The Defenders — It has been a long time coming for Marvel’s small screen endeavors to reach the same level of completion as their big screen counterparts. What began with a Netflix reboot of the previously maligned Daredevil property came a series of interconnected, street-level Netflix series that some Marvel fans have claimed are even better than the movies.
Although Marvel may have fumbled a bit with Iron Fist, their track record with their other Netflix properties has been beyond reproach. Daredevil is a down and gritty adaptation of a character who always worked best outside of the glossy veneer of a Hollywood blockbuster. Jessica Jones is a tough-as-nails depiction of the lingering effects of abuse and a surprisingly sympathetic turn for a villain who always toed the line between sadistic and silly. And of course there’s Luke Cage, the bulletproof bruiser from Harlem whose series has the highest critical concensus of any Marvel outing (including the esteemed likes of Iron Man and Captain America).
I can’t say for sure what Marvel has in store for us with small screen Avengers, only that I have the utmost confidence in their ability to deliver it to us with all the exacting style and artisanal flair that we’ve come to expect from them. And throwing Sigourney Weaver into the mix doesn’t hurt things either.
Death Note — Although not without its fair share of controversy for transplanting a definitively Japanese story into American Suburbia, few Netflix projects could be said to be more anticipated than this anime adaptation. Featuring an intriguing story about a boy who finds a journal that he can use to kill anybody and the detective who dedicates himself to bringing him to justice, it’s the perfect culmination of what makes the medium so appealing to begin with.
While Netflix might not quite have the budget for some of the more outlandish visuals from the anime, it certainly spared no expense on talented men and women to bring the story to life, including acclaimed Hollywood actor Willem Defoe. Whether it can rise above its transplanted setting or live up to its revered source material, however, remains to be seen.
The Matrix — Few movies are more quintessentially awesome as The Matrix. It has an incredible narrative hook, a great cast, a talented pair of directors and a visual style unlike anything the world had seen before its release. In the decades since it hit theaters, it has only cemented itself as a one-of-a-kind action film, even as countless hordes of imitators hoped to capitalize on the uncanny aesthetic that made it so unique in the first place.
While some of its shine may have faded since its 1999 release — between advancing special effects and its dated, 90’s wardrobe — it has never felt timelier. With both of its directors — formerly the Wachowski Brothers — having come out as trans women, it seems the perfect time to revisit this classic action film, whose narrative structure seems to have been constructed from the ground up to support its directors’ once closeted worldview.
Cloud Atlas — Upon its release, Cloud Atlas was a hotly debated commodity in the film world. An ambitious, virtually unfilmable story told throughout multiple centuries, countries and with multiple directors, what it sought to capture was nothing less than the entirety of the Human condition. It was bold, fiercely original and, although it often failed at what it set out to do, was one of the richest viewing experiences I can ever remember having in a theater.
The controversy arose around the specific way in which the filmmakers attempted to tell a grandiose story of flawed souls endlessly reincarnating throughout mankind’s existence. Settling on a core cast of A-list actors, they race swapped their cast throughout multiple intersecting stories, where the same “characters” would be reborn into different bodies to tell a series of thematically connected narratives. Problematically unique and bullheadedly ambitious, it is a viewing experience unlike anything you have ever seen.
Sing — As the year starts winding down into Fall, many of last year’s Oscar hopefuls are starting to make their way onto the popular streaming service. This month along had several that I could have chosen from, including The Founder and Gold. And while those both look much better and much more interesting than Sing, this is the one that I actually saw.
I have never been able to get into American Idol. I don’t know what it is, but I could never stand the off-key singing, smug judges and questionable song selection that comes packed in with every episode. And although all are present in this animated take on reality singing competitions, it’s all tied together in a way that doesn’t make me want to hunker down in a corner and desperately wait for it all to be over.
While hardly the must-see movie of 2016, it is one of the more surprisingly good ones from that year. And when you need something to put on with the rest of the family, there are certainly worse things you could be doing with your time.
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