The Brilliant Actor

Nicolas Cage is undeniably a great actor…at times. As mentioned the fantastic performance in Raising Arizona as H.I the recidivist criminal trying to start a family, where he holds his own against acting megastar Holly Hunter. There is Adaptation, the bizarre Charlie Kaufman film where he plays Charlie Kaufman writing an adaptation of The Orchard Thief, whilst also playing Charlie’s twin brother, Donald (important note, there is no Donald Kaufman in real-life). Charlie being a reserved but brilliant writer and his twin the effortlessly popular happy-go-lucky slacker. There is the film he won his Oscar for, Leaving Las Vegas, a drama where he stars as alcoholic screenwriter on the path to absolute oblivion – a character premise that definitely pleases Academy members.

The Action Star

After acting in great comedies and serious dramas in the mid-to-late nineties he became an extremely unlikely action star – not unlike Liam Neeson suddenly becoming an action star with Taken. He starred in a spate of high-concept and ridiculous action films but that are often quite good fun. In Con-Air he is a convict being flown across country on a prisoner transport plane when the prisoners take over the plane, he has a bizarre accent and hairstyle and the Schrodinger’s Cat of tough guy lines – “Put the bunny back in the box” – is it brilliant? Is it terrible? Is it both? There is Face/Off in which Cage’s odd performance choices are given free rein; his performance is not over-the-top, Cage smashed through the top and kept flying into space. The premise being a cop and criminal switch faces so the cop can pose as the criminal allows Cage to play both demented charismatic criminal and brooding serious cop. The Rock is the typical Michael Bay action explosion extravaganza where Nicolas Cage teams up with Sean Connery to foil a terrorist plot in Alcatraz.

The Bad Years

It’s worth stating that there is a reason for the bad years. In 2009 Cage got into trouble concerning his taxes, this coupled with bizarre and hugely expensive spending sprees saw him fall into severe financial difficulty. And it seems for a time Cage said yes to just about anything starring in a number of critically damned films to sort out his financial affairs, Cage himself admits that this was the case but he never “phoned in” a performance. These were movies such as Left Behind, a film based on the Rapture as described in the Bible (IMDb rating of 3.1), Southern Fury, which is something to do with mobsters (IMDb rating of 4), or Pay the Ghost where a man searches for his missing son as a Halloween Carnival and not a new Channel 4 ghost based quiz show (with a relatively respectable IMdb rating of 5.2).

Even in this “bad years” period there were good performances, perhaps most notably in Kick-Ass, where he played violent vigilante and loving father Damon Macready, who took the superhero name Big Daddy.

The Return

In recent years though Cage’s career has changed after starring in a number of interesting and critically praised films. There is the revenge thriller Pig where Cage plays a truffle farmer whose pig is stolen and he goes to get them back. Color Out Of Space is based on a H P Lovecraft where a meteorite crashes next to a family home and the strange and twisted ways it affects people. As with any films critical and popular opinion will disagree about how good these films are but the consensus seems to be that at the very least they have artistic merit which seemed to be lacking from a lot of his films in recent years.

The next big film of Cage’s to come out will be Renfield, where he will play one of the dream roles of Dracula, alongside Nicholas Hoult playing Renfield, the vampire’s human servant. The trailer looks promising and hopefully it will continue Cage’s run of form.

Also Read: Great Movies About Characters Seeking Perfection

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Who is Black Adam?

In the comics, Black Adam was Teth-Adam, a slave from Kahndaq thousands of years ago. After being granted the power of the gods (Like Shazam was), he sets out to liberate his people and deliver his own brand of justice. After abusing his powers, he was imprisoned by the gods for five thousand years. Now that he’s free, he might not be too happy that they’ve gifted someone else with his powers.

Johnson has connected to the character since before it was announced, he’s always been a big fan of the character. Originally created as an evil version of Shazam, he has become more of a character in his own right in recent years. Black Adam is more of an anti-hero than a straight-up villain, wanting to fight for justice, but his way, which often causes him to clash with the main DC heroes.

What will it be about?

So far there are almost no details about what will happen in the film. However, Johnson has said that it’s an origin story, setting the character’s foundation and place in the world. It will also introduce the Justice Society of America. The JSA were the first official superhero team in comic books ever, setting the foundations for the modern Justice League. Originally existing on “Earth-Two”, Crisis on Infinite Earths merged the various worlds, with the JSA now being a WW2 era predecessor of the JL. This could potentially set it as a period piece, acting as a prequel to the main DCEU films.

Several of the JSA have been cast, including Atom Smasher, Hawkman and Cyclone. Perhaps the most exciting has been that of Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. Fate is a sorcerer, and the rest of the team should make for some interesting combinations against Black Adam’s powers. Shazam himself will not appear, as that seems to be the plan for a sequel. Johnson has also said he’d love to go up against Henry Cavill’s Superman, a fairly even match-up in the comics.

What could it mean for the DCEU?

Black Adam getting his own film could be a sign that DC is learning from Marvel’s mistakes. While the films are often well-received, the villains usually do not fair as well. Either because of lack of development or simply having the same powerset as the hero. While they have got better in later films, it’s arguable that Loki and Thanos are the only standouts. Giving Black Adam his own film is a great way to get audiences familiar with the character before he appears in a Shazam! sequel.

It also implies that DC aren’t afraid to take a gamble. While the character has his fans, he isn’t the most well known of their library. Likewise for the JSA, who could easily spin-off if they prove popular enough. After the Snyder Cut, the role of the Justice League and its members are in doubt, so this could be an effective compromise that doesn’t involve recasting characters. Plus there’s nothing to say the teams couldn’t meet in a future crossover down the line.

It could also mean a different tone. With Black Adam being an anti-hero it will almost definitely be more serious than Shazam! but it’s unlikely to be as dark as Joker or some of Snyder’s efforts. Johnson is a charismatic actor, and while a serious villain role would do great to break his typecasting, it would also be a waste of his natural talents.

One things for sure though, it smells like The Rock is cooking up something very different from what we’ve seen before.

Also Read: Flashpoint: The Defining Film of the DCEU

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As a lifelong wrestling fan, I can honestly say this is the best time to be a wrestling fan. The storylines have matured, the women’s division has come a LONG way and the brand itself has evolved. No more are we made to believe that it’s “real”, instead it has immersed seamlessly into our everyday lives emphasizing more on entertainment than wrestling alone. Extending the brand by developing up and coming stars through NXT programming, creating their own SVOD with original content, developing gaming, merchandise and films.

With the recent success of Fighting With My Family – the story of former Diva and Women’s champion Paige’s rise to success at the WWE, and 2008’s critically acclaimed The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke and follows the life and struggles of a once successful wrestler, there is definitely an audience for wrestling themed films to be made for the wider mainstream audience.

With that in mind, the following are stories based on wrestlers and storylines that I think would make for great feature length films.

The Rock Says

Mirroring The Great One’s autobiography in parallel to his onscreen success and rise to fame, the story of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is one that is inspirational as much as it is entertaining. With memorable feuds and storylines from The Nation of Domination, to Vince McMahon and later Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock ‘s undeniable charisma led him to becoming one of the first superstars to successfully transition into Hollywood.

The Invasion

After years of battling for ratings in what is now known as the Monday Night Wars, WWE came out on top when they acquired WCW and ECW. In a shocking twist of events, it was revealed that yes a McMahon was now the owner of WCW but it was Shane not Vince who had signed on the dotted line. Together with Paul Heyman and new owner of ECW Stephanie McMahon, they formed the Alliance in a bid to dominate the WWE once and for all.

Pipebomb

The best storylines blur entertainment with reality, which in this day and age isn’t the easiest to do. It was a long lead but the infamous promo built the hype for one of the biggest matches in Money in The Bank history when CM Punk faced off with John Cena in what would be his ‘last match’ in the WWE.

Yes, Yes, Yes

The story of the underdog is one that we can all resonate with and one that doesn’t get old. The rise of Daniel Bryan’s superstardom took us on an emotional rollercoaster and finally culminated after a two year long battle against The Authority, where he overcame every obstacle that was put in his way to finally win the WWE Championship at the biggest stage of them all Wrestlemania 30. In a bittersweet moment, it was shortly after this monumental win when he announced his early retirement due to a neck injury and multiple concussions.

The Man

After a surprising heel turn at Summerslam, Becky Lynch breathed new life into the women’s evolution when she turned on her best friend Charlotte Flair. Never before had we seen such hype and support for a heel turn and overnight she became one of the biggest stars in the company. In just under a year she has built immense momentum for herself and her quest for the top, ultimately culminating in a winner takes all match when she faces Raw Women’s champion Ronda Rousey and Smackdown Women’s champion Charlotte Flair in the first ever headline main event at Wrestlemania 35.

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The story

Fighting With My Family tells the real-life story of professional wrestler Paige (Florence Pugh) and her journey from wrestling locally in Norwich to wrestling in the biggest professional wrestling organisation in the world: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The film was written & directed by Stephen Merchant (The Office, Ricky Gervais Show) & was produced by everyone’s favourite pro-wrestler turned Hollywood superstar, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who also plays a supporting role in the film.

Paige’s entrance into the WWE also marked the start of the “Diva’s Revolution“, a period in which women wrestling became more prominent within the company. This saw a move away from female wrestlers simply being seen as eye candy or only playing a supporting role, to being seen as true athletes, on par with their male counterparts.

Family first

A clear strength from the outset is the bond between Paige and her family. Coming from a wrestling family, who run a small independent wrestling promotion, all the quirks of this close-knit family are on full display. And the inside jokes between family members and genuine moments of affection really serve as the anchor for the film. Another positive is the casting selection, particularly of the immediate family: mum, Julia (Lena Headey); dad, Ricky (Nick Forst); and brother, Zak (Jack Lowden) all fit perfectly into their respective roles.

Expectations

Despite clocking in at nearly two hours, the film never feels sluggish. Writer / director, Stephen Merchant, does a great job of conveying the key parts of Paige’s journey and maintaining good pacing throughout the film. However, don’t expect much in the way of unexpected plot twists. What you see from the outset is very much what you get with this film.

Those who follow the WWE will also be treated to some cameos from active WWE wrestlers. While the 2008 Micky Rouke-led film The Wrestler was darker and bitter-sweet in tone, Fighting With My Family’s style of comedy feels right at home with this rags-to-riches story.

Final verdict

Great biopics about our favourite sporting superstars can often transcend simply attracting fans of the sporting discipline itself. Fighting With My Family does this and will find a home with anyone who loves a great coming of age story – whether you’re a wrestling fan or not. Fighting With My Family is a well-crafted film full of laughter. The British feel-good film of the year (so far).

Verdict: (4 / 5)

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Written and directed by Stephen Merchant, Florence Pugh takes the lead role as wrestler Paige with Dwayne “Thr Rock” Johnson producing and playing a supporting role in the film.

The film is due to be released February 2019 in the U.S and March 2019 in the U.K

Watch the trailer below

https://www.facebook.com/BigPictureFilmClub/videos/957463607774206/

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