Joy Ride

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Joy Ride follows childhood friends Audrey and Lolo as they navigate China to close a business deal and reunite Audrey with her birth mother. There's a part of me that went into this thinking about the quintessential American road trip comedy, how when I was a kid that was defined by The Hangover and the main Asian performance was Ken Jeong (who did great but played on a few stereotypes). To see how far we've come here with something really strongly Asian-American led, with some great tongue in cheek type humour and some thematic work that lands some heavy emotional punches is great to see. Joy Ride really thrives on the core group of four characters, the dynamics established and the intense chemistry between them all. Seriously, a comedic feature where the four leads all bounce off one another effortlessly is such a hit. I think because the chemistry is so good you believe in the interactions, the humour flows freely and those emotional moments really matter. I often felt like this was a film that landed the heavier moments far better than the comedic ones. There's a massive theme of identity and feeling like one doesn't belong in this film and they really drive their point home quite nicely; the twist around Audrey's identity is better than I really expected for a comedy feature. I also think this film deserves major props for changing the narrative around Asian women and their sexuality; often Asian women are presented as sex symbols in media so it was nice this film had the protagonists have ownership over their own sexual experiences and identity.

The editing for this feature is pretty timely, often having a real sense of the gags and landing the flow of the shots in an almost perfect manner.

 

Sherry Cola, who played Lolo, manages to be the crassest of the main cast and also nails her delivery consistently; Cola really is the most naturally fun of the leading four and I was often in stitches when she got to lead a scene. Timothy Simons, who played Frank, is quite a bit of good fun as the 'white ally' boss; Simons finds the right amount of over the top to try and sell the audience his sense of social justice. Sabrina Wu, who played Deadeye, is the more oddball comedic role and kind of a sleeper hit; yet what I liked about Wu was their ability to present a character struggling to find where they fit in in such a genuine way. Stephanie Hsu, who played Kat, really presents a vain role who is really holding together a sort of perfect life fantasy; I really enjoyed seeing Hsu ham it up in her 'horny' scene and when her career tanks after her tattoo is exposed. Ronny Chieng, who played Chao, is hysterical as the extremely intense Chinese businessman; his weary and strict approach to tradition makes the pivot into the second act a ton of fun. Chris Pang, Rohain Arora and Alexander Hodge, who played Kenny, Arvind and Todd respectively, have an incredible amount of charisma that really lend to the sexual appeal of their scenes; Pang in particular is incredibly smooth with his line delivery. Lori Tan Chinn, who played Nai Nai Chen, is able to be surprisingly funny at moments you wouldn't expect from her role; yet I also found Chinn's performance to be very sweet and kind-hearted. Michelle Choi-Lee, who played Min Park, gives a staggeringly powerful performance in her one scene; Choi-Lee's scene is a hello and goodbye of sorts that will absolutely wring at your heartstrings. Daniel Dae Kim, who played Dae, is such a soft and kindly figure; watching him ease us into the introduction of Choi-Lee's character was the perfect set-up for my favourite scene in the film.

However, the best performance came from Ashley Park, who played Audrey. This is a protagonist who has never really connected with her Asian identity or heritage and has wholeheartedly embraced her American upbringing. Park does a fantastic job of portraying this overachiever who doesn't want to face hard truths or difficult moments; she crafts Audrey as someone who is really driven to succeed. I love how Park really connects quite differently with her three onscreen friends; she has a very laidback familiarity with Cola, Hsu and her are more high energy and excitable and then the relationship with Wu is one she develops and works on. Seeing this role get further and further out of her depth the more she is faced with her past is really fascinating. I actually thought the emotional impact we got from Park once her character discovers the truth around her mother is some of the best acting you get within Joy Ride.

This feature was one that held you for long spans of time but could misstep and lose you for decent stretches as well. As a comedy this film was content with aiming for the lowbrow at times, which was disappointing because it often showed a pretty witty script. But there were a lot of moments where repetitive crass jokes made the film start to fizzle, there needed to be more moments where the comedy could look a little different and unique from scene to scene. The ending of Joy Ride really dropped the ball too, things just ended a little too simply and abruptly. All of the relationships were repaired in a very non-confrontational way and then the four characters met up overseas for another trip. It just felt too mellow after the extremes the feature had just taken the audience through.

The cinematography had some great moments but often just felt quite boxed up, there really wasn't a great sense of space in the film as a whole. Also, Blonde already cursed the idea of a camera shot taken from inside a vagina, I didn't need the repeat. The score for the feature is nothing to comment on and the soundtrack has some nice artists but no tracks that really left a noteworthy tone. I even felt the Kpop parody number was a bit of a disconnect from what it was trying to imitate; to the extent it wasn't as funny as the trailer tried to tease.

Debbie Fan, Kenneth Liu, Annie Mumolo and David Denman, who played Jenny Chen, Wey Chen, Mary Sullivan and Joe Sullivan respectively, were quite generic as the parent roles of the two lead characters; it felt like these four were meant to inform our leads quite a bit but they really just felt like bystanders in their big scenes. Desmond Chiam, who played Clarence, really feels like he's trying too hard to reach the comedy of his role; Chiam's over the top nervous Christian boyfriend role just doesn't land as well and flounders against everything Hsu is bringing to that subplot. Meredith Hagner, who played Jess, is quite a limited role that isn't bolstered by Hagner's performance; this drug dealer character is shifty but doesn't lend much more scope than that and is a weak transition into the classic American comedy drug scene. Baron Davis, who played himself, seems to not be so confident in his acting compared to the rest of the cast; Davis feels like he's saying lines he has rehearsed and doesn't work naturally into his scenes.

 

A comedy that feels fresh and has some absolutely wonderful themes around second-generation Asian identity. I would give Joy Ride a 7/10.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is the seventh instalment in the Mission Impossible series and this time pits Ethan Hunt and the IMF team against a sentient AI known as The Entity. I liked that this film felt a little more carefree than the past two features; not because that tone didn't work for those movies but because it made me think back to the times when we first had Pegg and Renner playing in the mix. The one liners really hit home and the film introduces a number of high stakes action or espionage scenarios that have a comedic twist which works to the advantage of the story. I also really enjoyed when this feature trims the large scale narrative down and finds a personal vendetta element, it gives a sense of drive to the film that ups the stakes nicely. This film also introduces Grace, a master thief who really is quite comfortable with pickpocketing and not at all with high speed car chases. Watching Grace and Ethan constantly butt heads until Grace is eventually confronted with a choice to disappear again into her criminal life or join the IMF makes for a fascinating watch. I was so surprised by how nicely paced this film was, nearly three hours in length and it really flew through for me.

 

The cinematography for the feature often looks superb and highlights the appealling on-location shoots, yet the film also really has such a monolithic and detailed approach to the copious action scenes too. I was blown away by the use of visual effects, the derailing train looks great as does the destruction of the submarine at the top of the film. My stomach dropped when Cruise performed his motorbike stunt, this feature is peppered with powerful practical stunt work but it doesn't get much better than that. Lorne Balfe also delivers a fantastic Mission Impossible score that is ringing with intrigue and mystery, those opening credits had the whole audience on the edge of their seats.  

 

Rebecca Ferguson, who played Ilsa Faust, is a little underused in this feature but does not waste a second of her screen time; Ferguson's role is a very hardened and tough figure who quite simply does not know how to back down from a challenge. Tom Cruise, who played Ethan Hunt, continues to lead these films brilliantly; Cruise really gets to showcase his range jumping from charismatic to moments of hollowed out grief right across this feature. Vanessa Kirby, who played The White Widow, is a role I already loved in Fallout but she shines even brighter here; Kirby plays a truly ruthless crime lord figure but also really gets to double as the more skittish Grace wearing an IMF mask of Kirby's White Widow. Simon Pegg, who played Benji Dunn, is really such a great source of comedy for these films; yet I loved the panic as Pegg's character worked frantically to defuse a nuclear bomb in the first act too. Shea Whigham, who played Jasper Briggs, steals the show way more than I expected; Whigham is an American agent with a real chip on his shoulder and watching him steadily fly more off the book was a lot of fun. Ving Rhames, who played Luther Stickell, smoothly glides in as the brains of the IMF team; I loved his comedic back and forth with Pegg but also his ability to switch up and comfort characters like Atwell in key pivotal moments for the team. Esai Morales, who played Gabriel, is an absolutely fascinating new antagonist to the series; Morales exudes mystery and he acts with such intimidating calculation that is often backed up. Henry Czerny, who played Eugene Kittridge, is a welcome return to the series; watching Czerny play an authority figure who feels so weary yet well-accomplished makes him an interesting contrast to Cruise's Hunt.

However, the best performance came from Hayley Atwell, who played Grace. This surprised me, I knew Atwell would kill it but I was not prepared for just how much. When first we meet Grace she's a little aloof and nonchalant, appropriately disarming for a thief. I liked that she had a bit of a cat and mouse rivalry with Cruise going on, her increasing frustration with being pulled into this insane spy world was a fun quality. But then the film and Atwell flip things on us. All that frustration and barbed quipping turns into fear as we come to see the odds stacked against Grace. Her world is turned into a fight for survival after one tense exchange and the levels of terror and desperation we get from At well in that moment are so great. This is a role who spends the rest of the feature wrestling with her own sense of morality, with her expectations of the future and doing her best to make the right call. I haven't signalled a better performance than Cruise on any of my posted Mission Impossible films up till now but Hayley Atwell really just brings her A game for this.

I won't lie, I was kinda worried for the first fifteen to twenty minutes of this film. That boiled down to one plot element that has started cropping up everywhere that I find can be really ill conceived: AI. Hollywood doing the 'AI is the bad guy' trope is something that has increased a lot over the past few years and is often written by screen writers with a very surface level knowledge of the thing they are writing and describing. I was bored to tears by a five minute CIA meeting about this sentient AI in which a handful of great actors did little more than exposition dump in a circle. It really felt lacking in imagination. My other gripe was only a minor one and it revolves around how this film writes Ethan Hunt and his relationship to women. This series has some fantastic actresses playing great characters in it, but there is an element of this film that undercuts them by describing them as potential victims used to get to Hunt. It just feels like these characters are held as emotional stakes for Tom Cruise to weep over first and as well-rounded independent characters second at times.

Pom Klementieff, who played Paris, is really poorly utilised as one of the main henchman figures in the film; Klementieff has already proven her phenomenal range this year so it was underwhelming to watch her deliver barely any dialogue and act out the weirdest turncoat subplot. Cary Elwes, who played Denlinger, is in one of his career worst performances here; this is such a flat character that Elwes delivers as such. Rob Delaney, Indira Varma, Charles Parnell and Mark Gatiss, who played the Security Council, felt like a circle of the dullest characters this film could construct; I couldn't believe such a talented room of performers were saddled with so much empty exposition.

A really solid reminder that sometimes the best kind of blockbuster is one with physical effects, powerful stuntwork and one hell of an A-list cast. I would give Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One an 8/10.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth instalment in the Indiana Jones series and features Indy picking up the bullwhip once again to pursue a legendary artefact that is also being hunted by a former Nazi scientist. This film has an opening that sent me right back to that eight year old sitting on the couch watching the original trilogy with my Dad - the biggest fan of all. The opening manages to deliver another classic Indy adventure during the fall of Nazi Germany, a small adventure that introduced a lot of key elements for this film while also presenting Indiana Jones in his prime. Yet my love for the first act doesn't end there, this film introduces us to a seventy year old Indiana Jones on the cusp of retirement nicely too. There is a real progression from the Indy we know to the characteristics he would still have or have chanaged by this point in his life. At one point we even see him really get excited and deliver a compelling history lecture that absolutely captures this man with such an adventurous love for the past. The film hooks our old archaeologist back into adventure in a way that really grabs the audience from a Subway spanning horse chase to a tuk tuk chase in Tangier. Thematically I also loved the contrast between Indiana Jones' love for the past and Dr. Voller's obsession with it - this made for quite the compelling antagonist.

The cinematography used throughout is decent, it makes full use of the action set pieces and gives a lot of energy to a film that could otherwise have looked slow with an older lead. The visual effects are extremely impressive, the first fifteen-twenty minutes of this film with the deaging technology is a feat unto itself. I also cannot praise John Williams' score enough, there is a lot of calling back to Raiders of the Lost Ark here and it works very well tonally.

 

John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah, is an absolutely joy to see return; Rhys-Davies comes back with such immense presence and clear love for Ford's protagonist performance. Thomas Kretschmann, who played Colonel Weber, is one of the few minor antagonists who really steals the show; Kretschmann brings an impassive yet firm approach to authority that really grips you in the opening scenes. Toby Jones, who played Basil Shaw, is a meek yet extremely intelligent figure; I loved seeing Jones as a real fish out of water type that Ford's Jones was desperately trying to exfiltrate. Mads Mikkelsen, who played Dr. Voller, gives one of the best performances in the feature after Ford; I liked that there was his usual cold exterior paired with a sort of ineptitude that meant his villain overstepped in a few great scenes.

However, the best performance came from Harrison Ford, who played Indiana Jones. This character is Harrison Ford, you cannot really separate the two and I feel bad for the next actor who inevitably will be put up to the task. Ford has cornered entire famous roles and performances over the years, but not even Han Solo compares to the sincere love for the role that is on display here. Indy is a very blunt yet also brash individual, cantankerous to new people and his enemies alike. Yet what I love about Ford's acting is how genuinely he hides this feeling of caring under a gruff exterior. Indiana Jones has always been passionate about history and doing the right thing and those elements are so strongly present here throughout. Ford uniquely brings a sort of regret and grief to the character this time around, we learn Indy lost his son and that his marriage has fallen apart. A lot of the Indiana Jones we get in this film is a man still trying to do right and reconcile the past while also dealing with his own personal remorse. This might not be as good as the original trilogy but Harrison Ford is as good as ever.

The charm of seeing an Indiana Jones film does fade away when you sit with this film for too long, and given the exorbitant runtime this happens swiftly. The second act for this film moves far slower than the first, it isn't broken up with stunning action pieces and begins to meander through the adventure a lot more. The core issue here is that Indy is partnered with his goddaughter, Helena, who not only has a criminal background but who consistently rebels against the older figure's guidance. Helena is fated for a point of redemption, you can tell that almost immediately, but the fact it takes her so long and the way she really embraces being morally against our protagonist for the bulk of the feature makes those moments where we are left with just her and Indy a bit of a slump. In a lot of ways it felt like they recycled the dynamic between Indy and Mutt in just a mildly different manner. Yet even this would have worked out alright if it wasn't for that final act and the poor use of a time travel plot device. Watching Indiana Jones and a plane full of Nazis zooming over Ancient Roman warships just pushed me right out of this film. In the original trilogy the otherworldly elements were quite subtle and all the more shocking when they revealed their full power. One thing moviegoers disliked about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was the very jarring and in your face alien life reveal, this film functions in a similar way. The sudden push into the past was a jarring moment and watching a dying Indiana Jones trying to rationalise staying in the past felt odd and almost uncharacteristic. The time travel plot also introduced some elements that meant the timetravel had to happen for certain things they discovered to exist and I can find this type of science-fiction writing to be quite lazy at times. Overall, this film needed more of the spirit we got in the first act and fewer time travel shenanigans, annoying legacy characters and odd subplots that really bloated the runtime.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who played Helena, doesn't really fit the snarky badass who lives in the thrill of the criminal world; I found the character persona Waller-bridge settled on and presented to really grate with the rest of the feature. Antonio Banderas, who played Renaldo, is woefully underused in this feature; Banderas really dishes some low stakes exposition and otherwise settles quite comfortably into the background. Karen Allen, who played Marion, has one scene that I feel like already played out in the last feature; Allen looks as unhappy as I felt about her character being squandered. Shaunette Renée Wilson, who played Mason, was perhaps the most baffling role in the film; Wilson's character felt extremely mismatched to the antagonist plot and I really questioned the purpose of the CIA subplot. Boyd Holbrook and Olivier Richters, who played Klaber and Hauke respectively, are very forgettable as the token goons of the feature; Holbrook is an actor who often hams up his performances but he really lays it on thick for this one. Ethann Isidore, who played Teddy, is the annoying child sidekick this film really didn't have much need of; Isidore often feels like the extra tacked on piece of the main protagonists. Alaa Safi, who played Rahim, just really overdoes things as a minor antagonist in the film; Safi and Waller-Bridge feel like they are acting for the first time together in their scene as opposed to playing characters with a shared history.

Can someone please keep James Mangold away from aging pop culture icons? I would give Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny a 5.5/10.

No Hard Feelings

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

No Hard Feelings follows Maddie, an Uber driver who loses her car and is at risk of losing the house her mother left her. When she discovers a Craigslist ad offering a car in exchange for someone to sleep with the advertiser's son, Maddie accepts. This is a comedy film that works really well when it leans into how diametrically opposing these two are for the sake of humour, Maddie being so outwardly crass while Percy is more meek does lead to some hilarious moments. I also think this film leans into Maddie going over the top for Percy's affections well; the skinny dipping scene was surprising but extremely funny. There is also something sweet in what the two lead characters break out in one another within a few select scenes that are worth noting.

The score for this feature is light and jovial, but more significantly the soundtrack works really well. Seriously this film uses Hall & Oates' 'Maneater' incredibly and in the most surprising way possible.

 

Jennifer Lawrence, who played Maddie Barker, is a fantastic lead protagonist in this; Lawrence just gets to be rude and uncouth in this one which results in a fun comedic role. Scott MacArthur, who played Jim, is a bit of a scene stealer; MacArthur really delivers his lines in a surprising way that immediately just hits more often than not.

However, the best performance came from Andrew Barth Feldman, who played Percy Becker. This feels like a big call to make because Jennifer Lawrence is truly the big draw of this film, but Feldman comes in like a sleeper hit. When first we are introduced to him he comes off as meek or timid, very much an isolated figure who prefers his own company. Seeing this young man awkwardly navigate around and away from Lawrence's advances is hilarious, and I appreciated how he really built on all the awkward and nervous qualities Percy should have. But there is something in this performance that switches that sets it apart. Feldman really subtly and steadily develops Percy's confidence. At first this just looks like a scared kid fighting for his phone on the hood of a car or an honest conversation about why his character is so lonely and awkward. But as the film continues Feldman grows this confidence, we see Percy as having some quiet charisma on his date with Lawrence or evoking an upset tantrum that befits his twilight teenage self. Watching Percy's hurt over discovering his parents' and Maddie's betrayal is very effective and you feel his anager all the way through the final act. I thought I came to be stunned by Jennifer Lawrence, and I was; but I was entirely captured by the talent of this rising star.

The concept of this film is going to be murky for some and not so murky for others. I really grappled with it, I tried to keep my mind open but the premise for this film just sucks. At the end of the day the comedy here is this nineteen year old is being manipulated by Maddie into having sex with him; at the behest of his parents against his knowledge. A lot of the gags are funny on the surface level but the first half of the film is just watching Maddie constantly trying to push Percy into having sex with her so she can finally, FINALLY, get that new car. Maddie does stop shy of sleeping with Percy when he's half-drunk which the film seems to expect us to cheer for, as if this isn't the lowest possible expectation of consent we should have. I was also really surprised how infrequent the humour was in this film. The feature really kicks the door down by announcing itself as your stock standard comedy but the deeper we go it's almost like I'm watching a brooding coming of age story for our two leads. If the transition in tone was gentle here maybe this would have worked, but it's quite stark and often flips on itself spontaneously. I found Percy to be quite an intriguing character but Maddie's whole backstory around hating rich people, fighting for her house, her side character best friends and even her daddy issues never feel as interesting as anything else going on. As a character Maddie could have been better developed or given a little more thought so the audience holds the same sentiment for her that we wind up holding for Percy.

I also thought this film was quite boring visually; the camera work came off as very simple and just used quite standard mid shots to capture action and dialogue alike. Even the editing set a slower pace than this film really deserved, the film bided it's time and could have benefitted from some sharper cuts.

Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick, who played Allison Becker and Laird Becker respectively, were quite underwhelming as generic helicoptor parents with a few quippy lines; Broderick in particular I thought was capabale of a far wittier showing than this. Natalie Morales, who played Sara, is wasted in this feature as the best friend character to Lawrence; neither of these two actresses have any chemistry with one another so you don't buy into their friendship. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who played Gary, is such a stoic performer that he feels out of place here; I'm just not convinced Moss-Bachrach is funny enough to warrant the amount of screen time he got. Kyle Mooney, who played Jody, is a character who very easily could have been cut from the film and nothing would change; Mooney's role is entirely uncomfortable and never the funnier for it. Jordan Mendoza, who played Crispin, is such a random character; Mendoza delivers all of his lines quite deadpan which doesn't really enhance his scenes. Zahn McClarnon, who played Gabe Sawyer, was given a strange amount of screen time in the first act only to randomly disappear; McClarnon seems a little unsure himself of what his purpose is in this film.

There's something entirely inescapable about the absolutely creepy and offputting premise at the core concept of this film. I would give No Hard Feelings a 4/10.

The Flash

This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Flash is the latest DCEU film, a franchise that teeters between what came before and what is to come; in this film more than any other. Here we see Barry Allen discover the ability to run so fast he can travel back in time and prevent the murder of his mother. Yet altering the past comes with a price, one we see play out for Barry and some newfound allies over the course of this film. This movie is the most connected these films have felt in a long way and I actually really enjoyed that comic book world feeling of all these characters and events existing and taking place together. Once the film starts getting a little multiversal there is a real nice sense of humour about how it all works, the little details about famous films having different leading stars was exceptional. I loved that the final fight stopped being about fighting Zod for a second time and tilted into a bit more of an inward reflection on Barry and the consequences of his actions.

The score for the film really does the leg work in this speedster flick, with some truly great character themes and homages to music from previous DC entries. The soundtrack for this film has a great blend of humour and quirky action enhancement; my favourite song from this soundtrack was easily the one used in the final fight: 'Salute Your Solution' by The Raconteurs.

 

Sasha Calle, who played Supergirl, is a phenomenal fresh take on the role; I loved seeing Calle bring more of a rageful 'chip on her shoulder' take of the Kryptonian. Michael Shannon, who played General Zod, returns to the character with some characteristic menace; I enjoy that Shannon still has a great reluctance to visit violence on others yet his character has a serious ruthless streak. Ron Livingston, who played Henry Allen, was wonderful as this very sweet and sincere father figure; Livingston evokes a deeply protective sort of love towards his onscreen son that I came to enjoy. Jeremy Irons, who played Alfred, is one of the best onscreen depictions of the butler we have ever had; I enjoy Irons operational oversight take on the role who also genuinely cares for those he's assisting. George Clooney, who played Bruce Wayne, wasn't in this film long but he certainly left a solid impression; you just feel like he's charismatic but has the darker Batman side lurking just behind those eyes.

However, the best performance came from Michael Keaton, who played Batman. There was a lot about this film I was skeptical of going into it, the idea of a Batman as old as Keaton really didn't excite me too much. But in spite of some of the more obvious effects work, this is such a great return to the role for Keaton. He presents a Bruce Wayne who is a lot more out of the loop, retired and surprisingly content. He has achieved the goal of his Batman crusade, the cowl is hung up and he has a major disinterest in helping our two protagonists. But he isn't washed out or jaded about it, he's genuine and he provides his smarts but he's just out of the game. One of the joys of this film is watching Keaton get back into it, seeing this take on Bruce Wayne feel compelled to help these two fledling heroes in over their heads. I loved seeing Batman be all about business, storming through bad guy hideouts with an efficient if not dated style that worked. Keaton has a wonderful scene in the film where he agrees to help Miller's Barry get struck by lightning; it's a moment where we see this older hero recognise a sacrifice happening and guiltily letting it transpire anyway. If you love Michael Keaton as Batman then this film will certainly reward you.

This film has been talked about so much behind the scenes that it became so hard to enter the cinema feeling fresh from bias of all that news. But then the lights went down and the first shot started and i realised I just wanted to be excited by a superhero film, more than anything else that's all I wanted. What I got was a film that really gave one of the worst multiverse stories I have ever seen with a protagonist who is nearly impossible to watch at times. The Barry Allen we have been getting since he cameo'd way back in David Ayer's Suicide Squad has always grated on nerves a bit but seeing him try to carry a film is rough. He is obnoxious and weird, his humour rarely lands and he has no great ability to make friends with others. Throw in his really creepy crush/flirting with a love interest that is swiftly forgotten about and the film feels like it has banked a lot on a character who is hard to like. So knowing all this what do we then get? A second Barry Allen, a teenage Barry Allen. The way these two play off against one another and give the most grating guiding performances of the film made this a hard watch. I didn't come to care if the Flash succeeded or failed, the film hadn't found a way to endear me to him. This was a role who made mistakes and seemed to get annoyed by his own alternate self, art imitating audience sentiment in this case. The film hinged on a time travel event stopping Barry's mother's death; an incident caused by her forgetting a can of tomatoes. Yep, an incomplete grocery list. This is the event that ruptures our multiverse story. the film never seems committed to high stakes and even after a great segue to a more personal narrative in the final act we still have to watch an obvious twist play out against an antagonist that just doesn't cap this film off well. The humour throughout the feature barely draws a laugh and often makes me think they were crafting something more akin to a stoner comedy than a blockbuster film; also we have a yet another DC film that employs Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman just to draw out a cheap sex joke. I think cameos work well when they are used with function; The Flash has a whole host of cameos that just feel like they're there for the sake of it. This is a film that feels like it needs a lot more work done to make a finished project that is still trying too hard to impress the audience.

The cinematography on this film really showcases that Andy Muschietti has no ability to upgrade himself from the visuals of a horror like It to a full fledged blockbuster. The film looks silly, bare and really is quite intent on spotlighting the glaringly bad visual effects. The list of bad special effects is nearly as long as can be dreamed up, the chief situation is that the film often feels like egenrated models or backgrounds are just slapped on top of a shot, there is a real lack of blending. When Flash runs for the first time I hoped to see him, not the world fall apart to a CGI animated blob of colour and Barry a hazy animation of lightning. But I could forgive that until I got:

- CGI floating babies being put into microwaves.

- A CGI Batman chase sequences where most cars look fake.

- CGI Flash suit that makes Barry's head seem detached to his body.

- CGI actors brought back from the dead.

- A really desolate CGI landscape with really shoddy action model work for the final fight.

- ETC.

 

Ben Affleck, who played Batman, looks fully checked out in this one; Affleck mumbles through his lines and seems entirely disinterested. Ezra Miller, who played The Flash, has never really found a way to make me like him as the famous speedster; I find Miller's take on the character to be obnoxious and annoying which was twofold with two Miller Barrys in this feature. Kiersey Clemons, who played Iris West, feels like a character tacked on and forgotten about; the distinct lack of chemistry between her and Miller fizzled out that romance subplot immediately. Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Rudy Mancuso, who played Patty Spivot and Albert Desmond respectively, were egregious comedic relief; any other film these would have been background bullies but the feature seemed confused as to whether they might also be potential friend roles. Maribel Verdú, who played Nora Allen, gives an awfully over the top performance; Verdú really pushes her love and connection to her son to an extreme point that comes off forced. Ian Loh, who played Little Barry, isn't an amazing young performer in the context of this character; the performance is pretty two-dimensional and doesn't endear us to Barry as a child. Gal Gadot, who played Wonder Woman, has really stopped being good in this role; watching her show up in this film and deliver lines the same flat way as Shazam 2 was awful.

It cost Warner Bros. $200 million dollars to make a movie that looks this bad with a lead who has always struggled in this role. I would give The Flash a 4.5/10.

 

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

 This review may contain spoilers!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the seventh live-action Transformers film and sees the Autobots adventuring in the 90s, trying to find two halves of a key so they can return home to Cybertron. Unfortunately, the sinister Terrorcons (not to be confused with the Decepticons!) are also searching for the key to unleash the world-devourer, Unicron, on Earth and Cybertron both. Aoptimus Prime and the Autobots must team up with former soldier, Noah Diaz, and a new faction called the Maximals to stop Unicron's sinister cronies. If there's one thing I can praise about this film it's that it starts really well. The first act held my attention and introduced a human character with a tough personal background that was actually quite interesting. Diaz has a lot of skills and talent, but he is torn up by a lot of anxiety he holds for the wellbeing of his family which seems him almost take a turn down a criminal path. Instead we get one of the better chase sequences of the film with the introduction of Mirage; and more importantly, we get a great core friendship in Noah and Mirage that continues to work well across the film.

The special effects looked good in the moments things were still or set at stable mid shots, the designs for the main Transformers all looked appealling in and of themselves. The score was the real technical powerhouse of the film, it drew me back to the big fanfare Transformers films used to use to highlight the feature as pinnacle action blockbuster. I also liked how the soundtrack really placed in the setting of the film both via time and place; there was some absolutely classic hip hop and rap on show here.

 

Anthony Ramos, who played Noah Diaz, is a really solid protagonist and does a great job leading the bulk of this film as the central human character; I think Ramos played the conflict his character held over how he could protect his family well. Tobe Nwigwe, who played Reek, is actually great as the more comedic relief to kick the film off with; Nwigwe could just play a street thief with street smarts but the oddball spiritualistic angle his character holds makes the role sincerely funny. Michael Kelly, who played Agent Burke, has always knocked it out of the park with government agent types; Kelly has one big scene but he is so playful and memorable in it that it definitely left me hoping for more of him in the future. Pete Davidson, who voiced Mirage, might have just found one of his best roles to date; Davidson as Mirage is entirely quick-witted and funny while also bringing the most heart out of any Transformer in the film. Liza Koshy, who voiced Arcee, is such a light presence; Koshy's character might not have the biggest presence but she really comes at her delivery with an energy that differs from the rest of the cast. Colman Domingo, who voiced Unicron, comes at this film with some serious power; this is not an antagonist we get for long but Domingo makes him really resonate with us as an audience in so much as we all know to fear him by feature end.

However, the best performance came from Peter Dinklage, who voiced Scourge. I really didn't know what to expect going into this film, heck I just assumed I'd be watching more Decepticons. But the Terrorcons are a whole new threat that actually live up to the name, chiefly due to Dinklage's voice work. I found Scourge to hold a real sense of gravitas, he was powerful and radiated a presence that dwarfed the Autobot and Maximal characters at multiple points. Dinklage brings a cool intensity that actually makes the role intimidating, even scary. Yet at the flip of a coin he can also be deferential, more of a fanatic in service of the greater go-like antagonist he serves. Dinklage brings a great antagonist to life here, one that made me immediately compare him to the great work Hugo Weaving did as Megatron back in the day.

This is a film that starts strong before getting comfortable and immediately turning to old franchise formulaic plot points. While I liked the character of Noah, I found his relationship with his younger brother to get annoying at times and the importance they placed on that dynamic really stretched thin. The fact the big Act three final fight speech came from a kid who could barely act trying to psych up his ex-military older brother felt bizarre. But beyond this the movie really had a solid first act and opted to then take all our main protagonists and have them go globetrotting for important artefacts, just a big race against the clock treasure hunt. As if that hasn't been the plot for like four of the Michael Bay films already. Worse than this the story barely excites, we move from getting an artefact to losing an artefact to having to stop the big bads at the big scary big bad final fight location. The film is marketed as being about the Beasts/Maximals but they barely do much in the film - chiefly they spout exposition and bore the audience. The final fight felt low stakes, there is a lot of fighting henchmen in the main arena but the human characters are the only ones racing the plot forward. But the film takes some weird liberties here, opting to give Diaz some weird Transformers-based power armour and turn him into a loose symbol for humans and Autobots coming together I guess? It's very flimsy, shallow thematic writing. The bad guys are defeated in a very easy, predictable way and the film plods onwards back to a world barely changed by the events that have transpired. Any time a character is killed or teased to die the film fakes it out or takes it back, there is a real franchise fear here of losing beloved characters when in reality they're only lowering the stakes of their own movie. This film has the gall to tease a sequel concept that sounds stupid but also doesn't feel earned after giving such a dull plot for the past two plus hours.

The cinematography often feels really inadequately framed here, I haven't been so unimpressed by so many empty wides in a Transformers film before. This translates into the wider special effects problem of the film; Transformers do not look so good in the larger shots and sometimes the special effects backgrounds just fall short. I often found the action to be slow moving for these sorts of films, in fact this might be the worst blend of the Transformers characters to live-action action sequence we've had yet. This film boasts a pretty solid soundtrack but the way the feature's driving son, 'On My Soul' hamfisted its way over the climax of the final act was just bad film making. It made me think of Age of Extinction when they played that one Imagine Dragons song three times. Steven Caple Jr. can be a great director, he made my favourite Creed but it does not seem like a mammoth special effects blockbuster is suited to his style. 

Dominique Fishback, who played Elena Wallace, is an up and coming actress I see in big parts and often struggling to meet them; in this film Fishback starts off strong but she loses her place as soon as the first act moves on from the museum. Luna Lauren Velez, who played Breanna Diaz, is a lot more likely to be remembered for Across the Spider-verse than she is for this film in 2023; Velez gives quite a generic take on an overworked and stressed Mum which undersells her talent. Dean Scott Vasquez, who played Kris Diaz, is such an annoying young performer; sometimes placing a kid in such a central role shows all the flaws of the role and that's exactly what Vasquez brings to the table. Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime, seemed so disengaged with the character on this one; Cullen had no real emotion or passion with how he delivered Optimus and I was quite disappointed. Ron Perlman, who voiced Optimus Primal, is really just in this film to give long winding exposition and lay out the shallow themes for the audience/main characters; Perlman normally comes with such gravitas but Primal felt small in a movie that should have featured him more. Michelle Yeoh, who voiced Airazor, is off from that Oscar buzz and back to giving dull exposition heavy dialogue; Yeoh crafts a character that feels so emotionless and is never really one we connect with. John DiMaggio, who voiced Straosphere, is back to voice more forgettable Transformers; DiMaggio's old blustering Transformer made me think of the bad old days of Michael Bay. David Sobolov, MJ Rodriguez and Tongayi Chirisa, who voiced Rhinox/Battletrap, Nightbird and Cheetor respectively, are the most forgettable Transformers of the cast; these are all the named characters that are content with being background dressing or dull henchmen. Cristo Fernández, who voiced Wheeljack, is just in this feature to have a joke made around his accent; it's a weird scene that fails to be funny and is yet another moment that felt like the awful jokes that used to make the Bay films so glaringly awful.

This might not be the worst Transformers film, but it is almost certainly the most creatively bankrupt. I would give Transformers: Rise of the Beasts a 4.5/10.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a sequel to 2019's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In this instalment Miles and a group of interdimensional spider-people band together to defeat emerging villain, the Spot. But as Miles races against time to defeat the Spot he learns the unsettling truth about what every Spider must face on their heroic journey throughout the multiverse. This film kicks the doors off right from the beginning by opening with a twist on the original introduction from the first film and also by showcasing Gwen's heartbreaking origin story. This film is a lot of Gwen carrying around a lot of the hurt from the first fifteen minutes and how she copes with that and I honestly thought that raised the storytelling exceptionally. Miles Morales has also grown into himself as a superhero, he works really confidently and competently as a superhero and has moved beyond being a rookie Spider-Man. The interesting character point with Miles here is that he feels quite lost in his personal life, he gives himself to being a hero a lot but hasn't been especially honest to those closest to him and that is creating a rift. Before he can really confront this he is wrapped up into another multiversal adventure that is wild fun, just insanely creative envelope-pushing action. I also think that moment in which Miles resists the idea that fate is determined for all of the Spiders is a key, pivotal point that really defines him as Spider-Man. I cannot even begin to describe the epic cliffhanger we were left on, those last ten minutes presented something that will rock audiences and leave them impatient for the third in the series.

 

When I watched this film I was reminded of what made me truly fall in love with Into the Spider-Verse. The absolute showstopper animation. The style of this film is so fresh and distinct, there are entire elements from the first feature that has gone on to inspire and shape how major studios deliver animation, this has happened over the past few years. So how does one top that? This film boasts a different animation style for every universe our main characters visit. Gwen's dimension is so bright and uses colour to reflect tone tone and character emotion. Mumbattan is a much softer colour scheme that picks a busy palette in an appealling way, I really enjoyed how soft pastels dominated the design here. 2099's world was a bit more cyberpunk, all sharp edges and an almost retro take on a futuristic world. Seeing how prepared the creators were to constantly challenge their own style and give us something visually new was really impressive. I also have some major props to the soundtrack which drives the journey and sets the atmosphere a lot more in this one, the score tugs on the heartstrings while also revving the action right up as well.

 

Shameik Moore, who voiced Miles Morales, brings a new sense of confidence to Miles that I really enjoyed; the most sincere part of his performance was depicting miles' conflict with his parents and the way he struggled with lying to them. Oscar Isaac, who voiced Miguel O'Hara, feels like a character who is clutching at the threads of his former heroic self; Isaac brings a colder take on Spider-Man that becomes more aggressive as the feature progresses. Jake Johnson, who voiced Peter B. Parker, is criminally underused this time around; I loved Johnson returning to the kindly mentor figure while also juggling the giddy new Dad persona. Brian Tyree Henry, who voiced Jefferson Davis, is quite a likeable figure with a lot of love for his community and family; I enjoyed seeing Tyree Henry continue to bring a role who is really stumbling through parenting a teenage son. Luna Lauren Velez, who voiced Rio Morales, is in this so much more than the first film and I loved this film for that; Velez being given some time to work with the character resulted in one of the coolest Mum roles we've had in animation in a long time. Daniel Kaluuya, who voiced Hobie Brown, is such a quietly chaotic figure; the way Kaluuya brought this real indifferent yet confident delivery that really rebelled against the Spider network that had been established. Jason Schwartzman, who voiced The Spot, is such a tragically dorky antagonist when first we meet him; yet Schwartzman does a great job of slowly shifting how he presents The Spot to steadily make him scarier. Karan Soni, who voiced Spider-Man India, was such a fresh fun character; I enjoyed Soni being one of the more together and traditionally heroic Spider-Man figures of the film. Amandla Stenberg, who voiced Spider-Byte, was quite an interesting minor role; Stenberg really brings a bit of intrigue to this cyberspace Spider heroine. Jorma Taccone, who voiced The Vulture, was a great antagonist to kick this feature off with; he brought a wild quality that really made him stand out as an interesting villain. Shea Whigham, who voiced George Stacey, brings one of the more emotional performances of the film; Whigham's gruff police officer and Dad wrestling with his sense of duty over his love for his daughter is my favourite inner conflict of the film. Mahershala Ali, who voiced Uncle Aaron, is downright intimidating this time around; Ali brings a colder edge that sets this portrayal apart from the first film. Greta Lee, who voiced Lyla, is quite a light and fun performance that offsets Isaac nicely; I felt she provided the setting of the 2099 dimension with just a little more personality.

 

However, the best performance came from Hailee Steinfeld, who voiced Gwen Stacy. There's a lot more from Steinfeld in terms of leading the film right from the beginning. We get a real sense of the distress and pain she carries around, the loneliness she feels due to the big hole in her life that is missing Peter Parker and Miles Morales. I loved see the tougher scenes of expressing love between herself and her on-screen Dad, voiced by Whigham. At the core of her performance Steinfeld gives a solid Spider-Woman performance, quipping some seriously great lines and really engaging in the frantic banter of the action scenes. I also think she does a great job of portraying the developing relationship between herself and Moore's character, the romance there feels like genuine young love which is sweet. But what I liked most of all about her performance was how she portrayed Gwen's regret at siding with Miguel and her strength facing against such a big authority figure. Gwen truly becomes the leading hero in this feature.

 

This feels like a perfect comic book storyline in a lot of ways but it suffers some of what Into the Spider-Verse suffered, a stacked cast and a lot of exposition. The film has a lot to introduce and the multiverse aspects becoming even more important means things need to be explained more often. I think this does bog down the pacing in parts, particularly in the first and second act. I also found the idea of Spider characters being bound by 'Canon' events to get a little on the nose, the emotional impact on the story works. But what I found difficult to read in the context of the film was how there was always a dead police captain in every Spider's reality, it just got way too specific and convenient for the direction of the plot. Yes, Spider-Man always faces tragedy but he always faces a dead police captain? This one element could've been written better than it was.

Issa Rae, who voiced Jessica Drew, is a stoic role that is often overshadowed by Isaac's Miguel; Rae is not given a lot of opportunity for range and is squandered as Gwen's mentor figure in the background. Andy Samberg, who voiced Ben Reilly, really just goes fully over the top for this role; his depiction of an overly angsty and broody character feels more like parody than what the rest of the cast is doing.

The feeling of opening a comic book and letting your imagination go wild is the essense of these exceptional Spider-Verse features. I would give Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse an 8.5/10.