Talk to Us Goose: The Mid-Year Review-Renegade Marquee Episode #23
On the next Renegade Marquee, Captain Kaye, The Streamin' Demon, and Tommy look at the big hits of the first half of 2022, and reveal what they think are the best!
Hey, everybody, The Streamin’ Demon here to introduce the latest Renegade Marquee! Join me, Mike, and special guest, Tommy, as we present our picks for the top 5 movies of the first half of 2022! Get ready for a whole lot of gushing and appreciation for the theatrical experience! Here are Mike’s picks!
#5: Turning Red
“Now about the film's themes, this is why I take literally nobody seriously when they say they "cAn'T rElAtE" to Mei's conflict. First off, EVERYBODY was a teenager, that's just an unavoidable part of life. While there may be some specific cultural details that were different from my upbringing, I still fully understood feeling the pressure of living up to my parents' expectations. Second, even if you're not the "target demographic, that doesn't make this movie a failure. Movies are basically empathy machines, an opportunity to step into the shoes of someone else's life, be they a different gender, race, or something not of this world. This movies does a great job accomplishing exactly that, while also being hilarious, a little dark at times, and genuinely emotional (this is a Pixar film, it's kinda their bread and butter).”-Captain Kaye
#4: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
“Everything Everywhere All at Once is an action sci-fi black comedy written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, a.k.a., The Daniels. The Film stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang, an aging Chinese immigrant swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. Unfortunately, this sweeps her up into an even bigger adventure when she finds herself lost in the infinite worlds of the multiverse. Not going to bury the lede, this is the best movie of the year, an absolute feast for the eyes, ears, just about each of the 5 senses (including taste, as you'll probably end up craving a bagel). I'll get my one negative out of the way, which is a pretty tasteless antisemitic joke surrounding Jenny Slate's character, referred to only as "Big Nose." Aside from that blemish, this is practically perfect in every way. Because I really want people to go into this movie as blind as possible, I would advise not reading any further until you've seen it, or you just don't care about potential spoilers.”-Captain Kaye
#3: Top Gun: Maverick
“I only just saw the original recently, so while I can't exactly claim to have nostalgia for it, I completely understand why so many people love it. It would have been so easy for this movie to simply phone it in, for Tom Cruise to rest on his laurels and cash in on the catalyst for his superstardom. But that's not what this movie is. Instead, it's actually a rather thoughtful, introspective, yet thrilling character piece about two pilots who can't let go of the past, in a world that's ready to move on without them. On the technical side of things, this is absolutely one of the best action movies I've seen since Mad Max Fury Road, and the reason it took well over 35 years for this sequel to get off the ground is because technology simply couldn't catch up fast enough. The fact that everyone in the cast underwent intense flight training so they could actually pilot real F/A-18F's is even more impressive! We all know Cruise is cuckoo for cocoa puffs and insists to perform his own stunts, but what's surprising is how much room is given for him to deliver genuinely one of his all-time greatest performances.”-Captain Kaye
#2: Elvis
“Now, this is a Luhrmann film, so don't just expect a straightforward biopic. He not only understands that film is a visual medium, but that there is a timelessness to icons as ubiquitous as Elvis Presley. That's why the soundtrack feels deliberately anachronistic. It takes the classics from Elvis's catalogue, and throws them in a blender with various contemporary acts such as Doja Cat, Kasey Musgraves, Måneskin, Eminem and CeeLo Green. There's also a great mashup that combines Viva Las Vegas with Brittany Spears' Toxic, something I never even knew I wanted. Is the movie too long? Maybe. Does it brush aside the fact that Priscilla was 14 when she met Elvis for the first time? Unfortunately. But unlike a lot of music biopics, I wouldn't exactly call this squeaky clean. In fact, this has more in common with 2015's Straight Outta Compton than Bohemian Rhapsody, particularly the way the film depicts America throughout his career.”-Captain Kaye
#1: The Sea Beast
“I've been a fan of Chris Williams's work throughout his 20+ year career at Disney, and was curious what he could accomplish on his own. As it turns out, he didn't just make a great animated movie, he made one of the greatest adventure films of the last 20 years, rich with the gravitas of Pirates of the Caribbean and Master and Commander, and the heart of How to Train Your Dragon. On a technical level alone, this movie is a feast for the eyes. Unsurprisingly, one of the first things that caught my eye was the look and the texture of the water, in a thrilling nighttime opening sequence. The lighting throughout the film is drop dead gorgeous, some of the best I've seen in quite a while. I also love the design of all the various sea creatures, from the titular Red Bluster, to the adorable Blue, and all the others that our heroes encounter. Which brings us to the #1 reason why this movie succeeds, and that's the characters. Karl Urban's Jacob Holland and Zaris-Angel Hator's Maisie make an excellent dynamic duo, and their arc is something truly special. A lot of people may compare this movie's story to that of How to Train Your Dragon, but please don't conflate such comparisons to criticism. In fact, that first movie is old enough to have been a direct influence on the direction this story takes, and a foundation that strong only allows the writers to take things to the next level. One of the themes this film explores is challenging your own history. To quote an important repeated line, "you can be a hero and still be wrong." Without spoiling the specifics, once I saw the big reveal, that was for me when the film went from really good to GREAT! Now, could this story have been told in live action? Perhaps, but what you gain in animation is a freedom from limitations.”-Captain Kaye
