Air

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Air is a biopic following the Nike team who managed to create Air Jordans, and convince Michael Jordan himself to partner with the company. Immediately going into this I was unsure of what to expect; I'm neither a basketball fan nor have I ever owned a pair of Jordans. But what did have me excited was seeing a project in which Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were playing off one another yet again; even better that Ben Affleck was directing it. The film is quite compact in a lot of ways, very dialogue heavy and often setting scenes in an office space or via a phone conversation. But that intimate, low stakes style of production is such a wonderful choice because it allows the dialogue to thrive. The script Air boasts in masterful, it really has some lines that hit with wit in one scene and weight in the other. I loved how characters played off against each other, grew because of their interactions with one another and really individually felt defined. This was a screenplay that knew how to use all of the pieces at play, there was a lot of dramatic tension but the film also did a great job of showing the eccentric side of this unbelievable story and more than that it really dug into the emotional pressure of the workers who made this story happen.

Ben Affleck makes more contained sets really come to life, the way this film is peppered with shots of people just talking and observing should make for a visually dull watch. But Air is captivating and it constantly switches up on framing, levels and angles to craft a really engaging visual piece that holds your attention throughout. The soundtrack throughout this feature is like living in a time capsule, it brings the 80s to life in a big way and also defines the feature as a narrative about a group of people daring something impossible.

 

Matt Damon, who played Sonny Vaccaro, is a wonderful protagonist for this feature; Damon presents a very mild-mannered yet determined figure who really steadily grows more passionate as the feature progresses. Ben Affleck, who played Phil Knight, is one of Affleck's best performances in recent years; watching Affleck play this character who is so intentionally eccentric and trying to inspire his workers is extremely funny. Chris Messina, who played David Falk, is like a fireworks show in this; a scene with Messina can be steadily ticking along and then he suddenly explodes with some of the wildest and most entertaining line delivery in the film. Viola Davis, who played Delores Jordan, is a lot more understated than some of Davis' more recent film roles but she is no less a powerhouse; watching Davis quietly affirm the significance and worth of Michael Jordan from a matriarchal lens was really well performed. Chris Tucker, who played Howard White, is quietly the heart of the film; watching the genuine admiration he has in scenes with Damon make for some very heartwarming moments. Matthew Maher, who played Peter Moore, is a very out of the box figure that surprisingly works well; Maher finds the comedy of Peter while also making the character come across as genuinely brilliant. Marlon Wayans, who played George Raveling, is this one scene character who leaves a solid impression on the film; Wayans really comes at George with a very grounded and sincere approach.

However, the best performance came from Jason Bateman, who played Rob Strasser. I love Bateman in most any comedy he stars in, but when he really takes the gloves off and steps into a dramatic role it can be something brilliant. Bateman's classic dry, sarcastic wit is all over his delivery and marks him with some of the best lines in the film. I enjoyed watching Bateman play an individual who is more meek than usual, he is stressed and just doing his very best to keep things moving forward. But the way Bateman plays character chemistry is a little bolder, watching him bounce off Damon is one of my personal favourite aspects of the film. The strength of this role is seeing that human element, in which Bateman depicts his character's fear of becoming estranged from his daughter. It is a stern reminder of the stakes in the narrative, and a deeply moving moment from one of the leading performers.

There is an element of this film that does come across as quite safe, it takes appropriate pauses and builds up the stakes but there is still a levity to the final outcome. This is a feature that takes place over phones and corporate meeting rooms, the stakes are limited and in such an inspiring biopic narrative it's no surprise the trajectory of the positive outcome. I also thought the film really could have wound things up a little tighter in the final act, it definitely stretched on a little longer past the point where it felt like they had nailed their ending.

In spite of a really grand visual style, the editing does let things down to some extent. There is a really gradual approach to cutting up scenes that drags the way scenes move more than I really appreciated as an audience member. 

Julius Tennon, who played James Jordan, is a necessary physical presence but is never a noteworthy character; Tennon spends the movie nodding and grinning without ever feeling like an active participant in the same way Davis is.

 

When Ben Affleck wants to showcase his directing talent, he really brings it. I would give Air an 8/10.

 

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an adaptation of the hit video game series of the same name. In this feature, Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi are transported to a magical land and must join with strange new allies to defeat the villaionous Bowser. I really enjoyed the build in tension towards confronting Bowser in the final act, seeing Mario and Donkey Kong band together in spite of their rivalry to defeat a common foe really scaled up the excitement levels.

 

Illumination has done a real range of animated features over the years but I'm relatively confident in claiming this to be their best animation yet. The film looks exceptionally vibrant and detailed; with a great deal of love taken to really distinguish all the various elements of this video game universe. I really think there are two solid audiences for this film, very young children and those who are massive Mario fans. The love clearly shown to cramming this film with as many references and hidden content as possible is a nice touch. But not only is the love that goes into the visual design of the film so apparent, the score composed for this film by Brian Tyler goes superbly. The blend of adventurous, jovial music coupled with the famous tracks from the Nintendo video games is such a happy, feel good blend.

 

Charlie Day, who voiced Luigi, is relatively well suited to his character; Day really portrays his character well in fearful situations and does all the heavy lifting in establishing a relationship between the two title characters. Keegan-Michael Key, who voiced Toad, is one of the more veteran voice actors on the cast and it shows; Key's Toad is such a wild comedic performance and has bundles of energy. Anya Taylor-Joy, who voiced Princess Peach, is a performance that takes a little to warm up to but becomes something very noteworthy by the end of the film; Taylor-Joy's performance is best when she embodies the tough leader fighting back against the bad guy of the film and in a lot of ways she is the real protagonist of the feature.

However, the best performance came from Seth Rogen, who voiced Donkey Kong. Rogen has done voice acting a little bit more recently, my mind immediately going to his work on Invincible. He knows how to bring a sense of gravitas to a character and there is none who needs it more than DK. From the moment he enters the screen you get a major big entrance, he is full of showmanship and knows how to command attention. Rogen plays him cocky and very self-assured, you get the sense he's one of the greatest amongst the Kong kingdom. I also liked his mean streak, the way he really smack talked other characters a lot and built up his rivalry with Mario. Watching him get aggressive in key scenes was really fun and a nice touch by Rogen to actually make this character a little more unique from his own natural voice. Rogen also managed to lend a little bit of soft emotion in how Donkey Kong craves a sense of pride from his Dad, Cranky Kong. Definitely the most defined character in the film.

 

Illumination is a studio that makes projects which don't have the same level of care and attention to them that a Pixar or Dreamworks film might. Often they'll make something that feels motivated by a consumer friendly idea, things like spinoff movies about the Minions or The Secret Life of Pets. We had just come off a year that boasted Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and even Turning Red; I expected something decent for the first major animated film I watched in 2023. But as Illumination has constantly done in the past they have put effort into the animation where required but very little went into the script or voice cast. Mario and his cast of characters sells, because it is a popular franchise vehicle; it's clear the script is something basic or concocted on the go throughout production. The feature really struggles with introducing Mario and Luigi to us in a way that makes us connect with them. The Brooklyn setting and really heavy Italian-American stereotypes and fake accents gets grating and annoying early on. The fact that Luigi is barely utilised throughout the entire film feels like a mark was majorly missed. The film doesn't really stop to allow us to connect with the characters, I barely cared about Mario because the film wanted to rush to the next setting or Easter egg showcase. This is how pacing works for the entire film everything moves stupidly fast to the next reference or video game tie-in, but these aren't plot points and whoever writes the film clearly doesn't care. But the result of that approach to writing means this really becomes a film inaccessible to those who don't really know the games. Instead what you're left with is a poorly paced feature with a broad adventure narrative that rushes to the final act and doesn't allow us to connect with the protagonists. The final confrontation taking place in Brooklyn instead of the magical words we had been previously watching made me think of the awful final act of another video game bomb: Monster Hunter.

Jack Black, who voiced Bowser, really doesn't feel like he's doing a whole lot to seperate character from performer; having constant obligatory music riffs just felt like a weird way of reminding the audience Jack Black is Bowser without ever actually crafting a semi-decent antagonist. Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario, was a casting choice criticised for a long time and that criticism is well earned; Pratt does nothing to make his voice consistent and accent work is abysmal. Fred Armisen, who voiced Cranky Kong, is a performer i rarely like anyway but his voice work here is entirely forgettable; this old leader type voice he puts on is possibly the most forgettable main character of the whole cast.

Mamma mia. I would give The Super Mario Bros. Movie a 4.5/10.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves follows a group of adventurers who venture on a series of quests to overthrow a duplicitous rogue and defeat the Red Wizard, Sofina. I love that this film really gets to the heart of the game it is based off: it manages to be fun, humourous and the party solves everything with a wild and chaotic energy. This film makes fantasy a delight to watch and participate in, which is something the past fifty overly serious King Arthur type films haven't managed to draw an audience for. This film manages to really define the different character archetypes in D&D, flesh them out into characters who have oodles of chemistry with one another and then have the good grace to invite the audience on one hell of an adventure. The experience of seeing this story come up with really entertaining and creative scenarios that showcase just how rich the world of Dungeons & Dragons can be is great. I especially loved the journey our main protagonist, Edgin, goes on to lead his team and reunite with his daughter. This film does what any good D&D campaign does, it starts off with a band of reckless hooligans and it turns them into genuine heroes by the end of the feature. I loved this wonderful charming ride, I never wanted to get off.

The cinematography in this feature really complements the rollicking adventure-style it goes for, while also managing some mammoth engaging wides that make the special effects scenes fun to watch. The special effects themselves look really good, there's a great focus here on bringing some classic creatures and spells to life in a very beautiful way. Lorne Balfe makes scores that just rarely miss and here he captures the joy and thrill of a D&D adventure, the light tone is managed throughout while also keeping the darker or more serious scenes properly scored.

 

Chris Pine, who played Edgin, is a brilliant protagonist for this film and has charisma to spare; I enjoyed him as a scoundrel of sorts with a heart of gold. Michelle Rodriguez, who played Holga, pairs so nicely with Pine and has found a career defining role that is so much better than her time with Fast And Furious; Rodriguez manages someone who is stoic and gruff but who also manages to wear their heart quite openly on their sleeve around those she loves. Justice Smith, who played Simon, works well as the meek and cowardly sorcerer; I often found that a lot of the very best gags came from Smith and his delivery. Sophia Lillis, who played Doric, is one of the tougher roles in the film; Lillis plays a character who is inherently good but wields a lot of rage at the unjust world around her. Hugh Grant, who played Forge, is about as perfect a casting choice for a rogue as we could have gotten; watching Grant's selfish role lie and manipulate his way through the entire feature will make you love to hate him. Ian Hanmore, who played Szass Tam, isn't in the film much but feels like a horror figure; Hanmore builds a real sense of dread that sets him up nicely as a greater looming antagonist. Bradley Cooper, who played Mariamin, is one of the best cameos I've seen in a film this year; Cooper playing this gentle ex-aprtner against Rodriguez is masterfully performed by one of the best in the business.

However, the best performance came from Regé-Jean Page, who played Xenk. I thought the stoic, comely paladin would be the more neutral aspect of the feature, love being proven wrong. Page has a gentle grace and knows how to layer on the charm to present a character who just seems inherently noble. Watching him passionately talk about honour and duty makes him a nice straight-edged contrast to the rest of the cast which is refreshing at times. I liked how this character had a very strict sense of goodness that sharply contrasted the main roles, it especially meant his relationship with Pine's character was really great to watch. Page also dominates action scenes, having one of the coolest and most memorable fight sequences in the film.

Where Honour Among Thieves stumbles is how it presents backstories and information, often delivering this sort of material in long rambling bouts of exposition. These are curtailed slightly with supremely funny comedic wit but ultimately these points of narration are quite bloated and can drag the pacing down. The film also describes itself as having a ticking clock a few times, but the quest itself doesn't feel urgent. We know the bad guys have a plan and there's a date things are going to go down but the quest isn't treated as a big frantic adventure; rather we get lots of cool snapshots of the adventure and it's not till the final act things really get frantic. 

While I liked the cinematography for the most part there were a couple of more experimental shots that just did not work and really should have been edited out in post-production.

Chloe Coleman, who played Kira, gives a pretty generic performance as the estranged daughter character of the film; I go back and forth on Coleman as an upcoming actress and this feature didn't do anything to help her leave her mark. Daisy Head, who played Sofina, is our main antagonist of the film which is more than a little underwhelming; Head's role of Sofina is quite emotionless and feels more like an underling figure even in her big final fight of the film.

 

A film that gets to the heart of the game and has really rekindled my love for fantasy films. I would give Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves an 8.5/10.

John Wick: Chapter 4

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

 John Wick: Chapter 4 picks up where Parabellum left off, with John Wick in the care of the Bowery King and his sights set upon those who reside high upon the table in order to earn his freedom. This film particularly entertains me because you feel like the road ahead is running out for our hero, those he is up against has more money and power than his skills can best. We see him try and take shelter with friends, even move against the higher echelons of power, but time and again he is hunted in force. The fact we start to see the old allies john had when he ran with the Table in this feature is really important, particularly the wonderful parallel established between Wick and Caine. I enjoy the subtle worldbuilding of the John Wick universe; the introduction of new characters and new aspects of this hitman world really enrichs things without having to make these points some big exposition piece. Tonally there's a manic desperation here as John comes closer and closer to achieving his goals. The way it all built up to a final duel, not a big action piece at all, a simple shoot out. Two characters who care for one another, forced to face off against each other for a tyrannical organisation. Regardless of what the scenes after that moment make you feel it was a perfect way to boil the fourth entry in the John Wick series down to.

 

The stunt work here continues to be incredible and creative, just think of new ways you want to watch your action and you're getting it here. John Wick has nunchucks in a scene, there's a big fight scene in the roundabout of the Arc de Triomphe where cars are used as weapons or how about the last massive action set piece where John Wick is literally fighting outside up 220 flights of stairs to confront the final antagonist by sunrise. The action is so incredibly fluid, versatile and will continue to surprise you. But going hand in hand with that is how these scenes are shot which is no small feat, but boy does it look monolithic here. I love that this film is so populated with action sequences but not a single one looks the same, there is great care given to provide a differing aesthetic each time too. There is a sense of grandeur and scale throughout the feature too, massive set pieces that are framed like art. Just wait for thirty seconds into the film in which we have a shot of the desert, four horseman galloping into view and one whom we know to be death. These films know the power they wield as a visual medium and make use of that fact. The score never ceases to impress, when Tyler Bates shows up to deliver a high-paced epic music accompaniement he delivers. I also found the choices of soundtrack to be really complimentary of their scenes and ending the feature on Sawayama's new release 'Eye for an Eye' was just the cherry on top.

 

Keanu Reeves, who played John Wick, continues to be a phenomenal protagonist for this series; Reeves dedicates so much to the choreography of this role and really embodies the unrelenting force that is Wick. Laurence Fishburne, who played the Bowery King, is a character I have flip flopped on in previous instalments but whom I enjoyed this time around; Fishburne feels very snide and boastful here which makes him a nice counter to McShane. Lance Reddick, who played Charon, gives one of his last performances in this feature and it's beautiful; Reddick presents Charon as a hopeful figure who stands for the good and honourable aspects of the Table in a way few other characters do. Clancy Brown, who played the Harbinger, is this very stoic and imposing figure who stands resolute over the business of the High Table; Brown's gravelly voice and cold stare make him a figure intimidating to both our protagonist and antagonist of the film. Ian McShane, who played Winston, has always been a cunning and smug role which we get in spades here; watching McShane revel in his witty delivery to either Reeves or Skarsgård often results in some of my immediate favourite scenes. Bill Skarsgård, who played the Marquis, is one of the more interesting antagonists of the Jown Wick film series; I found Skarsgård quite similar to another antagonist from the series, Alfie Allen, only Skarsgård is what happens if a young upstart wielded unimaginable power and money. Donnie Yen, who played Caine, plays a blind character and combatant really creatively; Yen's entire character here is one of the best aspects of the film and I loved seeing his role bent to service by the Table - it made for interesting character motivation. Shamier Anderson, who played Tracker, is like a shadow haunting John Wick over this film; Anderson's role is motivated by money and you get a distinct parallel that someone like him is who John Wick used to be at the start of his career. Natalia Tena, who played Katia, is quite an angry figure in this film; watching her take her frustrations out of John and bargain with him made for an interesting character dynamic. Scott Adkins, who played Killa, is such a duplicitous and grotesque antagonist that just really made for a high point in the second act; also watching the kind of stunts Adkins performed inside of the prosthetics and fat suit he was wearing is exceptional.

 

However, the best performance came from Hiroyuki Sanada and Rina Sawayama, who played Shimazu and Akira respectively. I really loved the various plays on familial relationships this feature had, one of the best being this father/daughter duo. Sanada and Sawayama had such a cool and casual chemistry with one another, they traded jokes well and shared emotional high points beautifully. Even the way this pair argued felt like the sort of mature relationship an adult daughter might have with her father. Sanada exudes power, discipline and wisdom which should be no surprise to anyone as he has been doing great work with roles bearing these qualities for years. Yet what I liked about this character was that though he had a quiet reserve there was steel in how he presented his commitment to honour and friendship. Likewise, Sawayama has a really interesting performance here; her quick wit as the concierge of the Osaka Continental will hook you in. But I liked that she was more aggressive and uncertain than Sanada's character, she learned a lot from him but was still growing into herself as a person which I really enjoyed. The raw hurt we get from her in her later scenes as well as her unchecked rage really excited me about her character and the potential we have for more Sawayama in the future.

 

While I loved this sequel the most out of all the ones in the series thus far, the issues this feature had are almost identical to the ones evidenced in Parabellum. Chiefly the fight sequences got so long and bled into one another that the pacing got quite messy at times. I will say this is mainly only true in the first act during the Osaka sequences, there was a lot of stuntwork which looked great on display here but the timing could have been trimmed up. I also wasn't sold on the last two scenes, the end rings a little hollow which is another quality this film shares with the third one. Here John Wick departs, we see him keel over and then we see a gravesite. My issue here is the message around futility this sends us, John works so hard for his freedom only to die rings a little hollow. I'm not saying John Wick should never die, but I think they could've walked us to his ultimate death scene better. Of course, I'm sure John Wick: Chapter 5 will drop and I'll be able to eat my words.

Marko Zaror, who played Chidi, feels little more than just a big henchman character; Zaror is quite physically imposing but the role has no character to it whatsoever.

If your four movies deep and still going this strong? You deserve to be known as the greatest action series of the past decade. I would give John Wick: Chapter 4 an 8.5/10.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the sequel to 2019's Shazam! and this time sees the Shazam fam up against the daughters of Atlas who seek their father's stolen powers and the seed of life stolen from their dead realm. The thing I most love about these films that I wish they'd focus on more, because they're actually so good at it, is the more grounded narrative. In the first film it was Billy's honest feelings about the foster system and trying to find his birth Mum; this time around it's seeing how this large foster family connects and relates to one another. Any time the film takes a breath and gives us a gentler scene with them all it often lands really well. 

The special effects I really went back and forth on, but it has stepped up a little in the big set piece moments. Scenes like when Kalypso planted the tree or the Shazam fame were saving people on the bridge looked really clean and colossal in scale; while designs like the dragon and the unicorns actually had some nice, unique details to them.

 

Zachary Levi, who played Shazam, is consistently a good protagonist in this film and shares the screen with humility; I most liked how Levi played his character's fear of losing his home with his found family. Adam Brody, who played Super Hero Freddy, didn't really land well in the first film but gets to stand out a lot more here; Brody finds the unabashed confidence and humour of Freddy here with none of Grazer's nervous energy. Meagan Good, who played Super Hero Darla, was one of the standout performances of the first film and continues to steal scenes this time around; her knack for actually making you see a kid as an adult superhero is something that eclipses even Levi. Lucy Liu, who played Kalypso, is the greatest antagonist of the film; I feel Liu really leans into the fun of playing someone wicked with a spite complex. Djimon Hounsou, who played the Wizard, is quite surprisingly back but I am certainly not complaining; Hounsou gets to be a little more witty and sarcastic this time which results in great chemistry with Grazer. Faithe Herman, who played Darla Dudley, is one of the sweetest characters in the film; Herman's Darla is quietly the heart of the Shazam family.

However, the best performance came from Jack Dylan Grazer, who played Freddy Freeman. This young performer was one i really struggled to enjoy in the first film, the way he lashed out and acted jealous made the role unlikeable. This time around it's clearly the same role but he's a lot more fascinating to follow. Grazer is making light with the aloof loner, you can see how his quirky character still lives on the fringes of high school social circles. I enjoyed seeing him having really positive connections with his family but wanting time to himself to be a superhero, to finally fly free and feel larger than life. It's a really nice contrast that is only heightened by the charming way Grazer portrays his character's crush on Zegler's Anthea. I loved seeing the angsty shackles come off, Grazer in his element when he gets to be more comedic and deliver his lines at half a mile a minute. The thing that really tipped this performance over the edge for me is the incredible way Grazer presents his role as someone with exceptional willpower in two pivotal scenes where his character has lost powers. It's a nice reminder that even without superpowers folks have the ability to be superheroes.

A good sequel tends to progress the story of the central characters from the original or introduce major new elements, but this sequel really fails in that respect. One of my biggest gripes about Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the main storyline. The Daughters of Atlas rivalling up against the Shazam fam because they want their powers/power they possess is exceptionally similar to what the first film was doing with Sivana. Even the gags around the antagonists being incredibly serious while dealing with kids who are a lot more immature comes off as quite recycled. As a whole the feature really isn't as funny as the first film was, a big part of that is because Shazam/Billy isn't given the chance to be comedic as often. In fact for a film with 'Shazam' in the title the character feels weirdly placed throughout his own movie. Often Shazam pipes up when the main plot needs to advance or the team needs to be driven forwards but it's not until the final act that he really becomes quite an active player in his own feature. I find this quality really surprising because it's not like he isn't around, he's in the bulk of the picture but he just isn't utilised like a main character should be. With a main cast that's around 15 characters strong, it's not surprising but it's markedly disappointing. The film swerves away from subplots wherever it can, even if these moments hold more impact than the main feature itself. The first Shazam had a pretty dicey strip club scene and this film continues to drop the bar by having teenage character flirt with adult women, one actively having a romantic relationship with one by the end of the feature. The first feature had a very jarring tone between horror and comedy that is less pronounced here but which still comes with a negative impact, the horror elements often feel out of place in a feature that has more squarely nestled into superhero blockbuster stereotypes. The ending for this film takes out a lot of high stakes by including one of the weakest cameos I've seen in a superhero film for a long time and then proceeds to end in a manner that I equally disliked when Black Adam did it too.

The way this film is filmed is just as bad as the predecessor, massive obvious wides that make the special effects easy but the scenes visually boring. I also thought the special effects improved in some key areas but as a whole there were a lot of problems; namely anytime a character was flying or using super speed or in the fight scene with Helen Mirren. I also was quite conflicted over the final fight of the feature which really grappled between good looking moments and egregious slow motion and poor flying shots. The soundtrack is filled with a distinct lack of imagination, I like 'Holdin' Out for a Hero' by Bonnie Tyler but it's been used this way so much now that it's becoming tired. The score is done by Christophe Beck, who also did the recent Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which makes two really forgettable superhero blockbuster scores he's done in 2023.

Asher Angel, who played Billy Batson, was one of the best parts of the first film and is ridiculously reduced in screen time here; Angel gives quite an unsteady performance this time and he and Levi have really lost their dynamic as sharing the role. Rachel Zegler, who played Anthea, really puts things on quite strong throughout and is not subtle as the surprise antagonist for the film; placing Zegler as the bleeding heart of the baddies often feels like she is playing scenes far too over the top to counter Mirren and Liu. Ross Butler and D.J. Cotrona, who played Super Hero Eugene and Super Hero Pedro respectively, are still the background members of the Shazam fam just like the first film; neither performer gets an angle to really impress upon their own mark. Grace Caroline Currey, who played Mary Bromfield, just seems bored this time around and lends little personality to her character; there could be some good contrast to Billy with her playing the older sibling but the film never lends Currey enough. Helen Mirren, who played Hespera, gives the bare minimum to this film and I really don't blame her; Mirren's character is such a strained generic superhero baddie that there's not really much excitement or depth to be had here. Ian Chen, who played Eugene Choi, is still a little weirdly written and performed as the over the top child genius; Chen's character making strategies for the team by his knowledge of video games is such an awful character trait choice. Jovan Armand, who played Pedro, is content in the background and never gets to have much impact; Armand's whole subplot around his character being gay is sweet but often treated as a footnote or afterthought. Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews, who played Rosa Vasquez and Victor Vasquez respectively, are neither played well for emotional connection or comedy in this film; Milans in particular is set up for a sweet moment with her on-screen son but due to a lack of screen presence the impact is just not that strong. Gal Gadot, who played Wonder Woman, gives one of the hammiest cameos I've ever seen in a superhero film; I truly think Gadot as Wonder Woman has aged worse the longer she's been in this role.

 

For a movie titled Shazam! he feels significantly unimportant in his own movie a lot of the time. I would give Shazam! Fury of the Gods a 3/10.

Scream VI

 

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Scream VI is the latest instalment in the Scream franchise and sees the Carpenter sisters targeted yet again by the Ghostface killer, this time in a little old town called New York City. This movie shows a great deal of love and understanding for what these Scream movies do while going above and beyond to teel its own story and leave you guessing. The opening of these films always really sets the bar very early on, and I was quite impressed by how much my expectations were exceeded. The touch of having recent horror icon and up and comer, Samara Weaving, flaunt a thick Aussie accent while portraying an associate film professor was brilliant. But again, seeing the film take your expectations for where the scene goes and bleeding it into something else entirely was that piece of writing that really set this film apart for me. The whole film we get to see the Carpenters, Mindy and Chad recount and recover from the last attack in Scream while also growing their relationships in new ways. Sam is struggling to find herself in amongst a flood of online hate for killing the last Ghostface, while Tara is trying to break away from her sister's protection and live more freely. The branching relationships in this feature is what makes trying to decipher the new Ghostface, who is counting their way down from the previous nine killers, so fascinating. I was really drawn into the mystery and trying to decipher the whole thing as much as the 'Core Four' was. The eventual payoff and reveal of Ghostface is really satisfying but better yet is the character development it lends Sam and Tara, their final actions against the killer made for a powerful end to the feature. And honestly? The meta commentary in this one is skillfully used both for comedy but to also keep you guessing; that speaks highly to what this feature was able to pull off. Scream has always had a wicked sense of humour paired with compelling mystery but the fact these aspects blend in this one really elevates it.

I seriously got to go on record and say this might well be one of the best looking Scream films we've had yet. I mean on a base level props to the special effects and make-up crew for making this one of the goriest and most visceral entries in the series to date. But beyond that, the way this film is shot from the intro to the shrine or even my two favourite scenes: the subway and the Gale Weathers apartment scenes, this film is just brimming with creative camera work. It moves at sharp, frantic speed, holds character expression really well and pauses to give you some of the spectacular frames we're going to get in horror this year. The editing sets a brilliant pace, and scenes come together in a way that really intertwines with the tone of the moment. The score here is exceptional, haunting but also very frantic. The music draws you right out of your seat and teeters you right on the very edge is some very key moments.

 

Melissa Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter, is perfect as the new protagonist of the Scream series; she plays some one with a survivor's strength very well and the moments where she gets to splash a bit of darkness into her performance is really good. Courteney Cox, who played Gale Weathers, continues to portray this arrogant yet heroic reporter figure well; Cox's last scene in the feature is a firm reminder why she is one of the staples of this film series. Jenna Ortega, who played Tara Carpenter, plays the conflict between her and her on-screen sister rather well; I loved seeing Ortega get to gain a bit more independence than just the 'little sister' in this one. Mason Gooding, who played Chad Meeks-Martin, really gets to lean into his more charismatic side in this one; Gooding and Ortega's romantic subplot is quite sweet and a fine point of the film. Devyn Nekoda, who played Anika, is quite a small role but a very memorable one; I enjoyed her kicking off the feature by sticking up for Ortega's character. Josh Segarra, who played Danny Brackett, is actually a really nice contrast to the Richie character from Scream; I adored his chemistry with Barrera and how safe they seemed around one another. Liana Liberato, who played Quinn Bailey, is a very quirky and funny roommate character when first we meet her; Liberato is a real standout newcomer in the first act and her vicious streak in the final act is a real high point too. Tony Revolori, who played Jason Carvey, is a character you will hate portrayed expertly; watching Revolori craft a role who goes from a reviling confidence to fear is something that sets the bar for the film in the first two scenes. Samara Weaving, who played Laura Crane, had some fun playing this nerdy film professor out on a date; watching Weaving really ham up that thick Australian accent and nervousness in a sharp contrast to her recent 'scream queen' roles was a real treat. Dermot Mulroney, who played Detective Bailey, is a cop with a real schmoozy way of delivering lines but also presenting a lot of heart; watching mulroney take the final act by storm was something that really impressed me.

However, the best performance came from Jasmin Savoy Brown, who played Mindy Meeks-Martin. In the first two Scream films Randy was one of my favourite characters, he contributed to the narrative while also entirely dissecting the slasher genre with his quickfire wit. What Savoy Brown brings is really this generation's equivalent, I was entirely impressed with how she stole the show in the fifth film. But here? Here she is entirely one of my new favourite characters. She has such excellent delivery that is hilarious and moves quickly while holding your attention. Her massive rant about horror franchises was one of the best pieces of character delivery in the film. Her sense of alarm and fear is really raw and just hiding under the surface; the moment she is first attacked peels back layers of the cocky jokester she often presents as. A small storyline that goes really hand in hand with this is her chemistry with Nekoda; their final scene together is tragic and one of the most raw, emotional performances we get.

Scream VI starts off rather strong but then the first act does drag the heels somewhat. I think my big glaring problem with this one was how much time we had to spend talking about what had come before and catching up with the characters to see how they were doing. While it affirmed character growth, arcs and relationships well there's not really much denying that it went on for quite a while. It also meant that you felt how full the cast on this one was, we spent ages just getting to know the new or returning roles before this film could really gain some traction.

Hayden Panettierre, who played Kirby Reed, is back in the franchise after her role in Scream 4 and it's not the most necessary return role; Panettiere has a very straight-edged delivery that comes off as dull and monotonous at times. Jack Champion, who played Ethan, is a young performer I could do with seeing less of in my films of late; Champion contends with little screen presence and segues to melodrama in the final act which I wasn't very well impressed by. Henry Czerny, who played Dr. Christopher Stone, was entirely unconvincing as a therapist; Czerny spoke his lines but gave nothing to them that crafted an engaging role.

 

Probably my new favourite entry in the Scream franchise. I would give Scream VI an 8.5/10.

Creed III

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Creed III is the third film in the Creed series spinning out of the Rocky movies, and this time round sees our main character enter retirement after winning heavyweight champion of the world. However, when an old friend gets out of prison and reconnects with Adonis the pair go down a path that will see them turn rivals in the arena they know best. Even if I didn't like the background for Adonis Creed and Damian Anderson's friendship I really loved the nature of their relationship. These were two kids who really respected one another and had big dreams around boxing before one pivotal event tore them apart. Seeing them awkwardly reconnect as adults is very well portrayed; deeper than that, it's important seeing Damian so desperately hunger for the life Adonis has. The real narrative triumph of the film is Creed's relationship with his daughter, Amara. Seeing Adonis struggle with how to parent but being such a good parent to a deaf child is massive growth after Creed II, even watching his daughter admire him so much that she seeks to be trained by her Dad is a beautiful thing. The only complaint I have about that particular storyline is that they dumped it going into the final act, we really needed a lot more.

 

This film is more intimately shot than your usual boxing feature, which really lends a bit more of a personal feel to the story itself. I'm really glad Michael B. Jordan went this way with his first time directing because it really left a distinct mark on the franchise. The soundtrack and score for Creed III is incredible too, it grounds us a little more in Adonis' background while also really pumping up the montages and fight scenes. 

Michael B. Jordan, who played Adonis Creed, still leads these movies remarkably well; he can still tap into the raw anger of Adonis despite playing a character that feels very differently written than normal. Tessa Thompson, who played Bianca Creed, has remarkably less to do than in the last film but she stands tall in her time onscreen; Thompson plays her role's distant sadness about not being able to perform anymore extremely well. Mila Davis-Kent, who played Amara Creed, is a real scene stealer in this feature; I loved her ambition to box and how she played against Jordan. Florian Munteanu, who played Viktor Drago, enters this film as a stern reminder what an intimidating mountain of power really is; I loved seeing the rivalry he and Jordan established having turned into more of a friendly one. Thaddeus J. Mixson and Spence Moore II, who played Young Adonis Creed and Young Damian Anderson respectively, really established quite a great friendship that translated well to the performances Jordan and Majors gave; Moore in particular rocked the cocky confidence his character consistently displays too.

However, the best performance came from Jonathan Majors, who played Damian Anderson. We're barely into March and thus far Majors has been dominating 2023 with some knockout performances. Yet what I liked about his portrayal of Anderson as opposed to Kang is that I really felt like I could bump into a man like Damian on the street tomorrow. Initially when first we meet him he has some jokes to crack but he really bristles around other people, he is still learning how to make moves in a life beyond prison. This is an even bigger challenge in Creed's world, Damian doesn't fit nicely into the lap of luxury and it's through this lens we first see him and Creed pull apart. I was so impressed with the deep chemistry Majors and Jordan brought to this project, you really believed these were old friends connecting, who deeply respected one another. But I felt Majors went that extra step because the subtle way he portrayed jealousy and resentment was exceptional. That's not to say there aren't light moments, watching Damian learn some basic signs and get excited to meet Amara is something really special too. There is some very vicious in how Majors physically fights, he's clearly a cunning fighter but when he brawls he just goes for it. The wild swings that man does and the open scorn he gives Adonis after the title match is nothing short of some of the best stuff in the feature.

The issues with Creed III extend from a weak script that really doesn't balance storylines and characters well at all. There would be some plot points that go so far and are just abruptly left behind, while others are kicked into gear very rapidly that it can take you by surprise. The main storyline between Damian and Adonis presents a really nice character chemistry performance but the way we get there is quite contrived. We get that classic reveal of Adonis' 'secret life' when he was younger and how he got introuble alongside Damian, a wrong place wrong time scenario. Adonis gets away and Damian goes to jail. My issue with this background is that there's no foreshadowing to it, we just get it really dumped on us in this feature, and the further it goes the more the motivating drama feels like a telenovella. There's even a whole aspect where Adonis' mother was keeping secret letters from him for years. Adonis has always been well placed as an underdog in the boxing fights he finds himself in but the movie really struggles to establish a good narrative for that, eventually settling by describing Creed as 'too old' and coming out of retirement. But there's no Rocky Balboa story here for Adonis, instead Creed has been living large in upper class apartments, extremely expensive cars and is constantly rubbing shoulders with the big executives of the sport. This is a character who wears sponsors and is nothing short of a celebrity in the world now, so when he and Damian eventually fight it becomes hard to really consider either an underdog. Adonis irresponsibly let a man who shouldn't have fight, fight and now Adonis just wants to fix his mistake is what the plot really boils down to. I'm also frustrated after watching Creed II that Bianca and Drago aren't given more to do. When these characters get to shine they really deliver, but this feature squandered some talent there.

The editing for this feature is often slowly cut, only adding to the serious pacing issues this feature had. I really was let down with the fights themselves in this film too. A lot of the fight choreography was still there but diminished for excessive slow motion punch shots or close ups of vulnerable areas boxers were about to target. This was no bigger letdown than in the final fight, where most of the match boiled into a CGI dream sequence arena that really took away from the sincerity of the final confrontation.

Wood Harris, who played Tony 'Little Duke' Burton, was a character of two parts in this; I was really disappointed to see the film treat him as a more comedic side role the further it went along. Phylicia Rashad, who played Mary-Anne Creed, goes right back to having a very frosty impassive relationship with Jordan in this film; if they were going to kill her character off they should have used her with more purpose. Jose Benavidez, who played Felix Chavez, is just here to be angry muscle; Benavidez is given the opportunity to portray a character but it is very clear he isn't up to the task.

The previous Creed and Rocky films have set an extremely high bar that the third instalment of this spinoff franchise can't quite reach. I would give Creed III a 6/10.