Review: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Once I heard earlier this year that Mel Gibson had a new directorial effort coming out, I knew it would be a must see film for me. Even though he has made few films from behind the camera, they are all arguably very good or great films. The man knows how to tell a story - and typically quite violent ones. Gibson's last film as director was Apocalypto (2006). Hacksaw Ridge has been worth the wait.

Andrew Garfield stars as Desmond Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist that enlisted in WWII as a conscientious objector. He refused to carry a gun and kill the enemy, instead he wanted to help soldiers as a medical officer. What plays out on screen is not necessarily a religious story, but more the story of one man adhering to his convictions in the midst of an extremely harrowing part of history.

The film is comprised of two distinct sections. The first half is the introduction of the Desmond and his family life. We see him fall in love and decide to enlist. The second half is the war, and this is where the what may be perceived as a slow first half comes full circle. If you think you have experienced intense war films - think again.

Blood, guts, bullets, dirt, sweat, emotion and every nightmare (literally) of war is realised to perfection. Doss and his fellow soldiers in hell on Hacksaw Ridge. The performances throughout and especially in the war scenes are impressive. Garfield himself is outstanding, and I will be shocked if he doesn't see some recognition for his role come award season.

Gibson takes us deep into the belly of the beast that is war. Not only is this film an overall amazing production, the depiction of Desmond's story and the the emotional journey ensures you can't just let it go when you leave the cinema. All hail the return of Mel Gibson - I for one, am so glad he is back.

4.5/5

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

I went into this one not really knowing much about the character or the film at all - and I was pleasantly surprised. Not that I have known a huge amount about the previous characters either, but since we've had a whole bunch of films with the same characters, it was nice to have something new. 

Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch - in what seems a perfect fit. The story is, in the end, very similar to other Marvel films, but it has a fresh feel to it. That is mainly due to the visuals and action scenes and the fact his powers are pretty different to other superheroes - he's a sorcerer. 

I really enjoy magic and wizardry, so the fact this film focuses on that realm is pretty cool. The film wastes no time in delving straight into that side of things either, with the first action scene being a real mind bender. This is where we get to see how different this film is to the rest of the Marvel catalogue - the visuals. Think Inception and buildings folding in on themselves while people walk, run and fight in gravity defying fashion, and you might have an idea. It is not a rip off, but it takes the concept and adds some awesome sorcery effects to it. 

The film has a nice pace and good balance of action and humour. As usual, we're left wanting a little more in character use and development, but this film still delivers an entertaining 2 hours. I certainly look forward to seeing more Doctor Strange in upcoming Marvel entries.  

4/5