Tag Archives: Comics

Film Reviews

Film Review: The Archies (2023)

STORY

A young group of friends in the Riverdale High School take stand to save Green Park, the heart of the town Riverdale.

REVIEW

The Archies is based on the characters created and published by Archie Comics. The film is directed by Zoya Akhtar who herself is a fan of Archie comics. The Archie Comics is remembered for its golden run from the early 1940s until the late 1950s. These characters and their Riverdale cannot look fit in any other era at all. Setting Archie Comics in India was also difficult so Zoya did a huge favor by setting the storyline in the Anglo-Indian community based in India of the 1960s.

There can no question over the production and costume designing at all. The architectures, color tone, and the camera technique really brings that time back.

The detailing in the film is meticulous. The story is set in the year 1964 and I noticed the newspaper that Archie’s father reads. The year is 1964 and two headlines are about reforms in Nepal and cyclone in India. And both events actually occurred that year. Another point, Archie asks the tourists if they ever heard The Beatles five years ago. The Beatles was formed in 1960, their first studio albums were released three years later but 1964 is the year when the band gained international stardom.

Another good reason for setting the story in the 1960s is because of the rebellious elements in the plot. When the developers decide to destroy the legacy of Riverdale and build a hotel by destroying the Green Park, the young ones take stand, sign petitions across the community, protest, and perform for more votes. That is the most 1960s thing one can remember.

Making the film a teen musical was the only way to run it. The music and tracks really lived up to that time period. Excel Entertainment’s most trusted musical team Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy were well supported by Ankur Tewari, The Islanders, and Dot.

A couple of scenes were well shot. I loved the one where after kissing, Archie and Betty close and hang in their doors, and touch their lips and then leave on the opposite directions at the same instant when the camera is moving out.

I liked the corporate angle that folds the Riverdale society. Zoya showed how the community affects by the decisions. People and their emotions are bought by the rich, you get the capitalistic vibes in the book shops and salons.

CAST

The teaser of the film that was released last year sparked outrage among the netizens and Bollywood buffs due to sense of nepotism as three of the seven kids belonged to major film families. After the release of the film, the netizens showed no mercy to note down how badly star kids performed on the silver screen.

Someday I will speak about Bollywood and nepotism but in brief, the criticism is harsh because the audience needs to understand that nepotism is one of the main roots that defines the film industry. These kids have made their debuts but their acting careers in the future will run ONLY if the audience accepts them.

The three in the lead are Agastya Nanda, the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan; Suhana Khan, the daughter of Shah Rukh Khan; and Khushi Kapoor, the daughter of Sridevi.

Almost a year ago, in a podcast with Nadir Ali, the British-Pakistani actor Alyy Khan, who play’s Suhana’s father, shared his experience of working in this very film and showed his dissatisfaction working with these newcomers. He gave an interesting insider that these kids get to work in a workshop for one year. He judged that if the kids still do not perform, then damnation on them. He was absolutely right.

Out of seven, none of them performed. They all were disappointing. The dialogue deliveries, the facial expressions, the body languages, they failed everywhere despite having Zoya Akhtar on the director chair. The fun fact is that the supporting actors are the actors.

I am unsure if the kids were instructed to act like that despite one year at the workshop. Particularly, Suhana’s acting was extremely messed up but if you look at her performance in that short film “The Grey Part of Blue”, you will be surprised.

But readers, again! time will tell. Many star kids were awful on their debut in the past. Some of them became very outstanding actors.

CLOSING REMARKS

The Archies with all impressive technicalities and music is halted to crafting the film into excellence for one major reason and that is the leading cast. The film depends on the Archies more than the pluses I mentioned above.

The era of rock’n’roll and miniskirts dashed by the obviousness and predictability. If the spine is broken, it leads to paralysis. A factory ready to manufacture the best possible product with best available resources but failing to deliver the required result due to weak labor force.

RATING 6.5/10

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World of Comics

Comic Book Review: Kingsman – The Secret Service (2012)

Gary “Eggsy” Unwin lives with his mother and brother Ryan in Peckham, South London. One night, he gets arrested for smashing up a stolen car. His uncle Jack London bails him out and recruits him to work for the British spy agency. After a three-year training, Eggsy is put in use to work as an agent, and along with Uncle Jack, they investigate a series of celebrity kidnappings that leads to the dangerous Doctor James Arnold whose mission is to reduce the human race to only one billion population to avoid facing a total extinction and establish a brand new society of intellect.

British literature has a proud history of presenting one of the most pre-eminent spies and detective writings. Kingsman may not rank amongst the great writings but established a cult status, especially after the first graphic novel was turned into a film. The popularity of the novel can be observed this way that Kingsman’s first novel ‘The Secret Service‘ was published in 2012 but the idea of filming the book began the very next year.

The Secret Service was created by a trinity of Mark Millar, Dave Gibbons, and Matthew Vaughn. Millar wrote, Gibbons drew, and Vaughn co. plotted. The novel has six issues and those who have watched the first film in the series will enjoy reading this and remember a lot of scenes coming straight from this novel. But after reading this, I feel that the film improved by sensationalizing the story. The audience will get more joy in watching than reading because of the ideas and the changes that were developed in the film.

And these are major changes I am talking about. Professor James Arnold, a small character portrayed by Mark Hamill in the film is actually the main antagonist of the novel as Doctor James Arnold. Colin Firth‘s Harry Hart is Jack London in the book but his relationship with the main character Eggsy differs. He is an uncle to the kid in the novel but not in the film. In fact, the film had a backstory that well supported the cause that introduced Eggsy to the spy agency. The famous William Horman quote Manners Maketh Man wasn’t written in the novel but picturized in the film. Jack London’s death scene is totally different, he got killed by Professor Arnold without knowing his identity whereas, in the film, Harry Hart is killed by the antagonist Richmond Valentine portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson after that magnificent action sequence inside the church. Gazelle is an African-American man in the book who can also speak but is a mute girl in the film.

So many things changed in the film but these are acceptable because it was the trinity of Millar, Gibbons, and Vaughn who made this film. Millar and Gibbons were the executive producers and Vaughn directed this. So there is no point in questioning the changes if the creators of Kingsman were responsible for the decision making.

Dave Gibbons’ artistry has a classic detailing of old-school comics with pretty good care on facial moods, posh attires, and brilliant bloody violent action scenes. Observe the gunshot exploding in Jack’s head. I don’t know why I have this feeling but the Blu-ish theme used in the night scenes is striking like Eggsy’s team flying near the mountains in Switzerland or the balloon in the air.

The Secret Service is a short story that gives the readers its share of entertainment, enjoyable humor, quality violence, and such an impressive character detailing of Eggsy and Jack. The fans of the Kingsman series can definitely give a try to this book.

REFERENCE

Kingsman: The Secret Service Issues 1-6 (2012-2013)

FREE DOWNLOAD

https://kingsman.fandom.com/wiki/The_Secret_Service_(comic_series)

SUPPORTING VIDEO

If any reader is willing to watch a visual commentary about the graphic novel and the film, watch this video.

World of Comics

Comic Book Review: Secret Origins (1973)

 

If the readers of comic books from the DC platform are exhausted and bored of reading about their two signature products, Batman and Superman. If the DC fans are willing to know how the heroism of their favorite superheroes ever began. What made them change their identities and started to fight against crime? If you are confused to understand, after realizing that there is more than one origin story, what exactly is the original story to believe in? Or, if you are new to DC Comics and are enthusiasts to try and read a few origin stories, I have a very excellent suggestion for you.

My fellow DC readers, sixty years ago, the publishers did a favor on the readers of that time and published a one-shot with the title, Secret Origins. This issue had around 85 pages and reprinted original material of the golden-age superheroes. A decade later, the publishers took a better step and ran 7 issues between 1973 and 1974 that had origin stories of many favorite superheroes.

The good thing about these issues is that the original stories have been represented in their original form without any alterations and mentioned the dates of original publishing. So the confusion of following more than one origin story was avoided. Also, the publishers tried to push reading about the stories of some heroes who weren’t as iconic as Justice League‘s most important heroes like Kid Eternity, Vigilante, or The Legion of Super-Heroes. Well obviously, the publishers didn’t cover many figures due to their hands being tight over releasing extremely limited issues but this was the baby step in their history to expect further in the coming decades.

The oldest comics make you know one aspect of the writing that the writers do not intend to stretch a particular episode or a story to some length but find a moment to end the issue instead of giving broad details. But those writers who came up with these iconic characters will always be ahead of all the writers of all eras and ages because they were the creators of our favorite superheroes, they provided them costumes, powers, and reasons to live. And this is one major reason, the readers need to visit these historical pages and get the knowledge of how their favorite superhero was actually written and what was his/her backstory.

By reading the origin stories, there is every chance for the reader to develop an interest in other heroes, their villains, and their worlds. And reading other heroes become necessary because sometimes the readers limit themselves to one hero and read his/her stories in different timelines. But when that hero is involved in a mega story where other heroes get involved, a lack of understanding for the other heroes leads to unattraction. That interest or enthusiasm to read a major story fades. Just for example, if the reader of one hero chooses to read a major storyline like any of the Crisis stories, how will the reader develop that interest for other heroes that he/she has for his/her favorite? Issues like Secret Origins guide the readers to understand those heroes.

REFERENCES

1) Secret Origins Special Giant Issue #1 (June 1961)
2) Secret Origins Issues 1-7 (1973—1974)

FREE DOWNLOADS

https://getcomics.info/dc/secret-origins-1-1961-one-shot/

https://getcomics.info/dc/secret-origins-vol-1-1-7/

SUPPORTING VIDEO

Secret Origins is about the backstories of superheroes. But if you are interested in understanding the backstory of DC Comics, you may like this.

Film Reviews

Film Review: The King’s Man (2021)

The King’s Man is the third chapter in the Kingsman series of films that takes the audience more than a hundred years back to present what were the causes and factors involved that gave birth to the Kingsman organization. Directed by the same guy, Michael Vaughn, this film touches on so many important political events that happened before, during, and after World War I.

The Kingsman films are basically a comic book series ‘Kingsman‘ written by Mark Millar and the artwork by Dave Gibbons. Kingsman is so far consisting of three parts, starting with ‘The Secret Service‘ of 6 issues. Then ‘The Big Exit‘ which is only 1 issue. And then ‘The Red Diamond‘ of 6 issues. Keeping in mind, Mark Millar gave birth to Kingsman in 2012 and Michael Vaughn picked the literature in 2014; so the Kingsman franchise in all formats has made steady progress in just 10 years.

Rhys Ifans as Rasputin in 20th Century Studios’ THE KING’S MAN. Photo credit: Peter Mountain. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

History has been one of my favorite subjects. Therefore, time-traveling with Kingsman to one of the most important political events in history was necessary. Of course, the events were not historically accurate. Hitler didn’t kill the Tsars, Mata Hari didn’t seduce Woodrow Wilson, Rasputin wasn’t a fighter, and many more.

There may be two reasons for these inaccuracies. One is that Michael Vaughn took the liberty to present the film with such theatrical license to become how the history would look like to build a purpose of giving birth to an organization.

The other reason is maybe this is how the original source of the comic book series is written. And if that is so, then the historical inaccuracy does not become a problem because the writer has the liberty to present his/her audience the way he/she wants to write a fictional story on a real event. There is no argument in that. There are tons and tons of fictional novels based on real events and that is completely okay. If anyone still has any objection, let me drop this to you, Joker was once Iran’s representative to the United Nations *cough*.

One more fact that we need to acknowledge is that Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons themselves are the executive producers of all three Kingsman films. So no one should have any problem with any portion of the story if the Gods of that universe are the ones financing these films.

Michael Vaughn’s direction was quite different than the previous two installments. But I must say, the direction was pretty complex in the middle of the film. I felt the film was deliberately running fast, they have to catch the train and reach the platform where the organization will come into existence. But also, Michael Vaughn usually paces the screenplay.

The casting of this film is so elite and perfect. Ralph Fiennes in the leading role as the Duke of Oxford was marvelous thought. He perfectly suits a franchise like Kingsman. Tom Hollander! I mean what a smart and intelligent pick for the triple role of Tsar, Wilhelm, and George. Giving such heavy roles to the same actor was funny and clever as two of the three, Tsar and George were identical. To my utter shock, Rasputin is played by Rhys Ifans. Never imagined him being Rasputin. What a thought! He looked so Rasputin in superb makeup. And I found this Rasputin in physical presence better than Ben Cartwright‘s in the limited series, The Last Czars.

And then the fast action sequences, that have been important elements of Michael Vaughn’s filmography, will not disappoint. Rasputin’s fighting was fun to watch, I was laughing at this action sequence because Rasputin was fighting with elements of Russian folk dance.

Maybe the film is not appreciated because of the complex direction in the middle of the film and is quite different than the first two Kingsman films. But I recognize the importance of this film and I think it was quite alright. I liked the idea of how one evil sent his followers to bring hell on the global powers. This film is extremely political and may also be the reason that Kingsman fans showed less fondness as compared to the other two. But I believe, this film stays untouched by the graceful aesthetics and makes no harm in this Kingsverse. With the development in the mid-credit scene, I wait for its continuity.

Ratings: 8.2/10