Vice

This review may contain spoilers!

When Adam McKay directed The Big Short I found a film that stood out in 2016, with Vice I was excited to see what else McKay could do. Turns out the answer to that is a lot of the exact same. I would give Vice a 6/10.

Vice takes the audience into a look of the life of ex-VP, Dick Cheney, and how he wielded political power during his time in office. What Adam McKay does very well is presenting the satirical nature of his biopics, every scene is balanced towards a very dark punchline or to inform the audience so that they may be in on the not so funny joke: The message behind this film. Vice is brilliant in how it breaks apart and exposes the power structure within American politics and how easily this system can be manipulated to the advantage of power and greed. The cinematography used throughout is very deliberate and effective; McKay wields a tight frame well with all his dialogue sequences feeling very intimate, trapping the audience with his leading protagonist so you can't look away for a second.

Amy Adams, who played Lynne Cheney, seems hungry for power and position from the start; Adams reveals her role as a strong power player and manipulator throughout the film and in her hands, Lynne is a true force beside Bale's Cheney. Steve Carell, who played Donald Rumsfeld, begins the film as this boisterous wild card who plays the political landscape like it's the Wild West; Carell has a more restrained, suspicious approach when he returns in the final act signalling his role as the relic of an old era of politics. Sam Rockwell, who played George W. Bush, manages to capture the mannerisms and tone of the former American president perfectly; Rockwell presents this particular character as quite abrupt and clueless to the events of the film occurring around him. Alison Pill, who played Mary Cheney, gives an excellent display of a very vulnerable role throughout this feature; Pill's depiction of Mary coming out as a lesbian and her subsequent display when her family betrays her trust are very powerful moments. Shea Whigham, who played Wayne Vincent, is a very untrustworthy role from the start; his wild abusive introduction leading to his drunken state at his wife's funeral sets him as a low figure in a rather diabolical film.

However, the best performance came from Christian Bale, who played Dick Cheney. When we first meet this character Bale displays a very aloof, drunken wanderer, a man who has little ambition and no future. Yet he pivots in a way that is so believable, so convincing that the transition from drunkard to Vice-President seems a natural progression. Bale's depiction of Cheney awkwardly stumbling through his early political career is quite funny, yet he seems almost charming at first. However, there comes a tipping point where Cheney begins to learn from his surroundings and sees what will mean power for him and when. This is a role that has a lot of menace behind him yet he is so quiet, so deliberate that you almost believe everything he advocates comes from a place of reason. By the time we see Cheney in his later years he is so deep into his desire to hold a legacy in politics that he is willing to throw his very family under the bus.

While this film manages to pull off some moments of satire and presentation of information rather well it is hardly inspired or original cinema. A lot of this feature is merely the director pulling out all the same stops as he did on The Big Short. There are long overbearing metaphors that the film cuts to throughout, we often get hit by an unreliable narrator who also doubles as a rather dull role in the narrative and the incessant cutting to black, stock footage or photographs seems to have doubled since the last feature. At first, it's a jarring sensation that works wonders for the film, it ramps up the shock factor and makes the reveal of some information quite surprising. Then after the first 45 minutes, it's just repetitive and jarring. There are some moments where the director attempts to get creative with some of these off moments of satire by weaving in Shakespearean monologues or having the main character address the audience like House of Cards did years ago. These risks don't land and just make an already slow film look as overstuffed as Bale does in the film. The score for the film has a few tracks that lend some fine moments to the humour but overall it's forgettable and doesn't lend itself to the tone of the feature.

Eddie Marsan, Justin Kirk, Don McManus and Tyler Perry, who played Paul Wolfowitz, Scooter Libby, David Addington and Colin Powell respectively, are a supporting cast of very proficient actors who are shunted into very bland background roles; these are roles that are almost always present yet are never given the time to actually stand out or make an impression. Jesse Plemons, who played Kurt, is a narrator for a film that doesn't exactly feel like it especially needs narration; because you never really connect with this role but just watch him spout exposition every so often the payoff with his plot twist is rather weak. Lily Rabe, who played Liz Cheney, is the counter to Pill's brilliant role; Rabe is quite monotonous to watch and never lends a great deal of personality to her role.

Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2

This review may contain spoilers!

This isn't an especially necessary sequel but it is very well made. I would give Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 a 7.5/10.

Ralph Breaks The Internet is the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, in this feature our heroes Ralph and Vanellope venture into the internet in an effort to repair Vanellope's broken arcade game. This journey inevitably introduces them to some new things and changes the relationship between these two characters forever. This movie thrives whenever it attempts to get at the heart of the relationship between Ralph and Vanellope, the pair depend on one another a lot and to watch this fracture and mend itself over the journey is an extremely emotional story. The film is also littered with fun cameos and easter eggs that comprise the fair share of comedy in this film; the Disney princess scene is obviously a massive point of appeal for this film and it doesn't disappoint. The animation style is so colourful and creative; with the variety of video game characters and online companies, there's clearly a lot of room to have some variety in design which makes for quite a creative watch. The score for Ralph Breaks The Internet is very modern and has a lot of energy to it; even the soundtrack includes some fun tracks like "Slaughter Race" or Ralph performing a Rick-Roll.

John C. Reilly, who voiced Ralph, really lends a lot of heart to his character; this isn't a character who thinks first but definitely one who is always motivated by the best of intentions. Taraji P. Henson, who voiced Yesss, really does feel like the high-flying electric head of some internet tech company; Henson is wild and constantly making herself heard in any scene she's in. Alan Tudyk, who voiced KnowsMore, is very pretentious in this role which is entirely the point; this is a very smug know-it-all who drives the characters to the point of annoyance with his constant autofill function. Alfred Molina, who voiced Double Dan, really feels like a good antagonist for the film; his menacing demeanour and shifty attitude to the bargain he strikes with Ralph makes for an ominous scene. Bill Hader, who voiced J.P. Spamley, really finds a perfect way of personifying a pop-up ad; Hader's edgy Boston accent and deceptive presentation of himself makes for an entertaining role. Irene Bedard, Kristen Bell, Jodi Benson, Auli'i Cravalho, Jennifer Hale, Kate Higgins, Linda Larkin, Kelly Macdonald, Idina Menzel, Mandy Moore, Paige O'Hara, Pamela Ribon, Anika Noni Rose and Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Pocahontas, Anna, Ariel, Moana, Cinderella, Aurora, Jasmine, Merida, Elsa, Rapunzel, Belle, Snow White, Tiana and Mulan respectively, really come together for a smattering of lines but make for two of the best scenes in the film; Benson, in particular, stands out because her depiction of Ariel in this feature is exceptionally comedic.

However, the best performance came from Sarah Silverman, who voiced Vanellope. This role is just a barrel load of fun, always hurtling through scenes and getting the most fun she can out of a moment. Silverman really lends her sense of comedy to the role, making for a funny dork who always tends to leave the audience grinning. What I loved so much about her in this film is that she is constantly exploring her self, Silverman opts to make this role extremely introspective and it works a charm. You can see Vanellope wrestling with her own insecurities and finding her way through the challenges she faces. It's a great display of characterisation that Silverman lends herself to expertly.

This film doesn't mesh strongly with the original, a problem that stands as a bit of a sticking point for a sequel. In the last film the way we left Ralph and Vanellope there wasn't a lot of room to set up a film in which their newfound friendship would fracture and become a more distant one. The fact Vanellope goes on a journey in which she needs a change for herself is a good plot on its own but as a sequel plot, it really doesn't hold together strongly. Furthermore, most films that depict the main characters journeying through the internet just doesn't always completely work. This has to be one of the best depictions I've ever seen of this particular setting but it still grates watching a story attempt to personify data or corporate entities. Having entire plot points around buying a product from eBay or going viral is weirder than anything else. The worst case of this is when a computer virus is focused upon finding insecurities in others and then using that insecurity to shut down entire systems; a massive convenient plot point that was a little too simple for its own good.

Gal Gadot, who voiced Shank, is not really suited for voice acting; her character just doesn't have a lot to her and we're often told that she's badass but Gadot never makes us believe it. Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch, who voiced Felix and Calhoun respectively, had a very fun subplot in the first film to watch but are really shortchanged this time around; the parenting plotline feels tacked on and is extremely disappointing. Phil Johnston, who voiced Surge Protector, has the blandest voice acting out of the cast; Johnston tends to a more monotonous tone which makes his more present character a pain to watch.

Holmes And Watson

This review may contain spoilers!

There have been a few good and bad comedies this year, but this is one of the worst. I would give Holmes and Watson a 2/10.

Probably the best thing I can say about this film is how much I enjoyed the quirky and unpredictable use of music. The score for the film riffed off the more well-known BBC Sherlock or Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes films; while the soundtrack was a hysterical yet surprising blend of modern music. There's even a musical number presented at one point for the sake of it, the sheer fun that's had with the range of music is quite fun if not a little mismatched.

John C. Reilly, who played Watson, puts a lot of effort into finding the best comedic approach to each scene; Reilly's portrayal of Watson's unabashed adoration for Holmes is very over the top and a good deal of fun to watch. Kelly Macdonald, who played Mrs Hudson, is a very surprisingly lewd role in this film which is where some of the better moments of comedy stem from; Macdonald has a lot of fun playing the surprise antagonist and gets to really experiment with lending a nasty streak to her character.

However, the best performance came from Ralph Fiennes, who played Moriarty/Musgrave. Fiennes is often quite a class act and he's certainly a step ahead in this feature. He doesn't have the most consistent presence in the film but he has a silent menace that really holds your attention in his scenes. Fiennes presents a man of intellect and malice, his gravitas against his adversaries is something to behold. Yet in spite of all this, it's terrific fun to see the veil stripped away and watch Fiennes present the dithering form of the impostor, Musgrave, right at the end of his performance.

Holmes and Watson is an extremely loose adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and his colleague, Dr Watson, in their struggle against the villainous Moriarty. At every turn, this film seems hellbent on finding a way to sabotage itself or provide a very cheap gag. The plot is seriously contrived and to say that it reached an ending or had any sense of what direction it was taking would be a serious stretch. The main characters are constantly being toted as being genius detectives, yet the characters themselves don't feel any different from the usual Ferrell/Reilly morons we're used to getting. The historical inaccuracies and increasing inability to keep with setting, tone or character as the film goes along makes it feel like watching something coming apart at the seams. Ultimately, this is a comedy that is just not very funny; often there are points where physical comedy, gross gags or just uncomfortable moments are created for laughs and the film never rises above these. The cinematography used throughout the feature feels staged, if the camera has the option to remain as static as possible then it will remain so. The editing sets a dull pace, often slowly transitioning between scenes in a rather lethargic manner.

Will Ferrell, who played Holmes, hasn't risen from the same usual character for quite a while now; Ferrell presenting the same old arrogant yet idiotic role is tired and played out. Lauren Lapkus, who played Millie, is just an odd role and uncomfortable to watch; her being paired against Ferrell is a strange choice and the pair share no chemistry whatsoever. Rebecca Hall, who played Dr Grace Hart, is just too bland an actress for a comedy; Hall comes across as very stiff and doesn't manage a wide range of emotions within this role. Hugh Laurie, who played Mycroft, is a very forgettable cameo performance; Laurie's dour role lands little to no impression on the audience beyond one of vague recognition. Pam Ferris, who played Queen Victoria, just plays a caricature of the Queen throughout this film; it's a dry role that never gets much chance at any real comedy so she just becomes a boring set piece. Steve Coogan, who played the One-Armed Tattooist, is yet another cameo that is almost instantly forgettable; Coogan has no real gravitas as a villain and the jokes around his character being one-armed tend to fall flat. Rob Brydon, who played Inspector Lestrade, takes his role too seriously in a film where no one is really giving a very serious performance; this just makes Brydon fall squarely into the background of many of his scenes.

Bumblebee

This review may contain spoilers!

If you had told me at the beginning of 2018 that there would be a good Transformers film this year, let alone one in my top ten, I would have called you crazy. But here this beauty is. I would give Bumblebee an 8.5/10.

Michael Bay made a couple of fun Transformers flicks and a lot of just terrible ones, it is a wonder to see what a Transformers film can be in the hands of a different director. This is a complete revamp and excites me to see this homage to 80s pop culture blend beautifully with this modern day blockbuster picture. The best possible way to describe this experience is to equivalate it to Guardians of the Galaxy; no one thought Marvel could do superheroes in space and make it work but it did, and it invented some fresh movie magic for itself in the process. Bumblebee tells the story of the title character fleeing the war for Cybertron in an effort to find shelter for his fellow Autobots; along the way, his memory core is damaged and he has to rely on young human, Charlie, to keep him safe. It's a heartwarming story about a young woman trying to reconcile the loss of her Dad and a budding friendship that stands against aggression from all sides. This is fun, it has a ton of heart and it is easily one of the strongest blockbusters of 2018. The cinematography is phenomenal, steering away from the Bay flicks and favouring warm intimate shots ( a bold move in any blockbuster). The special effects are so carefully detailed, being able to see facial expressions and body language from the Transformer characters is brilliant. The score for the feature is thrilling, yet it is the soundtrack that grounds you in the setting and builds up characters.

Dylan O'Brien, who voiced Bumblebee, has the plucky earnest energy of the young Autobot; O'Brien really brings forth the selflessness at the core of this character and the scene in which he loses his voice becomes a truly tragic one. John Cena, who played Agent Burns, has a really charismatic sense of humour that is often rather blunt but immediately entertaining; Cena can also effortlessly switch to a silent intensity that really works for his military role. Angela Bassett, who voiced Shatter, is one of the best antagonists the Transformers films has ever had; her manipulative nature and disregard for life other than that of the Deceptions made her a true menace. Pamela Adlon, Stephen Schneider and Jason Drucker, who played Sally Watson, Ron and Otis Watson respectively, made for a very entertaining and dysfunctional family; Schneider, in particular, has a very humourous off-key relationship with Steinfeld that is great to watch. Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime, has played and mastered this role for a long time now; Cullen lends himself to this strong leader flawlessly and brings out the true hero that resides in this role. Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who played Memo, is a very awkward yet likeable role; he has a very sweet chemistry with Steinfeld and he often feels comedically out of place in the big moments of action. Len Cariou, who played Uncle Hank, is a gruff role that seems very caught in his own small world; yet his little displays of kindness towards Steinfeld make for a nice relationship at the beginning of the feature.

However, the best performance came from Hailee Steinfeld, who played Charlie Watson. Since Pitch Perfect 2 and Edge of Seventeen it has been hard to see Steinfeld as anything short of an up and coming icon, her sheer talent speaks for itself and it is front and centre throughout Bumblebee. This is a young woman who has retracted into herself and does not have a lot of room for family and friends after the death of her Dad. If there's one thing Steinfeld plays really well it's a role going through grief; she takes a role right through the process of experiencing and enduring this type of emotional pain. Yet Charlie Watson is hilarious, with a wry sarcastic wit and street smarts to outrival any other. The bond built up between Steinfeld what is essentially a special effect is the driving heart behind this film and it is so clear how much of that is driven by this wonderful actress.

This film loves the 80s film but at times it pulls a few bad tropes from it that really hijack this film's narrative. The coming of age elements are often done pretty well but watching Charlie have to deal with bullying from the popular clique is very dated and a hard watch.

Justin Theroux, who voiced Dropkick, is a very brainless antagonist compared to Bassett; Theroux's performance is very reminiscent of the two-dimensional antagonist we've seen in past films. Gracie Dzienny and Ricardo Hoyos, who played Tina and Trip respectively, are some of the most cliched roles in this film; Dzienny's arrogant and vain bully is as far from an original performance as one can get. John Ortiz, who played Agent Powell, is a role that is very convenient for the plot but hard to really buy into; Ortiz seems to have been constructed just to have a polar opposite to Cena for the sake of it. Glynn Turman, who played General Whalen, gives a pretty standard stern military role; his granite-like exterior is hard to read and there's not much as far as character goes.

Mortal Engines

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a very cliched blockbuster. It is a very well made cliche, but a cliche nonetheless. I would give Mortal Engines a 6.5/10.

This is a movie that pulls out all the stops in the first twenty to thirty minutes; the set up is thrilling, there's an intense chase sequence and even the exposition is somewhat engaging. I truly loved just how much had been put into the production of this film, even though the story falters a lot at least those visuals are right there to lift it back up. The cinematography is a grandiose treat, taking in massive set pieces and special effects with ease. The special effects themselves certainly flaunt a rather impressive budget with mobile cities and aircraft looking detailed and unique, yet it is the design for Shrike that leaves the biggest impression by far. The score for the film speaks of the epic scale at work here, going full fanfare for the epic chase sequences and monolithic battles in the final act.

Hera Hilmar, who played Hester Shaw, is a strong protagonist throughout the feature; her aggressive stand-offish attitude is tempered by her extremely vulnerable upbringing making for a complex role. Robert Sheehan, who played Tom Natsworthy, is a very sheltered yet kindly protagonist when first we meet him; his meekness gives way to bravery as he follows Hester upon their journey back to London. Stephen Lang, who played Shrike, practically breathes life into what could have otherwise felt like a mindless monster character; Lang reveals the tragic personality of this machine that is attempting to break through the surface.

However, the best performance came from Hugo Weaving, who played Thaddeus Valentine. This is a character who presents a front of governing from the best of intentions, with the good of London at the forefront of his mind. Yet Weaving masterfully reveals his role to be a power-mad tyrant, striving for a military power the likes not wielded by other cities. As his actions grow wilder and bolder he distances from the allies he once held close, even his daughter. Finally, come to the end Valentine is a purely malevolent force bent solely upon destruction, only ever really leading to his downfall.

The film suffers heavily after the first twenty minutes, from about this point we're treated to a terribly underwhelming generic young adult film. The most glaring issue is how overcrammed the film is; you have to learn a lot about the world and not very much makes sense. There's a ton of history, technology, political structures, factions and personal motivations that layer one another and getting through the film attempting to register it all feels like a chore rather than a pleasure. The camp plotline about the small resistance fighting a giant monolithic power is worn out, but not as worn out as the poor love story between the two main characters. The film looks original and makes a grand impression but watch for long enough and you'll see a film with all shine and no substance.

Jihae, who played Anna Fang, is this very monotonous freedom fighter who doesn't register much emotion throughout the film; she has a great presence in the fight sequences but she isn't a role that you relate to on any level. Ronan Raftery, who played Bevis Pod, is a very mild-mannered role who is quite easy to look past; Raftery presents a plot point rather than a character and is only kept around to give Leila George something else to do. Leila George, who played Katherine Valentine, doesn't possess a strong relationship with Sheehan or Weaving making her significance hard to place; the film places a lot more importance on her role than the actress every really gives back. Patrick Malahide, who played Magnus Crome, is a sour and irate secondary antagonist; Malahide plays a tired old villain and it's pretty clear what his fate is going to be from the beginning. Colin Salmon, who played Chudleigh Pomeroy, is very much comfortable in the background of the film; Salmon presents mild exposition and little else to the feature. Rege Jean-Page and Kee Chan, who played Captain Khora and Governor Kwan respectively, are the rather two-dimensional characters who represent the resistance in this film; Chan in particular sticks closely to the stereotypical roles he has done in past features. Sarah Peirse, who played Dr Twix, is a character armed with more knowledge than seems likely for her to possess; this role is just a glaring convenience the whole way through and her relationship with Weaving is never really fleshed out or explained.

Robin Hood

This review may contain spoilers!

This film begins by telling you that this is unlike any Robin Hood film you've seen before; so it's fitting for this review beginning with me telling you that this film is like every Robin Hood film I've seen before. I would give Robin Hood a 5.5/10.

This film is actually rather fun to watch when it comes to some of the production elements, it has all the working components of a fun, mindless blockbuster. In particular, the speed and fluidity of the fight sequences look great, right down to some of the horseback stunts that really impress the viewer. The editing for the film manages to keep the action moving in good time, while also presenting the timing of a sequence or scene rather well. The best achievement from this film is certainly the score by Joseph Trapanese; the music throughout sets the blood pumping in those high energy scenes or slips in an emotional mood to a scene that desperately needs that feeling.

Taron Egerton, who played Robin of Loxley, is an excellent pick for the protagonist of the film; Egerton is more than capable of portraying the indignant young rebel and lends a hefty amount of charisma as the thief becomes a leader of the people. Ben Mendelsohn, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham, has absolutely triumphed in every antagonist role he's taken up and this role is no different; his wild displays of malice fringed by a deep-rooted weakness at the hands of those who made him who he is. Paul Anderson, who played Guy of Gisbourne, is another great antagonist who is merciless against those who oppose him; Anderson is in a role who could've been another henchman but he never once allows the character to become two-dimensional.

However, the best performance came from Jamie Foxx, who played Little John. From the beginning of the film, Foxx presents the sheer intensity of this Arabian warrior through his physicality and initial fight sequences. It does not take long for us to see Foxx shine when his role has to suffer through watching his onscreen son brutally murdered by Crusaders. Rather than break, a fire awakens in this role and the mission of fighting the rich to prevent war comes to pass; a goal that this character pursues with tunnel-vision. Throughout the entire film, Foxx has some nice camaraderie with Egerton and equally shares a powerful rivalry with main antagonist, Mendelsohn.

This film tries really hard to push the idea that it's new or original in its design all the while playing to obvious themes or cutting corners to advance the story. This is a Robin Hood that pins a lot on the romance between Marian and Robin, a relationship that comes to pass in the first scene and grows corny very early in. Yet the film continues to return to this subplot as a significant driving force, even allowing it to become a love triangle narrative the likes that haven't been seen since the young adult novel adaptation craze. Throughout things are just pushed along so that the narrative can happen without much justification. Robin and John's alliance is very quickly forged and Robin agreeing to join the fight is more surprising than exciting; alternatively, the reasoning for keeping Marian away from the antics of 'the Hood' is flimsy at best. Add onto that the poorly written antagonists and the film falls apart. The major antagonists of the film are the Church and they're so absurdly over the top in their portrayal of being evil that it becomes melodramatic. The cinematography used throughout is very experimental which is a risk that doesn't pay off, the random shots at odd angles that litter a scene don't heighten the pace but rather hamper the films otherwise fine visuals.

Eve Hewson, who played Marian, is very much built up to be the romantic counterpart to Egerton but the two severely lack chemistry; Hewson feels rather bland and doesn't seem committed to playing to the revolution storyline or the love triangle storyline. Jamie Dornan, who played Will Scarlet, has found a better film than the Fifty Shades series but hasn't proven to be one of the better aspects of said film; Dornan oozes angst in every scene and his role fast wears the viewer down. Tim Minchin, who played Friar Tuck, is this unbridled comic relief who lays it on pretty thick throughout; Minchin's constant bantering and jokes make for light relief but grate against the tone of the film severely. F. Murray Abraham and Ian Peck, who played the Cardinal and the Arch Deacon respectively, make for a pair of overdramatic master villains; it's disappointing to see the masters behind the antagonists' plot devolve into melodramatic laughter and moustache twirling.