BY: Philip Sayblack

​There is an old adage in the movie industry that the sequel is never as good as the original.  In recent years, that adage has clearly changed (thanks to Walt Disney Studios) that the reboot is also never as good as the original.  The studio’s reboots of Aladdin, Dumbo, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and others have proven that statement.  Now audiences can add yet another reboot to the list of movies proving that updated adage true in the form of Lilo & Stitch.  Originally released as an animated feature by Walt Disney Studios in 2002, Disney reimagined and re-issued the movie this year with a whole new cast and writing team, with the result being far less successful than the original.  That is not to say that the reboot is a complete failure, though it certainly proves itself yet another movie that still should never have been rebooted.  The movie, in its reboot, is accompanied by only a handful of extras, one being a 16-minute making of featurette, another being the standard blooper reel, and a 6-minute featurette focusing on the creation of the original movie in comparison to the reboot.  There are also the standard deleted scenes but even they are limited in quantity.  To that end, the bonuses add little if anything to the presentation. To that end, the only positive to the reboot is the work of Sanders once again as Stitch and the shooting.  All things considered, they make the reboot of Lilo & Stitch yet another entry from Walt Disney Studios that ultimately will be forgotten in the annals of cinema history. 
Walt Disney Studios’ 2025 reboot of its 2002 animated feature, Lilo & Stitch, is a disappointing updated take of the original movie.  The movie’s new take is not a complete failure but certainly does not live up to the legacy of its source material.  The biggest problem of all with this movie is multifaceted.  Throughout much of the 1 hour, 47 minute presentation, the writing trio of Mike Van Waes, Chris Sanders (who directed and reprised his role as Stitch), and Chris Kekaniokalani Bright audiences can see the original animated movie with some minor changes.  Herein is the biggest issue.  If a movie can be redone nearly shot for shot, then what reason is there to redo the movie, other than to simply make more money off of the legacy of the original?  That has been Disney’s approach for years, so that makes sense. 
On another hand, there is just as much that has been changed in reimagining the original movie.  Capt. Gantu, for instance, is nowhere to be seen.  According to director Dean Camp in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gantu was removed from the updated take because allegedly he simply did not fit the reworked script.  The irony is that in a number of scenes that originally saw Gantu interacting with Stitch (including the climactic final act), Jumba took the place of Capt. Gantu.  To that end, Camp’s argument holds almost no water.
As if that is not enough, the whole matter of Agent Cobra Bubbles was reimagined here, too.  Yes, he was still a special agent here, but it was not until late in the script that he went undercover as a social worker.  The rest of the time, Agent Bubbles (played by Courtney B. Vance – The Hunt For Red October, Space Cowboys, Dangerous Minds) was replaced by a social worker played by Tia Carerre (Wayne’s World 1-2). Even at the movie’s end, he and the grand councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso, The Fall Guy, The Hustle) just so happen to already know each other, unlike in the original in which they were not so familiar with one another. This whole reimagining detracts so much in its own way from the story and is just as unnecessary as so many other changes. 
Speaking of changes, even the final act of this movie drags on way beyond that of the original movie’s finale that completely redoes the original movie’s ending.  There is even a lifting from Lilo & Stitch 2 herein in which Stitch drowns and has to be brought back to life (not to give away too much).  What’s more the use of Jumba and Pleakley throughout feels like the writing team took a bunch of inspiration more from the animated series that the original movie spawned than from anything else.  The whole simply did not work and ends up making this movie and its story ultimately forgettable.
The bonus content that accompanies the reboot in its new home release, detracts just as much from the experience.  That is because of how little it adds to the experience.  The only featurette that really adds anything to the experience is the noted 6-minute featurette that outlines the return of voice actors from the original movie to this work.  There is also a revelation about all of the native Hawaiian actors who took part in bringing the movie to life.  That revelation showed that at least Disney tried to be accurate in that aspect.  The three deleted scenes included as extras add little if anything either.  Though it can be seen why they were deleted.  To that end, even the extras add next to nothing to this reboot, making for even less reason to take in this movie.
For all of the negatives to this reboot, there is maybe one positive, that being the collective work of Sanders and the on-site shooting.  Sanders shines once again as the wild, rambunctious Stitch throughout.  He gives the movie the very little heart that it boasts here.  The on-site shooting in the Hawaiian islands makes for at least some visual appeal, so that whole makes this reboot at least somewhat bearable at most.  Other than that there simply is little if anything that makes the new reboot of Lilo & Stitch another forgettable offering from Walt Disney Studios and more proof that this studio has got to stop with the reboots.
Walt Disney Studios’ brand-new live action/CG reboot of Lilo & Stitch is anything but a memorable offering from the once legendary studio.  It has little if anything that makes it memorable.  The only true positives to this presentation are the return of Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch and the on-site shooting.  Other than that, all of the re-imagining coupled with the near shot-for-shot re-working makes this movie come across as nothing more than just another cash grab for Walt Disney Studios.  To that end, this movie is worth watching maybe once but not really any more than that.
Lilo & Stitch is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.  It is scheduled for physical home release Aug. 26 on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K HD.  More information on this and other titles from Walt Disney Studios is available at:
Website: https://waltdisneystudios.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyStudios
Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneystudios

BY: PHILIP SAYBLACK

​Executives at Warner Bros. and DC got more good news this weekend about their James Gunn-helmed reboot of Superman.  According to a report from The Wrap, the movie led the way for the second consecutive week this weekend, bringing in an estimated $57 million in ticket sales.  That is a 54% drop from its opening weekend, according to The Wrap’s report, but still easily outpaced the reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer, which came in second this week. Gunn’s Superman has made a lot of headlines particularly because it has somehow (and happily) upset so many uber conservatives and Maga-ites who have called it “woke.”  This ever since Gunn openly called the movie a story “about an immigrant.”  The thing is that the story of Superman has always been an immigrant’s story, going back ages, so really Gunn is doing nothing new here in stating this.  What Gunnn has done different here is his approach to the opening chapter of his Superman saga.  His approach was a very calculated risk and honestly hurt the movie somewhat even with its positive outcome.  This will be discussed shortly.  On a more definitive positive note, the acting of certain cast members really shines throughout the movie.  This will be discussed a little later.  Rounding out the most important of the movie’s elements is its look in comparison to so many other superhero movies out there today.  It will also be addressed later.  Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of Superman.  All things considered they make Superman not the best of the Superman movies ever crafted but at least worth watching once.
Warner Bros./DC’s new James Gunn-helmed adaptation of Superman is an intriguing new take on the timeless franchise that honestly comes up somewhat short of expectations.  That is not to say that it is a failure, but its current domestic and global ticket sales do not speak to the presentation.  They just show that there has been a lot of interest in the presentation.  The movie comes up short primarily because of the mixed bag that is the writing approach.  Gunn, who not only directed this outing but also wrote its script, wasted no time setting up the story here, using only a few lines in the opening scene to tell Superman’s back story as he prepares viewers for the action to come.  From there he jumps head first into things with Superman crashing into the snow and ice of the Antarctic following a battle with a big bad.  The remainder of the story’s first half speeds through at near breakneck speed.  It moves so fast that it forces audiences to be fully engaged in the story and then some.  Anyone not completely engaged in the story will miss so much.  Thankfully as the second and third acts progress (at a somewhat more controlled pace), viewers are able to catch up somewhat. 
The story is real simple.  After much research (and Superman being beaten up a bunch), Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen discover that everything Lex Luthor was doing to Superman in the movie’s first act was basically another plan to get rid of Superman.  He had partnered with the evil head of another nation and concocted a plan to get a big part of the nation so that he could become the king (yes, king – this is perhaps where the Maga cultists got mad) and rule his cult.  The word cult is even used in the dialogue.  He made Superman (an immigrant) a scapegoat in his plan so that he could sell arms to that hostile nation, furthering the plan to take over another nation and become king of what was left.  So yes, obviously this is a direct mirror of what is happening today in America and globally.  Let’s set this aside though, for the moment being that we have acknowledged this reality.  What is more important here is that while Gunn has openly said in interviews prior to the movie’s release, he intentionally avoided making this just another origin story, it might have actually been better for him to go this route.  That is because overall, the story here feels like something that should have come along later.  It feels like a random episode of Smallville, from which he clearly lifted influence here.  That is a statement in itself of how audiences have become conditioned a certain way, but it is true.  Because this first entry in Gunn’s DC universe just jumps in so fast and direct, it leaves one feeling somewhat unfulfilled.  This even though Lex is ultimately defeated in the end. That is perhaps the one shining positive of the writing, that good ultimately triumphed over the evil of Lex Luthor and his minions who so blindly did Luthor’s bidding.
Knowing that the writing eventually works itself out and salvages itself by the script’s end, there are other positives to note, most notable being the work of certain cast members.  While David Corenswet is the lead, his acting honestly takes a back seat to that of his cast mates.  Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past, A Warm Body, Mad Max: Fury Road) leads the was as the diabolical Lex Luthor.  Hoult makes it so easy to absolutely hate Luthor here because of his absolute obsession with Superman and his drive to destroy “big blue.”  He even admits in the final act, to Supes, that yes, he is envious and that he has let his envy of Superman completely take over.  In other words, yes, he knows he is nuts and he does not care.  He shows this throughout the course of the movie’s barely more than 2-hour run time.  His willingness to make Superman a scapegoat for his own nefarious means (a la Donald Trump, again) makes him absolutely despicable.  His attitude throughout is abhorrent, perfectly presented by Hoult.  Hoult’s performance is so engrossing that by the final act when all of the news agencies start sharing the story of what Luthor was really up to and Luthor starts crying, one hopes that Luthor would pay the ultimate price for his evil deeds, not just be arrested.
On another note, the members of the “Justice Gang” (hopefully this will change to Justice League in later movies) shine just as much in their own way.  Edi Gathegi (Startup, For All Mankind, Princess of the Row) leads the way as Mr. Terrific.  His confidence and attitude throughout is controlled but there is still a certain edge that he gives Mr. Terrific.  It is a performance type that is comparable to another legend, one Samuel L. Jackson.  Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle, Serenity) brings his own great presence as Green Lantern Guy Gardner.  The ego and comic timing that Fillion brings out of Gardner makes for so many laughs, just as Gathegi does in his own deadpan but still sharp deliveries.  The pair collectively makes for so much for audiences to enjoy.
On a lighter note, the casting heads made wonderful choices for Clark’s adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.  Those two have always been pivotal in Clark’s life.  In the original 178 Superman movie, Jonathan even died in the movie’s first act.  One cannot help but wonder if that played into DC’s late 90s “Death of Superman” story arc, what with Jonathan having a heart attack and seeing Clark in the afterlife.  Getting back on topic, Pruitt Taylor Vince (Identity, Constantine, Angel Heart) and Neva Howell (Greedy People, Run The Race, Ghosts of the Ozarks) show that they know they are supporting cast here but still make the most of their time on screen.  Vince’s brief line about parents’ roles in the lives of their children is such a powerful moment.  It is in direct contrast to his earlier on screen moment alongside Howell in which the couple is talking to Clark on the phone.  In that moment, the duo comes across as this lovely pair of simple country folk.  The two moments say so much about who Clark’s adoptive parents are and the actors are to be commended highly for their work therein.  When their work and that of the others examined here is considered collectively, their work clearly shows how much the cast’s work plays into this movie’s presentation.
Building even more on the presentation is the movie’s look.  The look of this movie rounds out the most important of its elements.  Where director Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013) had a heavy, gritty look (much like all of his DC flicks), this movie has something of a softer look.  There was plenty of bright light and the tones in the scenes were controlled.  Simply put, the overall look of the movie clearly was meant to look like it jumped off the pages of the Superman comics from a bygone era.  That visual appeal is enough to make for at least some appeal.  When that positive aesthetic impact is considered alongside the work of the movie’s main cast (and that the script does salvage itself), the result is a movie that while it is not the best Superman adaptation, is still worth watching at least once.
Superman, the latest tentpole offering from Warner Bros. and DC, is an interesting new take on one of the world’s most beloved superheroes.  It was hyped in a big way leading up to its release last week but sadly comes up somewhat short of expectations thanks to its script.  Interestingly director/writer James Gunn has openly said he is not going to have movies head to screen unless the scripts are 100% done.  The script here may have been done in his eyes but feels incomplete considering how fast its first act moves and from other issues.  In hindsight this script really should have been an origin story, being the first new introduction from this new DC universe.  Luckily the script does salvage itself as it progresses.  The work of the movie’s main cast serves as the real saving grace here.  From the presentation of Lex to those from the “Justice Gang,” the cast’s work goes a long way toward making this movie at least somewhat engaging.  The movie’s look, at least in comparison to its most recent predecessor, Man of Steel, is an improvement from that movie.  It looks like it jumped off the pages of some vintage Superman comics, even being presented in the 21st century.  That element and the work of the movie’s cast do just enough to make Superman worth watching at least once.
Superman is playing in theaters nationwide now.  More information on this and other movies from Warner Brothers is available at:
Website: https://warnerbros.com
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