by Wondering what to see? Lots of action and adventure streaming this week as several blockbuster releases hit different platforms as the summer season stretches from the multiplex to the living room. Chief among those releases is the latest from Netflix Animation in the form of the sea beasta new original film from Chris Williams, best known for his co-direction of Disney Animation’s vaiana.
the sea beast it’s similar to sailing, but with a few twists of its own and the heart to match it. Amid what seems like a dearth of great movies starring galleons, with its incredible depiction of sea battles with mythical monsters, it feels like a real treat.
Read more: Everything new on Disney+ in July
Meanwhile, in the midst of what appears to be a campaign to saturate the web with advance photos from the set of Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie. Barbie, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) flips and roundhouse arrives on Prime Video, while the historical romantic drama dangerous friendships comes to iPlayer.
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the sea beast (2022)-Netflix
chris williams’ the sea beast It’s new, but feels familiar. Something close in theme and structure to How to Train Your Dragoncentered on an ongoing conflict with a fantastical fauna that changes due to a new understanding of the exact nature of the things that humans are hunting for revenge.
Red, or so the sea creature is called, is like a softer Toothless, but about the size of a kaiju, even resembling him in his graceful appearance and feline personality. In the representation of the bond that forms between the human being and the mythical creature the sea beast could be described as How to Train Your Dragon via vaiana (which Chris Williams co-directed), dick moby Y king kongalong with the adventure stories Williams loved in his youth.
Read more: Everything new on Netflix in July
Photorealism is not a substitute for style and the sea beast it is felt in places as proof of that. In others, it’s a real eye-catcher, bathed in deep reds and purples to contrast with its naturalistic palette on the water, or the resplendent gold and green of the royal navy headquarters, its ornate architecture set in the center of a stunning city. islander .
Watch a trailer for the sea beast
But especially in its early stages, it falls into the contemporary trap of 3DCG animated films that prioritize and fetishize realistic textures in hair, water, and backgrounds, but maintain cartoonish character models and designs, and an almost rubbery texture to the image. skin of his characters, a victim of illumination. calibrated to display the former instead of the latter. There is an extreme clash between how real the water and the hair look and, well, everything else.
On the other hand, those cartoonish designs pack a lot of character, especially when they epitomize the realistic toughness of the Inevitable’s crew in the face of the pampered privilege of royalty who commission them and demand they risk their lives. The problem is in reconciling the gap, the lighting makes the character’s skin look unnaturally smooth compared to the intended roughness of everything else.
That said, it’s hard to stop watching Karl Urban’s lusty hair swaying every time he speaks, or reveling in the crusty character design of an eyepatch-wearing sea dog voiced by Jared Harris (whose bona fide gala includes the excellent The horror). The accents and seafaring dialect of said cast members are a bit harsh, and the dialogue is a bit unnatural as a result, but it’s charming nonetheless. Like the rest of the film’s more glaring flaws, it’s masked by charm and even sheer kineticism, as the traveling camera and playful use of space on the ship feel expansive and claustrophobic when the situation calls for it. , which becomes especially exciting when combined with some fun shot options and fast, energetic editing.
Read more: Everything New at Paramount+ in July
The story itself is fun, reveling in its seafaring adventure and salty dialogue. The actual staging of the action is dynamic and exciting, even if the characters suffer under the film’s harsh lighting. It’s especially charming in the way it has a lot of fun with scale, which could be the key difference between it and the familiar seafaring story of William’s earlier work.
Also new on Netflix: viceroy’s house (2017)
Birds of prey (2020) – Prime Video
With overexposure zooming in on Greta Gerwig’s set behind-the-scenes photos BarbieMargot Robbie is probably on a lot of people’s minds right now. After being somewhat stranded in several blockbuster roles, particularly the horrific suicide squad (later revised by James Gunn in his sequel the suicide squad…nothing confusing).
Read more: Everything new on Prime Video in July
Following that, however, came Birds of prey, a chance for Robbie to cement his version of the Harley Quinn character and have some more fun with it. Also known by its longer and somewhat nastier title. Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)Cathy Yan and Robbie’s collaboration gave Warner Bros. an ever-growing slate of films based on DC Comics, borrowing somewhat from the style of Hong Kong action films and other American interpretations of them.
See: Margot Robbie talks to Yahoo about Birds of prey
Not only does it have a true sense of place, but surprisingly complex and punchy fight scenes, with more than a hint of long, distant John Wick takes and complex choreography through Hong Kong action movies, with a hint of Looney gymnastics. Tunes and outrageous accessories for good measure.
Yan’s movie isn’t too concerned with making a big statement nor is it interested in ‘rising’ above other comic book movies. Instead, she steers toward playful coarseness and vivid styling through her opulent set and costume design. It goes overboard at times, whether it’s slow-motion, voice-overs, music tracks that range from weird, breathy versions of ’80s anthems to fairly obvious needle drops of girl power.
Yet, Birds of prey light-hearted excess is part of the point, and while the mileage will vary for some, for this writer it’s still great timing.
Also in Prime: the breakfast club (1985), at the gate of eternity (2018)
dangerous friendships (1988) – BBC iPlayer
Stephen Frear’s 18th-century drama about French aristocrats who seduce and intrigue each other hasn’t lost its luster over time.
From a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his 1985 play dangerous friendships, follows the Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close in one of her best roles). She asks her ex-lover Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich, who might be jarring as a love object to the contemporary viewer) to seduce the young virgin future wife of the Count de Bastide (another ex-lover of hers). in an act. revenge, in exchange for one last night with her.
The scheme, of course, falls apart as a web of various affairs begins, all part of pleasure as Frears weaves a seductive web of deceit.
Also on iPlayer: spider-man: homecoming (2017), Happy ending (2017)
