Despicable Me 3

As I've mentioned in past reviews, Hollywood has produced many franchise films too numerous to list. However they couldn't limit the franchise feel to just live films, but also to animated films as well. We've seen them: "Toy Story", "Ice Age", "Cars", "Cinderella", and now we have "Despicable Me 3" to add to that franchise.

 

After he is fired from the AVL (Anti-Villain League) for failing to take down the latest bad guy, Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) to threaten humanity, Gru (Steve Carell) finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. Even his wife and fellow agent, Lucy (Kirsten Wiig) can't snap him out of it. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother, Dru (Steve Carell)--a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin's despicable footsteps, one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad. Between catching Bratt and obtaining his agent position with the AVL and trying to work with his twin brother Dru, Gru certainly has his job cut out for him.

 

Others to round out the cast are Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Dana Gaier as Edith, Nev Scharrel as Agnes, Pierre Coffin as Minions/Museum Director, Steve Coogan as Fritz/Silas Ramsbottom, Julie Andrews as Gru's Mom, Jenny Slate as Valerie Da Vinci and Andy Nyman as Clive the Robot.

 

This was directed with familial technique by Kyle Balda ("The Lorax" (co-dir.) '12, "Minions" '15) plus shorts, Pierre Coffin ("Despicable Me" '10, "Despicable Me 2" '13, "Minions" '15) plus shorts and co-directed by Eric Guillon (Designer of many animated films). Between all of these filmmakers, there are a plethora of animated films to their credit, so their familiarity has definitely helped with this film. It was written by veteran writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio ("Bubble Boy" '01, "The Santa Clause 2" '02, "Horton Hears a Who!" '08, "Despicable Me" '10, "Hop" '11, "The Lorax" '12, "Despicable Me 2" '13, "The Secret Life of Pets" '16) plus others and shorts. The screenplay here simply needed a bit more polish--there were a couple of slow places in story and this is only a 90 minute film. I think the problem, more than anything, is the fact that it isn't as fresh as its predecessors as with any franchise. The idea of Gru having a long-lost twin brother was certainly something new to add to this to create originality, however the execution seemed a bit drawn out. A bad day for these guys at the laptop? Not sure. It still had funny places and Steve Carell playing he and his twin brother was creative and hilarious.

 

Will there be a "Despicable Me 4"? As long as the money comes pouring in, there will undoubtedly be another. Certainly "Minions" 2 has been announced, but then again, it was a hit and it was funny. Only time will tell.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                          Rated: PG                                       90mins.

 

Baby Driver

Most films in summer are typically reserved for the big-budget, high-adrenaline films replete with a ton of visual effects. Then once in a while we are offered a small independent film with no visuals designed to tell us a nice story. The best combination of these films would be to put them in the same film, and this is certainly what we get in "Baby Driver".

 

A talented young getaway driver, Baby (Ansel Elgort) relies on the best of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game as he's constantly plugged into his I-Tune machine. This makes him quiet and unassuming to all around him, but put him behind the wheel and he becomes all business. He owed money to a crime boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey), so after he performed his last heist to pay off his debt, Doc comes back around and coerces Baby into driving for one last heist, but he must face the music when this doomed heist threatens his life, his love, his girlfriend Debora (Lily James) and freedom from his colleagues including Buddy (Jon Hamm), Bats (Jamie Foxx), Darling (Eliza Gonzalez), Griff (Jon Bernthal) and others in which he is so desperately trying to get away from.

 

Others to round out the cast are Flea as Eddie, Lanny Joon as JD, CJ Jones as Joseph, Baby's stepdad, Viviana Chavez as Diner Waitress and Brogan Hall as Samm.

 

This was directed with dynamic power by Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead" '04, "Straight 8" (TV movie) '04, "Hot Fuzz" '07, "Grindhouse" (fake trailer segment- "Don't") '07, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" '10, "The World's End" '13) plus tons of TV. The way these very eclectic characters came to life in just about every frame was amazing. As with his other films, these were both comedy and drama, however not in equal increments, so this is certainly familiar territory to Wright. It was slickly and wittily written by Wright as well. These characters he created simply jumped off the screenplay and onto the screen for us to sit back and enjoy. One other film that seems to be similar to this is "Drive" '11 with Ryan Gosling as the driver. Gosling doesn't even have a name in that film except 'the driver'. He's quiet, shy, intense and knows his job very well. The difference is that with this film, Baby works for a crime boss whereas Gosling's role worked as a stunt driver, but even with the similarities, there were obvious differences as well. The slickness of the writing coupled with the quick, energetic editing and the incredible stunt driving made this film gritty, intense and extremely entertaining. Elgort's Baby and Spacey's cold, austere, blunt Doc were the ones that shined here. These two characters were completely different, but at the end of the day, they know what they wanted and went for it.

 

We've all seen films with car chases with guns bursting in the air and elements of violence and extortion, but this was written, directed and acted in a way that makes an otherwise common genre unique and different. Have fun with this. I know I did!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated: R                                     112mins.

 

The Book of Henry

After seeing a number of big-budget, high adrenaline type films which is common fare in the summer season, it's great to see a small independent film to bring us back to a human scale once again. When I saw the trailer of "The Book of Henry", it didn't sell it to me, but I like Naomi Watts, so I decided to take a chance and did I get more than I bargained for.

Sometimes things are not always what they seem, especially in the small suburban town, Calvary, where the Carpenter family resides. Single suburban mother Susan Carpenter (Naomi Watts) works as a waitress at a diner, alongside feisty family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). Her younger son Peter (Jacob Tremblay) is a playful 8-year-old. Taking care of everyone and everything in his own unique way is Susan's older son, Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), age 11. Protector to his adoring younger brother and tireless supporter of his often self-doubting mother--and, through investments, of the family as a whole--Henry blazes through the days like a comet. Susan discovers that the family next door, which includes Henry's kind classmate Christina (Maddie Ziegler), has a dangerous secret--and that Henry has devised a surprising plan to help. As his brainstormed rescue plan for Christina takes shape in thrilling ways, Susan finds herself at the center of it.

Others to round out the cast are Dean Norris as Glenn Sickleman, Lee Pace as Dr. David Daniels, Tonya Pinkins as Principal Wilder, Bobby Moynihan as John, Geraldine Hughes as Mrs. Evans and Maxwell Simkins as Tommy.

This was effectively directed by Colin Trevorrow ("Reality Show" (Documentary) '04, "Gary: Under Crisis" (TV movie) '05, "Safety Not Guaranteed" '12, "Jurassic World" '15) plus a short. He doesn't have a ton of experience, but what he has directed has made an impact. Just to show us how determined of a filmmaker he is, he is one of the executive producers fo the upcoming "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" slated for a 2018 release as he is directing "Star Wars: Episode IX" that has been announced for a 2019 release. This is one busy guy. The toned down attitude which Lieberher displays for the role of Henry is pure directing genius. It was creatively written by Gregg Hurwitz (a Novelist and TV series). Even though this was written by a complete newcomer to the theatrical film realm, he exceled well in his portrayal of this very eclectic family with issues, but at the same time keep each other's back. Other than a couple of very small places of slowness and a bit of lack of cohesiveness in script in at least one spot, this was a taught, well thought out story. Let's put it this way, if this is how well this writer can write at this time, how well will he be able to write a few more films to his credit? Watts as Susan and for sure Lieberher as Henry was brilliant casting in that Lieberher didn't play the typical kid, but he portrayed this character so we, the audience could empathize so well with him.

The fact that this was written with multiple genres in mind, I'm not sure was written purposely that way or was an error, but regardless, it worked for this script. It's like you could laugh and cry within the same paragraph of dialogue. It was heartfelt, however a box of Kleenex might be store to bring as you leave your house.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: PG-13                               105mins.

Transformers: The Last Knight

Of all the movies seasons of the year, the one that produces the vast majority of franchise films has got to be summer. As this season unfolds, yet another seasoned franchise has hit the multiplex in the form of "Transformers: The Last Knight". Is this the 5th installment? 6th installment? Not sure, but you know the franchise has been around a while when one can't remember the number of sequence.

Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) finds his dead home planet, Cybertron, in which he comes to realize he was responsible for its destruction. He finds a way to bring Cybertron back to life, but in order to do so, Optimus needs to find an artifact that is on Earth originating 1600 years earlier during the Dark Ages. As he takes steps in his trek of the search for this artifact which is actually a staff, there happens to be a connection with it and a medallion which Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) has in his possession in present day. But first we are put through the riggers of a history lesson of the transformers on Earth so those involved will be able to combat a new threat which threatens to annihilate human life. So between Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins), Vivian Wembley (Laura Haddock), Iszabella (Isabela Moner), Transformers- Bumblebee (Erik Aadahl), Hound (John Goodman), Cogman (Jim Carter), it's a race against time to see if these unlikely heroes can cut the mustard and save humanity.

Others to round out the cast are Josh Duhamel as Colonel William Lennox, Santiago Cabrera as Santos, Stanley Tucci as Merlin, Jerrod Carmichael as Jimmy, Liam Garrigan as Arthur, Martin McCreadie as Lancelot, Rob Witcomb as Percival, Glenn Morshower as General Morshower, Gemma Chan as Quintessa, John Turturro as Agent Simmons and Tony Hale as JPL Engineer.

This was grittily and intensely directed by film veteran Michael Bay ("Bad Boys" '95, "The Rock" '96, "Pearl Harbor" '01, "Bad Boys II" '03, "Transformers" '07, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" '09, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" '11, "Pain & Gain" '13, "Transformers: Age of Distinction" '14) plus others and a ton of video shorts. Although this filmmaker doesn't go out on the proverbial limb to branch out any new potential, he clearly knows what he knows and zeroes in on it. His style is distinctive and works well with the younger, single, male demographic. If you're wondering about any more future Transformer films, wonder no more. There are two more that have already been announced. It was written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Ken Nolan based on a story by Akiva Goldsman, Marcum, Holloway and Nolan all which will be collaborating on the next two Transformer sequels. Whereas other films are able to surmise an ending to a film in a cohesive way, these writers were not able to convey this. Some things were tied up well, whereas other elements of the plot were difficult to decipher by films' end. The script simply meandered and some thoughts were clearly not answered. The humor in this certainly helped in making these people more human than just stick figures, and the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and MPC (Moving Picture Company) were seamless, however, it wasn't enough to compensate. Unfortunately, there were so many visuals in this that if they were removed, there wouldn't be a film--this film relied way too much on them. Sure, there has to be visuals, but there were undoubtedly a shot or more visuals in every frame of this. Certainly with so many visuals, it looked killer on the large screen.

This is the quintessential summer flick replete with explosions, high-adrenaline, plenty of action and visuals that leaped off the screen at you. If these types of films get your blood pumping, you will be able to escape into a world of action and fantasy all in an IMAX or 4DX format. And really, isn't this what summer flicks are all about?

Out of 4 Stars: 2                                      Rated: PG-13                                     149mins.

Cars 3

School's out and summer has begun. Break out the BBQ's and hit the multiplex to see what Hollywood does best given the season...big-budget extravaganzas and animated flicks. So with that being the case, there is "Cars3" in the offing. Not "Cars" or "cars 2", but three. In the last decade plus, Pixar Animated Studios and Disney have been churning out the Cars films and we are the benefactors of them.

 

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves predominantly by cocky, younger Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer). To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician/trainer, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) with her own plan to win, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn't through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing's biggest stage. Through the support and encouragement of Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), Luigi (Tony Shalhoub), Smokey (Chris Cooper), Sally (Bonnie Hunt), Dusty (Ray Magliozzi) and the like, will Lightning be able to reinvent himself and not go into obscurity?

 

Others to round out the cast are Nathan Fillion as Sterling, Kerry Washington as Natalie Certain, Tom Magliozzi as Rusty, John Ratzenberger as Mack, Guido Quaroni as Guido,  Lea DeLaria as Miss Fritter, Bob Peterson as Chick Hicks, Kyle Petty as Cal Weathers and Margo Martindale as Louise Nash.

 

This was whimsically directed by Brian Fee (Experience in Art Dept.). Considering this is his only film in the director's chair, this filmmaker was able to tap into the correct emotions for these characters to bring them life and individuality. He's a seasoned pro in Pixar's company working in the art department in many of Pixar productions, so making the jump to directing, although risky, paid off in spades. We will see him helming more projects. It was written by Kiel Murray, Bob Peterson and Mike Rich. What helped this script work was the fact that between these different writers, there is not only animated writing experience but live action as well. It gives that well-rounded, more of a thought out screenplay--not that this was a perfect script. There were a few small places of slowness in the middle of the story, but other than this, this script was Pixar's typical creatively well-crafted storyline that we all know and love. And, of course, this has Pixar's 'lucky charm' in in the form of John Ratzenberger which has been in every single Pixar production since their first feature film, "Toy Story" voicing Hamm, the piggy bank. In this film, he voices Mack, the semi truck who houses Lightning when he's on the road. The best thing about this and all Pixar films is that it focuses on both kids and adults being entertaining all with a great message to learn from. In fact, speaking of lessons learned, the short, "Lou" prior to "Cars 3" is one of the best shorts I've seen Pixar create--speaking of a great story and a great message!

 

Whether one is an animated film buff or not, any Pixar film fits the bill for entertainment and conveying a great and important message in a way that doesn't hit you on the head like a ton of bricks, but definitively lets one know the way things are or should be. This is great fun all in a 4DX and IMAX format to give it that wow factor.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: G                                  111mins.

 

47 Meters Down

Hollywood's invention of the thriller genre is fairly old, not quite as old as the comedy, drama, horror, war, western, musical or even sci-fi ones, but old nonetheless. Thrillers are typically reserved for the dramatic and horror genres as to give that special twist. So when the thriller "Jaws" was released back in 1975, it started a phenomenon that has stuck with us today. Since we've seen the Jaws sequels, "Piranha", and the more recent "The Shallows". Now with "47 Meters Down" in the books, will this kind of film carry on?

 

Two sisters, Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt) vacationing in Mexico become trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor 47 meters down. As their oxygen starts to run out and with great white sharks circling them, the sisters must find away to get to the surface alive.

Between the two sisters, Kate is the outgoing one whereas Lisa is the boring, not willing to take chances one. Kate is able to convince Lisa in taking a shark cage excursion nearby run by Captain Taylor (Matthew Modine). The idea is to drop the women 5 meters down so they can excite at the view of great white sharks and maybe take a few picture, etc. Then, all of a sudden, the cage bolts and the wench breaks and they plunge to 47 meters down. Will they survive? Can they reach the surface?

 

Others to round out the cast are Chris J. Johnson as Javier, Yani Gellman as Louis and  Santiago Segura as Benjamin.

 

This was eerily directed by Johannes Roberts ("Alice" '02, "Hellbreeder" '04, "Darkhunters" '04, "Forest of the Damned" '05, "F" '10, "Roadkill" (TV movie) '11, "Storage 24" '12, "The Other Side of the Door" '16) plus TV. Certainly this film isn't a far cry for this filmmaker considering his resume, but the plus is that with horror being a good deal of his work, this film is a thriller and not necessarily horror. Will see if he can continue to branch his way out of horror and more into the thriller genre. It was interestingly written by Roberts and Ernest Riera. If there is any other film that could compare with this is "The Shallows". They both involve a person(s) trapped with sharks or shark nearby so it ends up as a cat-and-mouse game. But even with "The Shallows", it didn't involve a shark cage, but rather a surfer trapped on an over sized rock 200 feet from shore with a shark waiting. So although they were similar, they still differed. The writing was able to capture the sheer terror of the two women that were unable to escape the sunken cage and certainly kept me riveted for the 90 minute running time. This is not to say there were no problems with this. There was a bit of choppiness and some lack of cohesiveness in script and at one point, when you thought it was over, there was more. This is OK, but it was conveyed like there was a continuity issue, but after watching it realized what was going on.

 

For those that are thriller fans, this, like "The Shallows" and even "Jaws" will be the film for you. It's short, cuts to the chase and keeps you on the edge of your seat all done in a 4DX format as well as 2D. Grab the popcorn and prepare to be scared.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                            Rated: PG-13                                  89mins.

 

 

 

Megan Leavey

With the Middle East wars continuing as long as they have, Hollywood has been able to produce a bevy of war films to not only entertain us, but hopefully teach us something in the process. We've seen a plethora of them: "Jarhead" '05, "Stop-Loss" '08, "The Hurt Locker" '08, "Zero Dark Thirty" '12 to mention a handful, but not too many have chronicled a marine and a canine who save lives. Not that it's gotten a lot of press, but "Megan Leavey" has got to be one of the most effective Middle East war dramas the screen has seen in a while.

 

Based on the true life story of a young marine corporal, Megan Leavey (Kate Mara) whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog, saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. When she is assigned to clean up the K9 unit after a disciplinary hearing, Leavey identifies with a particularly aggressive dog, Rex, and is given the chance to train him by Gunny Martin (Common) and told if she screws this up she's history. Over the course of their service, Megan and Rex completed more than 100 missions until an IED explosion injures them, putting their fate in jeopardy. She befriends another marine, Matt Morales (Ramon Rodriguez) who also has a combat dog of his own, so between his encouragement, not to mention that of Sgt. Andrew Dean (Tom Felton), Leavey feels less pressure. After Leavey finishes her tour of duty, she quickly works at the possibility of adopting Rex and comes to realize, all too soon, that this task is certainly easier said than done.

 

Others to round out the cast are Bradley Whitford as Bob, Megan's father, Edie Falco as Jackie Leavey, Megan's mother, Geraldine James as Dr. Turbeville, Will Patton as Jim, Megan's stepfather, Miguel Gomez as Gomez, Jonathan Howard as Pete Walters, Shannon Tarbet as Barb and Corey Johnson as Master Sergeant.

 

Interesting that this was directed by documentarian, Gabriela Cowperthwaite ("City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story" (Documentary) '10, "Blackfish" (Documentary) '13), but considering this film was, not only a biopic, but was presented in a documentary like format, it should be no surprise. She will surely receive more work if this film has any clout at all. It was executed well by writers Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo and Tom Lovestedt. Gray is the most seasoned writer here with several films and tons of TV to her credit, and even though Mumolo's resume includes a lot of comedies, she has proven she can write a brilliantly cohesive, well thought out dramatic script. The only one here with the least amount of experience is Lovestedt which debuts with this film. With this screenplay under his belt, he should be offered more work. As stated prior, this film's script was cohesive, tight and was conveyed so easily that the audience will be riveted to their seats. Certainly tying up this true story with a follow up at films' end of Megan and Rex replete with film footage, made for a nice closing as well.

 

If you like war films, this is for you, however this was as much a human experience film as it was a 'war film', and so there was something for everyone here. Not that it's a spoiler alert, but if you decide to see this, bring a half a box of Kleenex. This film, like so many others are important to see, if for no other reason, than to appreciate what our men and women do under the most stressful conditions to protect the very freedoms that we blatantly take for granted.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                  Rated: PG-13                                    116mins.

 

The Mummy

Again, Hollywood just can't resist to go with safe than explore something original. "The Mummy" is about as old as films themselves: we have "The Mummy" released in 1932, then again in 1959, then in 1999, not to mention all the 'Mummy' film offshoots from those films. Of course, this being summer, reboots are more forgiving, however it would be pleasant to see a little originality on the big screen ever so often.

 

Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving Middle East desert, an ancient princess, Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is accidentally awakened in our current day bringing malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.

Now, a soldier of fortune, Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) must stop the resurrected monster as she embarks chaos through the streets of London. His assistance from a cryptologist, Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis) and Nick's soldier of fortune buddy, Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) are the only ones he can truly depend on. From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, this story truly takes advantage of its different locales to set the scene.

 

Others to round out the cast are Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll, Courtney B. Vance as Colonel Greenway, Marwan Kenzari as Malik, Simon Atherton as Crusader, Stephen Thompson as First Man, James Arama as Second Man and Sean Cameron Michael as Archaeologist.

 

This was boldly and intensely directed by Alex Kurtzman ("People Like Us" '12) plus TV and tons of producing. This filmmaker was amazing at being able to bring tension and chaos around every corner. His ability to keep his characters in peril as they are attempting to solve this problem was delineated well. Even though he is a newcomer in the feature film realm, given more work, he will excel incredibly. It was written by David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman based on a screen story by Jon Spaihts, Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet. For all the experience between these writers (two out of the three are seasoned), it's surprising of the different inconsistencies it had. I would go into detail of them, but it would end up being a spoiler alert. Suffice it to say, certain situations didn't click as well as it could have. Both Koepp and McQuarrie are talented and seasoned writers, so I'm not sure what happened--bad day at the laptop? Not sure. Don't get me wrong, it was a thrilling plot--sort of reminiscent of the 1999 version, but also had its own story at the same time. Although the 1999 version excelled past this version, this was still easily able to hold my attention throughout its running time. The visual effects designed predominantly by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), MPC (Moving Picture Company) and Double Negative were seamless. I thought the 1999 version had exemplary visuals until I saw this one--they were awesome for sure.

 

Certainly with all the big-budget films we've seen already, we are in the dog days of the summer season. Films during this season, this one included, are produced to allow us to escape the stresses of life, go in and enjoy, and this film did that, replete with flaws, but fun nonetheless.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                Rated: PG-13                                110mins.

 

 

 

Wonder Woman

If Hollywood isn't producing a ton of sequels, reboots and franchise films, there're churning out superhero movies by the truck load. We've seen a plethora of them: "Superman", "Batman", "Spider-Man", "Deadpool", "Guardians of the Galaxy", "Dr. Strange", "Captain America", "Ironman" "X-Men" to mention a handful. So in this day and age of gender equality, Hollywood had to pacify its audience by producing "Wonder Woman".

 

An Amazon princess named Diana (Gal Gadot) lives in an idyllic existence with her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) and her warrior trainer, Antiope (Robin Wright), on an island occupied solely by female warriors, but her life changes forever after American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash lands nearby. When he tells her that a massive war is engulfing the planet (WWI), she decides to travel with him to the outside world, hoping to use her powers to put an end to the conflict. In her world, the god Aries (War) could possibly return one day to cause havoc, so she has concluded that this evil German leader, officer Ludendorff (Danny Huston) has got to be Aries, so she vows to rid of this mad man. Along the way, she becomes the legendary superheroine known as Wonder Woman.

 

Others to round out the cast are David Thewlis as Sir Patrick, Said Taghmaoui as Sameer, Ewen Bremner as Charlie, Eugene Brave Rock as The Chief, Lucy Davis as Etta, Elena Anaya as Dr. Maru and Lilly Aspell as Young Diana (8).

 

This was meticulously directed by Patty Jenkins ("Monster" '03, "Five" (TV movie) (segment: "Pearl") '11, "Exposed" (TV movie) '15) plus shorts and TV. I say meticulous because this script chronicles Diana's life from age 8 to adult hood centering on her obsession with being a warrior knowing this was her calling. Each transition was delineated carefully. Jenkins work, although isn't aplenty, however it is definitely quality. It was surprisingly well written by Allan Heinberg (Tons of TV) based on a story by Zack Snyder, Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, which is based on the DC comic "Wonder Woman" created by William Moulton Marston. I say surprisingly since this is his first feature film screenplay. What has served him is all the TV he has written. He, in a sense, has 'paid his dues'. Don't get me wrong, this script has flaws, such as when we see Diana in her world, it seems like she is living in the old Roman days centuries ago. Then when Steve Trevor crash lands, you think that he had inadvertently found a time portal and went back in time to her world. Obviously one comes to realize that the idyllic island Diana lives on is 'time trapped' and they share the same time period. Now, if one is a "Wonder Woman" afictionato, which I'm not, this wouldn't seem like a discrepancy. But this is where the writer should be writing for the mass audience. Plus there were a few small places of choppiness, but otherwise, this screenplay was well executed especially considering the newness of this screenwriter in the feature film biz. And the visual effects created predominantly by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and Double Negative were seamless and actually added to the story without it appearing to be hyped up.

 

Certainly if you're a Wonder Woman or comic book fan, you'll be in comics heaven, but even if you're not, it is still entertaining. Look, I'm not a comic book fan, but this even moved me through this script with ease. You can also see this in IMAX or a nifty 3D format. Enjoy!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                   Rated: PG-13                                   141mins.