MORBIUS – A Review by John Strange
I have LOVED the Marvel Universe films. Some were honestly better than others, but the characters are always interesting. Morbius is a character that had me wondering. Could they really do justice to this truly creepy but deep character? Was Jared Leto, known for his deft handling of wild characters, really the right man for the job?
A little backstory. Michael Morbius grew up with a rare blood disease. He was also absolutely brilliant. He became a doctor who dedicated his life to searching for a cure.
His idea to use the DNA of vampire bats is interesting, but totally bats! The premise has holes you could drive an aircraft carrier through. But in this story, they ignore the holes, seeing only the possibility that they could use this to ameliorate the worst of the ravages done by the disease.
The big violent hole in the brilliant doctor’s logic causes changes to the man that make him the comic book anti-hero he is.
But… While I like the character, the story we are is not up to the standards of the MCU. The film has action but at its core, its boring. This story should have been serialized and played on Disney+.
The use of Matt Smith (Dr. Who) was a good move. Matt as Loxias Crown aka Milo was a very good counterbalance to Leto. But I was disappointed in Tyrese Gibson’s FBI Agent Simon Stroud. He felt more like a nuisance to the viewing audience than a full-fledged character.
Overall, I was very disappointed in this film. It’s going to make money on Marvel’s name with a helping hand from Jared Leto’s reputation but the best rating I can give it is 2.5-stars for their effort.
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Cast: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, Tyrese Gibson
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence, some frightening images, and brief strong language)
Selig Rating: 2.5 Stars
Runtime: 108 Min.
Release Date: 04/01/2022
Local Release Locations: Wide, theaters only
Movie Site: MORBIUS Official Site
Trailer: MORBIUS Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
