Morbius Film Review (No Spoilers)

'Morbius' Columbia Pictures

Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Suicide Squad, House of Gucci) is no stranger to acting. Though many will recognize him as the lead singer from 30 Seconds To Mars, Leto has been acting professionally longer than his band has been around. With 60 acting projects completed and announced for Leto, Morbius is his first opportunity to star in a leading role in this big of a production. In addition to the overwhelming amount of content that Marvel Studios continues to release, Sony has jumped back into the live-action superhero universe with this long-awaited blockbuster.

Synopsis:

"Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others from the same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside of him is soon unleashed."

What You See, Feel, and Hear

With the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home in late 2021 and the connection that Sony and Marvel Studios have with certain films, Morbius is a major example of a film that went through many changes in order to keep the story canon between these characters within different production companies. Filming ended in June of 2019 and with 6 release delays and many reshoots we finally have the opportunity to experience this story. The story is heavily dependent on its special effects. With a focal point on the cinematic experience rather than the detail of a story to invest in I got lost throughout this film trying to piece together all of the movements and camera changes and special effects that were "thrown" in my face. Unfortunately, there were more than a couple moments where the vocals didn't match the individuals who were talking and that was one example of some major editing issues that were noticeable throughout this film.

When this film showed moments without CGI and other special effects (which wasn't often), the acting performances were better than I expected. Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Last Night in Soho, The Crown) gave a commendable performance and is slowly making his way into bigger projects as a dependable supporting actor. Jared Leto's recent performances over the past 10 years have grown to be the focal point of conversations regarding his acting ability. Sadly, I didn't come into this film with big expectations for his performance however to my surprise Leto wasn't the issue with this production.

With a unique idea that had a decent amount of potential you're immediately catapulted into this film with very little opportunity to invest in the characters or the circumstances of the story. There's a sense of curiosity in the beginning of the film that holds enough interest, however that interest decreases rapidly as the story continues because of the rushed sequences and full focus on special effects.

My Take

When I first started watching Morbius I was surprisingly entertained. Leto seemed authentic in his portrayal (before all of the special effects), his supporting cast was worth paying attention to, and the story was unique. Unfortunately, Sony continues to use the same recipe in all of their live-action superhero films; lots of CGI, minimal story development, and plenty of action and it's not working. With almost 3 years since filming concluded the circumstances in bringing this film together were not easy, however this film will be chalked up as another mediocre superhero representation from Sony.

Grade: 5.4/10