The Equalizer 2

This review may contain spoilers!

Denzel Washington is a masterclass of acting, and watching him come back to this role is a dream for fans of the action genre. I would give The Equalizer 2 an 8/10.

I was nervous about this film initially when I saw the trailers focused on Robert McCall losing someone close to him; it felt generic and a bit obvious for a sequel. Yet this film takes strides to be original with this concept, crafting a second act that holds quite a creative investigation and a tense third act that works well as the culmination of a murky revenge-thriller. The real draw for this film is Robert McCall, a protagonist who immerses himself deeply within the community and goes to great lengths to protect it. The sub-plot around Miles helping McCall remove graffiti, stay in school and paint the apartment walls is a very progressive mentor narrative and lends fascinating insight into the leading role.

The film is shot very well, making use of framing and movement within the shot to create multiple tense moments and capture action exquisitely. The fight choreography used in the film looks great; there has been a big demand in action sequences for gritty and realistic looking action at the moment. Equalizer 2 looks so good because the fights feel fluid; often the assailants have that gritty and rugged fight style to them, while McCall glides through combatants like a butcher carving fine cuts.

Pedro Pascal, who played Dave York, is quite a different antagonist from what we saw in the first feature; Pascal presents a more efficient operative who is a surprising villain given his grounded suburban demeanour. Ashton Sanders, who played Miles Whittaker, goes through an impressive display of character development in this film; Sanders' initially presents a naive role who doesn't really take much ownership of his responsibilities, yet throughout the narrative, he transitions away from a life of crime to a more positive future. Orson Bean, who played Sam Rubenstein, is a very kind man who has great chemistry with Washington; Bean's presentation of his role's determination to reunite with a portrait of his lost sister is one of the more touching sub-plots of the film. Adam Karst, who played Turkish Father, is a great minor antagonist to start the film with; he presents a threatening criminal figure who doesn't fully comprehend the danger he is inviting which leads to an impressive opening scene.

However, the best performance came from leading actor: Denzel Washington, who played Robert McCall. Watching Washington is often like watching a masterclass in acting I find; even in some of his lesser films he really knows how to lend himself to a character. The role of McCall is extremely likeable, he has this open charisma to him that makes him feel like this quiet pillar within his community. Yet there is a point where that role switches to the dangerous operative/assassin that we all come to watch and it's fascinating because this transition isn't like other action heroes. Washington transitions from his amiable character to a man fuelled sometimes by rage, but often by this blank resolve to eradicate a target or a threat. This character is an impressive persona and in another performer's hands might just feel like a generic action movie role, but in Washington's, you can't help but be fascinated.

Equalizer 2 plays out as a great sequel with some very well-crafted characters and sub-plots; however, it often feels like there wasn't enough main narrative to make the film required. The first act is almost entirely composed of sub-plot or introspective character moments, only ever really culminating into the main story by the end of the act. From there audiences have to be prepared for a very slow burn feature, the pacing takes its time and this feature isn't overstuffed with action but rather contemplative revenge. This film also does a great job of building tension and suspense yet in many of the fight sequences (especially the final fight) Robert McCall feels untouchable, so the lead protagonist never seems to face any real danger that actually threatens him. Most disappointing was the lack of a compelling score for the film; Zack Hemsey had provided some terrific music for the first feature and most notably missing from this film was a distinct sound.

Bill Pullman, who played Brian Plummer, just feels like a role that should have been given to an extra or a less experienced actor; Pullman just plays the wallflower for the entire film and you have to wonder what he's even doing there. Melissa Leo, who played Susan Plummer, was dull to watch in the first Equalizer and she's equally as tiring this time around; her character is really just set up to be killed off and the bland nature of the role means you don't really feel much as an audience member.

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado

This review may contain spoilers!

I thought for sure that without Emily Blunt this sequel would fail to impress, but it actually manages to surpass all expectations quite easily. I would give Sicario: Day Of The Soldado an 8.5/10.

The magic of the Sicario films is that they immerse you in a world much darker, bloodier and cruel than our own; a war on drugs and terror where there is no room for a moral conscience and the rules of engagement are tossed out the window pretty fast. I liked how this film divided the action up a lot more, focusing on America's approach to sowing the seeds of war amongst its enemies and also spending reasonable time showing the smuggling operations of the Mexican drug cartels through the eyes of a young initiate. Sicario: Day of the Soldado takes extreme measures and has plenty of scenes in which violence is taken to a very dark place; however, I find it interesting that this film rekindles some degree of morality within the leading protagonists: Alejandro and Matt. This journey back to some semblance of moral reasoning within the shadowed theatre of war reasons out an optimistic return to principled combat and engagement, an outcome that may never occur but that we hope for nonetheless.

I love how the Sicario films are shot; the empty depth of the surroundings, isolating these lone instruments of war is fascinating, or the manner the camera seems to glide through moments in which shadow operatives storm a compound. The editing is something I'm really pleased to see has stepped up from the last film, taking cues on when to transition almost flawlessly and making this a seamless film to watch visually. The score of the feature has you on your seat throughout, you'll be drawn in and when the tempo steadily rises and the horns hit you'll feel the sense of danger about to explode in the coming scene.

Benicio Del Toro, who played Alejandro, continues to standout incredibly in these films; Del Toro has such a gentle, good presence considering his role's affinity for killing. Josh Brolin, who played Matt Graver, has such an indifferent approach to the violence he creates; Brolin's role is like an attack dog being pointed at a target to bring carnage wherever he goes. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who played Gallo, is a fantastic antagonist in this film; he has a warm charisma towards his young initiates but is capable of heightening a scene to a vicious point of murder quite suddenly. Shea Whigham, who played Andy Wheeldon, has nice professional chemistry with Brolin in their scene together; I was really impressed by the casual attitude and subtle demeanour through which this pair construct their bargaining scene. Elijah Rodriguez, who played Miguel Hernandez, doesn't say much over the course of the feature yet still makes a huge impact; Rodriguez brings out a character who falls deeper and deeper into the underworld, making some incredibly bold choices for survival and money. David Castaneda, who played Hector, is an interesting and manipulative role; this is a well-portrayed gang enforcer who does a great job at turning Rodriguez's Miguel down a very dark path. Bruno Bichir, who played Angel, is an inspired role who appears near the end of the second act; Bichir's deaf role has some apprehension towards Del Toro and the manner in which they come to terms is probably one of the best scenes in the film.

However, the best performance came from Isabela Moner, who played Isabel Reyes. In amongst this incredible mature cast of award-winning performers, this young actress really shines. This character when introduced is quite nasty, a mean fighter and capable of manipulating the adults around her through intimidation. Moner often reminds the audience how young this role is, showing the terror and panic she faces when being kidnapped or taken Garcia-Rulfo's Gallo. However, what I really loved is that this young performer lends her character such a mature intuition; she is more than capable of observing and responding to suspicious situations quite adeptly. Moner is fast up and coming in the features she stars in and I'm looking forward to seeing where her career takes her next.

The real problem for this film is the ending, the 'death' scene of Alejandro is a pretty major moment of poor writing. Watching this character get shot through the head and surviving stretches the belief a fair bit and makes the final moments of the feature hard to follow. They clearly wanted to raise the stakes for the characters but this wasn't a great choice and grated pretty majorly against the realistic depiction of modern warfare these films tend to strive for. The pacing also suffered a lot, a problem that has persisted from the original. Both features tend to escalate the action but then find long periods where there is a significant lull, enough to slow the narrative down a bit.

Jeffrey Donovan, who played Steve Forsing, has really dropped his game since the original Sicario; Donovan doesn't deliver dialogue as well as he had nor did he have the presence to make himself heard in scenes he shared with Brolin and Del Toro. Catherine Keener and Matthew Modine, who played Cynthia Foards and James Riley respectively, are such dry, bland roles compared to the rest of the cast; Keener just comes across as tired and lacking energy in her portrayal. Raoul Max Trujillo, who played Rafael, is a very docile role and doesn't feel like he wields the power his role purports to; this is very much a performance where he is placed front and centre but really doesn't have the presence to keep up with Brolin.

Skyscraper

This review may contain spoilers!

2018 has been a decidedly bad year for The Rock, first Rampage and now this. I would give Skyscraper a 4/10.

This is very much a generic action blockbuster film, but because of this the strength of the film definitely comes through several technical aspects of production. The cinematography used throughout the film is monolithic, capturing the scale of the setting and the extreme obstacles characters must overcome in order to survive. The fight choreography is another strong element, with the initial grapple between the characters of Will and Ben being the standout for the film. The score is another surprising strength, there is a very melancholy tone amidst the fanfare of the action sequences that sets this apart from more generic blockbuster themes; I also have to commend the song 'Walls' by Jamie N Commons that closes this film rather nicely.

Neve Campbell, who played Sarah Sawyer, has a very compelling romantic connection with Johnson onscreen which makes for a nice husband/wife dynamic; Campbell also has a responsiveness to her role that allows you to see the ex-soldier qualities her character would possess. McKenna Roberts and Noah Cottrell, who played Georgia Sawyer and Henry Sawyer respectively, have a lot of great energy and really depict the awe of being in a super-structure quite well; Cottrell, in particular, does a great job at presenting his character's struggle with asthma and bravery in the midst of such extreme danger.

However, the best performance came from the leading actor: Dwayne Johnson, who played Will Sawyer. In the first act of the film, Johnson does a fantastic job establishing the family man dynamic, his role is very gentle and even nervous at what the uncertain future may bring. What really separates this performance apart from the rest is how Johnson shows his character to not be initially combat-ready. This is a character who has to react quite hastily at first and only narrowly survives life or death encounters. However, as the film progresses and the stakes are raised Johnson ups the ante, revealing a strength and determination rekindled again within Will Sawyer.

This film has been getting compared a lot to Die Hard and the reason for that is because action features like Skyscraper have been done to death a million times before. There's something very cliche about a protagonist down on his luck or on the outside of the law suddenly being immersed back into an epic struggle. There are a number of sequences within this film that really stretch the limits of belief and are over the top just for the sake of heightening the action. The motivation of the film's antagonist doesn't make a lot of sense, especially considering the lengths he goes to in order to achieve his goal. Special effects pose another problem in this film, specifically how CGI settings don't mix in well with real performers or objects. This creates a pretty serious disparity considering the entire feature is centred around this artificial setting.

Pablo Schreiber, who played Ben, comes into the film quite suddenly and has this friend relationship with Johnson that just exists without much exploration; Schreiber's betrayal and turn to antagonist is pretty predictable and there's no real effort to make this subtle. Noah Taylor and Adrian Holmes, who played Mr Pierce and Ajani Okeke respectively, are very much background supporting roles who primarily fuel exposition; Taylor has gotten a bad habit of being typecast as villains and it's not surprising considering he always tends towards the over the top sinister portrayal. Roland Moller, who played Kores Botha, isn't a very interesting antagonist and seems violent just for violence sake; Moller seems to be the go-to casting for angry mercenary villains with little character motivation at the moment. Byron Mann, who played Inspector Wu, is Skyscraper's answer to extending the runtime; Mann's role is very inactive for most of the film and tends to pose obvious questions that the audience is already asking and aware of. Hannah Quinlivan, who played Xia, is a fairly typical henchman role; she might seem quite badass in fight sequences but her dialogue is cheesy and there's no real substance to her role. Chin Han, who played Zhao Long Ji, is quite monotonous in his delivery crafting a very dry character for the film; Han's role isn't very sympathetic or easy to connect with so it's hard to be engaged by his aspect of the storyline.

Ant-Man And The Wasp

This doesn't achieve what the original heist film did but it's a real joyful thrill after Infinity War. I would give Ant-Man And The Wasp a 7.5/10.

Ant-Man has been my favourite Marvel character since his introduction for a whole host of reasons but there are a couple that shines through and makes this such a strong film. In this sequel, Scott Lang is waiting out his house arrest after the events of Captain America: Civil War, one of the big conflicts for him throughout the film is balancing the responsibility of seeing this arrest out for the sake of his daughter while also tackling the responsibility of being a small-time superhero. The family values that stem from this protagonist and the conflict he faces over resuming the mantle of Ant-Man is a really grounded motivation, one that is very different from many of the other Marvel superheroes we've come to see over the years. There is also a great use of comedy that keeps the film light-hearted and entertaining throughout, the quips and fast dialogue that races between these characters feel like something straight from the page of a comic book. The cinematography looks stunning, the way in which they build upon the difference between the small superhero perspective and that of a more normal perspective still has a lot of creative talent. The special effects look great and go hand in hand with how perspective is filmed; the tiny heroes look great, the Ghost antagonist is caught brilliantly and the design of the Quantum realm is very beautiful. The score for the film has a high energy throughout keeping the frantic fights, heists and chases lively; the soundtrack also hits all the right notes with 'Come On Get Happy' by David Cassidy setting a consistent upbeat tone.

Evangeline Lilly, who played Wasp, is definitely a more intense superhero as she is described within the film; Lilly plays a character with an extremely tough exterior who is driven by a very strong personal goal. Michael Pena, who played Luis, was absolutely hysterical in the original Ant-Man and he just keeps nailing it in the sequel; Pena has a fun new angle as the stressed-out boss of the ex-con crew, who are trying desperately to make their newfound security firm take off. Hannah John-Kamen, who played Ghost, has to be one of the most interesting antagonists introduced to the Marvel Universe; John-Kamen's desperation to survive her deteriorating condition makes her a sympathetic role even as she takes riskier extremes to achieve her goal. Abby Ryder Fortson, who played Cassie, is a very sweet, charming role; Fortson has such great chemistry with Rudd and it's really interesting to see how this character has grown to desire to be a superhero similar to her on-screen father. Randall Park, who played Jimmy Woo, is a hilarious new addition to the Ant-Man cast; Park lends a very fresh sense of comedy as the rather clueless FBI agent assigned to the arrested Ant-Man. Michelle Pfeiffer, who played Janet Van Dyne, is such a warm, kindly role; Pfeiffer's best moments are the emotional scenes in which she 'reunites' with Douglas and Lilly. Michael Douglas, who played Dr Hank Pym, is a lot more abrasive within this film after the events of Captain America: Civil War; it's very interesting how this role is so unapologetic for his past as it makes him a more flawed protagonist to watch than some of the other characters.

However, the best performance came from Paul Rudd, who played the title role of Ant-Man. Rudd really stands out as one of the leading superheroes in the Marvel universe because he's so good at making a grounded, likeable character. Even if Ant-Man can be a bit of a schmuck who screws up he has the right motivations and an innate drive to do the best by others, especially his family and friends. The ease with which Rudd delivers some extremely funny content is entertaining to watch and his role shines as one of the comedic pillars of this film.

This film had a lot of moments in which certain events happened quite conveniently for the sake of advancing the plot, or characters who had no knowledge of an event from earlier in the film suddenly possessed this knowledge because they had 'heard about it'. This manner of writing felt like an easy way to cut some narrative corners and cheapened the impact of some scenes. This sequel also suffers from the same problem the first film had; the light and easy-going tone is brilliant but it certainly means the stakes never really feel too high. Because the main characters feel fairly safe from start to finish there is a decided lack of tension and the conflict feels like it will be fairly easily resolved.

Walton Goggins, who played Sonny Burch, is a pretty unnecessary antagonist within the film; Goggins doesn't really feel like he contributes much and is probably inserted to make up a little additional screen time. Bobby Cannavale and Judy Greer, who played Paxton and Maggie respectively, come across quite over the top in terms of how pro-Scott Lang they are now; these characters definitely have presence due to their role in the original but they don't really do anything with it. T.I. and David Dastmalchian, who played Dave and Kurt respectively, just fade into the background because the film doesn't know what to do with them; they come across as sidekicks to Pena and as such don't really get to go through their own arc. Laurence Fishburne, who played Dr Bill Foster, was quite a docile supporting antagonist for the film; Fishburne hasn't really had much luck in the superhero genre with his stint as Superman's boss bombing in Man of Steel and now the pretty dull portrayal of a mirrored version of Michael Douglas' role.

Incredibles 2

This review may contain spoilers!

It's been a long time coming but this sequel is just as perfect as the original in almost every way. I would give Incredibles 2 a 9/10.

The Incredibles are incredibly fascinating to watch; the variety of superpowers and epic moments of action they get tangled up in is fascinating to watch. Yet, it is the very relatable issues this family struggles and deals with that makes this family so fascinating; using the concept of a superpowered family having to negotiate things like school, adolescence, parenting and working away from home is unique and easy to connect with. This film has a really fun spin on the illegal superheroes plotline introduced in the original film and that drives a lot of the action, but what makes this film succeed is how true it sticks to these characters and the themes around family at their core. The animation style keeps the general aesthetic of the original while also providing a lot more detail and some interesting dynamic colouring for the sequel, scenes like the attack on the Parr household or Elastigirl saving the ambassador are especially stunning to watch. The score for the film really hearkens back to the original, that retro trumpet orchestral with moments of jazz-like intensity give this superhero film life and makes for a nice return to other 60s superhero media like Adam West's Batman series.

Craig T. Nelson, who voiced Mr Incredible, does a great job at bringing out the tense, stressed manner of this now stay at home super-dad; The high energy Nelson lends this role to moments where his character gets to be super or experience super things shows some of the more child-like moments that come out of this role. Sarah Vowell, who voiced Violet Parr, is far more outspoken within this film; her rage at how her superhero life has affected her relationship with her crush is a nice subplot. Huck Milner, who voiced Dash, really has the constant and ever-moving delivery of Dash's lines as a strength; Milner also brings the joy and charming chaos that comes alongside this young role. Catherine Keener, who voiced Evelyn Deavor, was quite interesting as a more dry antagonist after Syndrome; her cynicism and contempt marked her as notably more nasty and realistic. Eli Fucile, who voiced Jack-Jack Parr, is such a cute role and one who thankfully has a lot more screen time in this sequel; Fucile really gives a simple role quite a range of emotion and responses which makes Jack-Jack a great source of entertainment. Bob Odenkirk, who voiced Winston Deavor, is such a bright and optimistic role; Odenkirk crafts a role who radiates positivity and a forward-thinking outlook. Samuel L. Jackson, who voiced Frozone, is immediately back with a ton of charm and camaraderie alongside Nelson's Mr Incredible; Jackson has a role who is loyal and really put himself on the line throughout. Sophia Bush, who voiced Voyd, is a really interesting new minor protagonist; Bush's role is incredibly nervous and shy when introduced yet she goes on a great journey to discover her own confidence as a superhero. Brad Bird, who voiced Edna Mode, is a fan favourite role for a very clear reason; Bird always puts on an incredibly over the top pitch with this role to emulate a high fashion designer and he nails it completely.

However, the best performance came from Holly Hunter, who voiced Elastigirl. This is a very confident and self-assured role, making her a great role model and interesting character. Hunter does an amazing job at grounding this character, giving her motherly tendencies while also exhibiting the major stressors she faces being a superhero or as a mother. Throughout this feature, Elastigirl has quick banter and seems a natural slipping back into the hero role and the ability to balance her two major aspects of life is what makes her so great to watch.

This film suffers from one of the issues the last film had as well; there's a mature wit and certainly some mature themes within these films. Whenever the film takes the time to explore these themes the pace can slow and this can really lead to a drop in interest for the audience, especially the younger audience of an animated film. The antagonist for this film was also not very thrilling; the major revelation of their identity wasn't a great shock either, disappointingly.

Michael Bird, who voiced Tony Rydinger, fails to bring anything to this character that makes us understand why he is a love interest for the role, Violet; Bird doesn't have a very characteristic voice and even at his best Vowell tends to carry their scenes together. Jonathan Banks, who voiced Rick Dicker, has a much lighter tone than Bud Luckey which doesn't really fit the character well; this role should feel high profile like a secret agent yet Banks came across as markedly flat. John Ratzenberger, who voiced Underminer, wasn't especially noteworthy at the start of the film; his introduction at the end of the last film had set high stakes but he wound up feeling fairly forgettable like Dominque Louis' Bomb Voyage.