The Pitfalls of the Modern Superhero Genre

The movie Fant4stic (I jokingly call it that) has widely been considered an awful film. The funny part is, it isn’t aesthetically different from its counterparts. 

Like many modern superhero films like Man of Steel, The Dark Knight, and Midnight Special, Fant4stic has gritty color correction and an aesthetic that makes it feel more grounded. This dark tone, however, backfires for this film, as the desaturated color makes the film’s world feel depressing and gloomy, and the seriousness of the story and the characters clash with the plot’s more cartoony elements.

Fant4stic was originally going to have a sequel, and the movie was engineered in many respects to have its own expanded franchise, but Twentieth Century Fox (which distributed the film) halted development for the sequel after the original bombed at the box office. If the first movie isn’t good, no one will want a sequel, much less a franchise.

What’s interesting is that Fant4stic is the first ensemble superhero movie to bomb at the box office in a long time. With hits such as the X-Men and Avengers movies and Guardians of the Galaxy, Fant4stic’s group of superheroes weren’t appealing to audiences, especially with the controversy of casting a black actor to play Human Torch, a white character in the comics.

What "Detective Cookie" Taught Me About Awful Films

Way back in 2009, when I still had much to learn regarding filmmaking, I made Detective Cookie: the Murder on Sigwalt Street, an abomination over half-an-hour long. It was full of bad acting, horrendous dialogue, shallow characters, and god awful storytelling. It had more holes in its plot than swiss cheese.

And yet, I consider it to be among my most important films I have ever made. Why?

First, I may not have been incredibly talented as a child, but I had endless amounts of ambition. Every day, I would come home from elementary school, finish what little homework I had, grab my mom’s camera, and start filming a scene. I didn’t care what people would think of the film: I made it for myself. I made it so I could grow from it and fun in the process. Aside from a shot in the film featuring my younger brother, I did everything by myself: acting, camerawork, storytelling, puppetry, editing, costumes…and I loved it. To this day, if I’m honest, I’m still trying to replicate the drive I had all those years ago. Whenever I question what I’m doing and what people will think (even if it’s just for fun), I think back to Detective Cookie as my inspiration. Your past can be your greatest asset.

You can check the film out here, if you’re brave enough:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rULGmz2ewsg&index=6&list=PLviVPCKs72OVZNwt-SPlqAgSsqvZVl9vJ

Not so "Fantastic", Part 2 (No Spoilers)

As I brought up in part 1, the magical creatures we see in this film are incredible and possess a lot of depth to them, however the characters have much to be desired.

Finally, I felt that the romance in this film was lacking. Tina shows feelings for Newt throughout the entire movie, but we never see him show an interest in her. Instead, he awkwardly avoids her or pretends to ignore her when she glances at him. So, at the end of the film (I don’t feel like this really a spoiler but you can skip this if you want to) when they finally do kiss and get together, it is both unexpectedly and predictable. Because of her obvious hidden feelings for him, it wouldn’t make sense for the filmmakers to sweep this under the rug and ignore it. However, prior to this point, Newt (who we know had pain relating to relationships in the past) has seemed more awkward than conflicted, more innocent than pained.

Now, I know for certain I’ve ticked some of you (if not all of you) off. Don’t get me wrong, this movie isn’t terrible. I view it as okay, and I don’t regret watching it. However, I’ve heard nothing but praises for this film and people telling me how awesome it was. For those of you that enjoy “Fantastic Beasts”, that’s awesome! It is an entertaining film, and both the creatures and sequences of magical warfare were very well done, with brilliant visual effects. 

Like I said, I’m just one guy with his own opinion. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your own personal opinion of a film, and that’s how it should be.

Not so "Fantastic", Part 1 (No Spoilers)

Rating: 5/10

If you ask me, the biggest problem with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is the lack of intrigue. For me, there wasn’t anything about this film–the world of the film, the characters populating it, or the story–that lured me in.

Now, before I go any further, I will establish that this is all my opinion, and that I myself am a Harry Potter fan. I have read all of the books and seen all the movies: I’m not just some random fellow.

No matter how many people have told me why they love “Fantastic Beasts” so much, I can’t for the life of me see what is so entrancing. The characters, for instance, lack depth and idiosyncrasy. Newt Scamander, the “awkward and timid” character, shares almost every scene with Tina, who is every bit of awkward and timid as he is. Dan Folger does provide a breath of fresh air in this department as Kowalski, a non-magical person (called a “No-Maj” in the movie), but his character is more or less a vessel to ask questions and provide comic relief. It was fun to watch his character, I just felt that more could have been added.

"Arrival" Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Rating: 8/10

Never before has the line between “science” and “fiction” been as blurred as it is in “Arrival”. Amy Adams portrays her character with remarkable substance and depth, a breath of fresh air after her disappointing character of Lois Lane in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Basically, 12 alien pods have appeared in various locations around the globe (except for the north and south poles), and it’s up to the world’s top linguist to find a way to communicate with the aliens inside one of the vessels. Other countries, however, are more suspicious of the aliens and are on the brink of declaring war. An interesting thing to note: this film is about communicating with the aliens, yet because of their stubbornness and inability to listen, the humans struggle with communicating amongst themselves. Incredibly ironic.

This isn’t a movie you can fully enjoy by seeing once. The plot twists in the end of the film are clever and surprising. From beginning to end, this is an incredibly creative film with a surprising amount of logic and science in it. The alien, called “heptapods” communicate with circle-shaped symbols: a language that perfectly fits a species which views time as nonlinear (better explained in the film).

There are heroes to root for, there are nail-biting problems to overcome, there are several worlds to unite. There is also a movie to see, and it is this one. You won't regret it.

"10 Cloverfield Lane" Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Rating: 10/10

“10 Cloverfield Lane” is one of my favorite movies of all time. It has a unique element that many films, especially mainstream science-fiction films, seem to lack for me: something that draws you in and causes you to get invested with the characters and the world that this film is a part of. I loved every minute of this film, which marks the directorial debut of Dan Trachtenberg. The music, composed by Bear McCreary, is a beautiful, yet haunting masterpiece that will remain in your ears for a long time.

Every character, every moment, every word plays a vital part of this story, which blankets the film with a thick, unrelenting coat of suspense throughout. This is one of the movie’s strengths, yet also makes it vulnerable: this is one film you do not want spoiled for you. The third act, while confusing for some, is built up to and foreshadowed pretty frequently throughout the film. Also, considering this is an anthology film in the “Cloververse” (Cloverfield Universe) produced by J.J. Abrams, I didn’t consider it out of the blue.

John Goodman’s performance as Howard is bone-chilling, and I guarantee you will never look at Goodman the same way again. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, one of the strongest female characters I’ve seen in movies ever. 

This is a movie worth watching. If not for the story, then for the characters.

The Art of the Movie Trailer

The shame about film marketing nowadays is how twisted it has become. Its central priority has changed from selling a story to selling tickets. The trailers of Terminator: Genisys or the second trailer of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, for example, contain spoilers. Sadly, having spoilers in movie trailers has become a common occurrence.

In my opinion, a movie trailer’s purpose is to get an audience excited for a film through showcasing its aesthetic and giving them ideas of what the characters are like. Trailers for films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 10 Cloverfield Lane did this exceptionally well. They give you bits and pieces that are difficult, if not impossible, to connect until you have seen the actual film. This can backfire, however, like Star Wars fans hyping themselves up for Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakens, who turned out to have a much smaller role than expected.

Should fans walk into a movie knowing exactly what to expect, or should they walk in with false expectations altogether? Personally, I believe that our lack of having an open mind towards what a movie can offer is to blame. Hopefully, with a new mindset, we can produce trailers that present the movie as a journey, rather than a mere presentation of events.

"The Accountant" Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Rating: 9 / 10

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting “The Accountant” to be as refreshing, as intriguing, and as well-written as it ended up being. Powerhouse performances, bone-chilling tension, and brutal sequences of action pervade this masterpiece, with incredible plot twists that you don’t see coming. The story was always fresh, and there was never a definitive point where I could confidently say where the story was going.

In my opinion, that’s one of the highest things you can say about a movie.

Ben Affleck shines as Christian Wolff, a higher-spectrum autistic man who just so happens to be able to kick everyone’s butt. He has been trained by his father in martial arts, though still has to struggle with his disability. Affleck’s performance creates a three-dimensional character: one who is cold-hearted enough to kill people and illegally cook the books for mobsters, yet still feel compassion for those whom he cares about and struggle with his autism.

Anna Kendrick plays Dana Cummings, who could be seen as a love interest to Christian Wolff. However, the screenwriters wisely avoid any needless sensuality between the two characters, instead focusing on the main plot of the film.

In short, although it is a slower-paced film, “The Accountant” is without a doubt worth seeing.

Pixar, Innovation, and the Power of Storytelling

“For the Birds” is a hilarious Pixar short that teaches a lesson on bullying. While its easy to get distracted by the adorable, squeaky little birds in the film, there is more than meets the eye. Pixar’s superior talent for storytelling is well known around the world, and that same talent applies to this short film: no dialogue is used, and the setting and characters are all fairly simple to understand. However, the story remains the priority, as the amusing tale of discrimination backfires on the evil little birds towards the end of the film. Pixar also excels at innovation. However, as John Lasseter himself reminds us, they didn’t brand “Toy Story” as the first CG film. Instead, they branded it as a fantastic motion picture, which is what it was made to be. John refers to Alfred Hitchcock, who used new technology which would go unnoticed in his films unless you looked carefully at certain shots in his films. Like Hitchcock, Pixar is constantly innovating and incorporating new technology in their films. However, they call attention to the story of a film, rather than the technology, because that’s what film is ultimately about. Technology will change throughout the years, but stories last forever. Like Hitchcock, Pixar incorporates advanced technology into “For the Birds”. The characters all have feathers, which can be a pain to animate (especially back in those days), and the film also integrates real world physics during some of the more, er, animated moments in the short film. This was incredible to me, since I hadn’t been previously aware that Pixar’s shorts were so advanced, and it was so cool to see Pixar concern themselves with fantastic storytelling, rather than brag about their technological innovation.

If only Peter Jackson did that with the Hobbit trilogy.

The Intriguing Duality of "Middletown"

Out of the many ideas and themes throughout the production, one of the most prominent and central themes “Middletown” explores is duality. 

Even in the very beginning of the play, when the narrator greets the audience, duality is mentioned with every word as he addresses opposing groups of people who could possibly be seeing the show (For example: Ladies, gentlemen. Lovers, haters). Aesthetically, the show also encompasses this dual concept. A projector screen is occasionally used as part of the production, blending both the medium of film and theatre together. Likewise, the two houses used on the far left and right sides of the stage have a dual purpose: for most of the performance, they act as mere houses in the background inhabited by John Dodge and Mrs. Swanson. Then, towards the end, their role switches and they adopt the central role of the hospital rooms where both characters are staying. Even the name of the play, “Middletown”, conveys the play’s function as a “middle ground”: a neutral place.

Moving on from the design of the play, the most obvious form of the duality theme is with the production’s diverse cast of characters. You have the lovable, meek Mechanic and the imposing, bold Cop. Self-destructive John Dodge, who eventually brings about death for himself, and Mrs. Swanson, who brings about life for other people and eventually produces life herself in the form of the child she gives birth to. You even have the play and the audience, whose members later interact with the production itself.

Can it get more opposite or more meta than that?

The Problem with Female Reboots

It’s no surprise that a common trend within our culture is the female reimagining of popular characters and franchises. Thor was recently rebooted as a woman in Marvel comics. Iron Man was as well. Also, the recent Ghostbusters movie and the upcoming film Ocean’s Eight are all female-led reboots. Don’t get me wrong, these changes aren’t steps backwards. However, they also don’t appear to be making progress, either. Are all-female reboots truly advocating for gender equality, or are they a marketing gimmick to satisfy feminists?

Now, I absolutely believe women should gain more prominence within our culture, but this is not the right way to go about it. Building upon the shoulders of a male legacy is one of the worst ways Hollywood can “empower” women. How can you empower women if their character was already famous as a man? In an indirect way, it’s claiming women can’t become famous unless they have a male make a template for them to fill first, which is a ridiculous idea. Instead of this toxic thinking, consider the alternative: writing fresh, original characters for women to play.

Take Wonder Woman, for example. Or Ripley from Alien. Or Michelle from 10 Cloverfield Lane. Or Princess Leia from Star Wars. Or the Bride from the Kill Bill movies. Or Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter franchise. It isn’t impossible to create a strong, female character, but Hollywood is lazily replacing male characters with females instead.

I want to see females as main characters just as much as male characters, but if I am to see a movie or read a comic revolving around a female, I’d much rather see an original character rather than a marketing ploy standing in a man’s shadow.

For further reading, check this out:

http://www.manrepeller.com/2016/08/female-reboot-movies.html

"Kubo and the Two Strings" Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Rating: 9 / 10

Even if you don’t love the enthralling, intricate story or the elaborate mythos, you can certainly appreciate the stop-motion splendor of Kubo and the Two Strings. 

I will say this: as far as PG-rated “kid’s movies” are concerned, Kubo pulls no punches when it comes to delving into the darker aspects of its intense yet entertaining story. The Sisters, two magical assassins no doubt inspired by V for Vendetta, are played to creepy perfection by Rooney Mara. And, to be perfectly honest, every character in this film is voiced perfectly by a phenomenal cast. Art Parkinson guides us through the intense adventure as Kubo, Charlize Theron is amusing as the strict, no-nonsense Monkey, and Matthew McConaughey expertly balances comic relief and character maturity as Beetle. Though the villain at the end of the film (no spoilers) felt anti-climactic and lacking in clear motivation, the story is overall well written.

Believe me, this film has much more to offer than your average good vs. evil story. This is a mature, dark tale which reminds adults and children alike of the powerful force of memories and the legacy parents bequeath their children. This is a movie which will undoubtedly remain in your mind after watching it, and with Disney and Pixar sticking to films with generally happy tones, Kubo is a refreshing tale of resilient love and sacrifice.

Who the Heck is Daniel Carpenter?

Who am I?

That’s a really good question. I am many things: a devout christian actively seeking new ways to implement God into his daily life, an award-winning filmmaker who desires to share his ideas with others, and a sensitive, social guy who loves free hugs and having deep conversations with other people. I love movies, especially superhero movies, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thriller, and drama.

What I enjoy more than movies is filmmaking. I’ve been making movies since I was a wee little lad at the age of five. I filmed the majority of my earlier movies all by myself: acting, directing, editing…everything. I have played Revolutionary War heroes, a deaf housekeeper, a vengeful supervillain, and even Jesus. I have won several awards at different film festivals in my area, and I have plans to release a feature length film shortly after graduating.

If you want to check out my work, feel free! My film company, Illusionist Pictures, can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUZrBmUlMRDw9JuhTuHlhgA and my older films can be found in my archive at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmdzL9EgvNnnCdmwY9O0Z5Q. It’s a shameless plug, I know, but hopefully some of you guys can check my channels out and recruit me for your projects!