DC Entertainment

‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” is an ambitious film to say the least. It’s a musical, a courtroom drama, a character study, a love story, and a thriller all-in-one.  Before I even put the film in my 4K player, I was well aware of how poorly it was received by critics and audiences alike.  I was also well aware that some people considered it a misunderstood masterpiece. I tend to fall somewhere in the middle with “Joker: Folie à Deux,” as I thought there were individual moments in the film which were powerful, well-acted and intense.  There were also moments where I was shaking my head and wondering what the hell was going on, and why they decided to go in this particular direction.  Overall, it’s a mixed bag, but I would say there is more bad than good in here.

I was a big fan of 2019’s “Joker” which surprised me, as I’m not usually a fan of comic book films.  I liked it because it didn’t feel like a comic book movie, and it was more of a character study.  I know film critics and fans like to criticize and call it a “Taxi Driver” rip-off, but I thought it was an impressive film with a standout performance from Joaquin Phoenix.  I was excited to watch the sequel, even with all the negative press it had received, because I thought the character was interesting, layered and complex. I wanted to see what they would do next with Arthur Fleck/Joker and what he’s been up to since we last visited him.

When “Joker: Folie à Deux” opens up, we see Arthur adjusting to life in Arkham State Hospital. He’s become a local celebrity because of the TV movie on his life, and the guards and fellow patients alike are fascinated by him.  While in the heavily guarded hospital, he’s awaiting trial for the five murders he committed.  Arthur’s lawyer, Maryanne Stewart, played by Catherine Keener, is not exactly sure what to make of him.  Her case is going to center around the fact that she believes Arthur suffers from dissociative identity disorder, which means his Joker persona is responsible for the murders. I found this part of the film to be the most intriguing, especially when Arthur is interviewed by a reporter, played by Steve Coogan.

One day, Arthur meets Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), and it is love at first sight.  They connect over their love of music, and she’s also a fan of Arthur.  She tells Arthur she’s watched the TV movie about his life twenty times and reveals they have a lot in common. Arthur is smitten with Lee, and they hit it off right away.  This gives him new life as he prepares for his upcoming trial.  He trusts anything that comes out of Lee’s mouth and believes she knows what is best for him. His lawyer, on the other hand, is looking out for Arthur’s best interests and warns him to keep his guard up.

Let’s start with the positives—”Joker: Folie à Deux” has a lot of big ideas.  I enjoyed the exploration of mental health.  I thought the way they presented it was done in a way that was compelling and multifaceted. I also liked the way the film dealt with how society becomes obsessed with fame and how villains and killers are worshipped by the public. I thought the film had a terrific cast.  The performances were nuanced and believable. All of this made this sequel even more frustrating because there are true moments of brilliance on screen from the actors and the people behind the scenes.

Whenever the film started to get interesting or capture my attention, it would seem to have a moment where it felt like the director and the screenwriter were messing with the audience. It was almost as if we entered another film. I didn’t understand why they didn’t have the conviction and nerve to just make this a straight-up sequel without all of the random musical scenes and gimmicks. I have nothing against musicals, but these scenes made me lose my focus because they didn’t add to the story and instead took away from what was happening on screen.  Again, I felt like the director and the screenwriter were just messing with the audience and playing games.

Overall, I can’t recommend “Joker: Folie à Deux” because the film is all over-the-place and wildly inconsistent.  It’s even more infuriating because, like I stated previously, there are some really, really powerful and well-acted scenes throughout. However, they are not in the film nearly enough to recommend it.  Lady Gaga, for example, is great, but she doesn’t have enough screen time.  I was hoping she would have just as Phoenix did, but she’s in and out of this film far too often.  This is one of the most disappointing films of 2024.  I didn’t hate it, but I sure was disappointed by it.

* ½ out of * * * *

4K Info: “Joker: Folie à Deux” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It also comes with a digital copy of the film. The film has a running-time of 138 minutes and is rated R for some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.

4K Video Info: Much like 2019’s “Joker,” this is a top-notch visual experience.  It is crystal clear from start-to-finish.  The film also has deep blacks which really set the moody and atmospheric tone of what unfolds. From a visual standpoint, this film gets an A. The Dolby Vision transfer is perfect.

4K Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos track is also perfect. This is a theatrical movie in every sense of the word, and the audio is perfect. It’s perfect for your at-home theater set-up.  Subtitles are included in English, Spanish and French.

Special Features:

Everything Must Go (Four Part Longform Documentary)

   – Can I Have a Cigarette?

   – Finding Lee

    – A Hundred Films in One

    – King of Nothing

The Character of Music

Live! With The Joker

Colors Of Madness

Crafted With Class

Should You Buy It?

This is going to be a hard pass from me unless you loved the film and thought it was brilliant.  I know John Waters and Quentin Tarantino have praised it, and it has been a source of controversy in the film community. Overall, I didn’t think it was great, and I also didn’t think it was one of the worst films of the year either. I think it’s below average, but it’s watchable, despite its lengthy running time. Joaquin Phoenix gives another top-flight performance as Arthur Fleck, and it’s hard to keep your eyes off him on screen. As mentioned earlier, I wish they would have given Lady Gaga more to do, as I thought she was fantastic when she was on-screen.  Overall, I’d say watch it on Max and see how you feel about it. If you do like it, you will be very happy with this 4K release.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

I’ve never quite understood the appeal of Jason Momoa as an actor. I’ve never walked away from a movie of his and been impressed or blown away by his performance.  He has the look of a movie star, but he doesn’t really stand out in his film roles.  He’s merely just a buff dude on screen. Of course, we have seen jacked up actors in the past such as Dwayne Johnson, John Cena and Dave Bautista, but they have charisma, personality and charm. Momoa, on the other hand, strikes me as someone who is trying way too hard to be funny. He’s not a very natural actor. He has screen presence, but when he’s asked to dive deep into a character, it falls flat.

I have not seen 2018’s “Aquaman,” which was also directed by James Wan, the man behind such films as “Saw,” “Insidious,” “The Conjuring,” “Furious 7” and “Malignant.” I’m a big fan of his directorial style, and I think he brings a lot to the table from a visual perspective. Because of this, I went into “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” with some hope he would be able to make an interesting, unique and outside-the-box superhero film. Sadly, he can’t even save this clunker.  I really don’t think it would have mattered if I had seen the original or not.

This sequel takes place four years after the first film, and we see that Aquaman (Jason Momoa) has become the king of the Atlantis.  He’s now married to Mera (Amber Heard) and has a child with her as well. He’s struggling to adapt to parenthood while also dealing with the responsibilities of being king.  There are some truly cringe-worthy gags where their child is constantly peeing in the mouth of Aquaman.  Even worse, Momoa sells it with these weird and contrived faces which only makes it even more unfunny.  He also must contend with David Kane /Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is looking to avenge the death of his father. David Kane’s scientist sidekick is played by Randall Park in a thankless and one-note role. He’s basically a scared geek.

In order to make sure that David Kane doesn’t cause any further damage, Aquaman must enlist the help of his brother, Orm, played by Patrick Wilson. From here, the film turns into a bromance action flick with Wilson and Momoa bouncing one-liners off one another.  At times, the film is too silly and stupid with its attempts at humor. During other scenes, it is deadly serious.  This is a film in search of a tone, and it never really finds one. Wilson is great and dependable as usual, but even he can’t make it work with the uninteresting and bland Momoa.  Overall, this film was a complete mess from the word go.

I know there has been a lot of drama surrounding the film’s production and the usage of Amber Heard in the story.  She’s barely in the film, and it seems odd at times that Aquaman’s wife would have such a minor role in his life, especially considering they share a child together.  I understand they wanted to focus on the two brothers and their whacky relationship together, but it would have been nice to have a bit of an emotional tone to the proceedings.  When Heard does appear, it feels forced and out of place because the writing doesn’t give her a whole to do.

The stakes just don’t seem very high in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”  The film is also doomed because it doesn’t have a charming or engaging leading man.  The story feels very, very thin.  This feels like a sequel which was only made for the money based on the fact they made very little attempt to really do anything out of the ordinary with Aquaman.  I understand they couldn’t change actors as Momoa was in the first film, but I did leave this sequel wondering what it would have been like if Wilson was paired with someone other than Momoa who is not a natural comedic actor. While Momoa seems quite pleased with himself, his jokes fall flatter than four o’ clock.

I want to go back to the story of this movie again, as this is where the majority of the issues are in addition to Momoa’s dead on arrival performance. There is an outline for a good movie here.  I would have liked to have seen more of with Aquaman attempting to juggle life at home and also life at sea.  There is too much time spent at sea, and it turns into a full-blown action film.  The action scenes would have been effective if the story took its time to really build up the relationship between Aquaman and Mera.  They rush through all of that, and they go straight to the comedic relationship between Aquaman and Orm. When the jokes on the page are not funny, the actors are doomed.

I did like the film’s message about everyone doing their part and sticking together to make the world a better place.  However, it doesn’t really resonate or land on screen when we have been dealing with bad comedy, mindless action scenes and a plot which moves at a glacial pace. This is a prime example of a movie that really did not need to be made in the first place.  I understand it made money, but from a quality perspective, this film was what I call a “watch movie.” I kept checking my watch over and over again, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

* out of * * * *

4K Info: “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is released on a single-disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It has a running time of 124 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some language and sci-fi violence. There is a digital copy of the film included with this release as well.

Video Info:  The Dolby Vision transfer on this film is simply breathtaking.  It’s a visual feast for the eyes.  I only wish the film was as good as its Dolby Vision transfer.

Audio Info:  The same can be said for the Dolby Atmos audio track.  It’s sharp, vivid and very impressive.

Special Features:

Atlantean Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Should You Buy It?

Unless you are a completist and enjoyed the first “Aquaman,” I don’t see any reason why you should add this film to your collection. It really was a disappointment, especially considering the director behind it. That being said, when he doesn’t have a great leading man or a great screenplay in front of him, there is only so much he can do.  The 4K transfer looks out of this world, and it was the only thing that kept me glued to the screen. After a certain point, I was more immersed in the visuals than the story or the action, which says a lot about the final product. This film is really a dumpster fire. I’m glad I watched it, as I had interest in checking out what James Wan would do in this universe, but I have zero interest in revisiting it or checking out the first film.  This film is strictly for people who enjoyed the first film. It will not win over any new fans, and it will probably even frustrate fans of the original.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Movie and 4K/Blu-ray Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit Correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Your enjoyment level for “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” will depend on how funny or clever you find its main protagonist, played by Zachary Levi. Personally speaking, he is an actor I’ve never been a fan of, especially in these films.  I found his performance incredibly irritating, silly and annoying. I understand he’s trying to portray a silly high schooler as an adult who is learning how to be mature and deal with his new superpowers.  However, I just found his performance to be very grating after a while. He’s very over the top.  I’m all for a superhero film where they have some fun as it doesn’t have to be so dark and dreary throughout. There is room for every type of superhero film out there, and I fully respect and get that.  However, he is not the right actor for balancing the goofy scenes along with the more serious action sequences.

Our film opens up in a museum in Athens, Greece where two of the three daughters of the Titan Atlas break in to steal the Wizard’s broken staff from the previous film. Billy Batson (Zachary Levi) is trying to keep his family together as he’s about to turn eighteen and is worried he will be thrown out of the house as his foster parents, Victor and Rosa Vasquez (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans), are struggling to keep it all together financially.  He’s also suffering from a case of imposter syndrome. In essence, he’s insecure and also struggling to figure out his place in the world. Can he keep his “Shazamily” of foster siblings together, as they are maturing and developing their own interests and unique personalities?

However, he has to act fast as two of the daughters of the Titan Atlas, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, have captured his brother Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) along with a newly repaired Wizard staff.  Early on, they are also dealing with controversy for their crime fighting methods in Philadelphia.  In fact, they are now known as The Philly Fiascos thanks to some of their mishaps, even though their hearts were in the right place. As mentioned previously, the family has a lot on its mind.  For Freddy Freeman, before he was captured, he had a crush on a girl named Anne, played by Rachel Zegler. Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand) is keeping a secret he’s not sure he’s ready to share with the world quite yet.

Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman) is trying to accept growing up while still being a kid at heart. Eugene Choi (Ian Chen) is preoccupied, and Mary Bromfield (Grace Caroline Currey) wants to get into college and is focusing on her studies.  They must come together as a family and put their individual interests aside in order to conquer The Three Daughters of the Titan Atlas. They work better when they are together, but it is important they get on the same page and focus on the task at hand. From here on out, we get a lot of explosions, special effects, bad jokes, and a big finale.  The film was never boring and it kept my attention for its over two-hour running time.  However, it just fell flat for me because of Levi’s performance and just the fact that the film lost its sense of direction near the end and went all over the map.

I’m completely aware that sequels are part of Hollywood when a film is successful, especially when we are talking about a superhero film.  People will flock to them.  There is a built-in audience already.  The “Shazam!” films have been directed by David F. Sandberg, and I was a huge fan of his previous two films: “Lights Out” and “Annabelle: Creation.”  The film looks really good, as he has a keen visual sense.  However, I didn’t feel the heart of the film as much as I would have liked, and it’s a big problem here.  I liked it better than the first one, but when the lead actor is such a ham on screen and so phony and fake with his line readings and performance, it really takes you out of the story. I liked everyone else and thought they did a really good job, but once it becomes a bloated mess and Billy Batson turns into a one-line machine, the film just didn’t work for me.  If you liked the first one, you will like the second one.  If you didn’t, there isn’t anything here that is going to change your mind or convert you to this character and this franchise.

* * out of * * * *

4K Info: “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” is released on a two-disc 4K and Blu-ray combo pack from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It has a running time of 130 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of action, violence and language. The film comes with a digital copy to be redeemed as well.

Video Info: We are treated to a beautiful Dolby Vision transfer here that really stands out and pops.  The film looks beautiful on 4K, especially the action sequences.  Even though they can be overdone and unnecessary at times, I can admit when they look beautiful. My issue is more of the fact they don’t hold as much weight when the emotional heart of the film isn’t present.  The darks set the mood when it needs to, and the film is also filled with color and light when it calls for it.

Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos track is also really, really good here.  With a film that relies heavily on action, you worry about the film being so loud that it takes you out of the film.  Here, thanks to the Dolby Atmos track, it’s never too loud or soft.  It’s perfect throughout the entire duration of the film.

Special Features:

SHAZAM! Let’s Make a Sequel – featurette

The Rock of Eternity: Decked Out – featurette

The Shazamily Reunion – featurette

The Zac Effect – featurette

The Sisterhood of the Daughters of Atlas – featurette

Pay By Play: Scene Breakdown – featurettes

    Ben Franklin bridge collapse

    Rooftop battle of the gods

    Unicorn ride in Philadelphia

    Epic showdown at the baseball stadium

The Mythology of Shazam! – featurette

Director’s Audio Commentary with David F. Sandberg

Deleted Scenes, Alternate & Extended Scenes

Should You Buy It?

As a 4K disc, it looks and sounds out of this world. I’m a big fan of what Warner Brothers does with its 4K releases. They really place a high importance on giving their big screen movies a proper release on 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.  There are also a lot of special features here, so if you enjoy “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” you will enjoy this disc and its special features. If I’m grading this movie overall, it’s just average.  It was watchable and entertaining at times, but it’s a film I have no interest in rewatching, and I don’t think it will have great repeat value.  There are rare moments where the heart of the film is on display, and I liked those moments. The main struggle here is the balance between comedy, action and drama.  The film doesn’t quite pull this task off successfully during its over two-hour running time.  When it does, it’s good fun.  When it doesn’t, it’s very bland and uninteresting.  This is a film in search of a tone.  If you are a fan of this franchise, you will be happy with the 4K release.  If you are watching this for the first time or didn’t enjoy the first one, this sequel is not going to win you over.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘DC League of Super-Pets’ Movie and 4K/Blu-ray Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

“DC League of Super-Pets” is a film which, on paper, sounded like it would be an enjoyable and entertaining animated film for families to enjoy on a rainy day.  I was especially drawn to the cast of the film, which features such actors as Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Natasha Lyonne, Keanu Reeves and Olivia Wilde. However, this feels more like a 10 to 15 animated short than it does a feature length film.  There isn’t a lot of material for the actors to work with here as far as the story is concerned.  It also appears that some of the actors are phoning in their voice performances.

The film opens up by introducing the audience to Superman (John Krasinski) and his best friend, Krypto, a Labrador Retriever, voiced by Dwayne Johnson.  They do everything together, including their daily walk-o’clock.  Krypto, however, is starting to become jealous when he notices that Superman is spending an awful lot of time with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde), and worries he will be left behind.  After all, who is Krypto going to watch The Great British Bake off with?  He’s feeling left out and drowns his sorrows with ice cream and Taylor Swift songs to deal with the pain.  Meanwhile, Superman is hoping to get a buddy for Krypto, so he doesn’t depend on him so much.

While looking for a friend for Bark Kent (Krypto’s day-to-day dog persona), he stumbles into a shelter with a variety of animals, such as a boxer named Ace (Kevin Hart), PB, a potbellied pig, voiced by Vanessa Bayer, a turtle voiced by Natasha Lyonne, and a red squirrel voiced by Diego Luna. The one bad egg in the bunch is a hairless Guinea pig named Lulu, who has been under the guidance of Lex Luthor (Marc Maron). She was a test subject at LexCorp, and now has evil powers of her own, which help her capture The Justice League.  It is up to all of the animals to work together in order to save The Justice League and stop Lulu.  They now have superpowers of their own which they must harness for good in order to restore peace.

This should have been a film which hit just the right notes in terms of appealing to young kids and also having some adult humor as well.  There is adult humor here, but it feels very on-the-nose and not at all natural or organic.  All of the flying around mixed with the superhero powers makes the film feel very tedious to sit through at times.  There is a story behind Ace becoming a shelter dog that adds some layers to his character, and there are also individual moments in the film which are funny and work within the structure of the film.

Overall, though, I can’t imagine too many kids getting all of the adult jokes which are forced into ‘DC League of Super-Pets” periodically.  I also can’t picture parents or adults enjoying the stuff intended for kids.  The film ends at around 95 minutes even though it has a 105-minute running time.  It still felt too long, and I found myself clock-watching.  It’s a case of a film where they thought as long as they had the right voice actors and the DC name attached to it with pets, they were good to go.  They didn’t take the time to actually craft a script which was worthwhile, interesting or well-developed.  They got lazy when it came time to putting the screenplay together.

I had high hopes for this one, but in the end it fell flat.  What is most frustrating about “DC League of Super-Pets” is the potential that can be seen here for a good movie.  There are some backstories and relatable moments which work quite well, but they are not consistent enough throughout the course of the film. It’s an example of an average movie with good scenes sprinkled throughout.  There is a good movie waiting to come out, but it never fully gets on track because of mediocre writing, lackluster voice work and a very lazy plot.  This is a film with a ton of potential which could have been one of the better animated films of the year, but is instead instantly forgettable.  It’s truly a shame, as this is one of the best casts I’ve ever seen for an animated film.  They should have utilized this cast and gave them interesting things to say in a comedic fashion.  Kevin Hart is subdued and for good reason (when you discover his character’s backstory), but no one really stands out here.  Kate McKinnon even seems to be reaching here.

* * out of * * * *

4K/Blu-ray Info: “DC League of Super-Pets” is being released on a two-disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  The film is rated PG for action, mild violence, language and rude humor.  It has a running time of 105 minutes.  It also comes with a digital copy of the film.

Video Info: The 4K of the film is very bright and colorful.  I will say this—the 4K looks simply stunning with its vivid colors. Certain animated films really pop on 4K HDR, and this is one of them.

Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos track is also on point throughout the film, as it never gets too high or too low, even during the action scenes.  It’s just right. Subtitles are included in Canadian French, English and Latin Spanish.

Special Features:

How to Draw Krypto

Behind the Super Voices

Super-Pets Animation 101

Find the Easter Eggs

The World of Super-Pets

Deleted Scenes

Should You Buy It?

I think it’s safe to say from reading my review that the answer is no.  I felt very bored and disinterested while watching “DC League of Super-Pets.”  As stated in my review, the plot is run-of-the-mill and the characters are so underdeveloped. I love animals, as my wife and I have four of our own.  I know they are animated here, but still; they can be cute and funny in animated form.  Another problem with this film is you know certain actors are voicing the parts.  When you can clearly notice their voices, that’s a problem. It means they haven’t really allowed themselves to get into character fully.  Instead, they are simply reading lines right in front of them without any change to their delivery or speech. This is an average film.  It’s a one and done film for me.  For everyone else?  I can’t recommend you check it out, even as a rental.  The film looks and sounds great, but that isn’t enough to make it worth watching or owning.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.