
In this world, Bilal (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) suffers from nightmares about the death of his mother and his and his sister Ghufaira’s (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) subsequent fall into slavery. They grow up as the property of Umayya (Ian McShane), a wealthy and powerful man with a bully of a son called Safwan (Mick Wingert). Umayya isn’t all that great, either, but he does at least sometimes bother to learn the names of his slaves. Unable to forget the fact that he had once been free, Bilal doesn’t make the best slave — even aside from anything else, he’ll break any rule if it means helping keep his sister safe — but he forces himself to be resigned to his fate. Then he meets a mysterious man, who speaks casually but with authority about things like freedom and equality, and Bilal’s journey truly begins.
As fantastic as the animation is — in one scene you can see how drops of water have dampened Bilal’s shirt — it never overshadows the story or the characters. The tale is told simply, suitable for younger viewers, but that doesn’t mean the grownups will be bored. It’s an engrossing plot driven by believable people with strengths and weaknesses. Bilal isn’t perfect, but that just makes him more inspiring as he finds his way in the world while struggling to preserve what’s left of his family. As in many historical pieces there’s a lack of female characters, but though Ghufaira is unfortunately sometimes reduced to a damsel in distress she also does help keep Bilal focused when he needs it.
The battle scenes are well-done and intense though still PG, and Bilal’s transformation from rebellious teen to a man who at last knows his place in the world keeps the film grounded. With villains that hit just the right note of wickedness and a vivid supporting cast, Bilal is a vastly entertaining epic that illuminates an era not well known to many in the western world, and thoroughly charms its audience at the same time.
Thor: The Dark World
So the Norse gods are still right in the middle of fighting everybody all the time, Thor is still “all muscly”, as Darcy (Kat Dennings) rightly points out, and Asgard still looks like a giant pipe organ, so all’s right with the world(s), basically. And pretty much the whole gang is back from the first Thor, and / or The Avengers, which is always nice to see in a sequel.
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The Thing
Once upon a time, a crazy Norwegian man in Antarctica tried to shoot a dog, and before anyone knew quite what was happening, a horror movie called The Thing broke out. Now yet another horror movie called The Thing has popped up out of nowhere. Well, yes, out of Antarctica again, but that’s basically the middle of nowhere. This flick is, as you may have heard, more a prequel than a remake of the original, though I’m told some scenes are fairly similar.
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Killer Elite
I think I like this movie, except now I can’t think of anything to say about it, really, which is usually a bad sign. It’s like stand-up comedy, maybe — as long as you’re getting some reaction from the audience, that isn’t out and out booing, there’s still hope. Indifference is the worst possible sign, and that seems to work for movies, too.