Fight Club (1999) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written October 3rd, 2018*

There's not a lot better than seeing one of your favourite films on the big screen and while it was a struggle for Fight Club to get to that position for me (I found it a bit just angry and pointless when I first watched it, but it grew on me with each watch). It's easy to see why Fight Club has endured the test of time and is still a benchmark with film students all over the world. 

I will argue that the fanbase of Fight Club have completely got the wrong message from this film. Despite clearly being a satire on toxic masculinity and the dangers of blindly following a charismatic leader, some people seem to have taken this as a hate-fuelled rampage on capitalism and lack of freedom in your life. Which is true, the film does tell audiences what they want to hear through Tyler, but by the end of it, if you're smart enough, you see it as a take-down of nihilistic idiots who thing the stuff they do is cool. 

It's probably due to Brad Pitt's utterly charismatic and infinitely dickish Tyler Durden. A rebel who lives on the outskirts of society and ends up changing the lives of the working men around him, telling them exactly what they want to hear and how meaningless their lives are. I know Durden is a completely smug, self-important dick, but there's something about him I like. I find it easy to understand why anyone would want to do the things he asks of them. Or maybe I'm just shallow and would easy be won over by Brad Pitt in his sexiest '90s prime.

While Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden is easily the talk of the film, Edward Norton's unnamed narrator and Helena Bonham Carter's performances both excellent too. Norton takes the role of the audience, carried along by Durden's insane. He's the every man who is frustrated with his boring 9-5 job, meaningless attachments to designer furniture and suffers from insomnia. His evolution from every man to accidental terrorist leader is a fascinating one and Norton nails it scene to scene. 

Bonham Carter also easily gives the best performance of her career. There's something about Marla Singer I've always liked, she's the manic, unlikable love interest carried along for the ride and eventually has no idea what's she getting into. But there's something oddly charming about her performance, making her watchable, I've never liked Bonham Carter as an actress, but she really works here. Plus she's responsible for the best line of the entire film. " I haven't been fucked like that since grade school".

As a satirical crime drama, I always forget how much black comedy there is here, it's genuinely one of the funniest films ever made. From the opening scenes of Norton attending self-help groups made for people dying of cancer, to the utter insanity of and reach of Tyler's actions, it's incredibly funny and I love every second of it. I was upset none of my friends noticed the cock shot spliced in during the final scene though.

David Fincher is also one of my favourite directors and this is by far the best of his work. It's incredible how much CGI is involved in Fight Club and how much it sill holds up. Fight Club is an ugly film to look at, but that works in its favour, it's dark, grimy and extremely violent. Fincher wanted to deliver an ugly look on America and it works. I'd love to see this remastered in 4K at some point. Fincher's direction keeps everything going and while being nearly 2 and a half hours long, it's constantly engaging and moves at a fast pace, packed with creative film-making and style. While it is ugly, there are some gorgeous and iconic shots littered throughout, that final scene is still beautiful. 

I have to mention the score from the Dust Brothers too, from the opening moments its a pulsating score that matches the films aggressive tone perfectly. Even the opening titles are loud and in your face. It is perfect. I wish they had scored more stuff outside of Fight Club. Great use of Pixies at the end too.

I understand that people don't love this film and I get that. For some people it's either too angry, violent or grotesque for them to enjoy. Or they get the wrong message from it like I did when I first saw it. But for me, Fight Club ranks easily as one of my favourite films ever. I love it more and more with every watch, everything just clicks with me and I'll continue to watch it for years to come. Long live Tyler Durden. I'm gonna go petrol bomb a Starbucks or something.

10/10 Dans

Fight Club is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK

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The Incredible Hulk (2008) - 4K Review

Review:

*Originally written September 1st, 2018*

I know The Incredible Hulk gets a lot of flack for its quality and it has more or less been forgotten in the overall run of the MCU and it's not hard to see why, but in all honesty, it's just a remarkably okay entry. It's no less aggressively mediocre than the first Avengers film, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Iron Man 2 or a bunch of the other 3 star entries of the MCU. 

It's all just by the numbers and competent. It's a huge step down from the first Iron Man in terms of freshness, but it still has its merits. Edward Norton makes for a great Bruce Banner, he lacks the goofy charm Ruffalo later brings to the role, but Norton goes for something different and a bit more serious and I was okay with that.

My biggest gripe is that studios don't seem to know what to do with The Hulk in his own film. I have very little memory of Ang Lee's Hulk, but I remember that being truly awful. This reboot covers a lot of ground we already know and have seen in countless other comic-book  films. Guy with powers is on the run from the government while not being being to be with the woman he loves, while ironically her father is the man hunting him. It's all just fine. 

It's always fun to see the Hulk smash shit up and while the CGI on The Hulk himself hasn't aged massively well, it's still enjoyable chaos with some memorable bursts of action. One could argue Hulk looks too much like Daddy Shrek, but this is definitely not a problem for me.

There's also the annoying superhero film trope of the villain having the same powers as the hero and using them for evil, which is exactly what happens here. Tim Roth is a fine actor, highly underrated even and while it was somewhat of a joy to see him ham it up outrageously, when he actually turns into abomination, I had unfortunate flashbacks to Doomsday in Batman vs Superman. Which is also an ugly, cave troll looking piece of CGI. That said, I wish they would have brought Roth back in the MCU at some point, but I can confidently assume that will never happen now.

Some of more minor things I liked here are a few little moments. There were some nice moments between Banner and Betty Rose, even if she is another one of the MCU's disposable love interests that are nothing less than an afterthought. They really need to work on that. Then there's the heart rate monitor watch that Banner uses to stop himself becoming the Hulk. It might be a bit of a cheap move that maybe simplifies his change a bit much, but I don't know, I thought it was a nice touch.


There's not really a lot else to say here, The Incredible Hulk probably deserves the hate it receives, but I kinda like it, it's remarkably watchable and does very little in the way of interesting, but in terms of the MCU, it's just another watchable, if forgettable entry. Universal and Disney need to sort out the rights issues so at least one of them can make another solo Hulk film again.

6/10 Dans

The Incredible Hulk is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD now in the UK
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Collateral Beauty (2016) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written December 26th, 2016*

"Sometimes you just gotta see the.... Collateral Beauty..."

Collateral Beauty is a film that shocked me to my core. What a poorly written, manipulative, absurd excuse for Oscar bait. This was a film so horrific on so many levels that it left me shell-shocked in disgust.

Fuck knows what "Collateral Beauty" even means, but it doesn't stop characters from saying it, a lot. They say it like it's profound, but I burst out laughing. How the fuck was any audience meant to take this bullshit seriously. The plot twists were laughably insane, especially the last reveal. Which makes no sense at all. I sat there saying "No fucking way did that happen. No fucking way. I'm not having that". The other twist I predicted in the first act.

Oh, I gotta talk about how misleading the trailer is. The trailer frames the film as if it was about Will Smith mourning the death of his child by writing to the concepts of Death, Time and Love, only for them to actually come visit him in some bullshit Scrooge inspired story. This could not be any more misleading. What actually happens is far more misguided and nasty.

This is actually the film about an asshole who has no idea how to react to the death of his child by acting like no other human would. He goes to work and builds elaborate Domino sets then watches them collapse while he refuses to communicate with other people. His co-workers react to this by hiring actors to pretend to be Death, Love and Time so they can film him talking to them then editing them out the video so it looks like he's mentally unstable and unable to be a shareholder. It was insane. 

Will Smith's "friends" manipulate him into thinking he's insane. Which is not only horrible, but he's also on the edge of suicide. It was so disgusting and nasty, but played completely justified with only a few people pointing out how wrong this is. Not only are Smith's sociopathic friends unacceptable with their behaviour, neither is Smith's. I don't know what it's like to lose a child, but it's probably the worst thing that can happen to you. I get that it can break you as a person, but what isn't okay is to use that grief to be an asshole and derail the lives of those around you with your selfish behaviour.

What makes Collateral Beauty that more frustrating is the waste of its really talented cast. Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren try their hardest, but are impossible to take seriously with the god-awful script with such cringe-worthy and unbelievable lines. I could not believe a human being wrote this. Everything tried so hard to sound profound and meaningful, but it just was insane.


I don't know what else to say. Collateral Beauty is a complete train-wreck of a film and easily one of the worst films of the year thanks to its horrific script, laughable plot twists and the waste of such a talented cast. Everyone involved in this abomination should be ashamed.

1/10 Dans

Collateral Beauty is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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