Review: How "Knives Out" Reinvents the Whodunit is a Clear Success

Scene from Knives Out

The world of Agatha Christie is alive and well in director Rian Johnson's Knives Out. This murder mystery is an original story that pays tribute to the whodunit's of yesteryear while applying a glossy coat of 21st-century idealism over it. With the introduction of detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) out to solve the murder of Harlan Thrombley (Christopher Plummer), the story goes about the journey that makes for one of the most enjoyable films of 2019. On its surface, it's a familiar story where everyone's a suspect and the comedy thrives when people have their own grudges being yelled from across rooms in a form of defense. Their egos will never be put in check, however, so who will go so far as to reveal themselves in this mess? The answer is only part of the reason that this film succeeds as more than a Christie pastiche. It's the story of a modern society coming to terms with its own changing tides, and that elevates the film's relevance to something more than mystery fodder.

Review: "Avengers: Endgame" Gives the Long Goodbye in Beautiful, Messy Ways

Scene from Avengers: Endgame

If the marketing is to be believed, the impact of Avengers: Endgame is a once in a generation achievement. Over the course of 22 movies, Marvel has built a cinematic universe that has come to redefine modern pop culture and turned such esoteric properties as Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel into major icons. It's also the stick in the mud that isn't going anywhere, which can be tiresome for those not willing to put up with its three movies-a-year regiments. In fact, there's another film a few months away (Spider-Man: Far From Home) that zaps the film of certain suspense. With Disney+ also promising a half-dozen shows of various B-Level characters, what is there really to get out of Endgame that warrants it of the major acclaim and billion dollar-opening weekend?

In one sense, Endgame isn't the long goodbye that audiences are promised. Avengers: Infinity War wasn't a moment that killed off half of the cast. How could it? Black Panther was a cultural milestone in the entire superhero genre. To kill off such beloved characters (in a more cynical sense: cash cows) feel foolish. It will take years, maybe even decades (or a century) for these characters to lose their appeal. The weight of supervillain Thanos rings hollow in that way, as audiences are used to these characters surviving impossible feats. While it's true that this isn't a goodbye for 80% of characters that appear in Endgame, those that meet their end do so with the bravura that only a franchise that's existed for 11 years could achieve. Not since Harry Potter has something so weird and genre-specific culminated in something of a miracle. For the 20% that are now in the past, this film serves as a loving tribute not only to what The Avengers means as a franchise but the sacrifices that come with being a superhero.

Review: "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" is Bigger and Louder in the Best Ways Possible

In 2015, cinema has reached an oversaturation of comic book movies to the point that even the very best are suspect to consistent criticism. But the question is raised: what makes a great comic book movie? Is it the ability to mold itself into high art, or is it to stick to the stylized universes of which these stories take place on a page? It seems harder than ever to distinguish between the two, especially with director Joss Whedon's The Avengers: Age of Ultron, which is his swan song from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a way, it is high art and style shoved into one film with uneven results that are at times too stuffed. However, Whedon once again puts out a challenge to everyone else by showing how to make a comic book movie that can have depth and still be extremely exhilarating.

Does "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises" Stand a Chance Against the Academy?

Left to right: Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises
and Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans in The Avengers

This past summer has not given us that many big budget Oscar contenders. At most, we have people speculating on whether director Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises will pull a Return of the King and sweep this year's ceremonies. Meanwhile, there is also some buzz that maybe if director Joss Whedon's The Avengers can stand to steal some thunder from the caped crusader. With the release of Whedon's blockbuster hit, it is time to consider the odds on if it stands a chance against The Dark Knight Rises. Either way, is it possible that blockbuster entertainment can compete against prestige art house films like The Master?