Old Guard (2020)

Based on the comic book mini series of the same name from Image comics, the collected issues can now be acquired to read as a graphic novels. Its the story of immortals, from whichever century they were born from; they were soldiers who found purpose in their existence by serving a greater good in humanity from the gift of their immortality.  The reciprocal is that the world is filled of hypocrisy and the evils of men and women, The film kind of narrates that over time that this cynical threat is why they remain hidden from the world, and help from the shadows.

The film visualizes they have no super powers or strength, only they just can't die. So its an examination of historic conditions to contain and manage them as they are seen as a threat that can't be understand or controlled.  The film is very grounded in real world applications so the special effects is centered on human repair from incident rather than big gun explosions or elaborate car chases.  The psychological and emotional scars of memory when you out live family and friends. The horrors of confinement and experimentation are touched upon in this film and the era in which extreme measures are practiced are viewed.

That being said, the comic book story was written by Greg Rucka who adapted the screenplay.  Something rarely done in films; Rucka who was in close contact with the director Gina Prince-Bythewood explained changes in script to suit a better interpretation on the screen, as this was the first comic adapted movie she was involved in and had read the original source material.  The comic book artist  was Leandro Fernandez and his work also served as a contributing storyboard when preparing the visual elements of the motion picture.  A fun fact - the budget of this movie was $70 Million dollars, Netflix revealed in its first week of release Old Guard was viewed in 70 Million homes.

Runaway SEASON Two

 

Besides a slower paced opening episode that had a fun opening chase / running sequence, the second season has a much more elaborate story, being both fast paced in character development and advancing the many sub-plots while flushing out a more realized world  that was only established on the first season. 

On the run, avoiding surveillance cameras and digital fingerprints, the group wisely stays off the grid and finds food and shelter at a pride food bank and charity center for the homeless.  The audience is set up to the situation of where we are with every character from last season and where the show will play on from there.  As Nico opens the show opener saying "we really suck at being runaways". 

 The second season is  now 13 episodes as opposed to the initial 10.  This season is broken in half. With the  first seven episodes concluding the story set up from season one. It ends the Jonah storyline and threats posed by Jonah, and the cabal known as pride by reaching and epic conclusion.  The final six episodes keeps the gang as runaways, and slowly deciphers the final words spoken by Jonah right up to the thrilling final moments. The show continues to tackle the concept of mental illness, teenage relationships, and family(s) trying to make amends the only way they know how, but Evil deeds are inherent and family reunions are nigh.   Team leadership weighs heavy on Nico as she battles a darkness from within; juxtaposed to Karolina mastering her light. Chase and Gertrude  deepen their relationship, but Gertrude being off her anxiety medication really displays the complexities of mental illness and stigmas associated with it.  Alex' obsession to bring his family to justice keeps him away from the group, his solo choices could jeopardize the team.  Molly is embracing her heroic powers, but being the youngest member she feels the most alone as she continues to lose people she has comes close too.  This Season establishes the Runaways' Lair, it clearly defines the positions and roles each parent has in pride, and why they and Jonah decided to keep their pack.

Avengers Confidential - Black Widow & Punisher (2014)

Avengers Confidential marks as Marvel's second feature length animated movie to be crafted in a Manga art form, But the first time the character Black Widow headlines a movie title. As for the Punisher, its a first time he is being put in a position worthy of being punished himself, which allows for some interesting character development to be explored. 

Famed Japanese animation studio 'Madhouse',  who brought us classics like Ninja Scroll, One-Punch Man, and the first Beyblade anime series, curated Avengers Confidential- Punisher & Black Widow.  Directed by Kenchi Shimizu (Parasyte: The Maxim). The film follows vigilante Punisher dispatching his brand of justice, however his latest action disrupts a S.H.I.E,L.D. operation, getting him apprehended by Black Widow.  The film rides the line of will they or won't they fight each other until the true threat reveals itself.  Madhouse had released a Marvel animated movie a year prior with Iron Man: Rise of Technovore.  Similar in style to animated movie ghost in the shell, with a  cellular vibrancy of  the classic Akira movie. Confidentials' violent action ramps up with bloodshed only in the third act.

We fast forward to the summer of 2021, several years later Black Widow now headlines a motion picture, a first for the character since making her first appearance back in 2010's  Iron Man 2. Both the  live action and animation similarly treads the fact that Natasha Rominoff  revisits her past, and that of loved ones. Punisher who has been played by 4 leading men over 3 live action theatrical movies and streamed for two season on Netflix.  Have  both been considered ancillary characters in the landscape of marvel comics, they are given their chance to prove they can tell and lead with their own interesting stories.

Avengers Confidential is more about character than action, Punisher's motivation is about putting criminals down permanently so they never have a chance to harm an innocent. This film deposits what if Punisher uncontrollably kills innocents;  A complete violation of his prime directive, or a personal code of ethics. He monstrously kills, and awakens with the blood fresh on his hands. How can Frank Castle punish the Punisher; is one of the main threads linked to this espionage movie.

On paper the movie seems like an interesting read, it's concept art, and color palette is very different from other Marvel animated movies or series,  The ending feels rushed and packed to give the finale a surprise and elevated finish  The journey to unravel who has the stolen technology and what does that mean looses interest  by the fourth city the duo visits by its slow pacing. Its an adult rated story, and its' Manga form of animation offers a hyper self awareness with all the dangers. The final fight though carefully choreographed and plotted , is just noise, easily forgettable and predictable. 

Punisher War Zone (2008)

 

A film - self aware that it is a comic book with larger than life personalities, and action set pieces  that could only be derived from a comic book panel. 

War Zone is a product of the Joe Quesada Marvel Knights comic book line. A comic book run that in the 1990's had a very strong run in its infancy, but fizzled out either by an over saturation of content with 2 other Punisher titles being released monthly, or by the sudden decline in overall comic book sales. These poor sales declared Marvel to file for bankruptcy and sell off its movie rights to film distributors like Sony to make the company solvent again.    This put the future in the hands of  Marvel's movie producer Avi Arad ; Arad wanted a Marvel movie to really incorporate the history of its characters and tell a story faithful to its comic book adaption;  usually at a cost within a tightly budgeted restraint, which was the case in the Thomas Jane Punisher movie,  the Ben Affleck's Dare-Devil movie, and Jennifer Garner's Elektra Movie; all directors' commentary eluded to strong budgetary constraints placed on them. Lexi Alexander, who had constrictions, but came from a low budgeted Screen Gem  of Green Street Hooligans, took on the job in the hopes to lead to bigger budget projects down the road.

This movie to date is the third and final motion picture adaptation of a live action Punisher film to be released theatrically. Featuring Ray Stevenson in the starring role. This film shared an over the top punch that shattered a man's face into their brains, a heat seeking rocket launcher taking out a parkour villain in mid jump,  a mob boss so obsessed with his looks to only become a facially destroyed main antagonist, and a mentally unbalanced brother who calmly embraces his Hannible Lector side from time to time.  The action set pieces are all taken directly from the various panels from the wealth of Punisher comic pages. And endorsed whole heartedly by the production company of Lionsgate who was supportive of a R rated hero film; As marketing pushed the film  to a Christmas release without cutting the trailer in a way to show how much of a hard R rating this film was.  The result - it opened on December 5th 2008, in 6th place and was pulled from theatres on December 24th in 25th place, making only $1.6 Million opening day weekend and tabulating just over $10.1 Million world wide theatrically.  It was a commercial disaster with a budget of $35 Million and nearly half of that 10.1 million was to return payment for the marketing and its film exhibitors which is automatic off the top, not to mention payment for the interest in loans to the bank for financing the film. In the end the hope for DVD/Blue Ray sales  to help clear the books was expected. That in the end was $14 million dollars, putting the movie at deficit of a near 1 million dollars that it never was able to clear.  The result was Director Lexi Alexander filmography never bouncing back after the release of Punisher War Zone and some executives  not keeping their day jobs after the Christmas of 2008.