Sometimes a piece of media comes along that you can tell that everybody involved just had a blast making it. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of those films, and it shows in every single frame. The audience for this movie will definitely have as much fun watching as the cast and crew seem to have had making it, and its infectiousness makes it one of the better movie-going experiences of the past few weeks.
The movie opens with two members of our party in what’s basically a parole hearing. Bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine at his absolute Chris Piniest) provides backstory for him and barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez, who I’m 1000% sure rubbed being in this movie in Vin Diesel’s face on the set of Fast X) like he’s a player introducing his new character to his friends at game night.
And that’s likely by design. Writer-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley clearly wanted this to feel like you were watching someone’s D&D campaign. Both have gone on record as being D&D players (though they didn’t base the movie off any of their campaigns), and had a rules specialist on set to make sure most story elements followed established guideline – one plotline, for example, involves Simon (Justice Smith), a sorcerer, struggling to attune with a magical helm before he can use it. The other characters refer to Simon as being a bad sorcerer, and when we meet him at the start, he has low self-esteem and lacks charisma (aka the ability sorcerers use to cast spells).
Not only do Goldstein and Daley spend a lot of time on making the setting mostly game accurate, they also inserted Easter eggs to previous adaptations of the game. Edgin finds himself in a predicament similar to Snails (Marlon Wayans) from the 2000 movie. And we straight up see the party from the Marvel-Toei animated series in the High Sun Games. Antagonizing our party is Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), a rogue who turned on the party on the mission that landed Edgin and Holga in prison. Grant is a delightfully over-the-top villain and my personal favorite character. His line delivery for some of the most ridiculous things is one of the best parts of the movie. Imagine telling someone with a straight face that stealing their kid has made you a better person. That is a thing that he does…and it’s fantastic.
Get your gaming group and go see it immediately.
4.25/5 Tankards.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is currently playing in theaters everywhere.
Premiering Christmas Day, director Patty Jenkins‘ follow-up to her blockbuster, classic hit Wonder Woman might not be the slam-dunk sequel on par with its predecessor, but given the state of blockbuster cinema, and inspiring stories, it has its heart in the right place, even if it has feet of lead…
Set (obviously) in the year 1984, this pastel-hued film follows Gal Gadot‘s superheroine Diana Prince, who has been crisscrossing the globe for the past seventy-odd years, searching for one of her own Amazons who had disappeared some decades prior. She has settled down in Washington DC, working at the Smithsonian Institute, and trying to reconnect with humanity in general. While the film opens with a jewelery store raid at an ever-so-80’s shopping mall that she thwarts, she continues to hide her existence from the world.
As this goes on, we are introduced to Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), a smarmy, oily con-man looking for his big break into the world of oil speculation, where he hopes to not only peddle influence, but to be something resembling a success to his young son, Alistair. And finally, we are introduced to the mousy, awkward Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a gemologist/cryptozoologist/archeologist who soon grows to admire…and then resent…Diana.
Cheetahs always prosper.
This is a silly film. Compared to its predecessor, it is lighter, brighter, and more broad in scope and ambition, but in aiming for more, it loses some of the focus and determination that made the first film such a rousing success.
There are some great moments, mind you: the opening sequence at Themiscyra, for one, really really strove for scale, and given the aspect ration on the TV, was screaming for an IMAX screen; a mid-movie sequence involving a military convoy was exciting and innovative, if not more than just a bit goofy with its physics; Diana figuring out of to fly seemed like one of those moments that seem lost in modern superhero films where the characters actually enjoy their marvelous abilities (it also harkened back to a similar scene in Man Of Steel where Superman also figures out how to fly…that scene, surprise surprise, is also my favorite of the whole movie); and finally, seeing Maxwell Lord’s difficult journey growing up actually leant a bit of depth and pathos from what could otherwise have been a stock character.
Haters gonna hate.
You might notice the lack of mention of Chris Pine. There’s something so…awkward…about his reintroduction here; my fiancée had the exact same questions the characters themselves had within the movie about how he returned, but the answers were less than satisfying. It’s a shame, because he adds a much-needed bounce to the movie with his fascination with 80’s culture, and Pop-Tarts. Even the anachronistic elements with the character (how would he know what a jet is?) can be forgiven since he and Gadot have actual chemistry– something Wiig and Gadot, sadly, do not. At no point did I believe those two women would actually go out for a meal together.
That said, Wiig fares a bit better than I had anticipated as one of the villains, although she seemed to be playing big with the awkwardness of her character; it also seemed a shame that some of her one-liners fell flat in her early scenes, but I was surprised that she actually sold some of her more physical scenes.
Lassholes!
Lord’s plan seemed to have no true end point, which seems to be apt for the setting, the era of excess and gaudiness, but as a result there was no real sense of what the stakes were until the third act, when it turned out the stakes were everything. But Pascal does well here: he can play a likeable(ish) asshole well, while still maintaining a sense of constant desperation to not be a “loser”, as well as play a father desperate to be seen as a success to his son, although his son did seem to have only one expression: one of empty detachment.
What this movie does right, though, is set aside the cartoony climactic fight that weighed down the first film, and actually have the villain and hero actually talk their way down. At a time of hyper-polarization, and self-centeredness, this is a film saying sometimes you have to give up what you want right now so you can have a better future, and help make a better future for everyone else. At first the opening flashback seemed out of place, but seen through a longer lens, it shows that knowing what truth is is much more than being Right.
The Trumporian.
Winning and succeeding aren’t always the same things, and sometimes giving up on what you want most is the best decision you can make because it is the right one to make. Sure, we want our superheroes running around, slapping the bad guys and making the day right, but sometimes making the day right means giving something up. And that’s fine, because ultimately we all succeed. By giving in to base desires, as Lord grants in the film, the world becomes an unlivable mess.
Hans Zimmer‘s score, as is to be expected, is rousing in the right moments: the use of the Wonder Woman theme is sparse, though, which elevates those moments when it does appear; and thankfully he reworks it so it isn’t as blaring as it has been in its past appearances. The cinematography seems better suited for the small screen, however; cinematographer Matthew Jensen couldn’t seem to quite grasp the scope and epic scale that he’d captured in the first film (there was something definitively small about the jewelry store raid) that made it feel a bit like a Netflix movie. And there was something so off about the physics of this movie that kept pulling me out (to say nothing of several coincidences and plot conveniences that were waved away by a line or two).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKUxMjPunUc
This is a fun movie, almost stupidly silly, and, if Jenkins’ assertion that the series be treated more like the James Bond franchise, not necessarily linked by continuity, is to be followed, this film is more akin to “Diamonds Are Forever” or “A View To A Kill”: disposable, but not franchise ending. It does not have the cultural or story impact of its predecessor, nor does it have any Big Moment akin to the No Man’s Land sequence. But it has a message that perhaps needs to be heeded more, and it is actually refreshing to see another DC Comics movie actually embrace its goofiness.
This movie has heart, but not logic, and it suffers a bit for that, but there have been worse adaptations, and for a family-friendly superhero film, you could do much worse. 3.25/5 Asteria Golden Armors.
So first off, DC Fandome is coming off a bazillion times better than Comic-Con@Home, so far. This is what I was hoping SDCC would be like. DC/WB put money into their panels and you can see that shine through in their presentation. Kicking everything off was the Wonder Woman 1984 panel and — while it might not be everything it could have been if they had been in person — it was still “not bad”.
I wish that the moderators would have asked better questions. After seeing Yvette Nicole Brown so brilliantly moderate The Sandman panel, I’m a little more annoyed here and the fans they picked could have asked better questions other than “what was your most fun moment?” I get that people like to ask those types, but everyone asks that. Think of something different to ask, nerds.
Patty Jenkins and all the stars were on board and that actually does bring something more to these panels. When you have one/third of the stars there, it shows that they weren’t really 100% on board, but seeing everyone there is nice and refreshing. Also, seeing Kristen Wiig fangirl over original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter was adorable and completely refreshing.
NOW! The new trailer was insane and amazing and every bit of the word ‘ON FIRE’. We finally got to see our first looks of the aforementioned Wiig’s Cheetah and Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord and Cheetah just looks like everything a fanboy/girl could dream of. She looks vicious and fast and someone that can go toe-to-toe with Diana Prince. Cheetah is a character that, when done wrong, could come across as goofy, but done right could/will be amazing. After the first Wonder Woman flick, I trust Patty Jenkins 100%. She shows that you can have an amazing action film and still inject humor at the right moments.
Panel = 3/5 Trailer = 5/5
Overall Presentation = 4/5 Bibles
-Robert Bexar
Rob Deep Maldonado @deep2hb
So… the WW84 DC Fandome Panel was too dang sugary and fake for my tastes. I had to wait through 20-minutes of artificial “I love you’s” and Gal Gadot’s and Chris Pine’s Zoolander esque persona’s to finally get a Cheetah reveal. Yup. I was present for Kristen Wiig and she looked like she was tolerating the panel and putting on face throughout the panel.
So… which Rob gave me bad review?
I’m pleased with the second Cheetah look but the CGI looks a little less terrible than Aries in the first movie but at least they stay true to the look. Thank you to GodHatesGeeks and DC Fandome for those lost 2O-minutes. I do love that Viola Davis is hosting this event since she is Amanda Waller of the Suicide Squad.
I Am The Night, the new TNT limited series starring Chris Pine, and India Eisley, is a stylish mystery that will draw you in. Eisley, most know for Underworld: Evolution, portrays a fresh faced ingénue searching for her true identity. Her quest brings her to Los Angeles, down a trail of twisted and sinister secrets, and across the path of a disgraced journalist (Pine) determined to untangle them.
https://youtu.be/wcxAaIfKBeI
Directed by Patty Jenkins, I Am The Night is a bit of a Wonder Woman reunion. The famed director shares executive producer duties with Pine, while Connie Nielsen makes an appearance as a furtive member of the affluent and decadent Hodel family. We follow the parallel storylines of Pat (aka Fauna Hodel, played by Eisley) living on the edge of the color line in a small town Nevada, and Jay Singletary (Pine), a once-promising writer for the LA Times, now a washed-up tabloid reporter. Both their stories converge upon well-connected and wealthy Dr. George Hodel (Jefferson Mays), and one of Hollywood’s most infamous unsolved crimes.
The series pilot has a bit of a rough start, but the elements and characters gel well by the end, and if it continues down this path, it’ll make for some quality watching. Chris Pine overcomes his pretty-boy typecasting this time out, playing the down and out Singletary as pasty loser: prone to substance abuse, sleazy paparazzi tactics, and getting harassed by the cops. He is no stranger to the dark side of 1960’s Tinseltown and the characterization is palpable. Eisley’s Fauna, is sweet faced, wary, but also hits a perfect pitch of a naïve but rebellious nature. That the audience roots for these two very different characters gives a sense of how effective they are portrayed by both actors.
“Man.. haven’t seen THAT Trekkie shirt yet.”
The plot seems rather convoluted initially, but the material is promising and interesting enough into which to invest for the entire six episode run. Hitting just the right notes of old fashioned soapy storytelling, and compelling scenic design, I Am The Night is worth curling up with this winter. 4/5 Bibles.
So I have to admit, this is actually something special to me. I have always been a fan of the Jack Ryan series and I, at one point, wanted to be Jack Ryan. Also, I’m a huge fan of the titles actor John Krasinski. Put the two together and you get Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, which dropped on Amazon on August 31st.
The pilot gives us a fantastic start to the series. Giving us not only our Jack Ryan but also James Greer, who had been played by James Earl Jones to Harrison Ford’s Jack Ryan, but this time is played to perfection by Wendell Pierce (Suits). Numerous actors have played Jack Ryan including Alec Baldwin, Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine, but Krasinski brings something different. We see a bit into Ryan’s past, and his steady transition form simple analyst to field agent.
Action! Adventure! People staring off-screen!
I watched the first two episodes (the entire 8-episode season is currently streaming on Amazon), and while it is a fantastic watch and highly addicting, the producers played up the 9/11, and Bin Laden, references so many times in the pilot that I almost started to chuckle at the “this could be the next Bin Laden” line after the fifth time or so. Other than that, Amazon’s Jack Ryan is a thrilling series that you are going to want to binge. You can tell that Amazon put a lot of money behind it, not only with the actors, but with the locations. This show goes around the world, and the second episode is a giant step in the right direction after the pilot. 4/5 CIA Bibles.
Amazon’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series is currently streaming in its entirety.
I sit here, writing my thoughts on the Wonder Woman movie on fucking Wonder Woman Day — a Wonder Woman Day, an actual day designated by DC Comics dedicated to The First Lady of comics. Having seen the movie on Thursday, I’m stilled with so much inspiration, admiration, excitement and hype for a character that debuted in December of 1941, who just now got the big screen Hollywood treatment. Throughout the years there have been many incarnations of Diana Prince, and I’ve applauded most of them for the sole notion that Wonder Woman is getting another 15 minutes. However — not this time.
I grew up with more male heroes where the women were portrayed as “Girl Friday’s” and sidekicks. I mean, at an adolescent it was easy to be thankful for April O’Neil and the Turtles, I loved Gadget and the Rescue Rangers, and of course Demona and the Gargoyles, and so on. But the one constant about those cartoons that influenced my younger years: those women would not exist without the male leads. With Wonder Woman, she stands on her own, she stands to save mankind and love mankind. In Diana I found a leader and a fighter, filled with compassion, knowledge and the determination to follow her heart regardless if it meant defying tradition. I found a hero and traits in which I could aspire to be and she was a stand alone heroine.
While it’s true she was created by Dr. William Marston, a man, behind his action was the “unusual” suggestion of his partner and psychologist Elizabeth Holloway Marston to make his new All-American comic hero a woman. As mentioned above, I haven’t been able to process all my thoughts on the actual movie details just yet. There were some points during CGI that were off, some of the acting was slightly less than heroic, and the villain reveal was obvious halfway through — and wouldn’t have been my first choice for casting. But, overall, it’s still a near-perfect movie. After years of failed attempts to treat a super heroine right, hundreds of thousands of identifying wonder women finally got to see our hero on screen, with tears of happiness, relief and wonderment–and that’s the most important beat of them all.
The Truth: I’m Awesome.
Diana Prince, our Wonder Woman is filled with love, believes in love and cherishes mankind and wants to save it. It seems like a typical cliche, but also the purist. Diana left her home, her world, and her family–all that she ever knew–to save mankind even after she’s told we don’t deserve her. If cliche, I can’t think of a better one; the world could use more.. hell.. needs more of the sweet love, compassion and determination punched through by the Warrior Princess. 4.75/5 Bad-ass Guitar Riff Themes. – Taffeta Darling
“Monsignor” Travis Moody @TravMoody
I’ve never felt so much pressure writing a movie review in my life. After praising two would-be DC Extended Universe disasters in Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (hey, at least I got Suicide Squad “right”, right?), nerd parishioners around the world had to be chomping at the bit to hear my say on the official cinematic debut of Princess Diana. But first, let’s get this right off the bat: Gal Gadotis Wonder Woman. Despite initially receiving nearly as much hatred for the casting as Batfleck — Gadot is beyond perfect in the role in every way imaginable. She’s the righteous blend of brilliant, beautiful, bold and the brave. She’s the right touch of enthusiastic naiveté and unbridled compassion. She’s an entirely believable superior daughter of a goddess and gifted warrior princess. She’s every woman’s everywoman (as an adorably out-of-touch fashionista who likes ice cream). In fact, there’s never been a superhero played by an actress who had this much of a magnificent on-screen aura and presence about her.
As for the film itself, a lot of fans and critics are going to overlook its more “comic bookish” elements in favor of its enjoyable performances, heart-pumping action, and outstanding framework–but I can’t. Much of Diana Prince’s origin tale should have been shown on the Paradise Island of Themyscira, and we only get that for one act. It feels forgotten. While that likely helped with the film’s overall pacing, her Amazonian upbringings are an arguably far more intriguing time of origin (see: George Perez’s Gods and Morals). Unless you’ve played the first Injustice game, we simply don’t know enough about Ares other than a rushed foretelling of him as the Godkiller — which sets up a slightly predictable end-game. Diana Prince also comes out full bracelets blazing without much of an explanation. WW’s costume/armor is arguably one of the most fascinating things about her and its cosmetic aesthetics seem to take precedence over importance.
Is Moody coming? I better hide.
But my favorite thing about Wonder Woman the movie–besides Wonder Woman, the character–is that it feels right at home with the other DCEU films. Many were worried that DC/WB/Director Patty Jenkins (Monster) was going to “Marvelize” Wonder Woman in response to all the harsh criticisms this cinematic superhero line has received. Aside from its obvious comparison to fellow superhero period piece, Captain America: First Avenger (more-so for its WWI setting than anything else, really; tell me you don’t miss ABC’s Agent Carter after viewing all the great costume work in this one!), WW still packs an ominous tone with sprinkles of organic humor — nothing that detracts from the otherwise strict philosophical and moral fiber of a world-spread identity crisis. The audience isn’t beaten over the head with the whole “fish outta water” scenario, either. That’s much in thanks to a wonderful script from Allan Heinberg (Grey’s Anatomy, Young Avengers comic) and the akwardly delicious chemistry of Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Gadot. Just wait till you see the outstanding “love” boat scene, an absolute favorite.
As for other precious experiences, I also had the pleasure of viewing Wonder Woman in a very limited 4DX theater (LA Live’s Regal Cinemas). While getting your upper-body cranked around in a mechanical chair for 2-hours and 20-minute could be a bit jarring for some, the experience went totally hand-in-hand with the tremendous action of the flick. The action scenes fully utilize the following and more: extra pressurized air during heavy environmental conditions; heat pumps during explosions; light water sprays during jaw-snapping fistacuffs (bring a tissue for your 3D rims); slight lower back pokes during falls (which I wish would’ve kept going for selfish massaging purposes); and even a chair that sways either back or forward (in the slowest of motion possible) during the film’s more subtle moments. If you enjoy riding on the Star Tours at Disney, then go ahead and give this golden 4DX lasso a whirl. 4.25/5 ThemysciranBibles.
“The Priestess” Eva Ceja @evaceja
Wonder Woman has become a kind of wonder to young women, such as myself, that we needed men to make movies in the first place. Although filled with cliche superhero moments (i.e. a CGI-filled battle that makes a clunky-paced final act that much clunkier), the Wonder Woman movie had me otherwise teary-eyed, filled with laughter, and even–at least on one occasion–had myself imagining myself.. as Wonder Woman. Now, as an action film geek, martial artist, and, quite frankly, all-around badass.. I love this movie.
Best Bumble date ever.
Gal Gadot shines as Diana Prince, an acting job so superior you’d forget she was in Fast Five. Gadot was believably bad-ass, ourspoken, tender, and intelligent. The full package! It was also a blast to see the oh-so-talented Danny Huston (whom I have had the pleasure of working in a movie with on Newness, directed by Drake Doremus — shameless self-plug), as the real first World War General, Erich Ludendorff. While his role makes more of an impact in the film’s second act, Huston certainly sold me on his inspirations for conspiring with Doctor “Poison” Maru (Elena Anaya), last seen in the New 52 Wonder Woman comics. Sadly, her mustard gas subplot is arguably underdeveloped and used more as a gateway mechanic of sorts, while Ludendorff — as a man at loss and desperation — comes off as a far more dimensional bad than both Maru and who we see later on.
Yet, the real reason above all to adore and support WW: Patty Jenkins (Monster). She is the first female to direct a big-budget comic book/superhero film, also shattering the 12-year long period of drought of non-female superhero main character movies — especially one so damn awesome. So fuck yeah, ladies, let’s hope Wonder Woman gives us more, great female superhero movies (Black Widow, please?) from a female perspective we can count on. 4.25/5 Bibles.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ Wonder Woman is in theaters now.
