Rank' Em: The Ghibli Films Part II

Continuing from yesterday's post, we're ranking all the Studio Ghibli films from weakest to strongest.  The second half of the list is below.

11. Only Yesterday (1991) - Taeko is an unusual Ghibli heroine, as she's a full-grown 27-year-old woman, in an unusual Ghibli movie, a light drama that was written specifically to appeal to adults.  Most of the film involves Taeko looking back on her on her experiences as a precocious 11-year-old, and re-evaluating her life.  It's one of those stories that doesn't seem like it gains anything from being an animated film at first glance, but of course, once you've seen "Only Yesterday," it becomes hard to imagine how it could have been told any other way.

10. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) - The one non-Ghibli film that I bent the rules for, because Studio Ghibli was founded almost as a direct result of Miyazaki's success with "Nausicaa."  It has the prototypical Miyazaki heroine, the strong ecological themes, the fantastic creatures, and so many of the other hallmarks of Miyzaki's best films.  The manga is unquestionably the stronger work, having a much more fully developed story and characters, but that doesn't change the anime's quality or impact.  If you're a Ghibli fan, "Nausicaa" is absolutely required viewing.

9. Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - The disparate parts are better than the whole, especially if you're familiar with Diana Wynne Jones's source novel.  There are an awful lot of little loose ends and logic gaps because so much of the story was condensed into something much simpler.  However, it's hard to resist the heroine cursed with premature old age, the anthropomorphic fireball, the eccentric playboy wizard, and the loveable shambles of the film's title residence.  The plotting is a jumble of anti-war allegory and unusual love story, but the important stuff comes across. 

8. The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) - A little inaccessible for non-Japanese, because it assumes the viewer is at least a little familiar with the beloved folk tale of the bamboo-cutter and the princess.  This retelling, however, is surely one of the loveliest, with an animation style designed to look like classical brush paintings and calligraphy.  I remember this movie being in production for years and years, and all the effort comes across onscreen in the exquisite visuals.  The story has a few inventions in the third act I thought were unnecessary, but the charming heroine won me over.

7. Porco Rosso (1992) - I used to list this as my favorite Miyazaki film, but my feelings for it have dimmed over time.  The tale of the gallant Italian pilot in the early days of aviation, who prefers to be a pig than to be a fascist, had this wonderful air of mystery and unknowable tragedy when I saw it as a child.  As an adult, though, my perspective has changed, and I view it as more of a nostalgic fantasy for a bygone era.  It strikes me as a sillier film too, where the climactic race devolves into a merry street brawl.  However, it's quieter moments and reveries on flight are absolutely breathtaking.

6. Whisper of the Heart (1995) - One film is enough to count Yoshifumi Kondo among Ghibli's great directors.  "Whisper of the Heart" is a simple story about two kids growing up and embracing their creative sides, with a few touches of fantasy.  But oh, what perfect touches they are.  We get to see just enough of the magical world young Shizuka is writing about to spark our own imaginations, and leave us wanting more.  The more mundane, day-to-day, slice-of-life parts of the movie are also a lot of fun, following the kids through their little intrigues and adventures together.   

5. Princess Mononoke (1997) - My first Miyazaki film, a darker fable about encroaching industrialization and the displaced forest gods and spirits who refuse to go quietly.  The character design, animation, and art direction here are some of the most stunning in all of film history.  The sequences with the Great Forest Spirit alone are a perfect example of what animation is capable of that live-action is not.  I found the arc of the plot a little lacking, in spite of a strong cast of characters and some incredible worldbuilding. That's the only reason why "Princess Mononoke" isn't higher on this list. 

4. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - The iconic Totoro are big, round, cuddly forest spirits, who befriend a pair of young sisters, Setsuki and Mei.  The girls have moved into a small house near the woods with their father, while their mother is away recuperating from an illness.  This is one of Ghibli's earliest successes, a beautifully observed children's story stuffed full of little wonders.  Its power is in its simplicity and universality.  The scenes with the umbrellas at the bus stop, the soot sprites, and the windy night flight, need no dialogue or explanation.  They're perfectly coherent and delightful in any language.

3. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) - Kiki is one of my favorite Ghibli heroines, because her worries and troubles are fairly ordinary.  Yes, she's a witch who does a few magical things, but more importantly she's a girl who has left home and is trying to make a place for herself in the world.  And so she's plagued by the usual self-doubts, bouts of melancholy, and bad reactions to change that everyone experiences in such circumstances.  And all it's so beautifully handled.  "Kiki" may look light and sweet, but it's a very eventful story, and in its own way, very profound in its worldview.

2. Spirited Away (2001) - Sullen Chihiro isn't looking forward to moving to a new town, but when her parents take a wrong turn into the world of the spirits, and she is left to fend for herself as the newest employee of a bath house for the gods, she has to learn to adapt quickly.  I love everything in this film, top to bottom - the endlessly surprising characters, the stream of spectacular visuals, the multiple mysteries that the story unravels one at a time, and especially Chihiro herself, who is allowed to change and grow into quite an admirable little heroine.  I like this one a little more every time I see it. 

1. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) - Because of its subject matter, this "Fireflies" has never escaped obscurity, though it was originally presented as a double-feature with "My Neighbor Totoro."  I think it's not only the best Ghibli movie, but far and away the best animated film ever made.  The prospect of watching a pair of siblings struggle for survival in the aftermath of WWII is hardly appealing to most viewers, but the power of the images and the emotions that they conjure is terribly rare and precious.  If your heart can stand it, all animation lovers should make the time to experience this film.

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Rank' Em: The Ghibli Films Part I

This is a special two-parter post running down the entire output of the studio, now that I've finally seen "When Marnie Was There," reportedly their last feature film for the foreseeable future. I'm bending the rules a bit to include a movie that's technically not a Ghibli picture, but it's difficult to discuss the rest of the films without.  Shaking things up a bit, I'll be doing this list in reverse, counting down to the best film on tomorrow's post.

22. Ocean Waves (1993) - A pleasant feature about teenage romance that was conceived of as a cheap, low-budget exercise to feature the talents of the studio's junior staff members.  It remains Ghibli's only television movie, and the only feature to be directed by Tomomi Mochizuki.  I remember it mainly for its gentle humor and slightly older protagonists than the Ghibli norm.  I have few criticisms of the film, and regard it as simply an unexceptional feature, which should indicate my regard for the twenty-one other Ghibli films on this list.

21. The Cat Returns (2002) - A feature starring the cat characters who appeared in "Whisper of the Heart" sounds like a great idea, but the resulting film is not what it could be.  It's a very slight, very silly cartoon romp aimed at young children, and done in a simpler animation style that doesn't even attempt to match the visual splendor of the original fantasy sequences in the prior film.  It's a perfectly good watch on its own terms, and certainly has its memorable moments, but and I can't quite get over the sense of so much wasted potential.

20. Tales From Earthsea (2006) - Goro Miyazaki's first time in the director's chair turned two of Usula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books into a very messy and uneven, but also very lovely fantasy feature.  Clearly far too much pressure was placed on the younger Miyazaki to carry on in his father's footsteps, and the studio's ambitions for the film were far too great.  Goro Miyazaki is clearly talented, though.  The film hits some impressive highs, and I love this version of the mage, Sparrowhawk, even though he's definitely not LeGuin's Sparrowhawk.

19. From Up On Poppy Hill (2011) - I maintain that this is the film that Goro Miyazaki should have directed first, a low-key, nostalgic romance that was scripted by Hayao Miyazaki.  The story is a little too outlandish for my tastes, and its young heroes too generic in construction, but I enjoyed the warm, easygoing look at the main characters' daily lives and the inviting little community that they inhabit.  The only reason it's this far down on the list is because I've seen a good chunk of the film's content  done before, and better, by others.

18. When Marnie Was There (2014) - I have such high hopes for Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the most prominent of the younger directors who have come up through Ghibli, and might possibly succeed Miyazaki and Takahata one day.  However, judging by his work so far, he's fonder of sweet, sentimental melodramas than the more boisterous adventures of his predecessors.  "Marnie" is a beautiful, pastoral fantasy with few thrills, one that strikes me as very old-fashioned and very Japanese.  It certainly has its flaws, but I wish Ghibli made more films like it.  

17. The Wind Rises (2013) - I really wish I liked this better, since it is Hayao Miyazaki's swan song.  However, I found the story of real-life aircraft engineer Jiro Horikoshi's quest to build a better airplane something of a disappointment.  It's well told and gorgeously illustrated, but I didn't find Jiro to be a compelling character, and the stakes never felt very high.  Then there's the decision not to address the fallout of Jiro's successes, which removes so much of the film's potential impact.  Certain sequences are great, but the film is not.

16. Arrietty (2010) - I've always loved the various adaptations of the "Borrowers" and its imitators.  The concept is so much fun.  This adaptation adds themes of environmental awareness and mortality, focusing on the relationship of our tiny heroine, Arietty, and the ailing boy whose home she inhabits.  It's a beautiful film to look at, full of well-observed details and clever conceits.  And spunky Arietty makes for a perfect Ghibli heroine.  I can't help wishing that there were more to the film, though, which seems to be over before it really gets started.

15. Pom Poko (1994) - Isao Takahata's ecological fable about Japan's tanuki, or raccoon dogs, who unite to battle the human encroachment on their forest.  It's one of Ghibli's funniest movies, full of wacky visual gags and caricatures, though some of the cultural oddities may not translate well for everyone.  Takahata was always the most eclectic Ghibli director, with the longest directing resume.  So it's fitting that "Pom Poko, which resembles nothing else in the studio's library in terms of its visuals, tone, design, or attitude, should come from him.

14. My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) - The studio's first entirely digital production was used to help recreate the simple pen-and-ink style of the "Yamadas" comic-strip, which the film is adapted from.  We follow the five members of the Yamada family through the little adventures and crises of their daily lives, occasionally taking detours through dreams and fantasies too.  Again, it's a Takahata film that doesn't look like anything else that Ghibli has put out, but it's a real charmer.  Though the movie looks small at first, it's heart and soul are anything but.

13. Ponyo (2008) - A cheerfully free-form, silly take on the Little Mermaid story, where a fish girl named Ponyo takes on human form and becomes friends with a human boy named Sosuke.  This one's aimed at grade school kids, with its bright colors, wild character designs, and winning flights of fancy.  I especially love the sequence where Ponyo and Sosuke explore their flooded town in a tiny boat, spotting sea creatures in the waters below them.  I've found that some adults can't handle the abstract weirdness of some of the content, but kids tend to like it just fine.

12. Castle in the Sky (1986) - A rip-roaring old-fashioned adventure story full of pirates and robots and all kinds of excitement.  This tends to be a big favorite among boys with like action movies and tales of derring do.  I always liked the quieter moments, with the kids exploring different corners of this universe or meeting new friends.  However, I've got to admit that the finale with its massive-scale destruction, is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen in an animated film.  Fans should also check out Miyazaki's old "Future Boy Conan" series, which almost plays like a test run for this movie.
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Mea Culpa Media

In the Twitter age, filmmakers can be much more candid about their experiences, which can occasionally lead to PR trouble.  However, lately some prominent filmmakers have been downright harsh when evaluating their work.  Peter Jackson recently admitted in behind-the-scenes videos that he was rushed into the pre-production of the "Hobbit" films and "I didn't know what the hell I was doing" during shooting.  J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, have both acknowledged problems with the last "Star Trek" movie, especially involving the villain Khan.  And then there's the jawdropping admission from director Alex Proyas and studio Lionsgate that the upcoming "Gods of Egypt" has whitewashed casting that is insensitive and problematic.

Now, the cynical part of me wonders if this is all part of the marketing campaigns for the media in question.  Lionsgate's apology could be seen as very canny, getting ahead of the criticism that was inevitable going to surround "Gods of Egypt."  We've got a new "Star Trek" movie on the way soon that could benefit by distancing itself from the previous installment.  The "Hobbit" franchise is over for now, but Warner Bros. has been on the lookout for new franchises for a while, and Middle Earth could still yield a lot more material.  And there are the reputations of the filmmakers in question to consider too.  These directors and writers being able to admit their mistakes make them look better, and make them seem more relatable and appealing.  Filmmakers who can't admit their mistakes, like George Lucas, tend to be viewed with some disdain these days.

Then again, "Gods of Egypt" aside, none of these filmmakers really need the good PR.  Lindelof's comments were made in a Variety interview about his highly acclaimed HBO series, "The Leftovers."  J.J. Abrams was talking shop with Stephen Colbert at a film festival fundraiser, and is still in the midst of his "Star Wars" victory lap.  And, okay, some of the shine has worn off of Peter Jackson, but he was still able to cause quite a stir a few weeks ago when he announced that he'd be directing an episode of "Doctor Who" next season.  His comments were from a featurette included with the last "Hobbit" film's DVD release.  All three of these mea culpas appear to be from creators who are blowing off steam over big projects that are far enough in the past, that they don't have to worry about hurting the bottom line anymore.

This certainly isn't unheard of, but in the past filmmakers would wait a much longer time before addressing these subjects, and of course we didn't have the immediacy of the internet, which took all of these admissions completely out of context and blew them up into clickbaity headlines.  I doubt I would have known about any of them if it weren't for the increasingly rabid entertainment media - at least, not so quickly.  Directors and writers generally want to avoid their disagreements with studios being made public, as it can affect their working relationships - and clearly the studios' demands had a big impact on the "Hobbit" movies and "Star Trek: Into Darkness."  I expect we'll be hearing more of these minor self-flagellations in the future.  And hopefully at some point they'll stop being newsworthy.
 
So the "Gods of Egypt" apology stands out as a very unusual case.  Yes, it's part of the marketing, but it also rings true as a piece of genuine remorse that's being fully backed by the studio.  As the whitewashing issue has come up over and over these past few years, this definitely signifies that Hollywood recognizes that the practice is no longer acceptable.  I doubt that this means the end of insensitive casting, but at least it shows the studios care enough to do this kind of damage control.  It could be the beginning of the end, then, especially as television casting has seen dramatic improvements in diversity over the past few years.  Maybe it's not too much to hope that the movies will follow suit.

I can't help hoping that we'll see mea culpas from other filmmakers for recent bombs - Josh Trank's going to need to mend some fences after "Fantastic Four," and after Cameron Crowe's "Aloha," he's in serious need of some self-reflection at the very least.  But that's the irony, isn't it?  The filmmakers who need to apologize the most are the ones whose reputations may be the most in jeopardy if they actually do.

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"Phoenix" Soars

As we get further and further away in time from the Holocaust, there are more films about it than ever.  However, in recent years we've been mostly seeing films that deal with the lingering aftereffects over many years, like "Sarah's Key," "Ida," and "Woman in Gold."  However, the German film "Phoenix" is one of the few I've found that takes place in the immediate aftermath, following the story of a survivor who tries to come home and rebuild her life and relationships.

Concentration camp survivor Nelly Lenz (Nina Hoss) returns to Berlin after undergoing facial reconstruction surgery which alters her appearance.  She recuperates under the care of her cousin Lene (Nina Kunzendorf), who tries to dissuade her from going to search for her husband Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), who may have given Nelly up to the Nazis.  Nelly sneaks out anyway, and does find Johnny, who is working in a nightclub. He fails to recognize her, but noting that she has a strong resemblance to his wife, proposes that she stand in for her in a scheme to access Nelly's sizable inheritance.  Nelly, using the name Esther, allows Johnny to coach and make her over into the image of her former self, while hiding her true identity from him.

I watched most of "Phoenix" in a state of incredulity.  How long was Nelly going to keep up the ruse?  Couldn't she see that Johnny didn't have her best interests at heart, no matter whether he knew that she was his wife or not?  Why would she continue to subject herself to this?  initially the details of the plot were something out of a lurid melodrama, bordering on the unbelievable.  However, Nina Hoss's performance and the careful handling of the material won me over.  Nelly is a woman who has suffered from a terrible trauma, who has lost her identity and is desperate to regain some semblance of her happy past self.  Hoss is excellent at getting across exactly what she gets from her reconnection to Johnny, even if it is under false pretenses.  Her face lights up in his presence, and she seems to regain a little more life and energy with every encounter.

The no-frills style of the filmmaking makes "Phoenix" feel like a much older film than it is, taking its visual cues from films of the 1940s, but its plotting and themes from psychodramas of the 1960s and 1970s.  The scope of the story is kept small and intimate, mostly concerned with conversations between Nelly and Johnny, and Nelly and Lene.  The source material was a 1961 detective novel, "Return from Ashes," which was apparently a more conventional genre thriller.  Only the barest essentials of the story were retained, focusing on Nelly's recovery.  Director Christian Petzold keeps the mood delicate and the visuals sparse, but also bold when necessary.  There's a wonderfully cold desolation to the Berlin we glimpse during Nelly's nocturnal meetings, contrasting with the photographs from happier times.  Environments seem to mirror Nelly's own psyche, as she grapples with guilt, loss, and deep feelings for her husband that cannot be easily discarded.

A few years ago Petzold made the excellent drama "Barbara," about an East German doctor trapped in a difficult situation, with Hoss and Zehrfeld playing the leads.  That film's visuals were more grounded in reality, the characters more down-to-earth and true to life.  Comparing "Barbara" and "Phoenix," the degree of stylization becomes more apparent in the latter film.  From what I can tell, "Phoenix" is the first film where Petzold has departed from realism in such a fashion, and it's wonderful seeing him explore new filmmaking territory this way.  

I'm not fond of Holocaust films, as even the most well-intentioned and well-executed of them tend to fixate on the depths of the Nazi depravity and the old wounds that have never fully healed.  "Phoenix," at least has a new take on the topic, examining the mindset of a woman who has to acknowledge that she'll never be able to go back to the way things were before she can begin to rebuild.  And the film has one the most absolutely perfect endings that I've seen all year - implausible, yes, but well earned.

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Trailers! Trailers! The 2016 Anticipation Edition

It's been way too long since I've done one of these posts.  To tell you the truth, I've been largely avoiding trailers this season, because I don't want to spoil some of this winter's awards contenders for myself.  I've actually been pretty successful at avoiding any previews for films like "Brooklyn," "Spotlight," and even "The Martian."  However, the trailers for this year's bigger would-be blockbusters have been coming out fast and furious, and I haven't been able to resist taking a peek.  Here's a quick rundown of some of the highlights.

Warcraft - I'm not sure what I was expecting from a Warcraft movie, but it wasn't this.  I'm not too familiar with the fantasy game franchise this is based on, but the first trailer makes it look awfully B-movie, more "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" than "Lord of the Rings."  The orc characters in particular look like they belong in an animated film because of the designs.  I don't know that I'm going to be able to take the story as seriously as I think I'm intended to.  I've liked director Duncan Jones' previous work, so I'll definitely give this a chance, but my expectations aren't very high right now.   Release date's not until June, however, so there's plenty of time left to polish those visuals.

Alice Through the Looking Glass - James Bobin of the recent Muppet films is taking over from Tim Burton, with most of the cast intact - I was actually a little relived to see Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter, and to hear Alan Rickman's voice over.  The only other major addition will be Sacha Baron Cohen as Time.  It looks like the sequel will be doubling down on the ornate art direction, which was the best part of "Alice in Wonderland," and on the prominent involvement of Johnny Depp, which I'm less thrilled about.  Again, no big expectations here, but I do think this universe has some potential for better things, and I can't help hoping for some improvements on the last installment.  

Hail, Caesar! - The Coen brothers are sitting out  the Oscar race this year, with their latest comedy premiering in February.  I choose to believe that this is purely due to Universal's lack of guts after a rough fall season rather than any weakness of the picture itself.  I've always preferred the Coens' comedies to their dramas, and this one looks like a blast.  A Golden Age Hollywood spoof with George Clooney playing another glorious idiot, and Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, and plenty of other familiar faces along for the ride?  Count me in!  After a string of glummer movies from Coens like "Inside Llewyn Davis" and "True Grit," I'm ready for some silliness again.

The Huntsman: Winter's War - This is the most confounding thing I've seen in a while.  It's a "Snow White and the Huntsman" prequel/sequel starring Chris Hemsworth's character, desperately trying to finagle its story around the events of the previous film.  I'm both aghast and kind of impressed at how much they're trying to capitalize off of the success of "Frozen."  Clearly the biggest draw is the three excellent actresses who have somehow agreed to be in the cast, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain.  It's probably too early to say much, but every instinct I have is telling me this one is a stinker.  The effects work looks gorgeous, though, so I'll probably end up giving it a watch at some point.

Captain America: Civil War - Captain America fighting Iron Man should be a lot of fun, but the trailer seems to indicate that the showdown isn't going to be all that serious, unlike the Batman v. Superman match happening a few weeks prior.  The ideological split from the comics storyline has been replaced largely by Cap's efforts to keep Bucky away from the authorities who want to jail him for his crimes, so you can tell nobody's heart is really in the fight.  I never found the Bucky character appealing at all, so I'm hardly feeling invested in the outcome either.  At least with the Russo brothers directing again, we'll get some good action scenes.

The BFG - Exactly what a teaser should be, from the brevity to the brief glimpses of the title character to the decision not to explain what the BFG is just yet.  I have to say it's a little strange seeing Steven Spielberg's name up there with Disney, but if that's what it takes these days to get a Roald Dahl book adapted to screen with any kind of faithfulness, I'll take it.  I'm so relieved to find that Sophie hasn't been aged up, the score is old school, and the mood and tone are just right.  This is currently my most anticipated summer film for 2016.

X-Men: Apocalypse - This is the last "X-men" film with the "First Class" crew, right?  It's good to see some new faces like Sophie Turner and Kodi Smit-McPhee, but once again I'm happiest at the return of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence.  The new movies are still mining their prequel status for marketing material, but otherwise seemed to have settled into their own groove, thankfully.  This time out, lots of gloomy end times imagery promises a big team-up battle.  I wish we could see more of Oscar Isaac, who seems totally lost under all the purple Apocalypse make-up, but it's early yet.

Independence Day: Resurgence - Kudos to whoever cut this trailer, because it's easily the most effective of all the ones on this list.  It did something that none of the other managed - it got me to reverse my position on a film I'd already written off, in this case an "Independence Day" sequel without Will Smith.  Now I'm actually looking forward to it.  This still looks very stupid, in the usual Roland Emmerich fashion, but it looks like a different brand of stupid than what we saw the first time around.  New weapons!  New characters! Bigger scale conflict!  Upgraded effects!  And I admit it.  I've missed Jeff Goldblum too.

Batman v. Superman - I'll say it again.  I do not trust Zack Snyder not to screw this up.  However, he does a great job with trailers and the Comic-Con preview released over the summer remains a very impressive piece of work.  I like that the wide-scale destruction of "Man of Steel" that so many critics called out has become a major plot point in the follow-up.  I like that the uncertainty of public opinion feels so true to life, and that there's a real sense of animosity between our brawlers.  I like Jesse Eisenberg.  Please note that I am linking to the older teaser and not the new one, because the spoilers are just too much.

Star Trek: Beyond - Oh, good grief.  I like Justin Lin and I'm rooting for him to succeed, but this just looks embarrassing.  Why on earth, after all the complaints from the fanbase about the "Star Trek" movies becoming to blockbustery, would you try to sell the newest movie as "Fast & Furious" in spaaaaaaaace?  This is one of those times where I am hoping that all the big action scenes were shown in the trailer, and the actual movie is going to be much more sedate.  I haven't forgotten about the misleading "Annapolis" trailer, Mr. Lin.

Finding Dory - There's not much to the teaser, but it's enough.  I wasn't too excited about this sequel when it was first announced, but I've come around.  I like the idea of a film built around Dory, who is such a unique character.  Ellen DeGeneres's performance was really the highlight of "Finding Nemo," which is honestly not one of my favorite PIXAR films.  Maybe I'm still feeling the afterglow from "Inside Out," but I really think that "Finding Dory" could be better than its predecessor.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Okay, sure.  I guess I'm up for another eight movies of this.

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"Jessica Jones" Delivers a Punch

The biggest influences on "Jessica Jones" are not from the Marvel universe.  Jessica may have her origins in a Marvel Comics title, but her television show is the offspring of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Veronica Mars," and maybe just a bit of "Orphan Black."  Our heroine is a gifted, resourceful young woman who finds herself up against the forces of darkness, and goes through considerable personal strife in reconciling with her inevitable status as a do-gooder.  However, she has a harder time of it than most.

Jessica (Krysten Ritter) is introduced as a private investigator operating out of Hell's Kitchen, who has super strength and can almost fly.  She's constantly drinking, has a terrible attitude, and hates herself.  Her allies are few, but include an attorney who sends her work, Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), a junkie next door neighbor, Malcolm (Eka Darville), and her foster sister Trisha (Rachael Taylor), a successful radio talk show host who refuses to give up on Jessica.  There's also her new love interest, a bar owner named Luke Cage (Mike Colter) with unbreakable skin.  Most of Jessica's problems stem from her past encounters with a villain named Kilgrave (David Tennant), who can control minds, and forced Jessica to do terrible things under his influence.  Kilgrave's inevitable return forces Jessica to get her priorities in order, and prepare for battle.

I've complained before about how some of the recent Marvel Universe films aren't as kid-friendly as the earlier ones, despite being aimed at a younger audience.  I'm perfectly fine with Jessica Jones cursing up a storm, multiple sex scenes, and a constant stream of teeth-clenching, gut-churning material involving Kilgrave, because the series emphatically makes clear that it's for adults.  The series format allows for a much more nuanced, carefully considered portrayal of a more complicated set of characters, and their more complicated problems.  Of course, this is still a genre show, so expect the usual outsized melodrama, wild plot twists, and pontifications on the nature of good and evil.  Occasionally it gets a little carried away displaying how dark and twisted it gets to be, but the show is never too gratuitous.  I also found it unusually sensitive in the way that it deals with violence against women, exploring myriad types of abuses through a fantasy lens, without ever feeling exploitative.  Kilgrave is the ultimate nightmare ex-boyfriend/stalker who likes playing mind games and knows too many secrets.

I really like the cast in this.  Krysten Ritter is appropriately sour, but still vulnerable and sympathetic.  She's not easy to root for at first, though, so I'm glad that the series also introduced Mike Colter's excellent Luke Cage here, who will be getting his own Netflix series next.  And then there's David Tennant as Kilgrave, who is by far the most terrifying and effective villain that the Marvel Universe has served up yet.  I was a little worried at first that the marketing was leaning so heavily on Tennant's involvement to sell "Jessica Jones," but rest assured that he doesn't overshadow our heroes.  I also came away from the series impressed with just about every member of the ensemble - Darville, Taylor, Moss, and Wil Traval, who plays a police officer caught up in Kilgrave's schemes.

I'd put the first half of "Jessica Jones" up against anything else in the Marvel Universe, or any television series that premiered this year, even.  However, the second half fell prey to some bad writing and wonky plotting, that seemed to be aimed at stretching out the content to fill thirteen episodes, but just ended up killing a lot of the momentum.  "Jessica Jones" probably would have been better as a ten episode series, or even less than that.  However, I like the way that it builds its characters and their relationships, clueing us in to what happened in the past bit by bit.  I like the way it keeps its connection to the rest of the Marvel Universe to a minimum, and that it took risks that it didn't need to take - the lesbian divorce subplot, for example.

"Jessica Jones" could have been done better, probably, but for fans of comics who want something more adult, that reflect the strides that the medium has made in the past few decades, it's a big step in the right direction.   It's disappointing that the film series is never going to have a place for a hero like Jessica, but it's heartening to find that she fits right with all the other anti-heroes and kickass ladies on television.

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My Least Anticipated Films of 2016

Quite a few of the titles from last year's list ended up being delayed to 2016, so I'm going to be skipping a few obvious bombs below because I've already talked about them.  Right now, 2016 looks like something of a hangover from the blockbuster-stuffed 2015.  A lot of the weaker projects were quietly pushed back to less competitive slots, and there are all kinds of odd scheduling choices that seem to indicate the studios are trying to forget some of these movies exist - Tim Burton's next movie is already being written off, for instance.

There is no shortage of movies on the schedule already that I want nothing to do with, but I still feel I should put down a few words before I do my best to ignore them for the rest of the year.  As always, my hope is that I'm wrong in my initial assessments, and that these movies will turn out to be much better than they look.  However, if past years are any indication, it's likely this will be the last time you see discussion of any of these titles on this blog.

Sequels are inevitable whenever there are hits, but I'm still aghast that some of these exist.  Though not technically a sequel, "Fifty Shades of Black" continues Marlon Wayans' string of lazy parody films.  The fact that it's primarily riffing on "Fifty Shades of Grey" just makes it that much more distasteful.   I understand that a lot of people liked "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but a sequel fourteen years after the first is really pushing it.  "God's Not Dead 2" is set to release on April Fool's Day, and I and fervently hoping that this is actually some kind of elaborate joke. And quickly, there's going to be a second "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," a "Purge 3," a "Ouija 2," a fifth "Underworld," and the thirteenth installment of the Amityville series, "Amityville: The Awakening."

Speaking of Bible movies, there are a rash of iffy ones this year with "Christ the Lord" starring Sean Bean, "Miracles from Heaven" with Jennifer Garner, and "Risen" with Joseph Fiennes, all coming in the spring.  Note that "Risen" is also being billed as an unofficial sequel to "The Passion of the Christ."  There are also several military glorification features trying to become the next "American Sniper," like Michael Bay's Benghazi movie, "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi." and Mario van Peebles," "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage."  Luc Besson's even getting in on the action with a Navy Seal treasure hunt movie, "The Lake."  At least nobody can claim Hollywood is full of liberals these days with a straight face.

There are more remakes than ever this year.  I'm trying to stay positive about "The Magnificent Seven" and "Pete's Dragon," which both have decent directors attached at least, but Timur Bekmembatov can't possibly be making anything decent out of the new "Ben-Hur," (yet another Bible picture) and are we really redoing "Jumanji" already?  This is one of the most bizarre projects on the schedule, with only a release date and two credited writers.  With no director or stars attached, how is a presumably effects-heavy film like this supposed to be ready for Christmas?  Then again, "Gambit" is technically still slated for October, and that doesn't have a director either.

And now we come to the saddest category, the movies from directors and stars who I've finally written off after too many disappointments.  Alex Proyas of "The Crow" and "Dark City" has been reduced to impending dreck like "Gods of Egypt," which he's already apologized for because of casting snafus.  Sacha Baron Cohen's screen creations seem to steadily be getting worse and worse, so I'll be avoiding "The Brothers Grimsby."  Then there's the Edward Zwick and Zhang Yimou "Great Wall" prestige pic, which looks like another misguided attempt by the Chinese to appeal to Western audiences via picturesque tragedy.

There are a lot of movies I simply don't know what to make of yet, that sound problematic when described, but I could still see being pulled off by talented people in the right circumstances - "Angry Birds," "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," "Sausage Party," and even "The Founder," the McDonald's origin story (yes, seriously).  We're just going to have to wait and see.

My most anticipated movie lists  will be coming in a month or two, after the schedule's been filled in a little more, and we have a better picture of what the year's going to look like.  Happy watching.
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