Ready Or Not

This review may contain spoilers!

This film feels like a fresh bit of flavour in the horror/thriller camp even if it does struggle to find the line between horror grounded in reality and supernatural horror. I would give Ready Or Not a 6.5/10.

Ready Or Not follows Grace, a young woman marrying into the very wealthy Le Domas family; the Le Domas family having earned most of their wealth via their gaming endeavours. Grace has to embark on a game of hide and seek as part of a family marital tradition, yet things take a dark turn when the game turns to a kill or be killed hunt. The entire premise for this feature feels really original in it's execution, there are certainly some great homages to classic horror cinema but I never stopped being impressed by the creativity that was so evident in the writing and direction of this film. I believe what elevated this sensation was the genuine cast of characters assembled, this wasn't like other 'secret killer cult' films but rather took care to make you feel like every role had depth and was interesting. The characters were intimidated by their own undertaking and squabbled amongst one another as you would expect in a twisted high stakes situation. I felt that Grace in particular was this noble figure who really endured yet never operated beyond the boundaries of what would be considered reasonable character development.The cinematography was really carefully framed, utilising gripping close ups and a lot of effective camera movement to enhance the tone and make the audience feel as if they were on the run too. The editing tied it all together nicely and set a strong pace, scenes knew how to drag a shot before a cut or when quick frantic cutting was needed. The score for the film was really impressive, a number of horror scores can fall into the realm of the generic or piggyback off classics but this was music that left you tense from beginning to end.

Samara Weaving, who played Grace, is an incredible protagonist who leads this feature very well; Weaving has some sharp biting retorts and portrays real terror in such a consistent, impressive way. Henry Czerny, who played Tony Le Domas, makes for an intimidating and erratic patriarch of this twisted family; Czerny's aggression and manic desperation to see the hunt come to a close is fascinating to watch. Andie MacDowell, who played Becky Le Domas, is such a welcoming compassionate mother figure at the start of the film; I appreciated MacDowell's dedication to finding the line between good mother and proficient hunter throughout as it really showed a complex duality to her role and the situation. Melanie Scrofano, who played Emilie, is an almost psychotic personality from the minute the hunt begins; Scrofano has this malevolent way of depicting survival for the sake of her young children which is an interesting trope to see turned on its head. Kristian Bruun, who played Fitch Bradley, is a strong source of comedic gold throughout the feature; Bruun is a nice perspective into a family member who is completely outside of what is going on and disbelieving at every turn. Elyse Levesque, who played Charity Le Domas, is this cold merciless role that makes for one of the more memorable antagonists; Levesque is so fiercely bound to her life as a rich woman of power that she begins to set anything aside in pursuit of keeping her way of being.

However, the best performance came from Adam Brody, who played Daniel Le Domas. I think what I liked about the character of Daniel was that he really played against your expectations throughout the feature. When first Brody presents Daniel to us he is this drunken member of the family, on the fringes of their unified image and with nothing but copious amounts of hilarious dry wit. As the film descends into the hunt for Grace you begin to see how worn down Daniel is, the resentment he holds for the game and his inability to reconcile participating at all. Brody and Weaving have an interesting dynamic in which she manages to bring forth the more honourable and good side of his role as the film wears on, ultimately resulting in his rescue attempt and heroic sacrifice for her sake. I also really enjoyed the power struggle Brody had with Czerny, the family patriarch.

Cinema these days really blurs the line between genre on an almost frequent basis, this has resulted in some great films and some confused messes. Where Ready Or Not struggles is finding the middle ground between a slasher/horror thriller and a supernatural horror. The film succeeds when you become invested in these very complex and dynamic characters and the hunt they embark upon, yet there's another side to that coin that holds all the baggage. Any time the film attempts to explore the family's motivations for killing Grace we get caught in a web of exposition around dark pacts and ancient deals with devils. Right near the end of the film there's a moment where the film commits strongly to the supernatural element and it feels really jarring after seeing a split between the two for so long, ultimately it cheapens the film because it feels like it was added for shock value as opposed to enhancing the narrative. Ready Or Not often pushes the boundaries when it comes to showing intense displays of gore as well, which has its moments where it really works but at other moments just feels included to set you on edge and make you feel shocked and uncomfortable. This is a film with a strong concept but more often than not is let down by a shocking, jarring moment that was thrown in as an attempt to curveball the narrative.

Mark O'Brien, who played Alex Le Domas, is the role who is dumped with delivering a weighty amount of the exposition and he really doesn't handle it well; beyond that O'Brien just plain doesn't have all that much chemistry with Weaving and so the scenes where he grapples between loyalties aren't very convincing. Nicky Guadagni, who played Aunt Helene, goes to quite an over the top place with the family member who seems most dedicated to the ritualistic sacrifice; Guadagni never takes a moment to explore what is real for her character and just transports her away to a place that is impossible to connect with from the start. John Ralston, who played Stevens, is pushed really strongly as the main henchman for the antagonists but his motivation always comes across as murky; Ralston never pauses to provide character but instead just launches into full blind physical brutality.

Charlie's Angels

This review may contain spoilers!

It wouldn't be Charlie's Angels if it wasn't a fun action blockbuster with a convoluted plot. I would give Charlie's Angels a 5.5/10.

Charlie's Angels is a soft reboot of the famous action series that follows our heroines from the Charles Townsend Agency as they take on the latest high profile criminal threat. In this film, seasoned Angels, Sabina and Jane, have to protect a promising recruit, Elena, who has developed a device that has the potential to be weaponised on a mass scale. The film really benefits from knowing what it wants to achieve, the end product is a positive tone as the entire feature has such strong messages about positivity and empowerment for women. There is also a real sense of fun and humour with this feature, multiple characters will treat you to dialogue you wish the original films had dreamt of having and I certainly had some scenes that left me laughing. The score for the film is a high energy romp, yet the compiled soundtrack for the film is the real triumph; Charlie's Angels hosts a number of tracks from upcoming young female musicians and it really highlighted the way in which the film attempts to raise women up.

Naomi Scott, who played Elena Houghlin, was a lot of fun as the new trainee Angel; Scott was this really unskilled yet highly excitable up and comer who the audience got to see the thrill of the Angels' world through. Ella Balinska, who played Jane Kano, was the certifiable badass of the group; Balinska had a tough, no nonsense attitude and barrelled into fights like a one woman militia. Patrick Stewart, who played John Bosley, seemed to be having a fair bit of fun portraying one of the admittedly classic camp Charlie's Angels villains; Stewart's smug demeanour and sense of superiority over his enemies made him a good foil for the protagonists.

However, the best performance came from Kristen Stewart, who played Sabina Wilson. Sabina was a complete wild card onscreen, you never knew exactly what she was capable of doing in a scene but it was often guaranteed to be hilarious or exhilarating. Stewart entered scenes like a whirlwind, she felt entirely present at any given moment and never dropped tempo once. The result was this role who had boundless energy, that you absolutely felt was the most charismatic of the team and who had a charming reckless streak. Stewart was flirty and daring like the old Angels but brought a confidence in her own self-worth that highlighted what an Angel written in 2019 would look like. This performance wasn't merely good, it stole the show and has me excited for Kristen Stewart's future performances.

This film is a lot of fun and has some great take away messages but the overall story has a number of issues that let it down. The first act initiates the plot by relying on a really strong heavy handling of the features themes, there's no subtlety and the entire introduction to Elena comes across as quite forced because of this. The entire film becomes a big long pursuit of acquiring one particular item that is just juggled back and forth between the bad guys and the good guys, it's not a very inspired or original storyline and it never tries to find a unique take on this. The moments in which the film does attempt to divert away from the main storyline you get these relatively unnecessary subplots tacked on like Jane's backstory in leaving MI6, Jane's romance with Langston or the intricate web of unnecessary antagonists squaring off against one another and the Angels to boot. There's also a big twist antagonist (to no one's great surprise) and the film plays this out for a little long too, snapping focus back from one surprise character to another. The cinematography utilised throughout the film needed some variety, a number of the close-ups or panning shots used were very repetitive and it wasn't often the film found a style all its own. The editing for the feature was relatively mild for a blockbuster feature too, slow cuts in a scene and some jarring transitions throughout that marred the pacing of the end product.

Elizabeth Banks, who played Bosley, felt like quite a detached mentor/guardian figure; Banks really didn't feel strongly engaged in her scenes, probably because of the split focus with directing, but the role suffered for this. Djimon Hounsou, who played Edgar Bosley, was very similar to Banks in that he came across as a stoic detached mentor figure; this meant that when Hounsou's death scene came around you didn't feel it as much as you should have. Sam Claflin, who played Alexander Brock, gave a very generic performance as the egocentric billionaire; Claflin switches this role to more of a bumbling villain at the end which is fun but it's a bit too little too late. Jonathan Tucker, who played Hodak, looks more like he wandered off the Terminator set than the Charlie's Angels one; Tucker has no emotions at all as the film's token henchman and so he doesn't leave much of an impression. Nat Faxon, who played Peter Fleming, lays on the misogynistic boss rather thick; there isn't a scene in this film where Faxon knows how to dial himself down and not play it over the top. Chris Pang, who played Jonny Smith, felt like a one off antagonist that could be goofy as a gag then the film would move on; in pulling Pang back for repeat scenes the character came off as cheap and an unnecessary element to the feature. Luis Gerardo Mendez, who played the Saint, was another role that was fun as a gag but wore in with repeat appearances; having a novelty 'mind,body, spirit' guru in every Angels HQ was fun until scenes focusing on this role wore on for too long. Noah Centineo, who played Langston, was awkwardly pushed into this film as a forgettable love interest; Centineo's chemistry with Balinska in non-existent onscreen and the whole role was a waste of time. Marie-Lou Sellem, who played Fatima Ahmed, felt like a role who practically appeared out of nowhere; the tense scenes of broken trust between her and Balinska felt like something out of an entirely different film.

Doctor Sleep

This review may contain spoilers!

This is probably as perfect a sequel to The Shining as one could hope for. I would give Doctor Sleep an 8.5/10.

Doctor Sleep is an adaptation of Stephen King's sequel to The Shining; it also frames itself as a loose sequel to the original film as well. Doctor Sleep brings reunites us with Dan Torrance, now an adult, as he grapples with alcoholism and the horrors brought on by his 'shine'. As Dan manages to make things right for himself he finds himself bound to Abra, a young girl with incredibly strong powers who is being hunted by vampiric immortals known as The True Knot. As a sequel I think this was a brilliant character study and got to show us the world Stephen King had built through these two novels. The horror/fantasy element is very well handled and watching how Dan has escaped the evil of the Overlook Hotel since his childhood years is really interesting. The way those who 'shine' are depicted is quite fascinating as well, you see a variety of powers and the ways in which they emerge throughout this film and that is offset by the horrific nature of the cult-like antagonists hunting them. I think what impressed me most about the narrative was how Dan Torrance was examined as a character. When we meet him as an adult in the film he seems like a shell of a person, addled by alcoholism, drug use and getting into random violent fights. The film feels a journey about how Dan finds his way back to sobriety and the good nature that is at the heart of his role; it's a really interesting point of divergence from Dan's father Jack, who attempted to get clean at the Overlook and was instead corrupted by the entities there. Having found himself clean and renewed with purpose Dan begins getting contacted by Abra which launches them both into a large conflict to save her from those that would feast upon her shine. By taking on a mentor role to this young girl Dan is stepping up into a greater area of responsibility, just as Dick Hallorann was a guide and protector for Dan when he was a child. Inevitably all parties are brought together at the Overlook and Dan must face his greatest demons in order to save Abra; this is personified in what is the film's crowning scene, a dialogue between Dan and the cursed spirit of his father Jack. There's a lot to say about this scene but all I want to note is that it's right up there as one of the best cinematic scenes I've had the pleasure of watching this year. The cinematography throughout is a clever blend of homage and captivating ingenuity; there were some shots that really took you back to The Shining and some that I feel should make this film have a status all its own. The visual effects were phenomenal, I liked the design for how the True Knot fed and I was also really impressed with how they did scenes like Rose the Hat mentally tracking down Abra. The score for the film is haunting and melodic, yet has it's own melancholy reflective tone that I think captured the heart of the film.

Rebecca Ferguson, who played Rose The Hat, hasn't had a role this absolutely phenomenal in a short while; Ferguson is this calculating, hungry antagonist that teaches you exactly who to be afraid of throughout the feature. Kyliegh Curran, who played Abra Stone, has to be one of the best young talents I've seen in a film this year; Curran is staggering as this highly confident powerful kid and shows an expressive range consistently. Cliff Curtis, who played Billy Freeman, is a really charismatic good-natured role that is impossible to dislike; his loyalty and bond with McGregor make this duo an onscreen friendship that is remarkably likeable. Zahn McClarnon, who played Crow Daddy, is a very calm, level-headed antagonist who frames nicely against Ferguson's Rose; I liked McClarnon in particular because he wasn't preternaturally bloodthirsty as some of the True Knot were, he was strategic in how he plotted his kidnapping and murder which made for a good villain. Emily Alyn Lind, who played Snakebite Andi, is a really interesting performance into corruption; Alyn Lind first presents Andi as a young woman doing something questionably good and from there is dragged into the world of the True Knot and twisted into becoming a bloodthirsty killer. Carl Lumbly, who played Dick Hallorann, is perfect as Dan's mentor and conscience throughout the film; Lumbly's almost spiritual perspective on delivering exposition about the shining is phenomenal line delivery. Thomas Downing, who played The Bartender/Jack Torrance, has to be one of the driving forces behind one of my favourite scenes of the film; Downing did for this role what Nicholson did back in the original Shining while crafting a good foil for McGregor to play against. Bruce Greenwood, who played Dr John, is an admittedly minor role in this film but a kind character and important in Dan's early journey; Greenwood delivers a sense of quiet understanding and compassion that allows Dan to find his way back to embracing his shine as a good thing once again. Alex Essoe and Roger Dale Floyd, who played Wendy Torrance and Young Danny, made me feel like I was stepping back into a time machine and watching The Shining all over again; Essoe in particular had that soft, protective composure that so famously marked the role of Wendy. Jacob Tremblay, who played Bradley Trevor, is another great performer in a smaller role that really leaves you with an impression; Tremblay gives the best portrayal of blind terror you'll see from a kid of this age as he's strung up and murdered.

However, the best performance came from Ewan McGregor, who played Dan Torrance. I couldn't call this incredible sequel a character piece without high praising the actor portraying the character himself. McGregor goes to great pains to show Dan as a very tortured soul at first, he's haunted by the memories from his childhood and fallen into some of the abusive habits his father partook in. This role is almost pleading to get well and find purpose separate from his shine and when he begins to discover that we get this really joyful moment of clarity. McGregror gets to play to Dan discovering how his shine can be of assistance to others, using his position as an orderly at a hospice to help the elderly there who need him. This calling continues to extend as Dan reluctantly becomes a mentor to Abra and has to put aside his own fears in service of his charge. The journey Dan goes through from dejected and alone, to good and compassionate is a powerful one and really comes together nicely when he faces all that has ever challenged him when he returns to the Overlook in order to save Abra's life.

This film did stumble through exposition at times, I think for the most part the explanation of what was supernatural really worked but Doctor Sleep couldn't escape a few overly lengthy or cheesy moments born of this error. The introduction at the start of the film that followed closely on the heels of The Shining went for a little long as well, it was clear they had a lot to establish but it meant the film had a slow start. The editing for the film was impressive in terms of visual effects but the cutting together of the piece left a lot to be desired. The slow fades and abrupt cuts felt decades old and it really interrupted the flow of the piece at times.

Zackary Momoh and Jocelin Donahue, who played David Stone and Lucy Stone, are some of the only members of the cast who don't really seem as certain on how to get the best from their roles; what you wind up getting from this pair is a pretty stereotypical portrayal of parental figures in a supernatural feature.

Terminator: Dark Fate

This review may contain spoilers!

I have enjoyed a lot of these Terminator films for a while and this is another good instalment in the series. I would give Terminator: Dark Fate a 7.5/10.

Terminator: Dark Fate is the sixth instalment in the Terminator series and yet another direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. In Dark Fate Skynet has fallen and a new threat has arisen, Legion, a military AI hellbent on the eradication of the human race. Augmented soldier, Grace, is sent back in time to save Dani Ramos, the future leader of the human resistance before Legion can kill her first. How the film enhances the Terminator universe is really interesting, I think the way in which the threat of Skynet being dismantled as it was by the end of T2 was well done and the heightened threat of Legion was extremely impressive. The film utlised a number of flash forwards, used the enhanced human fighter and the new Rev-9 model terminators to really hook you into the action; the stakes felt higher than ever and it was a real thrill to watch. I think seeing Grace's journey unfold as she went from being a scavenger, to resistance fighter, to an enhanced human was powerful and you saw the levels of sacrifice a person would be willing to go for a cause they believe in with her. Perhaps the best storyline was that of Sarah Connor's, seeing her lost and alone after a tragedy in the past I thought it was a great direction that she was a rogue Terminator hunter now. Watching her grapple with her past and having to trust Grace and Carl felt like a good journey for her character and you saw a lot of what happened to her reflected in Dani. The cinematography throughout this film makes you feel very present in the action, it was such an immersive experience that kept you in motion and hooked you with fantastic visuals. The special effects throughout the film were the best this franchise has seen; whether that be from the designs of the various Terminator models, post-apocalyptic settings or mid-air plane collisions this spared nothing in an effort to leave the audience wowed. The score for Dark Fate was adrenaline fuel if ever I heard it, perfect for the grand scale blockbuster this is and with multiple callbacks to some of the famous tracks from the original films.

Linda Hamilton, who played Sarah Connor, is unapologetically the toughest person in any scene and does not back down for a fight even if she's entirely outmatched; Hamilton wears the years of grief and futility her character has known really well and you understand her bitterness. Mackenzie Davis, who played Grace, is an exceptional fighter who is unbreakable and determined to see the purpose of her mission through to the end; Mackenzie's struggles with being made augmented give her role a lot of complexity which is only heightened by her tearful recounting of the future she has come from. Diego Boneta, who played Diego Ramos, is a really charismatic and altogether innocent young man; Boneta really sells you on the sibling chemistry between him and Reyes which makes his scene of self-sacrifice really profound. Diego Luna, who played the Rev-9, was instantly a classic Terminator model akin to a performance as memorable as Schwarzenegger's was back in the day; Luna is entirely remorseless, precise and dangerous in every scene he is in.

However, the best performance came from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the T-800/Carl. Schwarzenegger is the face of these films and has spent more time with them than any other cast member from the franchise. I think experience like that really shows in this film because every scene he's in his performance feels very purposeful and reasoned. He has all the classic rigid and stoic mannerisms that make the T-800 so famously mechanical and inhuman. But by inhabiting this role for so long he also has the capacity to play against what you know and present a humanlike Terminator in the form of Carl. It's not an easy character by any stretch but emotions like guilt, regret, love, sympathy and loyalty come through in how Schwarzenegger presents Carl but he's very good at showing these emotions in a limited capacity to make you believe he has gone as far as a machine can to being human. I also have to say he is just about the funniest performance you'll get all film, his serious yet passionate explanation of what living as a man who owns a drapery is like is probably my favourite scene.

This film was nothing short of stunning blockbuster material, but it suffers from one big issue that a number of blockbusters fall prey to. This film has a lot of stunt or effects heavy action scenes and these are offset with big lengthy moments of dialogue and exposition, giving insight about the characters and feeding the audience key information. Any film like this has to find the moment of balance between these types of scenes and Dark Fate really struggles with finding this balance; not at first, but certainly as the feature wears on. Action sequences begin to get repetitive or they don't seem to find an ending, the flip side is we get long moments of lengthy explanations from characters that just come across as dialogue heavy. A major problem the film suffers with is the Terminator's new target: Dani Ramos. As a character Dani is very black and white, there's never much given to her in terms of depth; but the film tries to do a 'big twist' and reveal that unlike Sarah Connor it isn't her son that will save the world but her. This revelation might have surprised a lot of people back when they were making T2 but it wasn't a huge shock and as a role Dani is far from convincing as humanity's saviour. The film ties itself strongly to being a sequel to T2 but in the first two minutes of the film kills off a fan favourite main character in a pretty underwhelming way, while the movie is riddled with great fan service this part is going to be hard to watch if you're a Terminator fan.

Natalia Reyes, who played Dani Ramos, is the weak link in an otherwise solid cast; Reyes plays quite a two-dimensional character who sees things in a very black and white way and is truly a hard sell as Earth's ultimate saviour.

Jojo Rabbit

This review may contain spoilers!

This is probably the best Taika Waititi film I've ever seen. I would give Jojo Rabbit an 8.5/10.

Jojo Rabbit is about a young boy, Johannes, growing up in Nazi Germany and allowing his world view to be shaped by his membership in Hitler Youth. Jojo is forced to confront what he believes however, when he discovers his mother is harbouring a young Jewish girl. I think this was always going to be a risky film, depicting Nazism in a film with humour elements was always going to be a balancing act. But to say anything less than I was stunned and found the whole experience thought-provoking would be an injustice. This film does a really good job of showing how a culture of hatred is bred, corrupting a character as likeable and innocent as Jojo until you can envision the Nazi figure he has the potential to mature into. Yet seeing figures who dissent against the Nazi war machine and lead by a message of love, such as Jojo's mother, provides a nice counterbalance to the influences working on our young protagonist. Inevitably Jojo and Elsa meet and start their rocky relationship as enemies who fear or hate one another. The journey and joy of this movie is seeing these two overcome their differences and bond as friends; they endure a lot of pain and hardhsip but ultimately they grow closer and inspire change within one another. Taika Waititi's films are also well known for their sharp wit and remarkably unique humour, all of which you'll get throughout this feature by the bucketload. I particularly enjoyed how Jojo's imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, was used as a tool to represent Jojo's inner conflict and ultimate change in viewpoint. The cinematography was really fun and often heightened the sense of comedy or charm in a scene by presenting an unpredictable or intimate shot that tied everything together. The editing set a very smooth pace and tended to lend itself to that finer stroke of nailing a punchline. The score for the film could be really harrowing or balance out and heighten the thrill of a scene; I really enjoyed the upbeat soundtrack that always seemed to deeply lead back to the film's ultimate message of love triumphing over hate.

Roman Griffin Davis, who played Jojo, is a phenomenal leading performer and brings a lot of charm to this film; Davis' ability to portray his inner conflict between devout nationalism and the love and protectiveness he feels for Elsa and his mother is the driving point for the film. Thomasin McKenzie, who played Elsa, is this very caged and angry young woman who clashes with Jojo when first we meet her; coming to understand McKenzie's Elsa is one of the most heartfelt and sorrowful journeys the film will take you on and it's nothing short of impressive. Scarlett Johansson, who played Rosie, is this wild force to be reckoned with and the heart of the film; Johansson introduces us to this fighter of a mother who doesn't fall under the thumb of the Nazi regime and proclaims messages of love consistently.Taika Waititi, who played Adolf, gives one of the more interesting and unique performances in the feature; the manner in which he presents a funnier view of Hitler through the mind of a ten year old is great but in showing Hitler as more manic come the end of the film we see a break away from those Nazi ideals for our young hero too. Rebel Wilson, who played Fraulein Rahm, is entirely over the top and one of the better comedic performances you'll get; Wilson takes one of the main Nazi figures and shows her to be a completely hopeless fanatic that is more than a bit ridiculous. Alfie Allen, who played Finkel, is a really good subtle foil to Rockwell; Allen holds the chemistry between the two of them and allows you to see the subtext between these two German men. Stephen Merchant, who played Deertz, is the most menacing figure of the film; Merchant really knows how to intimidate a role in as few words as possible and how to completely take over and dominate a space. Archie Yates, who played Yorkie, is quite simply one of the more loveable members in the cast; Yates shows a young boy who is entirely innocent and detached from blind obedience yet gets dragged further and further into the war as the film progresses.

However, the best performance came from Sam Rockwell, who played Captain Klenzendorf. Rockwell has always been one of my favourite actors and I was genuinely really curious to see what sort of perofrmance he'd be bringing to this film. Captain K is built to impress, he's a more than capable soldier with the open bravado and confidence the Nazi regime rewards. He's also really consistent at showing off where he gets the chance and is more openly flamboyant as the film progresses. I felt it was a bold choice to show Captain K as a character sympathetic to Jojo and Elsa due to his own homosexuality, which would have been condemned under Nazi rule. Rockwell's last scene in which he has to spurn Jojo and drive him away in an effort to save his life is one of the saddest moments in the feature; certainly the scene that left me the most emotional.

This film really could have done a better job with introducing characters at times, some of the cast got a strong lead in while others just really came into the film in a jarring manner. I really thought they established Jojo's mother quite late into the first act, while the initial first few scenes with Elsa were so hostile on both sides it was hard to feel much of a connection with either her or Jojo in that moment. While I felt the film used comedy really effectively there were a number of scenes in which the inclusion of humour was jarring and interrupted the flow of the narrative. A strong example of this is when Rosie pretends to be Jojo's mother and herself at the same time in what felt like an especially bizarre take on solo parenting.

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil

This review may contain spoilers!

The first film was an unique twist on the Sleeping Beauty story, this sequel wasn't in high demand and takes you on a confused journey. I would give Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil a 4.5/10.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is the sequel to 2014's Maleficent, it follows the upcoming wedding of Princess Aurora to Prince Philip, the exploration of Maleficent's dark fey roots and Philip's mother, Queen Ingrith, declaring war on the fey folk. The best plot for this sequel was the cloak and daggers that occurred between Maleficent, Ingrith and Aurora as Maleficent was framed for inflicting a curse upon Ingrith's husband: King John. This felt like a very clever way to build conflict and subtly pit characters against one another, I felt like these moments really hearkened to the high fantasy setting they wanted to achieve.The cinematography really seeks out to capture the scope of the visuals and setting, you have these jaw-dropping wide shots that take in immense sprawling forests, towering castles and the deep warrens the dark fey call home. The special effects are certainly a sight to behold, the design of Maleficent and the dark fey - in particular their wings, looks incredible. But that is nothing compared to the abundance of fey folk throughout the feature that have a charming unique design that captures the joyous spirit of magic at the heart of this story.

Michelle Pfeiffer, who played Queen Ingrith, takes a little while to find her feet as the film's antagonist but once she settles in it is something to watch; Pfeiffer becomes this duplicitous monarch the likes of which you'd expect to see in Game of Thrones due to the manner in which she delivers lies and manipulations. Sam Riley, who played Diaval, feels like he's found a good groove as the voice of Maleficent's conscience this time around; Riley really feels like that familial bridge that links between Jolie's Maleficent and Fanning's Aurora. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Conall, is the compassionate heart of the film and as good of a guide into the dark fey as we could have hoped for; the manner in which Ejiofor presents exposition makes you feel the weight and history in the words he is saying. Jenn Murray, who played Gerda, has to be one of the most fascinating antagonist's henchperson I've seen; she has this silent lethality to her that feels really cruel in some of her key scenes and I loved the fiercely loyal bond you could immediately see between her and Pfeiffer. 

However, the best performance came from Angelina Jolie, who played Maleficent. As I said in my review of the first film, Jolie was born to play this character and continues to convince me of that here. This film may not have the strongest script but Jolie fights to show off every powerful and moving character moment she can when at all possible. Every scene she enters you feel the foreboding presence that comes of being a feared sorceress, she absolutely radiates powerful just through posture and a look. I think the subtlety of the role comes through in seeing her nervousness at attempting to reconcile with humanity, her perseverance for Aurora's sake and her pain and rage when Ingrith inevitably betrays and frames her. The entire film is a journey that sees Maleficent wrestle with these turbulent feelings, unsure if she can trust past treasured relationships and furious once more towards humankind. Her unification with the dark fey is fascinating because we see a side of Maleficent that is full of wonder and even joy at the sensation of being united with her own kin. Ultimately seeing Maleficent recognise her love for Aurora and a need for peace is a humbling moment and it's great to see Jolie bring a gentle, happy conclusion to this character's arc.

The story in this film has all the callsigns of a bad sequel script; significant aspects of the last film are repeated, there's a wedding, and most significantly there are now a whole new group of characters that closely resemble a main character. The entire film being fuelled by a budding romance between Aurora and Philip is a bit hard to swallow when the chemistry is so very bland, these two never seem strongly bound together and the narrative does nothing to enhance their relationship.The antagonist for the film has rather thin motivations for hating the fey folk and her entire plot to kill all faeries seems to happen because the sequel needs something to generate conflict. The film almost rushes to this point, seemingly aware that no one cares about Aurora and Philip and hoping the audience doesn't notice the absurdity of a flower that grows when a fairy dies being able to then be used to kill faeries. Once the film stops rushing however it slows, very noticeably, with the arrival of the dark fey: fey folk who look in every way like Maleficent does. Oh and they live in tunnels because they're the 'hidden race', such a new idea. The dark fey drag the film down because most of them are gearing up for war against the humans for very thin reasons and you start to realise the whole film is pushing towards a big fight scene but didn't really know how to get there. After numerous scenes of lengthy monologuing, some poor foreshadowing that Maleficent can cheat death because she's like a phoenix and one of the most forgettable character deaths in the film, the big battle finally plays out and the film rushes to its conclusion. If the narrative alone isn't enough to put you off the dialogue throughout the film is so bad even Jolie can't salvage it at times. The special effects throughout The film look pretty spectacular, yet in the first act there's a real problem with how the colour palette of the film is presented. You are assaulted with such a variety of bright colours that it really does feel like a lot of cartoonish chaos to take in.

Elle Fanning, who played Aurora, was absolutely stunning in the first film but doesn't really seem to know how to take the role further in the sequel; Fanning doesn't play well to her role's distrustful subplot and the bright, bubbly persona feels a bit more forced this time around. Harris Dickinson, who played Prince Philip, was undoubtedly one of the worst leads in The Darkest Minds film and has managed to improve a little this film; yet in spite of finding a better role Dickinson is ever consistent with a flat tone and an inability to find chemistry with a single living breathing member of the cast. Ed Skrein, who played Borra, is a war driven magical being who just seems to want a fight and that's about the totality of his character; Skrein is quickly becoming boxed into these antagonistic headstrong fighters and sometimes he runs with it and other times it is a shell of a role like Borra. Robert Lindsay, who played King John, gives about the most phoned in kindly father figure you'll see this year; Lindsay's blindly optimistic role feels like such dead weight in scenes with more complicated roles like Pfeiffer's Ingrith. David Gyasi, who played Percival, doesn't seem very comfortable in the medieval setting and struggles with his accent; Gyasi never really feels like a strong, soldier type and his relationship with Dickinson as on-screen friends is a hard sell. Juno Temple, Lesley Manville and Imelda Staunton, who played Thistlewit, Flittle and Knotgrass respectively, weren't good in the first film and aren't any better in the sequel; this trio just blurt out mindless comedic relief intended for the three year olds in the audience and are pretty forgettable otherwise.

Zombieland: Double Tap

This review may contain spoilers!

This is one of those genre comedies that has been a classic for a long time and the sequel was genuinely an equal pleasure. I would give Zombieland: Double Tap an 8/10.

Zombieland: Double Tap is the sequel to 2009's Zombieland and reunites us with main characters: Columbus, Tallahassee, Little Rock and Wichita as they attempt to navigate new survivors, evolved undead and life as a dysfunctional family in a zombie apocalypse. The reason I was drawn back to this one so strongly was probably how well they managed to keep the sense of humour intact, particularly as the film progressed the gags they explored just got better and better. It wasn't merely that this is a strong satire on every 'serious' piece of zombie pop culture, it was the range of humour brought to bear. There were moments in which zombie shows like The Walking Dead were being cleverly mocked that would switch to exploring a ditzy survivor and her interactions with the group, or doppelgangers of the main characters to poke fun at the film itself, and even leaping to a group of survivors entirely dedicated to pacifism in this desolate wasteland. Zombieland 2 thinks of everything and orchestrates exactly where it wants its jokes for maximum impact and if you find yourselves in stitches for even some of this excellent film then I highly recommend you hang around for the mid-credits scene. The film also nurtures the bond this strange family of survivors has with one another, often finding simple yet meaningful ways of approaching the heart of this narrative. You get to see Columbus and Tallahassee come to affirm the partnership/survivor duo dependence they have with one another, Columbus and Wichita go through relationship turmoil that actually feels interesting to watch and carries over well from the first film. Even the father/daughter relationship between Tallahassee and Little Rock hits home by the end of the feature, the pair learning some valuable lessons about giving room to be free but also knowing they can count on each other as family should. The cinematography used throughout keeps things active, each set feels like a place explored because the camera maps out every area characters can move within or be engaged in a point of action. The special effects look really good, both in term of the practical effects with some of the zombie encounters and some of the visual effects like the monster truck scene. The soundtrack throughout this feature is really funny and works in tandem with the films comedic tone, it also enhanced moments of action and really brought out the 'cool' factor in those moments.

Woody Harrelson, who played Tallahassee, stills feels like the most epic and dangerous character in the cast; Harrelson does a great job of portraying this tough as nails, gritty character who stumbles through his feelings towards his makeshift family. Jesse Eisenberg, who played Columbus, is still a really strong guide to this crazy zombie-ridden world as our narrator throughout the feature; I found Eisenberg's portrayal of conflict with both Harrelson and Stone really well done. Emma Stone, who played Wichita, is intensely determined and driven towards the protection of her sister; watching Stone grapple with her decision towards the proposal in this film is a nice continuation from what they set up in the first film. Rosario Dawson, who played Nevada, is a tough survivor that matches up to Harrelson perfectly; the way in which their shared interests emerge and their romance begins is actually quite engaging and pulls you in. Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch, who played Albuquerque and Flagstaff respectively, are a great pair who really mirror the roles Harrelson and Eisenberg inhabit well; I loved the scene in which they tried to conceal they'd been bitten by zombies and started to squabble amongst themselves when the secret became exposed.

However, the best performance came from Zoey Deutch, who played Madison. This character was by no means the brightest bulb in the box but her character was such a comedic powerhouse that she shined throughout. There was a lot of potential for this role to just be written off as the token 'dumb blonde' that was the hallmark of a lot of old American comedies. But I think what I liked is that Deutch reminded us that while Madison was a bit of a goofball she was undeniably human and capable of surviving. This is a role who hilariously springs to the aid of Wichita, claims out Columbus for her own after being alone for years and then presses through even when the main group of survivors have left her for dead. Deutch really has a strong sense of what she wants to achieve with Madison as a comedic role and I think she has just about the best timing and delivery of the cast.

This film was a really enjoyable and entertaining time but as a sequel it never managed to feel like a full plot or story. This isn't the sort of feature that feels like a fully realised eye-catching main narrative, rather this is a string of anecdotes tied together around a smaller main plot. It doesn't always feel like the best format for a sequel film and that lets down the pacing and structure of the film. The first act also spends a lot of time setting up punchlines for the second or even final act, but in ways that feel jarring and create some awkward scenes. The first act is by far the weakest of the film and it takes some time for Zombieland: Double Tap to find its feet and start running.

Abigail Breslin, who played Little Rock, is a solid part of the original main four cast members and really got forgotten in this film; Breslin doesn't particularly seem committed to the idea that her role wants to go off to find a boyfriend and so that entire subplot falls to the background. Avan Jogia, who played Berkeley, seems to be one of the few performers in the cast who plays to his eccentric stoner stereotype; Jogia never has a moment of sincere comedy and certainly lacks chemistry with Breslin.