Review: The BFG (2016)

Steven Spielberg is an icon of cinema. Pretty much my favourite director for a long long time, he has delivered some remarkably varied films.

Here Spielberg draws on his immense talent to bring to life a classic children's story. Admittedly, I don't think I have ever read the story, but I do know of it.

The BFG is the 'Big Friendly Giant', played brilliantly by Mark Rylance using motion capture. He is discovered by Sophie, an orphan that likes to wander during the night in the orphanage she stays in. Sophie is played by newcomer Ruby Barnhill.

The film is a very family friendly fantasy adventure. I have no idea how close it is to the structure of the book, but it is a beautifully realised adaptation. I wish I could say it is a great film though, but unfortunately it is not. The actual story and progression of it is missing a bit in the first half. I felt like it was almost going nowhere until the plot takes a turn about mid way. From then on, it shifts a gear and becomes more enjoyable. The pairing of Rylance with a great debut by Barnhill, and the direction from a man that definitely knows what he is doing in this genre provides an overall magical film going experience.

3.5/5

Review: Me Before You (2016)

Cliched, cheesy, soppy - and I loved it. Emilia Clarke is amazing in this film.

Sam Claflin plays Will Traynor, young rich playboy type that is involved in a tragic accident - one that leaves the once adventurous man a quadriplegic. Clarke plays Louisa Clark, a small town girl struggling to get a job. Their paths cross when Louisa is hired to look after Will at his family mansion.

What makes the film work is the pairing of Clarke and Claflin, and in particular, the beautiful performance by Clarke. She is as unlike Daenerys Targaryen as you could possibly get. The chemistry between the two and the thoroughly engaging story just makes this film a joy to watch. As I mentioned, it is cliched and cheesy, but damn it delivers that shot of love to your heart.

4/5

Review: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

20 years later, we get a long awaited sequel to what was a massive blockbuster of the mid 90s. Independence Day absolutely blew audiences away with a level of destruction not really seen before then. It was cheesy and fun, but really, it was about spectacle. I recently revisited the film, and although the scale of destruction is still quite cool, the overall film is not as exciting as I remember it to be when I was 16.

Resurgence picks up 20 years later, with the people of Earth now living more harmoniously with each other. Sharing knowledge and existing as one people. They've used the technology that the aliens brought with them in 1996 to fuel their own needs for advancement in day to day life and of course, protection from future invasions.

Jeff Goldblum makes a welcome return as well as some other members of the original cast. It is nice to see these old characters return, but it was a shame not seeing Will Smith come back for more. Liam Hemsworth leads the newer cast members, accompanied by Jessie T Usher and Maika Monroe.

Well, so was the 20 year wait worth it? Sort of. I wish I could be more definitive. I enjoyed seeing the continuation of the story with some new ground covered, but, it just wasn't really enough. The impact that ID had in 1996 is not going to be felt here. The story is fine, it is just not executed in a way that really makes you care. The majority of that problem probably comes down to the characters and script. I honestly didn't really care much for them. I cared more for the older characters, but they take a backseat for the most part.

The film is fun, the action is good, the special effects as you would expect them to be, but, the film fails to deliver anything that you could love about it. That unfortunately is due to a script that fails to engage the audience like it should.

3/5

Review: Warcraft (2016)

I have never played or seen the game, so I can't review on the success of the adaptation. But, what I can review on is how this stands as a film. In that regard, it is probably one of the most disappointing blockbusters of the year. 

Duncan Jones, the man that brought us some damn fine films in Moon and Source Code has delivered what will ultimately be a blemish in his resume. Visually, this film is a treat. The Orcs look great and the world that has been built is stunning. I enjoy the fantasy genre, but aside from some cool aspects on display (there is some nice sorcery going on), and for all it's prettiness, the story, acting and script work is well below par. 

The story is reasonably simple I suppose, but it takes a fair amount of focus to get what is going on. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be spoon fed, but it felt like I needed to have some background knowledge for some of this. There are a fair amount of characters in this, and they don't all seem to get the amount of fleshing out they needed. It really did feel like there was a lot more that needed to be in the film for it to feel a bit more satisfying as far as character arcs go. 

The lack of fleshed out characters probably wouldn't have been as noticeable if the script was more engaging. There was nothing to really bite in to and satisfy me. It is not terrible at all, it just didn't draw me in like I should have been. A key aspect of enjoying any script is the acting around it - and here, it is not very good. A largely unknown cast, the humans are outdone by the Orcs. In fact, my main bug bear with this whole film is the lack of a real hero to get behind. Travis Fimmel from Vikings just didn't have the presence needed to lead the film. 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the gold standard for this type of film. This film tries really hard, but doesn't even come close. I couldn't even say it is a good movie. It has good parts, but the sum of all that is just not enough for me.

2.5/5 

Cinema Etiquette: Part III

In April 2014 I wrote a couple of blog entries about cinema-going etiquette - mainly because a couple of cinema outings had pissed me off so much I had to rant about it. One of those was actually in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And guess what - another episode that got my blood boiling, which just so happen to be in a session for Captain America: Civil War. Coincidence? Probably. Let me lay this out for you.

I'm pumped beyond belief for CA:CW this morning. So excited I get nervous, anxious and anything else you could use to describe it. Before heading out to the film, I'm making sure I don't drink too much, I've cleared the bowels too many times through nervous shits. I know, you're thinking - "Who the fuck is this guy?". You know what, I don't know who or what I am, but I ain't this low life I'm about to rant about below.

Anyways, these days I like to book Gold Class, premium seating sessions for the big big films. Because I am sick to death of cunt faces in cinemas just ruining my experience. I like to think I have a fair amount of tolerance for the shit heads in life, but, I do think there is a time and place for everything as well. In my holy place (yeah, that is a cinema, not a church), I like quiet and no mobile phone usage during the film. 

However, I am tolerant of a little bit of both. People make occasional comments to their peers in films - you know what, I do too. Not full on fucken conversations, but a little whisper in the ear. I can also accept that someone may take a quick glance at their phones during a film. Checking the time, waiting for an important call or emergency text - I get it, we need to do this shit sometime. 

What I don't get, is the fucken shit bag that has paid minimum $40 to sit in Captain America: Civil War and play a video game/gambling game on his mobile as the film is starting and at least 5 mins into it. Not just starting credits (of which I don't think there was any), but during the opening action sequence. 

The lights go out, the film starts. I'm loving my seat, but in the seat which was in the row in front and to the right I could see this scum bag piece of shit a playing game! A fucken game! He is looking at his phone and looking up at the screen every now and then. Me, I'm trying to get immersed into the film, but I can't. His phone is distracting the shit out of me. I sit there in hope that he'll finish his fucking level or whatever and put that away. My blood is literally hitting boiling point - you are ruining my time in this holy place motherfucker. 

So, I get up and go over to him. Tap him on the shoulder, and ask him nicely to turn off his phone screen. Now, I ain't a big guy. I got a big temper, but I have been balanced out with a skinny physique and fighting skills that are non-existant.  So, when I say I asked politely, I did. It is firm, but not rude. Look at me, I'm worried about being rude to the cock head using his phone in the movie. Weird right? You know what he says back? I say "Can you please turn off your phone screen?"...he says, "Why?"...what in the hell is this shit brick thinking? "Why?" Seriously? I then said "Because you are in my line of sight and it is distracting me. So, do you mind? Do you mind?" Yep, I said "Do you mind?" twice. He honestly looked like I had asked if I could shoot a load into his wife's face. Sorry if that is derogatory, but damn, it was like I had done something very very wrong by asking him to actually watch the fucking film. Shame on me right. 

I go back to my seat. He adjusts his seat a bit more upright, no doubt so he could continue to use his phone without me seeing it. What a schlub. He eventually did put it in his pocket. I followed this guy out just to get a look at him. I wasn't going to do anything. I considered making a quick jibe after the movie about being able to play your game now. But, my wife was pretty much telling me to chill. 

Just after I told him to turn the screen off and then sat down, it took me about 10 mins to completely relax again. Sure, I got boiling blood from something so simple, but why is it, in this day and age, people must be so fucking dumb about their activities in shared spaces? This was not a free movie in the park, this was paid event where people are generally there to enjoy themselves, and pay complete attention to the film unfolding. I still can't get over the fact his first response was to ask "Why?"...Good luck with life! (that goes for me as well)

Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

On March 13th 2016, I embarked on a full re-watch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films - finishing up with Ant-Man last night. Today I went to my Gold Class session of Captain America: Civil War. I booked this ticket as soon as they went on sale. The level of anticipation and excitement has been feverishly building for a long long time. It all culminated this morning. 

After all of the films revisited and ranked, I suppose the one thing I was pretty sure of going in was that I was going to love it. In fact, it was probably near on impossible for me to not love it. So, guess what happened - the impossible did not happen. I loved it - review over. 

No, just kidding. I got few more things to say. Anthony and Joe Russo delivered in 2014 what I consider to be the best MCU entry - Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Well, I did have that belief up until now. Now, I am not so sure. Some of you may be wondering about The Avengers film - well, I love that too, and sometimes struggle with which one out of that and Winter Soldier I love more. It is a first world problem - that struggle. 

The team behind this film take the great aspects of Winter Soldier and amp it up a few more notches. That is - great story telling and exciting action set pieces. Couple those two with very very good scripting and character interaction, and it is difficult to even walk away from this film without enjoying it. Whether you think it is the best or not, well, we can debate that shit till the end of time. Hell, I might not even debate it - I'd just agree. 

The story - it seems simple on the surface. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark don't agree with each other, so they fight about it. It really wasn't a simple one though. There are a lot of layers to the story. That is what I really enjoyed about Winter Soldier, and they've pulled off another deeply engaging film with real emotional weight to it. What really surprised me though was how difficult it was to pick a side. The character arcs and their reasons for opposing each other were very well done. I don't want to go too much into it - because I like to write reviews that are generally non-spoiler material. I walked away from this film probably leaning towards Team Cap, but, it was not an easy decision - I still love Iron Man. 

The action - like Winter Soldier, it feels more tangible. Is that the right word? Hmmm. Although we're dealing with superheroes, it just feels more grounded. In particular, the fighting feels like a souped up Jason Bourne film. You feel those hits. The overall explosions and shit like that seemed a bit more restrained in this film as well. It is definitely about the conflict and the character's struggle. Don't get me wrong, there is some great great set pieces, but, it is very different to The Avengers and Age of Ultron - hell, even quite different in some ways to Winter Soldier. Once you watch, or if you have, I hope you see what I mean. If not, then what the fuck aye!

Ok, what else is there. Cool story, cool action. Characters - we've got our favourites here, plus another couple added to the mix. Black Panther is introduced well - so well,  I am quite excited to see more of him. I believe he has a solo film coming up, so I'm keen to see more exploration of his character and origin. The big one people are talking about is Spider-Boy...yep, he is an actual teenage boy this time. No, he is not actually called Spider-Boy, he is still Spider-Man. Very different to the interpretations we've seen so far - well, just younger and less mature I suppose. He's got a solo adventure coming next year. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Aunt May as well ;-) 

All up, we've got another great entry in the MCU. Not all have been great though. In fact, I reckon 7 out of 13 are great films - but the rest a pretty damned good as well. This one sits near the top - if not on top. I need another viewing. I'll give it a few weeks I think. After so many superhero films in the last 6 weeks, with a lot more actually watched in the last 2 or 3 weeks, I actually could be experiencing superhero fatigue. Don't worry about me though, it is a good kind of fatigue. 

4.5/5

Review: The Jungle Book (2016)

Visually one of the most outstanding films you will ever see. I believe almost everything except Mowgli himself is computer generated. The technology behind photo-realistic animals and nature has come very very far since the days of Aslan and Avatar - and that wasn't all that long ago.

I'm not overly familiar with the original story, so I couldn't tell you how true it stays to the source. Basically, Mowgli is a boy (man-cub) raised by Wolves. He comes under the threat of Shere Khan, the great Tiger in the jungle. He decides to leave the jungle to protect his Wolf family - and so begins his journey of survival. Along the way, he meets characters (animals) that will either be his friend or foe.

As you would have guessed, the only human in this film is Mowgli. He is played very well by young Neel Sethi. Most of the animals speak, and it is quite fun hearing the voices of popular actors playing some of the animals of the jungle. I won't say who they are, as it is cool to guess if you don't know already.

The film itself is fun, exciting, adventure-filled and as mentioned before, just amazing to look at. The tone itself can be quite dark and occasionally tense, but there is plenty of playfulness and cute animals to balance it out.

4/5

Review: Midnight Special (2016)

A week after seeing some tweets about how great Midnight Special is, I found myself winning a double pass to a preview/premiere screening here in Perth. I was quite excited to see what people are raving on about. I've seen the Director's (Jeff Nichols) previous films (Take Shelter and Mud), of which I thought Shelter was the better of the two - but Mud is pretty good too. 

They both took their time to explore the characters and relay the story - sometimes to the point of being a bit too slow for me. But, they came full circle and finish very well. This one is no different in that respect, but I found the central plot quite intriguing and more interesting than the others (at least more so than Mud).

Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton are on the run, accused of abducting a child. That child is actually the son of Shannon's character - a boy with strange abilities. There is a lot of mystery that surrounds the events in this film. Things unfold, but at a pace that sometimes annoys me. I know that the payoff is coming, so I have to remind myself to be patient and enjoy this often fascinating ride. 

The last third of this film is the best. As I said, it builds slowly, but it always keeps you interested. The score is also very good - I am listening to it as I type this. One of the main feelings I had throughout this film was that of John Carpenter's Starman - which is a good thing. Overall, a great sci-fi mystery thriller. The emphasis here is definitely on the characters and their journey - which is a nice change of pace. 

4/5

Review: London Has Fallen (2016)

Secret Service Agent Mike Banning and POTUS continue their turbulent love affair - this time in London. Terrorists are on the hunt for Mr President - the only man that can keep him alive is Banning.

Gerard Butler was just born to play wise cracking tough guys. This film spends about 25 mins getting things set up, then it is all out action for the next 70 mins. It is a fun film, with plenty of explosions, gun fire and knife fights. As with the first film, the effects are fairly average (hell, it is probably below average). But, for a low budget actioner, the fun is in the close quarters action scenes and listening to Gerard spew macho shit.

Compared to Olympus Has Fallen, this one isn't as good, but it is still enjoyable. If you're an action fan, and don't mind some cheese with it, then you'll like this.

3/5

Review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

I will admit my initial reaction to the announcement of this film was along the lines of - "How the hell are they going to do that? Superman will kick Batman's ass". I couldn't see it working in a live action film, but of course I became very keen to see it come to life. I love both characters - in fact, they're my absolute favourite superheroes. My love for Superman started with the seminal classic from 1978. I used to love watching the cheesy as hell Adam West/Burt Ward TV series from the 60's, but my passion for Batman was truly realised with the 1989 film by Tim Burton.

Over the last nearly 4 decades (yes, that long), there have been various big screen versions of these characters. Plenty of ups and downs, plenty of actors trying out the suits. With Man of Steel in 2013, we saw a very fresh take on Superman, and the start of a DC Comics version of a Cinematic Universe (films that tie their characters together, instead of separate worlds). I don't want to really compare to Marvel Comics Cinematic Universe, but I'll tell you this - I love that we have both universes to play in.

Man of Steel was a great start. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the next entry. Set 18 months after the events of MoS, we're introduced to Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne/Batman. He's a pretty pissed off character - angry with Superman and the threat he poses to the safety of our world. Is Affleck's version of Batman any good? Hell yeah it is. He's the oldest incarnation of Bat's we've seen in a live action film, but he is very tough and a brutal fighter. He moves a lot like the animated TV series version of Batman. Batfleck is very different to the recent Christian Bale portrayal (not better, just different).

Cavill was great in MoS, and he continues that stellar performance here. His character is presented with some interesting personal challenges (not just the fact Batman wants to kill him). The rest of the main cast is rounded out by Amy Adams' Lois Lane (perhaps not developed anymore than what she was in MoS), and Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. I found Eisenberg's take on Lex to be quite good. He's a bit nutty, but also supremely intelligent and just downright evil. No, he's not playing Mark Zuckerberg in this film as well. My wife mentioned an interesting impression she got of Eisenberg's Lex - it seemed like he was trying to channel Heath Ledger's Joker performance - I could sort of see that.

Now this film is a sort of setup for a Justice League film (coming in 2017). So, we not only get Batman and Superman, but the brief introduction of Gal Gadot's Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. And, let me tell you, this is handled very well. Her few moments of screen time are teasing and exciting. I'm really keen to see her solo film coming in 2017.  Additionally, we have a great new Alfred Pennyworth to back up Batman - Jeremy Irons is just perfect.

As for the film itself (aside from the great casting and performances), the story is jam packed. There is a lot happening on screen, and that first 1 to 1.5 hrs moves along at a steady pace. Up until that last hour, I was enjoying the movie. Cool looking and well constructed action sequences, much better scripting than MoS, and a very engaging plot line. I especially liked how Bruce Wayne/Batman is actually brought into the events at the end of MoS - something that may not have been planned during MoS production, but it is pulled off quite well. Some of the flow of the story is a bit jarring sometimes, but it is a minor gripe. There really is a lot going on.

After that first 1.5 hrs, well what can I say, it all just gets better. Yes, I was hoping it would. The actual battle between Batman and Superman is very well handled, and any sort of notions I had in my head about this not going to be believable were thrown out the door. The overall production of this film is top notch (you would expect that for $250m). The visuals are amazing. I really liked Batman's new lair and gadgets, including an awesome new Batmobile and Batplane. If anything, you could be a bit let down by the effects in the final conflict/battle. Thankfully, this film doesn't go as bombastic as MoS did towards the end. It almost does, but it is reined in and is pretty cool.

I certainly don't get the hate and extremely negative reviews this film and MoS have generated. They're completely different to the Marvel films, but of no lesser quality. They are definitely darker in tone, which I enjoy. Why can't people be happy that we have some really great superhero films coming from different studio's? I could probably write another article on my feelings about this torrid hate that DC films have towards them - sometimes it feels like people can't except both universes. If you feel one is better than the other, then fine - but don't hate for the sake of it. As an audience member, lap it up! These characters are great, and for the most part, we're getting some great live action versions. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is definitely one of those - go see it. 

4/5