Mutiny

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Mutiny follows Cole Reed, a former British soldier and police officer turned private security for the wealthy family of a commercial shipping fleet. When his boss dies in a hit, Cole sets out on his own to solve the case. He soon finds himself embroiled in a human trafficking ring that has been secretly running for years and needs a bald British badass to shut it down.

There are a lot of bullets, knives stab into bodies, and fists crack into jaws. All the ingredients that go into a Jason Statham action movie special. But if you're looking at that ingredient list, you're not going to be left thinking, "where's the salt?" Actually, you're going to be thinking, "where's the meat?" The absence of substance to this story is so blatant at this stage. I feel like I watch a Statham action piece churn through the same points over and over again. He's a tough but likeable guy, with a mysterious tough guy past. He leads a simple, happy life with an often older figure he perceives as akin to his family. The bad event happens. Suddenly Statham is on a big revenge spree against a rather unhinged bad guy. He often finds a leading lady along the way; she's tough enough to shoot at least one bad guy, but never quite as tough as Statham. Everything will work out; there'll be a twist that's so obvious your pet dog probably could guess it. And if you're lucky, Statham will end the film with a quick little one-liner that will fizzle, not sizzle. It's tough making soulless cash grab action, but someone has got to do it.

Admittedly, I'm pretty tough on Mutiny. I feel it is the latest in a long string of Jason Statham-led action features that have just abandoned trying for the sake of the audience. They feel like the story is prioritised last. However, this film really does have some violent pieces of action choreography that really impressed me. In fact, the stunt work of the film seems to be the real saving grace. Conflict has a bit of heat to it, and moves like electricity. If our characters are caught between shipping containers, it's a confined, messy brawl. There's a classic sequence of our main guy just picking off henchmen like he's shucking corn. And it's called Mutiny; of course, the final fight has Statham fighting with boat paraphernalia.

You have to give it up for the one constant in all of this: Jason Statham understands exactly how to deliver that everyman rough ' tough hero. He wears a basic action movie premise like a glove and knows how to have a mean edge while maintaining a bit of charisma. Statham was far from the best performance in all of this, however. I loved Ramon Tikaram as his first-act boss and father figure. Tikaram had such a quiet and gentle sensibility to him that really added an emotion to this film that just evaporated after the first fifteen minutes. I also had a soft spot for Adrian Lester's US Navy captain and his wry remarks about the events unfolding upon the central boat.

The design of the film only really came to life when the action was really being cranked up. Those moments were like watching the camera jolt to life. Which put the majority of the film into a rough and jarring comparison. There's only so many poorly framed close-ups of Statham's big bald head I could muster before wondering if the creative juices just weren't flowing here. This film is edited with all the care of a studio that just wants to see this thing pushed out the door. For that matter, the musical score gets a similar treatment. I really didn't feel much across this movie because there was no real effort to make this audio-visual medium really come to life.

I really cannot tell you what Annabelle Wallis was doing in this film other than ensuring the film could safely say it had managed to hire an actress. Wallis' character of Angie is a divorced Mum who traipses around freighter ships bemoaning her lack of visitation rights and occasionally sniping that she got 'fired from the Navy'. It's tough to understand why this character is here at the best of times; she's only on the human trafficking ship because one of the bad guy crew members called in sick (real tight criminal operation). Wallis tries the tough guy act, but it's just not really her bag. The film also fails to find an antagonist worth writing home about. Kluth's business baddie is paper-thin, while Kular's heel turn can be predicted within the first ten minutes of the film. The main antagonist played by Roland Møller is a ship captain who aggressively lurches around his boat, climbing ladders and making the most bizarre tactical decisions you've ever heard. Møller often seems a little unsure of what word is going to come out of his mouth; there are a lot of long pauses before dialogue that make his ability to deliver lines sound unimpressive.

If there's one thing I can depend on, it's that Jason Statham will show up every year with one of the worst action films I have ever watched. I would give Mutiny a 2.5/10.

The End Of Oak Street

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The End of Oak Street is a science-fiction thriller about an American 1980s neighbourhood suddenly being teleported 200 million years in the past. Now the American suburbs are going to have to contend with surviving dinosaurs.

I found End of Oak Street to be such a hilariously nonsensical film. This is the sort of movie that has a nutty premise and just does not know whether to play it straight or be in on its own absurdity. Across the film, there are so many moments where I found myself laughing at the film, and rarely any moments where I felt like I was laughing with it. Why does the local librarian know so much off the cuff about 200 million year old flora? Why does the film try to genuinely make a polaroid photo of Ewan McGregor standing in front of two dinosaurs having sex an emotional plot device? Why did the asshole neighbour get out on his roof to shoot at pteranodons? It's a movie that starts because vague solar flares have been happening, so of course they lead to prime American real estate being displaced through time. But don't fear, there are smaller time bubbles for our characters to throw themselves through and find their happy ending. It's a film that is quite comfortable with playing things on the nose; as dinosaurs start swarming the streets, we get an oblivious family climbing into a car whilst singing the Flintstones theme song.

Yet, there is an incredible sense of thrill to this feature at times. Those moments where the parents stalk through the early morning hours of the neighbourhood and we're greeted with glimpses of dinosaurs. Before finally having Ewan McGregor run for his life from a raptor with a baseball bat as his primary means of defence. There is a lethality to the dinosaurs, even if those moments come in drips and drabs. I do think a lot of this film would have worked more if it let itself be scarier. The scene in the librarian's house where the family becomes trapped is an excellent example of the sort of scenes that have you right on the edge of your seat. Even the moments of characters slowly walking about at night, trying to survive, have a good atmosphere to them, even if the scenes peppered throughout can be utterly hilarious.

This is a film that really dwarfs two fine actors in lead roles. I thought the little stereotypical American family who seem dysfunctional wears pretty thin. Ewan McGregor plays his part well, if not a little comically at times, as the loser Dad who's just trying his best. I actually had a lot of fun with PJ Byrne as Mel, the asshole neighbour who doesn't like the lead family very much. There are also some minor characters that are more puzzling than anything. Anne Gee Byrd as Denise's neighbour/debut novel editor is rather forgettable. While Jordan Alexa Davis' Jeanette character doesn't add anything of substance to the film. The two siblings often feel very offbeat; Christian Convery's role is a bit too pathetic for his own good, and Maisy Stella's closeted big sister doesn't feel entirely actualised. But it's Anne Hathaway as Denise who really shines in this film. She has a real intense streak that marks her as a natural survivor, while also finding the points she needs to appear more grounded as a suburban Mum. 

The special effects design for the dinosaurs is excellent; those were creatures that felt dangerous and looked a little bit distinct from other Jurassic-style films. But I was often finding myself disappointed with how this film was shot. There's a hideous scene in the second storey of the house where there's an intense close-up on a family member's face for half the screen for almost the entire scene. It's one glaring example amidst many poor shots across the feature. I also felt like the soundtrack could have been pondered on a bit more; watching Audrey tearfully sing 'Valerie' in the car did not have the effect the film was shooting for.

This is a film that often feels like a spoof of itself. I would give The End of Oak Street a 3.5/10.

One Night Only

 

This review may contain spoilers!

One Night Only is a romantic comedy set in an alternate-reality America, where it is illegal to have premarital sex all year bar one night. When Owen's partner leaves him to explore her own sexual desires, he is left to work out what this night will mean for him. While Allie doesn't want a hook-up, she wants to find a love story of her own. Will these two find what they're looking for, and could it be with each other?

I think sometimes a romantic comedy being willing to have a bonkers premise can actually elevate it. The big thing that this film has going for it, in truth, is this insane concept that sex is only available for single people one night of the year. There's an early point of the film where a Secretary (Franke) is explaining the political right-wing landscape that justifies this unusual setting. Across the film, we learn that everyone had to consent to a bio-scanner that tracks if you're engaged in sex year-round. It's entirely dystopian and yet the most unbelievable part of the film is how nonplussed everyone seems about it all. This film occasionally stands up and talks about what living under such a mandate feels like, but most of the time it's all being played for comedy. I mean Flavor Flav is the televised celebrity leading the one night of sex countdown. Don't get me wrong, watching Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner start a condom heist or, through a comedy of errors, wind up in a police station is entertaining. But more often than not, One More Night doesn't have much going on with the story it's telling, feeling confident in placing our protagonists in embarrassing comedic scenarios.

The big issue I struggled with in One Night Only is that the core relationship just didn't impress me that much. Owen and Allie feel like they are pushed into the path of one another, and as a result we should be invested in their relationship. But there are so many awkward moments, or points where their path towards one another just comes across a little forced. The ending at the lighthouse is a good example of a moment that feels signposted from a million miles away. Yet, even though we see it coming as an audience, there's disappointment seeing Owen meet her just outside the lighthouse holding two cups of coffee. There's a strangely chaste quality to the ending that feels like the story is saying there's less romance in a sexual connection. The film just really stumbles about a lot, unsure of its own position and trying to appeal to a wide audience over telling an engaging story.

Beyond those points around chemistry, I still have to say that Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner give some of the best acting in the film. These leads really do stand out in a big way even if their relationship dynamic needed a little more work. Barbaro is playing someone who is really seeking a genuine connection and keeps taking an unfortunate wrong turn. She also gets a chance to sing throughout the film, and an already stunning soundtrack is all the better for that. While Callum Turner is a simple, charismatic gentleman who winds up being a bit of a bumbling himbo at times. Turner gets to lead the comedy of this feature, which means he really puts himself out there across the film and delivers some great laughs.

I have a lot of faith in Will Gluck's ability to construct a romantic comedy; he's got Easy A and Anybody But You under his belt. This is a film that really captures a wildly adventurous New York in a very indie style. I really found that this film had a gentle comfort and gracefulness to the way the camera captured this nighttime setting. Even if there were times the film lost its own sense of pace due to the editing, one of the strengths was inevitably how gorgeous it all looked.

This film is an interesting peppering of talent. Quintessa Swindell as Barbaro's hype woman is great, but not half as brilliant as the comedic talent of Mateo Ray, the kid you hate to babysit. Allie also hooks up with Max, played by Andrew Burnap, who is a charming conman who really steals a good chunk of this movie. Sydney Cole Alexander has a similarly great scene with Turner, for that matter. Maya Hawke really grounds the story as Turner's frivolous girlfriend who doesn't want to sleep with him the one night she can. Callum Turner also lucks out with a very fun duo for his parental figures, his Mum being portrayed by Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton, the man she is hooking up with.

There are some performances I just didn't understand the point of, or that felt like gratuitous cameos. The movie has this very intrusive scene in which Bobby Cannavale and Pete Davidson are portraying themselves filming a cop film. It's a weird, disruptive moment that doesn't even succeed in feeling funny. King Princess contributes well to the soundtrack but isn't very believable as Barbaro's friend. Michelle Hurd's detective role disappears in this like smoke. Julia Fox apparates into this for a second as a prospective hook-up option for Turner, which is a boring use of her. The film even takes the characters out to a New York celebrity party, which is an odd setting for the film to divert to. It's probably the weakest portion of the feature, except for introducing Craig Gillespie's douchebag musician and giving a good piece of music from Barbaro. I wish I could forget Ella Loudon's Vivian role, quite an uncomfortable character at times. 

An unusual premise that catapults the film before sending it plummeting. I would give One Night Only a 4.5/10.

Savage House

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Savage House is a dark period comedy of errors following the rogue Sir Chauncey Savage and his lady wife as they flirt with social and financial ruin. When they are due to be visited by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, their prospects look to be turning around. However, they will have to rise above their own turgid state to host members of the nobler class.

No one does wickedly dark and dour comedies quite like the British. Savage House features a cast of the worst people you've ever met, mucking it all up as they plummet towards their own destruction. I really enjoyed this concept of the Savages, a landed family who could once boast wealth, but lost all of that once Sir Chauncey married into the family. Across this film, we learn Sir Chauncey is something of a brigand and a rogue, a thief and a liar. He has a history of bad behaviour, and now that he finds himself with more of a position in the world, he clings to status with a mad sort of desperation. Even Lady Savage is alight with the thought of power and pursuing their familial ambitions at all costs. The only rub here is that Chauncey has been manipulating financiers for years; they are in debt and continue to face ruin at a rapidly accelerating rate as the dinner with the Duke and Duchess draws closer. Chauncey is terribly afraid of being rendered a man who lives 'in the muck' again, haunted by visions of squalor. Richard E. Grant leads the film in this role, and he is absolutely perfect for it. He knows how to play to Chauncey's garish and exuberant nature; there's a part of him who seems dimly good-natured while also naturally duplicitous. His descent into mania as the film wholly casts the characters into ruin is a superb bout of acting and is just another great performance under Grant's belt.

This is a film that really depends upon more nuanced and connecting character relationships to work. All of the figures in this film weave against and alongside one another. Chauncey sleeps with his wife's maid, just as Lady Savage is having an affair with the footman. The footman, Halifax, is best friends with Chauncey and has saved his life upon many an occasion. Both Halifax and the maid, Dorothy, are romantically entangled and plot the demise of at least one of their employers. It's a messy, treacherous web where the humour comes from characters blindly staggering about into and through one another's personal stories until everything comes to a tumultuous, inevitable head. Claire Foy leads the film alongside Grant, and really lives in the role. Foy's ability to present a character from a more noble background who revels in the chaos and ego herself is what makes the character mesh so seamlessly with Grant. Yet, I also enjoyed that, faced with pressure, her character began to change and adapt to someone more readily proficient for a higher society dynamic. Jack Farthing's turn as Halifax is one of the real hits of the film as well; he is this quietly confident servant/friend who actually makes the schemes come together. I also was really struck by Kila Lord Cassidy, who played Fanny Savage. The way she is so full of hope for the future and fascinated by scientific discovery makes her a bright spark amidst the debauchery.

However, there are plenty of excellent character performances that breathe life into the period setting of this feature: McCabe, Pepperdine, Way and Godwin all do excellent work in this. Even Robert Bathurst's hilarious, dry narration lends a decent edge, even if it's a bit of a simple device to move things forward. This is a feature with extremely considered elements. The score is a haunting and grim piece that rings forth the tragedy our characters seem oblivious to. While the camerawork is really capitalising on the locations, and toys with making art of the absurdity. However, I did grow a bit tired of the way this film was coloured after a while. The bleak blues, yellows and greys that wash over this film and cast it in a grim light are often a bit too obvious. A bleak film that begets bleak colours seems a simplistic choice. Even the move of the eclipse washing over Savage House right as their doom comes seemed a bit on the nose.

That's probably the thing Savage House struggles with the most as a film. You can see quite clearly where this is all heading. There's going to be a bad ending; the characters are sure for ruin. There's not a moment where you really believe fortunes will turn around, and I never felt especially tricked into believing the trajectory of the feature would ever change. This can be a difficult sort of feature to watch. Because then when you're left with gross imagery and themes of misery lived and impending, it's hard to find variety in the storytelling. There was a real chance for Savage House to probably get a bit bolder with what it was doing or move left when you thought it was going to turn right. Bel Powley's performance of Dorothy is a good example of a character that never found the comedy, and so she just became this static, dark and miserable thing in the film. There were opportunities for the film to do more; Pip Torrens' Mr Black was quite a dull antagonist, and yet the film could have made something out of his character. I found this film flourished with the sort of comedy it was presenting, and it knew what it wanted to be. It just needed the courage to go that little bit further.

A wildly clever spat of comedy that juggles devastation and hilarity superbly. I would give Savage House a 7.5/10.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

This review may contain spoilers!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth film in the latest Spidey franchise and the 38th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now that everyone has forgotten Peter Parker, he is living life as a crimefighter in isolation. But when a new telepathic foe threatens New York, it might also force Peter to face his past and his demons.

This is a film that just really understands Spider-Man through and through. The spell Doctor Strange cast has rendered Peter alone, yet steadily he is building himself back a life from that. Now the webhead is one of New York's greatest heroes. We are treated to an exceptional montage of Spidey becoming that street-level hero fans have been clamouring for. At the same time, it's an instance of Peter weathering the difficult road laid before him, pushing the divide he now has with his friends and loved ones to the side while he completely throws himself into doing the right thing. But the pain Peter is weathering conceals a darker side; he is living a life where he has really been put through the wringer, and now his enhanced DNA is mutating to adapt. This is a film in which Spider-Man faces an internal battle, just as much as he's fighting bad guys. While Peter struggles with his loneliness, his own physiology begins to shift on him, and he starts frantically fighting for control. It's a narrative that forces him to stop fighting with himself, to confront his problems head-on, and to become stronger for it. It marks a decent parallel journey with the main antagonist, which is brought to focus in the final act. I really think Tom Holland leads Peter through this journey exceptionally well; it's an evolution for this Spider-Man, and he proves more than up to the task.

Like any superhero world, a lot of strength is in how lived-in the story feels; how this fantastical but familiar world is crafted. Destin Daniel Cretton already showed that he understands this better than most with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but this feels like a step up. Visually, this is a Spider-Man film that sees the way our favourite webhead moves looking more dynamic than ever before. It takes every action set piece and prioritises seamless movement, while holding emotional key points, looking intimate and with an interesting colour palette. The special effects seen throughout have a really consistent quality of design to them, from the psychic hold scene through to the Hulk sequence. This has probably been the best use of Damage Control in the MCU, with Tramell Tillman presenting a more manipulative role I hope to see make a return. The main antagonist is such a creative pick, and Sadie Sink does wonders with her. More than that, this is the best use of The Hulk we have seen in ages. I just liked the quiet moments of dialogue around the university Ruffalo and Holland got to trade with one another. Even Michael Giacchino's score lifts us through some dark patches or layers an intense edge to the action; and Tame Impala's addition to the soundtrack has blown up for good reason.

It's not always a perfect ride, even if it is soaring high. This is a film that is really starting to show what being in the late 30s of film sequels does to a franchise. It's long and full of characters not everyone is going to know and love. You could be forgiven for not really remembering Michael Mando as Mac Gargan; I wouldn't really say he does much beyond look cool here either. Similarly, the start of this film is also content with throwing the Punisher at you, or having Yelena make a super strange cameo, and later we discover Bruce Banner is a lecturer now. Even watching Spidey have his own Commissioner Gordon type in Liza Colón-Zayas was a new feature to rapidly accept and learn. There's a lot for a fan of this franchise, but it's bordering on too much at times. In saying that, I really did love Jon Bernthal making his big-screen debut as Frank Castle; watching the Punisher and Spider-Man banter was probably my favourite thing about this whole feature. 

I loved Sadie Sink in this, but her character is quite sinister at the beginning, and it is hard to feel convinced by her redemption later on. She does some pretty questionable actions for a character we should feel a lot of empathy for by the film's end. Alongside that, I didn't feel like this film really knew how to weave the more character-driven story of Peter being isolated and changing with the story of the main antagonist striking out at Damage Control. This was really shown by us still receiving a lot of information in the final act to make all the pieces work. Yet, there's still heart here, and it's the really strong sense of character writing this blockbuster boasts that sets it apart as one of my favourite films so far this year. Zendaya carries a lot of those emotional beats, and the work she does with Holland really breaks these characters apart and knits them back together. Jacob Batalon is still so earnest and effortlessly likeable, with his final scene being the perfect end note. Even Marisa Tomei returns for one emotional gut-punch of a scene.

It's a new era for Spider-Man films and a pretty exciting one at that. I would give Spider-Man: Brand New Day an 8.5/10.

 

The Dink

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Dink is a sports comedy film about former junior tennis prodigy Dustin Boyd. Now a trainer at his father's tennis club, Dustin sees a chance to prove his worth to his father when the tennis club clashes with the local pickleball players. Will Dustin reclaim his tennis glory days, or will he discover something new about himself through the sport of pickleball?

Happy Gilmore. Dodgeball. Blades of Glory. Sport comedies used to be a thriving sub-genre where some of the most prolific comedy actors put a decent bend on a sports concept. The Dink wants to propel us through one of the fastest-growing modern sports trends: pickleball. The one enduring trope that seems to work well across the mediums is that an older man-child learns to grow up and take responsibility for his life through playing the sport hilariously. Jake Johnson leads this film and presents quite an arrogant tennis player, whose own sense of ego sees him hurt. He has to learn a bit of empathy through playing pickleball and coming to appreciate another sport. Johnson has a casual, dry wit that is absolutely brilliant and suits the rough edges of our protagonist. Yet, watching him slow down and actually fight for something in the last match of the film is something special.

In saying all of that, this is a film that just doesn't hit. It's a very simplistic comedy; the main character is stunted and needs to grow up, confronting the father issues the film keeps throwing up. Overall, The Dink likes to play it tame, but silly. The tennis club is a pretentious institution that thumbs its nose down at those who play pickleball. Yet we get a very leisurely point of conflict, with both sides looking to play against one another lest pickleball be banned from the club. All the while, our lead character is sedately weaving his way through porn-obsessed doctors and the same back-and-forth he has going with his father (Harris) all film long. The move to playing pickleball is a series of dull instances of skit comedy, not really instilling much change in our lead beyond a mega crush on an older pickleball player, Candance. The film then detours pretty heavily to ponder this romantic storyline before bumbling back to the schoolyard competition to see if pickleball is banned from the club. This is the sort of comedy that really can't leave you laughing all the time; it works at points but is equally as capable of missing the mark.

There are some points where I looked at the cast and couldn't really believe the talent that had shown up for this. Ed Harris might be in one of the more boring roles of his career, but he leans into that 'Dad who is hard to find love from' persona. Likewise, having a comedy veteran like Mary Steenburgen creates some witty camaraderie between her and Johnson. I was almost disappointed that they built in the older woman romance story; it felt like a waste of what Steenburgen was able to bring to this feature. Even Chloe Fineman's couple of scenes as a demanding ex-girlfriend really brought a bit of energy to this film. Although nothing quite prepared me for what the tennis players would bring to the acting aspect of this. Andy Roddick made a good competitive foil for Johnson in this, while John McEnroe very nearly steals the movie with his comic sports commentary.

The soundtrack for this film has some character-defining moments when using the western music, while also remaining hilarious with some brilliant needle drops. Britney Spears' 'Work Bitch' playing while Aaron Chen gives that incredible swimming scene is perhaps my favourite scene of the film. But The Dink was often lucky to have Chen; you could never really predict where he was going to go.

I also found that, like a lot of comedies, there wasn't a lot of effort put into making this film look special. A sports comedy is rife with action, so there should be something visually impressive in its design. The Dink just never really manages to find its own visual language, instead delivering quite a dull-looking feature. Even the way this film is stitched together results in a slower pace. I didn't really understand why some comedians staked themselves against this. Chris Parnell is here doing absolutely nothing, while Ben Stiller plays a doctor whose one gag is to try and convince the main character to search and browse a porn site. If that last part sounds a bit hit and miss for you, then you're starting to understand why The Dink drops more balls than it hits. 

The revival of sports comedies is looking woeful. I would give The Dink a 4.5/10.

The Odyssey

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer's classic epic. A retelling of the myth of Odysseus, the fall of Troy and the King's journey home to Ithaca to restore his kingdom.

When I was a kid, before I'd even read the Percy Jackson books that followed me around everywhere, I had a myriad collection of Greek myth non-fiction books. I used to lose myself in those mythological stories of magic, pantheons and heroism. That's the power of mythology; it's a cultural history - often of religious elements. But it's also storytelling. It's the preservation of incredible concepts that have interpreted war, sickness, the seasons, more. The Odyssey as an epic is the cost of war, how it changed the Grecian age forever and the rite of xenia (or Zeus' Law, as this film rather simply labels it). In Christopher Nolan's hands, there is no doubt that The Odyssey will be sculpted as an epic ought. Nolan is a mythmaker himself; he pursues monolithic stories. Whether you like or dislike what Nolan crafts, they are always productions of an incomparable scale. The Odyssey is exactly another globe-spanning feat of cinema for Christopher Nolan. It is shot with artistry in mind, and holds practical filmmaking as a duty of care. Whether that be something towering like the Trojan Horse or the towering Polyphemus puppet, or something more inventive like the spectres of Hades or the prosthetics for the pig transformation scene. This film is a deck of movie magic tricks, and it's exactly the style of movie craftsmanship we should be hoping to see more of in a production like this.

There is a real sense of atoning for the crimes of war across this feature, but further than that, atoning for the deception and betrayal of xenia by Odysseus. Matt Damon plays our protagonist in this, once again cementing his reign as a leading actor. Damon leads this cast superbly; few truly rival him. The moments where Odysseus is lost and questioning himself, right through to the moments of cunning, Damon shifts and evolves this role. I really believed in the agony of Odysseus, how he felt his own hubris and the burden he had to carry with him homeward. But Damon alone isn't turning out some powerhouse acting. Robert Pattinson has been doing a great run recently, and his take on the despicable Antinous really drove the Ithaca storyline. John Leguizamo brought the blind servant, Eumaeus, to life in what I believed to be a career-best performance. Some actors played in the classical scene and really blew me away, Jon Bernthal immediately coming to mind. While character actors drove home some of the most immersive acting I saw, with Samantha Morton delivering a truly occult performance as Circe and James Remar breathing life into the Underworld.

Some elements felt really good, but they paled in the eyes of the above. Ludwig Göransson is setting a very high standard for film scores right now. His take on The Odyssey draws us into history and has a deeply unsettling and morose sound to it. Yet, it's also discomforting and flat at times. Whole tracks where the sound decimates the scene and fails to raise it up. There were also many performers who would normally shine in a feature that got dwarfed in a Nolan feature. Tom Holland really paced his way quite cautiously through the feature, often failing to rise to the scale of the work before him. Himesh Patel also tried to find the emotional beats of his scenes, but we didn't get to engage with him on a personal level enough as a character. Zendaya is really flexing her talent at the moment, but Athena is such a convoluted representation of the goddess in this that it's hard to see what Zendaya had to work with.

The Odyssey is a film that staggers its way through its pacing. It tries to recount as much of the epic as it can, but it is simply impossible to capture the whole story in a film. Even if that film is three hours long. The confrontation with the suitors is so rushed and played off as an action scene; Polyphemus is made to just be a monster because it's easier than telling the tale. Watching The Odyssey is watching the myth get hacked and slashed reasonably well; it's butchery, but the cut of meat looks good. I also struggled with dialogue throughout. The contemporary style could be suited to a film set in the 80s just as well as it was used here. There is no reasonable grounds for the film to sound like this, and it feels like minimal effort was made for the film to sound like a historic text. Even when the characters started to talk about societal themes bigger than them, it felt ridiculous; the characters musing on the Bronze Age as if they were self-aware they were in the Bronze Age was unusual.

I also think there were plenty of instances in which actors were miscast, or cast out of celebrity. The film opens with Travis Scott, for crying out loud. Anne Hathaway's voice work and intense expulsion of dialogue were quite over the top and didn't lend themselves well to Penelope. Elliot Page as Sinon almost plays out like an afterthought rather than a pivotal role for Odysseus to honour. Charlize Theron feels incredibly wrong for the role of Calypso, with a very monotonous delivery. While actors like Corey Hawkins, Mia Goth and Lupita Nyong'o seem to be here for their celebrity and aren't really given a chance to present their roles. It's Agamemnon that feels quite offbeat. His epic presentation throughout is completely diminished the moment Safdie opens his mouth and delivers a line.

It sure takes an odyssey to get through, but it has Nolan's craftsmanship all over it. I would give The Odyssey a 7/10.

The Invite

This review may contain spoilers! 

This is an American adaptation of the Spanish film Sentimental (2020), directed by Olivia Wilde. In this feature, Angela and Joe are a long-married, unhappy couple who find themselves exploring the boundaries of modern erotic culture when their upstairs neighbours come over to visit.

I was entirely prepared to write this film off. I expected The Invite to be a failed foreign language film remake, or a lewd American comedy. The Invite is neither of these things, thankfully. This film feels like genuine lightning in a bottle, one of those hot pieces of cinema that just flows perfectly. Whether those dialogue exchanges are scripted, improvised or scattered with ad-libs, the way these characters speak to one another impressed me so much. The line work here is just unreal; there is verbal sparring that moves organically with a raw intensity I expect more from theatre than film. I believe in Angela and Joe; I believe they are a deeply unhappy married couple. But gosh, is it so much richer than that. This is a pair with their own secret desires, deep-seated grudges and conflicts that span a gaping divide between one another. Introducing Piña and Hawk lights a fuse that doesn't burn fast; it burns steadily. There is an intensity that awakens and incites tensions. Fresh characters who draw forth buried feelings, who jolt the core relationship right to its very core. There was something so precisely built in how real these characters are that the moments of absurdity as we dance around the erotic throughline play like clever moments of contrast. A new step to shake things up and carry our protagonists forward.

This is another go of Olivia Wilde in the director's chair, and she is sitting much more comfortably than her recent Don't Worry Darling outing. This film moves like a well-conducted piece of live performance. All of the elements tangle into one another and become a tapestry of human connection. The way this thing is shot is so intimate, an incredibly tight, closed frame that holds everything for the viewer. We are captured alongside the characters, who feel very much like they're being held under a microscope. The score for this film is hilarious in its drama; this is a fully explosive piece of music that really signposts the moments of tension and lends strong emotion to any given scene. There are a few lovely pieces within the soundtrack too; Sade's 'By Your Side' really brought out that playful, cosy side of The Invite. I loved how this feature is stitched together; every cut and transition feels so timely and deliberate.

There is a core group of four actors here who are working extremely hard and wind up giving a masterful set of performances almost entirely. Olivia Wilde might be giving her career best in this. Angela is such a repressed figure who desires so much more than she is receiving from life. Wilde portrays her as this tightly wound mother, who is so perpetually anxious and frustrated that she is racing towards an explosive release. While Rogen continues to surprise and impress. His turn as Joe, a comedic husband who often fails to meet the bare minimum, is a nice blend of Rogen's dramatic and comedic talents. When he's allowed to just riff and ad lib, he can really run away with a scene. I also loved Edward Norton as a smarmy, sexually liberated ex-firefighter called Hawk. His calming tone and measured approach to the situation border on condescension, but often land in introspective placation.

I was less impressed with Penélope Cruz as Piña. This is a role that felt a bit more far-fetched than Norton's. She would gravitate between partner, sexual matriarch and a sort of therapist figure that made her rather difficult to pin down. I didn't feel Cruz could seamlessly differentiate between these moments either. Sometimes The Invite itself faltered because it didn't know when it had gone on for too long, or a comedic moment kept carrying forward. I suppose that's the sacrifice for letting such a raw expression of passion and talent run rampant. When it's working (which is most of the time), it plays to perfection, but these moments aren't always constant.

This is a film that is razor sharp and constructed with incredible quality in mind. I would give The Invite a 9/10.

Moana

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Moana is the live-action adaptation of the film Moana (2016). In this feature, Moana sets out to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people with the help of a reluctant demigod, Maui.

I remember when the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon came out, and it was a complete replication of what had come before. Moana is much like this; only where HtTYD showed an incredible amount of love for the original material at every step, Moana feels like a desire to make something the same for the pure purpose of commercial success. There are whole strokes of this film where the effects in the background slip, or you start noticing how empty the feature is, or the way this film has to compromise adapting from animation comes across as a downgrade. It's a movie that feels a bit rushed, like there was a hurry to get it out, and the visual effects team required more money or time. None of this should completely condemn the film; it just means the film doesn't capture the same creative spark the original feature had. But this wouldn't be the first live-action Disney adaptation to deliver a hollow reprise; Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Mulan, Pinocchio and Snow White immediately spring to mind.

Yet, it's not a film with a dearth of love for the original. The joy of Moana is that it brings a strong sense of storytelling to it. As Moana opens, we're given this powerful introduction by Rena Owen's Gramma Tala, a piece of spoken myth. The film holds this same sense of wonder throughout. Moana is this underdog, with a good heart, who wants to fight to save her people. At every turn, Moana is faced with barriers and hardship, yet she is never defeated by these. The emotion of the characters is lively; you connect with it on a different level because of the live-action quality. Maui feels like more of a cocky jerk, Gramma Tala's passion comes to life, and Moana's fight has a bolder edge as you watch this young protagonist throw herself against the odds. Watching Catherine Laga'aia dive beneath the waves to reclaim the heart and seek out her quest once again makes your heart swell in the same manner the original did.

In fact, Catherine Laga'aia really makes for quite a powerful live-action Moana. She really works to capture the character, bringing a true sense of courage to the role. I also really loved how she builds a character who believes in her quest and her purpose; she wants to save those she cares for. Laga'aia is still very fresh in her career, yet she's the heart of this film and perhaps my favourite performance. In saying that, Dwayne Johnson really gives his all to Maui here. He is effortlessly comedic, quite arrogant and entirely committed to delivering this story the best he can. I felt the real sleeper hit in the cast was Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, a performance that really rivals Rachel House's voice performance. She really makes those character eccentricities her own. John Tui and Frankie Adams try their best as Chief Tui and Sina, but it falls flat. Adams just doesn't have the screen time, while Tui really struggles to find his way in such a large blockbuster ensemble.

The thing with this film is that it's not capable of achieving what animation did. It really does work hard, but those moments where it fails are there. There is a visual style that often sets up the next visual effects shot or confines us to the limits of the sound stage. When those visual effects work? The film feels like magic. But when those shots fail to keep the art style consistent, you are jettisoned back to your seat. The music, however, is a saving grace. They really let the lyrics be heard; the sound is more acoustic. When those voices soar and hit every note, you really feel the power behind that.

This is a perfectly fine film, but like many Disney live-action adaptations, fails to justify its own existence. I would give Moana a 6.5/10.

Enola Holmes 3

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Enola Holmes 3 reunites us with the titular character as she finally looks to be marrying Lord Tewkesbury, upon the island of Malta no less. However, when Sherlock goes missing upon her wedding day, the game is once again afoot. Enola must hurry to unravel this mystery, save her brother's life and make her decision about exchanging vows.

I love Enola Holmes; this whole series has been remarkably well-crafted and good-humoured mysteries. These are films that thrive as character pieces, where you actually care about the characters and find yourself immersed in their relationships to one another. Yet it is the way we walk hand-in-hand with Enola that really makes these movies tick. The protagonist who talks to us, or plays directly to the camera. The fourth wall? It doesn't do anything but break constantly. This is an element that this series has continued to hone and use brilliantly. The audience becomes tethered to Enola; we know her better than the characters onscreen, and it makes you empathise with the story as it plays out. There is an understanding as she combats with her brother, Sherlock, and despairs over his disappearance. Those quiet moments of playful intimacy and genuine connection between her and Tewkesbury mean more. It's these glints of raw human emotion that make Enola Holmes as a series so remarkably wondrous. Millie Bobby Brown is at the centre of this and continues to carry Enola forward as one of, if not her best, roles to date. She understands the intelligence of the role, pairs it with such heart and then tumbles headfirst into the adventure.

The mysteries in an Enola Holmes film are often lighthearted, with reveals that rarely rock the boat too much. Enola Holmes 2 did a great job of heightening the stakes by weaving Cavill's Sherlock with Bobby Brown's Enola to make a parallel mystery at the heart of the story. This film takes quite an interesting turn with its story. There's quite a confused moral message about colonialism that a simple YA adventure flick like Enola Holmes doesn't seem up to the task of conveying. It's a period piece that seems to have a post-colonial viewpoint, one that isn't particularly earned by the characters at the centre of this piece. The history of Malta and its status as a colonised island nation runs roughshod over the mystery around the stolen Afghan gold. There are almost as many scenes of Moriarty espousing anti-colonial rhetoric as protagonists are doing so, which results in a pretty tangled position on where the audience is expected to feel about the theme. Alongside this, Enola wrestles between giving up her name and becoming a titled Lady, while also playing to a very traditional romance narrative. The story does have a tendency to trip over itself many times.

It's a really impressive film in appearance, with incredible vistas, set pieces and intimate moments captured artistically. The camera does struggle to hide the worst fight choreography this series has had; it gets positively amateurish in places. The editing across this sets a fun pace and cuts through memories and character-defining points in a way that feels emblematic of the Enola Holmes series. There is some really blunt use of ADR, though, which I found disruptive. It was quite clear that certain lines had been thought of post-production. However, the musical score accompanying Enola Holmes 3 absolutely soars; it is full of energy and mystery and joy just like the film's protagonist.

There are some constants across this film in the cast. It's wonderful to have Helena Bonham Carter back in her absentee mother role, always ready with a word of wisdom. Susan Wokoma even returns for a couple of laughs and for the big wedding. Himesh Patel was teased as Dr John Watson at the end of the second film, and he is one of the very best parts of this one. He has such a quiet sensibility that can be played for awkward comedy at times, but it can also be used as a mirror. Patel really gets to be that noble moral figure at the centre of this, which felt really appropriate. Partridge's Tewkesbury is at his best when he is fawning over Enola and embroiled in the case. They try to let him have a bit of a brooding thing, and it just tarnishes the character. By contrast, they let Cavill's Sherlock be a little meaner and have a darker heart in this at really lights him up. I absolutely love Henry Cavill as Sherlock and can only wish for more.

Not every performance wins out. There's a whole cast of British finery that really falls into the backdrop of this; performers like Hattie Morahan, Jason Watkins and Paul Cawley. There are also characters that just don't really fit the film and border on being annoying, such as Joe Azzopardi as the most obnoxious freedom fighter you'll ever see. Sharon Duncan-Brewster reprises Moriarty in this, and it's quite the departure from the infamous role. There are so many moments from the character that feel illogical or spiteful for the sake of it. Even her scheme fails to be that impressive, and the views her role holds aren't especially disagreeable. She just happens to work in a nefarious way. This is a Moriarty that just has a mean streak, and Duncan-Brewster only knows how to play it up, never ground it.

The Enola Holmes series has never risen to greatness, but it will always be a guilty pleasure watch for me. I would give Enola Holmes 3 a 6.5/10.

Supergirl

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Supergirl marks the second film in the new DC universe, and it follows the titular character, Kara Zor-El. Kara is flying through space, celebrating her 23rd birthday, when she is drawn into a conflict with a marauding band of bandits.

There have been a couple of good takes on Supergirl over the years; this film really fails to be one of them. Kara is a pretty complex character; unlike Superman, she was old enough to know what she lost with the destruction of Krypton. She remembers a planet that she mourns, and she holds a lot of anger internally. This is a character who constantly tries and struggles to adjust to Earth; her story runs differently from Clark's. Supergirl paints that story a little differently. She becomes this hazed-out, drunken take on the character, often more indifferent than one might expect. Kara approaches issues with a cantankerous attitude and probably feels a bit more 'punk rock' than punkrocker Supes himself. With her 'too cool for you' attitude, sleazy coat and predisposition to playing rock music on an old iPod, there are better comparisons to Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy than there are to Supergirl. It doesn't help that Milly Alcock is leading this, an actress who has been in a lead within a cast but who probably wasn't ready to spearhead a feature like this.

The story constantly leaves a lot to be desired and leaps and bounds forward with the pacing. It's a race from planet to planet, with Supergirl having a little brawl in a filthy environment at every setting. There are moments where the plot slows down, and we get glimpses into the past via flashbacks. We get to learn how Kryton exploded, and Kara's city survived for a time. But even this story is dour and adds little emotion to the plot. Having David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham as the blandest Krytonian parents doesn't help all that much. Krypto dying on an operating table somewhere keeps a bit of urgency going to the plot, but then that only serves if you like the CGI pup who's being played for destructive comedy across two films now. The writer for this film hasn't really done many prior projects, and it really shows, given Ana Nogueira has Wonder Woman and Teen Titans also currently under her pen, there's reasonable cause for concern.

There are glimpses where this works, quiet moments of dialogue where Supergirl externalises her feelings of solitude and hurt in the face of the death of her planet. Mostly, the things that work are the dark, gritty elements that feel made for this dark and gritty film. Jason Momoa finally gets to try his hand at Lobo, and his energy in that role is infectious. Momoa is clearly having the time of his life, and for that reason alone, I found Lobo the most enjoyable character of the feature. But Michael Schoenaerts as the film's antagonist is a solid bit of casting too. Schoenaerts is quite depraved as this brigand leader, Krem. He has a perverse edge to him and a wicked sense of glee whilst committing slaughter. There were some clear Mad Max inspirations in the film that rarely worked, but the characterisation of Krem was a strength. Even little pieces of window dressing, like Seth Rogan voicing an alien bus driver, worked better than you might expect.

I found the frustrating aspect of Supergirl to be that the characters never really grew that much. Kara learns to get a little more sober and give Earth another go. While Kara's co-lead, Ruthye (played by Eve Ridley), was persistently one of the more annoying characters in the film. Ruthye's character journey was choosing not to kill a character that she did not seem capable of killing anyway. Throw David Corenswet in the mix, an actor who is still bumbling his way through a poorly realised portrayal of Superman, and this film winds up having a shaky cast.

Supergirl is a persistently ugly film. This might not be Craig Gillespie's first foray into a blockbuster; he has made a splash with features like Cruella before. However, this is certainly his first time in the world of sci-fi, and it shows. The moments where the shots are captured via sound stage or volume are quite apparent. The wire work fails to be concealed, making the flight scenes a major eyesore. The special effects stand when the shot is purely CGI. The moment something real also has to exist within the frame, the effects take on a real sense of artifice that treads the value of this thing down. For a film like Supergirl to stake a bold idea of being in space, but to struggle to make its own budget work is disastrous. At least the score and the soundtrack managed to keep Supergirl feeling like a rocker. It laid down a tone, and the sound of the film was right there to pick it up.

I don't think I ever really found something that felt like the character of Supergirl in this. I would give Supergirl a 4/10.

Toy Story 5

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Toy Story 5 is Pixar's latest return to Andy, now Bonnie's collection of toys and their wild adventures. In this feature, when Bonnie receives a new device called Lilypad, the toys have to work out how to fit into a world where technology is everywhere kids play.

The story here is absolutely wonderful; it's always this warm moment returning to these familiar characters and the type of adventures they find themselves getting into. This particular story tackles what play looks like these days. On the surface, it could be a story that just blindingly states technology is bad, and it's bad for your kids! But it manages to be a little more nuanced than that. After all, we already saw toys transition from Woody to Buzz Lightyear in the first feature. This is a film that points out that play can now look like a child sitting upon a tablet, playing repetitive games with friends and messaging in group chats. It can be watching videos and taking silly photos. Toy Story 5 is clever because it tells us the impact playing with devices can have on children versus the effect of a treasured toy.

Jessie takes charge in this movie. With Woody off rescuing forgotten toys out in the wider world, Jessie is now the Sheriff of Bonnie's toys. She and the usual crew do all they can to keep Bonnie entertained and spark her imagination. Yet, Bonnie is quite alone, and she struggles to make friends with others. When her parents buy her a new device, Lilypad, to support this problem, Bonnie can't put Lilypad down. Suddenly, she's in a group chat, she has a circle of friends, and she gets invited to her first sleepover. But Bonnie's attention is held by her device; she struggles to detach from it. She also winds up becoming dependent on Lilypad to keep her newfound friends. It's a really clever way of exploring the themes of technology and children, making it clear the ways these devices can be disruptive at a young age. At the same time, Jessie meets another child's old toys, early devices that bridged the gap between toy and tech. She learns that these toys do care about their kid, too, and that they're capable of sparking imagination and being involved in play. It becomes a film that gets to the conversation about play, imagination, and joy, and about knowing how devices can be part of that at a young age.

Having this film led by Jessie was a great move by the creatives behind 5. Jessie is voiced wonderfully by Joan Cusack, who really puts that resolute mettle into the animated sheriff. Jessie is like the audience at first; she sees technology in a black-and-white way. Devices aren't as good as toys, so they merely become a 'bad thing'. But after Jessie accidentally winds up at Blaze's house, she is greeted by Smarty Pants (Conan O'Brien), an old school device who meant a lot to his kid. Jessie's assumptions are challenged while she also teaches those devices to understand what play is for a kid. Jessie also has to face the feeling of being unwanted by her kid, a feeling that stings more as a third-generation kid toy. The moment in which Jessie is confronted by the impact she left upon her first kid is the best aspect of this film. It's a real heartwarming tear-jerker that gets to the heart of what Toy Story has always done best.

When this film opened up, a shipwrecked island full of advanced Buzz Lightyear toys, my jaw dropped. Not because the idea of so many Buzz Lightyears was a crazy thing to me, but because of the animation. If you want to look at the journey of an animation studio, watch the Toy Story films in release order. This film is Pixar at its very best right now. There is incredible attention to detail, the colours are dazzling, and the character designs are all unique. The small posse of Buzz Lightyears yielded a lot for this film in more ways than one. The score for the feature pulls out every stop when those guys are onscreen, resulting in some epic moments and some absolute hilarity. Toy Story 5 manages to do it all, even bring Taylor Swift back to her country roots a little with 'I Knew It, I Knew You'.

Even the moments of the familiar feel well-earned, like the audience gets to come home again. You have Tim Allen's Buzz continuing to play head over heels for Jessie while Tom Hanks' Woody strides in looking to save the day. This duo isn't leading this time, and yet it works fine without; having their friendly rivalry is all that's required. I enjoyed some of the new voices that have found their way into the Toy Story world; the obvious one is Greta Lee's Lilypad. Lilypad walks a fine line between antagonist and misguided new toy in a way that reminded me of Buzz. There are lots of neat new moments, like Ernie Hudson's hysterical take on the Combat Carl toy.

Toy Story 5 fails in a way that made me think of Toy Story 4 a lot. It forgets how to be an ensemble animated feature. The other toys are still here, but they're afterthoughts and don't get to stand for themselves. Those first three movies made me really love characters like Slinky, the Potato Heads, Rex, Hamm and Bo Peep; even more recent additions like Forky and Duke Caboom are pushed to the back. All of the toys make the room come to life; they just needed a little more voice to remind the audience of that.

I have never watched a Toy Story that doesn't have a great story to tell, nor fails to connect with my inner child. I would give Toy Story 5 a 9/10.

The Death Of Robin Hood

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Death of Robin Hood follows the infamous outlaw at the tail end of his life. Robin is a wilder, meaner figure than the stories ever told: a true, ruthless outlaw. After a raid on a farmstead goes wrong, Robin embarks on a healing journey that forces him to reflect on his identity and the myth built up around him.

The story of Robin Hood, like many myths and pieces of folklore, is a story I have always found really fascinating. In Death of I found myself really believing the idea that Robin was this figure who had been made larger than life by gossip and word of mouth. The dishevelled Robin presented to us is wretched and played wonderfully by Hugh Jackman. This is an outlaw who lives comfortably with conducting murder and violence. He fights for scraps; in a way, he fights to kill because that's all that he has left. It's a very different direction to take the character, and I enjoyed this darker concept and the way Jackman falls into the harder edge of the role. 

Michael Sarnoski crafts something here that is a feast for the senses. The Irish landscapes standing for ancient England are vast, primal and breathtaking. This film is littered with visual vistas that lend a powerful, rugged edge to the feature. I also found the way this film is captured to have a mysterious, yet intimate tone that cuts right to the character study element of Sarnoski's feature. Jim Ghedi crafts the musical score for this feature, and it has this sense of history to it. The echoing and mournful notes of the pipes, paired with the choral moments of Middle English song, are something to behold. In sharp contrast, I felt the editing often played around with odd transitions too much; the excessive fades really didn't suit the style of the movie.

There's an ambling, slow pace to The Death of Robin Hood. It's not here to be your action hero blockbuster Robin Hood story, no matter how much the trailers tried to sell the audience on it. After the first act, the film is a pensive reflection on Robin as a character. There are some interesting points in all of that, particularly when Robin passes a moment off as a story only to discover there was truth in it after all. But this is a depressing bender of a feature showing us a man who has compromised himself, who is rotten to the core. In his final days, he gets a mirror up to his bad actions while also finding a sense of peace. But even when being offered redemption, he scorns it. This film almost feels like a one-note attempt to do something different with Robin Hood; to make him old and foul-tempered. A man who seeks death throughout and finds it unconventionally. This is a film that doesn't really deconstruct the myth of Robin Hood; it rejects it and sculpts a hollow, hardened shell in its place.

I think Bill Skarsgård's turn as Edward/Little John was a bit of a surprise letdown for him. It's a moment that feels like Skarsgård is here to try out another bit of voice work, as opposed to tunnelling into the character. Jodie Comer is more of the moral conscience of the film. Comer has this resolute sensibility to her, and I loved her latter moral conflict over killing Robin. Younger performers in the film are often overlooked until it is too late. Noah Jupe being in this at all is a great example, given how little he contributes. But it's Murray Bartlett's turn as The Leper that really stood out for me. Bartlett has been on a real rise currently with The White Lotus and The Last of Us, but I adored his performance in this. The Leper is a guardian, a man who feels like he has known a world of violence and now gives protection to a sanctuary of peace. The final scene between Bartlett and Jackman is one of the best character exchanges of the film, and it does a phenomenal job of cutting to the theme at hand.

A funeral dirge of a film. I would give The Death of Robin Hood a 4.5/10.

Disclosure Day

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Disclosure Day is a sci-fi thriller following a collection of people trying to bring out the truth about aliens and their first contact with humanity.

Steven Spielberg has found himself pretty synonymous with science fiction over the years; he has built a career on revolutionising the genre historically. His particular fascination with humanity having first contact with alien life translates directly into the material that he has worked with. E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, War of the Worlds... even Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull bears his love for the traditional folklore of alien life interacting with humanity. Disclosure Day feels like a culmination of Spielberg's musings, or perhaps a final declaration of his personal fascination. This is a feature brimming with references to all the key ideas: abductions, psychic abilities, teleportation, crop circles, Roswell, UFOs and of course, little bug-eyed extraterrestrials. It's going to tick all the boxes for your everyday UFO sighting conspiracy theorist, which really should be a delight.

This is a film that works best when it's playing into the mystery and more clandestine elements of the feature. When Spielberg's blockbuster visuals pair with a high-speed chase sequence, or the impressive visual effects see our characters spring onto a train with moments to spare, that is when this film is sailing. It's when you are left with the question of who these characters are, how they're going to come together and if the information about aliens is going to come out. Spielberg and Koepp's most impressive feat of writing here is crafting a shadowy organisation antagonist that feels fresh. It's easy enough to have the secretive 'men in black', but positioning Firth's Scanlon as this sinister figure who can invade people's minds for interrogation and control took matters to another level. I genuinely think Colin Firth's turn as an extremely possessive and manic adversary, who looks to lose his fight across the feature, is the strongest performance we get.

While I have loved Spielberg all of my cinema-going life, I'm pretty clear he's far from immune to a misstep. As mentioned above, not all first contact stories he designs land (Crystal Skull). In a lot of ways, Disclosure Day struggles to work. The entire feature neither twists nor turns; it's exactly what it says on the box. People want to tell the world about aliens, and they do. Rarely are our characters particularly challenged to get to this end result. In fact, the protagonists are probably the weak aspect of this feature. Their journey often unfolds confusingly, littered with entertaining action sequences, possession scenes or humour. This film has a bizarre dual 'chosen ones' thing that plays out and gets relatively ridiculous. Watching Emily Blunt walk through a scene spouting streams of different languages, lines indicating telepathy, strange alien noises and gasping breaths as she 'snaps out of it' gets pretty goofy at times. In fact, it's Blunt's character that really takes all the nuance out of the feature for me. She seems to be a vessel for the pro-alien movement to find its voice. Yet her role is never challenged; there's no conflict here. Her powers open every door available to her.

This film also takes a bit of time out to have the 'Does alien life existing mean God isn't real?' debate. Which might work in a script that had the ability to discuss weightier themes. Eve Hewson plays Jane, a former nun initiate in the film, and her character seems primarily here to do two things: be possessed by Colin Firth and to ignite the aforementioned aliens = no God debate. The depth of this discussion doesn't really find its way past aliens existing doesn't necessarily mean God doesn't exist, and it only lands there due to some simple reassurances from Elizabeth Marvel's turn as a remarkably chill Catholic nun.

I like the idea of the truth being told; it's a principle that works very well as a theme. But the final act, folding one of the two protagonists, Kellner (O'Connor), squarely into a more diminished role, was an interesting choice. Josh O'Connor is one of the more interesting upcoming actors currently, but this is a role in which he really stumbles. I loved his initial mysterious hacker rebel, but as his character becomes enthralled in the psychic chosen one element, he loses his bearings. Colman Domingo, by comparison, is having a great turn as the leader of this underground movement. He plays a calm and measured guiding hand. I also adored Wyatt Russell as Emily Blunt's misguided musician boyfriend; he's a bit hapless but well-meaning. 

This is a film that has all of Spielberg's late-career brushstrokes, for better or for worse. It's a visual feast for the eyes; prepared to play the past of an epic blockbuster, while also holding the audience with some really masterful frames. The psychic interrogation scene between Firth and Hewson might be the most visually inspired moment in the movie. I think the visual effects are often a treat too, though the CGI animals looked too animated to serve purpose. It's a rarity that I'm disappointed by a John Williams score, but here we are. When your film feels like a conspiracy thriller, and you have music that feels like it's from a 'kids on bikes' sci-fi feature from the 90s, you really feel the tonal disparity.

An impressive cast, a legendary filmmaker, all uniting around one of the weakest sci-fi scripts of the year. I would give Disclosure Day a 4/10.

Masters Of The Universe

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Masters of the Universe is the latest adaptation of the Masters of the Universe media franchise, made famous by the early-80s animated series. In this feature, Adam works to return to his home, Eternia, and free it from the villainous Skeletor.

When I arrived to buy my tickets for the Masters of the Universe film, I watched a couple of guys, ten or fifteen years my elder, pick up the novelty holographic He-Man and Skeletor popcorn bucket. Another group dressed in retro t-shirts with some of the classic cartoon characters. The draw for Masters of the Universe is undeniably that call back to the past, when the Saturday morning cartoons promised adventure and the latest action figures inspired imagination. Across this film, the action was really zany, with a ricocheting Ram Man propelling his way into a man with a mechanical cyclops eye. It's a very colourful adventure that isn't afraid to be camp at times, with Adam throwing the sword above his head, declaring he has the power and becoming He-Man as that classic fixture of the Masters of the Universe adventure. 

Nicholas Galitzine does a phenomenal job leading this feature; he's worked out how to play Adam as this awkward, cocky himbo. His physical transformation is impressive, but he doesn't lose himself in just flexing his larger muscles. Galitzine makes sure his He-Man is a fighter who can be compassionate and even a bit comedic. He can only be paired with a great adversary, which is well captured by Jared Leto as Skeletor. His sinister skull-headed antagonist is completely cruel, yet capable of the camp silliness associated with the famous animated villain. Camila Mendes and Idris Elba give a good turn as a distant father-daughter duo, even if Elba isn't giving Masters his all. One cameo I particularly loved was the 'passing of the torch' scene between Dolph Lundgren and Galitzine; it was one of the better examples of one I've seen.

It's a colourful film, with the visual effects team working overtime to craft a wide range of designs. From the landscapes of Eternia, spaceships through to some of the unique character designs propelled into the heat of battle, this is a film that works hard to give the viewer everything they expect from the animated show. The film score by Daniel Pemberton is a remarkable example of what a sword and sorcery musical suite should be. Having a bit of Queen lifting up the soundtrack took me back to my childhood of watching Flash Gordon with my Dad.

Yet, while there are a lot of good ingredients in this blockbuster, Masters of the Universe rarely manages to come together coherently. We run through multiple chunks of exposition-heavy world-building that take up laborious chunks before returning us to a story. The introduction is a fun action sequence sandwiched between poor child acting and James Purefoy giving one of the worst performances of his career. This is a movie that wants to do things by the power of friendship at times, with an overbearing joke that Adam worked in Human Resources back on Earth. There are times when a camp tone works, but as the feature goes on, we descend into every action scene being undercut by a gag or one-liner. Sometimes it wanted to be a bit of a hero's journey that harkened back to its roots, but too often it fell into familiar traps of a modern blockbuster. Easter eggs, cheap fan service, performative humour and too many characters. The film ending in a 'the power was in you all along' moment didn't feel especially earned, particularly with Morena Baccarin giving an impressionless turn as the Sorceress. Alison Brie has a go at trying to find that classic sound of Evil-Lyn, but she becomes one of the chinks in the main cast.

Perhaps the worst quality of Master of the Universe is the sound editing. I cannot believe a blockbuster in 2026 is drowning voice-over and dialogue with film score and sound effects. There are moments where the sound is just trampling over itself. While Leto gives a great turn as Skeletor, he can be rendered incoherent at times due to this issue. Travis Knight tries for a lot; it's a special effects feast for the eyes, but that doesn't translate to the cinematography. This is a very blocky film to watch, with many shots placed to serve the CGI elements. It's a movie that does little to immerse the viewer, nor craft a particularly dynamic style.

He-Man might have the power, but he's struggling to find his modern-day audience. I would give Masters of the Universe a 5.5/10.

Power Ballad

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Power Ballad follows Rick, a singer for a wedding band, whose path crosses with a former boy band member, Danny Wilson. After performing together, the pair start jamming together over an evening, and Danny winds up stealing a song Rick has written. The rest of the film is Rick's efforts to get Danny to admit the original author of the song.

This is the sort of movie that if you bear with, you will really be rewarded. When I started with Power Ballad, I thought this might be a comedy about older musicians grumbling about the good old days. But the character of Rick is a great way, a very authentic figure who is entirely passionate about music, but more importantly, he loves his wife and daughter completely. This is someone who chose love in his life over the ambition of music a couple of times. When he collides with Danny Wilson, you get this electric performance that really highlights how impressive our two leads are. They both want different things; Rick feels the lost potential of his life from his label dropping him, while Danny is stressed from the pressure of trying to produce a hit that will enable him to keep the lifestyle he has achieved. When the pair separate, we see Danny's desperation at realising his music isn't taking off. He takes Rick's song, and we follow an incredulous and distraught Rick, who cannot reconcile that the young man he met would take this action against him. Rick's manic obsession sends him into a spiral, which he eventually turns into confrontation. Watching Rick and Sandy embark on a caper to LA to confront Danny is a real moment of hilarity in this feature. Power Ballad often succeeds at being quite witty out of circumstance, landing some very fun sequences. The climactic moment of the film, in which Rick finally confronts Danny, is a powerful piece of acting; these are two people in a deeply flawed situation. Danny knows how wretched his choice is, but can't let go of the decision he has made. Rick, however, hasn't confronted Danny to extort money from him. He simply tells Danny the true meaning of his song, that it's not a romantic song but a dedication to his feelings about his daughter. It flips how you see this film; it's about finding the heart of the song and holding it true. I loved the emotional connection we come to understand about the song, something that is only empowered by the way Rick's daughter believes in him and even discovers the original recording of the song. By the end of the film, we see that Rick has accepted the outcome of the song dispute; he plays it with sincerity and true meaning, while Danny never finds a moment of authenticity. Danny chooses to perform knowing that there is a falsehood at the centre of his performance. It's a really beautiful film about where true musical art comes from and the corrupting influence of fame and wealth.

I cannot stress just how incredible the soundtrack for this feature is. Rudd performs most of the soundtrack, and it is a real display of talent. He and the band cover a range of hits that really evoke the sort of band that you would dish out good money for. Yet, those moments in which Rudd and Jonas collide are something. 'I Wish' is a particularly key turning point in the feature. However, it is all renditions of 'How To Write A Song Without You' that really blew me away. Rudd's final performance of that track is the beating heart of Power Ballad. I could hear him sing it over and over again.

Peter McDonald, who played Sandy, is a real high point of comedy across the film; Rudd and McDonald's unconventional friendship is a key point of levity. Beth Fallon, who played Aja, has some fun moments of playing the cantankerous teen; yet it's the moments she connected with her onscreen Dad that really raised the film up. Marcella Plunkett, who played Rachel, has some really decent chemistry with Rudd; the pair seem completely head over heels for one another. Nick Jonas, who played Danny Wilson, is a very charismatic and likeable figure at first; but I loved how Jonas played the moral desperation his character excuses his actions upon. Jack Reynor, who played Mac, is quite a simple approach to the major music manager; his more cutthroat manner as things went along added a decent conflict. 

However, the best performance came from Paul Rudd, who played Rick. This is a guy who really still believes in the craft of music; he likes to gripe over new music while declaring his love for the highs of the 70s and 80s. Rudd's ability to actually throw himself into performance here is a nice treat; he really shows a lot of talent with the musical performances. He is someone who can really embody an everyman vibe, you see the easy nature he walks down a street and connects with others in a way you can relate to. Rudd also lends himself nicely to the moments of humour; he's a bit of a veteran there. The way Rick descends into obsessive fixation over proving the song is his is a good moment of conflict. But it is the way Rudd presents the love his character feels that won me over. This is a character who loves his wife and daughter more than anything; he chooses them over his music at every turn. Paul Rudd will tug on your heartstrings here and gives an absolutely inspired performance.

I wasn't sure about Power Ballad when the feature first started. The first act is full of older men trotting around gigs and bemoaning the state of modern music. It felt a bit hazy and out of touch. There were also moments in the film where the dialogue was clunky and the jokes pretty overt. Reynor and Jonas navigating a Trump joke in this film was one of the more ham-fisted moments, regardless of which side of the political aisle you fall upon.

This isn't always the nicest-looking film; it struggles to remain lit well, and the shots aren't always the most interesting. This is a feature that just holds what it needs to in frame and doesn't move for style very often. The editing also lends itself to a slow pace and has some awkward instances of cutting between shots.

Rory Keenan, who played Binzer, is a gruff point of conflict that the film doesn't really need; Keenan's hard edge and threats of removal from the band get a bit worn out. Havana Rose Liu, who played Marcia, really doesn't have a lot of substance to her role; there should've been more interplay between her and Jonas.

Sometimes it's not about who wrote the song. Sometimes it's just why the song was written. I would give Power Ballad a 9/10.