Jon Favreau
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Apocalypse Now (1979)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
influenced The Jungle Book (2016), Iron Man (2008)
Music Visuals Characters
Consider a scene where Iron Man rockets to the Middle East, saunters around to Led Zeppelin and AC-DC in an interesting/depressing update of the Wagner-scored helicopter attack from Apocalypse Now , and makes it back in time for a starlet elbow-rub covered by E! basic cable.
When Christopher Walken’s power-hungry giant ape King Louie appears in the shadowed interior of a crumbling ruin, rubbing his temple precisely like Marlon Brando in “Apocalypse Now,” it’s a brilliant moment of suspense and a superb inside joke.
Bagheera escorts Mowgli through the jungle on what proves to be an arduous journey, as they encounter the seductive python Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), who views Mowgli as a delectable treat, as well as the gigantic orangutan King Louis (Christopher Walken, channeling Marlon Brando from "Apocalypse Now"), who wants the boy to bring him fire for his own use.
There’s also King Louie (Christopher Walken), a hulking orangutan who’s a cross between the Godfather and Marlon Brando’s Col. Kurtz from “Apocalypse Now.”
The Jungle Book, Disney’s latest live action take on one of their animated classics, actually contains sly nods to Apocalypse Now and Saturday Night Live.
And then there’s Christopher Walken doing his Christopher Walken thing as King Louie, the grotesque and oversized orangutan who “welcomes” Mowgli into his dark and forbidding lair with all the oily menace of Colonel Kurtz in “Apocalypse Now.” Walken’s rendition of “I Wan’na Be Like You,” made famous by Louis Prima in the 1967 film, might be amusing to adults (I found it a bit tedious) but will most likely have children fidgeting with their 3-D glasses, waiting for the story to get moving again.
The film “Chef” heralds the glorious return to the big screen of food porn, a term once ascribed to “Babette’s Feast,” “Eat Drink Man Woman” and “Big Night” but now mostly relegated to the Cooking Channel.
Complete with a chocolate cake contretemps that reminds you of Stanley Tucci in Big Night , Chef can seem like a reheated mid-budget studio comedy, yet the light Favreau-and-friends romp (which morphs into a road movie) goes a long way on charm.
The movie reminded me of other delectable food-focused fare such as “Big Night” and the animated “Ratatouille.”
"Chef" is the food movie for the food truck era, a film that doesn't appear to be headed for classic status in the vein of "Big Night" or "Eat Drink Man Woman," but which taps into the zeitgeist in an assertive, interesting way.
Even without that comparison, Chef very much deserves to join Big Night and Dinner Rush in the canon of great American food movies.
It's a return to form deserving of a place alongside culinary classics such as Big Night and Babette's Feast.
In and of itself, an Iron Man movie wasn’t going to generate an excessive amount of interest, especially considering the pop culture colossus of The Dark Knight competing with it that summer.
When the MCU makes a very good movie, as they've done here, it is because it's either epic and spectacular, like "The Avengers," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Civil War" and "Black Panther"; or anchored by charismatic main characters who are likable, funny and inspiring, like the "Iron Man" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" series and "Thor: Ragnarok."
And we learn that the film takes place in the mid-1990s, years before the overarching MCU saga that began with Iron Man (2008) and will finish with Avengers: Endgame.
From his first appearance as Fury in Iron Man (2008), Jackson has been a central and beloved figure in the MCU; his presence here, pre-eye patch, is delightful.
…the Blade Runner-esque neon landscape of Shakari…
Intrigue remains high as our heroes head to the visually appealing, Blade Runner-esque planet Shakari…
…one scene benefits from a unique techno-punk aesthetic reminiscent of Blade Runner…
…where there are heavy nods to Blade Runner via endless rain and retro-futurist design…
After meeting with the aunt and uncle of Ratta on Nal Hutta, Mando and Grogu head to the Moon of Shakira, which looks an awful lot like "Blade Runner's" L.A.
…other modern classics (“Top Gun” to “Blade Runner,” even a little “Streets of Fire” for the real ones out there)…
But this movie is just as inspired by fish-out-of-water high-concept family comedies like Enchanted and Elf, both of which are a) not streaming on Disney+ and b) much, much, much funnier, smarter, and more heartwarming.
Though well-intentioned, this take off of Elf can’t find its own way and is content with simply mirroring the premise and intent of that holiday classic.
In the same vein as Elf or Enchanted , whimsical Eleanor barges into the dull, downtrodden life of Mackenzie, her daughters (Jillian Shea Spaeder, Willa Skye) and her helpful sister (Mary Elizabeth Ellis).
A knockoff hybrid of "Elf" and "Enchanted" that doesn't even attempt to disguise its lack of originality, it stars Jillian Bell as Eleanor, a fairy-godmother-in-training who learns that her entire profession is in danger of elimination since no one actually believes in such things anymore.
I love Elf during the holidays, and This Christmas is a go-to every year.
It’s almost like Elf in a way.
Reversing a superhero trend that started with Tim Burton's decidedly dark 1989 "Batman" -- and which lesser directors have tried to ape in almost every subsequent superhero film churned out by Hollywood -- "Iron Man" avoids taking itself too seriously, as embodied in its vivid lighting design and brightly colored palette.
You may have never thought of Robert Downey Jr. as a superhero — and I don't want to hear why you think Michael Keaton was an inspired choice for Tim Burton's weak "Batman."
And while Bridges obviously relishes his role, chewing through his scenes with a voracious appetite, it is pushing-middle-age hipster Downey who, like Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean" or Michael Keaton in "Batman," takes control of a role he has no earthly right inhabiting and turns it into something intrinsically, quintessentially, elementally his.
Michael Keaton and George Clooney, in the “Batman” series, brought an instinct for satire to comic-book movies, giving their mock-stentorian lines a twist.
Jack Nicholson as The Joker in "Batman" (1989) and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) had their reputations boosted by brilliantly portraying villains.
Comparisons can be made between Iron Man and Batman.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Directed by James Gunn
influenced by Iron Man (2008), The Jungle Book (2016)
Plot
There's no reason for that not to inspire cautious tiptoeing, for it not to motivate a precise tonal copy of what's worked in films like Iron Man and The Avengers , and ultimately for it not to lead to a zillion-dollar effort to ensure a solid, uninteresting base hit, creatively speaking.
The movie unfolds in the same universe as Iron Man and The Avengers and the other interconnected Marvel-comics films, but it’s set somewhere in the cosmic margins, away from Earth, off to the side.
While set in the Marvel universe of comicdom, Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t the biggest untapped property in the stable, but as they did launching Iron Man, it was ready-made to fill a niche; it feels like equal parts “Farscape,” “Firefly,” and the few family-friendly parts of Pitch Black (Vin Diesel much?) while putting an original spin on it.
How many of us, for example, decided on very early looks that Guardians of the Galaxy would be way-off cosmic, only for Disney-Marvel to turn in the best summer movie of 2014?
The effects are nothing short of awe-inspiring, the immersive production a marvel (production design by Christopher Glass ("Arthur Newman") and Abhijeet Mazumder, cinematography by "The Matrix's" Bill Pope, editing by Mark Livolsi ("The Judge"), sound design by Christopher Boyes ("Guardians of the Galaxy")).
Star Wars (1977)
Directed by George Lucas
influenced The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), Iron Man 2 (2010), Iron Man (2008)
Visuals Themes
…the inclusion of two stop-motion droids provided a very ‘original Star Wars trilogy’ feel…
The Mandalorian And Grogu asks 'what if Star Wars were an Eighties action movie?'
Grogu is one of the best recent additions to the list of characters in the Star Wars universe…
It wasn’t trying to reinvent Star Wars.
The first Star Wars movie in nearly seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a welcome reminder of the unique action, adventure, humor, heart, and mythology that are specific to this world, as well as what a joy it is to exist within it for a few hours.
Revisiting some of the quieter, simpler whimsy of early Star Wars movies…
Andor is the lone exception that found creative, risky ways to reinvent inside the wheel.
…with The Mandalorian and Andor occupying the exceptional space…
Yes, those assets have propelled numerous live-action and animated Star Wars TV series in the interim, but even the best of the lot — The Mandalorian and Andor — only occasionally rival the epic scope of the movies.
…the diametrically opposed and truly genius “Andor” has shown what it’s like to really dig into a different sort of “way”…
…the likes of "Rogue One" and "Andor" can placate the most strident Disney haters in the meantime.
Andor, Maul - Shadow Lord, The Acolyte, Visions, and especially the earliest seasons of The Mandalorian proved that Star Wars can be so much more…
If the inspiration comes from such movies as “Life of Pi” and the recent adaptation of “Planet of the Apes”, then “The Jungle Book” is the advanced level.
Just four years ago, the Bengal tiger in “Life of Pi” was a jaw-dropping creation.
Working far from the jungle in a building in downtown Los Angeles, Favreau and his VFX team have built a fantasy world to rival James Cameron's in Avatar and Ang Lee's in Life of Pi.
Yet after a while, I stopped caring about how the filmmakers achieved such visual plausibility and sumptuousness, which is on par with, if not better than, recent effects-driven triumphs "Life of Pi" and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes."
Completamente filmada en estudios de casa en Los Ángeles, The Jungle Book nos presenta el avance en VFX más significativo en la industria desde que filmes como Avatar, Life of Pi y Rise/Dawn Planet of the Apes lo hicieron.
The density and detail of the jungle are rendered sensuously by digital effects experts culled in part from the teams behind Gravity, Life of Pi and Avatar, and by the cinematographer Bill Pope.
As one might expect, one of the most changed by Thanos’ act is Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr., whose Iron Man was ground zero for this particular superhero playground), who actually finds a way to begin his life again and doesn’t easily want to return to his avenging ways.
The Avengers fared somewhat better (if you don't count Iron Man stranded in outer space with Nebula).
Iron Man exceeded all expectations, created a new juggernaut (not Juggernaut) and sent a generation of filmgoers on an emotional journey that culminates in Avengers: Endgame.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely—all returning from Infinity War and all veterans of a pair of Captain America films as well—have done a splendid job of wrapping up 11 years' worth of MCU storylines spread across 21 films (from the 2008 Iron Man right up to this year's Captain Marvel ).
Parece que fue ayer cuando Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008) llegó a nuestras vidas como inicio de la primera fase del megaproyecto UCM y, al mismo tiempo, mucho ha llovido desde aquella reunión grupal que cambió el género para siempre en Los Vengadores (Joss Whedon, 2012).
Avatar (2009)
Directed by James Cameron
influenced The Jungle Book (2016), The Lion King (2019)
Visuals
It's enthralling to be dropped into the middle of the virtual sets and look around at them, at any rate, and the film earns the ever-loving hell out of the upcharge to 3-D; not since Avatar has a film Avatar'd this well.
(Think “Babe” meets “The Life of Pi” meets “Avatar.”)
Untethered by reality, its settings are huge, its cliffs and waterfalls like something out of James Cameron’s Avatar.
But not enough to diminish the brilliance and craftsmanship that went into a movie that makes the CGI jungle in “Avatar” look amateurish.
Like “Avatar” before it, this CG and live-action interpretation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale of a boy raised by wolves feels like a momentous occasion in the technical advancements of big-budget cinema.
Favreau and his team then used a camera system known as Simulcam, which was developed for Avatar, to capture, in real time, CG environments superimposed on a physical production set, allowing filmmakers to see exactly how something would look on-screen and then make the necessary tweaks on the spot, meaning every aspect of the image, organic or otherwise, could align and interact with perfect precision.
Rourke’s insufferable Russian accent reminds me of Dolph Lundgren’s cartoonish villain Ivan Drago from Rocky IV.
Things kick into high gear with a live 'show' for Stark Expo that recalls the boxing ring theatricality of "Rocky IV" but we soon learn that Tony is keeping a secret - the core which is keeping him alive is poisoning his blood.
Ritchie, better known for his lower-budget, verbose, blokey-bloke crime capers, is far from a natural fit for material like this, especially compared to the fairly inspired roster of filmmakers the Mouse House has recruited for the likes of Cinderella (Kenneth Branagh), The Jungle Book (Jon Favreau) and even Dumbo (Tim Burton).
Watch both versions of The Jungle Book and compare the Baloos (Bill Murray vs. the inimitable Phil Harris) or the Bagheeras (Ben Kingsley, no slouch certainly, vs. Sebastian Cabot, with his rich, gravelly line readings).
Critical and fan drubbings haven’t yet dried up the box office to a point of non-profit, and when they can get Jon Favreau on board ( The Jungle Book , The Lion King ), they have a shot at pleasing everyone.
2016’s The Jungle Book was a strong hit for the studio, playing with fidelity to the memories of those who wanted to relive the old effort with new eyes, while also providing an entre for a younger audience who may never have come into contact with the original.
After Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017) successively pounced on the box office like Shere Khan on poor little Mowgli, Disney executives are now rolling out remakes of their classic animated films nearly once a quarter, to varying results.
Though there might be some sort of artistry going on there — just look at what Jon Favreau’s done with The Jungle Book and the upcoming Lion King remake — there’s a profit-based incentive in keeping things close to the original.
Still, “Cowboys & Aliens’’ is looking like a fairly uninspired remake of the 1959 John Wayne classic “Rio Bravo’’ when, quite suddenly, the spaceship hits the fan.
Think Stagecoach and Rio Bravo melded with Aliens and Independence Day and you’ve nailed the ho-hum plot.
Whatever the virtues of the comic book this came from, the story here is a simple hybrid — “Rio Bravo” Western glued to “Star Wars” sci-fi quest.
The climactic battle, with a small, David-sized mechanical man battling a larger, Goliath-sized mechanical man also recalls Robocop (1987), which managed to add a wry commentary on the match-up.
Though not as subversive as Paul Verhoeven's blockbuster satire Robocop , Iron Man comes similarly medicinal, but with heapfuls of sugar in the forms of rollicking humor and muscular action sequences.
It couldn’t compare to The Dark Knight , Iron Man or Thor .
That’s when more of the story’s derivative nature comes to the forefront, with echoes of Terminator , RoboCop , Iron Man , and others all bouncing off each other.
“It’s Iron Man meets RoboCop by way of Wolverine .
Is it good enough to be Valiant’s Iron Man ?
…an opening credit sequence—a first for a Star Wars film—that tips its hat to Top Gun…
…other modern classics (“Top Gun” to “Blade Runner,” even a little “Streets of Fire” for the real ones out there)…
…a bit of Top Gun…
So they turn up the heat: After a ridiculous room-trashing fistfight between the hero and his sidekick (about as ridiculous as the similar fight in “Iron Man 2’’), “The Green Hornet’’ devolves into an overlong, confusingly shot demolition derby.
While it won't be giving the likes of The Dark Knight or Iron Man a run for the title of Greatest Superhero Movie Ever, it's a decent enough buddy-actioner that is at least better than the previews would have you believe.
It also feels a lot like 2008's " Iron Man " in that it is funny, its main character oozes charm, and it's designed with the hopes of spawning sequels.
Because unlike other genre movies, which had an occasional sense of humor — the “Iron Man” pictures, some of the early “Batman” films — this adventure aims for flat-out, frat-boy farce.
And while the second film in the " Iron Man " franchise lost the plot rather alarmingly, the first film with Robert Downey Jr. as the Marvel superhero was a pretty refreshing not-quite send-up.
Green Lantern (2011)
Directed by Martin Campbell
influenced by Iron Man (2008)
Themes Characters Visuals Plot
No, they're not all The Dark Knight , but by my reckoning we have to back all the way to the first Iron Man in 2008 to find a comic book movie with such a low sense of its own importance.
Reynolds' interpretation of the Green Lantern's journey is similar to what Chris Pine gave us with James T. Kirk in 2009's Star Trek , although it's a cut below how Robert Downey Jr. traversed Tony Stark's parallel character arc in Iron Man .
In practice, though, Hal is rather limited by the overly familiar concepts advanced by the movie’s four writers, who effectively turn “Green Lantern” into a sort of poor man’s “Iron Man” with corny special effects (presented in the usual eyeball straining 3-D).
He was able to summon some of the creative energy that Chris Nolan brought to "The Dark Night," or Jon Favreau (in a comic way) to "Iron Man."
Unfortunately, the idea that Geoff Johns’ “Secret Origins” would be used as a template are dashed fairly early in favor of a blueprint that comes from previous comic book hits “Iron Man” and “Spider-Man.”
But since the surprise double-whammy of Iron Man and The Dark Knight in 2008, we've had better-than-to-be-expected luck with the inherently limited genre: an overwrought but intermittently compelling Iron Man 2 , a mildly diverting Thor , a classy X-Men: First Class .