2023

About six months in, I very much dislike 2023.

That is all.

Skull Island

So I just finished binging the "Skull Island" animated offering on Netflix.

I really enjoyed Kong: Skull Island. I think it was the strongest of the "MonsterVerse" films that have come out, with Godzilla, Kong, etc. It was really the only film that had human protagonists I have half a crap about, which is kinda impressive. Those sorts of films really don't do "appealing human characters" very well, but Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, John C. Reilly, and the rest really had appealing characters set in an atypical monster setting.

"Skull Island" builds on the mythos of the monster-infested Skull Island a bit, albeit in an animated format. I was impressed by how that was handled. The story really wasn't centered around Kong, too much. Kong was an incidental agency in the story, that was mainly centered around a gaggle of shipwreck victims and a feral teenage girl who has bonded with local monsters. All-told, it didn't suck nearly as much as I expected it would. The story could've made the cast a bit more appealing, and they could've shaved a good 80% of the quips and jokes off without too much trouble. Still, it wasn't horrible. I'm intrigued enough that I'd watch a sequel if they do one. Hopefully they dial back the excessive quipping a lot next time around.

John Wick 4

I finally saw it. The conclusion of the John Wick films.

I really love these films. All a first-person shooter videogame done up Hollywood style with nice suits, fancy clubs, and style to go with the way over-the-top dollops of ultraviolence.

That's really all that needs to be said about the fourth film, really. It's almost three hours of carnage and insanity mixed in with posturing and "yeah".

Adding in Donnie Yen was a nice touch.

I'll miss this franchise. It won't be the same without Keanu's John Wick in whatever they do in subsequent films.

Thoughts on "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"

So I finally got around to watching Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves the other day.

I'm upset it took me this long to see this film. This is one of the most enjoyable fantasy romps I've watched in ages!

Set in the D&D fantasy world of "Faeun" (sp?), the film centers around the bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), his barbarian friend Holga Kilgore (best name ever, played by Michelle Rodriguez). Imprisoned after attempting to steal a magic artifact from Edgin's previous employers, the heroic Harpers, the pair escape prison and recruit the dubious sorcerer Simon Aumar (Justice Smith) and shapeshifting druid and Tiefling Doric (Sophia Lillis) to rescue Edgin's daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) from their treacherous former teammate, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant). And there's of course many shenanigans in the way.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is thematically a lot like the Guardians of the Galaxy films. A rag-tag team of quirky misfits unite to stop a terrible evil in the form of the sorceress Sofina (Daisy Head). Along the way, the group befriends the paladin Xenk Yendar (Regé-Jean Page) and jump through hoops to become a quasi-family.

It's a formula and a predictable one, but it's perfectly executed in this film. The casting was rock solid, with every actor really making her or his character distinctive and entertaining. I'm hard-pressed to come up with a favorite, truth-be-told. I'm kind of torn between the humorless and earnest Xenk Yendar and the badass but blunt-spoken Holga Kilgore, though I really loved all the characters. Edgin could have easily been annoying, but Pine's portrayal really walked a good line to keep the character's flaws entertaining but not excessive.

I really hope they make sequels! Good sequels!