Dog’s Movie House: “Soul” and “Wonder Woman” Entertaining Way To Start The New Year!

“Wonder Woman 1984” brings Princess Diana into the 1980s with Gal Gadot reprising her star-making role. Working in Washington D.C. at a museum by day and fighting crime secretly during her time off, Diana finds herself facing off against Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal, with a truly horrific 80’s hairdo), a failed businessman who has acquired a mystical “wishing stone” that has some nasty side effects. Joining Lord in his quest for power is Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) a mousy co-worker of Diana’s whose interaction with the wishing stone has some unexpected side effects.

“Wonder Woman 1984” has been a divisive film to both audiences and critics because it tries to pack a lot into its two-hour plus running time. It’s not the straight forward origin story the original film was. The pacing is different and there is no real villain. Max Lord does bad things but his heart ends up being in the right place. It’s a multilayered performance that, while very good, doesn’t really give the audience to root against. Also, for a long movie there isn’t much Wonder Woman in the Wonder Woman movie. (Insert you Ian Malcom “Jurassic Park” joke here.) There’s plenty of Diana and Gal Gadot knocks out of the park again, but her actual identity of Wonder Woman is in relatively short supply. The script (by returning director Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns) is more interested in exploring the characters and their emotional motivations then setting up one action set piece after another and if you can vibe with that then “Wonder Woman 1984” has a lot to offer. If you can’t then the structure of the film is going to bother the hell out of you.

The performances are outstanding with Gadot and Chris Pine (returning as Steve Trevor through magical circumstances) demonstrating their outstanding chemistry again. Wiig is wonderful as Minerva, mixing comedy and pathos with equal measure. She’s so good as Barbara that her coming out party as Cheetah is somewhat muted by comparison. Pascal also does some fine work as Lord (although, Lord, that hair is distracting) and there is room for his character to change should more films about Wonder Woman be in the offing. The action is good, but not great, sacrificed for the greater themes of the story. To me it serves as a risky move but one that works pretty well, at least for this reviewer. The film is a bit long (you probably could have trimmed about thirty minutes off the running time and improved the pacing a bit) but overall it’s an entertaining cinematic experience. 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer!

Next up is Pixar’s “Soul” a terrific piece of animated entertainment from Pete Doctor (“Inside Out”) and tells the tale of Joe (a terrific Jamie Foxx), a middle-school music teacher who really wants to be a working jazz musician (the piano is his specialty). When he gets a gig with a famous quartet, his excitement causes him to have an accident that leaves him in the afterlife. He wants nothing more than to get back to his body and with the help of a rebellious young soul named 22 (Tina Fey), he has to navigate the afterlife (without ending up in The Great Beyond) and try to fulfill his destiny.

To tell you anymore about the narrative would be to deny you the joy to be had in viewing “Soul.” Like all of Pixar’s best films it works for both kids and adults although this film may be the first to be geared more toward older folks with it’s questions about one’s place in life and what one’s purpose is. That’s balance by some beautiful animation, an incredible jazz score and some inspired comedy. Foxx is terrific as Joe and he’s matched by Fey’s impetuous 22. The journey is equal parts touching, chaotic, and hilarious and by the time you reach the end of “Soul” you will most likely have used a tissue or two. That this review is so short is indicative of how little I want to spoil the experience of viewing the film with unnecessary exposition. The music, the characters, the story, and the original visions of the afterlife are much more fulfilling if you watch the film rather than having someone like me (talented as I am, heh) describe it to you. “Soul” is full of heart and humor and one of the best films of 2020. 5 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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