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The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
A Expertly Made Love Letter to a Shakespeare Classic
The Tragedy of Macbeth is the latest Joel Coen film (although the first to not feature long-time collaborator and brother Ethan) and is a retelling of Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The film follows Scottish lord, Macbeth portrayed by Denzel Washington, as he and his wife hatch a plan to seize power after receiving a prophecy from the three witches that he will become the next King of Scotland. With the aforementioned Denzel playing the titular character, Macbeth, the film also features the likes of Frances McDormand, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins and Harry Melling. The film got a limited release in late 2021 before premiering worldwide on Apple TV early this year.
First and foremost, this is easily one of the best-looking films I have seen in a very long time. Every shot in Tragedy of Macbeth feels like a painting come to life, acclaimed cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, who is no stranger to working with the Coen's, shot, what I feel, is his magnum opus. Each shot feels so precise and the symmetrical nature of the film makes for a truly awe-inspiring and pleasing watch based on the cinematography alone. Now the film wouldn't look nearly as good if it wasn't for the set design which is equally as mesmerizing, featuring wonderfully crafted sets that utilized props and a sound stage expertly.
Now Macbeth is no stranger to being adapted for the cinema, and although this is my first time witnessing the tale I was familiar with the story. It is a classic tragedy where a man's power trip finally catches up to him and while the tale is iconic, it is not like audiences haven't been treated to some version of it over the decades however The Tragedy of Macbeth manages to feel fresh and honour the work of Shakespeare. Everyone involved in the creation process put on a masterclass of filmmaking, the acting is nothing short of breathtaking Frances McDormand is perfection as usual and Denzel Washington delivers one of his best performances in quite some time.
This is easily one of the best films I have seen in a while, everything about the film felt as if there was a lot of heart and soul poured into it. With that being said, The Tragedy of Macbeth is certainly not for everyone, it's a slow burn that is very rooted in being as faithful to the play as possible; which means the dialogue is very Shakesperian and can be hard to follow if you're not paying attention to every little thing being said. Those who are familiar with Macbeth or Shakespeare's other work should not find any difficulty following along, but if you are neither the dialogue at times can sound like what people who do not speak English hear. Still, though the film can be appreciated for its craft, so don't let that steer you away as like I said this is one of the best shot films in recent memory and for that reason, I am giving The Tragedy of Macbeth a strong 9/10.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)
What the Third Film Should Have Been
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is the fourth instalment in the Hotel Transylvania series and picks up a couple of years from the last, with Dracula considering retirement and giving the title of Hotelkeeper to his young daughter. However, in fear that Jonathan, Mavis' husband, will change the hotel beyond recognition Dracula lies to his son-in-law explaining that only monsters can inherit the property. Jonathan thus seeks out Van Helsing to inquire if something could be done to make him less human. Almost four years removed from the previous entry, how does Transformania stack up among its predecessors?
Fairly well actually, although there was a lot to be worried about heading in. Considering how dismal the third film was, longtime director of the series, Genndy Tartakovsky stepping down to just write and with the departure of Kevin James and in particular Adam Sandler, I would be lying if I said that the cards were not stacked in Transformania's favour. I am happy to report though that this latest follow-up is a worthy successor and everything Summer Vacation should have been. Although the film doesn't take place in Transylvania the entire time, it doesn't feel like a total deviation as it has in the past. While basic and incredibly predictable, the story is fun and offers something new for the characters, even if the character foils are becoming rather monotonous at this point - how many times do we have to see Dracula disapproving of Johnny, at this point, there should have been more character growth. Nonetheless, Tranformania is still an entertaining watch if you're willing to turn your brain off for a bit, it's a film that I'm sure kids will love and includes enough charm and a few chuckles for the adults. It's certainly not a perfect family film, as I mentioned the story is quite clichè, but I still had a good time.
A large part of that enjoyment is thanks to the beautiful animation, once again Hotel Transylvania looks marvellous and really leans into that overly animated style the series has been come to be known for. A lot of the textures and backgrounds looked really nice in this and everything was so smooth. Another standout for me and something that has been steadily improving as the films have gone on is the voice acting. I felt everyone delivered a solid performance, however, the loss of Adam Sandler I feel did hurt the film. Despite it not being noticeable if taken on face value, paying close attention to Brian Hull's interpretation of Dracula just felt like an impression of Adam Sandler voicing that character. I was never completely sold on the new voice actor however they are large shoes to fill. Andy Samberg was great and so was Selena Gomez, even David Spade wasn't too bad in the film, it's probably their performance in the series to date.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is not a complex film by any means, but can sure be a lot of fun. It's a fitting conclusion to the decade-long series, with room to expand if the filmmakers/studio pursue another instalment. It's a movie that does live up to whats came before, even if the first two aren't anything extraordinary. I do recommend the film, especially those with a young family as I'm sure it would be an entertaining watch for all, and for that reason, I am giving Hotel Transylvania: Transformania a 6/10.
Mother/Android (2021)
Rotten Down to its Core
Mother/Android is the directorial debut for Mattson Tomlin and takes place in the near future where every household has a human-like A. I. robot that serves their family, however, one fateful a seemingly inexplicable problem occurs and the androids form an uprising to overthrow the humans. The film follows a young couple played by Chloë Grace Moretz and Algee Smith who are expecting a baby all while maneuvring about the dystopian world.
Mother/Android borrows a lot of ideas from post-apocalyptic stories, from dystopian young adult movies to zombie films, the story is a mixed-bag of a whole lot of things and unfortunately fumbles it all. Nothing about Mother/Android stood out apart from the cinematography and a decent performance from the two leads, even if much of their dialogue is stilted and overdramatic. The story is inept in the way it unfolds itself, with not much given in terms of context barring from one incredibly lazy scene that provides some of the most clichè exposition you would think you were watching some parody movie. The film is a mess, we start out with the young couple finding out their pregnant, that very same night some robots decide to start an uprising and then we jump forward nine months. With little in the way of an explanation, the audience is expected to feel invested as Georgia and Sam seek refuge in a city they believe to be safe. Some of the most interesting story developments lie within that period of time the viewer doesn't get to see, that I kept waiting for some flashback which never happened. The story would've been better as a whole if it played over a few months than a couple of days.
Outside of a substandard setup and execution, the film is littered with many ridiculous character decisions that made me question if the protagonists were the artificial ones or not. One moment, in particular, takes place during the third act, as right after Sam's c-section the androids try to overthrow the hospital she is in and what does she do while there is a deadly battle taking place? Involve herself of course, for reasons... It was one of the most absurd sequences in an already bizarre film, it lacked any sort of suspense and came across as very goofy. Similarly, with the third act, it went on for far too long and was way too melodramatic, with yet another loony reveal and an awkward character decision that left me questioning what I had just watched.
I wish I had more positive things to say about the film but it left me speechless as far as how bad it really was. There's nothing impressive whatsoever unless you count all the ludicrous story moments - if you're in the market for a lousy sci-fi film then do check it out but where it stands right now I am giving Mother/Andriod an emphatic 1/10.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
When You Take the Transylvania Out of the Hotel...
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation was released during the summer of 2018 and was once again directed by Gendy Tartakovsky and featured the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez among many others. This time around the monstrous crew find themselves taking a cruise after a stressful few months operating the hotel, however, the vacation may not be as stressfree as initially thought with the growing suspicion that Dracula's new love interest, the captain of the ship, may be plotting something evil.
Ditching the hotel in favour of a vacation-style movie was a risk and sadly is one that doesn't pay off as Hotel Translyvania 3 finds itself living in the shadows of its mediocre predecessors. The first two Hotel Transylvania films are perfectly fine family movies that offer great animation and an excellent concept, even if the story and voice acting is relatively weak. While Hotel Translyvania 3 has some of the best animation of the series, with an even more pronounced retro style that features highly animated/cartoony movement that is not always seen in current-day 3D animated films. Visually the movie is stunning too, with great use of dark shades complimented with splashes of stunning colour and the voice acting is probably the best it's been in the series with the cast giving it their all, outside of David Spade who once again sounds bored. Outside of that Hotel Transylvania 3 is a mess.
Having the film not take place in the hotel I felt was a huge disservice as there is still so much that could be done with the setting, instead, we are treated with a run-of-the-mill vacation film that has been done time and time again in children's films. The story isn't anything extraordinary with Dracula falling for the antagonist, it's as predictable as those stories come, but even the way the film handled revealing the true intentions behind the character was very weak as Dracula seemed more or less alright with what happened. Now one thing I did not see coming was how atrocious the third act is - up to that point I hadn't minded the film, although it was clearly a weak follow up in the series, it was still fairly entertaining. The climax though was terrifyingly awful, that features a scene right out of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World just less charming and fun. I could not believe the direction Hotel Transylvania 3 went during its last thirty minutes, it was one of the worst story decisions I've seen in quite some time and really dragged down my enjoyment of the film.
Hotel Transylvania 3 is easily the worst film in the series by a large margin, while the animation is truly stunning to look at it's not worth suffering through this movie. Even disregarding the large problems present in the film there are many nitpicky things to take apart, like why was the entire hotel taking the cruise, did it just shut down for a few days, were the zombies in charge of running it? Likewise, the film totally abandons a central side character about halfway through the film with no mention of them until the very end with a throwaway line. Those are just a couple of the many small issues present in the film and as much as those may not play into the actual plot they're still an oversight that goes to highlight how sloppy this film was written even with the three-year gap between the films. It's a film I have a hard time recommending even for small children as it's just so bland and for that reason, I am giving Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation a 2.5/10.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Wasted Potential
Released during the fall of 2012, Hotel Translyvania is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and tells the story of Dracula, an overprotective father who manages a hotel for monsters. On one fateful night before his daughter's birthday, a young human tourist stumbles upon the hotel not realizing that the guests aren't just wearing spooky Halloween costumes. This fish out of water tale was a massive success at the box office and featured the voices of many notable celebrities including Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg and Kevin James just to name a few.
Hotel Transylvania is a wonderful concept on paper, taking the Universal Monsters (along with other iconic spooky characters) and placing them in a hotel where they all congregate is a great spin. While the film does do a lot of clever things with the idea, I never felt Hotel Translyvania reached its full potential. With the film intended for children, there is a lot of family-friendly material involved, including the tropes of a couple of song/dance numbers, tiresome jokes and gags, but at the heart of the film was the concept, sadly the story doesn't quite do it justice. As I mentioned from the top, there is a main plotline that places a character seemingly out of his element. Jonathan, voiced by Andy Samberg, is a young, free spirit, tourist who finds himself in a hotel of monsters and that creates a big problem for Adam Sandler's Dracula as he has prided the hotel as being human free. This in and of itself would have been good enough, even the way in which Jonathan was kept around was fun, but the whole Daddy-Daughter angle and eventual love subplot between Jonathan and Mavis felt very conventional. There are plenty of films that cover themes of an overbearing parent who just wants the best for their child even if the lengths they go are a bit demanding and topics of young adult romance have all been done as good, if not better. Hotel Transylvania tries nothing new, instead, leaning on the concept of everyone being monsters (outside of Jonathan), although there are clever gags sprinkled throughout, the film is as by the numbers as one can get.
A conventional story can be tolerable if there are other factors about a movie that elevates it beyond just being average and one of those elements is Hotel Transylvania's animation. Although it is a 3D animated movie, at its heart Hotel Translyvania consists of many features present in a traditional 2D animated film, with comedic slapstick bits and characters contorting in all different ways. It was a treat to see a new school movie with an old school approach and I must commend the animators for doing such a good job on the movie. Now one thing I can't commend sadly comes from one of the important factors to an animated children's film, the voice acting. Outside of Adam Sandler, I was never completely sold on the voice acting, even Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez had some hit or miss lines that felt like they could have been rerecorded. The biggest offenders of this actually come from Kevin James, Steve Buscemi and David Spade who were particularly bad and came across like they were just there to cash a paycheque. Many of their lines felt forced and lacked the emotion required for their scenes - their character would do something interesting yet their voice sounded uninterested, it was honestly fairly disappointing and really dragged down the film.
Hotel Transylvania is one of those films that has a lot going for it but struggled to use those foundations to be great. It is a perfectly fine family film that I'm sure would be a hit for any child and might even get a few chuckles out of the parents. It's still a fun film at the end of the day and is something I can recommend, especially around Halloween as it's a decent film to put on during that time of the year. I just wanted a bit more out of the film than I got and for that reason, I am giving Hotel Transylvania a 6.5/10.
The Tender Bar (2021)
A Crowd Pleaser for Some, Painfully Average for Others
The Tender Bar is based on the memoir of the same name written by J. R. Moerhinger and is directed by George Clooney. The film stars Tye Sheridan and Ben Affleck and tells the story of young J. R. growing up with his mom in her parent's household and eventually transitioning into young adulthood where he attends Yale and wants to be an author.
The Tender Bar is a fine enough film if a bit conventional, it's a story you've seen/heard many of times and the film doesn't stray away from the formula too much. There is an older unseen narrator who pops in time from time to lend added context to a few scenes, the movie beings with J. R. as a young child highlighting formative moments in his youth and at the beginning of the second act, it jumps to a much older J. R. - it's all pretty standard stuff in regards to coming-of-age memoir films. Although the structure of this film, most notably in the first act, is a little jumbled, there are intermittent spurts where the film will show the older J. R. and you think it's setting up for something different. Then once the second act hits and the rest of the movie is spent with J. R. portrayed by Tye Sheridan, it's not hundred percent clear. The Tender Bar has simultaneously good editing, with some fun cutaways, as well as editing that's not great with some moments seemingly lacking directive as I just mentioned.
The Tender Bar, has a solid enough cast, Tye Sheridan who plays older J. R. is great as usual, Max Martini who is J. R.'s estranged father is also good in the limited role he is in and the child who they got to portray young J. R. was surprisingly good (as far as child actors go). However, I would be reminisce not to mention Ben Affleck who plays Uncle Charlie, a barkeep who acts as J. R.'s father figure. Affleck was excellent in the film and although I have yet to see The Last Duel, I believe it to be his best performance in years. There is a lot of wit and charisma packed into the character and it was always a treat when he got to share screentime with Sheridan or Ranieri.
There are a lot of good things going for The Tender Bar, it is a good-looking film that captures the era of the 1970s quite well and it could have a heartwarming story to boot, however, I feel some of the faults of the film lie on director George Clooney. The jumbled structure of the first act, not giving time for certain scenes to breathe instead, falling back on the tropes found in other biographical films; The Tender Bar just didn't feel like it was Clooney's strong suit, there is good a movie in there somewhere that breaks out of the conventional foundations present in this film. Had The Tender Bar been in the hands of a director familiar with the genre I believe it could have been better than what it was and this is no slight against Clooney as he has directed some great movies in the past, I just don't know if he was the guy for it here.
All in all The Tender Bar is a perfectly fine film that I'm sure would please most moviegoers, and that's my main issue with it - the film doesn't try anything new or add some sort of a spin to the genre to at least make it stand out. This is an easily forgettable film which is a shame given the cinematography and performance of Ben Affleck, but even that isn't enough to save the film from how average it really is and for that reason I am giving The Tender Bar a 5/10.
Silence (2016)
Captivating - Even if it's a Little Rough Around the Edges
Silence is written and directed by Martin Scorsese and tells the story of two 16th century priests, Rodrigues and Garupe travelling to Japan in search of their mentor who they fear has committed apostasy after getting captured years earlier. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson and got a mainstream release in early 2017.
Silence is a very meticulously made film, as one would expect coming from Scorsese but it is even more pronounced here. The story takes its time to unravel, with each scene feeling like a chapter in a book, as the audience, you will spend quite a while in one place before shifting to the next. Scorsese does a wonderful job building atmosphere in this movie, it is cold, profound and most of all moving; the relationship between the Japanese and Portuguese in regards to their differing religions will make you think long after the credits start rolling - if you do not consider yourself a religious person it is still a movie that will somewhat resonate with you. The story isn't some uplifting Christatin tale and it's not entirely a critique of Buddhism or Christianity, although there are certainly very dark moments, it is meant to be an account of the history and show in many ways how religion can simultaneously bring people together and tear them apart. There are many uncomfortable moments littered throughout the movie and those tend to be the most thought-provoking and complex moments which are handled beautifully.
Andrew Garfield who takes the lead as Father Rodrigues was brilliant, he brings so much pain and complexity to the character, who struggles with his faith throughout. His performance was immediately captivating and Garfield's portrayal of his character being in constant danger was perfect, you never knew what was going to happen next, making for even those scenes that are drawn out still engaging. Adam Driver is also good in the small role he is in as Father Garupe, even if his accent took some time to adjust to. Lastly, Liam Neeson as Father Ferreira was equally superb in his limited role, you got the sense that he was haunted by the things his character has seen since being captured. There is a sense of uncertainty to his character and as the audience makes you ponder whether he believes everything he says.
While the film is masterfully made there are a few things that are rough around the edges mostly involving the sound mixing and dubbing of lines. I found some of the sound mixing to be a little jarring at times, with noises in the same scene going from relative quietness to fairly loud - it made me think I was watching some sort of mainstream horror movie with jump scares every 5 minutes. Although it wasn't commonplace and the sound mixing was handled beautifully in the third act with Silence using silence to its advantage, those were still instances that took me out of the film. Likewise, there are many lines that are dubbed in this movie both in English and Japanese, and half of the time there was dubbing it was very apparent. You could tell the lines were recorded in some studio and not on set, it was just surprising to see such a well-made film fall victim to amateur blunders.
All in all, Silence is a great film, although it may not be for everyone and I'm not sure how often I will revisit the movie, it was something that caused me to think and reflect on my experience/stance on religion. It is a very well-crafted film, even with its small faults - the performances were truly captivating, there is a lot to admire about the film even during its moments in the story and for that reason, I am giving Silence an 8/10.
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
It's "Alright, Alright, Alright"
Everybody Wants Some!! Is directed by Richard Linklater and is quoted as the spiral successor to Dazed and Confused, and while it's hard to live up to a classic like that the film does come close. Everybody Wants Some!! Takes place over the course of a few days, with freshman baseball player Jake arriving at college in August of 1980, and just like Dazed and Confused, the film features a rocking soundtrack and doesn't include much in the way of a traditional story.
Many of the scenes in this film are like moments of time, intended to capture the memory someone may have of being in their late teens and early twenties. There's a light plot thread with our protagonist, Jake longing for a girl named Beverly, a fellow student on campus, outside of that everything just sort of happens, as it tends to in real life. Similar to Dazed and Confused and many of Linklater's other films, the characters and scenes feel authentic in Everybody Wants Some!!; although I didn't grow up in the 80s or anything, coming from someone who grew up playing team sports and has experienced college life the characters in this film feel real. Finnegan is that older mentor who looks out for the rookies and takes them under his wing, there's always a whipping boy like Beuter who gets made of in a playful manner and we all have encountered a big mouth and compulsive liar like Jay in our lives. Once again Linklater does, what I feel is, a masterful job at capturing early adulthood and really making the viewer reflect on memories they have that may be similar to moments the characters in the film go through.
Now as I mentioned there isn't a lot in terms of plot, so adjust your expectations accordingly as the film doesn't feature a riveting story. While each scene does contain moments of entertainment, the way the film goes about sequencing these moments can feel a tad messy. Likewise, some segments go on for too long, creating moments where the film sort of meanders aimlessly without a point. As I've mentioned the film borrows a lot of its framework from Dazed and Confused and where it worked for that film is that the story took place all in one night, whereas with Everybody Wants Some!! The story is spread out across a few days. The moment-to-moment nature of Dazed felt warranted and charming, as here it can come across as tedious at times and I don't necessarily feel the structure works as well. The film features a cast of characters that I don't feel they do a whole lot with, sure Dazed had an equally big cast but I never felt like I needed deep characterization as like I said, the story takes place over twelve hours. There is surface-level development of the characters within the film, however more, could and should have been done given the period of time Linklater set for himself.
Another complaint I have about the film involves the character of Jake. Blake Jenner does a fine enough job acting, however doesn't come close to others around him, it may be partly due to his performance or the way his character was written. Every movie needs a straight-man who isn't as crazed as the others around them and typically that character comes in the form of a protagonist and while the formula typically works, I found Jake to be too stiff and uninteresting. I was never fully invested or could relate to the character, I was always more engaged with what was going on around him, making for major plot lines to feel like a bore. Blake's character really has no conflict, external nor internal, he just sorts of exist and his main purpose is trying to get the girl. He never really goes through anything of note, at least with Pink in Dazed and Confused there's some sort of arc with the character deciding between playing football or living in the moment with his friends. While I can appreciate and enjoy films that are aimless and more so meant to be an experience, that aimless nature can go too far and Everybody Wants Some!! Is an example of this.
In closing, Everybody Wants Some!! Is a fun yet flawed film - it captures the feeling of being a college-aged adult in the 1980s perfectly and may even spur some nostalgic memories for some, however, its relaxed storytelling and weak protagonist hamper this film greatly. It's still a good film from the acclaimed Linklater however certainly does not come near his best. I do see myself revisiting this film, as like I said it is quite enjoyable and I do recommend the film if set your expectations correctly - as I mentioned there's not a ton of story you just sort of exist with these characters for an hour and fifty minutes. I still commend the film as it easily could have divulged into something incredibly boring, Linklater is a master at making 'nothing' entertaining and I look forward to twenty years time when he makes a film about the 90s - and with all that being said I am giving Everybody Wants Some!! A 7.5/10.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Groundbreaking Even Almost 30 Years Later
Based on the novel of the same name Jurassic Park tells the story of a paleontologist visiting an island in central America outfitted as a theme park, but rather than rides being the main attraction, the park contains live dinosaurs. After a power failure causes many of the enclosures to open, the individuals on the island are forced to survive a terrifying night with dinosaurs on the prowl. Jurassic Park is directed by Steven Spielberg, stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum and was released during the summer of 1993 to massive success.
Having never seen Jurassic Park yet being a big fan of dinosaurs growing up and hearing fantastic things about the movie, it was a pleasure to finally see what all the hype is about. Spielberg and company do an amazing job transporting the viewer to the land of dinosaurs, even almost thirty years later the film does hold up thanks to the terrific practical effects used in the production. I was hooked quickly from the start and the story presented is both a fun ride for children and adults alike, it is simultaneously humorous and thrilling, with moments that'll have you on the edge of your seat. Jurassic Park is a wonderful adventure that is aided by the cast involved, Sam Neill plays the character of Grant a paleontologist who loves his work but isn't sure about having kids with his wife and fellow paleontologist Ellie - a fun-loving and caring person portrayed by Laura Dern. Easily the most entertaining character in the film is a scientist named Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum, who basically shows up to be funny and sexy while dropping knowledge in the process. Even though Goldblum's character doesn't have the most screen time, particularly around the third act, he was easily the most charismatic personality and elevated an already great film.
While the film features a tight-knit story and excellent production, it is a Spielberg trope to include children of some sort as to add that childlike wonder to a movie and possibly give younger viewers characters to relate to. Spielberg usually does a good job at casting younger actors/actresses and directing them in a way where they don't stick out as being the weaker performance which is a common trait seen in other movies that involve child actors. He has also made classic films like The Goonies and E. T. that feature an ensemble cast of kids, however with Jurassic Park a lot of the faults with the movie lie with the two child actors. They weren't particularly great and were more so nuance in the story always causing some sort of contrived problem for Grant, that it's no wonder why his character doesn't want to have kids. I understand the film is supposed to capture how children might react to being face-to-face with dangerous Dinos and possibly in the novel the characters are written better, but here they came across as problems that really detracted from my experience as I was more so annoyed by the decisions their characters made in the movie.
In closing, Jurassic Park is a wonderfully fun film that I see myself revisiting and highly recommend if you have never seen it, although it isn't my favourite film ever made I can totally see why it is some people's. The story is fun, most of the acting is good and the special effects used in the film are groundbreaking even to this day. It is good family fun and a very pleasing watch, and for those reasons, I am giving Jurassic Park an 8.5/10.
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
"The Third One is Always the Worst," You're Right Jean!
Released in 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse is once again written and directed by Bryan Singer and finds our heroes in their most precarious situation yet. As after an ancient god is awoken in the year 1983 he threatens the life of humans and mutants alike, recruiting those he feels are the strongest and letting the weak members of society parish. X-Men: Apocalypse sees the return of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence in their respective roles of Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr and Raven, alongside newcomer Oscar Isaac who plays the antagonist known as Apocalypse.
While X-Men Apocalypse is a continuation of the young X-Men prequel series starting with First Class, it feels like a much different film in comparison to its predecessors similar to what The Last Stand was to the original trilogy. While the previous two films, the aforementioned First Class and Days of Future Past are almost political thrillers that are not only intense but are filled with great characterization and metaphors, sadly nothing about this film reaches the height of those two movies. Apocalypse is in its name, this is a superhero movie that features world-ending consequences for our heroes and yet I really felt nothing, I always knew where the plot was going and was never on the edge of my seat like I have been for other movies in the series. I'm not sure whether this is just due to the over-saturation of this sort of plotline, with a lot of superhero films featuring mass destruction and apocalyptic events, or if it was just bad characterization of the villain. I assume it is a bit of both as this sort of plotline has become commonplace for superhero films and the character of Apocalypse sort of shows up under contrived circumstance with very little in the way of rich characterization and incredibly surface level motivation - basically, humans in the current day have no use for gods and have taken back over the earth, thus they must be eradicated where only the strong survive. These are motives that have been seen time and time again in movies, and if done in a way that changes the formula or adds something new, it can be exciting, but X-Men: Apocalypse doesn't due to its flat villain. I found nothing about Oscar Isaac's portal of Apocalypse to be interesting, he wasn't intimidating and lacked the force that one would expect to see from a villain of his calibre.
Likewise, most everyone else in this film is rather flat too, while the actors and actresses all do what they can with the script given, particularly that of McAvoy and Fassbender who once again are fantastic, their characters are seemingly underwritten. Charles Xavier has moments of greatness but for a large chunk of the film I found his character to sort of meander about, and Erik Lehnsherr isn't really given a compelling reason to do what he does in this film outside of him usually being "the bad guy". Throughout this prequel series, we have seen Erik struggle with doing the right thing, there is always an internal conflict going on with him and while that has been interesting to see in First Class and Days of Future Past, here it feels more of a rehash than anything. Given how well his character has been written in previous films, it seems the writers really did him a disservice in this movie, almost making him as one-dimensional as Apocalypse himself.
There are certainly many things to criticize about X-Men: Apocalypse due to the high standards the previous two films set, of X-Men being more than just another superhero film, however one aspect I cannot knock about this film is that it is certainly entertaining. Apocalypse clocks in at almost two and a half hours and I honestly wouldn't have noticed, the movie flew by and had some exciting moments. The visual effects, acting and certain story beats are all fun, while this can be a big dumb movie that pales in comparison to what came before it is still an engaging ride when given the chance.
All in all, I am not the biggest fan of X-Men: Apocalypse, it took some giant steps back in terms of writing and I'm not sure how often I will return to this movie. While I still do recommend this film for X-Men fans and it has its moments, it is definitely not a perfect film and comes close to the quality found in The Last Stand and for that reason, I am giving X-Men: Apocalypse a 4.5/10.
Christine (2016)
Authentically Boring
Released in 2016 Christine is directed by Antonio Campos and tells the true story of Christine Chubbuck, a news reporter in the 1970s whose struggles with depression and personal frustration leads her to take drastic actions. Starring Rebecca Hall as the titular character, Christine, is a faithful representation of the 70s and tells an important story, however, I sadly failed to connect with the material.
Campos does a wonderful job directing characters, establishing shots and giving the film an authentic feel, the script also characterizes Christine quite well, you will have a good understanding of the character early on and continue to learn more about her. Christine will make you laugh, feel bad for her as well as may make you frustrated, these range of emotions meant to encapsulate the feelings of a character struggling with mental health are portrayed beautifully by Rebecca Hall. Although, I had initially taken some of her line deliveries as being offbeat and sort of awkward, that who is Christine was and I felt Hall did a great job paying her justice.
Now while there is a lot to really like about this film, I struggled to get through it. I never really connected with the story or character of Christine which is a shame as much of this film is of high quality. It was just paced so poorly that I found myself often more bored than I should be while watching a film. I didn't feel much emotion until maybe the last 15 minutes or so, the rest of the movie was more so a slog to get through. Perhaps a rewatch of the film may make me feel differently, as at its heart Christine is a wonderful character study, however, I just failed to find the connection I was supposed to from the film.
Christine is a well-made movie with great set design and good performances, I just couldn't help myself from feeling indifferent about the whole film. I can respect the quality of the work while also highlighting that it may be a bore to get through, while many editing choices are purposeful and offer a chance for the scenes/characters to breath, I just didn't feel like there was a lot going on in the story to warrant those editing decisions. I found myself checked out for much of the film and while I can say that it does so much right, it failed to be entertaining and for that reason, I am giving Christine a 5/10.
Blue Jay (2016)
A Film That Would Be Hard to Replicate
Taking place over the course of one day, Blue Jay, tells the story of two high school sweethearts coincidentally running into each other at a grocery store after returning to their small hometown. After deciding to catch up over a cup of coffee, the pair finds themselves reflecting on nostalgic memories and mistakes that still haunt them. Directed by Alex Lehmann and written and starring Mark Duplass, alongside other costar Sarah Paulson, Blue Jay is a very minimal film that is brimming with powerful moments.
With little more than a summary written Blue Jay is a film that relies heavily on the improvisation of the two leads to carry every scene, and while that could go wrong very quickly, Duplass and Paulson put on a masterclass of acting. If you were to show anyone a scene or two from this film without mentioning that it was improvised they probably wouldn't be able to tell. Both performers do such a terrific job that I was completely mesmerized the entire time, they both offer moments of lightheartedness and heartbreak that will have you laughing one second and crying the next. Even if the film was left in the hands of equally capable actors, it would be hard to replicate the same chemistry that was seen in Blue Jay. This film is absolutely carried by Duplass and Paulson and so much could have gone wrong but didn't.
It should be mentioned that Blue Jay is such a small-scale film will very little going on that at times it may feel like characters just sort of exist in scenes, with exposition-heavy dialogue and walking around.
Although, I am not a fan of exposition given the lazy nature of it, here it absolutely works. Blue Jay is met to capture a moment, to give the viewer a vibe, it is a realistic depiction of catching up with someone from your past who you may have been romantically involved with. When we meet both characters they are different, not just based on their current circumstances but also who they were back then when they were dating. Seeing them dig up aspects from the past and relive moments they had when they were together, filled me with a lot of nostalgia that had me reflecting on my life. I was immediately invested in the film and was able to connect to the characters - for such a self-contained movie, it is brimming with all kinds of feelings.
Blue Jay is a truly wonderful film however it's not something that I can absolutely recommend. You'll know if you like it or not based on the first 15 minutes or so, it is something that is more so meant to inspire a feeling than tell an actual story. While I feel it nails that, the story could have used just a few more plot points as at times it felt like there wasn't a whole lot going on. Nonetheless, I still found the film to be impactful and will stick with me for a long while; it is near perfect in what it is going for and for that reason, I am giving Blue Jay an 8.5/10.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
A Super Solid Superhero Film
X-Men: Days of Future Pasts finds mutants in their greatest plight yet, as in 2023 A. I. robots known as Sentinels are sent to eradicate them. With the help of Kitty Pryde, Wolverine volunteers himself to be sent back in time to 1973 where he must work with a young Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr and Hank McCoy to alter public opinion about mutants thus stopping the creation of the dreaded Sentinels. With Bryan Singer returning to direct, alongside all cast members back to reprise their roles past and present, Days of Future is an ambitious X-Men story to tell but was a hit for both audiences and critics back in 2014.
The crux of this tale relies on time travel and while that can be an aspect that is hard to nail given the many story details that are required to be thought about, it's something that can lead to many plot holes and while Days of Future isn't perfect it mostly works. It was fun seeing the present Wolverine interact with the very young Professor X and Magneto, and seeing the return of the First Class cast was great. James and McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are standouts yet again, each delivering equally great performances, McAvoy portrays a very different Charles Xavier than we have ever seen before. He is a cynical man that has lost all hope for a balance between Mutant-Human relations and would rather subdue his powers with an experimental drug than use his brain for good. It was an interesting depiction of the character that led itself to some wonderful story moments. While Erik Lehnsherr's motives sort of remain the same, Michael Fassbender does an excellent job with it, he is both menacing and someone you root for to do the right thing. All the other actors and actresses do a fantastic job as well, no one felt out of place, even with all the returning characters from the previous X-Men trilogy.
Another standout of Days of Future Past is the CGI, a lot of the effects are seamless and with a movie so reliant on them, nothing ever felt out of place and it feels like a film that will hold up for years to come. It was also really nice to see Beast done properly again, gone is the computer-generated mouth in place for a more traditional look that uses practical rather special effects and it really pays off. The movie also features a perfect sense of scale, everything feels grand with massive stakes on the line and the story went places, particularly near the end, where I wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen. It was refreshing to watch a superhero film and not be able to predict the whole thing.
While there are a lot of positives to X-Men: Days of Future Past I found the runtime to hurt the film at points. I found myself checking the time more often than I should and I wasn't always engaged with what was going on. It was nowhere near as consistently fun or entertaining as X-Men: First Class, perhaps with further rewatches I may feel differently, but where I stand right now, it is certainly a good X-Men movie but not my favourite in the franchise.
Nonetheless, Days of Future is an excellent superhero movie that is ambitious in its plot which pays off. It is certainly a film I can recommend however if you're brand new to the series I would suggest catching up on the previous movies just to get a good understanding of all the characters featured here. Even though I may not be head over heels for the film, I certainly respect the craft that went into it and I can say that it is one of the better movies in the hero genre, and with all that being said I am giving X-Men: Days of Future Past a 7.5/10.
Nocturama (2016)
It Made a Willow Smith Song Horrifying...
Nocturama is written and directed by Bertrand Bonello and tells the story of a group of young adults who plan and carry out a series of bombing attacks across Paris. The film follows the adolescent radicals as they take refuge in an abandoned shopping mall overnight. The film sparked controversy in 2016 as it was released no less than a year after the very real Paris attacks in 2015. While the story told is fictional and many movies that display terrorism do it in a bastardized way, Nocturama uses this plot point tastefully and is interwoven into the main themes of the story even if they are not made absolutely clear.
On the surface, Nocturama can come across like an insensitive film that doesn't have a lot to say, with minimal dialogue and characters sort of manoeuvring about one area for an extended period of time, but that is part of the movies beauty. It is certainly not a film for everybody however if you're willing to go into it with an open mind and reflect on decisions made by the characters and how they might translate to the real world the film can truly become an impactful experience. While the act of terrorism is a horrifying decision and the story doesn't establish a clear motive for the characters carrying out such a heavy choice, Nocturama unveils this subtly during its over two-hour runtime. From the way some characters respond initially to the crime they just committed to their actions taken during the extended overnight stay at a mall; some are remorseful and think they have broken brains while others it just comes across as an everyday event, nothing they did was out of the ordinary. This characterization, while not spelled out, is precise and almost requires the viewer to place themselves in that character's shoes and really try to figure what they are exactly feeling. Bonello is a master at elegantly portraying these subtleties that contribute to the larger theme.
Nocturama is a film that may seem like it doesn't have a lot going on but the filmmaker tasked himself with managing several characters in one space and trying to give each enough screen time to tell their story. Even though at times I found there to be one too many characters, I thought Bonello mostly pulled this off. Likewise for a film of this runtime to take place in practically one setting and for it to be as entertaining as it was, is an accomplishment of itself - Nocturama not only sucked me in but was also a great lesson in filmmaking on how to make a self-contained film work. While the film does slow down once the characters arrive at the mall and there are moments that were a little monotonous to get through, Nocturama had me on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting for something to go wrong. Right from the beginning to the very end, I was incredibly tense and the film does a wonderful job at maintaining this sense of uncomfortableness.
As I mentioned earlier Nocturama is not for everyone and I am not expecting others to feel as positive about it as I did, but if you are interested in the film just know that its themes are not made clear and it mostly serves as a movie that requires you to think. While not everything about the film works I do appreciate the risk Bonello took with telling his story and I feel he achieved what he set out to do. Nocturama is a film that's going to stick with me for a long while and is one of 2016's best, and for that reason, I am giving Nocturama an 8/10.
The Wolverine (2013)
An Improvement so Average
With the X-Men seemingly disbanded and living in isolation, The Wolverine picks up a few years after the events of The Last Stand with Logan living in the woods dealing with the grief that still haunts him. However, when someone from his past calls upon Logan to say his farewell, our hero finds himself in Japan and involved in a tumultuous family drama. Directed by James Mangold and starring Hugh Jackman once again as the titular character, The Wolverine was released during the summer of 2013 to moderate success.
It goes without saying at this point but The Wolverine is a vast improvement of Origins, displaying genuine heart and emotion for the character that really allows the audience to get invested. The Wolverine has a very solid opening and sets a different tone than what we have seen in any of the other films apart of the X-Men series. It's a little more mature and violent, and while The Wolverine offers a version of Logan that is darker, fans would still have to wait a few more years to see the true version of the character, although it is certainly a step in the right direction.
The choice to set the movie in Japan was interesting, I understand it is a storyline in the comics but to translate it to film was an intriguing decision that I believe worked. Part of the reason it worked so well is the filmmakers used the setting to their advantage creating really wonderful shots that feel ripped straight from a comic panel - at points, The Wolverine felt like the best looking film in the X-Men franchise so far. Likewise, this is probably the best Hugh Jackman had been as Wolverine/Logan up to that point, his performance is riveting and the film does a good job capturing the grief the character has for decisions he has made in his life and the people he has lost.
Now where the film has its faults is within its story and pacing; as I mentioned The Wolverine has an excellent introduction but in its second and third act it can feel like a drag and gets pretty ridiculous. I found Yashida's desire to take Logan's power to be an interesting premise and the assassination plot-line was also pretty fun - it features this fight scene on a bullet train that is a huge standout. Other than though The Wolverine sort of falls in line with any other superhero film, while the second act can drag a little, the climax and final battle of the film was a tad cartoony given the tone set by the film earlier. I realize this may have been a plot-line that has been featured in the comics, I just don't know how well it worked for a movie - it felt a little ridiculous at points.
The Wolverine still remains a step in the right for the character and franchise as a whole when it was released in 2013 and although the movie had its moments I don't know if it will be something I revisit. Hugh Jackman and the cinematography are clear standouts but given what we got in 2018 with Logan and the film falling into the trap of other superhero movies I think it is vastly inferior to the true standouts within the X-Men franchise. The Wolverine is the perfect film to flip on during a Saturday afternoon, it has its moment and it can certainly be an enjoyable film however it doesn't do enough interesting things to set itself apart, outside of finally telling a darker Logan tale. While I do appreciate some factors about the film, it is one that is perfectly average and for that reason, I am giving The Wolverine a 5.5/10.
Nerve (2016)
The Nerve of this Movie to be so Enjoyable Yet so Riddled with Flaws
Released during the summer of 2016, Nerve, tells the thrilling tale of what happens when a social media game is taken too far. Vee, played by Emma Roberts, is a reserved teen who finds herself in a precarious circumstance, instructed to complete increasingly dangerous dares all while competing against fellow players and being watched by thousands of people online, after signing up to play in a mobile game called Nerve. Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, based on the novel by Jeanne Ryan, Nerve is a cautionary tale about how far people will go for money and internet fame.
Nerve is a very conflicting movie, on one hand, it can be blistering fun and offer moments that can thrill, at other times it feels like an arthouse film trapped in a subpar young adult movie. I'll admit I had my reservations going into Nerve, I didn't entirely know what it was about outside of it surrounding technology and while that aspect of the movie is incredibly unrealistic and cringeworthy, I enjoyed the ride for the most part. First and foremost the film has an excellent colour pallet, most of the film takes place at night illuminated by neon lights and while no one shot is truly outstanding, it was still nice to look at. Joost and Schulman also captured scenes that were exciting, even if most of the moments are predictable, I was completely enthralled the entire time with what was going on.
While Nerve can be an entertaining ride if you're willing to turn off your brain, at its root, it is still a story that wants to be taken seriously and that's where its faults lie. Outside of its predictable plot, many of the themes surrounding the dangers of social media and clout are far too unrealistic to take seriously. Despite agreeing with the sentiment that the internet can be a dangerous place, the way this film goes about it is all wrong; it displays this notion that something like this could happen in real life, however, such is not the case. The internet can and has rallied together before with such things as petitions and it can be a place where individuals work with each other as seen with Cicada 3001 (if you haven't heard of this infamous puzzle please do yourself a favour and look it up, it's fascinating). However, something like the game in Nerve isn't plausible, it would require far too much coordination with people who would rather look at silly things online and not try to get complete strangers killed (although a small minority might but not to the extent that is seen in the movie). So Nerve's themes can come across quite pretentious as well as frustrating, and that's not helped by the fact that its depiction of technology is rather laughable - I have never seen a touch screen on a MacBook nor people so willing to download what is essentially a glorified computer virus.
Despite its ridiculous themes and unrealistic use of technology, I wanted more out of Nerve, although I did have fun with the movie, it is so badly trapped in a thick layer of young adult adaption clichés. For a film that could push for a darker tone, it is so set on telling this conventional love story between Emma Roberts and Dave Franco which isn't helped by the fact that the pair didn't have a ton of chemistry. Even with that, it wasn't like any of the dialogue was too hot either, with almost all of the performances being quite bad. Likewise, Nerve's use of a soundtrack was odd, with random pop songs littered throughout the movie; the film would have greatly benefitted from some sort of electronic score à la 2011's Drive.
My last complaint about Nerve involves a couple of story details, such as Vee's rise to fame in the game. All of her dares seemed rather tame compared to what the other players had to complete and if I was a watcher I don't know if I would view her stream since it came across as quite boring. Also, the way she and Ian were linked together I thought was leading to something bigger, like him being some sort of programmer that intentionally crossed paths with her in a creepy way. Instead of being conveniently sent to a diner to read a random novel with the minuscule chance that he would be the random stranger Vee would kiss, only for the Watchers to keep the pair together. Lastly, although the idea of Prisoner being a role within the game, I found it odd that if you become one during a current match you automatically go to the finals as some sort of redemption. This could be an exception given Vee's reputation of being well-liked on the app and the fact that the Watcher's shipped Ian and Vee, however that just ends up being yet another plot convenience - why isn't Vee's game over and she being forced to compete in the next round of Nerve to escape the Watcher's control?
With all that being said, I still really enjoyed my time with Nerve even given its plethora of flaws. While I cannot absolutely recommend this movie, if you're willing to suspend your disbelief for an hour and forty minutes, there is some fun to be had with this film and for that reason, I am giving Nerve a 5.5/10.
X: First Class (2011)
A Very X-Citing Origin Story
X-Men: First Class, is directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, among many others. The film tells the story of the early beginnings of the X-Men, wherein the mid-1960s a young group of mutants get involved during the increasingly hostile Cold War. Released to positive reception in 2011, X-Men: First Class offers a fresh cinematic take on the X-Men, that acts as both a soft-reboot and origin story, one that is leagues ahead of the standalone Wolverine movie released a couple of years prior.
I have always heard good things about X-Men: First Class, so I was naturally excited to check the film out for the first time and while it does live up to those promising expectations it also falls into the same trappings that superhero films find themselves in. Matthew Vaughn always has a flair for stylistic action and he was a great addition to this film, really making this feel like a comic book movie, with interesting shots and wonderful use of colours. His direction really elevates this film even if some of the source material leads the film in a goofier direction despite the tone it tries to set. The addition of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as young Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr was brilliant, their performances are very captivating in this film and do a good job portraying their early friendship and where their ideologies differ. It is an inclusion that honestly makes rewatching the old X-Men trilogy a little more interesting given the context. The film does a good job setting up its story and keeping the viewer invested, with a great antagonist in Sebastian Shaw portrayed by Kevin Bacon, who serves as an excellent foil to our heroes. The stakes in the film are also well-realized, nothing ever felt too over-the-top and given the real-life implications, people had at the time during the Cold War, I thought everything was very fitting for this movie. Likewise, there is also great set design and costuming, the film does a good job transporting the audience to the 1960s and nothing ever felt out of place - it was honestly interesting to see the way the writers were going to integrate the X-Men into this feud and I thought it was done tastefully.
While there is a lot to like about this film there are some negatives weighing it down. At points throughout the movie, I thought it got a little goofy for its own good and that is mainly due to the mutants that were included. It's hard to fault anybody involved for that, I was just loving the darker nature of the story and though I wish the film would have pushed more in that direction, I believe the filmmakers did their best - even then the film still does standout amongst many other superhero flicks. Some other issues I had involved the use of a few too many montage sequences, weird editing choices and the look of a certain character. The inclusion of Beast in X-Men 3: The Last Stand was great and he looked incredible in the film, whereas here Beast looks laughable. It straight up looked like a guy in a Halloween costume and the CGI used for his mouth movements was astonishingly bad. It looked very unnatural and every time Beast either spoke or growled it sort of took me out of the movie. Gone is the hulking, intimidating yet gentle Beast, what we got is the Walmart version of that.
All-in-all, I still enjoyed my time with X-Men: First Class and it is easily a highlight for the series. I do recommend the film if you haven't seen it, even if you're unfamiliar with the X-Men it is a great jumping-on-point and doesn't feel as dated as maybe the 2002 X-Men film. While there are aspects to the film I am not a fan of, it does a lot right and had some very compelling moments that are some of the best of any superhero film and are going to stick with me for a long while, and with that being said I am giving X-Men: First Class a 8/10.
The Shallows (2016)
As Shallow as the Title Suggests
Released during the summer of 2016, The Shallows is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and follows Nancy, played by Blake Lively, a surfer who finds herself stranded fifty yards from shore after a shark attack. The Shallows is a minimal, self-contained story that takes place over 48 hours where the heroine must fight to survive (on her own), against insurmountable odds. Typically I am a fan of these smaller-scale films, however, I failed to be as invested in The Shallows as I wish I would have been.
The Shallows does a good job setting up its first confrontation with the shark that inevitably leaves Nancy stranded and Blake Lively does a good job portraying her character, however outside of that, the film is mostly mundane and the scenes with the shark are laughable. The film is ripe with many quiet moments that could have been poignant given the backstory the filmmakers gave Nancy, however almost all of those scenes are rather dull and don't offer much in terms of progressing the story/character. For a film that's a little under 90 minutes, I felt the length of the runtime more than I should have and that is due to The Shallows offering nothing new or exciting, I constantly knew where the story was going to go and never felt the intensity I should have for this type of movie.
Right from the start The Shallows has an awkward opening that features many uses of this filter whenever Nancy is on her phone, it is one side cheesy and another distracting - it was something that immediately took me out of the film. Likewise, as I mentioned earlier most of the shark encounters are fairly goofy, there is one instance with a character waking up on a beach that is hilariously bad.
While I have a lot of criticism for The Shallows it is not all bad I can tell what the filmmakers were going for, however, it was something that just didn't work for me. This film boils down to something that is completely average, for some this may be an intense thrill ride and that's awesome, but for me, I just wasn't a huge fan of the film and some of the decisions made, and for that reason, I am giving The Shallows a 5/10.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
A Hollow Blockbuster
X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of the early years of the immortal James Logan, from fighting in many of the historic wars, his time spent with special forces to the experiment that led him to become the Wolverine. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Shreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Lynn Collins and Will.i.am, and is directed by Gavin Hood. Released in May of 2009, the movie did well financially despite its mixed reviews from both audiences and critics alike.
Growing up this was the very first X-Men movie I saw and I remember enjoying it, as any 10-year old would, however revisiting the film it is easy to see how it got its reputation. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a lazy cash grab intended to cash in on the popularity of the character not only from the mainline movies but the comics as well. The story is contrived, jumps all over the place and lacks any sort of intrigue the filmmakers try to convey. The acting is mostly fine, particularly from Hugh Jackman and Liev Shreiber who try their best to elevate this movie beyond what it is. For an origin movie, nothing shown here couldn't have been wrapped in a flashback sequence of some sort, in fact, the most interesting aspect to Wolverine and something that could have made for a more entertaining film actually is shown during the montage sequence accompanied by the opening credits. Seeing how Logan and Victor Creed survived for many years fighting in the World Wars and eventually leading up to their estrangement from each other would have been an inherently cool comic book film rather than what we got here.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine lacks the style and substance found in the X-Men series and winds up becoming a bland and forgettable mess. It's an empty ride that I don't see myself revisiting and in the grand schemes of the franchise can be easily skipped as it offers nothing of value, and for that reason, I am giving X-Men Origins Wolverine a 3/10.
The Boy (2016)
An Unexpectedly Scary Good Time
Released in January of 2016 The Boy, written by Stacey Menear and directed by William Brent Bell tells the story of an American nanny travelling to the U. K. to care for a child who is in fact a life-sized porcelain doll. The film stars Lauren Cohan and Rupert Evans, among others and was met with average reception from both audience and critics alike.
The Boy has to be one of the biggest surprises I have seen quite some time, going into the film I was expecting little more than a run-of-the-mill paranormal scare flick, that has been seen time and time again. However, The Boy is more than just that, while there are still some elements that are met to please the average teenage horror fan, the film went places I wasn't expecting and had me invested throughout.
Now The Boy starts out pretty conventional with our protagonist arriving at a lavish, yet creepy house in the middle of a secluded area and is instructed to look after it while the homeowners plan to be away. While that in and of itself is clichéd enough the story also introduces an eerie doll that the homeowners claim to be their son and task the new nanny, Greta to care for it. All of this lays the backdrop to what would otherwise be an unremarkable horror film that is solely intended to capture the attention of the youth, and while those tropes are found with the film's overabundance of fake-out jump-scares, The Boy took me places I wasn't expecting to go. There is a reveal in the third act that truly took me by surprise, and although it did raise further questions, I found it to be a commendable writing choice for this sort of movie. In retrospect, the filmmakers did a good job at hinting towards the reveal with subtle clues throughout, it does a good job diverting the expectations of the audience making them think the film is going one way only to yank them back in a different direction entirely. Now it isn't the most sound plot twist, as like I mentioned it does raise more questions than answers; I was left pondering whether the filmmakers intentionally left these questions up to the imagination of the audience or if the writer had written themselves into a corner by including this reveal.
The Boy certainly isn't perfect, there are some odd editing choices, none of the performances will blow you away and it is acceptably shot, but the story it tries to tell it mostly succeeds at, I just feel this film could have been better in the hands of more competent filmmakers. Although the film isn't so much of a teen scare, there are still those elements present and it felt like the filmmakers were trying to make a film to appeal to that sort of crowd but got lucky with the script they were given. I found The Boy to be a surprisingly good time even if not everything worked, it's a fun ride that had me invested throughout and while it isn't necessarily the greatest horror film I still found it enjoyable. Despite its problems, I would recommend The Boy if you're looking to watch a spooky movie that you don't have to take too seriously, regardless of if you think the plot twist works or not, it still is entertaining and for that reason, I am giving The Boy a 6/10.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
MCU Filler
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the second Marvel Studios show to be released in 2021 following up the successful WandaVision. The show stars Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as the titular characters coming to terms with the new world post blip. Following the reveal of the new Captain America a.k.a. John Walker played by Wyatt Russell, the crew is forced to work together to combat a wave of terrorism brought on by a radical group known as the Flag-Smashers. While WandaVision focused heavily on the fantastical side of the MCU, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a gritty action series that tries to recreate the themes present in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and even though the grounded nature of the series is a good change of pace, sadly the show does not recreate the same magic that was present in the aforementioned Captain America film.
Now The Falcon and the Winter Soldier starts off promising enough, with an interesting premise and setting up of characters. Bucky Barnes remorse for his actions committed as the Winter Soldier was very intriguing and I liked the direction they were taking his character, however after the second episode he more so just becomes the stock hero type and while his arc does see a bit of a resolution at the very end of the show, it just doesn't feel as strong as it could have been. That notion of satisfactory achievement is the main issue I have with the show, it never felt like it lived up to its own potential. There are plenty of moments throughout the six episodes that could have been poignant and impactful but rather felt surface level and rather hollow. Take for example the show tackling social injustice in America; while that is a theme that would be fairly new to the MCU and something that could be quite enthralling, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier doesn't do a whole lot with it to make it as impactful as it could have been. I can appreciate the inclusion of those themes however they felt rather lacklustre and like the filmmakers weren't as invested in making those themes of race and relations anything more than superficial.
Beyond that, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier suffers from a lot of downtime, where characters sort of meander about before the next action sequence, making for a series that felt a little boring at times. The only real character or story arc I was interested in, was the plotline with John Walker, as the introduction of a new Captain America and him trying to live up to Steve Rogers with only having a very casual understanding of the man. It was a storyline that felt fresh for the MCU and although I am not totally in love with what the writers did with the character at the end, he was easily a highlight for me during the series.
All in all, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a series that is going to end up being quite forgettable in the grand schemes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it does set up the next iteration of Captain America, I feel like the viewer could skip this whole series and easily figure out what's going on in the next MCU releases. With that, there are some interesting moments within the series, however, if you're a casual viewer I don't totally recommend this series even with it being a brisk mini-series of only six episodes. Although I was expecting to like this series more, I am excited to see what is in store for Falcon and Bucky Barnes as they transition into more of a central role within the universe. For now, though, The Falcon and the Winter Solider remains a series that could have been greater than what was presented and for that reason, I am giving it a 5.5/10.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
A Juggling Act That Ends in Disappointment
Released in May of 2006, X-Men 3: The Last Stand finds our heroes in their greatest battle yet, as Magneto and his brotherhood use the creation of a new mutant cure by the human government to wage warfare with the help of an old X-Men ally. The Last Stand features the return of all the actors/actresses from the previous two films and is directed by newcomer to the series, Brett Ratner. With a three-year time gap and change in direction, X-Men 3: The Last Stands amounts to an overall pretty disappointing experience, that is not without a few glimmers of positivity, however.
With the return of most of the cast from the previous films, along with some new additions, they all provide meaningful performances that are convincing, even if a couple of the supporting actors are fairly lacklustre. The film also benefits from some great visual effects, both practical and digital, not once did the film feel dated in that regard and it definitely contributed to the immersion as I was wrapped right up in the film. The Last Stand also does a good job conveying a grand scale to the action, as the final battle actually felt like there were stakes. Although that feeling is present in the two predecessors, with X-Men 3 slated to be the final mainline movie in the series at the time, it does do a good job building to a climax that feels like a finale, even if the storylines explored weren't executed all too well.
Where X-Men 3 stumbles the most is in its story department, which is unfortunate considering that was an aspect that was consistently good in the previous films. Although The Last Stand has an intriguing enough first act that sets a lot of interesting plot lines up, it fails to deliver at the end. The filmmakers seemed to be a little too ambitious with the number of storylines they tried to cram into the film, as it felt like a juggling act where nothing was ever explored to its fullest potential or had a conclusive arc. Plenty of times plot lines would be dropped by the wayside as another plot needed to be explained which led to a sense that the movie lacked cohesiveness. Had the writers taken a more focused approach on one plot I feel like the film would've faired much better, as, with a runtime of only an hour and forty-four minutes, there is just too much going on.
X-Men 3: The Last Stand marks a disappointing end to the original trilogy, even through its cheesy moments the film could have been good had there been more of a focus placed on one storyline rather than trying to manage five. Plenty of moments went unexplained and it lacked the nuances present in the previous two films. It's hard not to compare The Last Stand to the other two X-Men movies as by virtue it is a sequel, and while the film can be viewed as dumb fun that creates a good scale of epicness near the end, it is still clear the film lacked a singular vision. There is still fun to be had with Last Stand, I was never bored, the action sequences are entertaining, it has a good pace and the visual effects are quite good - it's just a shame it couldn't be better. I still do recommend the film as it is not completely bad and after all, it is the third entry in a trilogy so if you have seen and enjoyed the previous films then watching this is a no-brainer. It is just a shame that the film lacks the quality in terms of its story that was present in the predecessors and for that reason, I am giving X-Men 3: The Last Stand a 4/10.
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
Collision Course? More like a Train Wreck
Ice Age: Collision Course is the fifth entry in the long-running animated series that first began in 2002. This time around the Herd find themselves once again in danger as a catastrophic asteroid looms over - with the help of an old friend Manny, Sid, Diego and company must find a way to stop the giant space rock before everyone's fate is sealed. Released in the summer of 2016, Ice Age: Collision Course was met with negative to average reception and became the least profitable film out of the entire series.
Up to this point, I have not been the biggest fan of the Ice Age series despite my fond memories; they mostly serve as extremely average children's movies that strayed far from what the original was about and nowhere is that more evident than in Ice Age: Collision Course. Right from the get-go gone is any of the charm the other films had in being creative and poking fun at the time period it is set in, as it makes way for humour and references that highlight pop culture. It comes off rather cringeworthy and lazy, considering many other children's movies, as well as comedies, do the same thing however much better. Not only has much of the joke writing taken a backseat but the story as well feels rather redundant, this is the third film in the series where a natural disaster threatens to wipe out everyone in the Herd - it's at a point where that plot feels more like a trope that the writers can fall back on. Nothing about Ice Age: Collision Course feels fresh and it's honestly a shame to see the series stoop this low, especially given the filmmakers had four years to work on it. The addition of Buck was nice as he was a decent character in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, but even with a more prominent role here, it doesn't do anything to save the film. Buck sort of comes across as annoying and his comedic bits are not nearly as entertaining as they were in the third entry of the series.
Buck's contribution lends itself to my biggest problem with Ice Age: Collision Course and that there are far too many characters in this film. Throughout the series more and more characters have been added to the cast (or rather the Herd), from Ellie, Crash and Eddie in Ice Age: The Meltdown to most recently Granny and Shira in the fourth instalment. It starts to get to a point where the filmmakers have too large of a cast to manage that prominent storylines that should be at the heart of the story feel rushed and/or cookie-cutter; like with Diego and the aforementioned, Shira's storyline, as well as Manny's arc in coming to terms with his daughter's fiancé, none felt satisfactory or explored to their fullest potential. Both these storylines could have worked and been impactful had the writers spent more time developing the plotline rather than focusing on writing a joke about Sid having to use a dating site to meet someone. Better yet maybe don't have twelve characters and feel the need to add more as it just makes the film come across as bloated and cheap as if the inclusions of these new characters were only here to have more toys to sell.
Ice Age: Collision Course totally abandons the original concept of three prehistoric animals returning a baby to its people because even if I thought the original Ice Age was average at least there was a bit of charm there and I got the feeling that the filmmakers actually cared about what they were making, rather than trying to cash in on the name brand. Even the Scrat segments were woefully underwhelming, the slapsticks bits I felt have been dropping in quality throughout the series however here they are even worse. Scrat spends the entire runtime in space, parodying famous space movies and is once again the catalyst for what happens to our main characters back on earth. The segments are extremely uninteresting, break up the pacing of what's going on in the central story and as with the film as a whole, stray far away from what made the original Scrat scenes actually good.
I was very unimpressed by Ice Age: Collision Course, I felt that the film was pandering to far too young of children and came across as if it was made for a quick buck. Most everything in the movie was bad, from the story to the humour and that's not to mention the parody of Neil deGrasse Tyson named Neil deBuck Weasel - just awful. The one positive thing I can say about this entry is that the animation was good, the texture of all the animal's fur was well done and some of the set pieces were detailed enough, however, nothing was mind-blowing. This is a very bad film that I do not recommend, even if you are a fan of the previous entries, it's just flat our uninspiring. If you do find yourself liking this film, all the power to you nothing should stop you from enjoying what you like, however, I could not stand my time while watching it and for that reason, I am giving Ice Age: Collision Course a 1/10.
WandaVision (2021)
Fun and Intriguing Dragged Down by an Uninteresting B-Plot and Lacklustre Climax
WandaVision is Marvel Studios' first venture into television that is exclusively made for Disney+, the story picks up sometime after Avengers: Endgame with Wanda and Vision living in a quaint suburban area, however, they begin to suspect that not everything is as it seems. WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as the titular character Wanda Maximoff alongside Paul Bettany who plays her love interest, Vision.
Like most, seeing the teasers to WandaVision left me very curious - Why is it in black and white? What is with the old 50/60's styled sitcom? How is Vision alive? - while all those questions were eventually answered, the show was of interest to me (even as someone who doesn't claim to be the biggest fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). After getting a taste of the two's romance in previous MCU films, it is no surprise that Olsen and Bettany play well off each other - Wanda, the compassionate one that just wants to live a quiet life with a nuclear family and Vision, the calculated and philosophical love interest who always tries to do the right thing. The pair's chemistry is believable, and helps to move the story along even as things start to become more and more strange. There is a sense of mystery to the early parts of the show, one that is intriguing and promotes many questions, as was seen across different social media platforms each week, with fans trying to uncover what exactly was going on in Westview. Although all is explained near the latter half of the series, it may not satisfy those with creative theories. I for one didn't mind where the plot went, I thought it made sense and without spoilers paints the character of Wanda as a tragic figure, whereby her actions are understandable however easily scrutinized.
Now where my biggest problems lie with the show, has to be with its B plot and climax. I understand the secondary story is vital to explaining what's going on with the outside world, however, I never really found it to be all that interesting; in fact, I found it to really divert the momentum at points and take me out of the experience, leading to times where I felt like I was checking the time more often than I should and that is no more apparent than in episode 5 of the show. Some of my least favourite moments were when the story shifted outside of Westview and I found the clarification as to how the real world bled into the other world to be fairly anticlimactic, given what was set up. Speaking of the climax, the final episode to WandaVision really lost me - I had enjoyed the twist and some of the explanations given as to what was going on up to that point, but it wouldn't be the MCU if the pinnacle point in the story didn't divulge into a sequence of CGI action. I wish the show could have wrapped up in a quiet, less chaotic way than it did, I understand it was leading to a conflict however that conflict just ended up being the marvel trope of loud, brightly coloured action and that was frankly disappointing. It doesn't totally ruin the show, but it does detract from the overall experience considering what the show had built up.
Overall WandaVision was a decent ride, I loved the technical features of the show with transitioning between various aspect ratios and the little attention to detail given to what time period the episodes were paying homage to. It is a well-crafted show to a point; the story is intriguing and what it sets up has a satisfying enough pay-off, even if some of the plot points to get there are monotonous and the climax rather is underwhelming. I still do recommend WandaVision, it is a sufficiently good show that I'm sure will lend itself to the greater MCU story at hand and for that reason, I am giving WandaVision a 7/10.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Grab a Bud and Enjoy this Movie Man
Released in the fall of 1993 Dazed and Confused is written and directed by Richard Linklater and follows a group of teenagers after their last day of school before summer vacation in 1976, with many antics that involve partying, hazing freshmen and most importantly hanging with buds. The film features the likes of a young Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck, and despite its positive reception the film barely broke even at the box office, becoming more of a cult classic as the years passed.
Dazed and Confused is a wonderful depiction of adolescence bleeding into young adulthood that pays homage to the late 1970s without feeling like a cheap gimmick. Much of this film feels like it was ripped from someone's memory, Linklater's to be exact, and as the audience, it feels very genuine. Dazed and Confused can seem jarring at first, with the introduction of many characters it can be hard to remember names and who is who, but as the film goes along it does a good job establishing that as well as dynamics between the friend groups. There isn't much of a story to be found here, which can be a negative to some, it is more of a film that emphasizes the day in the life and all the mischief teenagers can get up to in a singular day. That's not to say there aren't any character arcs with Pink and Mitch being the most prevalent, and although it doesn't do anything to change the formula that is found in most coming of age stories with the protagonist realizing who they are and living in the moment, it still remains intriguing and a fun ride for the audience.
The acting is mostly good too, some of the actors who play the new freshmen can come across a little meh, however the performances are propped up by the older teenagers who feel very real in their portrayal of young adults. Matthew McConaughey is particularly good as Wooderson, with him providing many of the laughs throughout the film, despite not having a ton of screen time. With a large cast of characters the film can jump around a lot and with a runtime of just over 90 minutes, there is a lot that is crammed into the film; although I find that to be part of Dazed and Confused charm I can also see that being negative for some people especially when some of the scene transition are a little dated with every scene featuring some sort of rock and roll hit from the 1970s.
I enjoyed my time quite a bit with this film, I was engaged right from the start and it took me back to high school in spite of not growing up during this time period. Dazed and Confused follows a three-act structure with each one providing some hilarity and memorable moments throughout, until the third act. I found the last thirty minutes or so of the film to drag a little, I understand that it may represent the end of the party with the night starting to die down and the sun coming up, however, I felt that Dazed and Confused lost a bit of its steam. It is in the third act where you see most of the mixing of the characters, it still did feature some great sequences and I enjoyed where it left the two protagonists, I just didn't find it to be as strong
All in all, Dazed and Confused is a wonderful coming of age tale that takes place over one day, I loved the depiction of teenage life in the late '70s and all the performances felt quite genuine. There was a clear passion poured into this movie and I can't help but find it infectious, although I can see this film being a little mundane and pointless for some, since lacks a conventional plot and features a cast of characters that may be a tad large, I think that's just part of its charm and what the movie represents. There are a ton of people in an individual's life, all intertwined with their own set of people they know, all fitted with various personalities, and Dazed and Confused highlights this perfectly. I can't wait to revisit the film, especially with the added knowledge of knowing who everyone is in the story, it is a film I highly recommend if you're the type to enjoy experiencing moment-to-moment scenes that aren't focused on a greater plot at hand. I am so glad I checked it out and I can see it being in heavy rotation and for that reason, I am giving Dazed and Confused an 8.5/10.