Figment Reviews: April 2019

Friday, 26 April 2019

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - Review

Review:

*Originally written April 26th, 2019*

*Spoiler Free*

Well, here we are. The end of this first run of Marvel films that started back in 2008 and has spanned 22 films of varying quality over those 11 years. There's was a lot of worry and doubt at how they were going to pull off what is probably the biggest film event of this decade. But they pulled it off, in a glorious, 3 hour epic that brings a satisfying, emotional and extremely entertaining end to these stories and paves the way for the future to come.

It's so hard to talk about this without going into spoilers or any key plot details, but I'll try my best. Pretty much anything beyond "What's left of the Avengers come up with a plan to undo Thano's snap that erased half the life in the universe" is spoiler territory. So I'll leave it at that. Many of the theories I've read are pretty accurate in rough strokes, but there was so much more here to unfold.

This feels more like a tribute to these 11 years of films, filled with a callback to what must be every single one of these films to date. There is so much to unpack from one viewing. I was surprised that Endgame goes back to what is undoubtedly some of the weakest and often hated films of the franchise, ones that have mostly been forgotten and swept under the rug. It's basically a trip through memory lane, bad moments and good included.

Not all the fan service is perfect though. It does get a little grating at times. A lot of script feels like pandering, to the point nearly every line is a callback to a previous event, which works for the most part. It does bring a lot of new and iconic moments to the table for the most part, but it does feel a bit indulgent. It wasn't helped that I was in a packed midnight screening where people would scream and clap and the most obvious and inane of references. Seriously, a woman in my screening was screaming with laughter for what felt like a minute straight after a callback to Infinity War, which was fine, it was a good callback, but to her it must have been the funniest thing she'd ever seen. It's fine to enjoy something, but when you're screaming with laughter to the point other people can't hear the dialogue on screen as the moment had well and truly past, then you're just a prick or extremely stupid.

Which brings me to the ongoing humour problem with these Marvel films and Endgame truly does have a tonal problem. While there's nothing as abhorrent as the moment in Guardians 2 where Starlord learning his father gave his mother cancer is interrupted by a David Hasselhoff cameo, there is lots of time where the joke just goes on too long and really gets in the way of things. It's fine to put a joke in here and there, there are some jokes that absolutely do land, ones I'm amazed they commit to with character choices which I love. There's build-up, pay-off and hilarious visual creativity with some of these jokes, then there are just jokes that are quick, lame lines that are groan worthy thrown in the middle of them. At times it feels like something created by a 6 year old, there's even an horrific Fortnite scene which definitely ranks as one of the cringiest things in the whole franchise.

I just don't understand the mentality of writing films like this, the humour has not grown with its audience, it's digressed to Family Guy levels of lameness without the crude element. It's just awful and I was genuinely embarrassed that a film of this magnitude could have such forced, cringe-worthy humour. Less is more, guys. Have jokes that are actually set-up and clever. Not just a quick line thrown into a scene for nothing more than a cheap laugh. It's really making me question if I'll like this more or less on a rewatch.

Bad jokes aside, the emotional scenes really do resonate. Many of these characters with seen over the past decade have grown, changed and all get their own sort of ending that actually feels genuine and earned. I was getting a little scared that Marvel would wimp out and try and milk some of their characters for more, but no, they really do show a moment of rare maturity that sends off these characters in a perfect way. If you feel nothing during that final shot, then you're a monster.

While I'm a big believer of less is more, this is one of those rare films that justifies its 3 hour run-time. There is so much going on and happening, that I'm amazed that they managed to cram it all into one film. It's paced so wonderfully that the 3 hours barely felt like an hour. I was worried I'd have to leave and use the toilet at some point, but I didn't, as that would have been a disaster as something big or important happens in what felt like every 5 minutes.

This also didn't just feel epic because it was 3 hours, but because it felt like such a huge, grand display of finality that manages to juggle all these characters, but never taking the main focus off the original Avengers. Being a blockbuster of this size, it was inevitable that the last act would be some pile of CGI wank. Which it was. But the stakes were there to make me care and all the characters got a crowd-pleasing time to shine. The last act of Endgame really is something to marvel and behold.

Avengers: Endgame truly is the biggest film of the year and one of the biggest film events of all time. It's a daunting task to pull off, bringing an end to 22 films and 11 years of storytelling, but the Russo's pulled it off. It's not perfect and very self-indulgent, but it brings it all together in a crowd-pleasing, heartfelt and fun epic. Possibly the most entertaining 3 hour film I've ever seen. I honestly can't see the MCU having this same impact in the future now a lot of these characters stories are wrapped up. I cannot wait to watch it again. An imperfect achievement in cinema.

8/10 Dans

Avengers: Endgame is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Wednesday, 24 April 2019

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - 4K UHD Review

Review:

*Originally written April 24th, 2019*

It feels weird just how far this series has come from its humble beginnings before being eaten up by Disney. I'm not saying Disney haven't improved the direction of this series (For the most part), but the films under Paramount certainly have a different tone, look and feel to them, for better or worse.

The First Avenger is a more earnest entry in the series that wears its honesty on its sleeve, making for a pretty entertaining and sweet World War 2 adventure that effectively sets up the Captain America trilogy and some of the groundwork for the MCU as a whole.

Chris Evans makes for an easy to root for hero. A malnourished young adult from Brooklyn who wants nothing more than to do the right thing and help the war effort, despite the danger and his lack of anything close to combat skills. Evans makes the character work so well, so inherently earnest and likeable as he goes from scrawny asthmatic to 'roided up super-soldier. It is weird seeing the CGI in making Chris Evans look so small though, while I remember it being very impressive back when this released, it doesn't hold up very well.

Not a lot of the CGI or action has aged well either in all honesty, but the more cartoony look of the film and special effects works in favour of its tone, making it feel like a more Indiana Jones esque take on World War 2 and Nazis. I mean, these aren't your Schindler's List monster Nazis, these are cartoonish super-villain Nazis, which I suppose they were, but the portrayal here is much harder to take seriously.

I wasn't a massive fan of the look of the film either. It's very drab and colourless for the most part and made even worse by a 4K disc that only exacerbates these flaws. The whole film has this flat digital look to it. I always found the first two Avengers films to not look like actual films, but more big-budget TV. First Avenger suffers from the same problem. There's not really any moments of striking cinematography as everything just looks pretty bland and the direction lacks anything with a signature.

I sound like I'm criticising this a lot, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. Which is also very much due to the character work with Steve Rogers and his journey. I particularly loved the travelling roadshow montage to Star Spangled Man that involved him punching a fake Hitler at the end of every performance, before realising he could make much more of a difference if he actually helped in battle.

Then there's the romance with him and Peggy, which is probably the only romance in the MCU outside of Tony and Pepper that actually feels like it has any weight to it. I always forget just how touching the last moments of the film are, helped by the fact they have genuine chemistry throughout. Everything with Steve and Bucky is surprisingly effective too, especially knowing how that all goes in the next two Captain America films.

Hugo Weaving's Red Skull is also a pretty solid villain. Again, his motivations are very cartoonish and his look is ridiculous, but it works in favour of the films tone. Even with the tone, I was surprised at just how violent this was at times too. When people get shot, there's pretty strong blood splatter and even a pretty shocking moment where Steve throws a nazi into a plane engine and he turns to bloody mulch, something the MCU would in no way get away with now. I'm amazed they even got away with it in a 12 rated film from 8 years ago. This came out 8 years ago, Jesus.

Captain America: The First Avenger is a solid first outing for the Evan's Steve Rogers, helped enormously by strong character work, Evan's earnest performance and fine campy tone that saves the film from it's forgettable action and bland, drab visual look.

7/10 Dans

Captain America: The First Avenger is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Friday, 19 April 2019

Battle Royale 2: Requiem (2003) - Review

Review:

*Originally written November 15th, 2016*

Jesus Christ. Where do I begin with this atrocity? I love the first Battle Royale, it's one of my favourite films. While I have brief images in my head of this sequel from when I was very young, I had never seen it fully. After rewatching the original yesterday, I thought now would be a good time to amend that. What a mistake.

The story of Battle Royale 2: Requiem intrigued me, and I really like the idea of it. The survivors of the first film start a terrorist movement against the government for what they had to go through. The government responds to this by altering Battle Royale a little and rounding up another classroom of teens to assault the terrorists. Sounds great, I'm glad they didn't rehash the first story, but the results are awful.

Not a single one of these kids are memorable. I never once cared when they died. The performances are all horrific too, especially the insanely over the top bad guy, who I loathed every minute on screen. I know the first wasn't exactly an in depth character study, but at least some of that cast were memorable and had some depth. It was nice to see some of the original characters pop up in the story through present day and flashbacks, it's just I wish they did something better with them.

My biggest problem is just how flawed his whole exercise was. The explosive collars are now paired together, so when one of them dies, they both die. What a stupid idea this was. The governments plan for taking down a group of terrorists is to send in soldiers that die two at a time? Why? That's so, so stupid.

Requiem still carries that OTT manga style gore from the first one, but it has none of the impact when you don't care for any of the events that unfold. A lot of the action is poorly done too, a lot of ugly and dirty shakey-cam and an increase on cheap looking CGI blood. The first major action scenes completely riffs off Saving Private Ryan's Normandy beach scene, but when it's done this badly, it feels like an insult.

I wish I hadn't bothered with this. A completely soulless and awful cash-in on the first and just terrible all round. I will add this film runs at 135 minutes, which is absurd for such a relatively simple concept. Honestly, just watch the first one again instead.

2/10 Dans

Battle Royale 2: Requiem is out now on DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Come and Find Me (2016) - Review

Review:

*Originally written November 28th, 2016*

Aaron Paul is an actor I adore. He was part of the heart and soul of Breaking Bad and gave one of the finest performances in TV history, but he really needs and deserves better film roles.

Come and Find Me is a dumb, uninspired and bland thriller. Paul's girlfriend goes missing one day and he's goes on a year long search to find her, but she wasn't who she says she was. This whole thing goes to such silly places that I wasn't expecting.

It feels like the second film to riff on Gone Girl this year (Along with the painfully average The Girl on the Train), but once again it is nowhere near engaging as David Fincher's deranged masterpiece. This is a fairly cheap and by the numbers VOD thriller.

Paul gives a reliable performance as always, but everything feels so dull and it gets more stupid till it reaches boiling point with a very unsatisfying ending. Sometimes VOD films can give you hidden gems, other reasons it shows why it didn't make it to theatres. Come and Find Me is another one of those films that it's not surprising it didn't hit theatres.

Come and Find Me is a disappointing thriller and a waste of the talents of Aaron Paul, who really should just stick to TV unless he gets a decent film role. Because as it stands, his best post-Breaking Bad role is Need for Speed....

3/10 Dans

Come and Find Me is out now on DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Sunday, 14 April 2019

Live Free or Die Hard (2007) - Blu-ray Review

Review:

*Originally written December 25th, 2016*

Watching Live Free or Die Hard (Or Die Hard 4.0 in the UK) straight after watching the first three is like being given a Diet Pepsi when you want a full fat Coke. I mean, it's fine, but it's just not the same. Give me a fucking full on sugary Coke.

The fourth entry in the Die Hard series and the first in 12 years when it was released just feels like someone who had their balls cut off. The character of John McClane is still there and he has his moments where the character of the original trilogy comes out, but for the most part he feels like a completely different person.

One of the main problems is due to the cut PG-13 rating, which somehow managed to translate into one of the tamest 15 rated (In the UK) films I've ever seen. McClane doesn't smoke or swear, he's fairly cleaned up and boring. When he does swear it's pretty lame and don't get my started on the "Yippe Kai Yay, motherfucker" being censored with a gunshot.

What is great about the McClane character is that he's a reluctant hero. An every man who is constantly put into these extraordinary situations. In Live Free or Die Hard, he's merely just a cop doing his job. It's just not very interesting. I like the idea of John McClane, who is an old school guy who doesn't understand technology having to deal with a terrorist threat involving cyber terrorism, but they don't really do a lot with it.

It's mostly just a really annoying Justin Long spouting out stuff McClane or the audience doesn't understand, then McClane responding "In English" or something. This happens a lot through the film. It really doesn't help that Justin Long is such an irritating dick. He's so awkward and annoying, which is a shame, because I actually like Justin Long when he's in something good. Here, he's just wasted.

There is at least some really interesting and fun action scenes. There is some real creativity on display. Sure, the finale with the jet is absurd, but everything before that is pretty awesome. I loved the fire extinguisher kill and the killing the helicopter with a car was inspired. Len Wiseman does a pretty good job creating a visually fine film. The colours are all dull and washed out, but there is a lot of competent film-making on display, which is more than I can say for the abortion that is A Good Day to Die Hard....

Die Hard is well known for its villains. We've had Hans Gruber, Colonel Stuart and Simon Gruber, but now we have Peter Gabriel... who is boring and miscast. Timothy Olyphont is a wonderful actor, his work in Justified is amazing, it's one of the most underrated shows of all-time. I know that was post-Die Hard 4, but he was still known for cowboy like roles thanks to Deadwood, but he's reduced to a computer hacker role and it just feels wrong. I could not think of a better Die Hard film than John McClane going up against a gun-slinging Timothy Olyphant, it would have beautiful.

So that's Live Free or Die Hard, a diluted, bland experience that ruins the character of John McClane, but it at least has some genuinely spectacular set-pieces and action. It's just a shame that the film had its balls snipped off. There is at least an uncut version out there, but it's been 9 years now and there's no sign of a Blu-ray release in the UK. Disgusting.

5/10 Dans

Live Free or Die Hard is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Friday, 12 April 2019

Shazam! (2019) - Review

Review:

*Originally written April 12th, 2019*

What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. I had pretty much lost all faith in DC's films after the atrocious Justice League and thoroughly boring Aquaman and I was ready to absolutely hate this after the lame, cringe-inducing trailers that had more ready to kill myself than actually go see this. Somehow this not only managed to be great, but is by far the best of DC's offerings so far (which isn't hard, but I gotta give them credit!)

What really put me off from the trailers was the utterly embarrassing tone this looked to deliver. After failing to make darker comic-book films that connected with anyone, it seemed they were trying to change things up by copying Marvel's problem of throwing cringe-inducing, easy and painful jokes into the mix rather than take anything seriously and make you care. As much as I like to rag on Marvel's painful humour aimed at 6 year olds, the trailer for this stooped to the extreme low with Zachary Levi briefly doing a Fortnite dance. Marvel might suffer from tonal whiplash, but hell, they've never gone that far to please the crowd they insult as they clearly believe they can't concentrate on a serious scene without a jokey-joke thrown in the middle.

Thankfully, I those trailers turned out to be a very misleading idea of what to expect. This is definitely a more light-hearted adventure for DC, but it actually has heart and a story that I actually cared about for once with these films, mirroring a tone more in line with the Christopher Reeve's Superman films and that's a good thing. It's not perfect, but this is still a very sweet and worthy film.

Shazam! follows a young orphan Billy, who goes from foster home to foster home trying to figure out where his mother is after getting separated from her as a very small child. Along the way he ends up receiving powers that allow him to turn into an electricity wielding superpower with the body of an adult and ends up getting hunted by a power hungry villain who wants his powers in order to take over the world.

Yikes, on paper that does not sounds good, new or interesting, but it somehow works! What struck me early on is how little action or CGI there is to Shazam!, there's a bit of that towards the end, but for the most part, this is a very character focused journey following Billy as he tries to find his place in the world. It's helped by just how good Asher Angel is as Billy, a very likeable and compelling lead that slowly changes over the course of the film as he learns he can use his powers for a better purpose and make the world a better place for the world around him. It's a genuinely sweet and hopeful arc that has been very missing from these DC films.

Zachary Levi also does an excellent job as the adult Billy in the form of Shazam (or Captain Sparkles). Levi is an actor I don't think I've seen this Chuck, which is a massively underrated show that will definitely be your thing if you like geeky/nerd culture TV shows. Levi brings so much charm to a role that could have been annoying, he perfectly embodies a teenager coming to terms with an extraordinary event, but also using that to his advantage to do things like get into strip clubs and buy alcohol.

This does suffer from some of the usual super-hero trappings though. Sadly, the finale is a bit of a CGI mess of not very interesting things happening. I loved the idea of a finale at a packed carnival fair, but they do very little with this, it's just bits of CGI hitting each other and the designs of the monsters leave a lot to be desired. It's says a lot that the film is at its most boring when action actually happens. It might have helped if this had been trimmed to a more lenient run-time as these feels about 20 minutes too long as it is.

Then Mark Strong is pretty wasted as a forgettable villain with very little to make him stand out. He's power-hungry villain with CGI demons who do most his work for him. Completely uninteresting and a complete waste of a talented actor who seems to have slipped back into a role he stopped being typecast as nearly a decade ago.

With DC's restructuring, I'm glad they've ditched this whole shared universe thing to tell shared stories. Shazam! stands completely on its own, but at the same time does take place in the same universe as the Justice League, there are nice nods to Batman and Superman, plus an odd cameo, but it really does feel like its own thing. I'm very interested to see what happens with these characters and future films. Especially if they focus more on stand-alone stories rather than trying to rush and get everyone together for an event film.

Shazam! is a HUGE step in the right direction for DC and their strongest work yet, which is something I never would have thought of saying after those abysmal trailers. It suffers from an underwhelming finale, but strong character work, two excellent lead performances and a genuine heart beneath all this makes this stand out from most of the other superhero films out there at the moment.

8/10 Dans

Shazam! is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Hellboy (2019) - Review

Review:

*Originally written April 12th, 2019*

It's impossible to talk about about this reboot of Hellboy without bringing up the fact this is a reboot no one asked for. The fans of the Del Toro Hellboy films (A series of films that have a cult and dedicated fanbase) wanted Hellboy 3, not a reboot. There's no way round that and it was a struggle to even watch this without the fond memories of how much better Del Toro's films were.

I try to go into films with an open mind. Even ones that have everything stacked against it, despite some less than great trailers, but some ace posters. I try to see the positives. Neil Marshall is an interesting choice of a director, helming some of Game of Thrones best episodes and responsible for some great cult horror films in The Descent and Dog Soldiers (One I need to rewatch). Then the pretty stacked cast with David Harbour in the lead role, Ian McShane as his father and Sasha Lane gave me a small glimmer of hope. These attempts at looking for the positives were sadly in vein as Hellboy is currently sitting as possibly the worst film I've seen in cinemas this year (The worst of the worst are currently reserved as Netflix Originals)

This is pretty much a disaster on all levels. A charmless bore of an action-horror that tries to riff off much better films without even trying to attempt what makes them great. There's clear shades of Guardians of the Galaxy with its poppy soundtrack and a tone that seems more akin to Deadpool with its sarcastic humour that tries so hard and grotesque gore.

Harbour certainly tries his best and is definitely a good choice for the role of Hellboy, as is Ian McShane as Hellboy's father. Both excellent actors who try their best with such horrific writing. Hellboy's grouchy, reluctant hero attitude is definitely there, but there is never a reason to care. His character jumps from decision to decision with no real motivation, I was honestly baffled by some of the choices made by his character. There's a point made about his being a freak among the people and wanting monsters to have the chance he had, but aside from a tantrum he throws, he never shows this with his actions. Especially in a truly terrible character turn at the end that just comes out of nowhere.

Then his relationship with Ian McShane is completely charmless and without any chemistry or heart that made the one between Ron Perlman's Hellboy and John Hurt so engaging. All they really do is argue while Hellboy throws a tantrum. It was so boring and repetitive to watch. They try and make this relationship a central part of the film, but it never works. It's just a waste of Ian McShane, which is a sin in itself.

Sasha Lane at least brings some character to her role with a character that I was worried might end up being like that awful female character in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom where everything was a snarky comment or cringe-inducing interaction that would make a 13 year old girl who still uses Tumblr go "That's so me", but thankfully that wasn't the case. She was actually one of the only characters that actually had any sort of motivation due to her past with Hellboy and her parents. A little more focus and involving her in the plot would have gone a long way.

One of the more worrying aspects of this was the casting of Milla Jovavich, an actress I genuinely believe has never been in a good film (Aside from Fifth Element, which I'm not even a big fan of). Unsurprisingly, she made for a damn awful villain, hamming up every scene she had by chewing through the scenery. I think she might have been the only one aware of the sort of film she was in, but hey, this is still probably one of the best films she's been in. Good for her! Plus as 90% of her character seemed to be CGI, she probably got to do very little for a solid paycheck. Think Cara Deleveigne in Suicide Squad.

Oh, and Daniel Dae Kim is here doing very little with a very predictable character-arc. He seems to have this sad effect of having supporting roles in and being so utterly forgettable, which is such a shame, as he was great in Lost, despite how trash that show got towards the end. I should rewatch Lost at some point.

A lot was made about how this was the "Edgier" and more violent reboot of Hellboy that commits to the gore and adult content of its comic. In all fairness, it does commit to this. There are some grotesque images and gore, especially towards the end as civilians are slaughtered and torn apart by some weird creature thing. Marshall clearly nails the idea in his head here, but the execution is less than desired. The gore looks cheap and ugly, as does most of the film.

Marshall was definitely restrained by a much lower budget than Del Toro's films and it shows. The trailers made a big showcase of those money shots of a flame-covered Hellboy holding a sword and riding a dragon, but in the film, those trailer shots are as much as you see. It's literally those two shots. It's kind of embarrassing how the trailer promised some gonzo action and insanity like that, but never commit to it in the film.

Aside from those few choice moments of gore and some admittedly great character designs (Some of the things are gross and looked awesome), the CGI is poor throughout. Making all of the action scenes feel lifeless and filmed on a green screen. Del Toro's films were a grand display of creative and gorgeous practical designs and action, rarely relying on overblown CGI, this is the exact opposite. The only moment the action has any sort of fluidity to it is a brief moment in the epilogue that lasts a minute and left me thinking "Where on earth was this for the past two hours?"

I didn't have any real hopes for Hellboy and unsurprisingly this is just a mess of a reboot. One that just made me yearn for another film by Del Toro or at the very least just want to watch the first two excellent films again. A charmless, lifeless and try-hard bore that has probably killed this franchise for good now and it's probably for the best. What a waste of a cast and concept. Cinema is dead.

3/10 Dans

Hellboy is out now in cinemas in the UK, with a 4K UHD Steelbook available to pre-order from Zavvi
Watch the trailer below:

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