Austin Powers Trilogy Retrospective

Thanks to the continuing devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, practically every major blockbuster that was set to come out this year (apart from Tenet and Mulan) has been pushed back to 2021. This includes what was quite arguably the first big release to get pushed back once COVID rolled around, No Time to Die, the 25^th installment of the James Bond franchise and, by all accounts, Daniel Craig’s final foray as 007. Originally set for an April 2020 release, it was pushed back to this month… but was then pushed back again and is now set to come out a full year after its pre-COVID intended release. But to make up for the absence of what is arguably the most prominent spy franchise in all of pop culture, today I decided that it’d be fun to look at a franchise that was greatly inspired by James Bond. Yes, folks, today we’re talking about the grooviest of franchises, baby, the Austin Powers films. There have been several works that have parodied the James Bond franchise over the years such as the Johnny English trilogy and even some of the unofficial Bond films like 1967’s Casino Royale (obviously not to be confused with Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond from 2006). And yet, there are arguably none that are more prominent than the adventures of the spy whose mojo is wholly unmatched, Austin Powers. The series, created by SNL alum Mike Myers, largely parodies the Bond films of the 60’s while also paying homage to the various bits of ’60s and 70’s British pop culture that Myers was raised on thanks to his dad. Myers, of course, headlines the franchise as the titular Austin Powers but also portrays several of the villains that he contends with, including his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. Three Austin Powers films were released from 1997 to 2002, and while the critical reception towards them was generally varied, they were all huge hits financially. And while nothing’s been set in stone yet, Myers and series director Jay Roach have frequently hinted at the possibility of a fourth film. Until then, get ready to live dangerously as we look at the James Bond franchise’s most famous spoof, the Austin Powers trilogy. Yeah baby!!!

AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997)

The film that started it all for this franchise, 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, is exactly that, a franchise starter. It does its job of setting up many of the franchise’s most definitive aspects that were then promptly expanded upon in the sequels. Overall, though, this film is mostly just… average. As a Bond fan, I do appreciate all the comedic riffs on the franchise, such as its take on the cliché of the villain putting the main protagonist in an “easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death”. But as far as the humor is concerned, this film can admittedly be hit-or-miss when it comes to its jokes. Part of this can be attributed to the main character himself, Austin Powers. He does have some standout moments here and there, but at the end of the day, I think many would agree that he’s not the main reason why these films were such a hit. Instead, that honor goes to Mike Myers’ other lead character from this franchise, Dr. Evil, a character who’s just as delightfully sinister as he is hilariously dorky. Any of the scenes in which he interacts with his associates, whether it’s his allies such as Number 2 (Robert Wagner) and Frau Farbissina (Mindy Sterling) or his emotionally distant son Scott (Seth Green) are easily the best parts of the film and they do make up for any of its lesser moments. Still, like I said before, this first Austin Powers film is only ‘okay’. I’ll admit that, from a personal perspective, this is probably because I’m not really part of the generation that ‘grew up’ with this series nor am I that familiar with classic British pop culture aside from the Connery-era Bond films. Case in point, my recent viewing of this film was the first time that I ever watched it in full. As such, the best thing that I can say about this film is that it’s a decently entertaining spoof of the James Bond franchise but there’s not much else to it aside from that.

Rating: 3.5/5

AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME (1999)

The best way to describe the second Austin Powers film, The Spy Who Shagged Me, is that it appropriately mirrors the evolution that the James Bond franchise went through after Dr. No. You see, as much as Dr. No is responsible for kick-starting 007’s cinematic adventures, newcomers to the franchise may be surprised to learn that it doesn’t feature some of the most common elements of a Bond film (e.g. a proper opening titles song, getting gadgets from Q, etc.). Instead, it was its immediate follow-ups, From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, that were largely responsible for incorporating many of the things that made the franchise a cultural phenomenon. And sure enough, the same can be said about The Spy Who Shagged Me as it introduces some of the most standout parts of the trilogy that weren’t in the first film, highlighted, of course, by the introduction of Verne Troyer as Dr. Evil’s clone, Mini-Me. With all that in mind, The Spy Who Shagged Me is a superior follow-up to the original film in several ways. Whereas the original’s heavily improv-based comedy resulted in a film that often felt quite aimless, this one opts for a more traditional plot complete with a time-travel concept that, in an utterly hilarious manner, is something that not even the film tries to take too seriously. And because of this, the humor is a lot more consistent this time around to the point where many of Austin Powers’ bits are just as hilarious as the ones with Dr. Evil and company, which is a huge step-up from the previous film. Sure, it may not be as focused on being a Bond spoof as its predecessor was, but it certainly one-ups it when it comes to having a stronger sense of humor. As such, it’s easy to see why this one is often considered to be the definitive Austin Powers film, especially since it is the highest-grossing entry of the trilogy having grossed over $312 million worldwide. While International Man of Mystery was a solidly entertaining Bond spoof, its gags were largely hit-or-miss. By comparison, The Spy Who Shagged Me is a bona fide comedic riot throughout and is the very definition of a better-made and all-around superior sequel.

Rating: 4.5/5

AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2002)

Boasting the largest budget of any film in the trilogy with $63 million, Austin Powers in Goldmember is very much the ‘blockbuster’ of the trilogy as it’s a film that fully embraces its franchise’s popularity any chance that it gets. But while it was a smash hit financially like The Spy Who Shagged Me and wasn’t outright panned or anything, it seems like most Austin Powers fans tend to ignore this one and there’s one easily discernable reason why. As far as these films are concerned, Goldmember is a blatant case of ‘been there, done that’ as it rehashes practically all the biggest gags from the previous two films. It’s also worth noting that, at this point, the series is more focused on satirizing pop culture in general rather than being a Bond spoof. And so, because of all this, the film is ultimately more on par with the generally hit-or-miss International Man of Mystery than it is with the consistently funny Spy Who Shagged Me even though it is following many of the same beats that worked so well for the latter. Now, in the film’s defense, this doesn’t mean that its humor is non-existent or anything because there are some solid gags such as the sight of an in-universe Austin Powers film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise in the titular role or the scene in which Austin keeps misreading subtitles. Plus, the film also brings in Michael Caine, who’s great as always in the role of Austin’s equally suave father Nigel. Overall, though, Goldmember ends up being a considerable step down in quality in the wake of The Spy Who Shagged Me. And since International Man of Mystery was, at the very least, not the latest installment of an ongoing series, that means that Goldmember basically ends up being the worst installment of the trilogy by default because of how shamelessly routine it is. Again, this doesn’t mean that I think that it’s downright terrible, but at the same time, if that potential fourth Austin Powers film ends up getting made, Myers and company are going to need to shake things up considerably so that it doesn’t end up feeling like an outdated revival of a popular franchise from the 90’s.

Rating: 2.5/5

And that concludes Rhode Island Movie Corner’s retrospective of the Austin Powers trilogy. As I noted earlier, while I’m technically part of the generation that grew up with these films, this was the first time that I ever watched them. So, with that in mind, for those who have obviously watched these films a lot more often than I have, be sure to sound off in the comments below with your own personal memories of this franchise. Until then, thanks for following along and to paraphrase the man himself, remember to stay groovy, baby!

The New Mutants (2020) review

 

Over the years, there have been numerous instances where a film had to be pushed back from its originally intended release date. The reasons for this can often vary from film to film and range from scenarios such as the need for reshoots after poor test screenings or, on a more somber note, circumstances caused by outside forces that are completely beyond their control like, say, a global pandemic. But while this is often a natural thing for films to go through, today’s film, The New Mutants, is quite possibly one of the most infamous films in recent memory if only because of how utterly long it took for it to get released. To put all this into perspective, the latest installment of the X-Men franchise was filmed in the summer of 2017 and was originally set to come out on April 13^th, 2018. It ultimately came out… on August 26^th, 2020. How did this happen, you ask? Well, when its first delay was announced, it was reported that the film was set to undergo some reshoots that would allow it to further embrace its horror elements. However, by the time that the reshoots were set to happen, 20^th Century Fox was purchased by Disney, which meant that the X-Men franchise was now under the control of Marvel Studios. Thus, this retroactively made The New Mutants the final installment of one of the superhero genre’s most prolific franchises as it awaits its inevitable reboot as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And yet, after several months without any major developments, it was reported that the film was finally set to come out on April 3^rd, 2020, with its director, Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars), revealing that the final cut of the film would largely be in line with his original vision… and then came COVID-19. Thus, like almost all the other blockbusters that were set to come out this year, the film was pushed back yet again before finally being set for an August 28^th release, officially putting an end to its release schedule woes. And while it may not be the kind of film whose quality matches its highly publicized reputation, I will still give it credit for what it could potentially do for both the X-Men franchise and the superhero genre going forward.

After an incident involving a mysterious force that ravages the Native American reservation that she lives on, teenager Danielle ‘Dani’ Moonstar (Blu Hunt) finds herself in a hospital run by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga). Reyes informs Dani that she was the sole survivor of this attack and that she’s been brought to her facility because she’s part of the mutant race and must learn how to properly control her abilities. Dani soon meets the four other teenaged mutants at the facility, including Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), who can transform into a wolf, sorceress Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Samuel Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), who can propel himself like a cannonball, and rich kid Roberto da Costa (Henry Zaga), who can manipulate solar energy. And just like her, they’ve all experienced moments in their lives where their abilities have resulted in unspeakable tragedies. Through their interactions with one another, the quintet begins to speculate that Reyes is preparing them to be transferred to Professor Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters so that, naturally, they can join the X-Men. At the same time, though, they also start to get inundated with disturbing nightmares revolving around the inciting moments of their traumatic pasts. Because of this, they soon begin to realize that Dr. Reyes’ facility is not the mutant sanctuary that they were led to believe it was. Instead, they discover that Reyes is working for an organization that plans on using their abilities for sinister purposes. And as it turns out, they’re particularly interested in Dani because while she doesn’t quite know what her powers are, they may have something to do with whatever caused the destruction of her home.

One of the biggest selling points of The New Mutants is that it’s a horror-themed superhero film which, if we’re mainly talking about the films that have been released since 2008, is an approach that the superhero genre hasn’t really tackled, for the most part. Now, obviously, there have been plenty of horror-themed superhero projects over the years such as the ongoing Marvel Zombies series and the horror genre, in general, has been a major part of the comics industry for quite some time. However, when it comes to, specifically, films based on Marvel and DC characters, the last major horror-themed superhero films to come from either company were the Blade trilogy, 2005’s Constantine, and the Ghost Rider films starring Nicolas Cage… all of which were made in the time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly redefined the genre. With all this in mind, The New Mutants deserves quite a bit of credit for its willingness to tackle a genre that superhero films of the cinematic universe era haven’t really addressed yet. Obviously, one’s thoughts on how effective the film is at being a horror film may vary, but overall, it does deliver some solidly effective horror imagery, which isn’t too surprising given that its cinematographer, Peter Deming, has worked for the likes of Wes Craven and Sam Raimi. And while I’ve very much gone on record about how I’m not much of a comic reader, it seems like making a horror film with these particular characters is an appropriate enough route to take given the serious nature of the source material. This also means that this is a superhero film that intentionally doesn’t try to be a big-budget, action-oriented outing like most of the other films in the genre. As neat as this is, though, the film does suffer from being a bit undercooked in some places when it comes to its story. Nothing in here is ‘badly written’, for the record, but at the same time, those long-rumored reshoots probably would’ve smoothed out a bunch of its rough edges.

It’s also clear that this film was heavily influenced by the classic teen films that were made by John Hughes in the ’80s. Case in point, you very much get a Breakfast Club vibe from these proceedings straight down to it being about five main characters who overcome their differences as they confront their current predicament and the adult authority figure who oppresses them. Overall, it’s nice to see an X-Men film like this that’s based entirely from the perspective of younger characters (and no, not in the X-Men: First Class way), and sure enough, this film’s leads all do great jobs in their respective roles, with the biggest standout of the bunch being the story’s main protagonist, Blu Hunt as Dani Moonstar. Right from the get-go, Dani is immediately established as the most sympathetic protagonist of the bunch, a status that is then further exemplified by the touching romance that forms between her and Maisie Williams’ Rahne. In other words, these two are very much the heart of the film, which is good considering all the dark paths that are taken regarding the main characters’ tragic backstories. Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton is another solid standout as Sam who, like Dani and Rahne, is one of the more sympathetic leads whereas the other two, Roberto and Illyana, start off by being rather vindictive towards Dani. Illyana is usually the more mean-spirited of the two although this is offset by her having the most disturbing backstory of them all… plus, she’s the one who gets to headline all the film’s big action sequences. And while Roberto (a character who was previously played by Adan Canto in X-Men: Days of Future Past as one of the young mutants in that film’s dystopian future) is arguably the least focused on member of the group, he still manages to provide some solid comic relief by way of his nonchalant persona. Finally, closing out the main cast is Alice Braga as Dr. Reyes, who does a wonderful job of effectively blurring the line between being a seemingly helpful mentor and the malevolent agent that she truly is.

At this point, it’s probably safe to say that The New Mutants will ultimately be known more for all the time that it spent off the release calendar rather than anything in the film itself. Reviews for it have been mediocre at best, but as can often be the case, its low score on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t quite reflect its overall quality. Yes, I will agree that this is a rather average entry in the superhero genre, but that doesn’t mean that it’s ‘bad’, per se. It’s just that, in this instance, the reshoots that were planned for this film but ultimately never happened probably would’ve been quite helpful in expanding upon some underdeveloped plot-threads. And yes, I stand by that statement even though reshoots have been a controversial subject when it comes to recent Fox-produced Marvel films such as Dark Phoenix and, most infamously, Fan4stic due to how much they have impacted the quality of their films. For what it’s worth, though, The New Mutants benefits greatly from its solid cast and for its noble efforts to be one of the first big superhero horror films of the genre’s modern era. And so, with that in mind, the best thing that I can say about this film is that, while it’s far from perfect, it could very well serve as a great showcase for two potential ways in which the superhero genre can evolve going forward. For starters, I can only imagine the possibilities for future superhero films that embrace the horror genre, especially given the recent rise in quality that the horror genre, in general, has been experiencing. In fact, the MCU is already developing a horror-themed superhero film of their own by way of the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel right down to getting Sam Raimi, one of the most iconic horror film directors in the industry, to direct it. Another key aspect that could help influence future superhero films is the fact that this is a film that largely revolves around a younger cast. Granted, this technically isn’t something that’s new for the genre as it has been applied to films like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Shazam, but if we’re specifically talking about X-Men, I do think that this could be a unique way to redevelop the Children of the Atom for their future debut in the MCU. If anything, it could help remedy one of the most common criticisms that fans have had with the X-Men films in that they often focused on a select few characters (namely, Wolverine, Professor X, and Magneto) rather than emphasize the franchise’s team dynamic.

But on that note, I also want to point out that one of the most surreal aspects of this film is the fact that, as I noted earlier, it is, officially, the final installment of the X-Men franchise. Now, obviously, this isn’t that big of a surprise given that it was the last film in the series that was made before Disney purchased Fox, but it’s still quite fascinating that the final installment of one of the most prominent franchises in the history of the superhero film genre… is a relatively minor spin-off. And to be clear, it’s not like this film doesn’t try to connect itself to the franchise because it does even if its primary connections aren’t the things that drive the plot (i.e. while not directly mentioned in the film, Anya Taylor-Joy’s Illyana is, technically, the sister of X-Men mainstay Colossus). Still, you’d think that the distinction of being the last X-Men film of the franchise’s original run would go to a mainline entry like Dark Phoenix or, heck, even one of the Deadpool films given how successful they were. And yet, given that Dark Phoenix was also subjected to a largely negative reception, some have noted that how the series ultimately concluded mirrors the typically mixed results that it often yielded. In other words, this is a franchise that has had both the highest of highs (e.g. the Deadpool films, Days of Future Past, Logan, and X2: X-Men United) and the lowest of lows (e.g. Dark Phoenix (even though, as you may recall, I personally liked it), X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and X-Men: The Last Stand). Thus, as I alluded to earlier, we’re at a point now where most folks are just waiting to see how the Marvel Cinematic Universe adapts these characters after it had spent the last 12 years operating quite well without them. And yet, as much as I am looking forward to seeing the MCU incarnations of these classic characters, I must admit that the conclusion of the original X-Men franchise makes me rather sad. Sure, I only truly got into it during the latter half of its run, but films like First Class and Days of Future Past helped shape my love for the superhero genre just as much as the MCU films have done. And, of course, regardless of one’s thoughts on these films, they were essential to the process of shaping this great genre into what it is today.

Rating: 3.5/5

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020) review

 

In 2000, Sacha Baron Cohen experienced the breakout hit of his career with Da Ali G Show. The show ran for three seasons, starting on Channel 4 in the UK before moving to HBO in the U.S., and consisted of real interviews with unsuspecting subjects conducted by a trio of eccentric journalists. Over the next decade, these three characters would end up appearing in their own films, including Ali G, a wannabe gangster and the star of 2002’s Ali G Indahouse, and Bruno, a gay fashionista who starred in his own titular film in 2009. However, the third of these is quite arguably the most famous of all the characters that Sacha Baron Cohen has created in his career… his name-a Borat. Yes, we’re talking about Borat Sagdiyev, a television journalist from the glorious nation of Kazakhstan. He was the focus of the 2006 ‘documentary’ Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, in which he traveled to America to learn about American culture, and to quote the man himself, it was a “great success”. On just an $18 million budget, the film grossed over $262 million worldwide and was touted by many as one of the funniest films of the year. Granted, the film did end up spawning a whole bunch of controversies ranging from lawsuits brought upon by the unwitting subjects featured in the film to the generally negative reception that it got from Kazakhstan itself, but nevertheless, it promptly became one of the most iconic comedies of its time. Not long after the film’s release, however, Sacha Baron Cohen announced that he was planning on retiring the character even though he did end up reprising the role for a few cameo appearances here and there. But then, in both 2019 and 2020, he was spotted in character, resulting in many speculating the possibility of a second Borat film. And sure enough, it is now upon us with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, which was finally revealed to be happening back in September as an Amazon Prime Original and proves that Sacha Baron Cohen’s subversive humor still shines after all this time.

It has been 14 years since Kazakhstani TV journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) released his self-titled documentary. But while it was a great success in America, it made the nation of Kazakhstan a full-blown laughingstock, thus turning Borat into a social pariah who is then promptly imprisoned in the local gulag. But then, in 2020, Premier Nursultan Nazarbayev (Dani Popescu) gives him a new assignment in which he’s to deliver Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture (and their most prominent porn star), Johnny the Monkey, to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration so that the country’s reputation can be restored. But since Borat infamously defecated at Trump Tower in New York during his previous visit to America, he is primarily instructed to give Johnny the Monkey to Trump’s second-in-command, Vice President Mike Pence. Once Borat returns to America, however, he learns that his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova), who he had only recently learned about, has stowed away with him… and is revealed to have eaten Johnny the Monkey on the way there. Not wanting to return to Kazakhstan as a failure who will be promptly executed, Borat decides to have Tutar be the gift that he’s meant to give to Mike Pence. And so, Borat begins to turn Tutar into the kind of woman who would be the perfect match for Pence, resulting in exactly what the former has always been known for; a series of encounters with random folks across the U.S. who are effectively weirded out by their bizarre antics. Along the way, though, Tutar, who aspires to become a journalist herself, begins to come into her own as she learns that women in America have a lot more freedom than the women in Kazakhstan which, naturally, ends up causing a rift between her and her patriotic father.

At this point, Sacha Baron Cohen’s style of humor is well-established. Just like its predecessor, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm mainly consists of a series of skits where the title character interacts with both regular civilians and famous folks in an unabashedly crude and stereotypical manner that always leaves his ‘co-stars’ completely dumbfounded by what they’ve gotten themselves into. And while many of these are usually done in an unscripted manner, it wouldn’t be too surprising if some of this film’s sequences were staged this time around given the first film’s popularity (which, yes, does play a factor in this film’s proceedings since Borat is forced to don multiple disguises because of how easily recognizable he is). Nevertheless, amidst all the gross-out jokes and numerous instances where Borat and his daughter act like overly exaggerated foreigners, the film dutifully maintains its predecessor’s ability to deliver some hilariously terrific satire on the current state of American politics. And while some have argued that it doesn’t quite capture the same lightning in a bottle that the first Borat managed to achieve, it manages to avoid being nothing more than a carbon copy of its predecessor by way of the cultural landscape in which it was released. The first Borat, released in 2006, primarily skewered the Bush administration and the general paranoia and overblown displays of patriotism that were sweeping the country due to the War on Terror. As for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, it takes aim at Donald Trump’s administration and his cultish group of supporters along with the current chaos that is the COVID-19 pandemic. And in this instance, any joke that doesn’t hit is only due to it being a grim reminder that the attitudes displayed here are, unfortunately, quite accurate.

As always, much of what makes these Borat films work so well is Sacha Baron Cohen’s utter commitment to the bit. It goes without saying that he slips back into what is arguably his most famous role with ease, but as many others have pointed out over the years, he also deserves quite a lot of credit for how truly fearless he is when it comes to pulling all these stunts off, especially given the potential dangers that stem from those who are the unwitting subjects of his pranks. After all, he has gone on record stating that filming this sequel was a far more dangerous task than anything that he did in the first film thanks in large part to the, to put it as nicely as a non-Trump supporter like me possibly could, ‘enthusiastic’ behavior of Trump’s most dedicated supporters. Despite this, though, he still manages to pull through to deliver some pure comedic gold. However, he’s not alone this time around as the film also features one of the best breakout performances in recent memory from Maria Bakalova as Borat’s daughter Tutar. This is one of those roles that requires a complete dedication to all the wackiness that ensues from a production that’s headlined by Sacha Baron Cohen, and sure enough, Bakalova flawlessly commits to this film’s endless array of shenanigans. But at the same time, the addition of Borat’s daughter also brings a unique new layer to the traditional Borat proceedings, thus giving it something that I guarantee most people wouldn’t expect to see from a film of this nature, some genuinely effective moments of emotional poignancy. And yes, I recognize how ridiculous that might sound to some of you given the title character’s usual antics, but it truly is the case here. For all the instances in both Borat films in which Borat openly mocks the idea of women being equal to men, the arc that Tutar goes through in this film serves as a great reflection of the widespread push for stronger female roles in the film industry. Plus, given that the first Borat was admittedly a male-dominated feature, it’s nice to see more of a female perspective this time around.

I must admit that it was only recently when I watched the first Borat for the first time in its entirety. Despite this, however, I was very much aware of the impact that it had on pop culture in the mid-2000s because, simply put, it was everywhere. Calling it one of the most successful comedies of its time would be a massive understatement, and because of this, I can only imagine how intense the expectations were for its sequel, especially since it was released 14 years after the original. And yet, against all odds, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is a top-notch sequel that is arguably even funnier than the original. Now admittedly, the second half of that statement may have been largely influenced by the fact that I’m more familiar with our current political landscape than anything that happened in 2006, thus making Borat’s jabs at his most noteworthy targets in this film a lot more satisfying on a personal level. But for what it’s worth, this film does manage to be its own thing even though it is very much the same kind of mockumentary-style comedy that its predecessor was. This is mainly thanks to the great addition that is Borat’s daughter Tutar (not to mention a terrific star-making turn from Maria Bakalova in the role), who brings some genuinely unexpected heartfelt moments to this intentionally crude comedy. And when paired with Sacha Baron Cohen’s sharp sense of humor, you get a film that’s just as smartly written as it is utterly bonkers. It’s also worth noting that this film was released at the perfect time, with Sacha Baron Cohen having gone on record stating that he intentionally wanted it to come out right before the 2020 election to properly illustrate how truly disastrous things have been for this country the past few years thanks in large part to you-know-who. It is, after all, one of the main reasons why he ultimately decided to bring back the Borat character after all this time, and seeing how this review ultimately got published after the results of the 2020 election were made official… well, let’s just say that this film accomplished its mission.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Witches (2020) review (HBO Max)

 

When it comes to some of the most prominent authors in literary history, one whose work has consistently stood the test of time is Roald Dahl. From 1942 up until his death in 1990, Dahl was responsible for penning a whole bunch of classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda. To date, his various novels and short stories have sold over 250 million copies worldwide and are widely touted for their creative imagery and their unabashed knack for dark humor to contrast with their primarily whimsical nature. Many of his works have been adapted to the big screen over the years although it is worth noting that, when he was alive, Dahl was usually quite critical about them for the various changes that were made to his stories. This included the last adaptation that was released before his death, 1990’s The Witches, which was directed by Nicolas Roeg and notably produced by none other than Jim Henson. Dahl, however, was not too pleased with this adaptation of his 1983 novel, namely due to its drastically different ending. Nevertheless, the film was well-received by critics and while it wasn’t exactly a box-office hit, it has since gone on to become a cult classic of its time. But now there’s a new adaptation of The Witches upon us, and just like the 1990 film, this one is star-studded on both sides of the camera. For starters, the cast is headlined by a pair of Oscar winners in Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer. And as for the behind-the-scenes crew, the film serves as the latest outing from director Robert Zemeckis, AKA the man who’s given us films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, and this reviewer’s favorite film of all-time, Back to the Future. However, Zemeckis isn’t the only big-name filmmaker attached to this project as it was originally proposed as a stop-motion film directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who instead serves as a producer alongside his good friend Alfonso Cuaron while also being one of the credited screenwriters alongside Zemeckis and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. And while it may be far from being the best project that any of these men have ever worked on, it still manages to be a decently charming family flick that delivers a solid new take on Roald Dahl’s classic story.

In 1968, a young boy (Jahzir Kadeem Bruno) loses both of his parents in a car crash. He’s then sent to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer) in Alabama, and while it does take a while, she does help him start to overcome his grief. However, their idyllic lifestyle is soon threatened when the young boy has his first encounter with a witch. And since his grandmother is quite familiar with witches after seeing one when she was a child, she tells him everything that he needs to know about them; namely, that witches are really demonic creatures and are notorious for hating children and doing anything they can to get rid of them. Thus, to avoid any further witch-based encounters, the young boy and his grandmother promptly decide to take a vacation and stay at a prestigious hotel. Unfortunately, they end up arriving at the exact same time as a whole group of witches led by the most powerful witch in the world, the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway). The young boy ends up eavesdropping on their meeting, where the Grand High Witch reveals her newest scheme to get rid of all the children in the world by using a special potion to turn them into mice. And to make matters worse, the young boy is then discovered by the Grand High Witch, who immediately uses her potion to turn him into a mouse. Now stuck in mouse form, the young boy crosses paths with two other kids that were recently turned into mice, food-loving Bruno (Codie-Lei Eastick) and a girl named Mary (voiced by Kristin Chenoweth), who is revealed to be the mouse that the young boy had been keeping as a pet for the past few months. With both their help and his grandmother’s, the young boy now finds himself in a time-sensitive situation as he and his friends work to stop the Grand High Witch’s sinister plan before anyone else ends up suffering the same fate as them.

While it may be easy to simply call this film a ‘remake’ of its 1990 counterpart, this new version of The Witches does manage to avoid being a straight-forward retelling of its classic story, whether it’s by having African-American protagonists or revealing that the kid’s pet mouse was a transformed kid as well. Plus, if there’s one advantage that this film has over the previous film, it’s that its ending is a lot more faithful to the book since, as noted earlier, Dahl took significant issue with the 1990 film for having a more traditional ‘happy ending’. Granted, the changes that this film makes does mean that it takes a lot more liberties with its source material than even the 1990 film did, but at the very least, this isn’t a case like Artemis Fowl where the changes that were made significantly alter the story beyond recognition. At the end of the day, most of these changes are simply from a cosmetic standpoint, and for the most part, the film does an excellent job of maintaining Roald Dahl’s whimsical style that delivers a good-natured adventure where the kids are the heroes but is still allowed to have the delightfully twisted dark humor that Dahl was well-known for. And while I’m aware that the film has gotten some criticism for supposedly being ‘too scary for children’, I’d argue that it’s relatively tame compared to all the other family-friendly films over the years that have gained notoriety for their darker moments (and yes, this includes the 1990 adaptation of The Witches). All this makes up for the fact that the film ends up feeling like a routine affair for the filmmakers who are attached to it, especially Robert Zemeckis. It’s not that the film is ‘bad’ or anything since, if Zemeckis’ past work wasn’t enough of an indication, he’s not that kind of director. It’s just that, like what happened when Tim Burton made his remake of Planet of the Apes in 2001, this is one of those instances where, if you didn’t know that this was directed by the guy who made Back to the Future, you probably wouldn’t have figured that out until the credits because it could’ve been done by anybody.

For many people, one of the best aspects of the 1990 film was Angelica Huston’s standout turn as the Grand High Witch. But while that may have been an undeniably tough act to follow, Anne Hathaway proves that she’s more than capable of taking on that daunting task. With an over-exaggerated accent that’s matched by an equally over-the-top performance, Hathaway is clearly having a lot of fun as the main antagonist. And sure, it’s completely understandable if some may find her performance to be a bit too campy at times, but at the end of the day, she’s still one of the best parts of this film. This strong performance from Hathaway is then perfectly matched by Octavia Spencer’s equally terrific turn as the main protagonist’s grandmother. Spencer has always been well-known for playing characters like this who are very much good-natured protagonists but can still dish out some tough love when necessary, usually through some delightfully spunky snark. And while he’s not in the film too much, we also get the always-reliable Stanley Tucci as the manager of the hotel that all the main characters end up at who mostly spends his time trying to deal with the eccentric gestures of the Grand High Witch. Finally, to close out the main cast, we have newcomer Jahzir Kadeem Bruno as the main protagonist who, just like in the original novel (and not the 1990 film where he was named Luke), is unnamed. He is credited as ‘Hero Boy’, however, which is rather ironic because that makes him the second main character in a Robert Zemeckis film to be called that since that’s also what the main protagonist of The Polar Express was credited as. Nevertheless, while this may only be his first leading role in a film (that and his character is a mouse for half of it), Bruno instantly makes a strong first impression with some solid charisma for his age.

While it’s admittedly been a while since I’ve done so, I did read The Witches when I was younger. It was one of many Roald Dahl books that I read growing up alongside other classics such as Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, you may be surprised to learn that I never watched its 1990 film adaptation. Simply put, it was just one of those films that was never on my radar back then. As such, it goes without saying that I don’t have the kind of connection to it that many others from my generation have, which has clearly had a major influence on folks’ thoughts towards this new adaptation. I mean, if the usual reception towards Disney’s recent string of live-action remakes wasn’t enough of an indication, folks are always a lot stricter when it comes to remakes. And yet, from the perspective of someone who hasn’t seen the 1990 adaptation of The Witches, I’d argue that this new version of the story is a genuinely harmless affair. It avoids being a direct carbon copy of its predecessor and even manages to deliver a more faithful take on the novel’s ending… even if the changes that it makes everywhere else are more prominent than those from the 1990 film. Really, at the end of the day, the worst thing that I can say about this film is that it’s arguably the most by-the-numbers feature that Robert Zemeckis has ever directed. To be fair, his direction is solid as always, but at the same time, I will admit that I’m curious about how this film would’ve turned out had it been the Guillermo Del Toro-directed stop-motion film that it was originally planned to be. Ultimately, though, the film does manage to be a nice showcase of Roald Dahl’s brilliant storytelling and could very well serve as a gateway for younger generations to experience the rest of his work.

Rating: 3.5/5