The Galaxy, but without the endearing charm.  The story is a bit convoluted also, but Larson is pretty amazing in her embodiment of the character and Jude Law is good enough as a villain.  Beyond this, Captain Marvel serves, in this first installment anyway, as a prelude full of worthy easter eggs to Avengers: Endgame.