Ghost In The Shell

This review may contain spoilers!

This might be one of the most visually stunning films so far this year but the story is a bit of a disaster. I would give Ghost In The Shell a 6/10.

The setting of the world Ghost In The Shell takes place in is inherently quite fascinating, I was very impressed with seeing a population who viewed technology as a form of evolution on one hand and on the other there were people who had to live with technology and felt significantly less than human. The main character of Major really empathises this struggle, there are several great scenes where her existence as more machine than human makes her feel very isolated and alone. The cinematography is beautiful and captures some of the most absolutely hypnotising shots, I especially enjoyed how the director made use of water environments to create some very memorable visuals. The special effects are unlike anything I've seen over the course of the year so far, well crafted 'holograms' are scattered in the forefront or the background throughout the feature and the CGI machines look visually stunning. The fight sequences are brilliantly executed, they have such natural progression and feel as smooth as the camera work accompanying them. The score for the film is another great aspect, with a technological edge that makes me think of a grittier Tron: Legacy.

Scarlett Johansson, who played Major, made for quite a good leading performer; Johansson really captures how lost the Major is living in a machine body and the hurt she exhibits upon discovering her true origins is very well done. Pilou Asbaek, who played Batou, might be big gruff law enforcer but he has a lot of heart, his recovery after losing his eyes is probably one of the sadder scenes in the film. Juliette Binoche, who played Dr Ouelet, shows a great sense of care for Major's life and is a very compelling guardian role; her ethical debates with Ferdinando make for some fascinating moments of dialogue. Peter Ferdinando, who played Cutter, made what could have been a very generic antagonist actually quite compelling; Ferdinando had a cold methodical edge and always approached a scene with a sense of reason and strategy. Adwoa Aboah, who played Lia, has a very standout scene with Johansson in this film; this scene is great to watch because it brings forth questions about what it means to be human and Aboah's mix of fascination and fear really makes it.

However the best performance came from Michael Pitt, who played Kuze. As far as initially antagonistic figures go Pitt brought forth something out of a dystopic nightmare, this was a conquest from a machine. Yet the scene where Johansson and Pitt meet for the first time brings out such a deeper aspect to the character, Pitt shows a loss of identity and an inescapable need for vengeance that makes Kuze quite the tragic figure. The more we come to see Pitt's role the better we understand how experimentation and his existence within his robot body has made him incredibly vulnerable and isolated. If this film achieves nothing else, you will feel a lot of grief due to Pitt's incredible performance.

Where this film fails is that it does not construct a very interesting main storyline, the idea that the company who made Major is evil and that the antagonist is the experiment before her is a film that has been done multiple times over in recent years. Furthermore the way the final act rushes to pump up he action scenes feels very strained, suddenly characters who have been inactive for most of the film are capable of awesome and staggering feats like shooting down a helicopter or taking out a hit squad singlehandedly. The backstory subplot around the Major is what really let this feature down, it was so poorly brought together that it became rather jarring. The introduction of the Major's mother felt as if it had come out of nowhere and the way the film established that Major used to be a young Asian woman seemed in poor taste considering the film's casting and setting.

Takeshi Kitano, who played Aramaki, is quite a dull character for most of the film; as a leader role he doesn't really seem to fit until he suddenly becomes some sort of weird out of character action hero in the last twenty minutes. Chin Han, Danusia Samal and Lasarus Ratuere, who played Han, Ladriya and Ishikawa respectively, were a collection of rather background performances who supposedly comprised Major's 'team'; the way they were made more relevant by gaining a ton of action time in the last twenty minutes was very poorly handled. Anamaria Marinca, who played Dr Dahlin, was a very gruff side role with little reason for aiding the main characters in the ways that she did; her death scene was treated as a big deal but you never felt she connected with the rest of the cast. Kaori Momoi, who played Hairi, is a very over the top and convenient role in this film; her sudden introduction at the start of the film's final act is a jarring experience to say the least.

Life

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This has instantly secured itself as a science-fiction horror classic in my eyes, the likes of which we've very rarely seen since the first Alien film came out. I would give Life an 8.5/10.

This is a film that really builds up tension well; moving swiftly from the point where the team is connecting and celebrating Calvin's arrival to the sudden breach by Calvin, who promptly sets about killing crew member after crew member. It's a film that works well because you feel confined, this is not a far flung into the future sci-fi and the characters are still limited to tight spaces and slow space walks. The real breakdown of order into chaos without any of the crew members really turning on each other was refreshing to see as well, the desperation certain characters showed in the face of death felt so real. The final five to ten minutes of the film was a real feat; playing with perspective so that it becomes unsure where the final survivors wind up, and that reveal at the end was perfect. The cinematography was in constant motion which made it feel as if you were floating in space alongside the characters; the way the camera fixated upon Calvin's movements really cast this Martian as something to fear. The special effects of the film looked rather good; Calvin is the big achievement of course, with the pods hurtling through space and the amazing background visuals only adding to the style. The score for the film built up a very real feeling of dread, it might not be the most memorable one of this year but it sets the tone very well.

Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Sho Murakami, was a very calculating and grounded role; it was nice to see how his on-screen family really motivated his role. Ryan Reynolds, who played Rory Adams, has become a natural at unleashing really entertaining comedy and that's still very much the case in this film; Reynolds brings forth a bit of a hothead who's death scene in the film will really hook you in. Rebecca Ferguson, who played Miranda North, is a very authoritative figure throughout the feature; her fixation on preserving containment protocols sometimes at the expense of human life would've been stereotypical in the hands of a lesser actress. Jake Gyllenhaal, who played David Jordan, felt reclusive and withdrawn due to his increased attachment to living in space; yet Gyllenhaal did some great work to humanise his role and really developed a role who wanted to stop the senseless chain of violence and death that had taken over the space station. Olga Dihovichnaya, who played Ekaterina Golovkina, made for a fiercely compassionate commander of this space expedition; the moment in which she chooses to die as she's drowning out in space is one of the hardest scenes in the film to watch.

However the best performance came from Ariyon Bakare, who played Hugh Derry. Bakare's role in this film feels immensely wise and experienced; yet he also exhibits the joy and passion you'd watch in a scientists who discovers actual life from Mars. I found the witticisms this role shared to be very entertaining, he was certainly a character of insightful proverbs and anecdotes. The aspect of his disability was an interesting one, he presented a very neutral outlook upon the condition but the setting really reminded you that this man was no less capable than anyone else on the ship despite his inability to walk. The blame and guilt he assigns himself over Calvin is very humbling to watch, Bakare becomes a sort of astronaut Frankenstein who watches his freakish progeny slowly murder his true friends.

The start of the film happens all at once rather quickly, the way we suddenly jump between the 'important' bits makes it feel as if content has been cut from the film or that the writer's lacked inspiration before releasing Calvin upon the crew. Furthermore I'm a bit over watching the quarantine or safety officer being portrayed as the most antagonistic of the crew; Life came a long way in moving away from that but I still think it's become a bit of a tired trope in sci-fi cinema.

Power Rangers

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It's like watching one film about dark gritty teen drama and another completely opposite dumb blockbuster with cheesy one liners were awkwardly blended into one film. I would give Power Rangers a 4.5/10.

The film does a good job of tackling some roles with deep or interesting backgrounds; Billy's autism was some of the better writing within the film; however topics such as bullying, dealing with losing a terminal family member and same-sex relationships were all raised in interesting and unique ways. The cinematography of the film looked really good, the camera was constantly set up in a way that took in all the action set before it, which I personally found visually fascinating. The special effects also looked pretty good most of the time; the suits looked great, the Zords and Alpha 5 looked pretty good and even Zordon's holographic image was a fun part of the film.

Dacre Montgomery, who played Jason/Red Ranger, was a really cool central protagonist for the film; Montgomery really had the charisma and presence that was needed to lead the team. Naomi Scott, who played Kimberly/Pink Ranger, was a deeply conflicted character throughout the feature; Scott really made her character feel lost and had an open vulnerability which lead to a very honest performance. Bill Hader, who voiced Alpha 5, was a great comedic presence in this feature; Hader's running dialogue was a lot of fun and he was definitely the heart of the film.

However the best performance came from RJ Cyler, who played Billy/Blue Ranger. Cyler just crafts this awkward role who may be inept when it comes to understanding social cues but who has a lot of curiosity and heart at the core of his character. From the beginning we're explicitly told that Cyler's role is autistic and lost his Dad at a young age, these aren't easy aspects of a character to capture but they are done very well throughout this feature. Cyler has an open and great sense of chemistry with the rest of the main four, making it all the more believable when it's his character who constantly does important actions or makes sacrifices on behalf of the team. A fun role, a kind role and the Ranger that will be your new favourite for sure after seeing this film.

Power Rangers has always been known as the TV show that got a little corny but brought some fun action; what the film does is nothing like that up until the last half hour. It's no great surprise that the film has a focus on teen angst and the social issues these teenagers face from day to day; yet when the film has a heavy focus on these outcasts becoming friends by exposing their secrets to one another you lose interest pretty fast. The more interesting elements of the feature such as the history of the Power Rangers or the big bad, Rita Repulsa, feel like cheap gimmicks that you aren't ever invested in. Sadly these gimmicks pile up pretty quick as we're first told that the Ranger armour will only appear when everyone is friends with one another, the giant disembodied head can 'come through the wall' once they armour up, the baddie is making a solid gold monster and that the Rangers each get a super sweet dinosaur themed vehicle. In the final act of the film you're assaulted with a sudden focus on cheesy humour, cringeworthy one-liners and plot devices that feel as if they'd been ripped out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Considering the history of Power Rangers one might wonder why this is such a bad thing? Well it comes down to tone; if your film starts with a dark angsty tone and then transitions to feeling like a cheap cartoon then the two tones within your film clash pretty strongly. Furthermore the score for the film is mostly forgettable, the soundtrack has to be even worse, with the original Power Rangers theme song and a Kanye West track landing only minutes between one another.

Ludi Lin, who played Zack/Black Ranger, is the weirdest and possibly worst performance out of the entire cast; Lin goes from one extreme to another while portraying his role's personality and his attempts at comedy fall dismally flat. Becky G, who played Trini/Yellow Ranger, is pretty forgettable as far as being a Ranger goes; The way her character refuses to really connect with the rest of the cast means that you never really get to take an interest in her role. Elizabeth Banks, who played Rita Repulsa, doesn't seem to know how to play anything other than over the top; Banks does not even try to bring a sense of range to Rita and instead brings out one of the most camp villains of the year. Bryan Cranston, who played Zordon, is honestly just quite a dull character who you never get to know and is filled with exposition heavy lines; gone are the Breaking Bad days of acting clearly. David Denman, who played Sam Scott, is a bit intense as far as father figures go; frankly while Denman has a lot of passion you never really buy the relationship between him and Montgomery. Fiona Fu, who played Zack's Mum, was even worse than Denman as far as playing a parental figure; Fu had a very forgettable connection with Lin onscreen and you didn't really care or take note of her sickness.  

Moonlight

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While certainly a triumph of a film for African-American members of the LGBT community, and the wider LGBT community in general, I don't really see how this film really warrants the title of 'Best Picture'. I would give Moonlight a 6/10.

This is without a doubt a really powerful film about identity and how Chiron evolves as a person throughout the course of his life; I was fascinated by how he was constantly asked who he was and observing how the interactions he had with other characters really shaped him as a person. The importance of his journey around discovering his sexuality is really important to, the challenges of being homosexual on the fringes of a minority group is a difficult place to exist and this film really highlights this well. I was really impressed with the vulnerability that was presented in this film whether that was showing poverty, drug addiction, bullying or expressing oneself, you really come to understand the trials that are set before the main character.

Janelle Monae, who played Teresa, is a really caring motherly figure; Monae has such a natural way or speaking and expressing her role that you connect with her quite easily. Naomie Harris, who played Paula, was quite a devastating role to observe yet one powerful performance from Harris; I really enjoyed the wild bouts of emotion that Harris expressed and how her character really came full circle by the end of the feature. Jaden Piner, who played Kevin Age 9, really hit the screen with a lot of energy; I loved how friendly he was towards Hibbert and how his presence was really noticeable within his scenes. Trevante Rhodes, who played Black, was one of the most powerful performances in this feature; he really created a hard exterior but had the ability to drop this away and carefully expose the vulnerabilities his character faced. Andre Holland, who played Kevin, had a really gentle yet compassionate screen presence; the charisma he built towards Rhodes and the chemistry that really developed between them was inspired.

However the best performance came from Mahershala Ali, who played Juan. Ali is a very charismatic persona who forms a great father figure role towards Hibbert. It was great to see a man who had to deal with living a life of danger and crime find a gentler side of himself by helping raise Chiron. Ali created a figure who was a real pillar of support and who had genuine care for those he held closest to him. While you could understand Ali as the tough criminal drug dealer he really brought a duality to the role by showing the shame he felt over how others perceived him because of this. A role we won't see nearly enough in cinema but one that Ali owns and performs really well.

This is a film that stakes a lot on it's main character, Chiron, and while it deals in it's themes really well it struggles to portray an engaging lead. Chiron is a character who doesn't talk much and takes a long time to open up to others, furthermore he's prone to weird outbursts or actions that make him alienating to watch; the perpetual silence around this role meant he wasn't very accessible to the audience so you never fully felt emotionally invested in his story. I also disapproved of how the time jumps and plot developments within the obvious three act structure played out. Suddenly we find out that Juan dies, or the setting changes quite inexplicably or the abuse story between Chiron and Paula is hastily shelved away in the final act without really finding convincing or appropriate closure. The cinematography looked chaotic and moved in a way that felt dizzying, the framing of the shots looked awful as well and failed to align shots in a pleasing visual style. The editing shifted at a slow pace throughout and the abrupt cuts to close ups were very jarring; I hated the title card transition between each act of the film as it was a glaringly obvious way to move the action along. The soundtrack for this film was inconsistent and had no theme or tone to it; while the score came across as discordant even in scenes that didn't suit this style of music.

Shariff Earp, who played Terrence, was a minor role that got given a bit too much screen time; his line delivery came at a rate that was so fast you understood very little of what was being said. Alex R. Hibbert, who played Little, had no persona when he was onscreen; this real absence of energy and ability to make his mark damaged the opening of the film and connecting with the character in future scenes. Ashton Sanders, who played Chiron, was probably the worst performer at playing the lead role; Sanders awkward portrayal of Chiron really lacked the displays of emotion that was needed to make you connect with the role. Patrick Decile, who played Terrel, was a seriously weak antagonist; the way he played his character one way towards Sanders and another towards Jerome felt poorly crafted. Jharrel Jerome, who played Kevin Age 16, felt so different and removed from the role Piner presented and the performance we get from Holland that he may as well have been playing someone different altogether; Jerome created a role who felt very fake from the outset and his sudden interest in Sanders was poorly done.

Gary Of The Pacific

This review may contain spoilers!

So I won't be surprised to see this in amongst my bottom five of this year. I would give Gary Of The Pacific a 1/10.

Probably one of the only things that really grabbed my attention while I watched this film was the interesting creative choice to have Gary's father revisit him as a sort of ghost/conscience after his death; it was a unique ideas and one of the only things that really grabbed me about this feature.

Megan Stevenson, who played Chloe, really took this vain self-centred character and stole the show with her; I felt that Stevenson really knew how to play up her role to bring a bit of energy to scenes that would have otherwise felt dead on arrival. Leigh Hart, who played the Pilot, had a scene near the end of the film which actually had me grinning; Hart's loud blatant line delivery and quite abrasive role completely steal the show.

However the best performance came from David Fane, who played Dad. Fane is a very charismatic persona in this film, he comes across as very friendly and kind-hearted. It's quite discomforting as an audience member to watch Fane's role grow so disappointed in his son yet remaining hopeful; especially when you discover how close they are to one another. Fane really comes into his own when he comes back as a 'ghost', the filter really comes off and he starts delivering some really brilliant one-liners. I also liked this aspect because he became a sort of reasoning voice for Gary, creating one of the moral points of the entire film.

For a comedy this is about as low as it can get no two ways about it. Apart from a few select scenes I don't think I got much in the way of comedy out of this entire film, I certainly didn't laugh once during it. The type of comedy in this seems to come from spontaneous one-liners or prop humour, you feel so distanced from everything the film is trying to project on to you that it becomes a dull mess really early on. The whole film focuses upon Gary who is neither likable nor is he really all that redeemed by the end of the feature. This is a really selfish guy who sees one seminar about your life being successful by getting rich quick and suddenly his entire role revolves around this persona. Throughout the film he is either walking away from his dying father, trying to steal his dead Mum's wedding ring from his sister or spending the money to evacuate his sinking island home on a fancy wedding with a girl who doesn't even love him. It's a film that comes across as self-indulgent and even when Gary reluctantly sells his New Zealand home at the end of the feature, to buy his people the appropriately named 'Rubbish Island' as a new home, you can't really forgive him his shortcomings. The cinematography throughout looks like it's been done by a film amateur, the entire style looks downright sloppy. The editing moves at a crawl, you just wish cuts came quicker so that this movie could be put out of it's misery. The score for the film lacks energy, when the music kicks in you feel lethargic and sleepy which certainly compliments the tone of the movie even if it's not really the intended effect.

Josh Thomson, who played Gary, has to be one of the worst feature film leads I've ever seen; his entire way of speaking and the personality he constructs make you hate him and he clearly lacks the talent to forge any sort of path of redemption for him. Matt Whelan, who played Nelson, is just one of those role that makes no sense and is a bit cringeworthy to watch; Whelan takes this role down every comedic path he's clearly capable of and it's an absolute trainwreck. Hamish Parkinson, who played the MC, is quite a dull off-key presence in an already very rigid scene; Parkinson tries to get a bit unique in his comedic performance but it just comes off as weird and even a little creepy. Dominic Ona-Ariki, who played Kitiona, was possibly the worst comedic actor in the whole film; the way he's cast as this dumb goofball persona is a bit cheap and hard to watch. Taofi Mose-Tuiloma, who played Lani, is this really stony character who has no emotional range at all; her very rigid acting feels out of place in a comedy film. Rangimoana Taylor and Sanjay Patel, who played Prime Minister and Aide respectively, lacked screen presence in most of their scenes; the film should have just played these parts as background characters rather than get Patel to deliver some truly awful jokes. Toby Sharpe, who played Randall, was such a stiff performance and set the tone for the entire Awards/auction scene; Sharpe really performed quite a stereotypical character that left no mark on this film whatsoever.  

A Cure For Wellness

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If you're a conspiracy theorist you'll love this; the entire plot is basically that there's something in the water! I would give A Cure For Wellness a 6.5/10.

There's a really fascinating folk tale that's linked to the history of the spa and village in this film, it was interesting because it created a historical mystery that evolved as the film went along and that you wanted to solve yourself. The link between the dark history of the spa and some of the main characters was very twisted but created a great Gothic plotline by the end of the feature. The Baron's immortal drive to keep his bloodline pure by sleeping with his own daughter and the horrific experiments he engages in to keep their immortality create a completely eerie, unique and hostile setting throughout the film. The cinematography is a real feat; the film itself is so rich and deep with colour at first and as the film goes along it experiments with drawing out the colour from scenes or creating striking visual moments. The editing flows so naturally and makes the pacing move like a dream, this is really no small feat for a two and a half hour long film so the editors can really be commended. The score for the film is great and takes you between eerily ambient sound to horrific frenzied builds in tempo; the light singing scattered throughout this film is beautiful and captures the tragic memories at the heart of this feature.

Dane DeHaan, who played Lockhart, made for a pretty interesting protagonist; DeHaan really submits his role to a range of emotions and experiences be it arrogance, torture, frantic fear, wild rage or indoctrination to name a few. David Bishins, who played Hank Green, really sold the role of corporate executive; Bishins stern and authoritarian mannerisms really just embodied this character completely.

However the best performance came from Jason Isaacs, who played Volmer. We're only three months into 2017 and already Isaacs has been best performer in one of my previous reviews, Red Dog: True Blue. Yet his scene-stealing portrayal this time round is leagues different from his Red Dog role. Isaacs is a very detached, clinical antagonist in this film who brings forth a facade of reason and logic that hides a deeply disturbed interior. The character of Volmer has just so much mystery around his entire person in this film, you struggle to know what exactly is true. Yet when we come to see the relationship between Goth and Isaacs for what it really is the blinders are completely off. Suddenly it's like the restraints are off Isaacs and he can fulfill his darkest wishes upon his on-screen daughter, Goth. Probably most disturbing about all this is how honest Isaacs is in his portrayal and how convinced you are that he loves Goth and seeks her love. It's a twisted part to play and one of Isaacs best yet.

A Cure For Wellness is a film that starts out with heavy discussion around capitalism and living in a world of big business, the first half hour is spent critiquing the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' and the mentality of the upper classes. What's so disappointing about this is that after the first half hour this is a point of the film that is completely dropped, suddenly you are focused upon the mystery at the Wellness spa and what gave this film it's initial depth is gone. This is really jarring and takes some time to adjust to the new frame of story. Furthermore near the end of the film the protagonist becomes indoctrinated y the spa yet still regains his identity and emerges the hero through a very flimsy plot device, I found this decision to be quite convenient and detrimental to the plot.

Mia Goth, who played Hannah, really didn't have much as far as an emotional range went; her moments of terror or joy never felt very genuine because she didn't seem to commit herself fully. Ivo Nandi, who played Enrico, was a bit of a go to exposition character; his role was founded around driving characters to the spa so he just barraged you with information and did little more. Adrian Schiller, who played the Deputy Director, just felt like a carbon copy take on what Isaacs was doing with his role; Schiller often fell into the background and lacked impact as a character. Celia Imrie, who played Victoria Watkins, is a very dry role to watch; Imrie really just leads the plot along from act to act but really doesn't have much in terms of personality. Harry Groener, who played Pembroke, was a role that demanded more than Groener could provide; the character of Pembroke had to act differently at different stages of the film and while Groener was convincing as a business executive he wasn't very convincing in any other capacity. Tomas Norstrom and Ashok Mandanna, who played Frank Hill and Ron Nair respectively, were very much background roles in this feature; the amount of screen time these two got for doing absolutely nothing was ridiculous. Peter Benedict, who played the Constable, was quite a weak antagonist; Benedict really did the bare minimum and presented quite a flat tone in regards to his role. Johannes Krisch, who played the Caretaker, was basically little more than a basic henchman; really he was only in this to act as tough muscle and be intimidating. Rebecca Street, who played Lockhart's Mother, was one of those roles who was wise and prophetic for little other reason than because they were old and dottery; Street gave a performance that was generic and rather dull to watch.

A Street Cat Named Bob

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A character in this film describes events as "an interesting human interest piece" and I think that succinctly sums up my views on the film too. I would give A Street Cat Named Bob a 6/10.

I think this film does a great job in discussing the reality of drug addiction, homelessness and poverty; in particular it works by showing these themes through the eyes of a very charismatic and likeable protagonist. The real extremes in life that James experiences show the highs and lows a recovering addict has to go through; I was deeply fascinated by the extreme emotional needs James had or developed as a recovering addict and found that to be one of the better discussion points of the film. The film's score had a really upbeat air to it that breathed some optimism into the feature, the soundtrack was very humble and dealt out the main character's heart and soul in a nice way.

Ruta Gedmintas, who played Betty, was a really unique and bubbly presence; Gedmintas does a great job of describing and crafting her role's heartbreaking backstory. Joanne Froggartt, who played Val, has the serious and professional mannerisms of a drug addiction counselor down well; yet I liked the small moments of heart that she put forth that gave a very real indication of how committed she was to the recovery of Treadaway's character. Anthony Head, who played Jack Bowen, crafted a great awkward divide between himself and Treadaway; yet what I really loved was how this film concluded with Head really starting to bridge that gap and repair the relationship between himself and Treadaway. Darren Evans, who played Baz, is a very tough glimpse to the harsh life on the streets of London; Evans brings forth a role who is reliant completely upon scoring a hit and it's really tragic to see just how lost he is.

However the best performance came from Luke Treadaway, who played James. This was a character who despite his failings and the direction life had taken him in you couldn't help but like. Treadaway really has some genuine connection with other members of the cast - be they animal or human, and more than this he developed a greater sense of happiness in his role the further things went along. I thought that the real sense of hopelessness and depravity Treadaway brought to his character's low points really stood out, these moments where his role's addiction seemed to rule him felt very realistically portrayed. Ultimately throughout the feature Treadaway brought forth a character who displayed the emotional extremes his recovery from addiction brought forth, which really made the ending where he worked to kick his habits all the more rewarding to watch.

The problem with hinging a movie on an animal is that often the tone of the film immediately migrates to 'family friendly' in an effort to accommodate the bumbling antics of the main animal star. This film in particular resorts to some weird moments of comedy that are at odds with the rest of the film in an effort to make Bob feel more relevant and have more of a presence within this feature. Sadly because of this a lot of the scenes where James' drug addiction is discussed or displayed is toned down to keep the rating of the film in a safe place; for me that just felt like creative suicide. The cinematography has to be one of the worst parts of the film, maybe a quarter of shots are taken from Bob's perspective giving the film a very ugly quality. The editing was quite slow especially when trying to create continuity in where Bob is from shot to shot, this becomes a major failing of the animal film.

Beth Goddard, Sasha Dickens and Cleopatra Dickens, who played Hilary, Faith and Pris respectively, felt like very heightened snobbish characters who were antagonistic merely for the sake of it; I really found Goddard's portrayal of alienated step-mother to be a particularly stereotypical performance. Ruth Sheen, who played Elsie, was more creepy than enthusiastic which I can only assume was the film's original intent with this role; the way she flirted with Treadaway and seemed to be fixated upon Bob was disturbing to say the least.

Kong: Skull Island

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This is a genuinely fun monster film that has some of the best visuals I could have hoped for a fresh take on Kong. I would give Kong: Skull Island a 7.5/10.

Surprisingly while Kong is a huge and awesome part of the film I really loved how the story set up Skull Island as the setting for the film. A mixture of giant creatures that roamed and attacked one another, a colony of humans lost to the world and protected by Kong himself and the menace of the Skullcrawlers who lurk somewhere deep below the earth. By throwing our outsider human characters into this foreign alien world they upset the eco-system and have to fend off threats from all sides. I really enjoyed this perspective on man vs. nature because you really felt like man was an unnatural element within the film, furthermore the nature vs. nature scenes were just as good cause you could see these beasts wrestling for control of the Island which was fascinating in and of itself. The fact that this film showed Kong pretty much from the beginning was a clever move as it really allowed Kong to act as a character within this film, as opposed to some hidden menace you're eventually confronted by in the final act. The cinematography was really nice to watch, framing really delivered so much in this film and you were left with a lot of visuals that just stuck with you long after you'd left the cinema. The special effects are the real triumph of the film; it's fascinating to see that we've come so far that Kong just looks so real nowadays, I was absolutely fascinated by him and the other beasts brought to life in such a unique way visually.

Tom Hiddleston, who played James Conrad, is great as the mercenary turned benevolent hero in the wilderness; I feel that in anyone else's hands this could have been a very stereotypical character but Hiddleston brings some really humanity to the role. John Goodman, who played Bill Randa, is a gruff role that seems to be holding cards no one has any clue about for most of this film; when it's revealed he knows all about the monsters that exist in this world you can hear the harrowing history of what horrors Goodman's role has seen. Corey Hawkins, who played Houston Brooks, really does the scrambling eager assistant to Goodman well; what I liked about Hawkins in particular though is that he feels knowledgeable in a way that is different to Goodman's character - he's more a man of reason. Jason Mitchell and Shea Whigham, who played Mills and Cole respectively, are a great duo that bounce off one another really well in this film; I liked the energy Mitchell poured into his character while Whigham had a weary snarkiness that grew on you throughout the film. Will Brittain and Miyavi, who played Young Marlow and Gunpei Ikari respectively, are basically the characters this film opens upon and they do a great job with it; I really enjoyed how their conflict played out and we could see them at such strong odds at each other which is a great parallel to Reilly's character and what he's experienced later on. Richard Jenkins, who played Senator Willis, is such a tough political role who is resoundingly over having to hear Goodman and Hawkins out before they've even met onscreen; I liked Jenkins as one of the introductory characters to the film and found that he really grounded the role in a convincing historical context.

However the best performance came from John C. Reilly, who played Hank Marlow. Reilly's role has been stranded upon the island for nearly thirty years and as you can expect he has his quirks after being separated from familiar civilization. Reilly is able to blend great comedic lines with a yearning for what he's lost, you feel that while he's immediately likeable as a character there's a fair bit of misery within him. In particular the scenes where Reilly talks about his family back home who might have moved on without him or his friend Gunpei who died not so long ago on the island. I really liked how Reilly's role had formed a bond with the native people of Skull Island; I also appreciated that he'd learnt so much from his friendship with Gunpei, right down to skill with a katana and an understanding of the Japanese language. Reilly brings forth a role who is funny, fascinating and a scene stealer, without a doubt he is one of the main reasons to see this film.

The major problem with the film's narrative that at least half of the cast you don't spend a great deal of time getting to know before the action moves to the island, this means that many of the characters aren't very well established so when they die or are placed in great danger you don't care what happens to many of them. I also love a good anti-war narrative as much as the next guy but the way this film painted soldiers seemed kinda naive, the kind of stance that soldiers are perpetual bringers of violence who seek out enemies is really played out and a bit generic. Monster movies tend to build up the level of the threats as well, for instance in this film they fought a giant spider at first, later they had their final confrontation with Kong and then Kong had to fight the giant 'big bad' Skullcrawler. This form of formulaic narrative gets fairly predictable and worn out after you've seen it used in monster movies so many times. The score for the film was a lot of fanfare and pomp but didn't stay with you; the soundtrack had some cool pieces within it but I didn't like how it was historically inconsistent when they'd been trying to create a constant tone for most of the film and then we get Pink songs dropping in out of nowhere for no purpose.

Samuel L. Jackson, who played Preston Packard, is probably the biggest miscast of the entire film; Jackson feels so far removed from the stoic war-mongering soldier that it's laughable. Brie Larson, who played Mason Weaver, gives a very stony and emotionless performance in this film; it feels like Larson's role has only been added to remind audiences that Kong has a soft spot for human women. John Ortiz and Marc Evan Jackson, who played Victor Nieves and Landsat Steve respectively, were wearing the 'blue jackets of death' throughout the film which seemed to be about all they provided; Ortiz and Jackson gave nothing to this film and really only seemed to be included so that there was some fodder to be killed off throughout. Jing Tian, who played San, didn't really serve a purpose and shouldn't have been in the feature; she really just followed Hawkins around and occasionally repeated what he said. Toby Kebbell, who played Jack Chapman, is painted as this bleeding heart soldier but you just never really connect with his 'emotional' backstory of being an absent father; Kebbell's role sits back for most of the film and then dies quite suddenly for no reason at all. Thomas Mann, who played Slivko, is that young plucky side role that seems to be in every blockbuster who no one cares much for; Mann forms no connections with the rest of the cast and he was very easy to forget about. Eugene Cordero, who played Reles, could have been interchangeable for anyone; a soldier role with no substance and nothing to add to the film.

 

Before I Fall

This review may contain spoilers!

It's a movie about anti-bullying in high school with a plot twist that is as old as the hills. I would give Before I Fall a 4.5/10.

Probably the most interesting aspect of this film was how well crafted the characters were, the main four girls felt like exceptionally real people and their blindness to their own bullying was a huge quality of the film. I also really liked how simply the implementation of Samantha having to relive her day of death was, it was a very smooth transition from a sudden scary scene to quite a poignant and eerie revelation. The cinematography for this film was great, the shades of black and white used throughout were made all the more richer by the deep blues and reds that seemed to be present in almost every shot. The score for the film was very melancholy but had quite a unique electronic vibe to it; the soundtrack was also quite the triumph with special mention to Grimes' work for capturing the tone perfectly.

Zoey Deutch, who played Samantha Kingston, made for a really good protagonist despite some rather corny lines; Deutch brings forth a compassionate character who really evolves quite a bit over the course of the narrative. Halston Sage, who played Lindsay Edgecomb, really fit the popular girl persona well; her harsh and superior demeanour hid quite a carefully concealed vulnerable side. Cynthy Wu and Medalion Rahimi, who played Ally Harris and Elody respectively, really brought a lot of chemistry to the main cast; these two had such energy and real genuine emotion when they were onscreen.

However the best performance came from Erica Tremblay, who played Izzy Kingston. Tremblay is a really sweet child actor who makes quite the mark on this film. She's quite funny and hits each scene she's in with a ton of energy. Tremblay has quite an uneasy relationship with Deutch when first we see her but it really grows to be quite a strong one as the film progresses. The scene where Tremblay and Deutch spend an entire day together is probably one of the most genuine scenes of the entire film. Some might question why I'd pick Tremblay for best performer as her role certainly didn't get the screen time that some of the cast did; I would say Tremblay earns this because she crafts a role who never feels fake while most of the other characters in the film feel as if they're pushing the theme a little too hard at least once.

This is a film that really wants to showcase the effects and different perspectives of high school bullying but the problem is that it doesn't really know how to do this in a subtle way. Quite often when the theme of the film is presented in a given scene the dialogue becomes very cheesy and transparent; there's no room for you or even the characters to draw their own conclusions about what is going on. Throughout the feature there is a romantic subplot occurring between Samantha and Kent that feels really forced, these are characters the movie really pushes together and who you don't really feel convinced should be together. The ending of the film is a particular nightmare in which the main protagonist must lose her life and save the person she had been bullying in order to achieve redemption. Yet the issue with this is that Samantha had never really been aware of the reasons behind why she'd bullied Juliet, she was someone who followed the lead of others. Over the course of the movie she matured a lot, faced her own failings as a person and even learnt about why Juliet was mistreated by everyone else so for her to then have to lose her own life after all that made little sense and even seemed like a cruel twist to illicit a cheap emotional response from the audience. The editing of the film came quite slow as well, often scenes felt dragged out and didn't move at a very fast pace.

Logan Miller, who played Kent McFuller, was quite a disappointing love interest for Deutch; Miller really came across as a forceful and creepy stalker rather than the sweet childhood friend he was supposedly playing. Kian Lawley, who played Rob Cokran, was nothing but a stereotypical beefcake; Cokran really had nothing to give this film other than a caricature of a jock and some of the worst line delivery I've heard all year. Elena Kampouris, who played Juliet Sykes, probably played the weird factor of her character up a bit much; Kampouris is a flurry of emotions that don't necessarily make you empathise with her as a character. Liv Hewson, who played Anna Cartulo, is one of the most redundant characters in the film; Cartulo plays a lesbian to highlight people being bullied for their sexuality but is only given two or three real scenes to work with which is frankly nowhere near enough. Nicholas Lea and Jennifer Beals, who played Dan Kingston and Mrs Kingston respectively, really didn't connect with Deutch nor did they feel very committed to this film; in particular Beals' character seemed to have been a lot more lacking in this feature than she was intended to be. Diego Boneta, who played Samantha's Teacher, was quite a repetitive stiff performance; the scene where Deutch flirts with Boneta is cringeworthy and awkward.

Logan

This review may contain spoilers!

Rather than a great send off film for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character what this film provides is one of the sloppiest X-Men films since the first Wolverine feature. I would give Logan a 6/10.

The film does a really good job of developing a washed out setting that borders upon the post-apocalyptic, where a corporate police state governs society and most mutants have been hunted to extinction or are in hiding. I appreciated the moments where we get the iconic Wolverine barbed wit that we're so used to from the other films, it's especially great when these exchanges happen with Professor X. The special effects for this film are really well developed, the basic claw and healing effects look great and I loved the range of powers shown by the group of mutant children at the end of the feature. The fight sequences are some of the best out of any X-Men universe film, this is the bloody frenzied fighting style that Wolverine fans have been waiting for.

Dafne Keen, who played Laura, is the perfect X-23 to Jackman's perfect Wolverine; her intensity and ability to go from curious mute to wild animal is astounding.

However the best performance came from Hugh Jackman, who played Logan. Jackman has always managed to portray the rage that fuels Logan so well, a wild aggression that comes from a tortured past as a soldier and lab experiment. There's a tired drunken quality about the Logan of this film, losing all his friends and slowly dying from the inside out has stripped him of his warrior's spirit. He's certainly still plenty abrasive and closed off but it's like watching a wolf turn lame. Jackman's dedication to the character really shines through in this feature, I can only hope it's not really his last run on the character and that he can manage a better script to go out on in possible future projects.

The problem with a film like this is that it cannot really exist as a standalone feature when we've had the character of Wolverine appear in two of his own films, not to mention countless other X-Men films already. So it's hardly surprising how bogged down with continuity errors this film is, whether it be from the implausible plot point of Wolverine's adamantium killing him or the entire characterisation of Xavier in this film. The antagonists of Logan are a really weak element with barely fleshed out characters and motives that have been done a thousand times before; the fact the hadn't learnt their lesson from X-Men Origins and decided to make one of the main villains a Wolverine clone speaks to how bad this film is. I've also grown tired of action films that give their tough as nails protagonist a kid that they never knew they had who they inexplicably come to care for; it's an awkward way of creating a feeling legacy and it's seriously simple from a writing perspective. I've seen film like Resident Evil, Underworld and even Die Hard take this route so it's a real shame when something like Logan builds a really lacking father/daughter relationship in it's final act. This film is a long one and you really feel it, normally you'd expect a Wolverine film to have a lot to deliver but this one drags out it's run time without giving you a hell of a lot. The cinematography is often filled with empty meaningless shots, it was very clear to me that the director had no idea how to fill a frame. The score for the Logan was really off tone, it would have been better suited to a crime or noir film rather than a superhero or post-apocalyptic piece.

Patrick Stewart, who played Charles, felt so out of character that he was almost unrecognisable in this film; Stewart's portrayal of Charles as being mentally impaired was flawed and felt strained to say the least. Boyd Holbrook, who played Pierce, was the beefy henchman with little persona to provide; Holbrook barely made a mark on this film no matter how many times he stared fixedly at his robot hand. Stephen Merchant, who played Caliban, was hardly a good pick for the role and they should have stayed with Tomas Lemarquis; frankly Caliban as a character in this film made no sense until they used his mutant ability as a cop out so that the bad guys could keep on Logan's tail. Elizabeth Rodriguez, who played Gabriela, was all passionate pleas and not much depth; her stereotypical performance was forgettable and the fate of her character was predictable from her first scene. Richard E. Grant, who played Dr. Rice, might just be the worst villain out of all the X-Men films; his meager screen presence really does not work for a role that supposedly brought the mutant race to extinction. Eriq La Selle, Elise Neal and Quincy Fouse, who played Will Munson, Kathryn Munson and Nate Munson respectively, felt like a rather corny stereotypical do-gooder family that took up more screen time than was needed; the entire plotline with the Munson's felt like a complete rehash of the elderly couple plotline from the first Wolverine film. Jayson Genao, who played Rictor, was a poor casting choice for the mature young leader of the runaway mutant kids; Genao is very forced in his performance and you feel like he's delivering lines as opposed to playing a character.