neobateman Reviews

Captain Marvel (2019)

Glossy action cannot cover up a dull story.

[5/10 · 27 June 2019]

I've held back on reviewing Captain Marvel, I wanted to let the film sink in and allow myself to come to a proper conclusion on my thoughts. One thing I will make clear from the very beginning. I wanted to enjoy this film. I rooted for Brie Larson (she was my top pick for the role of Captain Marvel). Marvel Studios have overall done a very satisfying job not just in adapting their comic book characters but also crafting very enjoyable films in the process. Unfortunately Captain Marvel is a dull mess with a weak story, an uninteresting hero and weak villains. The film succeeds in the humour department, the film has clever jokes and funny lines, especially between Carol (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Praise needs to be given to the special effects team that managed to digitally deage Jackson in order to make him seem like a younger version of Nick Fury. This is the first time where the special effects didn't bother me. Usually the actor looks unnatural, as if they are wearing a digital mask. Jackson however, just appears younger, there is nothing that seemed out of place. The rest of the special effects also work spectacularly well (of course, its Marvel). The sets are futuristic, convincing and bring across the Utopian world of the main character. The action scenes are exciting, well shot and easy to follow. But this felt like a Phase 1 Marvel film to me. A film mainly required as set up for Avengers: Endgame, I find this to be extremely unfortunate because this character deserves better. Carol Danvers doesn't seemingly go through an arc, her worldview is never challenged which doesn't trigger a growth within her character. The strongest superhero films built an emphasis on a flawed main character whose experiences and mistakes shape his or her journey (think Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, Iron Man or Wonder Woman). Larson's character travels to Earth and is confronted with our way of life, which lead to some of the funniest scenes in the film. She is a fish out of water and perhaps doesn't see humanity the way we do. However, what does she take away? How will this impact her personality in the future? The character felt poorly written and I never had the impression I was watching a human being on screen. Her character felt constructed and not like a tangible and complex person. Larson tries her best with the role but the limited material drags her performance down to simply being a badass superhero with a sense of wit. Larson is a fantastic actress with an awesome range. She possesses so many more skills as an actress and the film doesn't allow her to express them. I hope that in future sequels the character can ripen up and grow on me more. There is certainly potential there, however a more independent and creative voice I feel needs to be present in order for the films to change their focus (i.e. Richard Donner, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, Sam Raimi, Taika Waititi or James Gunn).

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Most definitely the most anticipated film of the year.

[8/10 · 24 April 2019]

Avengers Endgame is the conclusion to 11 years worth of MCU build up. A 3 hour long epic superhero adventure packed with eye candy action and emotional moments that suffers from a few minor inconsistencies in story and characters. The promotional material has been incredibly vague and therefore I'll keep it too with this review too to not ruin the fun. After the 'events' of Infinity War, the Avengers are forced to reassemble and take on Thanos (Josh Brolin) once more. That's all I'll say about the plot. I was genuinely surprised with the direction that was taken for many characters. Unlike Infinity War, the heroes are in front center this time. There were genuine arcs that made me love and feel for these characters yet again and all of the actors were fantastic. Robert Downey jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth are at the centre of this movie and there characters were all the best, emotional and surprising for me. Especially Ruffalo lightened up the mood with a comedic performance. At this point the chemistry and comradeship between the Avengers is undeniably the best part of these films. Just seeing these characters on screen talking and interacting was truly amazing. The conversations and relationships they share with each other is vital to the films success and it absolutely delivers. The humour is on point, the dialogue snappy and real and the fight just as brutal and significant as before. All other actors too gave very effective performance but I will admit that there were two that disappointed me a little. Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and surprisingly Josh Brolin (Thanos). I haven't seen Captain Marvel but the use of her character in Endgame didn't do much for me. She had no personality and Larson (a terrific actress) didn't have the inviting charisma that a Scarlett Johansson has. Whilst he stole the show in Infinity War, Brolin's Thanos is merely reduced to a big evil villain in this film. I get that most of the screen time and story was dedicated to the Avengers and that Infinity War was Thanos' movie. But if I'm supposed to judge Endgame as a film on its own, his character definitely felt underused. Some jumbled story parts that best shouldn't be overly analysed aside. Avengers Endgame is an absolutely experience from start to finish. Perhaps the best film in the MCU yet I don't know how they can possibly top this. Wrapped up with a nice bow and tie, Endgame is a satisfying blockbuster for all fans of the MCU and superhero films in general.

Green Book (2018)

Funny fluffy comedy about a oppressive time in American history.

[8/10 · 23 April 2019]

Green Book certainly stirred up controversy when it unexpectedly won Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards. I personally didn't care as I lost interest in the Oscars completely (these are the people that nominated Black Panther for Best Picture). Certainly is the film in my Top 5 favorites of 2018, not really. That doesn't mean however that Green Book isn't an endearing, enjoyable and above all funny film about friendship and acceptance. The themes of this film have been highlighted around a zillion times in other films such as The Help. However that doesn't mean that the formula is broken. I for one appreciated this films humor, performances and story. A tough Italian brute (Viggo Mortensen) is looking for a new job. He is hired by an African American musician (Mahershala Ali) to drive him through the Southern States in the early 1960s for a tour. The film wisely goes for humor over melodrama which is what sets it apart from all the other films about this topic. Not that the film doesn't have dramatic moments, in fact these are all the more effective because the two main characters were so likeable and funny. Mortensen gave such a heartwarming performance. His character is a brute, he doesn't mind getting physical when someone pisses him off. But his character also expressed such an aura of warmth were the audience simply gravitated towards him. He doesn't understand the racism, he doesn't get the absolute treacherous and human rights violating laws of Jim Crow under which African Americans suffered. However the film wisely never preaches about the privileged white man not knowing the truth, it just shows it, plain and simple. Ali too gave a terrific performance, his character had a sense of sophistication and coolness even in intense situations. It is incredibly heart wrenching to see such a professional guy who lives his passion pushed to his breaking point by his societies' racist rules. Overall there is not much else to say about Green Book. The themes are obvious and the film doesn't attempt to hide it. Mortensen and Ali are terrific and share great chemistry. A heartwarming family film that allows children to have a more sanitized look into America's darkest points of history. No 12 Years A Slave but still a good time.

Mr. Jones (2019)

Showcases the importance of journalism.

[6/10 · 17 April 2019]

Mr. Jones is the last film I managed to experience at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. Directed by Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa) and starring James Norton (McMafia), Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Fallout) and Peter Sarsgaard (Garden State). This historical thriller revolves around the independent journalist Gareth Jones (Norton) in the early 1930s travelling to the Soviet Union attempting to find out the secret to Stalin's economic success. What he finds is beyond any horror he could ever imagine. What unfolds is fight for survival, truth and integrity. There is a very solid cast in this film, Norton delivers a fantastic performance in the title role giving charisma, making him a relate-able figure to audiences. Kirby plays a mysterious agent that is involved with the sinister disappearance of a fellow journalist. Sarsgaard plays a washed up Brit who found success in Stalin's Soviet Union and may be the stand out in this entire cast. Even all the minor actors give terrific performances allowing us to be drawn into this world. The main feeling I had however while watching this picture was a very similar feeling I had with films like Darkest Hour, Jackie, The Iron Lady or J Edgar. They feel like a Wikipedia article, interesting and important material but a essential emotional connection is missing. I was an observer of this world the film presented, but I wanted to be apart of it. The problem was that the film was very uneven giving us unnecessary information. We are forced to pay attention and can not allow emotions to sink in, therefore I was left cold for the majority of the picture. That's not to say there aren't any strong moments in the film, towards the second act, Jones is forced to travel in through the snowy ice desert of Siberia (not to spoil too much). The way this sequence is shot, with many wide shots showcasing the vast emptiness, including the sounds of the wind made me feel like I was freezing to death in a warm cinema. There are truly scary revelations in this sequence of the film and Norton delivers a great performance in these scenes but there simply weren't enough of them. If the film decided to make this less about Jones himself and more about the case, this would have been one of the greatest thrillers I would have seen in a while. However as it stands, Mr. Jones is a watchable film with a very great visual presentation and good performances. However the film also lacks a emotional connection that hurts the experience.

Synonyms (2019)

A wonderfully written film with a one of the most interesting characters I've seen in a while.

[9/10 · 14 April 2019]

Synonyms seems to be yet another polarizing film among fans, I can understand the other side very well. When I first saw this film at the Berlin International Film Festival I didn't know what to think. I loved all of the performances and thought the film had great dialogue. What baffled me though were scenes that didn't quite make sense in the full context of the narrative. I had a similar reaction with I Was At Home But. But the more I thought about Synonyms I quickly came to the conclusion that I saw something special that I had to see again. I also predicted that the film would fair very well amongst the Jury (which it did as it won the Golden Bear). The story revolves around a young Israeli immigrant, Yoav. He flees his old home of Israel to live in Paris where he meets the young supposed couple Emile and Caroline and befriends them. Yoav feels a bit like Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump or Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man where he seems like a fish out of water in most situations within the film. These moments often lead to some strange and hilarious moments within the film. The chemistry these young actors have with one another is inevitably sweet and draws the audience in. The main actor Tom Mericier is a contender for my favorite performance of 2019. His likeable, yet strange character creates a perfect balance of relatability and intrigue. The audience wants to learn who he is and what shaped him to become such a strange man, in his oversized yellow trench coat. This might be a reason why viewers were turned off by this as many questions are never directly answered. The writing and directing leave subtle hints and who Yoav is but most of the time the character is a complete alien to everyone. Reasons for his distaste for Israel are called into question which challenges the viewer, if we critique aspects of our own culture, will we be viewed just like we view Yoav? Can we assimilate with another culture or will we be left out in the dark. This tragic yet funny tale is a great study on culture and integration, a concept that might not be the most original. But the original execution involving three great central performances, as well as a witty screenplay with interesting characters definitely makes this the most interesting experience I've had at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Divine Love (2019)

WTF was this?

[3/10 · 25 March 2019]

Divine Love has to be one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences I've ever had in my life. I saw this film at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival with a large audiences and honestly felt extremely baffled with what I was watching. In 2027 Brazil, the society has seemingly grown more religious. The presence of many different cults and churches attempt to keep divine love with couples. A young married woman working at a notary's office works for her church attempting to prevent couples from getting a divorce. This concept alone is very strange however I fear that the film was overly indulgent about its topic without fully developing it. There are compelling ideas presented in Divine Love, it questions the feeling of love, religion and utopia. However these ideas felt under written and under developed, instead the film relies on erotic and pornographic scenes that last far too long which made me feel extremely uncomfortable in such a large theatre. I was attempting to explain to myself that there was a purpose to the eroticism and overly graphic sexual content however the more I think about the less I think that the film is meant to be taken seriously. Before the film even started the director admitted that he only finished work of the film on the day of showing it. I don't know how accurate his answer is but to be honest I will take his word for it. So many scenes felt incomplete and the ideas and commentary felt unfinished. There are some nice special effects (for a lower budget film) that show of this futuristic world. To be honest I was more interested in how this world functioned than on the main character's struggles, which is a sign of rather poor writing. Divine Love is also a decently shot film with great production design, the sets have such an interesting futuristic look with an small hint at retro. But if you were to take away the flash, the only thing that's left is a well produced and semi well acted porno. I wish I could say more but unfortunately this did not the hit the mark for me. The ideas were underdeveloped and the film was badly written with a poor script. Some good performances, good cinematography, excellent production design can not save a badly written film that even has needlessly cringe and excessive content in it.

Ringside (2019)

A inspirational story about getting back on your feet no matter the cost.

[8/10 · 25 March 2019]

At first Ringside may come across as a typical inspirational sports documentary that's meant to make you feel empowered and ready to face all challenges in your life. In essence Ringside definitely is just that. What makes this movie compelling and exciting is the fact that we follow these two main characters over multiple years up close. We see their highest highs and lowest lows and understand their strengths and weaknesses. The story focuses on two young boxers: Kenneth Sims Jr. and Destyne Butler Jr. who shared a rivalry as children and made National Headlines for being potential up and coming superstars. Both of them start out at a low point in their lives, especially Destyne but both gradually pick up the fight to prevail in a world that's pitted against them. Over the course of 4 years the film crew shows us their daily lives and what they have to go through. We understand their world and learn the desperation with what both of these boys are fighting for. This isn't just their dream, to them it's their only chance to make something of their lives. The documentary is very intimate and we see this community of African Americans as more than just a statistic but rather as a group of people that are suffering under a corrupt political and societal system. The documentary gives insight into the many amounts of police brutality and injustice people in their community had to face. It allows one to reflect on their lives and re evaluate the idea on whether we reached the world stage that Martin Luther King Jr. expected from all of us. But the movie isn't just a sad and frustrating burden, it is also filled with scenes of motivation and humour, reminding us that there is always hope, even in the most dire moments. This was a smart way of tackling this subject matter, show audiences the truth but also show them that not everything is dark and sad. If I had to point out a flaw with this film is that the pacing of the story is often too fast. We make large time jumps often not being reminded by the director and therefore we can lose track on what happened. However I'd imagine with 4 years worth of material you had the opportunity of making a film 3 hours long, which is certainly understandable why this film may feel a little bit jumbled.

I Was at Home, But... (2019)

An interesting character study about family in 21st Century Germany.

[8/10 · 25 March 2019]

The winner of the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival is a realistic, strange and ultimately extremely compelling piece of Arthouse cinema. Director Angela Schanelec stages a group of really talented actors and actresses in a strange and complex storyline about love, family and responsibilities. There are many meta aspects to this picture with many scenes indirectly referencing the fact that audiences are simply watching the illusion of characters portrayed by actors in a made up story. There is one particular scene involving two characters socialising about art that was so well written and acted, the entire audience clapped. When a young boy disappears without a trace for a week. Until he suddenly reappears again. From what follows is one of the strangest and challenging films I have ever seen. What was difficult to comprehend wasn't a convoluted plot or images that need to be analysed in order to be understood (this was not a David Lynch experience). Most of the scenes made sense, and the characters made sense. The story was just simple, a family having to go through troubles that we all face everyday. There are moments of love and compassion, but also moments of frustration and anger. Sometimes characters make decisions that seem out of place because no character is written to be a particular way. People are complicated and sometimes act out irrationally. This is what make I Was at Home, But such a compelling drama. It is a study about how we as humans interact and treat one another, how real are the emotions we feel for each other? Do we love or hate a certain person? Not a watch for everyone, definitely for fans of arthouse and social dissection films. However anyone looking for a more conventional family drama may leave disappointed as many plot points get lost or solved quickly.

Farewell to the Night (2019)

Starts out strong, but deflates midway through.

[5/10 · 18 March 2019]

Catherine Deneuve stars as a family patriarch attempting to protect her grandson from a force she can't comprehend, himself. I had the privilege of seeing this film at the Berlin Film Festival on opening night, with the presence of director Andre Techine and Catherine Deneuve. So I am the first to admit that the experience somewhat blinded my judgment of this film. What starts out as a promising character study quickly deflates into a melodramatic family drama. Don't get me wrong, Techine directs the film with competent precision, filling up the screen with excellent cinematography. Many shots are simple but incredibly effective at bringing across their message. Deneuve too delivers an excellent performance, giving audiences a sense of seasoned experience by the start of the film. Towards the end her character falls more into a trap of naivety, where she tries everything to save her grandson. By no means is this particularly original but Deneuve pulls it off extremely well. In fact in my opinion her career of solid performances has really stepped up again ever since Lars von Trier's Dancer In The Dark. However her performance and Techine's direction can't help the cliches and tropes this film falls into. The grandson character is portrayed as this idealistic character, at first he is extremely compelling, I was able to understand where he came from yet opposed the direction he was heading into. He shares great scenes together with Deneuve that are definitely at the heart of this movie. However the film drops in quality towards the end of the second act, relying more on the typical platitudes and cliches of a family drama. The film loses its complexity, some may not see this as a problem but the film attempts to deal with a contemporary political topic (which I won't spoil as I was surprised by it). However this topic can not just serve as background works for a family drama. We live in a world that's plagued by terrorism both on the sides of jihadists and white supremacists. Donald Trump is President of the United States. The main topic of the film is such a complex issue that combines so many other problems within our own society. The film simply can't gloss over these problems and make a melodramatic family movie. However the cinematography and Catherine Deneuve's excellent performance certainly make this a watchable movie. But it could've been so much more than just watchable.

Vice (I) (2018)

A great political statement

[9/10 · 4 March 2019]

Adam McKay has transformed into a Oliver Stone like figure. His work is extremely political and that is the main reason for anyone to check out this film. Yes Christian Bale gives an amazing performance (he should've won Best Actor) but fans of Dick Cheney will absolutely not agree with the message of this film (even if most of it is based on fact). And that is why this film, as a political statement works perfectly making use of many popular film conventions to bring across McKay's argument. He uses excellent writing along with editing to present metaphors which symbolize Dick Cheney's (Christian Bale) personality and relationships with others, especially the one he has with George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell). There is one amazing scene involving the both of them where a seasoned Cheney is manipulating the inexperienced and clumsy Bush (a scene hinted at in the trailer). The film's biggest flaw is that the time jumps often happen to quick, at one point Cheney is a young man and all of the sudden he is old and conniving. However when this film is viewed as a statement and not a biopic that flaw bugs less. In fact it is hard to judge this film. Objectively this film has many flaws (such as the time jumps or perhaps lacking more humor) but in many ways the message of the film is executed so well that I can not flaw the film too much. The actors are all fabulous especially Bale who adds humanity to Cheney but also does not make audiences root for a maniac such as Dick Cheney. Amy Adams plays his wife Lynne, the two share a Frank & Claire Underwood type relationship in which both strive for power and influence. Both of these high caliber actors carry this film with no hesitation, they share such a great chemistry and clearly enjoy playing this diabolical duo. Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell pop in and out of the film as Donald Rumsfeld and President George W. Bush in minor supporting roles. However their performances are so charismatic that they leave a serious impression on the viewer. With the right expectation, Vice works extremely well. The film may not be as funny as some had hoped (especially for fans of Adam McKay's earlier work). But fans of The Big Short should feel right at home. A film that reminds us on how the strife of power can corrupt not just a man but destroy an entire country, this might not be a film for an occasional viewing. Audiences should be prepared when viewing this film and I can not recommend this enough for younger viewers who perhaps grew up with the Iraq war but didn't quite understand how horrible the decision to invade the country really was. Of course not everything the film says can be taken as granted (similar to Oliver Stone's JFK) but it will and should encourage discussions.

The Shadow Play (2018)

Very enjoyable Neo noir thriller.

[7/10 · 2 March 2019]

Acclaimed Chinese director Ye Lou (Summer Palace) returns to present us a confusing, tragic and violent tale of a wealthy family in Guangzhou. When the chief of a Construction Committee, is found dead. Having apparently fallen from a roof of a building. A young rookie cop is assigned to investigate, was it an accident, suicide or murder? What follows is a nice mixture family tragedy, crime and corruption. We see the evolution of the family that became so wealthy and how the family patriarch got his reputation. This means there are plenty of flashbacks. The audience is purposely misled and kept on the edge of their seat, attempting to guess the mystery. I personally decided to analyse the plot upon leaving the theatre and must come to the conclusion that the story makes little sense. It is constructed for the main purpose of fooling the audience. It works when watching the film, but when you leave the theatre and think about the film for more than 5 minutes. But that's not to say that there isn't anything to enjoy in this thriller. The central performances are very good. Especially the actors that portray the family members did a superb job. The cinematography is also fantastic giving the audience a great sense of geography. This points out the juxtapositions very well. Some of the environments are run down, old and filled with crime whilst others are glamorous and sophisticated. Furthermore symbolising the power imbalance that is happening in the films world. The film also makes attempts at crafting action scenes and this is by far the films biggest flaw. The editing is fast, too fast. Exactly what I hate about action scenes. This is especially a saw thumb because the rest of the film looks fantastic. Overall I can recommend this film for a one time viewing.

The Operative (2019)

Well intentioned but disappointing in the long run.

[5/10 · 2 March 2019]

When a young woman is recruited by the Mossad, she is sent to Tehran to work undercover. However she soon warms to the place and people and this may risk not only her career but also the plans of her employers. The Operative is one of those slow spy thrillers, it takes its time to build the characters and attempts are made to connect audiences to Diane Kruger's character. However the actual presentation of the story has some real pacing issues where I lost the plot many times. I get that this is meant to be a character driven film. But film makers such as Polanski (Chinatown) and Sydney Pollack (Three Days of the Condor) have shown that the plot can take a backseat for characters. But there was still considerable amount of strings being pulled in the background to make it work. The stories were complex because there were many details that need to be uncovered. The Operative is convoluted because there is very little within the story and therefore the film makers try to hide that by dragging scenes out. By having scenes that are completely pointless. Diane Kruger is an extremely talented actress and this may actually be her best performance of her career. Her character is relatable to audiences but mysterious for them to ask the question who she really is. The rest of the cast feels rather wasted with other players including Martin Freeman, pop in and out of the picture. The movie on a technical level is competent but nothing shows of a unique vision. This makes The Operative feel like a generic spy caper that isn't even exciting. Perhaps if you browse by this film on Netflix and have nothing else to do, The Operative might be a film for that occasion. Otherwise, no recommendation from me.

Aquaman (2018)

Rousing excitement.

[7/10 · 5 January 2019]

Aquaman is the latest installment in DC's cinematic universe. Their sets of films have generally left me personally, with mixed reactions. I enjoyed Wonder Woman's refreshingly emotional narrative and Justice League's lighthearted chemistry between the main cast. Films like Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad however suffered strongly from overly convoluted stories and unlikable characters. Aquaman luckily succeeds with the adventure formula, presenting a exciting, fun and action packed narrative headed with a charismatic lead actor. When a lighthouse keeper (Temuera Morrison) shares a romance with the Queen of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman) results in the birth of a half blood son, Arthur (Jason Momoa). The Queen is forced to return to Atlantis where she is sacrificed for her treachery. This fuels the hate within Arthur's half brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to wage war with the surface world. In order to protect humanity Arthur is trained and helped by Vulko (Willem Dafoe) and Mera (Amber Heard) to go on a deadly mission to dethrone Orm. A story that has been seen a zillion times in superhero movies I feel. But what makes Aquaman so much fun is it's fast paced energy, charismatic performances, production design and action scenes. Jason Momoa really puts his stamp on the character of Arthur Curry, a drifter who has no will or ambition to become the King. He shares great father / son chemistry with Morrison where the audience really buys their loving relationship. Unfortunately the character becomes less significant as the story gets going. Kidman for her limited amount of screen time shows off prowess, strength and beauty. Patrick Wilson is a competent villain, certainly the best in the entire DCEU, there was potential at the start to make him more than a two dimensional bad guy. Unlike Killmonger this arc feels unfinished and the villain loses the initial interest. However unlike Steppenwolf, Ares, Zod and especially Lex Luthor, there was a actually a sense of threat that functioned about Wilson. His ambition and blood thirst makes him effective but nothing special, he is a standard MCU villain. Willem Dafoe also has great chemistry with Momoa as this mentor figure and it was certainly nice to see Dafoe in a superhero film again. However there also were some let downs in the acting department, Amber Heard is wooden and shares no chemistry with Momoa. I fully understand why Wan decided to cast Dolph Lundgren in this movie, but he unfortunately is an incredibly stiff actor that doesn't even possess this guilty pleasure 1980s charisma (something that Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris or Christopher Lambert perfected). Some of the cgi effects still look unconvincing especially a deaging effect used on a certain actor. The story is contrived and thin and is only supposed to lead from one action scene to the next, from one exotic and interesting location to another. And as this, Aquaman succeeds. Fans of adventure serials and lighthearted superhero movies look no further. For those who look for something with more depth (no pun intended) should perhaps stay away. This is not comparable with The Dark Knight, The Winter Soldier, Logan or Infinity War. But for fans of Brendan Fraser's The Mummy will feel right at home.

Widows (2018)

Great heist caper almost on the level of Heat.

[8/10 · 1 December 2018]

After Shame and 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen returns to the directors chair, with an ensemble casts he crafts a suspenseful, dramatic and well acted thriller. A group of thieves headed by Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) is killed during their latest heist. This leaves corrupt politician Jamal Manning with 2 million dollars lost. Him and his brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) threaten the widows of the crew (Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki) to pay back the 2 million dollars. Now the widows must team up to finish Harry's final plan which will earn them 5 million. Alone the cast of the film had me interested. Viola Davis is one of the strongest actresses working today, Colin Farrell has widely proven himself to be more than just a pretty boy and I was extremely excited to see him in a Steve McQueen production. Robert Duvall, an acting legend. Liam Neeson especially I was thrilled to see in a non Action-Blockbuster. It has been a long time since Neeson has really been able to shine in a Drama but even with limited screen time he truly leaves a impression. I was a little worried about Elizabeth Debicki and Michelle Rodriguez, I have never seen Debicki in an extended role. Rodriguez certainly isn't a newcomer but the Fast and Furious movies aren't necessarily examples for great performances. However I am delighted to say that both have truly surprised me, both have such vulnerability to them. They aren't action heroes, they aren't thieves, this was the job of their husbands. So now they are forced to do this, often struggling with the weight of becoming a criminal. This is female empowerment at its best. Often we see women commit violent acts in movies or are forced to become criminal, the implications of this are never addressed. I found it very refreshing that they never make a big deal out of the fact that they are women. They are people and forced to deal with a situation too big to handle, where relying on each other is the most important aspect. Davis commands the screen with strength and commitment, but when the moment calls for it, she is crushed under the pressure. As stated before Davis is easily one of the strongest actresses working today and here she proves it yet again. Other actors like Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Carrie Coon or Jon Bernthal pop in and out of the screen. But they leave little impressions, they all give good performances but their characters simply weren't developed as well as the main leads. They were more or less plot devices that had to be there for the story to work. Cold lighting makes the urban setting of Chicago feel very gritty and realistic. This is a sad world the film presents where no escape can exist. The mission doesn't even feel like a cry for escape but rather a mission that needs to be completed. There are many smart edits too that keep the tension flowing and the action exciting. The film has a few slow parts and dragged in a few places. Overall however I can absolutely recommend Widows. An extremely well crafted and exciting thrill ride.

Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)

The world's' dumbest yet successful spy returns. Do we care?

[6/10 · 12 October 2018]

Rowan Atkinson has been a part of many peoples' childhood, including myselves. I remember in the early 2000s watching Mr. Bean on repeat. However upon reflecting on Atkinson's style of comedy, I have to reflect that you have to be a fan of it. He is the sole reason why people have shown interest in a third Johnny English film. Personally, I went into this film with the lowest expectations and left mildly satisfied. Just like the previous two films, Johnny English Strikes Again shines with the charisma and comedic elements of Rowan Atkinson. Like I said the only way you can possibly enjoy this film is if you like Atkinson because the majority of laughs are generated through him. What I appreciated about Johnny English Reborn (the first sequel) was that English himself was a competent agent. It was just the fact he failed to see the full picture and take out the bad guys on time. Seeing a guy so ambitious and generally quite gifted in skills screw small mistakes up made for some great comedy. I'm glad that they kept this in the 3rd film as well. Atkinson is playing more of a over the top persona of a James Bond or Ethan Hunt rather than repeating the old Mr Bean shtick. What got me surprised about Johnny English Reborn was the fact that it was also quite a competent Action movie, it correlated with Atkinson's performance and created some truly exciting and fun set pieces. I was a little disappointed with Strikes Back that most set pieces didn't last very long and didn't fully get me excited. I was surprised how bad some of the special effects were. I know that this isn't a MCU or a Star Wars film, but if your explosions remind of early 2000s films in 2018, you have a problem. The writing is generic if not completely void of anything, the acting is very bad except for Atkinson and Emma Thompson, who is playing a parody Teresa May-like Prime Minister. The rest of the cast was very forgettable though. So at the end of the day, what do we have left? Some truly funny moments with a child hero of mine. I would be lying to you if I wasn't biased in my review. So I will tell you, this is definitely a 3 or 4 out of 10 if you never associated yourself with Atkinson. But if you are fan of Mr Bean, the other English films or general spoof comedies i.e. The Naked Gun or Airplane. I think you will thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Searching (III) (2018)

How much do we really know others? Even if they are our own flesh and blood?

[8/10 · 15 September 2018]

These are questions raised in Aneesh Chaganty's directorial debut, Searching. A film I walked in not knowing what to expect and that I left pleasantly surprised. Star Trek's John Cho plays David Kim. An everyday citizen and father who attempts to reconcile with his daughter after a family tragedy. On one seemingly normal day, his daughter Margot disappears. David is forced to use the resources on his computer to figure out what happened to his daughter. This film is yet another example of the idea of setting an entire film on a computer screen. I initially liked the concept but the films that used it never impressed me because they never went past the idea of 'cyberbullying is bad' or 'the internet is evil'. This is what I appreciated about Searching, the film is far more mature and allows the audience to see into the minds of the characters. They aren't purposely inventing fake personas to protect themselves from the evil forces of the internet. No they are defined by what they post on the internet. I found that the small details that are thrown on screen really effective in exploring the characters. Whether it was a small ad or a comment on a photo. John Cho should be a movie star at this point and I hope that this film allows him to become one. He has generally been sidelined to supporting roles and here is allowed to really shine as a frustrated and panicked father trying to cope with this situation. He is funny and relatable turning into worried, turning into resourceful and full on panic. His performance is magnificent and should be commended because he is in fact limited by what he can do on screen because of the aforementioned setting. I thought that the film had an excellent structure, very lighthearted and relatable at first and turning more dark and twisted as the story progresses. However what I think amplifies Searching to what in my opinion is one of the best films of the year is that it actually challenges our own perception of society. Without trying to spoil too much, David attempts to find his daughter by contacting people who appear to have relations with her. However when talks to them he somewhat hits a brick wall, no one can say much, but as the case becomes a trend (not a spoiler!), the reactions by them change. This raises the question, why? Are they actually exploiting a tragedy for attention? This seems very familiar if one follows things like youtube drama. I found that the implementing of these themes made the film a lot more effective and elevated it from just being a very fun thriller. At the end of the day, Searching truly surprised me. Not only was it an engaging thriller with a great leading performance by John Cho but what made it even better for me was the social implications this film showed and finding a solid balance of not being too preachy. If I had to point out a flaw it would be that there were many twists and turns in this film. There were some that I felt were only in there to trick the audience, of course most thrillers do this but the ones that do it best feel organic and real. Searching fails at this especially one really seemingly disturbing twist that doesn't really go anywhere and is simply there to trick audiences. Other than that I highly recommend Searching, in my opinion one of the biggest surprises this year.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Blockbusters don't get better than this.

[9/10 · 13 August 2018]

Tom Cruise returns to ignite the screen in the sixth installment of the incredibly successful Mission Impossible franchise. I will be the first to admit, I liked most of the previous films, but never loved them. I always thought the James Bond or Jason Bourne franchise had the more interesting lore or characters. The stories of these Mission Impossible movies were never this interesting to me. So in conclusion, Mission Impossible for me was a more lackluster franchise that was held together simply by Tom Cruise's effort. Until now because Mission Impossible: Fallout is not only the best film of the franchise, but also one of the best Action movies I have ever seen! The trailers gave a little too much away in my opinion so if you are interested in seeing it, stay away from the trailers if you managed to avoid them this far. All I'll say is that Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames) have lost these plutonium capsules to a group named the Apostles. The rest of the film consists of the team trying to get back the plutonium. There are many twists and turns in Mission Impossible: Fallout that surprised me. Of course this is not a Tarantino script where nothing is predictable but I thought unlike the previous movies they really used the gadgets and lore of the franchise to the advantage of the story. Often in the James Bond films, 007 receives gadgets to escape from sticky situations. It removed suspense from certain scenes cause we know he'll simply press a button on his watch. Mission Impossible: Fallout has gadgets but uses them to Ethan Hunt's disadvantage. The use of them often led to twists I didn't expect. The story was certainly the most compelling of all these movies. So we have a solid story and it's accompanied by some of the best action sequences I have ever seen. Especially a scene involving a helicopter made my mouth drop. It is a mixture of solid suspenseful film making and a sense of wonderment as the audience is in awe at what Hunt is doing. Say about Tom Cruise, the person anything you want. But the quality he puts into these roles are incredible. He is 56 and has been a reliable movie star for over 3 decades and still learns how to fly a helicopter for the sixth Mission Impossible movie. This allows the director to make long wide shots of action. No shaky can or quick editing that makes one sea sick here. There are a few characters in this film that could have used a little more development. Especially Henry Cavill's character stuck out as a character that felt a little under-utilised. But besides this, Mission Impossible: Fallout is an incredible Action movie, filled with awesome performances by Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Angela Basset, Alec Baldwin and Michelle Monaghan. A film that has some of the best and most thrilling action scenes ever filmed and a story that kept me genuinely intrigued. Overall blockbusters don't get better than this and easily beats Deadpool 2 as my favourite summer movie of 2018.

Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

A sequel that feels more like Michael Bay and less Guillermo Del Toro.

[3/10 · 21 July 2018]

Pacific Rim: Uprising is the sequel to the much appreciated Pacific Rim. The first film was an unapologetic action blockbuster with a unique style. I was not the biggest fan of the first one, it had a fun plot, good performances and amazing special effects. However apart from those things, Pacific Rim was a somewhat dull movie with very little substance. This movie has no substance, and also none of the flare that Del Toro's predecessor had. John Boyega is a newly discovered talent after his breakthrough performance in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. I was initially excited to see him in this film as the lead as I strongly believe he can be a front runner for many more summer blockbusters. He brings everything to the table and attempts to make his character fun and likeable. Overall he gives a good performance and is a better choice for a franchise like this instead of Charlie Hunnam. Boyega has charisma and only his sheer likeability as a person saves this character from being totally uninteresting. He plays Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, the one who saved humanity from the Kaiju, 10 years prior. Jake is a drifter, who doesn't care about his father's legacy. This is a cliche that has been overdone in movies but I honestly find it acceptable in a movie where huge monsters fight huge robots. My problem with this character was that his arc was handled very poorly, he changes too quick without the audience receiving the opportunity to fully accept it. There is a cool dynamic set up between Pentecost and Lambert (Scott Eastwood) and Rinko Kikuchi is fantastic in a very limited role, bringing back her character from the first film. These are about the only good performances in this film, Boyega, Eastwood and Kikuchi. Charlie Day, who was hilarious in the first film is absolutely terrible, especially with a character choice that could have been interesting but just felt like a setup for Pacific Rim 3. I can already see him winning a Razzie next year, he was positively awful. The story is also incredibly flat, with the Kaiju only having a prominent role towards the final act. In fact its the last 20 minutes that feel like a movie, the rest is mainly just filler. This film was a gigantic waste of time that couldn't even be redeemed by some flashy action scenes and three solid performances.

The Commuter (I) (2018)

Hitchcockian like entertainment until the fuse blows.

[6/10 · 21 July 2018]

The Commuter is the fourth collaboration between director Jaume Collet-Serra and Academy Award nominated actor, Liam Neeson. In the passed years Neeson has morphed himself into a Tom Cruise like action hero with films like Taken and the previous collabs with Collet-Serra (Unknown, Non-Stop and Run all Night). This film has an interesting subject matter, insurance salesman Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) rides in and out via train every day for the past 10 years. When he falls into financial difficulties, he is offered a tempting task. On his ride home, he is approached by a mysterious woman (Vera Farmiga) to find a person that doesn't belong on this train, if he finds set person he will receive 100,000 dollars. I found the initial premise to be incredibly interesting as it sets up a moral dilemma. The woman makes it very clear that set person Michael has to find may receive harm, but this won't have to affect Michael. A dilemma such as this, we have seen many times before including that of Hitchcock's filmography. However the film still manages to engage the audience through a great performance by Liam Neeson. He plays the quintessential American citizen, living in a instabil world post the Wall Street crash of 2008. His initial reaction is believable and causes the audience to think whether they would do the same. Much of the camera work is also excellent, many different movements and tricks give this film a psychological edge. For example the famous vertigo effect is implemented very well into the movie. However as the film progresses, I found to be less and less invested. The film unfortunately fell into the same action movie tropes we knew from the last collaborations Neeson has done with the director. The film is still enjoyable for it, especially if you liked the previous films they have done together. In conclusion, the Commuter is an incredibly enjoyable thriller that unfortunately morphs into this action movie formula too quick. I wanted to see more of the moral dilemma and the psychological effects it has on Michael. Neeson gives a terrific performance, making the portrayal of an everyday man caught in this situation realistic and fun. However after about 1/3 into the film, it betrays this thriller tone and turns into a generic action movie, which still has enjoyable moments but overall left much to be desired.

Red Sparrow (2018)

Uncomfortable and gritty take on a generic story.

[5/10 · 2 July 2018]

Jennifer Lawrence has proven herself to be not only a very talented actress but also a very fearless one. This film and last year's Mother! have proven this best. In Red Sparrow she plays a Russian Ballerina recruited to a 'sparrow' program by her uncle that teaches her to use her body as a weapon. When she finishes this school, she is dispatched by the Russian government to spy on a CIA agent (Joel Edgerton). I will say no more about this movie as more details could spoil important plot points. There are aspects of this film that I admired. First of all I didn't expect that the film would be as graphic and violent as it is. There are many awkward scenes that demand a lot from Jennifer Lawrence and she remains realistic and compelling. These scenes make the film more cringe inducing and realisitic. The audience is thrown into a real and authentic world. Authenticity is another aspect I enjoyed about this film. The world feels real and lived in with gritty and detailed set designs. No one seems safe in this society of espionage. The costumes give across this old fashioned but also majestic sense of a Russian culture, almost reminicent of USSR times. These style choices however contradict with the unfortunate choice of fake Russian accents. The idea of accents is very difficult, especially with a movie like this. We have huge movie stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons, all actors who aren't of Russian descent. They are forced to stick with Russian accents. This idea is very thin ice, it only worked limited times. One example that comes to my mind in this case is Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. The reason why that worked is because the accents were there but didn't stand out. In this case with Red Sparrow, I immediately heard that Lawrence used an accent. This contradicted with the realistic and in depth world development we received otherwise. However the most glaring flaw with Red Sparrow lies within the story. It is simply too thin and uninteresting for a film like this. When Lawrence's character was training to become a sparrow, I was enthralled, the psychological aspects really intrigued me. When I saw the first 30 minutes of this film I was hoping to see one the best films of the year, it really did start strong but it then ditches the uncomfortable and disturbing story of basically creating a prostitute and turns into some normal spy caper. Don't get me wrong, the film doesn't turn into some action blockbuster, the slow burning tone remains. I enjoyed this initially when the story told the aforementioned tale of a woman becoming a tool for the government. Overall Red Sparrow did disappoint me, Lawrence continues to impress me with her selflessness in choosing these roles but this story simply justify many of the dark and brutal moments. So at the end we have a generic spy movie that is a little more sexually violent than others. With very little originality and flare.

Den of Thieves (2018)

Cheap, dull copy of Heat.

[4/10 · 30 June 2018]

Den of Thieves is an action thriller directed by Christian Gudegast, this was his directorial debut however he also wrote London Has Fallen. Gerard Butler also joins this heist caper as the brutal police officer trying to take down this group of bank robbers that are plaguing Los Angeles. The plot of this movie sounds very familiar, that is because it was done many times before. Most notably in Michael Mann's Heat. I will try not to compare this film to Heat too much, however some contrasts will be brought up to explain why that film worked and Den of Thieves doesn't. There are a few action scenes in this film such as chases and shootouts. Most of these are fairly dull, not that they are badly pulled of but they're just basic, there is one really terrific chase towards the end of the film that was suspenseful and riveting. However I can not say that about the rest of the movie. One of the first major problems I encountered was the characters. Gerard Butler plays the cop Nicolas 'Big Nick' O'Brien, Butler isn't an actor with a lot of range but he functions in this role. The actor wasn't the problem, he was convincing with his large body mass, tattoos, facial hair and aggressive attitude, and when I say aggressive, I mean it. This character is so macho, over the top and violent, treating others with no respect whatsoever that I never rooted for him. Now there are films where the main character is unlikeable but the viewer is intrigued by him or her, wanting to find out what they're about. A key example of this is Klaus Kinski in Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God. This does not apply here, 'Big Nick' is just a bad cop that if he existed in real life would destroy any integrity that the L.A. Police had left. I was rooting more for the bad guys who seemed to have more genuine motivation to get the money. It wasn't all that compelling but it made more sense and I thought they had more of a morality. The beauty of Mann's Heat is the fact that both Al Pacino (the cop) and Robert De Niro (the criminal) play flawed characters. De Niro is the robber risking the lives of innocent and Pacino is the aggressive and charismatic police officer. As flawed as they are, they have redeeming qualities that makes the audience see them as people. They were just normal everyday folks with jobs, one being with and another against the law. O'Brien has none of these qualities, he was entertaining to watch simply because Butler had charisma. Other performances were mostly forgettable with no other character receiving any chance to shine. The writing is unrealistic for a film like this and doesn't engage the audience. The film looks cheap with obvious lighting and basic camera techniques. This is a Michael Mann film without the talent or effort that is generally put into one of Mann's films. The fact that this is Heat rip off could be forgiven if this film was fun, if it had good performances, characters or even action sequences. This film fails in all of this and is only somewhat redeemed by a fun performance by a central star and some generic action scenes.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

A unwarranted, yet mildly entertaining romp.

[5/10 · 5 June 2018]

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the largely unwanted solo prequel of Harrison Ford's iconic character, Han Solo. The film is set approximately 9 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (10 years chronologically before Ford would first play the role). This gives the story a bit of breathing space as the events that happened more close to Revenge of the Sith haven't been covered on film. The storytellers can give us things and tell us something about this iconic character and perhaps shed light on why he is who he is, a bit like what EON did with Casino Royale, giving the audience a story that explains and shows the effect being a secret agent has on James Bond. This is something Solo: A Star Wars Story attempts, but fails at quite miserably. The reason why the origins of James Bond worked and the reason why Han Solo doesn't is because there is a sense of depth added to Bond that is clearly missing in Solo. I never once got the feeling that Han went through any change at all, without spoiling, he felt too much like Han. Of course that is not a negative, however this does raise the question, why does this film exist. The biggest elephant in the room here is of course the recasting Harrison Ford with Alden Ehrenreich in the role of Han Solo. Ehrenreich has been known for supporting roles and found little success in mainstream Hollywood. I was probably in the minority when I heard about his casting, as I thought the choice was excellent. He has a undeniable charm and onscreen charisma that he brings to this film. When I saw him, I saw Han Solo. He gave a very convincing performance, keeping elements of what made Ford so iconic, whilst also adding his own twist/identity. The supporting cast is made out of Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton and Paul Bettany. Most of these actors are given some limited material to really shine, especially Glover. He replaces Billy Dee Williams, but the change is honestly almost unnoticeable, he was so smooth and skeemy. He brought some of the film's strongest moments. Harrelson is serviceable as a mentor father figure to Han Solo, who teaches him the important lesson to "Never trust anyone and you'll never be disappointed.". Scenes like these make Harrelson stand out, however many other scenes take the interesting elements about him away. Clarke shares some intimate scenes as a love interest to Han, some of which I thought pushed the boundary when it comes to Star Wars. This makes sense however as this tackles a different aspect of the galaxy and makes the adventure a little more mature. Bettany is threatening in a incredibly limited, almost cameo like role. There are some neat action sequences in Solo, especially a train heist (the one we all saw in the trailer). However that is basically it, this film is 135 minutes long, with maybe 45-50 where I was actually invested. This movie spends so much time on things that don't push the story along, this is why many things feel so slow and boring (boring almost to a prequels level). I checked my watch on multiple occasions as I was wondering when the film would end or until the next action sequence would start, the story is just way too thin for the run time. I am also sick and tired of the fan service in this film, there were many overt references to other planets and characters where I rolled my eyes, they don't add anything to the story or characters. They are just easter eggs for Star Wars fans, don't get me wrong I love good fan service, I am a huge Star Wars fan. However as a fan I expect creativity first and foremost, without George Lucas' crazy imagination and creativity we would not have gotten Star Wars. This is why I loved The Last Jedi, it felt like a fresh creative story that had an interesting twist on the franchise, it broke new ground. This film simply tries to satisfy fans by giving them what they love without the substance or passion that they deserve. If you disliked The Last Jedi for the decisions that were implemented by Rian Johnson (which is fine as we all have different opinions) then I believe you'll like Solo more as this film doesn't change or challenger anything about the beloved franchise.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

A self aware spectacle.

[8/10 · 19 May 2018]

After the massive success of the first Deadpool film, it was inevitable that a sequel would be produced. This time the merc with a mouth (Ryan Reynolds) has to protect a little boy (Julian Dennison) from the time travelling assassin Cable (Josh Brolin, in his second appearance in a superhero blockbuster). This is about as much I will say about Deadpool 2 story wise because there many twists and turns that I didn't expect, especially from a Deadpool movie. I am going to be honest, I did enjoy the first film, I didn't love it though, there were a few moments where the characters annoyed me. The action in the first film also didn't impress me, bad cgi fights. However they improve on almost every aspect when it comes to the sequel. This time they switched directors, from Tim Miller (who will helm the new Terminator reboot) to David Leitch (John Wick and Atomic Blonde). Leitch is one of the best directors when it comes to shooting action sequences, and he shows of his brilliant skills a lot in the new Deadpool film. There a long shots that show off the very well choreographed fight scenes. This gives the film a sense of wonderment in a way of 'how does he do it?' but also realism. I was genuinely surprised that this film had me as involved as it did, especially because the first film did not always work for me. This is a genuinely interesting film, with a very cliched story pulled of in a non cliche way. The film is also incredibly funny, this film throws a lot of jokes at you, making fun of the MCU, the DC universe and even itself. Not all of the jokes work, but when you laugh for minutes straight, you won't notice that a few didn't. However there were some genuine moments where I got invested into the story, in particular Josh Brolin as Cable. His story makes sense and his motivation does, however there are some interesting twists and turns his character goes through. Not all of it was well written though, it seemed like that characters were presented a certain way and were deliberately changed to simply shock the audience. Sometimes this works when the audience gets an idea of who the character is, however in this film I felt that these changes felt too artificial, particularly singling out Russell, played by Julian Dennison. There is nothing wrong with his performance, he brings a lot of emotion and laughter to his character, however the sudden switch did not always work. Same thing can also be said about Cable. Reynolds and Brolin are truly the stars of the film, Reynolds brings his charisma and charm to Deadpool, whilst Brolin plays the straight man thrown into such a ridiculous situation. Overall I am probably in the minority as I believe that Deadpool 2 is a superior film to the first, it has a more compelling story with a more likeable protagonist. There is a more organic and interesting story that does have some emotional scenes, however it also delivers on what makes Deadpool so special.

Isle of Dogs (2018)

For all dog lovers.

[8/10 · 5 May 2018]

Wes Anderson is a filmmaker that is very divisive. Some of his films are brilliantly written and have such a unique style that further analysis of his films are inevitable. This goes in particular for his recent film before Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Isle of Dogs is another stop motion animated film in the same vein as Fantastic Mr Fox. However the animation of Isle of Dogs makes Fantastic Mr Fox look like a mockbuster. In a futuristic Japanese city called Megasaki, dogs have been abandoned to a nearby island because of the viruses they carry that may perhaps infect humans. When one day a little boy named Atari lands on the island, he and a pack of dogs supposedly ran by Chief (Bryan Cranston) set out to find Atari's best friend Spots (Liev Schreiber). The film boasts an incredible ensemble cast, like many of Wes Anderson's films. The pack of dogs are voiced by the talented Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum. The rest of the cast also includes the talents of Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Yoko Ono, Tilda Swinton and Ken Watanabe. All these actors do fantastic jobs in adding character to each of their animated counterparts. Voice acting is a tough job because the actor has to add emotion using only his or her voice. Luckily everyone exceeds in this brilliantly, especially Bryan Cranston. He adds a grumpy personality that gives him a lot of authority, he stood out very well among all the other incredibly talented actors. Like most other Wes Anderson projects this film is hard to get into, the audience must be ready to watch a film like this. This goes especially for this, families might walk into this film expecting a nice family film, I will warn them right away, this is not a kids film. Children can certainly watch it (its rated PG), there is nothing overly gory, sexual or offensive about it. However most of the human characters speak Japanese (as the film is set there). There are no subtitles provided, either the dialogue is translated by someone or the importance of the scene is portrayed through visual storytelling. This certainly won't be too difficult to adults, however I can see kids struggling with that. There are also some very great parallels to totalitarian government and to things such as the holocaust. There is some definite deeper meaning to this film. The animation is as I mentioned before, spectacular. This is some of the best I have ever seen. The stop motion adds so much detail that it is honestly seamless, it adds a specific style, however never is there a scene where I went, that looks animated. Of course this being a Wes Anderson film, there will also be some criticism. I will also add that one particular character voiced by Gerwig felt slightly off, she didn't add much to the overall story and slowed the interesting aspects down. Overall there is not much to complain about for me. My most important recommendation is that you need to know what kind of a film this is. You need to be in the mood for this picture and not expect a harmless family adventure. However I can assure you at the end, if you love dogs, you wanna simply go home and cuddle it for hours.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

A perfect Blockbuster.

[8/10 · 28 April 2018]

Avengers: Infinity War is not only the 3rd Avengers film or 19th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also marks the 10 year anniversary since the start of everything MCU with the first Iron Man film. A lot of expectations are put onto this film, this is the film that unites the Avengers with the Guardians of the Galaxy to take down the greatest threat yet, Thanos (Josh Brolin). I will not go too much in depth with the story, only referring to what we saw in the trailers. The cast in this film is absolutely ridiculous, Robert Downey jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Idris Elba, Peter Dinklage, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Chris Pratt. With such a huge cast it will be naturally difficult for the writers and directors to successfully balance all of these characters, giving them enough to do. In most cases it works, in others however I felt that more development was required. A good choice by the filmmakers was the idea to split up these characters all over the universe. They were paired up in smaller groups, this gives the opportunity to bring in some of the classic dynamics that we have come to love and also set up some new conflicts. However what was done with one relatively small group in the first Avengers is done here with multiple groups. This causes some characters to lose their strength in development that made them so interesting in their previous films. This is why I recommend to have seen some of the Marvel films beforehand, otherwise this film won't emotionally move you as you aren't familiar with most of the storylines and characters. One of my biggest worries about Infinity War was Thanos, most other villains in the MCU were boring uninteresting entities that the heroes simply had to face and punch their way out. They were never interesting and there was never a sense where the audience could understand them. Luckily Thanos breaks that tradition, Josh Brolin gives a very conflicted performance of a creature that wants balance in the universe, which is why he wants to collect the infinity stones. The audience receives a motivation, (which I will not spoil) that makes this character understandable and to a degree even relatable. You never root for Thanos but you understand him at the same time. Brolin easily gives us the best MCU villain and one of the strongest comic book villains in years, easily exceeding Tom Hiddleston and Michael B. Jordan. The same thing can unfortunately not be said about the hero characters. Some receive extra material that allows them to shine as the great actors they are, notably Robert Downey jr, who adds the typical eccentric charisma of Tony Stark but there also seems to be sense of terror and panic within his portrayal. Downey jr has now played the genius, playboy, philanthropist for 10 years, it's still awesome to see that this Academy Award nominee puts this amount of effort into a role he has now played for a decade. Zoe Saldana also has some key scenes to really shine, especially when she comes to realize who the attacker is. Gamora has never been my favorite Guardian of the Galaxy. However this is the first time where I find her character interesting. Overall Infinity War is a popcorn spectacle with a great villain and some terrific performances, however the different tones can be jarring sometimes and most other hero characters receive very little development.