Figment Reviews

Thursday, 23 May 2019

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:

Thursday, 16 May 2019

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) - Review

Review:

*Originally written May 15th, 2019*

The John Wick series is an unlikely series if I've ever seen one. Starting off as what could have potentially been VOD/straight-to-DVD trash ended up being one of the most creatively shot, entertaining and classy pieces of action cinema released in the past decade. Sure, it's Keanu Reeves going to war with the criminal underworld after the death of his dog, but it ended up being so much more than that.

The sequel only improved on things. Expanding this insane, comic-book like world and upping the stakes, delivering even more creative, brutal violence and a surprisingly dramatic story that felt like it had depth, even making way for an incredibly effective cliffhanger that leads into this inevitable third film. I wasn't sure just how they'd top the second, but my god, they did it. Those crazy sons of bitches did it.

Taking place instantly after the events of the second film, John Wick finds himself with a $14 million bounty on his head after murdering a high ranking criminal and breaking the rules of his underground crime syndicate, leaving him with nowhere to go and no one to help him. I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from the story here, after the first 40 minutes, everything I was expecting was pretty much proved wrong, making this one of those rare films where I had no idea what was going to happen.

I knew this franchise was conceived as a trilogy, but with nothing but growing love and popularity for the series between films, part of me knew this wouldn't be the last we'd see of John Wick. I'll admit I'm a little disappointed at the direction taken here to not end the franchise and instead set up an inevitable fourth film, but then again, much like the Mission Impossible series, I'm always taken back at how they manage to up the ante, so I have faith they'll continue this series in the right way. In all fairness, without spoiling things, it does promise a very interesting direction to take the series.

Even with that, everything story-wise was a genuine surprise. It takes some strange routes to get there, even stopping off at Casablanca for an entire act, but it's always intriguing and makes use of its trademark action and black humour while continuing to grow this ever expanding world of underground assassins with their unique honour system, rules and code.

Among the returning cast of supporting characters, we also get a whole variety of new faces, most of which are very welcome additions. A few of the actors from the Raid series get their chance to shine, after having their talents wasted in forgettable cameos withing huge Hollywood films (There's even a great homage to The Raid 2 thrown in here). Halle Berry makes a excellent use of her screen-time in her first good role in years as an ex-assassin with ties to Wick and has two adorable dogs that even get involved with the action. I'm really hoping one of the spin-off films around this series has her in mind.

Of all the new faces, the main one that sticks out is sadly once again the villain. This series has always had a problem with forgettable villains and this might just be the worst of the lot. Mark Dacascos "Zero" gets some brutal and extended fight-scenes, which he does well in physically, but in terms of character, there's very little there. There's a couple of fun jokes about him being a big fan of Wick, but that wears off pretty quickly and he kinda reminded me of Randall Park in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Take from that what you will.

Franchise returners all get much bigger and expanded roles. Ian McShane is still a delight as the owner of the "Continental", although some of his character choices are questionable towards the end. Lance Reddick has much more to do and even gets involved in some action this time around. Then, Laurence Fishburne is still just awful as "The Bowery King", chewing his scenery to unbearable levels in his brief appearances.

Then there's Keanu Reeves as John Wick himself, a role that's as tailor made for him as John Wick's suits are for him. He continues to expand his range with while playing the cold-hearted assassin with just enough humanity to make him feel like a real human being. His dedication to performance his own stunts and physical work is only rivalled by possibly Tom Cruise. Reeves gives it his all. Many accuse Reeves of being wooden, but he's far from it here, showing Wick his more depth and range than the previous two films combined.

Now, what you're all here for with a John Wick film is the action, and yes, the film delivers this in levels that I could barely take in with just one watch. The third film in this series is absolute carnage brimming with creativity. It's beautifully shot with no shakey-cam bullshit, it's relentless and feels absolutely brutal. Wick makes use of whatever he can to kill someone, from guns, knives, books, his hands and even a horse (All within the first 40 minutes). It is utter carnage.

Each set-piece expands upon itself and ups the stakes to near comical levels, Which is what you should expect at this point. Once you embrace how absurd this world is and how deranged the violence gets, you really do learn to love it. I miss films like this, brutally violent action films with just enough budget to accomplish huge action scenes without having to tone it down for a family friendly audience. These really are the films we should be supporting.

I'd argue that Parabellum is exhausting, but in a good way. It rarely slows down from the action, kind of similar to Mad Max: Fury Road or Mission Impossible: Fallout, it's exhausting, but so rewarding by the end of it and while you're sitting there just taking it all in, it's a transcendent experience. I never thought I'd say that about a film series that started with a retired assassin avenging the murder of his dog.

Amongst all the incredible action, this is also a gorgeous and beautiful looking film. Even the smaller scenes have a cinematic flair to them, but this series loves neon and continues to do so. Some of the sets and designs are absolutely stunning, brimming with interesting details, lighting and colouring. It must be said how underappreciated Tyler Bates score is too, reusing and remixing previous tracks from the series and bringing in some pulsating and tense music to accompany the already insane action scenes.

If you're a fan of this series so far, I can't imagine you'll be disappointed by what's been put on display here. A gorgeous visual feast of creative violence and carnage that manages to be one of the best action films of recent years in a series that just gets better with each film. I'll be amazed if 2019 gives us a better action film than this.

9/10 Dans

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019) - Review

Review:

*Originally written May 14th, 2019*

I'm not exactly sure what my deal with Pokemon is. I definitely grew up around it, I remember the cards, I might of seen a few of the films and the TV show, but outside of the imagery of Pikachu and Ash, I really don't know or remember anything about the series. I can name a few of the more obvious Pokemon, but outside that I'd say I'm a poser of a fan.

Even with that, I was very much looking forward to Detective Pikachu. A detective comedy with Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu? It's definitely one of the weirder and more out-there concepts for a massive budgeted franchise film I've seen for quite some time. Although I still wish they went with Danny De Vito as the voice, there was certainly potential there.

The film itself though, is an incredibly fun time. It might not commit to the weirdness as much as it should, but for a kids film, this is pretty much everything you could ask for. A simple, easy to follow story, an interesting and varied world, humour that lands and a surprising amount of heart. I can't say how faithful to the games this is, as I've not played them, but in terms of video-game movies this is by far the best I've seen and the most successful from what I've seen (And I have seen far too many).

My biggest concern with this was the lead actor. Justice Smith. His role in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as the screaming banshee of unspeakably annoying levels destroyed any excitement of any project he would be starring in. Honestly, I cannot express just how awful he is in that terrible film. That Razzie nomination was more than justified. Thankfully, he proved to be a surprising lead that carried things well, making way for an emotional arc as Tim, as he finds himself uncovering a mystery that involves his dead father, a shady corporation and the Ryan Reynold's voiced Pikachu.

Now, let's get on to that. Ryan Reynold's Pikachu is very much Ryan Reynold's doing his usual Deadpool thing. A sarcastic pop-culture joke machine, but it surprisingly works in the film's favour. Mostly due to the absolutely incredible CGI creation of Pikachu, an instantly adorable, sweet and cute creation that is impossible to hate. This is how you make a live-action character come to life (Looking at you Sonic).

In fact, bringing this entire world of Pokemon to life is something I didn't expect the film to pull off as well as it did, but the world building here is so impressive. I love the design of all the Pokemon and they mix into the real world pretty perfectly, we see snippets of how society has made use of them (Squirtles being used as firefighters was my favourite). There's so much stuff going on in the background that can be set-up for future films I can't wait for.

Outside of Pikachu and Tim, the supporting cast are easily brushed a little to the side. Kathryn Newton leaves an impact as an aspiring reporter who partners with Tim to sort out this mystery, while Bill Nighy hams it up in a role that is laughably obvious where it was going to go from the beginning, but as a kids film, I can probably give it a free pass. I had no idea Nighy was even in it, but he's a welcome surprise none the less.

i don't know what much else to say there is about Detective Pikachu, it's definitely an achievement in video-game films, Ryan Reynold's incredibly cute Pikachu steals the show and there's so much going on here that can be further expanded on in sequels. It's great. I'mma go play Pokemon Go now.

8/10 Dans

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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: