Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero – Cheap Thoughts

Irrelevancy is the number one concern for any Dragon Ball character not named Goku or Vegeta. A long running series with a multitude of characters means some get left to the wayside, particularly in a series obsessed with power scaling, if you can’t keep up, you get left behind. It has taken 4 movies and 131 episodes of modern Dragon Ball to figure out how to rectify this problem.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Yes, that naming is awkward) is not only a film for fans – of course that statement is true, no modern Dragon Ball movie has been made for anyone but the fans – but specifically for the fans of the supporting characters, the underdogs, the unrepresented pillars of this universe. With Goku and Vegeta off-world training with Broly (a great continuation from the previous film), it is down to Piccolo to act as Earth’s mighty defender, very much begrudgingly as he would rather anyone else deal with the problem so he can be left alone in peace. The return of the classic Red Ribbon army now building up their own forces to take on Capsule Corp and the Z Warriors, recruiting new hero-themed androids who have been fed propaganda representing our protagonists as threats to the Earth (to be honest, they’re not far off) and now seek to prove themselves as heroes by defeating these alien threats.

It's always a delight to be reminded of how far Piccolo has come as a character, from enslaving demon king to protector of Earth by night, and uncle babysitting the adorable Pan by day. However, he would certainly wish Gohan would take more of an active duty in raising his child instead of obsessing over his hobbies and improving himself in those fields (Like father like Son-Gohan). Gohan on the other hand is a more difficult character to say where his character arc should go. From early Z he was hinted to one day be the greatest fighter on Earth and become its main protector, by the end of the Cell Saga, this goal was achieved. However his story didn’t end there, as his mother also dreamed for him to thrive academically and live a happy normal life. Come the Buu saga this character arc seemed to have come to fruition, and Gohan would live out his life as a scholar, loving father and retired fighter. All well and good, except the story kept on going, a story all about fighters, and if Gohan doesn’t fight, then what does he do here? Not much really. Super Hero brings him to the foreground and challenges this identity, though to questionable success when it is no longer a choice of Gohan’s to make whether he will become a fighter or a scholar, but instead others trying to force him into one specific side. It ends in questionable success, though to be honest, just seeing Gohan actually be given any kind of character development is a blessing at this point, let’s be thankfully for what we get.

The fanservice does not end there, as this may also be the funniest Dragon Ball film released so far, filled with plenty of references both obvious and subtle, character-based humour, meta-commentary and even basic things as characters modernise themselves for current audiences (Piccolo struggling to hold a smartphone will be funny every time).

There is some hesitancy amongst the fans over the animation style, being the first fully 3D animated Dragon Ball film and considering the franchise’s history with CGI people were…sceptical. Thankfully those fans can take a sigh of relief, the film looks great, the character designs mostly translate well into the new style (Saiyan hair can look somewhat wonky in 3D) and it’s great to see the series experiment in new ways, both with its writing and the style of animations.

That sums up this film perfectly. Dragon Ball is a very old franchise in terms of anime and yet is still going strong to this day, and is even making new fans with the younger generations, this is despite no easy entry point besides going back to the original anime from 30 years ago, and yet people go through it, and they stick around because of these newer films that offer them something they still haven’t seen before. Broly offered the best fight scenes the series has ever seen, Battle of Gods expanded the universe into scopes yet undiscovered, Resurrection F…well you can’t win ‘em all. Super Hero continues that trend by not only experimenting with the animation, but offering the supporting cast a chance to shine and even bring in new characters to the ensemble. This film is a welcome edition into the canon and a breath of fresh air into a very old franchise.

-Danny

Lightyear - Cheap Thoughts

No one should be surprised when a spin-off film based on a literal toy franchise feels like nothing more than a big advert for toys, yet that doesn't make the feeling any less hollow. The Toy Story trilogy are 3 of the greatest films in modern animation, they literally birthed the format that every animated feature partakes in, meanwhile they took traditional animation down to the river and shot it in the back of the head. They were certainly profitable through supplementary products, no one's denying that and no one's judging either, they are literally toys, of course they took that and ran. Yet there is only so much you can do before milking this franchise dry, they learnt this with Toy Story 4, a film that has much of a right to exist as a malignant tumour. Rather than continue to whore out their beloved entourage of Andy's former toys, they decided on a spin-off, featuring the "real" Buzz Lightyear, a premise so confusing they have to open the film with it just to explain how this film can possibly exist.

Lightyear like its predecessor has no reason to exist and is just here to make money, but that’s not upsetting, because this is not the Buzz Lightyear we all know and love, this is just…some guy. Some guy who looks similar to him, just enough that they can sell him again as a new toy, but familiar enough people will want him, he also travels around with a toy cat pretending to be a robot, but looks very much like a toy cat for very obvious reasons.

Again, this shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, wanting to make a profit through merchandise is not the sinful anti-art message some would deem it so; but when there was clearly no other motivation behind it. Nobody ran into the Pixar office one day begging to make a Lightyear film because they had the passion and the story the world needed to hear. They were told to make another Toy Story film so they could sell more toys and they worked backwards from there, and what we have is a sloppy narrative held together by tape and gum.

Lightyear sees Buzz (Again, not the one we already know, a different guy in the same suit) go on an adventure to save the day and hopefully along the way learn the value of teamwork and relying on others, except this theme shared throughout the narrative is as clumsy as one can expect in a film that was forced into the world. The film opens with Buzz (Chris Evans) and his Commander (Uzo Aduba) exploring a new world with a Rookie Space Ranger-something Buzz actively dislikes-and disaster strikes while Buzz tries to save the day with the help of his Commander, while actively refusing the help of the Rookie and eventually failing.

Later and in a large chunk of the narrative we see Buzz team up with a ragtag group of untrained misfits to save the day and earn Buzz his redemption and learn the value of teamwork. Except no, Buzz very clearly does understand the value of teamwork, he trusts and respects those who are competent in their positions, such as the Commander or his robot partner Sox (Peter Sohn) and works well with them. The people he doesn’t work well with are the Rookies, the people unprepared for the mission and any responsible officer would make the correct decision in leaving them behind as taking them aboard would make them a danger to themselves and everyone else.

The film naturally is a beauty to watch, Pixar continue to improve on their detailing and lighting engines far beyond what anyone could expect, once you think they’ve reached their peak they somehow top themselves. In fact while many complain (rightfully) that Turning Red should have gotten a theatrical release being the better of the two films, to be perfectly honest Lightyear earns that honour as well as it’s visuals are stunning on a cinematic scale.

This isn’t anything new, no matter what the plot of a Pixar movie is, they are never going to disappoint on the technical aspect. Where this film is a disappointment begins and ends with the narrative…which is sadly rather important to most films.

-Danny

The Bob's Burgers Movie - Cheap Thoughts

When the news broke that Bob’s Burgers was getting a movie it seemed…odd. Not due to the show’s lack of quality or popularity, but the fact it’s not a very “cinematic” series. Bob’s Burgers is a series about a working-class family in a small town running a struggling business. The conflicts are always small and relatable, the show in both tone and plot was grounded, there was no rubber band logic of other animated hits turned into films like The Simpsons or South Park. You were never going to see Bob Belcher fly into space, but you will definitely see him worry about how he’s going to pay rent this month. Then there is the whole aesthetic of the show, which is very minimal and to be honest, ugly. It certainly has it’s charm but it’s not exactly silver screen worthy, the most they can do to improve upon their presentation is the typical transition of TV Cartoon to Movie Cartoon: Characters now have shading. Even the more cinematic element of the show’s identity, their passion for music is underplayed in a seemingly missed opportunity when the film opens with a catchy number implying a full blown musical but it fizzles out after the second song.

This is all a very negative introduction to what is honestly a good film. The Bob’s Burgers Movie is sure to please all fans of the series, it maintains their trademark good sense of humour, family friendly and consistently chuckle worthy from beginning to end thanks to talented writers and equally talented voice cast. It’s unlikely to cause any belly buster laughs but that was never what Bob’s Burgers was as a franchise, it’s comfort food. It is something to relax to, know you’ll be comfortable and have a jovial time for the next twenty minutes, only this time it’s stretched out to an hour and a half yet maintains that momentum (however glacial it may be).

If you have never seen Bob’s Burgers, it’s safe to say you’ll get just as much enjoyment out of this picture as any long-term fan. Heck, you might even get more out of it by hopefully becoming a fan and now having 9 seasons worth of television to enjoy. It’s as simple as that, The Bob’s Burgers Movie is an enjoyable quick picture for all audiences, fans or otherwise.

Elvis - Cheap Thoughts

Musical biopics have risen in popularity over the past few years. With the baffling success of Bohemian Rhapsody it seems it opened a floodgate for more (and better) films of the genre. 2019’s Rocketman framed the narrative as a traditional musical, and this year’s Elvis approached it with Baz Luhrmann’s trademarked maximalist style of fast editing, loud visuals and an awful lot of passion. Everything you could want from a Luhrmann picture is found here, his rapid pacing, sweaty emotional outbursts from characters and a bricolage of styles and aesthetics coming together to somehow make a cohesive vision.

Luhrmann’s style is definitely a welcome approach to the subject matter, it is the films beating heart to prevent it from becoming stale, as on a script level this is still as standard a musical biopic as you can get. Show their childhood, their influence, their rise to fame, their inevitable downfall and end it with one final great performance to show their comeback. The film tries to add something new of a framing device formed from the perspective of Elvis’ (Austin Butler) manager Colonel Parker (Tom Hanks), traditionally viewed to be the bad guy of the King’s story that we’re told through a Salieri style narration. The man who destroyed Elvis presents his side of the story…except not really. It is very clear from minute one that Parker is the villain, that all of his actions are manipulative, selfish and damaging to Presley and his family. There is no debate or discussion, no presentation of an unreliable narrator, just a man claiming he is not the bad guy, only to spin you a yarn in which he makes no attempt to present himself as anything other than the irredeemable monster of the narrative.

Hanks’ performance is somewhat of a divisive nature, there is a level of goofiness to it, after all its Tom Hanks in a fat suit putting on a cartoonish Dutch accent, in itself fine and fitting for a Luhrmann film, but when contrasted with Butler who is putting in a career defining performance is where the issue lies. Delivering nuance and depth to a performance that could easily fall into a cheap impression, after all people have made entire careers out of being Elvis impersonators and in comes Butler to dance on that line, only to act across the cartoon character Hanks has developed.

If Biopics are here to stay then it’s nice to see developments in the styles these films approach the tales, but if there are truly going to stick around then it is imperative they all find new ways to approach the narrative structure on a script level. If any screenwriters out there are writing their big biopic on a classic musician, ask yourself if your script shares any similarities with Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, then maybe rethink your plot.

-Danny

RRR - Cheap Thoughts

This is as far removed from a picture as I can be. My experience with Indian cinema, culture and history is astonishingly small, and all information I do know about this film and it’s cultural context comes from secondary sources, so this is practically my entry point that came to me entirely through word of mouth. This is important context to establish when discussing RRR because my god, what a film to start with.

If you’ve heard anything about RRR it’s most likely been hyperbolic praise claiming that everything the film does is simply…the most it could be done. Every action, every emotion, every camera movement is as bombastic and grandiose as it could be, which is very much the truth. There is no ambiguity or room for personal interpretation, the film is determined to make sure you not only understand exactly what the characters are feeling, but they are feeling the most of that specific emotion than anyone possibly could. If two people are friends, they are frolicking in fields with glee, if someone is heartbroken, they are screaming their heart out and flooding their home with tears, if there is a fight scene they strike with so much adrenaline and power the Earth will tremble at their presence. The film follows the story of two men who quickly become best friends, not realising they are on opposite sides of a war, and we follow the tale of their friendship and their inevitable clash of ideology as well as fists. The two are described as the friendship between a storm and a volcano, and they absolutely earn those comparisons, these men Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Raju (Ram Charan) do everything with the passion and force that alters the world around them.

These large personalities aren’t just limited to their macho violence but in their love for one another, their sympathy for those around them and their utter joy when dancing together, oh yes because this film is also a musical, they really put everything in here and somehow do it all excellently. This is the true beauty of RRR, yes everything is dialed up to 11, but it never loses the passion and love that focuses the picture, everything the characters do is not for their hatred of the enemy, or the external desire of the actors to look cooler than everyone else, but on Bheem and Raju’s love for their people, for their families and for one another. They will move Heaven and Earth for them and the talents of director S. S. Rajamouli gives them the girth and gravitas to make it happen.

RRR is a little bit of everything, actually, no, it’s a lot of everything, it is the most of everything and it is the best of everything. A Maximalist Modern Masterpiece.

-Danny

Top Gun: Maverick - Cheap Thoughts

Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell is a fossil, a pilot of a bygone era that doesn’t have a place in modern society. That is how he is described early on in the film, that his character and his way of doing things is a relic of the past. This is also how Tom Cruise could be described as a movie star, in fact his entire filmography of the 21^st century is something of an outlier. Cruise is often described as the last true movie star, he’s a name that draws an audience and he also retains creative control over a lot of his productions, and with that power he commits anything and everything towards making the film. Cruise doesn’t half-arse anything, if he is making a film where he is a fighter pilot, he is going to learn everything he can about the jets, he will have his team learn everything they can about the jets, and they will film as much of it practically and realistically as possible. Forget “They don’t make movies like this anymore” they just simply don’t make movies like this, anywhere, at any time. Unless of course you’re Tom-Bloody-Cruise, the most committed man in Hollywood to the craft.

It doesn’t take long for the film to leave you jaw-dropped, with an early flight sequence of Cruise making it to Mach-10 not even 10 minutes into the film and the absolute power you feel from the jet, the beautiful scope of planet Earth as Maverick takes it in and even he can’t help but be awestruck at the view. The film takes that level of adrenaline and never loses it, and not just in the flight sequences-all of which are just stunning in their practicality, choreography and weight-but all these impossibly beautiful people dramatically posing in front of a never-ending sunset before driving away on a cool motorcycle, there is such an attitude to the film that it’s hard to argue it doesn’t earn.

More so than just aesthetic or production being against the grain of modern blockbusters is the attitude of the picture. Top Gun is one of the most stylised, personality driven action films of the 80s, it is also incredibly corny by modern standards. In a post-modern sarcasm ruling world, it’s amazing that there is not a hint of snark to be found anywhere in this film. No cringing of their younger selves, no pointing out the newer hotter models of old characters; no irony, no cynicism, no mockery to be found, just honest heartfelt storytelling. That exact attitude is what the film lives and dies by, because no one is going to argue the film has a complex story exactly, it is very simple Unnamed Bad Guys^tm have weapons that are hard to get to, Good Guys need to train to destroy them and hopefully overcome their emotional barriers on the way. Simple, smooth, slick. That’s Top Gun: Maverick baby.

-Danny

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers - Cheap Thoughts

You know why Who Framed Roger Rabbit was successful? Because it wasn’t the cartoon references, that might certainly have gotten people into the seats, but that’s not what has kept people coming back to it for 40 years. It’s because of the effort. It’s because you notice how much time and detail went into every fraction of that movie, how the live-action actors interact with their 2-Dimensional counterparts, how the sets and props will do the same, how the film is designed to accurately function as a pastiche of 40s noir thrillers, and so on, and so on. It also does all this while telling its own story and keeping the references to simple set dressing.

You might say it’s unfair to begin this review by comparing one film to another made a long time ago, but that’s the thing, this film isn’t interested in being a real film, it just wants you to remember things. A self-referential irony plagued pop-culture nostalgia bate that offers nothing in terms of legitimate story or jokes, just plenty of pointing at the screen and saying “hey I remember that thing!”. You know what the worst part is? It’s not even the worst film amongst this genre. It’s still been beat out by Space Jam: A New Legacy as the most self-indulgent drivel that’s lucky a literal pandemic had to happen to stop it from being the worst thing to happen to cinemas. Yet somehow that makes this worse, it’s not even a film bad enough to worth getting angry about.

Everyone did the bare minimum, they showed up, did their bit, went home and thought nothing of it. Everything from the pathetically shallow performances that never convincingly have you believe these live-action actors and animated characters are ever sharing the same space, to the jokes that again all consist of “Hey remember this thing” except sometimes sprinkled in with “Hey remember this thing, we’re gonna have it be pathetic now”. Bit of advice for you filmmakers, if one of the big plot points of your film is that one character is traditionally animated and the other is computer generated, perhaps have the former be traditionally animated and not computer generated trying to look traditionally animated? But of course, doing that would require any kind of thought, or effort, or style, you know, the things needed to make a movie?

This is definitely a bare-bones lazy review, but this is a very lazy movie, it doesn’t deserve effort being put into discussing it because no effort was put into making it. It’s bad, of course it is, so let’s go home and think nothing of it.

-Danny