Just realized most of these are from Warner Bros. Animation – I need my check ran. Let’s get into them.
The Iron Giant (1999)
I think I’m going to have only one movie I’ve seen before in these entries each time. The Iron Giant is one of my favorite movies of all time and I feel it is extremely underrated. With the only studio behind it being WB, who we go to for animated DC movies now, it’s easy for it to be forgotten amongst the Disney/Pixar vs DreamWorks vs Illumination debates. Anyway, this movie is excellent. The music plays a large part in setting all the moods and emotions we see the characters go through and the mindset changes they have. One of the best things about the movie is we never get a full grasp of where the Giant came from or what his purpose was (in the original version) This decision made it all the more important when the film’s finale comes as we see what he has decided to become no matter what his past was. Another creative aspect of the movie is how the year it is set in, 1957, helps shape how the characters respond to the threat of a “strange invader”. This along with how each character is a “trope” of a person who fits right in with the time setting of the movie. Children can enjoy the movie but like all well made animated movies there are aspects that will resonate with adults as well such as the political commentary on the American government and military. For me this movie will always be an underrated classic due to its heart, excellent animation, life lessons and the fact you can enjoy it no matter what age you are.
Justice League: Dark (2017)
DC Animated Movies have been praised time and time again but this one lets you know it’s not going to be like others right from the opening scene. The entire premise is connected to these moments and differs greatly from the other tales we have seen from them. This entire movie centers around characters Constantine and Zatanna whom we know for their spells, magic powers and Latin (?) exclamations when they use said powers. Batman teams up with them to stop evil forces from literally possessing people’s bodies which cause them to hallucinate and commit horrific crimes. Like I said – not the typical DC Animated Movie. And no – Batman does not “borrow” any of their magic. The entire movie is full of otherworldly elements making it feel like an hour and 15 minute episode of Supernatural especially as the story gets more layered and the motivations of various characters are revealed. The ending conversation of the movie sets up we have already seen in other Justice League movies and shows so it was cool to see how these events led to that. I would say this is a great superhero movie if you want it from the perspective of people who aren’t typical heroes. And, the lore weaved into the movie is very interesting if you already had a previous interest in the type of magic that isn’t performed in Vegas every night. You can also watch it if you just want to see why people rate the DC Animated Movies so much higher than most of the live actions ones.
Furious 7 (2015)
Unlike the rest of the world I am not fully invested in this movie franchise. Of course I remember when it all began but as time went on I fell off of it more and more. This one has (obviously) long departed from the street racing world and features THAT stunt where cars are literally air dropped from a plane. Also, this is the one with the Paul Walker tribute at the end which I have seen specifically multiple times on FX while waiting for either Atlanta or Legion to come on once the movie ends. This is a wonderful moment in the movie and the stunts/action sequences in this movie are just as cool as you would expect them to be. One of the biggest is easily when Vin Diesel’s character Dominic Toretto drives a car from one skyscraper window to the next – twice. This is very exciting to see and the slo – mo makes it even more over the top. With movies like this we don’t need to look at the dialogue/script with a magnifying glass and as long as the events make sense and connect well there should be no issues. There are some interesting cameos in this movie too which are not exactly random but are surprising for sure. If you just want a big fun action movie that can give your sound bar a run for its money then this is the one for you.
Raging Bull (1980)
This is a movie I’ve seen in multiple lists and video essays and now I have finally actually watched it. And…I can’t put it on a pedestal like the rest of the movie (or, rather, FILM) community. Of course, the black and white filming style was a great stylistic choice to enhance the bleakness of the life of Jake LaMotta played by Robert DeNiro. The scenes that take place in the boxing ring are a big spectacle with the sounds of the flashbulbs on the cameras being magnified and the sweat and blood splashing across the screen as the already hard impact of a fist connecting with the face is shown in close-ups. Outside of these scenes we see Jake go through the troubles of life across a variety of interactions with his wife, second wife, brother and more. By the film’s end he is not having pleasant conversations with any of these people. LaMotta is not exactly a likeable character and I found myself unable to root for him outside of the ring. He needed to change, but, it took years for him to realize that. As I said earlier in this paragraph, I appreciate and like the technical aspects of this movie but, I cannot say I was entertained by it. I’d say I recommend it if you’re trying to cross off something on your “50 Movies to watch Before You Die” list but from my eyes this is one you put on when you want to witness just how much a person can go through – or how mean they can be.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020)
The live action Mortal Kombat movies have their place in history as being dated and just plain bad. Movies that come from video games have a reputation to follow this pattern unfortunately as we most recently saw with the Assassin’s Creed movie. However, this one is animated and made by the same studio that makes the DC Animated Movies so we already have two signs that should produce positive results. The movie itself tells the story of Scorpion going after the man who killed his family while the B plot is the Mortal Kombat tournament itself. The franchise’s original characters all make an appearance here and their contrasting personalities keep most conversations rooted in disagreement but, of course, they find a way to work together. I also must mention that if you’re unfamiliar with the Mortal Kombat franchise, the biggest part of their branding is their over the top violence and gore and this is definitely reflected in the movie. They also implemented “X-Ray Moves” which is something from the video games that are exactly what they sound like. For those very familiar with the franchise this movie shares nothing new as it is a retelling of the origins of the series but still an entertaining one. For those completely unfamiliar this is a much easier way of learning the story in an hour and 15 minutes as opposed to playing all the way through Mortal Kombat 9. The dialogue in the movie is not stiff but the character’s personalities are all on their sleeves so they all say things that you would assume they might say based on how they act. Overall, it’s a fun movie for those of us familiar with these characters and it’s cool to see the complexity of the fights and the sound effects in them too. If you’re interested in a highly stylized violent action movie that won’t remind you of an MCU or DCCU movie this is the one for you.
Have you seen any of these? Do you want to? Let me know! The next entry is coming soon!
Paul K. Barnes 