This is what I learned last night:
A Howard the Duck reboot could save Marvel, LucasFilm AND Disney… OK, probably not. Yet, all three entities have done so poorly the past few years, why the heck not? Disney has fallen so far that people didn’t believe that on-set photos from next year’s Snow White were actually legit, due to there being no dwarfs and instead a bunch of people in silly clothing. But there are plenty of people who have rang the death knell for these companies in recent years so instead I’ll move on.
Howard the Duck I saw more than once as a kid and I even reviewed it 5 years ago. The reason why another take was posted today: last night I discovered that the UHD/HDR version of the movie is on Prime, free for me until the end of the month. Yes, Howard the Duck has enough fans where a 4K disc release happened in 2021.
I’ve never read the comic but understand it was meant for adults. Why they tried to gear it towards adults, families and children… no wonder this is a mess. It has some silly moments and a few over the top performances (I am looking at you, Tim Robbins) but among other issues, the movie is incredibly HORNY. The nadir of that was the all-time WTF scene where Lea Thompson teases an interspecies relationship between her and Howard! In addition there’s women’s biker gang known as SATAN’s SLUTS and the opening features DUCK BOOBS. Yes, Mom saw this movie too during my youth and she liked it herself. Of course, as an adult I chortle as this and other similar bizarre movies that could only have come from the coke-fueled 80’s, where people “did too much toot”, to quote an actual line from this motion picture.
Be that as it may, Howard the Duck is not a product that I hate despite all its faults. Nostalgia is an influence but the film is never not watchable for me. The noir dialogue that is present a few times (because it’s canon, so I understand) amuses me now. The plot is one where the fate of the world is at stake and the final act is an overblown spectacle involving a Marvel character… more than two decades before the MCU began. Lea Thompson as an “80’s rocker chick” is more appealing to me as an adult then as a child… but despite him being a bad person in real life (use Google if you are not familiar w/ his crimes), Jeffrey Jones delivered the best performance as a scientist who eventually becomes possessed.
As someone who grew up watching films w/ practical effects, it was charming to see plenty of those on display—even if at times they were really flexing and went overboard a tad. Perhaps a 2023 blockbuster wouldn’t have a standout scene in a “Cajun sushi” restaurant but perhaps I’m wrong because I avoid most modern blockbusters… as this is from George Lucas of course all the might from ILM were involved so most of the effects still hold up; even Phil Tippett was a contributor. By the way, remember when THIS was the most embarrassing product from LucasFilm?
The score from John Barry was fine but the soundtrack was fire; it was from Thomas Dolby and Lea Thompson even provided her own vocals for some catchy earworms. As for the title track, even George Clinton was involved, which is awesome. The entire product isn’t technically great yet at least in part due to how of its time it was, I can derive enjoyment from the era when we can get bizarre blockbusters like Howard the Duck.
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