WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
Reshaping. Revitalizing. Refashioning. All terms that point to actions required when we might find ourselves in need to change our image, our intents, our direction in life when the existing forms of said things have been otherwise tarnished, besmirched, or fully destroyed to a point of no return. When this degree of radical shift comes about, however, can we always be assured that the means by which we choose TO see these transformations occur will end up BEING for the better? Or, does it end up manifesting into a twisted sense of “opportunity” to embrace a newfound persona we think others will also embrace, even when it seems even more questionable than what once was? A-Train (Chris Carthern) was once a proud member of The Seven. But, when a news story breaks about a gruesome incident he was involved with while most likely under the influence of the notorious Compound V, the backlash received by team leader Homelander (Salem Way) sends the speedster on a quest to change his marred reputation–but for good or ill?
Next, my Mind:
I have to be very up front here when starting into the review of this 24-minute, completely fan-made (and the filmmaker’s self-admitted “passion project”) indie short film arriving courtesy of writer/director/producer Chris Carthern–this critic has NEVER seen a SINGLE EPISODE of the Amazon Prime/Amazon Studios ongoing series “The Boys“, which in itself is based on the Wildstorm/DC Comics/Dynamite Entertainment comic books that debuted in October 2006 and ran to November of 2012. The only other fan-made short film I’ve reviewed was back in November of 2018, titled “Odyssey: A Star Wars Story“, but that had the degrees of total familiarity and personal enjoyment of the material behind it to drive my thoughts forward. Here–it had to be research from ground level up, and for the sake OF this review, I am certainly I did, ensuring at minimum the grander context, plus a very specific incident, of and from the Amazon series that this film finds its foundational footing upon. It’s superheroes in a WHOLE different, and decidedly DARK, light for those also not acquainted with it, which assuredly becomes bluntly clear here.
Heralding from the literal first event that occurred in Season 1, Episode 1, the narrative which sees speedster A-Train, member of a group of super-powered “heroes” known as The Seven, getting embroiled in a ghastly (though unintentional) circumstance that subsequently gets him kicked out of the team and therefore must discover the means to find a new path to glory, it is without question that the unapologetically raw, unflinching, deeply satirical nature and spirit that the show relies upon (again, most likely obtained from the original source material) is in full swing and definitively “prepares” you for what is to unfold in the aftermath of something that’s no less than a hero’s PR nightmare but also somehow a new opening for realizing that his worth can be found in EMBRACING the image of “villain” rather than shunning it. Of course, does this honestly support doing this as an actual legitimate means TO see yourself effectively reborn for the BETTER–this is what the film does a fantastically, equally biting, and wholly but purposefully irreverent job at illustrating, which is a credit TO the intent here.
The deeper thematic turns getting expressed throughout the film very much astutely address racism, legacy, acknowledgement, plus the specters of drug addiction, denial, guilt, shale, regrets, and coping mechanisms in the wake of severely poor choices that are then replaced by what is, on the surface, a very dismaying BUT totally realistic and TRUTHFUL statement about how, by choosing in some form to become MORE of what you were heavily maligned for initially, can end up drawing newly founded EMPATHY even when the direction you’re going is quite blatantly awful in how it tries (in this narrative’s case, anyway) to capitalize ON a horrific event, displaying evident disregard for the consequences/impact to and on others’ lives, and enjoying SUCCESS through it all. In the aftermath of this new path, the cockiness gained and the manner in which it resonates with the masses in spite of its sheer vulgarity is something that remains relevant to our contemporary culture and mindset, especially in relation to celebrity. Here, the music business also gets its fair amount of playfully caustic scolding. But, ultimately, it IS good to remember this is all for entertainment, not gospel.
One could also see the perpetration of this via social media’s (plus the regular media’s!) fascination with dysfunction and chaos, which only fuels the fire more, causing a self-serving cycle that people simply eat up without thought. Add to all of this the entire notion of corporate corruption and successful or attempted cover-ups to save face and the film manifests into one huge social statement about modernity that’s disturbingly accurate on several levels. I believe this really IS the show’s, and hence this film’s core inspiration, to be a scathing but socially aware endeavor, and this is carried out quite emphatically all the way through to the music video-laden final sequences that put an all-too candid nightcap on the events we’ve witnessed. Visually, the cosplay world comes alive in the characters we see represented from the show, there’s an admittedly clever (and frankly necessary!) use of Legos, and a soundtrack that includes original songs written and performed by Carthern himself. It really does reflect the beauty of indie film and the dedicated fans of shows who make something like this effort happen. It’s admirable and a labor of love.
Carthern does undeniably impress here, right down to the costuming, attitude, and all-consuming energetic bravado he exudes through his title role as A-Train, a man striving to be the best at what he does and who he is–no matter what the cost or means to maintain it. However, upon mistakingly finding himself at fault for quite an egregious incident/accident whose ripple effects will be felt well beyond this day, A-Train then sees his place among his team upended, his addictions attempting to overwhelm him, and simply being flat out on his currently slowed-down posterior, wallowing in self-pity. Then, he gets the inspiration to ADPOT his newly acquired infamy and aims for a fresh form of celebrity instead, which consequently takes off with the masses at large who SHOULD revile him rather than accept him given the act that put him in the dog house to being with. Carthern, you can just tell, relished every possible moment getting to embody this serious anti-hero and the accompany demeanor he possesses, the actor more than making you believe every second of A-Train’s brash swagger both in, albeit jaded, deference and absolute arrogant defiance.
Primary supporting roles come about first from Way as The Seven’s key figurehead and leader Homelander, who is more than JUST a little angry with his soon-to-be-former teammate’s actions and the damage to The Company, and their team’s image as a whole, it has caused. Mina Kess is Annie January (aka: “Starlight”), Joey G is Maggie Shaw (aka: “Queen Maeve”), Boaz Hernandez-Kosche is Kevin Moskowitz (aka: “The Deep”), and Alex Cromwell (actually via voice-only) is “Translucent”, the other remaining members of “The Seven” who all wish to put the indecent behind them and seem none too worried about A-Train getting the boot. All these actors, like Carthern, I am sure are dressed to the nines as these respective characters from the show and also embody, even if briefly, their associated attitudes to a “T”, which again, is an excellent picture of TRUE fan dedication and adoration to and of the source material they are emulating. Ashe Frost is Ashley Barrett, the Director of Talent Relations at the company The Seven “represent”, Vought International, who is trying her level best to act as PR clean-up crew in view of the recent mess the team is in thanks to A-Train.
Tonethegoat plays, well, Tonethegoat, a local music studio producer who becomes a leading catalyst for A-Train’s newfound road to “redemption”. Ugo Anomelechi plays Ugo, a local TV talk show personality who ensures to have A-Train on his show once the former “hero” enters the scene again toting his new career direction. Additional supporting turns are made by Mike Kidd as Hughie Campbell, a man whose own life choices will be radically, and graphically, altered forever by A-Train, Melissa Jackson as Allison Bailey, the news reporter who breaks the story about A-Trains mishap, along with appearances by Mary Lou Davis, Mervis Lampley, J. David Powell, Rex Armstrong, and Penelopea Jane Walker. So, in total, “A-Train: New Beginnings” regales in its unrelenting love of the comic book and show its characters, content, convictions, and messages personify, a blunt force punch to the face ode that is also simply doing justice to its fictionally-based heritage as well as the concept of reinventing yourself. Yet, the certain magnitude of relevance in grander themes it represents TO our real world is likewise undebatable, and that is admittedly a tad scary to contemplate. But, most importantly, this is indie cinema showcasing its heart and soul, and more so a FAN making his dream a reality.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
