Retribution

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Retribution follows a stock broker who finds himself trapped in his car with his children upon discovering a bomb strapped underneath his seat. He must follow the instructions of a mysterious individual in order to rescue himself and his family. This film is really good at hooking the audience back in at the turn of the act. When first Matt Turner starts talking with the bomber you get a big tonal shift, the action is heightened when a young vulnerable character becomes injured and there is a momentary air of mystery in one scene that leaves us really questioning the protagonist. I liked these staples of the thriller genre really being hit because these are the points that come alive and really make you sit up and pay attention as an audience member.

The feature also boasts some pretty sharp editing that really tidies up the poor story pacing and bland visual style in places.

 

Lilly Aspell, who played Emily Turner, is quite a present performance with a strong sense of delivery; Aspell gives a bit of a spark to her role that marks her as an extremely talented young performer.

However, the best performance came from Liam Neeson, who played Matt Turner. Neeson is a career leading actor who has taken progressively smaller scale projects with a pretty steady drive to see them through. I'm impressed with just how much he carries this feature, in my opinion if you're not here to watch Neeson then you're not really here for anything at all. When we first meet Matt Turner he is very scatter-brained, stressed and distracted; a figure who is lacking both as a husband and a parent. Neeson does some great early work butting heads with his on-screen children to show the very fragile sense of authority and discipline Matt has in his household. I thought Neeson showed a different side of himself by portraying this sleazy charismatic salesman type, a man who can really lie to his clients with an easy manner and a false looking smile. Yet as the film went along what really sets this role apart is how Neeson portrays a man terrified, with no real sense of control having the worst day of his life. It's down to him to sell the predicament and he does it very well. The way this character begins to bubble over with rage near the end of the second act really signals a shift of tone that works well for the conflict. Neeson's experience results in a great leading performance that stands out in an otherwise unremarkable feature.

This film feels like a B grade thriller almost from the go with the very thin allusions to the bomb threat to come. Retribution suffers from a lack of characters the audience can like; many of the main roles seem like genuinely awful people; our protagonist is unironically proclaimed as a 'champion of capitalism' in his first scene which doesn't really endear him to many. The characters all squabble and fight and display few moments of redemptive behaviour, Matt Turner's entire family dynamic gets quite toxic at multiple stages. Yet the film just sort of patches these divides because the family all suffers the same harrowing experience together; you don't exactly feel like any of our leading roles go through great changes as people. The fact our main character is a stock broker fighting an antagonist over millions of dollars that they both have access to is another reason this film becomes hard to relate to as a viewer. It's a world of greed, but not one we know nor one the feature really seems interested in introducing us to so that we can understand and relate to the situation more. The fact the main protagonist gets away from the antagonist for a whole significant section really undercuts the stakes the film had otherwise established and the final confrontation between these two is laughable at times. Retribution fails to be a surprising beast, the antagonist isn't really a surprise and even someone paying fleeting notice would see the 'twist' coming from a mile off. This is a film meant to thrill but it doesn't do that enough, nor does it allow us to even care about the plot or characters on display.

 

The way Retribution is shot really highlights how the concept can be very limiting to film to the uninspired eye; I found the array of cinematography to be repetitive and bleakly grey. The score for the film was a simple affair that toned along whimsically but felt pitched to the low stakes thriller this was.

 

Noma Dumezweni, who played Angela Brickmann, is having a tough run of roles so far this year; Dumezweni gives a dry performance that results in a pretty stereotypical portrayal of a law enforcement officer. Jack Champion, who played Zach Turner, is one of my least favourite up and comers in the business right now; Champion really doesn't know how to bring depth to a role and struggles to do anything new with the rebellious teenager shtick here. Embeth Davidtz, who played Heather Turner, feels like she doesn't know how to portray anything bar impassive the whole film; I can understand Davidtz having no chemistry with Neeson but the fact she doesn't even hold anything with the rest of her onscreen family is a shame. Matthew Modine, who played Anders Muller, is entirely unconvincing as a long time friend to Neeson in this feature; Modine really just exceeds himself by hamming it up in the final act as an over the top antagonist with extremely thin motives.

Liam Neeson has starred in a few poor B grade action/thrillers in recent years, but this might just be the worst one yet. I would give Retribution a 3/10.

Strays

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Strays follows Reggie, a dog owned by an abusive owner who endeavours to ditch our canine protagonist after receiving an eviction notice. After becoming a stray dog Reggie realises how awful Doug, hiw owner, has been to him and teams up with a group of new friends to hunt down Doug and bite his dick off. Yes, really. The thing I love about this film so much is the complete sense of parody it has as a concept. We've all grown up with the classic dog story, especially the dog films that are narrated from the dog's perspective as it does everything within it's power to help it's owner. The film opens with Reggie's incessant optimistic worldview in the face of a world that is giving him no love, it's a fun twist on the dog film narrative which makes this a really novel watch at first. I also found the ending somewhat grimly satisfying, with the overall conclusion being a light moment with a very feel good message.

 

I also thought that the soundtrack for the film bolstered the comedy of the piece often, especially the use of Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball'. That one track turned what could have been a horrifying moment to a somewhat well-deserved climactic end for Strays.

 

Will Ferrell, who voiced Reggie, does such a great job as the upbeat protagonist of the film; Ferrell really sells his character as the more innocent one taking in the world for the first time. Jamie Foxx, who voiced Bug, really gets to stretch his comedic legs here and I greatly enjoyed that; Foxx just goes at his line delivery with such energy that really ranges from frantic to enthusiastic. Isla Fisher, who voiced Maggie, seems quite proper when first you meet her as far as domesticated dogs go; yet I was really entertained by how 'off the leash' Fisher took the role the further away from her owner this role got. Randall Park, who voiced Hunter, is exceptional at an awkward deadpan delivery; Park makes Hunter a really wilting unconfident presence which is so great given the dog's big size. Will Forte, who played Doug, might just be the best comedy antagonist we'll get this year; Forte's ability to craft a being who is so reprehensible yet recognisable is what really works to turn the audience against him from the start. Rob Riggle, who voiced Rolf, is working well in his most consistent type of role: jock-type lughead; Riggle really has a tone that bullies other characters well while also making him the biggest presence in a scene. Aven Lotz, who played Emma, brings a bit of traditional dog film warmth to the feature; those scenes in which she portrays forming a loving connection with her young pet are very charming. 

 

However, the best performance came from Josh Gad, who voiced Gus. This is a role that is only in a couple of scenes but it comes to the punchline of the best from this film very swiftly. One of Josh Gad's roles of note is his canine voice-over in A Dog's Purpose, in which he gave light narration to place us inside the perspective to a loyal pet named Bailey. Here Gad really gets to have a bit of light fun by totally parodying that role and tap into his comedic skill. Gus really gets all the passion and wonder of Gad's prior noteworthy role but with this underlying missing piece that leaves the audience wondering what the deal is with this dog. Watching as Gad gets to undercut his cuddly and cute dog persona by divulging the dark truth behind his owner is one of the best satirical takes on the dog film in this entire feature. It is a skit-like moment that entirely stole the show for me.

 

I've spent the past decade or more being excited and promptly let down by Will Ferrell led comedies, from Anchorman 2 right through to Eurovision there has barely been a comedy that has reflected the greats he used to put out. I feel the reason for that is because these comedy films have such a simplistic structure with all of the same types of jokes at this point. Strays is really no different. This film essentially tells you where it's going to go the moment Reggie becomes a stray dog, there are one or two emotional beats along the way but really there's nothing here that will surprise you. All of the jokes seem to really be in this to shock or gross out the audience, there's a ridiculous amount of jokes around dogs shitting, having sex or doing drugs which really is not a massive leap from any other general release American comedy. The subplots feel very pre-determined; the two side character dogs are eventually going to be in a relationship and the dog that hates humans will be adopted. Ultimately, Strays is happy with the low bar of expectations because it sets out to give you a low effort script almost the whole way through.

 

The cinematography has some shining moments early on but long form I thought the visuals of the feature were quite lackluster. There are restrictions to working alongside animals and the obvious setback is you have to limit how creative you can get with the camera; a lot of very simple wides or mids were utilised to capture the canine heroes. There was also some uncanny valley level quality to how they animated the dogs eyes and mouths moving, that really put me out of what I was watching a number of times. The score for the film had none of the high energy that the soundtrack gave, it barely registered and resulted in a very forgettable background cartoonish sound.  

Brett Gelman, who played Willy, is really wasted in this pratfall type character; Gelman doesn't get any room to stretch his comedic muscles and seems to be more the butt of the joke than anything else. Mikayla Rousseau, who played Riley, was probably not experienced enough to bring a character performance to the screen here; Rousseau's portrayal of a young girl feeling lost and fearful and sad really aren't convincingly depicted which means a big third act turn doesn't quite land. Dennis Quaid, who played himself, is a nice reminder that a celebrity cameo isn't always automatically funny; Quaid's delivery entirely lacks energy and he seems to be just confused as to what he's doing in the scene.

A phenomenally funny cast can't salvage what is yet another lewd low effort American comedy. I would give Strays a 4/10.

Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter

This review may contain spoilers! 

Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter is an adaptation of chapter seven of Bram Stoker's Dracula, a fascinating log from the perspective of the captain of the ship Demeter. As far as retelling the Dracula myth goes, this is one of the most unique perspectives we've really been offered up in a long time. This film lands that neat period setting quite well, transporting you to another era while also steadily introducing the gothic horror elements. I loved that the film doesn't push the horror in full force, instead choosing to allow moments of fear to steadily pervade and never once shying away from a Dracula that is clearly tipping a hat to Nosferatu. The design of Dracula as monstrous here is really clever, it allows us to treat him as something more beast-like to be afraid of; yet as he reveals his own cunning against his prey the stakes of the danger really ramp up. I loved that this film has a noteworthy character actor cast working strongly as an ensemble in such a tight quarters setting, the boat location really does feel like a box for our protagonists to die in. There are some very nice moments throughout the narrative as well in which we see hope/innocence lost or when crew who have been othered by society must stand against the monstrous other that is Dracula. This feels like a very classic creature feature horror with all the sensibilities of a modern shoot. I cannot stress enough how rare it is for horror to be positioned in a period setting and actually manage to land such a bone-chilling tone.

The way this film is shot is really creative and varied, it makes the space of the boat go from being expansive and vast to cramped and claustrophobic. The camera also isn't afraid to move a lot to really add an edge to the scarier scenes and simulate Dracula hunting prey. The special effects seen throughout are very nice; the design of the Demeter on the water is impressive, as are the moments in which the turned thralls erupt into flames. But no special effect is greater than the design of Dracula, a truly terrifying otherworldly being who is still humanoid enough to elevate what this film is trying to do. Bear McCreary does the music for this and it is honestly one of his best scores in 2023, the film goes from a whimsical nautical style to this heavy foreboding dirge that creeps into your ears and refuses to let go until the credits roll.

 

Corey Hawkins, who played Clemens, is a very restrained yet compelling protagonist; I loved Hawkins' moment in which his character professes why killing Dracula matters to him so much - it really fleshed the role out immensely. David Dastmalchian, who played Wojchek, seriously nearly outpaced Cunningham for my favourite performance in this; Dastmalchian stomps through this performance with so much frustration and control masking barely contained ambition and love for his ship that he served on. Chris Walley, who played Abrams, is the closest this feature gets to a comedic presence and it works well; Walley's many japes in the early days of the crew sailing together really breathes a sense of liveliness into the first half of the feature. Stefan Kapicic, who played Olgaren, gives a role who has a quiet wisdom and empathy to him; Kapicic spotting Dracula first and remarking upon it really foreshadowed the dread to come perfectly. Woody Norman, who played Toby, is one of the best young performances that I've seen this year; Norman is immensely charismatic but also plucks at your heart strings in how he shows his character's feelings of being unable to live up to expectations of his father figure (Cunningham).

However, the best performance came from Liam Cunningham, who played Captain Eliot. This man is a very seasoned character performer and steps into the part of nautical leader and occassional narrator well. When first we meet Cunningham's Captain Eliot the man comes across as gruff, he has an edge to him that takes no nonsense and exudes authority. Yet we swiftly see the hardened edges of this man have eroded, he has a fatherly nature to him that allows a sense of kindness and genorisity. There is a real sense of camaraderie Cunningham establishes with his fellow shipmate cast members. Yet as the horror begins to creep in that sense of command creeps back, and as Cunningham tightens his sense of control over his crew things only worsen. Watching the inevitable fight begin to leave this man and the grief he has to portray in this film is some of the more emotional points of performance. I was entirely captivated by Cunningham from beginning to end as he opened and closed out with the the Demeter.

 

Many horrors and vampire films struggle with being a bit stereotypical or formulaic these days; this is even tougher when you're making a film based on one of the original vampire works. This film does adhere really closely to expectations and rarely throws in a twist that will really take you by surprise, it is masterful in simplicity. But for at least the first act, you will note that things move in a way that seems steady and not at all surprising to follow. I also thought the big climax fight sequence veered a little closer to action than horror and undercut the tone in places. 

Aisling Franciosi, who played Anna, is handled as more of a plot device than a fleshed out role for most of her screen time; I also found this character to be the one with the most quips and exposition which meant she never got to mesh in as nicely as the rest of the cast. Jon Jon Briones, who played Joseph, really brings the ultra-conservative religious role on a bit strongly; I also found Briones gave a very montonous delivery on his dialogue. Martin Furulund, who played Larsen, is one of the most forgettable characters in the crew ensemble; Furulund is content with the background and never makes his role stand out in his scenes of dialogue. Nikolai Nikolaeff, who played Petrofsky, was pretty generic as the minor antagonist; I really think with more of a fresh approach the film could have made more use of Nikolaeff's performance.

 

One of the best vampire films I've seen in years, and easily a top contender for one of my favourite 2023 horrors! I would give Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter an 8.5/10.

Meg 2: The Trench

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Meg 2: The Trench is the sequel to The Meg (2018) and follows Jonas Taylor and his crew as they continue to further explore the underwater layer in which creatures such as the megalodon reside. This feature did a great job in the first half at building tension, especially once the action has moved deep under the water. Suddenly the threat factor feels very real and though there aren't a lot of major scares, there are some very tense moments to anticipate.

The special effects in this sequel aren't always the best but broadly across the entire feature I would describe them as a highlight. The design of the megalodons was truly formidable and I was really impressed with what they managed to achieve in showing us the perspective of the ocean floor.

 

Wu Jing, who played Jiuming Zhang, is one of the more charismatic performers in the feature; I greatly enjoyed that Jing could switch between capable action hero and goofy uncle at the drop of a hat. Cliff Curtis, who played Mac, isn't giving his biggest performance to date here but he is clearly one of the more capable in the ensemble; I genuinely like Curtis and Statham as buddies quite a bit and found some nice chemistry there.

However, the best performance came from Jason Statham, who played Jonas Taylor. Statham has been leading action films for a long time now and there's no Rainn Wilson chewing scenery to compete this time. Statham starts this film reminding us why he's one of the quintessential action heroes, violently working his way through a group of chemical dumping brigands right out the gate. But I also like that he playfully knows his own limits and really embraces the stoic tough guy thing. Watching him ham his awkward chops in a big light-hearted comedy moment or struggle to express his love to his adopted daughter is pretty nice. Yet once this film really ramps into action overdrive, Statham just has the physicality and menace to make himself stand out, not to mention the egregious shark-based quips.

When The Meg came out there was a major element of us responding to it because it was so over the top and fun; heck the feature hinged entirely on the plot twist being that there was a second Meg. But this film really takes itself a little too seriously from the jump, providing a corporate-heavy setting and introducing a theme on man's impact to the environment that really signalled this film was not going to be about the monolithic sharks we had all come to see. Opting to craft a film around a greedy mining corporation with a band of mercenaries trying to exploit the Trench felt like a moment where the creativity left the room. The feature which was meant to highlight a creature antagonist suddenly took a backseat to a very basic environmental care message. This made the final act in which all the creatures attacked the humans feel very separate to the narrative we had otherwise been watching up until that point. This film really decided it was going to be anything but a Megalodon film and that took a massive amount of interest out of it. I also thought the dedication to exploring characters was completely abandoned, I was under no illusions who was fodder in this one.

The film wasn't very well shot with a range of camera techniques utilised that showcased an inconsistent sense of style. More than this I often found a number of shots were just placed to fill the needs of the visual effect, limiting this feature substantially. The score for Meg 2 is nothing but loud fanfare to ignite some spectacle; while the soundtrack is really all over the place and rarely adds to a scene.

Shuya Sophia Cai, who played Meiying, is one of the biggest members of the cast and really struggles with that load; her chemistry with her parental figures is absent and her delivery never felt particularly compelling. Page Kennedy, who played DJ, didn't know how to do anything but act over the top in this film; Kennedy just played a role that was there to force the comedic side character angle. Sergio Peris-Mencheta, who played Montes, was a very bizarre antagonist; Peris-Mencheta understood that he was there to portray a bad goon but really just came at this jigsaw of a role in such a confusing manner. Skyler Samuels, who played Jess, is one of the more obvious antagonist reveals in the feature; Samuels is more than happy to lay it on pretty thick once she finally gets to play bad. Melissanthi Mahut, Whoopie Van Ram, Kiran Sonia Sawar and Felix Mayr, who played Rigas, Curtis, Sal and Lance respectively, were one of the more forgettable action side ensemble I've seen this year; I was particularly disappointed Mahut didn't make use of her larger screen time to actually define her character a bit. Sienna Guillory, who played Driscoll, was the most stereotypical antagonist portrayal; ultra rich billionaire who could not physically fend for herself without her mercenaries felt very played out.

At least The Meg knew how to have fun, this film is another action blockbuster that takes itself far too seriously for the sheer absurdity going on. I would give Meg 2: The Trench a 3.5/10.