kevinxirau

Sony's "KPop Demon Hunters" was not on my agenda of films to expect. Less so is the amazingly wide positive reception and the domination over "Elio" by Disney and Pixar. This contributed to my interest being piqued.

The film centers on Huntr/x (Rumi, Zoey, and Mira), the latest generation of a long line of young women who hunt soul-sucking demons and keep them at bay with a spiritual barrier via magic-infused singing. They are on the verge of sealing away the demons forever, but the lead singer Rumi faces complications at the worst time due to her legacy. The demons decide to counter by sending a group disguised as a band called the Saja Boys, led by the complicated Jinu, to disrupt Huntr/x's rhythm. Can the hunters come to terms with who they are, the nature of their enemy, and save humanity?

I am stunned by how well-made this movie is. The animation is very stunning; the designs are fantastic, the colors really pop out, and the facial expressions are enjoyable. The fight scenes are so fluid and hit the right notes (pun intended), each hunter using different weapons yet are able to work in sync with one another. The anime-style humor got me laughing hard several times, which I hadn't done in a long while. I also appreciate seeing more of Korea's culture, both modern and mythological. The songs are also well-done, having the right beats, mood, and helping to both tell story and explore the characters. Speaking of which, I enjoyed the hunters, seeming like really good friends, sharing laughs, poking fun at each other, and having great drama. While Mira and Zoey are given admittedly barebones backstory and conflict, Rumi is a fully developed hero. Coming to terms with who she is at such a critical moment peels away the walls she put up, leading to great emotional payoffs. This is cemented by her interactions with Jinu, whose own past and inner turmoil add further complications to their respective sides. It all leads to a visually incredible climax that brings all the great elements the film brought together in a spectacular mix.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but "KPop Demon Hunters" is easily one of the best films of the year. It has the right mix of everything and delivers it in a refreshing package that, dare I say, puts current Disney to shame. I heard even those who don't listen to K-pop enjoy it. Personally, I highly recommend it.

Sony has been trying to expand the Spider-Man film franchise. Results have been varied. Venom is an interesting case, starting off strong with the first film (starring Tom Hardy), but the second wasn't as well received. Along comes "Venom: The Last Dance", which aimed to bring an exciting conclusion to the series. Did it succeed?

Plot: Eddie Brock and his symbiote are on the run, not only from the law, but from Venom's home world. The symbiote god, Knull The King in Black, sees his chance to escape his prison through the pair, so he sends giant insectoids called Xenophages. With enemies on all sides, Eddie and Venom consider the possibility that they may not walk out of this alive together.

I get the sentiment behind this story. Eddie and Venom have been through thick and thin, which led to moments where they try to enjoy their time together and some of them do hit decent dramatic notes. The action scenes are okay too, the violence upped to a somewhat shocking degree, and some creative moments here and there like the symbiote jumping between animal hosts. The Xenophages are a menace, killing folks in horrific ways and being hard to destroy, though their designs felt generic. Sadly, the negatives of this film outweigh the positive. Most of the humor is not only unfunny, but at times cringey. Don't expect to see Eddie in his Venom form much this time as there's a narrative reason for it (I suspect a budgetary reason too). The plot has serious gaping holes in it too like the MacGuffin needed to free Knull, characters making very illogical decisions throughout, and certain elements introduced but underutilized and not paying off big time. It also seems like the film couldn't decide if it wants to be a definitive end or set up potential sequels that may never happen given Sony's track record. Also, most of the new characters are forgettable.

"Venom: The Last Dance" has its ambitions and sprinkles of goodness, but the drawbacks and lost potential prevent this from being a solid entry in the Spider-Man franchise. It may be worth seeing once if you're a superfan, but otherwise disposable.

I've seen plenty of werewolf films in my time from "The Wolfman" to "Van Helsing", but none quite like the concept of "Bad Moon" (1996), which is based on the 1994 novel "Thor" by Wayne Smith (no relation to the Norse god). I remember seeing a clip of it on the internet years ago, but only recently decided to see it. Does it hold up?

Plot: Photo-journalist Ted returns home from a trip to Nepal to see his sister Janet, her son Brett, and their faithful dog Thor. However, a series of violent killings have been occurring in the woods that appear animalistic in nature. Though Janet is filled with dread and uncertainty over this whole situation, Thor senses that the threat is closer to home than she fears to admit.

What sets "Bad Moon" (and the novel) apart from other werewolf stories is that the protagonist isn't any of the human characters, but the dog! Before "Courage The Cowardly Dog", Thor stood guard against a supernatural threat. Credit to the film crew for making this dedicated pet very believable as a character without humanizing him, reacting to situations as any dog could. A lot of time is spent seeing things from his perspective and you can't help but root for him when he has the monster in his sights, especially in their vicious clashes. As for the werewolf, it's portrayed via suit acting. The design is rough around the edges, but there's a nice amount of articulation in the face and the body proportions are good, making it threatening enough (though the one transformation scene looks terrible). The film also offers its own take on the lore of the creature in a pretty fun way. Janet's predicament is compelling with her not certain why her dog is acting strange but having her suspicions drawn in multiple directions, so you can understand her reluctance when she has her revelations. Ted has some pathos to him, though there are a couple of cheesy moments that somewhat dampen this aspect. Finally, there's Brett, who's love for his pet and willingness to trust and help him is very much the film's heart. The opening has a gratuitous sex scene, which may leave a bad first impression that it's a cheap B-movie, but once you get past that the film does get better. By contrast, the climax is tense, giving a decent sense of claustrophobia as this huge beast targets the family within the confines of their own home and Thor desperately defends them.

Though there are elements that could've been executed better, "Bad Moon" is among the more refreshing takes on werewolves, especially in the approach in having a dog as the central character done in a way that can be taken seriously. Glad I checked this one out.