The Dark Tower

This review may contain spoilers!

After about ten minutes of this film I'd be surprised if you couldn't predict every key line, scene or plot twist to come. I would give The Dark Tower a 3/10.

The cinematography for the film takes it's time to get under way but once it does it manages to set up some impressive visuals; the snappy and intense camera angles used throughout the final fight sequences are particularly impressive. The special effects within the film are also pretty good; the CGI demons, bullet effects and magic look absolutely stunning throughout.

Matthew McConaughey, who played Walter, takes his time to find his fit within the role but makes for a great antagonist by the end of the feature; McConaughey really plays a role who can kill and destroy without a care and unleashes a fair degree of malice throughout.

However the best performance came from Idris Elba, who played Roland. An openly stoic and stubborn role when first we meet him, Elba plays a character hardened by the carnage that has ravaged his world. This is not a role who is fast to trust and so any relationships built up over the film feel very genuine from Elba's end. There's a real darkness at the heart of this character as he's blindly been consumed by his hatred and desire for vengeance. I found it really heartwarming to see Elba take on a kinder persona in the back half of the film; and his comedic scenes upon Earth make for some of the best moments of the film.

This film is a blockbuster that dwells in a predictable plot and struggles to break away from cliche; the least of which being the classic 'chosen one' going through a coming of age story. Jake is a protagonist who doesn't really excite you much as an audience goer, he's a figure we've seen played out a thousand times before and lends no unique insight to his own story. The fantasy world we venture too after dealing with a small mountain of exposition has no depth and spends most of the time trying to force Jake and Roland to have some semblance of chemistry. The entire film is riddled with plot holes and you start to find symbols that could be quite fantastic and unreal to be otherwise cheesy plot devices. The score for the film doesn't add a great deal either, frankly it only stands out when it swells in volume for the truly emotional scenes.

Tom Taylor, who played Jake, has to be one of the worst film protagonists of the year; he doesn't make his role particularly noteworthy or exciting enough to command the role of main character. Dennis Haysbert, who played Steven, isn't given much focus as Roland's father; his function in this film really only seems to be getting killed off. Claudia Kim, who played Arra, enters partway through the second act to dish out a heavy helping of exposition; she delivers a lot of dialogue but it feels very information-heavy and you never really come to respect or understand her role within the world she's in. Jackie Earle Haley, who played Sayre, is quite pitiful as one of McConaughey's many henchmen; Haley is only strongly inserted near the end to be a physical threat to Elba's character. Fran Kranz and Abbey Lee, who played Pimli and Tirana respectively, are roles that essentially lurk behind McConaughey for the greater portion of the film; neither really make their own mark as antagonists and are often leaning over screens merely to read out numbers. Katheryn Winnick, who played Laurie, is a mother role we've seen in film's like this plenty of times before; Winnick is only really here to introduce us to Taylor's rather dull home life and serves little other purpose. Nicholas Pauling, who played Lon, gets the award for standard generic film stepdad of the year; you can pinpoint the exact moment the character turns from background role to minor antagonist probably eight scenes before it happens. Michael Barbieri, who played Timmy, is a really obnoxious tag-along that seems to exist purely to justify Taylor's presence upon Earth; Barbieri is an example of the film cramming in too many roles to serve the plot as opposed to crafting genuine characters. Jose Zuniga, who played Dr. Hotchkiss, plays out a rather tired psychologist scene which crawls at best; the fear-mongering around the kid's otherworldly drawings has already worn too thin by the time we even reach Zuriga. Eva Kaminsky and Robbie McLean, who played Jill and Toby respectively, are just plain annoying henchman roles; the fact they even had to be squared away in a scene with McConaughey shows this film didn't really have much sense in prioritising important plot elements.

Logan Lucky

This review may contain spoilers!

I don't think there'll has been or will ever be a bogan heist film quite as good as this one. I would give Logan Lucky a 7.5/10.

This film brings out a really funny depiction of mid-west middle class America against the government systems and the higher ups they seek to rob. It's really quite a satisfying heist when those who would write the protagonists off as being beneath them are then brilliantly outsmarted. The film has a clever wit about it revealing the failings of the American prison system, the corporate greed of sporting entities, the ridiculousness of celebrities and some rather entertaining revelations about the depths of knowledge some of the characters possess. I've come to notice that a lot of comedies have to insert a token Game of Thrones joke these days without fail; Logan Lucky inserts the greatest comedic Game of Thrones joke of any film out. The cinematography for this film is really well framed, every shot feels like it has a purpose and often lands some pretty powerful statements.

Adam Driver, who played Clyde Logan, is the more restrained of the Logan siblings; Driver brings an insightful role to the film who dedicates a lot to supporting his family. Seth MacFarlane, who played Max Chilblain, is a very obnoxious self-centred role; MacFarlane does a great job of portraying one of the more satirical roles in the film. Daniel Craig, who played Joe Bang, is quite a sarcastic razor-sharp criminal in this film; Craig really has a lot of fun with the role and reveals a convict who has the brains to back up his infamy. Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson, who played Fish Bang and Sam Bang respectively, have some really great back and forth dialogue as Craig's two younger brothers; I enjoyed the weird sense of morality these two claimed to have over the duration of the feature. Jon Eyez, who played Naaman, is a very funny role that lands one of the best Game of Thrones jokes I've ever seen in a comedy; his insistent need for the next GRRM book in the prison library is a really fun subversion of the convict stereotype. Dwight Yoakam, who played Warden Burns, is quite the satirical take of a prison warden; his stubborn insistence of running a perfect prison makes for some fun scenes. Sebastian Stan, who played Dayton White, has to be one of the most over the top roles in the whole film; the way he describes his 'recovery' and dieting technique results in a hilarious scene.

However the best performance came from Channing Tatum, who played Jimmy Logan. Tatum brought forward a role who was frustrated and felt like he'd been kicked around a lot in his life. He's a disgruntled army veteran who'd come home and felt like a failure to his family and to himself; by crafting a big heist he finally finds his way back to redemption. As Jimmy, Tatum balances out a man who can be hot-headed at the worst of time, an incredibly cunning thief in others and a caring father and brother in the best moments of the film.

This film moves at a slow pace; it's in no rush to reach the punchline and spends a lot of time setting things up which works well to the style more than anything else. The film can also get a bit convoluted, particularly with such a large cast of characters and varying amounts of focus upon them and their place within the plot. The story doesn't construct all of it's ideas in a manner that flows perfectly and you have to have a great deal of patience to get the most out of this film. The editing for the film doesn't lend itself to the pacing, often shots linger for far too often. The soundtrack for the film is quite monotone and doesn't lend much variety to the scenes.

Farrah Mackenzie, who played Sadie Logan, is a sweet role but there's not much to her; her changing passionsghout the film feel very superficial and she's not exceptionally relateable. Jim O'Heir, who played Cal, seems like this good-natured boss character bus his easy-going nature makes him forgettable than memorable; O'Heir doesn't really lend himself to this film and has no notable chemistry with his ex-employee Tatum. Riley Keough, who played Mellie Logan, is a role that doesn't really settle to be one consistent character; she's written to be a weird recluse and a love interest while also a snarky stylist which can make her feel poorly written. Katie Holmes, who played Bobbie Jo Chapman, is a very stereotypical harsh ex-wife role; her narcissistic tone is pushed over the top throughout. Katherine Waterston, who played Sylvia Harrison, is a real last ditch effort to give Tatum a love interest; she's certainly a poor insert into the film. Ann Mahoney, who played Gleema Purdue, feels like a running punchline rather than a role; her extended appearance feels like a waste of screen time to be frank. Hilary Swank, who played Special Agent Sarah Grayson, is given a ridiculous amount of screen time at the closing of this film; her stone cold role really doesn't make much sense and feels like another forced love interest.

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets

This review may contain spoilers!

If this film had been made ten years ago it might've fit alongside some of the other blockbusters, but this has to be one of the most obnoxious films to have come out this year. I would give Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets a 1/10.

I will admit that one aspect of the plot that was fairly engaging was how alien culture was explored and presented, a great range of alien species were presented and certainly served to be intriguing. The special effects weren't always the best but showed great attention to detail in the space sequences; the spaceship models looked great and the Alpha space station in particular looked monolithic.

Clive Owen, who played Commander Arun Filitt, makes for an interesting role once he's revealed to be an antagonist; Owen's intense fits of rage reveal the dark side to this military leader. Ethan Hawke, who played Jolly The Pimp, is quite a light-hearted character rooted in debauchery; Hawke really has fun with the role and provides a good introduction to Rihanna's character. Sam Spruell, who played General Okto-Bar, really sells you on a more moral military leader role; Spruell presents a calm and resolute figure which contrasts greatly with Owen's performance.

However the best performance came from Rihanna, who played Bubble. This performance really impressed me because it was a role that actually had something to say, there was some meaning behind their character that motivated their presence within the film. Rihanna definitely crafted an alluring, seductive and mysterious role when first she appeared onscreen; you were convinced that she was an alien exotic dancer. However as we came to know her character it grew quite abundant that she had lived as a slave for most of her life and truly craved freedom. I loved the amount of effort Rihanna put into that backstory, it solidified her as a character. The character grew quite witty and was a fun presence in the film after that; frankly seeing her killed off ultimately seemed like a waste of a good character.

This film really didn't have a good sense of pace, or even placing itself for that matter. The film begins by showing relationships that we as an audience are supposed to take for granted, it feels like there's a prequel that we've missed out on along the way. For any moment of the film where a new element is introduced we're dealt a great deal of lengthy exposition to understand it which really gives the story quite a laboured feeling. The film spends it's time introducing quirky elements of the setting or characters rather than pay any great attention to establishing and advancing the plot. There are some moments within the plot that are discussed at length as if they've been well-established throughout the film, but have in fact only briefly been touched upon. The two main characters of Valerian and Laureline are very stale and don't match one another well at all; the romantic subplot with these two is an utter cringe-fest. The cinematography of the film relies too heavily on the special effects doing all the visual work, often throwing up moments of lousy or empty framing. The special effects for the majority of the movie aren't actually that great and feel like something out of a film ten years ago; the CGI that comprises the various aliens and creatures is appalling and it's clear the budget was stretched too thin. The score for the film wasn't entirely consistent and had quite a childish tone; the soundtrack likewise couldn't decide what it wanted to be and displayed a lot of inconsistencies.

Dane DeHaan, who played Major Valerian, is a rather obnoxious protagonist at the best of times; DeHaan brings out a rather vain role who you'll struggle to relate to after he describes himself as a 'bad boy' in his first two minutes of screen time. Cara Delevingne, who played Sergeant Laureline, was a character who was incredibly inconsistent; at times Delevingne felt like a tough agent with her own agency, other times she was the romantic interest and damsel in distress. Herbie Hancock, who played the Defence Minister, is a role that is very heavily there to move the plot along; Hancock's appearance onscreen often signals we're about to get some exposition dealt to us. Kris Wu, who played Sergeant Neza, often falls into the background after standing behind Spruell for too long; Wu's really just here to provide a face for Spruell to bounce his dialogue off of. Alain Chabat, who played Bob The Pirate, is perhaps one weird 'Spy Kids' like role too many; Chabat's introduction to the film comes quite late in the plot and feels like an out of place addition. Elizabeth Debicki and Barbare Weber Scaff, who voiced Emperor Haban-Limai and Empress Aloi respectively, are stoic roles that are hard to connect with; the film really relies on these being sympathetic roles but their toneless voice performance makes this hard to reconcile. Ola Rapace, who played Major Gibson, is quite a generic military role introduced early in the film; he pushes the plot along but is never developed before being hastily killed off. John Goodman, who voiced Igon Siruss, didn't really fit the aline crime boss; his performance was quite cartoonish and didn't feel threatening. Eric Lampaert, who played Guide Thaziit, was an over the top and vaguely racist character; Lampaert was comfortable dishing out lowbrow comedy by the bucketful. Grant Moninger, Robbie Rist and Christopher Swindle, who voiced the Doghan-Dagui respectively, were a rather creepy trio who came off as bad comic relief; they were a real nuisance and given far too much screen time.

Atomic Blonde

This review may contain spoilers!

For two brilliant hours the names 'James Bond' and 'Jason Bourne' were forgotten and the spy genre got a new knockout lead. I would give Atomic Blonde an 8.5/10.

This film is a blend of fantastic visual aesthetics and true gritty spy thriller; certainly one to remember. The story follows tough-as-nails MI6 agent, Lorraine, as she beats half of Berlin bloody while subtly manipulating all the figures she comes across in order to survive. What I enjoyed about this film is just how deep those mind games and manipulation went; the struggles between Lorraine, David and Bremovych are really intriguing to watch. I thought that one of the more heartfelt relationships within the film was the one that developed between Lorraine and Delphine; it mirrored a classic Bond relationship but had an emotional intimacy that those films tend to lack. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, most noteworthy being one long extended shot of Lorraine battling her way through a stairwell out to her getaway vehicle below. The editing keep the pace moving at a solid rate; the colour scheme of the film makes this film a neon wonderland and the constant dissolves draw you back into the murky depths of the spy world. The fight choreography throughout the film is nothing short of impressive, the stunt work is clearly a lot of effort and the battles feel real. The soundtrack for the film is one of the big strengths, the use of 90s music to create a pop-punk tone only adds to the unique nature of this film.

James McAvoy, who played David Percival, is a very deceptive snake of a character; McAvoy really suits the duplicitous spy role and provides some good conflict against Theron. Eddie Marsan, who played Spyglass, is a very meek yet likeable role; Marsan's quiet bravery in smuggling information or defending Theron in fight sequences makes for a great role. John Goodman, who played Emmett Kurzfeld, suits the 'take no nonsense' handler role; Goodman's back and forth with Theron makes for some great conflict throughout the film. Toby Jones, who played Eric Gray, fits the high and mighty superior officer role; Jones presents a role who meticulously analyses and assesses Theron's character throughout the film in a manner that feels real rather than exposition-heavy. Roland Moller, who played Aleksander Bremovych, is a very staunch Russian mob antagonist; Moller's unpredictable and sudden violent outbursts mark him as a threat to be reckoned with. Sofia Boutella, who played Delphine Lasalle, is a performer that has really been doing exceptional things within the past few years; her role's relationship with Theron is incredibly intimate and convincing despite the limited screen time it's given. Bill Skarsgard, who played Merkel, is quite a fun wit as the youthful revolutionary in Berlin; however his repeated resourcefulness marks him as quite the established and intelligent character. Til Schweiger, who played the Watchmaker, is one of those spy figures that really helps build the mythos of the film they're in; Schweiger lends an air of mystery to his scenes which makes you question the direction of the plot even more.

However the best performance came from Charlize Theron, who played Lorraine Broughton. Theron portrays a real no-nonsense spy who is a master at her craft. Her outwardly sarcastic demeanour and hard exterior make her hard to read at times; especially when she's working to manipulate the characters around her. The film does a great job of catching those quiet moments with herself or with characters she's developed a level of trust with and showing that vulnerable and good-natured side to her. Theron brings out a character that's frank, honest and does a damn good job at kicking ass.

This film works at telling it's narrative retrospectively through a debriefing between Lorraine and her superiors; this causes the pace to be interrupted from time to time and takes away from some of the tension in a few of the scenes. This form of storytelling means that the way the big twist that comes at the end of the film isn't pulled off in a way that is immediately clear nor satisfying; it's a great aspect of the plot but the execution could've been better.

James Faulkner, who played Chief 'C', feels like a bit of a caricature of a British spy head; his exchanges with other performers felt very stilted and his British witticisms were a bit of an eye-roll. Johannes Haukur Johannesson, who played Yuri Bakhtin, is really only in this film to act as a plot device; Johannesson doesn't really play much more than a thug with no real contribution to the film than carrying around a major plot point for two acts.