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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Animation Strikes Back: Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse Review
Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse is a gem. The Modern "Empire Strikes Back", this film tops the original with a superior set of supporting characters and higher stakes. Set one year after the events of the first film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales, a teenager from the heart of Brooklyn, navigate his relationship with his parents. During the film, he rises up to new challenges and goes head-to-head with a deadly new foe. Throughout the film, he explores new "Spider-Worlds" and meets new characters who share the same abilities as him. The movie opens strong, with vibrant colors and beautiful set pieces, which remind you of the magic of a comic book. Wasting no time, the movie springs into action, introducing key characters and a major fight sequence within the first fifteen minutes of the film. However, the movie has a slow second act, failing in the region of pacing. Nevertheless, the movie picks itself back up and this time at twice the pace. Some scenes are incredibly fast and keeping up with the action proves to be a demanding task for the eyeballs. The score, composed by Daniel Pemberton, is incredibly original and syncs well with the material onscreen. Personally, two characters stood out for me. The Spot, voiced by Jason Schwartzman, is a terrifying villain - possibly the most impactful Spider-Man villain yet, made it clear that you do not want to mess with him. Another character is Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099), who is voiced by the legendary Oscar Isacc. Miguel O'Hara is surprisingly menacing, yet heroic in a sense, an unusual but original combination. His character design is futuristic, full of little gadgets and weapons. Shamiek Moore and Hailee Steinfeld are both great in this film. There are moments in the movie that you pray that the movie is not finished yet. That's how good the movie is. Despite this, the film concludes on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The end credits are beautifully animated and force you to sink into your seat and process all of the emotions you feel. I'm still amazed at how spectacular the animation looks and feels. After months of delays, the creators of the film took their time to craft a beautiful story, complete with energizing music and life. I hear people say that the superhero craze will die out, but this film proved that it's not going anywhere anytime soon. Superhero movies are here to stay. As the third superhero-multiverse movie in two years, this one is by far the best. I missed watching great animated movies. Over the last few years, animated movies have been a letdown for me. I feel like I'm unable to reconnect with animated films and this was the spark. The spark that regained my trust in animated films. It is a movie with turns and twists, mesmerizing shots and animations, an impressive score, and above all, the life and soul of a comic book. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse leaves you hungry for more, star-struck, forcing you to count down the days till the conclusion, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse swings into theatres. Till then, sip some chai tea.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang - Chi Movie Review
Marvel Studios has gained a glamorous reputation throughout the last decade, and this film was a huge milestone for superhero cinema, Asian representation, and the studio as a whole. Like Black Panther was to a lot of African-American audiences, Shang-Chi will ignite a spark in the hearts of Asians. This film opens the door to a relatable character and I love Simu-Liu's portrayal of Shang-Chi. I have watched Simu previously in the show Kim's Convenience as a comedic character and there couldn't have been better casting for Shang-Chi. Simu reflects the combination of an Asian-American character superbly and has an amazing screen presence. His character reminded me of Captain America because of his leadership role in the film, standing up against all odds, and overall amazing chemistry with the rest of the cast. Awkwafina's character, Katie, was an amazing character, filled with comedic relief that gave a lighter tone, to a film that was a little bit too dark for a Marvel film. Tony Leung's character, The Mandarin stole the show with a vengeance. Tony Leung is absolutely ground-breaking in every role he plays and The Mandarin was a unique role he took on. Leung had an amazing screen presence and was my character in the film. The visual effects in the film were unique and I could see that the animators had taken inspiration from traditional Chinese films regarding Martial Arts, also having similarities in design to Doctor Strange. The action in this film was mind-blowing like I was expecting, and I loved the fight on the bus. The soundtrack was average, with the usage of traditional Chinese instruments. The songs used in the film were composed by primarily Chinese Hip-Hop artists and I enjoyed them. The writing in this film was good, but not great. One of the criticisms I have about the film is that the plot did not feel original and could've been executed far better. There were a lot of parts in the middle of the film that stole away from the central plot of the film. This film had a more emphasis on magic and fantasy as suppose Kung Fu. Overall, this film is hands down one of the best gems Marvel has produced, and I cannot wait for Shang-Chi to integrate with the Marvel Cinematic Universe further.