El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) Review

Review:

*Originally written October 11th* 
*Spoiler free*

Breaking Bad was something very special to me, a TV show that affected me like no other, to the point I'd call it my favourite piece of media ever made. It ended perfectly and nailed the landing where so many shows don't. I was very sceptical about the idea of a film continuing the story of Jesse Pinkman, even with the involvement of Breaking Bad's creator Vince Gilligan. I was certainly excited to go back into this world, but at the same time so ready for this to be an unnecessary disaster. 

Thankfully, this turned out to be so many things I didn't know I needed and more. El Camino follows on directly from the events of Breaking Bad's finale, showing Jesse escape his captivity and try to rebuild his life after suffering through these horrific events. It works perfectly as a epilogue to Breaking Bad, as Jesse is a character that deserved a redemptive finale after his unsure looking future based on when we last saw him.

Jesse Pinkman has always been my favourite character from Breaking Bad. While it was Walter White's story, Jesse always seemed more innocent and likeable, despite starting off as a burnout junkie loser before maturing and growing as the show went on. It was an interesting parallel to Walt, who only got worse as the show went on, while Jesse was always trying to better himself while going through the ringer when it came to horrific events and loss. 

Aaron Paul effortlessly steps back into the role, giving a powerful performance full of range and emotion. It's one of the rare times I've actually cared deeply about where things will go for a fictional character. It's amazing to see how much Jesse had changed over the course of the series. Paul portrays Jesse's emotional trauma with nuance and subtlety that brings so much to the character and events. We see a lot more of the time he spent in captivity and how twisted things got through flashbacks. 

Flashbacks has always been a trademark of Breaking Bad and used effectively. El Camino is no different, making use of showing Jesse during the events of the finale and over the course of show while bringing back some familiar faces that I won't spoil. All used to poignant and wonderful effect in order to show how much Jesse has changed. 

El Camino is exactly what I wanted in terms of plot. I love films and TV shows that put character over plot every time, taking time to get inside the characters head space rather than constantly trying to move the plot forward. In terms of plot, El Camino is simple and moves at a very slow-burning pace, while it's full of surprises and callbacks to Breaking Bad, your enjoyment will very much depend on how much you care about Jesse as a character. It's also very much worth mentioning that there is absolutely nothing here for you if you've never seen Breaking Bad. 

While character is certainly the focus here, that's not to say El Camino's plot is lacking. The endgame and stakes are set up very quickly and we follow Jesse as he has to get to this predictable, but very satisfying place. While it wraps up neatly and delivers a very bittersweet ending to one of the best written characters on TV, Gilligan does throw some curve balls and takes the plot to some unexpected places, making for some very intense and stomach churning watching. 

This could have easily felt like an extended episode of the show, but thanks to the shows incredible cinematography and cinematic style already, the transition to film is pretty seamless. This is a gorgeous film, making use of the beautiful cinematography of New Mexico and using some wonderfully inventive visual styles that make what could seem like mundane scenes feel engrossing and fun to watch. Dave Porter's pulsating score is also worth mentioning, filled with some callbacks to Breaking Bad's score, but feeling new enough to be its own thing. 

What really struck me is just how sad I was when this ended. I never thought I'd ever see this character in anything ever again and now 6 years later it might seem like that will actually be the case, but I'm okay with that. Vince Gilligan did the impossible, added to an already satisfying finale of TV with an equally as satisfying epilogue that leaves the story in a place that feels perfect and one I hope they don't ever revisit.

I know we've got another season or two of Better Call Saul on the way, but it feels like this story beyond that sequel has been wrapped up. I'm just a little concerned by the title "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie". Does Vince Gilligan plan to release more films from the Breaking Bad universe with that subtitle? I guess it depends on the success of this, but I'm torn on it. Part of me doesn't want them to risk diluting a perfect thing, but then again, Vince Gilligan has proved here that he'd only return to Breaking Bad if he had a story worth telling and he clearly knows what he's doing. Time will tell.


El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is everything you could possibly want as a fan of Breaking Bad. It's a tense, emotional, beautifully shot ride that says goodbye to one of TV's most sympathetic and compelling characters thanks to Aaron Paul's powerhouse performance playing Jesse Pinkman one last time. Yeah, bitch.

9/10 Dans

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is out now on Netflix in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Aladdin (2019) - Review

Review: 

*Originally written May 22nd, 2019*

Yeah, I'm pretty much done with these live-action Disney remakes now. I had a soft-spot for a couple and I really liked Beauty and the Beast and The Jungle Book, but after the mediocre Dumbo and now this incredibly bland and cynical remake of Aladdin, I'm over it. I just wish I turned on these films faster, because in all honesty, they deserve it.

What makes a little of these films great is how tight, fun and entertaining they are. The original Aladdin is even one of my favourite of Disney's animated classics and this re-imagining brings absolutely nothing new to the table and does so very little to justify its existence outside of printing money for Disney. A company I'm very quickly beginning to despise. 

The problem I have with this and earlier this years Dumbo is just wasting the directors. I'm not the biggest fan of Guy Ritchie, but I give him credit when it comes to style, he has own unique sensibilities that feel present in all of his films, for better or worse. His films can be very obnoxious at times, but there is some entertainment in his quick-witted dialogue and incredibly stylised action. His films feel like his own. If I had no idea Guy Ritchie directed this and then afterwords discovered this, I would have thought it was a joke. Aside from two very brief moments, there is not a single ounce of wit or style that makes this feel like a Ritchie film. 

It once again feels like a film directed by a corporate machine with no flair for the cinematic. So much of this feels flat and lifeless. Some of the songs are obviously very good, as they were in the original and the  updates of these songs are absolutely fine, but everything just lacks energy, making it seem like some tiring chore. It's amazing to me that a film with a budget this insanely high can feel so uninteresting and dull. There seems to be a lot going on screen with these musical numbers, but the way its shot makes it seem so damn boring. 

It's a shame too, in hindsight, an Aladdin film from Guy Ritchie actually sounds like an interesting idea. The style from his early British crime films could have actually merged well with the story of a young street rat here, but it's so safe and uninteresting. They do not take a single risk with this update and it shows. It honestly made me wish I was watching Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, one of his biggest flops and a film that was panned left, right and centre, but that still displays more creativity and unique style than anything onscreen in Aladdin. 

It's not all bad though. Even with the horrific marketing, Will Smith somehow managed to be the best thing about this. He brings a lot of charm and charisma to the role, despite the questionable character design. His performance in this is very much Will Smith being Will Smith, but by the time he joins the film, it was a welcome addition. Relative unknown Mena Massoud also gives a fairly solid performance as Aladdin, he's not amazing, but he carries the film well enough.

Marwan Kenzari's Jafar is a big miss. A completely one note and boring villain who's motivations are nothing more than "He's evil", it's just annoying. If they're going to spread these stories out for an extra 40 minutes from their animated originals, they could at least try and use this time to expand on character, but instead they just add filler between the plot beats we already know in order to get the film to around the 2 hour mark. 


There's so little to say. It is what it is, a deeply cynical cash grab with a solid Will Smith being himself and a few moments of fun from songs you remember from your childhood. Too competently made to be called bad, but so deeply unoriginal and pointless to be called good. I can't believe I'm saying this, but what a waste of Guy Ritchie....

5/10 Dans

Aladdin is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

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:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

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:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Super (2010) - Blu-ray Review

Review:

*Originally written March 16th, 2016*

2010's Super is a bizarre little film that was sadly over shadowed and mostly forgotten due its release so close to Kick-Ass, a film with a similar premise and ultra-violence. The comparisons are there and while I feel Super is definitely the weaker of the two films, it still holds up on its own and has its own unique feel and quirk to it.

After losing his wife to a drug dealer played by Kevin Bacon, Rainn Wilson takes up the misguided journey of winning her back by becoming a vigilante called the 'Crimson Bolt', he eventually is joined by Ellen Page's kid sidekick 'Boltie'.

The tones all over the place, it jumps from drama to pitch black comedy mostly very well, but there were a few moments that did not sit well with me at all. The rape scene in particular just felt off to me. Some of the jarring violence also just didn't sit with me either. While being a comedy, the violence is so graphic and gory, like way more than Kick-Ass, which went for more cartoony and over the top. Super on the other hand feels far more grounded with its portrayal of violence, you see people get killed in such brutal and low-key ways that it just felt disgusting. We're meant to root for this guy, but at one point he smashes a guy and woman's heads in with a wrench purely for butting in line, it really drew the line for me in whether I should be rooting for the "hero" of the story.

Rainn Wilson's character Frank is clearly a disturbed guy who justifies his violence and sees his mission as a sort of calling from god, which he sees in his own delusions. So the guy is clearly mentally ill, something I wish was explored a lot more. Wilson's performance was excellent though, I can't imagine anyone else in this role, he goes from pathetic, to sympathetic, to bad-ass over the course of 90 minutes and it felt right.

Ellen Page was also great as the sidekick, although her character was grating at times, she started off as really annoying, but her character grew on me as it went on and she delivers some of the best lines of the whole film. Her character's end is also extremely shocking and unexpected. 

I do appreciate James Gunn's use of practical gore, it truly is horrific and disgusting at times, which I'm sure is the intention. I do sound like I'm being negative about it, but I do really like Super, I like the idea of a more grounded normal man as a superhero film, despite the shortcomings. I don't believe this deserved to flop or be forgotten as much as it did either, but I'm glad Gunn managed to move on and get a gig directing Guardians of the Galaxy, which he did an amazing job with. 

I also really like how it subverted expectations with some of the twists. Involving a subplot with a police officer which comes to an unexpected and abrupt end, and the same with Ellen Page's character who goes down during the final battle.

One of my biggest problems is just how cheap this looks too. It feels very televisual, which is due to the low budget, but it does look ugly despite a nice colour scheme. Some of the editing is also really weird, I didn't like the use of '60s style Batman cartoon fonts popping up either, it just felt weird. 

There was a surprising heart at the centre of it all too, all thanks to Wilson's performance. You really do care for Frank most of the time and at moments it is really touching. Helped by Tyler Bates excellent score which delivers some genuinely nice tracks like "Two Perfect Moments", which I have loved since ever since the films release. 


Super is an angrier and more nasty relative of Kick-Ass, but it still holds its own thanks to Rainn Wilson's performance, Gunn's writing and direction and some nice gore, you just need to look past the bitter taste and the insane tonal shifts.

7/10 Dans

Super is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Destroyer (2018) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written February 21st, 2019*

Well, looks like I'm in for another year where my favourite films of the year don't play anywhere near me in theatres. Meaning I either need to wait for a watchable torrent or a Blu-ray/4K release down the line. This is the state of cinema in the UK outside of huge cities at the moment. Unless it's Star Wars, Marvel or award contending Oscar-bait, I do not get to see the film at the cinema. Leaving me to wonder why I even bother any more.

Destroyer is already one of those, and it's only February (It was released here in January, but like I said, showed nowhere near me. Despite being heavily advertised at the Guildford Odeon. Honestly, the month leading up to its release, any film rated 12A or above showed the trailer for this. Then its release date came and nothing). 

I'm amazed how overlooked this has been this awards season. Nicole Kidman is absolutely on fire here, in her most volatile, heartbreaking and ferocious turn I've ever seen from her. There's obvious comparisons to Charlize Theron in Monster, where they "Ugly" themselves up to look barely recognisable. It works here incredibly well, making for not just the best performance of Kidman's career, but one of the best of 2018. It is a travesty this was overlooked at this years Oscar's in favour of more baitey performances. 

Outside of Kidman's performance, this is still an incredibly effective and uncomfortable corrupt police thriller that spans multiple time periods. Karyn Kusama balances everything with such care, delivering some powerful storytelling with bleak and brutal violence, leading to a surprisingly poignant ending (Although I'm not sure about that final shot).

I was instantly reminded of some of Taylor Sheridan's works throughout. Being a coldly told and bleak story featuring gorgeous cinematography and bursts of harsh violence. I'm amazed this came from the director of films like Jennifer's Body and the atrocious Aeon Flux, it's rare that a director can move on from films like that to create something far more meaningful and worth watching. I'm very impressed and once again she's shockingly overlooked along with several other female director's who failed to be nominated at this years Oscars.

We've seen corrupt police dramas told many times before, perhaps peaking in FX's series 'The Shield", but I really have a soft spot for films about these broken people who use their abuse of power in order to earn some kind of redemption down the line. While Kidman's Erin Bell is definitely not one of the most evil of corrupt cops we've seen in media, she is definitely one of the more interesting. Her handling of guilt after the events decades before the film begins which we learn through flashbacks throughout makes for some genuinely compelling viewing, leading to how she ends up the way she is.

Then there's the lengths she'll go to cover up her crimes and how that effects the relationships with the people around her. The relationship with her daughter is a little cliched, but Kidman's sincere performance certainly makes something we've seen before work, especially with help of the excellent script. 


I'm really surprised this was completely slept on. I know I have a soft spot for these sorts of films, but it really is something special that really deserves seeking out. Kidman's performances carries a film that is excellent in all other aspects of its own right. A tight, compelling, beautifully shot piece of harrowing police drama that will most certainly be in my top 10 of 2019. 

10/10 Dans

Destroyer is out May 27th, 2019 on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) - Cinema Review

Review:

*Originally written February 10th, 2019*

I honestly wasn't sure how this would turn out. I've been a pretty big fan of these surprisingly good Lego Movies so far, which seemed to have come out of nowhere. Who thought something as cynical as a film about Lego could spawn a franchise of excellent kids films? With that said, I was massively underwhelmed by the trailers for this, but thankfully, the film itself turned out to be a worthy and possibly better effort than the first.

With all the meta aspects of the original sort of making a sequel hard to do, they fully commit to it with ideas that build upon the first and takes the story into some surprising and interesting places. It takes place 5 years after the first as Emmet and his friends have to take on an invasion of Lego DUPLOs as they try and fight to save their world.

Off the bat, it is so great to see Mad Max: Fury Road get to the point where it's even being massively homaged in a big budget kids film, as the opening act takes place in a dystopian destroyed version of the city as most of citizens have embraced the new status quo and have their own Fury Road style vehicles. This all quickly becomes a sci-fi adventure though as Emmett's friends are kidnapped and forced into an alien wedding ceremony as he has to learn to grow up, mature and save them. 

Once again, the story and jokes seemed to resonate far more with adults than it did with children. Most the kids in my screening didn't really seem to laugh a lot at some of the jokes, but there was a lot of subtle stuff there for people my age to enjoy. Including a fantastic cameo from an '80s action star. It was also relieving to see this one didn't rely too heavily on gratuitous cameos from licensed characters, like the first did. Sure, there's still lots of characters, but they're mostly returns from the original, which was fine. 

I was also massively impressed by how creative the animation is with this. I remember being a little put off by the look of these films before they were released, but they really are some of the most creative animated kids films going today. There is always so much going on with every scene, making for some excellent rewatchability. From it's gorgeous, vibrant and colourful pallet to the detail on display, this really was a feast for the eyes.

As gorgeous as the animation is, thankfully there really is a great story to go along with it. Emmett's journey is far more interesting than the one he went on previously and introduces us to a a new character also voiced by Chris Pratt as a bad ass action hero style character clearly inspired by his films. Emmett is just so immensely likeable, although his naivety can get on your nerves at times, but it was great to see a lot of the film dedicated to his journey of self-discovery, leading to some genuinely emotional and touching beats towards the end.


The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part brings the Lego Movie franchise 4 for 4 in terms of quality now. Another incredibly animated, funny and sweet journey packed with heart. I really hope they continue this streak and I can't wait to see where the series goes next. 

8/10 Dans

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @FRFigmentReviews
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Green Room (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written April 20th, 2016*

I was so happy to find out that Odeon were doing an "Odeon Scream Unseen", a chance to preview upcoming horror films a month or so early. I had my guesses that this month's was going to be Green Room, a film I've had on my radar for a while now and it was excellent. A tense, gory and extremely violent thriller from the guy who brought us the vastly underrated 'Blue Ruin' a couple of years ago.

After performing a gig at a neo-nazi venue, Green Room finds a band fighting for survival after witnessing a murder where the head of the gang wants no witnesses left. 

This was tense and brutal throughout and did not disappoint at all. The violence is extremely graphic and had a really creative use of a box cutter that was very disgusting. None of this felt over the top or too much, it was grounded and hard-hitting.

It also looked gorgeous. The cinematography was creative and fun, despite the mostly one location setting. The music was pretty good too, despite the underground punk heavy metal thing not really being my thing, I felt it was used well here and I didn't mind some of the songs the band briefly played.

Most the characters are likeable, if underdeveloped. Imogen Poots was the real star for a film for me, an actress I like more and more every time I see her. Everyone else was fine. Patrick Stewart was an inspired against-type casting choice as the leader of the gang, who was genuinely frightening and unsettling to watch. I really hope he goes for more bad guy roles in the future.

There were some darkly comedic moments that were pretty funny, despite the chaos and insanity going on around the characters. The last line of the film was also a decent punchline to a running gag throughout the run-time. 

I'm just glad we've finally got a decent horror film this year. We usually get one or two and Green Room is one of those. Although it feels more like a thriller than a horror, I feel it filled the criteria needed for a genre-slasher film.


Green Room is more than likely going to be the best horror film of the year, a tense, violence and brutal genre mash of punks vs skinheads with two great performances from Imogen Poots and Patrick Stewart.

10/10 Dans

Green Room is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @thesurprisingadventuresofdanb
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Brigsby Bear (2017) - DVD Review

Review:

*Originally written January 15th, 2019*

It's such a shame that Brigsby Bear wasn't more popular than it was, an extremely sweet, funny and original comedy-drama looking at the power film and creativity has over us. It's a small indie-gem that so very little people have heard of. I was lucky enough to see it in cinemas a couple of years ago, but its release was extremely limited. 

I remember going into this having no idea what to expect. All I knew about it was the positive buzz coming out of its festival screenings and a couple of people comparing it to Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Which I also loved). Plus Mark Hamill was in it and it involved a kidnapping plot. 

It's perhaps a farcical take on a subject matter that might have needed a bit more drama behind it, but it doesn't mean Brigsby Bear lacked in genuine moments of drama and maturity. The film follows James (Kyle Mooney) a man in his late 20s who spent his entire life unknowingly in captivity with only the show "Brigsby Bear" and the studies forced on him by his kidnappers (Who he believes are his parents). 

Brigsby is James' only thing close to resembling a hobby, it's all he's had as an escape his entire life. The problem is it's a made up show made entirely for him and once he's rescued, he has to adjust to the real world while all he knows is Brigsby, so with the help of his new friends and family, he sets out to finish Brigsby Bear in the form of his own homemade movie.

James is a little hard to get behind at first, he does get a little frustrating with his constant obsession with Brigsby, but it pays off in the end as his homemade movie gets going, leading to some wonderful scenes of them attempting to make their own film with next to no experience or knowledge how.

Brigsby Bear itself is a wonderfully creative invention, a no-budget homage to tacky kids and sci-fi shows of the '70s. Thinking back, this really tapped into nostalgia in a way that works, which is rampant in cinema at the moment. But the difference here is showing the importance of how nostalgia and love for art is a great escape from reality and you should be proud of what you made as long as you put heart and commitment into it. It's oddly like the same year's "The Disaster Artist" in reflection. 

I really have a soft-spot about films involving film-making and this was no different. It hits some familiar beats I've seen before in films like this, but it works all the same. Even the surprisingly emotional ending goes exactly where you'd expect, but after the journey we've spent with these characters, it still hits a satisfying spot and makes you wanna make your own film.


Brigsby Bear really is an underappreciated gem that I highly recommend seeking out. It's sweet, funny and only 90 minutes. I'm really interested to see what Dave McCary does next, because if its half as genuine as this, then I'm sold. Oh, and once again, no Blu-ray release in the UK? What in the fuck. No 4K release is understandable, but not even a Blu-ray release in these times is simply pathetic and unacceptable. 

8/10 Dans

Brigsby Bear is out now on DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @thesurprisingadventuresofdanb
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Upgrade (2018) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written January 10th, 2019*

I wanted to like Upgrade more than I did, it was one on my radar for the past year that seemed right up my street. An ultra-violent, low-budget sci-fi film that riffed on things I know and love, and I while I enjoyed Upgrade to an extent, it's a bit of mixed bag.

Who on Earth is Logan Marshal-Green? And how does he look so much like Tom Hardy, but with none of the acting talent? It was actually quite distressing seeing this so soon after Venom, as the similarities are astonishing. Both are sci-fi action films about Tom Hardy (or his doppelganger) dealing with an extra presence attached to his body that also talks and sometimes controls him. 

I was actually pleasantly surprised by some of the aspects that I didn't know about going in. I had no idea about Green's robot implant actually having a personality of his own, I just thought this was a straight up action film about a guy who's wife is murdered, gets paralysed in the event and is given cybernetic upgrades to walk again and take revenge. 

It turned out to be a little more than that and the trailers also didn't give away how much of a black comedy this was too. It's surprisingly funny in the same way Venom was as Green's interactions with his robot implant "STEM" have some decent chemistry and lead to some fun lines about robots callous nature of being able to take a life. 

What surprised me most was that this was from Leigh Whannell, who's only previous film was the third film in the Insidious series, which I remember being fine, but this certainly shows more vision and promise than his previous film. His kinetic direction of the action scenes was surprisingly unique and interesting, especially the way the camera goes in motion with action on screen. It definitely had style and some of the gore is top notch and it's always a treat to see more practical steps used in creating some of the more disgusting moments.

The whole mystery of Green trying to find who murdered his wife is something we've seen many times before and was easily the most uninteresting aspect of the story, so it was a nice surprise to see the story actually go in weird places I didn't see coming, making way for a massively effective twist that I'd really like to see explored in a possible sequel.

While I appreciate there is definitely a great indie sci-fi film in here, it is let down by some less than great performances, including the lead, who really is just a stilted and uncharismatic Tom Hardy with weird and stilted delivery. I can't compare this to any of his previous performances, as the other things I've seen with him in it, I honestly have no memory of him being in it. 


For the most part though, Upgrade is definitely worth checking out and one that may go up on rewatches. It's a violent and fun ride with some really cool ideas that really makes great use of its low budget. I just hope it did well enough to justify a sequel. I'd just like to say fuck you to Universal for only going with a DVD release in the UK and no Blu-ray. Seriously, fuck you. 


6/10 Dans

Upgrade is out now on DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @thesurprisingadventuresofdanb
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Pacific Rim (2013) - 4K UHD Review

Review:

*Originally written January 10th, 2019*

I'd been meaning to revisit Pacific Rim for a while now, after the absolute train-wreck that is Pacific Rim: Uprising, I stupidly thought that "Maybe the original Pacific Rim is just a piece of shit too". Boy, how wrong I was, it's far from perfect, but Guillermo Del Toro's love letter to monster cinema is a big, dumb and fun piece of action. 

I don't enjoy it as much as most people, but there is so much to enjoy here. Del Toro delivers such wonderful and vibrant set-pieces (This is an absolute treat to watch on 4K, those neon colours really pop with HDR). It has a beautiful and cinematic look that is lost in the televisual sequel. There's such care and fluidity to make every single action scene memorable and exciting, it was such a lovely refresher on how great summer blockbusters can be both dumb, but extremely fun which seems rare these days and with 2018 just gone, it was a pretty painful year for blockbuster films aside from a select few.

The Jaiger and monster designs are all awesome and have their own unique feel. The neon blue blood of the creatures are a sight to behold, making the gore more entertaining and gorgeous to look at. I hate to bring up the sequel again, but the size and weight of these giant robots are completely lost there, in the original they feel huge and have weight to them and they are goddamn majestic to look at.

I just wish the script and story were as strong as the visuals and action. Charlie Hunnam is pretty bland as the lead (like he usually is), but he's serviceable for the most part and manages to carry the film. The side characters bring far more interest and charisma. Ron Perlman is just a delight in his short role and Charlie Day is pretty much playing Charlie Kelly from It's Always Sunny, but it's welcome. 

Idris Elba surprisingly steals the show here as the charismatic leader of the Jaiger pilots and his "Cancelling the apocalypse" speech is actually pretty awesome and I forgot how memorable it was. I'd honestly have preferred it if Elba had taken the lead role over Hunham, he certainly has far more charisma. Not as much as Jon Hamm, but damn he has charisma.


I'm definitely glad I revisited Pacific Rim despite it's flaws and got see see it in glorious 4K. I just wish they'd either waited for Del Toro to finish Shape of Water so he could have returned to direct 2, or just not made it at all. Either way, this still holds up as wonderfully entertaining and beautiful shot monster vs robot action. God bless cinema. 

8/10 Dans

Pacific Rim is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @thesurprisingadventuresofdanb
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Bumblebee (2018) - Cinema Review

Review:

*Originally written January 1st, 2019*

After ruining the franchise with 5 increasingly bombastic, racist and just downright horrible films, I doubt there was much audience faith left the Transformers franchise thanks to Michael Bay's "Contributions" to cinema. Thankfully, Bay's awful touch is nowhere to be seen in this sweet, touching and incredibly fun prequel film focusing on the mute yellow Transformer Bumblebee.

I was excited for this due to Travis Knight directing (I loved Kubo and the Two Strings), he'd never done a live-action film before, but he proved his delicate touch worked to make a genuinely sweet and focused Transformers film that is far better than anything that's come before it and stands with some of the best blockbusters of the year.

Hailee Steinfeld is a complete joy and is far more watchable than the annoying Shia LeBeouf and the weirdly racist Mark Wahlberg in the previous films. Her character is arc is simple and it works, and she is so likeable as a lead. Being set in the '80s gives way to a wonderful John Hughes tone and homages to his films, plus a killer soundtrack. 

The action is far more scaled-back and easier to follow, it's much smaller than the city destroying bombast of the Bay films, which in all honesty, makes me care more. It's still giant robots punching each other, but it's done with much more energy and emotional weight than the previous films, making us actually care.

At its core, it's a little similar to the first Transformers film, it's someone finding out their new car is a Transformer and having to deal with that while hiding it from the government searching for it. The difference here is, we actually spend a lot of time with Bumblebee and Steinfeld bonding, she shows him music of their era and gets him to watch Breakfast Club on VHS. It's wonderful and genuinely funny at times, thanks to their dynamic. And it's just so refreshing to watch one of these films without Bay's weird racism and perversion, which had no place in this franchise considering they are kids films after all.

It's helps being a full 40 minutes shorter than the last few films too and the Transformers themselves having their original designs and not those weird and creepy robotic lips which are just off-putting. Bumblebee flies by in no time and it's the first film in this series where I actually wanted more when it ended. The Transformers franchise is actually worth watching again, all it took was getting a new director and getting rid of every awful decision Michael Bay added.


I'm really hoping Bumblebee does well, because this new start for the franchise is far more worthy of 4 sequels than the previous ones are. I just hope we get Travis Knight and Hailee Steinfeld back for future films, because I actually give a shit about these things for the first time since I was about 11. A fun, fast and sweet ride, Bumblebee is one of the biggest surprises of 2018.

8/10 Dans

Bumblebee is out now in cinemas in the UK, with a 4K UHD steelbook available to pre-order from HMV

Watch the trailer below:

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @thesurprisingadventuresofdanb
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook

Top 10 Films of 2018

2018 has been an interesting year for films to say the least, from the increasingly political angry and relevant films, to actors careers being ruined due to previous allegations and scandals in a now toxic Hollywood. There's been good and bad films (Some very bad), Netflix has even made more good films than they usually do this year, which is a far cry from the barrage of garbage they gave us in 2017. This is also the year I got a new TV and started watching things in 4K, which has definitely been a huge improvement on my film watching. 2018 has also been the year I've seen the most new releases in quite some time, but also the least amount of films I've seen overall in the space of a year due to work and a variety of different things, but hey ho, here's my top 10 films I've seen from 2018. (All based on UK release dates)

Still to see: Mary Poppins Returns, Bumblebee, Bird Box, Upgrade, Eighth Grade Journeyman, Whitney.

Honourable mentions: Ladybird, Hereditary, Thoroughbreds, Widows, BlacKkKlansman, Annihilation, A Quiet Place, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sorry to Bother You, Mandy. 

10. Halloween

2018's Halloween had a lot of hard work to do, it had years of terrible sequels to undo and create a worthy sequel to John Carpenter's original and iconic slasher masterpiece, but they pulled it off masterfully, delivering one of best slashers I've seen in quite some time. It's dark, brutal and they've made Michael Myers scary again, and it was written by Danny McBride of all people. 

9. First Reformed

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Paul Schrader's First Reformed, I'd heard a lot of buzz, but I didn't even see a trailer before going in. What I got was an extremely tense and unsettling drama about faith that goes to some insane places while Ethan Hawke delivers possibly the best performance of his career. This is one I'll definitely be revisiting to get more out of.

8. The Shape of Water

There's a lot of expectations going into a film after it wins the best picture Oscar, which is unfair. Thankfully, I watched it before I even knew it had Oscar chances and I absolutely adored it. A gorgeous and sweet fantasy romance filled with quirky touches and a beautiful message about acceptance. An Oscar deserved.

7. Phantom Thread

On paper Phantom Thread really isn't my bad, a period romance about a dressmaker? Thankfully Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece is something I really should have had more faith in, it's a deeply twisted, hilarious and surprising drama with an expectedly amazing performance from Daniel Day Lewis. 

6. The House That Jack Built

Lars Von Trier is a director who's never really clicked with me until The House That Jack Built, I find a lot of his films I've seen to just be try hard, edgy and pretentious nonsense that's there to push boundaries and not a lot more. Yes, The House That Jack Built is edgy and boundary pushing, but it just clicked with me. Despite how horrific the acts of violence are (I still need to see the uncut version) towards women and children, this is still one of the funniest films of the year and it's 2 and a half hour run-time flew by. Plus it's final shot is one of the best of year. Fame.

5. Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is a film that came out of nowhere for me and it's a shame more people aren't talking about it, because it's easily the most depressing, powerful and heartbreaking indie films of year. A beautifully shot tale about a soldier with PTSD and his daughter adjusting to the real life after living in the woods, it subverts expectations and makes for insanely effective viewing. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie should both be talked about for Oscar season.

4. Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri 

A morally complex black comedy about one woman's struggle with the justice system after the police fail to find the person who raped and killed her daughter. It took me a couple of watches to truly love Three Billboards, but I am fully on board with it now, compelling and powerful with an insane cast lead by an outstanding Frances McDormand. Coen Brothers vibes throughout are also very welcome.

3. Mission: Impossible - Fallout 

No one, including myself had any idea that the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise would be anywhere close to the top of this list, but they once again pulled it off to deliver not just the best action film of the year, but one of the best action films ever made. Every single set-piece feels like something a film would save for it's finale, but Fallout just tops it every few scenes and even gets deeper into Cruise's Ethan Hunt than we've ever done before. Tom Cruise nearly dies for our entertainment on a regular basis and it continues to be worth it. The main is a saint.

2. You Were Never Really Here

Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here is Taxi Driver for a new generation. A brutal, unforgettable ride of the art-house genre. In another universe this is a grind-house action film with Joaquin Phoenix as a hammer wielding paedophile hunter, but what we got is far more meaningful, beautiful and just harrowing to watch. Art-house cinema rarely gets better than this.

1. A Star is Born

I know, I didn't expect this either. My film of the year is a music drama starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, but it works far better than it had any right to. A human and deeply depressing story about a fading musician meeting an up and comer while her career begins to shadow his as he struggles with alcohol addiction. Cooper and Gaga both give powerful performances while Cooper also delivers a beautiful shot film with a ton of energy and sadness. Pure cinema. I can't wait to see what Cooper directs next.

So that's it, my top 10 films of 2018 locked in forever. I won't be doing a bottom 10 list this year, but I will be doing my 10 most anticipated of 2019. here's to another year of films. God bless.

Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews
Instagram: @thesurprisingadventuresofdanb
YouTube: Figment Reviews 
Letterboxd: Dan
Facebook