Book Club stars Mary Steenburgen, Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen as 4 women who form a Book Club every month and each of them pick a book for the 4 of them to read and one of them picks Fifty Shades of Grey and it gets all of them stimulated for love, life and sex which for some includes finding love again and getting back into the dating game.
Book Club is good fun and worth a watch with a cinema crowd that for me was laughing quite a bit and I definitely laughed a fair bit as well and a lot of that charm comes down to that wonderful cast of ladies who play off each other really well and have great chemistry as well as delivering some great laughs and I have to say I really liked seeing Ms Bergen on screen again.
The 4 ladies also have some fun male actors to play off of as well with Don Johnson he of Heartbeat the song and Miami Vice fame getting a small role, Wallace Shawn (“Inconceivable”) has a really fun cameo as does Richard Dreyfuss but its Andy Garcia once again showing that he has aged really well and pretty much turned into Terry Benedict from the 2001 Oceans Eleven and like in Mamma Mia 2 gets many of the films best moments and I also liked seeing Alicia Silverstone again it felt like an eternity since I last saw her on screen.
Oh and Craig T. Nelson has a fun gag with Mr. Incredible all the way down in his pants.
And so that was Book Club a fun and light hearted romp that I had fun with, 3 out of 5.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Film Review - The Happytime Murders (2018)
The Happytime Murders is directed by Brian Henson son of Muppets creator Jim Henson and stars Melissa McCarthy as a police detective who once had a Puppet partner who now works as a private eye as an incident saw him disgraced from the service but when the cast of a TV show called The Happytime Gang keep winding up dead the two will have to work together to solve the case.
The Happytime Murders is a complete mess that really doesn’t work on almost any front and first off I start with the tone it is all over the place and on the one hand it goes for that Who Framed Roger Rabbit style of puppets and humans co existing much like how toons and humans co exist in the world of that film then on the other hand there’s lot of sex jokes, sexual scenes and swearing now granted this is an MA15 movie and it has some very inventive gun deaths but they just don’t work.
And that leads me to the second problem the comedy it’s dead D-E-A-D Dead none of the jokes work and none of them come from a consistent tone the sexual jokes just come out of nowhere and instead of generating laughs they just land with a complete thud and in the small audience I saw the movie in there was only one laugh, 1 in the whole time I was watching the movie and for a comedy that is dangerous.
And lastly the central mystery doesn’t work either as it becomes blindingly obvious from the get go who the killer is and as a result you get bored with the mystery and Ms McCarthy does some good physical comedy but her verbal gags just pretty much end up being her shouting a lot of her lines and after a while I just got sick of it.
So yeah the Happytime Murders was awful, nothing in it works and it fails to be fun, track down Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Instead as that is a far superior film, 1 out of 5.
The Happytime Murders is a complete mess that really doesn’t work on almost any front and first off I start with the tone it is all over the place and on the one hand it goes for that Who Framed Roger Rabbit style of puppets and humans co existing much like how toons and humans co exist in the world of that film then on the other hand there’s lot of sex jokes, sexual scenes and swearing now granted this is an MA15 movie and it has some very inventive gun deaths but they just don’t work.
And that leads me to the second problem the comedy it’s dead D-E-A-D Dead none of the jokes work and none of them come from a consistent tone the sexual jokes just come out of nowhere and instead of generating laughs they just land with a complete thud and in the small audience I saw the movie in there was only one laugh, 1 in the whole time I was watching the movie and for a comedy that is dangerous.
And lastly the central mystery doesn’t work either as it becomes blindingly obvious from the get go who the killer is and as a result you get bored with the mystery and Ms McCarthy does some good physical comedy but her verbal gags just pretty much end up being her shouting a lot of her lines and after a while I just got sick of it.
So yeah the Happytime Murders was awful, nothing in it works and it fails to be fun, track down Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Instead as that is a far superior film, 1 out of 5.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Big Trouble for James Bond
So recently the new Mission: Impossible movie Fallout came out in cinemas and I absolutely loved it, it’s a terrific thrill ride with exciting action, a great villain and a story that is about its central hero Ethan Hunt and the kind of hero he is.
What also came to mind is that not only must I try some of those amazing helicopter stunts on GTA Five (It didn’t quite work out as planned but I’ll keep trying) and also that Fallout and Rogue Nation make a great 2 parter but I also thought of the James Bond franchise.
For you see with these 2 films and the 2 Kingsman films the 007 series finds itself on the back foot of the spy genre and risks looking out dated and out of touch to a modern audience and it used to be said of James Bond that Nobody Does It Better and it makes you feel sad for the rest.
Well I certainly am not sad for the rest for much like in the late 80s the competitors of James Bond seem to have finally caught up thanks to the like of Christopher McQuarrie and Matthew Vaughn and allow me to delve more into those 2 groups of films in more detail.
In both Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Fallout you have:
- Tom Cruise defying death to do all of those amazing stunts be it hanging off the side of a plane, holding his breath underwater, doing motorcycle chases with no protection and leaping from one building to the next in a foot chase that would make Quicksilver blush.
- Christopher McQuarrie staging some impressive action set pieces while also crafting espionage stories that are exciting to follow, are driven by character and stimulate your imagination.
- A proper reinvention of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Solomon Lane and a proper reinvention of SPECTRE in the Syndicate/Apostles and like that group they know how his opposite number ticks and is intelligent, resourceful and ruthless in its goals for global chaos and domination.
- And lastly a leading lady in Rebecca Ferguson who could legitimately be a Bond leading lady as she is sexy, beautiful and able to kick ass with the guys.
Now lets swim across the pond to the 2 Kingsman movies:
- Both films have colourful and lavish sets that are eye catching and reminiscent of the sets Sir Ken Adam would design for the Bond films of the 60s and 70s.
- Colin Firth’s Harry/Galahad has properly redefined the gentleman spy with his Manners Maketh Man attitude and sharp suit that fits not only with the period film characters that helped make Firth a successful actor but also brings in a new audience for him that may not have seen his earlier work.
- Villains that like Auric Goldfinger could be petty crooks but see a legitimate grievance in modern society and seek to stamp it out even if it costs millions of lives which as Thanos would say is “A Small Price to Pay for Salvation.”
- And lastly like the Mission Impossible films I talked about above there are some wildly exciting action set pieces that play out like these energetic music clips that would traditionally be the title sequence of a James Bond film.
Now if you were to put those elements together into a handy little list like so:
- The stunt set piece that made you sit up and go WOW!
- The lavish and elaborate sets
- The beautiful women
- The exciting villains
- The espionage plots that threaten the world
And the gentleman spy risking life and limb to win the day and all of those are what you used to go and see a James Bond movie for and increasingly since Casino Royale in 2006 it feels like the Bond series has lost its way a little bit.
And this has happened by the films becoming more and more serious in tone which the Fleming novels and the best of the Bond films balanced well with humour, the navel gazing of “Is Bond still Relevant” which has been going on over and over since Goldeneye in 1995 and the elements of the Bond character that made him so popular such as the overt masculinity to name as one example are coming under increasing scrutiny.
But I still maintain the hope for Bond as one of the great strengths of the film series has been its ability to adapt with the changing times and refit the character to suit them to a certain degree and Danny Boyle is a good director who can bring a real kinetic energy plus Daniel Craig seems keen to end his tenure in the role on a high note hopefully they can deliver the goods and reorient Bond to be back on top and prove once more that Nobody Does it Better despite the comers.
What also came to mind is that not only must I try some of those amazing helicopter stunts on GTA Five (It didn’t quite work out as planned but I’ll keep trying) and also that Fallout and Rogue Nation make a great 2 parter but I also thought of the James Bond franchise.
For you see with these 2 films and the 2 Kingsman films the 007 series finds itself on the back foot of the spy genre and risks looking out dated and out of touch to a modern audience and it used to be said of James Bond that Nobody Does It Better and it makes you feel sad for the rest.
Well I certainly am not sad for the rest for much like in the late 80s the competitors of James Bond seem to have finally caught up thanks to the like of Christopher McQuarrie and Matthew Vaughn and allow me to delve more into those 2 groups of films in more detail.
In both Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Fallout you have:
- Tom Cruise defying death to do all of those amazing stunts be it hanging off the side of a plane, holding his breath underwater, doing motorcycle chases with no protection and leaping from one building to the next in a foot chase that would make Quicksilver blush.
- Christopher McQuarrie staging some impressive action set pieces while also crafting espionage stories that are exciting to follow, are driven by character and stimulate your imagination.
- A proper reinvention of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Solomon Lane and a proper reinvention of SPECTRE in the Syndicate/Apostles and like that group they know how his opposite number ticks and is intelligent, resourceful and ruthless in its goals for global chaos and domination.
- And lastly a leading lady in Rebecca Ferguson who could legitimately be a Bond leading lady as she is sexy, beautiful and able to kick ass with the guys.
Now lets swim across the pond to the 2 Kingsman movies:
- Both films have colourful and lavish sets that are eye catching and reminiscent of the sets Sir Ken Adam would design for the Bond films of the 60s and 70s.
- Colin Firth’s Harry/Galahad has properly redefined the gentleman spy with his Manners Maketh Man attitude and sharp suit that fits not only with the period film characters that helped make Firth a successful actor but also brings in a new audience for him that may not have seen his earlier work.
- Villains that like Auric Goldfinger could be petty crooks but see a legitimate grievance in modern society and seek to stamp it out even if it costs millions of lives which as Thanos would say is “A Small Price to Pay for Salvation.”
- And lastly like the Mission Impossible films I talked about above there are some wildly exciting action set pieces that play out like these energetic music clips that would traditionally be the title sequence of a James Bond film.
Now if you were to put those elements together into a handy little list like so:
- The stunt set piece that made you sit up and go WOW!
- The lavish and elaborate sets
- The beautiful women
- The exciting villains
- The espionage plots that threaten the world
And the gentleman spy risking life and limb to win the day and all of those are what you used to go and see a James Bond movie for and increasingly since Casino Royale in 2006 it feels like the Bond series has lost its way a little bit.
And this has happened by the films becoming more and more serious in tone which the Fleming novels and the best of the Bond films balanced well with humour, the navel gazing of “Is Bond still Relevant” which has been going on over and over since Goldeneye in 1995 and the elements of the Bond character that made him so popular such as the overt masculinity to name as one example are coming under increasing scrutiny.
But I still maintain the hope for Bond as one of the great strengths of the film series has been its ability to adapt with the changing times and refit the character to suit them to a certain degree and Danny Boyle is a good director who can bring a real kinetic energy plus Daniel Craig seems keen to end his tenure in the role on a high note hopefully they can deliver the goods and reorient Bond to be back on top and prove once more that Nobody Does it Better despite the comers.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
10 Years of Film Reviewing
Well who would’ve thought this would happened when I started this blog 10 years ago back in 2008 that I would’ve made it this far and had some of the success that I’ve had with it in terms of some of the opportunities it opened up so yeah this is a bit of an anniversary column and being a significant one I wanted to write something about it.
So what inspired you to want to do this some of you might ask? Well the impetus of it all actually started in 2007 and I was doing a Multimedia course at the time and just wouldn’t shut up about Hot Fuzz which I saw that March in cinemas and back then I rarely went to the cinemas to see movies sure I went every while or so but not in a huge way I mainly watched films on video when I was young (living regionally you don’t have a lot of that access cinema wise especially if your local was notorious for projector problems.)
With some encouragement I decided to dab my hand in writing reviews so I decided to do so and they weren’t the best when I look back it was an early attempt to find my voice and put down my thoughts on some films like Spider-Man 3 to use as an example but I decided to leave it for a while.
Then in 2008 as I started to go to more movies in the cinema and I would tell people about what I saw and what I thought of it I was encouraged again to start a review blog as that kind of thing was starting to emerge in a big way at that time and after a bit of thinking I decided to give it a go and on Friday August 15th 2008 I officially launched my blog with a review of the double disc DVD of Dirty Harry.
And what a ride it has been yes it has had its ups and downs but so much has happened in that time and firstly I want to start with the many friends and fans I met and made through social media which really made this just something fun for myself into something that I could actually share with others from all over the world not just Australia and really make into something substantial after all if they were going to many movies why couldn’t I and then be able to talk to them about it and whether we agreed or disagreed on said movie.
And secondly came an opportunity in 2014 that I thought would never come and that was to be able to talk on Radio (ABC Radio no less) about these new releases as we very rarely see that sort of thing on traditional Media platforms any more be it Radio or Television or Print sure some of that film reporting/reviewing exists but so much of it felt like it was swallowed whole by the digital disruption of the last 10 to 15 years so to get such an opportunity was for me something that frankly I couldn’t have imagined getting.
As not only did I get to talk about films but also it opened up a potential career path that I had never ever imagined when I left school in 2003 and on top of that I met and made some wonderful friends there that came to mind when I saw the Post back in January and seeing what it is that they do up there on that big cinema screen was very moving for me.
As for what the next 10 years holds well who knows certainly I didn’t think this 10 years would hold as much as it did and open up what it did so like any good roller coaster ride I intend to sit back and enjoy the ride and thank everyone who has come by this page, commented on my reviews, opened up those Radio opportunities and liked my reviews on Twitter and commented there as well.
Here’s to many more.
So what inspired you to want to do this some of you might ask? Well the impetus of it all actually started in 2007 and I was doing a Multimedia course at the time and just wouldn’t shut up about Hot Fuzz which I saw that March in cinemas and back then I rarely went to the cinemas to see movies sure I went every while or so but not in a huge way I mainly watched films on video when I was young (living regionally you don’t have a lot of that access cinema wise especially if your local was notorious for projector problems.)
With some encouragement I decided to dab my hand in writing reviews so I decided to do so and they weren’t the best when I look back it was an early attempt to find my voice and put down my thoughts on some films like Spider-Man 3 to use as an example but I decided to leave it for a while.
Then in 2008 as I started to go to more movies in the cinema and I would tell people about what I saw and what I thought of it I was encouraged again to start a review blog as that kind of thing was starting to emerge in a big way at that time and after a bit of thinking I decided to give it a go and on Friday August 15th 2008 I officially launched my blog with a review of the double disc DVD of Dirty Harry.
And what a ride it has been yes it has had its ups and downs but so much has happened in that time and firstly I want to start with the many friends and fans I met and made through social media which really made this just something fun for myself into something that I could actually share with others from all over the world not just Australia and really make into something substantial after all if they were going to many movies why couldn’t I and then be able to talk to them about it and whether we agreed or disagreed on said movie.
And secondly came an opportunity in 2014 that I thought would never come and that was to be able to talk on Radio (ABC Radio no less) about these new releases as we very rarely see that sort of thing on traditional Media platforms any more be it Radio or Television or Print sure some of that film reporting/reviewing exists but so much of it felt like it was swallowed whole by the digital disruption of the last 10 to 15 years so to get such an opportunity was for me something that frankly I couldn’t have imagined getting.
As not only did I get to talk about films but also it opened up a potential career path that I had never ever imagined when I left school in 2003 and on top of that I met and made some wonderful friends there that came to mind when I saw the Post back in January and seeing what it is that they do up there on that big cinema screen was very moving for me.
As for what the next 10 years holds well who knows certainly I didn’t think this 10 years would hold as much as it did and open up what it did so like any good roller coaster ride I intend to sit back and enjoy the ride and thank everyone who has come by this page, commented on my reviews, opened up those Radio opportunities and liked my reviews on Twitter and commented there as well.
Here’s to many more.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Film Review - Tea with the Dames (2018)
Tea with the Dames is a documentary film directed by Roger Michell and stars Dames Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins whi on occasion get together to reminisce and laugh about the stories and careers but this time the cameras came with them and they talk about their long careers and their lives.
And all of it is delightful, so much so that I wish it had been 2 hours long instead of just 83 minutes as each of these ladies have so many stories about their lives, their former husbands and the many experiences they’ve had on stage and on film not to mention how they got started in the business and name dropping quite a few names that they’ve worked with and met over the years.
There is also a bit of sadness to it as well as all of them reveal the various health issues they now face be it loss of hearing or eye sight and given how particularly Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith have played these invincible roles like the head of Gryffindor House in the Harry Potter movies or M in the James Bond series where it felt like nothing could stop them and yet in real life their years are beginning to run out was just so sad.
Also at one point a brief clip of Alan Rickman came on and it really tugged at my heartstrings after watching Die Hard in 4K and he is sorely missed.
And so that was Tea with the Dames a delightful doco with 4 wonderful ladies that could’ve easily been 2 hours and I wouldn’t have minded at all, 4 out of 5.
And all of it is delightful, so much so that I wish it had been 2 hours long instead of just 83 minutes as each of these ladies have so many stories about their lives, their former husbands and the many experiences they’ve had on stage and on film not to mention how they got started in the business and name dropping quite a few names that they’ve worked with and met over the years.
There is also a bit of sadness to it as well as all of them reveal the various health issues they now face be it loss of hearing or eye sight and given how particularly Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith have played these invincible roles like the head of Gryffindor House in the Harry Potter movies or M in the James Bond series where it felt like nothing could stop them and yet in real life their years are beginning to run out was just so sad.
Also at one point a brief clip of Alan Rickman came on and it really tugged at my heartstrings after watching Die Hard in 4K and he is sorely missed.
And so that was Tea with the Dames a delightful doco with 4 wonderful ladies that could’ve easily been 2 hours and I wouldn’t have minded at all, 4 out of 5.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Film Review - The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)
The Spy Who Dumped Me is directed and co-written by Susanna Fogel and stars Mila Kunis as Audrey and Kate McKinnon as Morgan two best friends who end up in a world of trouble when Audrey’s boyfriend (Justin Theroux) is revealed to be a spy but when he is killed the two ladies take up the mission and get into something that could spell doom for the world.
The Spy Who Dumped Me is really good fun and I had a big smile on my face through a lot of it as well as laughing a fair bit at most of the jokes but I want to start with Ms Fogel’s direction and it is sure refreshing to see someone not skimp on the blood in their action scenes as there is quite a bit of it and it was so good to see and also she edits her fight scenes in a way that is exciting and easy to follow while also getting a gag out of them, clearly this movie has been directed by someone who loves action cinema and knows not to skimp on the blood if your going to make one.
And also Ms Kunis and Ms McKinnon play off each other really well here Kunis has been someone I could take or leave but here she is great fun to watch but Ms McKinnon is the real star here as she is the funniest I’ve ever seen her be in a movie here so many of the gags and lines and observations play beautifully in her hands and she has some terrific physical and verbal humour and in her scenes with Gillian Anderson you can totally see her freaking out in hysterical joy in her eyes.
And also I really like how Ms Fogel captures their chemistry on film you really believe that these 2 women are friends, best friends even and the intimacy that comes across in that friendly kind of way comes across in a way that no male director could ever capture so authentically as it would feel like it your observing that kind of close friendship from a distance and that’s okay it feels very refreshing to see this type of thing and I hope there’s more of it in the future.
Sadly where this film does fall down is not having a clearly defined villain to help anchor the story instead it tries to go for the Mission Impossible type of double cross and who’s really who and it doesn’t work as well outside of that series if it had that kind of “This is who we’re up against” villain it would’ve helped the film majorly.
And so that was my review of the Spy Who Dumped Me a fun action comedy with well filmed action that actually values blood, two great heroines and some fun gags and humour, 3 out of 5.
The Spy Who Dumped Me is really good fun and I had a big smile on my face through a lot of it as well as laughing a fair bit at most of the jokes but I want to start with Ms Fogel’s direction and it is sure refreshing to see someone not skimp on the blood in their action scenes as there is quite a bit of it and it was so good to see and also she edits her fight scenes in a way that is exciting and easy to follow while also getting a gag out of them, clearly this movie has been directed by someone who loves action cinema and knows not to skimp on the blood if your going to make one.
And also Ms Kunis and Ms McKinnon play off each other really well here Kunis has been someone I could take or leave but here she is great fun to watch but Ms McKinnon is the real star here as she is the funniest I’ve ever seen her be in a movie here so many of the gags and lines and observations play beautifully in her hands and she has some terrific physical and verbal humour and in her scenes with Gillian Anderson you can totally see her freaking out in hysterical joy in her eyes.
And also I really like how Ms Fogel captures their chemistry on film you really believe that these 2 women are friends, best friends even and the intimacy that comes across in that friendly kind of way comes across in a way that no male director could ever capture so authentically as it would feel like it your observing that kind of close friendship from a distance and that’s okay it feels very refreshing to see this type of thing and I hope there’s more of it in the future.
Sadly where this film does fall down is not having a clearly defined villain to help anchor the story instead it tries to go for the Mission Impossible type of double cross and who’s really who and it doesn’t work as well outside of that series if it had that kind of “This is who we’re up against” villain it would’ve helped the film majorly.
And so that was my review of the Spy Who Dumped Me a fun action comedy with well filmed action that actually values blood, two great heroines and some fun gags and humour, 3 out of 5.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Film Review - The Breaker Upperers (2018)
The Breaker Upperers is written, directed and stars Madeleine Sami and Jamie Van Beek as Mel and Jen two women who run a break up agency for partners in New Zealand but when Mel feels that they have crossed the line a little bit with one case a woman named Anna she and Jen start to conflict over the agency and their friendship.
The Breaker Upperers worked best for me when it was just these 2 women running their agency and arranging separations for couples who don’t want to go through all of that messiness for themselves a times they pose as police officers to fake missing persons cases they go to peoples houses and even spy on them in public to try and find a way to break the news and all of it is great fun and Ms Sami and Ms Van Beek have great comedic chemistry that had me laughing quite a bit plus there was a great Kamehameha Wave reference that had me properly laughing out loud in my cinema seat.
But when the film takes on a more serious tone and the duo start to argue and go their separate ways it fell down for me as it felt like a lot of the same stuff I’d seen before the friends argue, one of them goes off and does something else, the other friend starts feeling guilty and they have an awkward reunion before they properly reconcile and I got a bit bored watching all of that stuff as again it didn’t feel fresh like the first half did it just felt familiar and that is a real disappointing thing to say.
And so that was the Breaker Upperers and regrettably it’s a disappointment for me as a really fun and fresh first half makes way for a familiar second half that I just didn’t like as much, 2 and a half out of 5.
The Breaker Upperers worked best for me when it was just these 2 women running their agency and arranging separations for couples who don’t want to go through all of that messiness for themselves a times they pose as police officers to fake missing persons cases they go to peoples houses and even spy on them in public to try and find a way to break the news and all of it is great fun and Ms Sami and Ms Van Beek have great comedic chemistry that had me laughing quite a bit plus there was a great Kamehameha Wave reference that had me properly laughing out loud in my cinema seat.
But when the film takes on a more serious tone and the duo start to argue and go their separate ways it fell down for me as it felt like a lot of the same stuff I’d seen before the friends argue, one of them goes off and does something else, the other friend starts feeling guilty and they have an awkward reunion before they properly reconcile and I got a bit bored watching all of that stuff as again it didn’t feel fresh like the first half did it just felt familiar and that is a real disappointing thing to say.
And so that was the Breaker Upperers and regrettably it’s a disappointment for me as a really fun and fresh first half makes way for a familiar second half that I just didn’t like as much, 2 and a half out of 5.
Film Review - Equalizer 2 (2018)
Equalizer 2 is again directed by Antoine Fuqua and once more stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall who now works as a Lyft driver while still taking on odd jobs as the Equalizer but when his old friend Sally (Melissa Leo) is killed on a mission he vows the find those responsible and make them pay.
Equalizer 2 is okay but really not that much better than the first film which really got very silly and virtually ended with him going to Bunnings to kill the bad guys this sequel doesn’t get as silly but it has more of a dull feeling instead but Denzel himself is not dull he still brings a warmth and a heart and a nobility to this role that when he does kick bottom it feels very satisfying as it feels like there’s a reason why he’s doing it.
And also the film has some really cool action scenes where there is actual blood in them (“The Blood is the Life to quote Bram Stoker’s Dracula) and as an action junkie who misses seeing the Blood in action movies I got a real thrill seeing it splash on the floor and come out of people when they got killed.
All that said sadly this is a very dull sequel and if this had been 98 to 100 minutes I would’ve been fine with that but at nearly 2 hours it just drags on and on and on with at least one side plot too many that really has very little to do with the main storyline and as a result that main story feels a bit forgotten at times and as much as I love Pedro Pascal (and I do after seeing him as Whiskey in Kingsman 2 last year) he feels a bit wasted here and comes across as a bit of a dullard which was not the case when he was Whiskey last year.
And also the film especially in its action scenes has this very dark and murky look to it no doubt due to a lot of the film being shot at night and a storm takes place in the climax and both obscure the action scenes at times to the point where it can be hard to figure out who is who and that can be very annoying.
And so that was the Equalizer 2 and it was okay but with Mission Impossible: Fallout out there and being such a better action thrill rude go and see that instead frankly, 1.5 out of 5.
Equalizer 2 is okay but really not that much better than the first film which really got very silly and virtually ended with him going to Bunnings to kill the bad guys this sequel doesn’t get as silly but it has more of a dull feeling instead but Denzel himself is not dull he still brings a warmth and a heart and a nobility to this role that when he does kick bottom it feels very satisfying as it feels like there’s a reason why he’s doing it.
And also the film has some really cool action scenes where there is actual blood in them (“The Blood is the Life to quote Bram Stoker’s Dracula) and as an action junkie who misses seeing the Blood in action movies I got a real thrill seeing it splash on the floor and come out of people when they got killed.
All that said sadly this is a very dull sequel and if this had been 98 to 100 minutes I would’ve been fine with that but at nearly 2 hours it just drags on and on and on with at least one side plot too many that really has very little to do with the main storyline and as a result that main story feels a bit forgotten at times and as much as I love Pedro Pascal (and I do after seeing him as Whiskey in Kingsman 2 last year) he feels a bit wasted here and comes across as a bit of a dullard which was not the case when he was Whiskey last year.
And also the film especially in its action scenes has this very dark and murky look to it no doubt due to a lot of the film being shot at night and a storm takes place in the climax and both obscure the action scenes at times to the point where it can be hard to figure out who is who and that can be very annoying.
And so that was the Equalizer 2 and it was okay but with Mission Impossible: Fallout out there and being such a better action thrill rude go and see that instead frankly, 1.5 out of 5.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Film Review - Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)
Mission Impossible: Fallout is the sixth entry in the franchise and the second directed and written by Christopher McQuarrie and the story this time sees Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) go after the remains of the Syndicate from Rogue Nation who are known as The Apostles who desire to burn the old world order down and build a better one but Hunt and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames) are now being watched by CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) who may have some motives of his own.
Mission Impossible: Fallout is a terrific thrill ride that even at 147 minutes went by like Cruise running at top speed after one of his targets and TC is where I want to start diving more into this movie.
Firstly it is still such a giddy thrill to see him doing all of these crazy stunts climbing onto helicopters, running through London streets like Quicksilver from the X-Men franchise, flying helicopters, racing through streets on cars and bikes and even jumping from building to building and all of it is done so well, shot so well and comes with the knowledge that it is him himself doing those insane stunts and courting death only to give the grim reaper the middle finger and say “Not today.”
And also in the character of Ethan Hunt it really feels like the Americans after so many years have found their James Bond and this along with the Kingsman movies have really stolen the thunder of the 007 franchise and in some ways done it better with a new and fresh style relevant to modern audiences, exciting action and a central character at the centre of it all who values one life as much as millions of others and Mr Bond if he is to be relevant again needs to return to that style.
Secondly Christopher McQuarrie really kicks it up a notch in terms of his direction and like his old partner in crime on the Usual Suspects Bryan Singer when he made X-Men 2 it is that feeling of knowing how to direct action and special effects and really being able to go for it and all of the action scenes look gorgeous and are properly filmed and when I was watching them I was gasping in my seat and also going “Oooh that’s gotta hurt.”
But also the storytelling this time feels the most polished as outside of these big action set pieces the scenes of characters sitting around and talking to each other and trying to figure out their next move feels important and it really feels like everyone gets a chance to shine be it with a fun one liner or an action gag or some dialogue and whereas some of the earlier MI films stumbled with their storytelling this one comes together story wise really well.
And lastly Mr Henry Cavill is equal to Cruise in every way and the 2 play off each other really well and Henry first off can throw down really well and as Superman we barely got to see him do that and it was showcased best in Justice League last year and again going back to Bond he would be a great replacement for Daniel Craig when he exits the role after his fifth film next year as he can be charismatic, handsome, handle one liners but also bring out the ruthless streak and throw some mean punches.
And the MI films have again struggled at times in the past to give Ethan a good offsider and here it feels like they’ve finally done that and again much like with the more polished storytelling it really benefits the film.
And so that was Mission Impossible: Fallout and you should run as fast as you can to see this movie as it is really really good and right behind the Post as my favorite film of the year so far, 4.5 out of 5.
Mission Impossible: Fallout is a terrific thrill ride that even at 147 minutes went by like Cruise running at top speed after one of his targets and TC is where I want to start diving more into this movie.
Firstly it is still such a giddy thrill to see him doing all of these crazy stunts climbing onto helicopters, running through London streets like Quicksilver from the X-Men franchise, flying helicopters, racing through streets on cars and bikes and even jumping from building to building and all of it is done so well, shot so well and comes with the knowledge that it is him himself doing those insane stunts and courting death only to give the grim reaper the middle finger and say “Not today.”
And also in the character of Ethan Hunt it really feels like the Americans after so many years have found their James Bond and this along with the Kingsman movies have really stolen the thunder of the 007 franchise and in some ways done it better with a new and fresh style relevant to modern audiences, exciting action and a central character at the centre of it all who values one life as much as millions of others and Mr Bond if he is to be relevant again needs to return to that style.
Secondly Christopher McQuarrie really kicks it up a notch in terms of his direction and like his old partner in crime on the Usual Suspects Bryan Singer when he made X-Men 2 it is that feeling of knowing how to direct action and special effects and really being able to go for it and all of the action scenes look gorgeous and are properly filmed and when I was watching them I was gasping in my seat and also going “Oooh that’s gotta hurt.”
But also the storytelling this time feels the most polished as outside of these big action set pieces the scenes of characters sitting around and talking to each other and trying to figure out their next move feels important and it really feels like everyone gets a chance to shine be it with a fun one liner or an action gag or some dialogue and whereas some of the earlier MI films stumbled with their storytelling this one comes together story wise really well.
And lastly Mr Henry Cavill is equal to Cruise in every way and the 2 play off each other really well and Henry first off can throw down really well and as Superman we barely got to see him do that and it was showcased best in Justice League last year and again going back to Bond he would be a great replacement for Daniel Craig when he exits the role after his fifth film next year as he can be charismatic, handsome, handle one liners but also bring out the ruthless streak and throw some mean punches.
And the MI films have again struggled at times in the past to give Ethan a good offsider and here it feels like they’ve finally done that and again much like with the more polished storytelling it really benefits the film.
And so that was Mission Impossible: Fallout and you should run as fast as you can to see this movie as it is really really good and right behind the Post as my favorite film of the year so far, 4.5 out of 5.
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