In between spending quality time with family and friends, I found some time to head over to my local movie theaters and see several new releases. Some of them are awards contenders, others have fallen below the wayside. Each offer something enjoyable to any viewer and are worthy of being considered, whether in theaters or on streaming. Here are my brief thoughts on the films that I saw.

The Favourite

“The Favourite” hilariously turns the typical period piece on its head. Each note of the film’s musical score perfectly follows the preceding action. Every lighting cue is gorgeous and every costume is aesthetically designed. The three leads (Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) are all great, perfectly conveying the power struggle to be the favorite of the Queen with every glance and expression they deliver. While the film may not be historically accurate, the revisionist take on the rivalry for the Queen’s affection, gives a refreshing look at the time-period being covered. It’s a fantastic film that deserves to be seen in theaters for the full effect.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

This may be one of the best cinematic experiences of the year. The colorful, vibrant animation is breathtaking, with comic-like imagery making for vivid action sequences and a visually stunning experience. As for the storyline, the film takes a hilarious and emotionally-resonant look at the Spider-Man origin story, addressing the difficulties of being both hero and human.

The film introduces the multiverse, along with each universe’s respective spider-man. Each of these characters is great for both comedic and dramatic purposes, as the heroes add a different layer and issue brought up with Spider-Man. With a fantastic voice cast, a great soundtrack, and one of the best post-credit scenes ever, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is one amazing ride.

Mary Queen of Scots

Unlike “The Favourite,” this film fails to add anything really unique to the subject matter. There are some abrupt transitions between scenes, each lacking flair. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie are great as the leading queens, but the rest of the characters are not well developed, as some characters literally change their personality each scene. The story is rarely told through the visuals, with everything delivered through lengthy conversations and emotionless droll.

Mary Poppins Returns

Disney’s sequel to a beloved classic had an uphill climb from the start, trying to recapture the magic of the original. Unfortunately, this film never reaches the heights of its predecessor. Its largest flaw is it’s too similar to the original, with almost every song and every scene feeling like a direct counterpart to the first film.

While Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer are charming as the adult Michael and Jane Banks, the two are never given the same room for development their father received in the first film. Most of the performances are great — Emily Blunt is superb, Lin-Manuel Miranda is incredibly likable and Dick Van Dyke has a great cameo — but they just weren’t given a strong script to work with. Ultimately, this is another film that is not practically perfect in every way.

Aquaman

The sixth entry in the new DC Cinematic Universe is one of the largest, dumbest films of the year. Not that this is a bad thing. In fact, “Aquaman” works best when it goes big and tries not to take itself too seriously. The special effects, while not the most convincing, are still colorful and vibrant which lead to great action sequences.

Jason Momoa and Amber Heard’s chemistry doesn’t always come across, but when they do have romantic moments, they are so over the top that it’s hard not to laugh. And honestly, that’s why “Aquaman” is so much fun. This is not a film trying to be overly serious and pretentious. It’s a B-movie with a large budget and because of this, it’s a surefire splash hit.

Published on January 6, 2019 at 3:51 pm