Captain Marvel Review

Captain Marvel

The 21st feature film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel is Marvel Studios' first female led film and, naturally, was met with controversy by some groups online, which will not be elaborated on here, this will be a review based solely on the film. 

Academy Award winner Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, a super powered soldier for the Kree Empire in their war against the shape-shifting Skrulls.  When the fight comes to Earth in 1995, Carol is forced to confront her past and her inner demons.

It is akin to the superhero origin stories of the early MCU, but told through a non-linear narrative that enables the audience to learn more about Carol's story alongside her as she rediscovers herself.

The visual effects department did incredibly when it came to the de-ageing of Samuel L. Jackson as a younger Nick Fury, though his movements during some minor action scenes did give away that he is still a 70 year old man. 

Captain Marvel is an okay MCU film, featuring good action set pieces, Marvel trademark humour and well done special effects.  

X-Men: Dark Phoenix Review

Dark Phoenix

X-Men: Dark Phoenix feels like the endgame for 20th Century Fox's tenure owning this Marvel franchise (and  actually is, unless the repeatedly delayed The New Mutants actually gets released).  

In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men are viewed by the public as heroes and Professor Xavier (James McAvoy)  is enjoying the attention, believing he has finally begun to bridge the divide between mutants and humans.  However, when team member Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) returns from a rescue mission in space, corrupted by a powerful cosmic entity, she becomes a threat to humanity, forcing a difficult choice upon those closest to her - can Jean be saved or must she be stopped for good?

This film was written and directed by Simon Kinberg.  Kinberg is no stranger to this franchise, having been a writer on previous X-Men films (Apocalypse, Days of Future Past and The Last Stand).  This is, however, Kinberg's debut as a feature film director, his only previous directing credit being one episode of the 2019 The Twilight Zone television reboot.  

The cast does a commendable job with the material and direction they were given, but some lines of dialogue, including an awkwardly used "f-bomb", could not be salvaged by their performances.

A gimmick of the recent X-Men films is that they are period pieces, each set in a new decade; First Class in the '60s, Days of Future Past in the '70s, Apocalypse in the '80s and Dark Phoenix in the '90s.  The respective time periods were reflected well in the previous three, whether through fashion, soundtrack choices, background television broadcasts, world events or which US president is in office, these factors made each one feel "of the time" they were set.  This cannot be said for Dark Phoenix.  There is nothing outright "'90s" about it.  For example, in a series that accurately features Richard Nixon as president in the '70s set film, it would have made sense to have an actor portray George Bush Senior in the film set in 1992.  This does not affect the quality of the film, nor should it, though it is more noticeable when compared with the other three.

This is the second feature film adaptation of the acclaimed comic book story The Dark Phoenix Saga, written by Chris Claremont in 1980, the first being the aforementioned X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and many fans of the original source material would argue that it has yet to be done well.

In this case, the story hinges on the emotional weight affecting the relationship between Jean and Scott Summers (played by Tye Sheridan), though, despite also appearing in the previous film Apocalypse, we have not seen much of their relationship or character growth, making it rather difficult to empathise with them.

The main positive I have for this film is that the fight scenes are nicely choreographed and, despite the fact that the final battle takes place in narrow train carriages, display nicely the various powers of each mutant, some of which are used rather brutally.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is an okay film.  It is acted well enough and the action scenes are somewhat entertaining, but it is quite a forgettable affair.

Gerry Anderson's Firestorm Review

Gerry Anderson’s Firestorm Review

This pilot episode for Gerry Anderson’s Firestorm is fun, charming, exciting, animated action suitable for family viewing in the vein of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet before it and filmed in “Ultramarionation”.

Set in the year 2102, humanity is peaceful and no longer under threat of climate change or food shortages.  However, that all changes when the mysterious Black Orchid emerges, causing chaos.  It is up to Storm Force to combat the perpetrators, mission codename: Firestorm.

Funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign, Firestorm is sure to satisfy existing fans, attract new ones and compliment the legacy of the late, great Gerry Anderson through its impressive use of marionettes, miniatures and special effects.

It sets a solid foundation as a pilot and promises further excitement in the full series.

Imaginary Bullets Review

Imaginary Bullets Review

Imaginary Bullets is a short film written and directed by Arizona based filmmaker Sean Oliver.  It is set in a world where toy guns and gun-like hand gestures are just as dangerous as the real things.  The tone of this film felt very much akin to something like Black Mirror, full of satire and social commentary.

The film starts out nice and innocent enough, with two young boys playing with water pistols and then BANG!  Amidst the initial shock, questions are subliminally asked, such as how innocent can playing with toy guns actually be?  How ethical is pretend killing?   

The world starts descending into chaos as people begin to discover that they have firepower at the tips of their fingers.  This can be interpreted as social commentary on US gun laws and the ease of access for firearms, regardless of age or mental health.  Another reading of the film could be that the guns themselves are not hurting anyone, rather the people that would have access to them is doing the damage.  It could also be interpreted as the looming, ever-present danger of these weapons being so near children.

Overall, Imaginary Bullets can be seen as a powerful allegory in favour of stricter gun control laws in the United States and as a commentary on the acceptance of violence in everyday entertainment, with clever camerawork and editing, particularly with certain scene transitions.

Paris Song Review

Paris Song Review

Paris Song, directed by Jeff Vespa, is a biographical period drama that stars Abbie Cornish, Ben Aldridge as composer/pianist George Gershwin and Sanjar Madi as Amre Kashaubayev.

 

Based on a true story, the film follows Amre on his journey from obscurity to recognition, starting as a small-time singer in his town in Kazakhstan before competing in the 1925 Paris Expo singing contest.  A fish-out-of-water due to cultural and class differences, Amre soon finds himself being welcomed with open arms by Paris’ musical elite, though it becomes apparent that not everyone is enthused by his talents.

Madi’s performance is brilliant, expressing the emotions, the wonder and the humility of the protagonist in such a believable, satisfying way.

The cinematography is well done with various techniques employed effectively, such as framing choices that highlight a character’s isolation, as well as point of view shots with quick pans and depth of field changes that help to position the audience as the protagonist.

Paris Song is an uplifting underdog story that showcases a likeable protagonist remaining humble in the face of popularity and success, leaving audiences with an inspiring, heartfelt message – if we just close our eyes and listen, everything is music.

Shut Up and Dig Review

Shut Up and Dig Review

Short film Shut Up and Dig is a black comedy by young filmmaker Scott Piggott that centres around two mobsters, Kenny (Vincenzo Nicoli) and Ben (Arthur Darvill of Doctor Who and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow fame) who, over a period of months, dispose of various bodies in a cemetery.  Kenny appears hardened to this sort of thing, whereas Ben is clearly disturbed by it, making awkward small talk due to his nerves.  Subjected further to this occurrence over time, Ben seems to disassociate himself from it until he can bottle up his feelings no more.

Piggott has previously stated that his influence for this short film was seeing how an older generation of British men deal with feelings, particularly now in a mental health driven society.  He also says he feels it is important to present the errors in a light-hearted fashion.  

   

The director accomplishes this without branching into an advertisement for mental health awareness.  The extreme, dark example of criminals disposing of bodies, combined with an eerie yet comical soundtrack and humorous dialogue delivery helps present the intended message in a fun way without coming across as too pandering or obvious.

Troll Bridge Review

Troll Bridge Review

Troll Bridge, directed by Daniel Knight, is an adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s short fantasy story of the same name and is set in the fictional Discworld.  It is a character driven narrative that features the famed Cohen the Barbarian, who has appeared in a number of other Discworld stories, on his quest to defeat a troll in battle, though not all goes quite as expected. 

The blending of live action and computer generated effects are well done.  Backdrops and bridge towers look almost photorealistic, and the appearance of the troll is somewhat charming - not too horrific but not too goofy either.

The scenery showcased in the beautiful establishing shots evokes Middle Earth as seen in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, from mountain ranges to the large stone bridge itself, it truly is a spectacle.  This connection is appropriate, especially given that the story was originally published in 1992 as part of a collection entitled After the King: Stories in Honour of J. R. R. Tolkien.  

Troll Bridge is an amusing, well made short film, with satirical dialogue and fun characters that should please more than just fans of the source material and fantasy enthusiasts.   

My Work on Carmarthen Bay Film Festival 2019

Carmarthen Bay Film Festival 2019

Over the last few weeks, I have been working behind the scenes at Carmarthen Bay Film Festival 2019 in Llanelli.

I assisted with setting up before the European premiere of Troll Bridge and worked as "the sound guy" for not only that event, but also on a number of promo videos.

My main role was writing reviews for some of the films being shown at the festival.  My purpose was to give my honest opinions (as usual) on the positive aspects only, leaving out the things I did not like.  This was in order to help promote Indie film and the festival itself as well as to avoid offending filmmakers to the point where they will not wish to enter another film in future.

Soon to be uploaded are these completed reviews, but expect more from the festival too.  I was recently asked to write reviews for all the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival 2019 award winners too, so expect those soon.

Ranking the Live Action TRANSFORMERS Movies. Worst to Best - Number 1

1. TRANSFORMERS (2007)

“An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.”

- IMDB Transformers (2007)

For some reason this film made a big impact on my thirteen year old self.  I was never a fan of the Transformers brand or franchise before seeing the trailers for this first live-action instalment but the marketing did its job, winning me over, making me hungry to see it until I finally watched it - on DVD when my brother received it as a Christmas present in 2007.

It is the most relatable and simple story of the the series.  Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is a high school student who buys a car with hopes of impressing Mikaela Banes, a girl in his class.  However, the car soon reveals itself to be a transforming alien robot named Bumblebee, a scout for the heroic Autobots who are at war with the villainous Decepticons, with both factions searching for the powerful Allspark cube.

It is decently paced with some good characters and enjoyable action scenes, including car chases, an attack on a military base and a fun final battle in the middle of downtown Los Angeles (or Mission City, as it is called in the film).  One of the complaints that many critics seem to have is that "it is impossible to see what is going on when the robots fight each other, though I have never agreed with that and could always tell who was who.

The score is epic, from the intense and exciting Scorponok to the beautiful and wondrous Arrival To Earth, Steve Jablonsky's score is worthy of recognition as one of the more iconic in modern cinema.

This is a fun, entertaining summer blockbuster with spectacular action as well as fantastic music, that gripped my young mind and makes me nostalgic now.

It is, without a doubt, the best of the Michael Bay directed Transformers films



This was the first film I reviewed on this blog, so click/tap here for a link to that if you want to know more on how I feel about Transformers (2007).

Ranking the Live Action TRANSFORMERS Movies. Worst to Best - Number 2

2. TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (2011)

“The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and the race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets”

- IMDB Transformers Dark Of The Moon

I was overexcited and so hyped for Transformers Dark of the Moon to come out in the Summer of 2011.  I remember when the teaser trailer dropped in December 2010, I stayed up into the early hours of the morning for the thirty second "big game" spot to air during Super Bowl XLV (the game that got me into the NFL, pre-game I chose to support the Packers - and they won!), watched the theatrical trailer on repeat as well as almost all subsequent TV spots leading up to release.  I purchased the film's score, the soundtrack, tie-in comics - I was obsessed.  I was more excited for the film's release date than I was for my school prom night, which fell on the same day (I neither attended my prom nor saw the film on release date in the end, though I did see it two days later - on its original release date of July 1st).  I saw it in cinemas twice, first time in 3D, second time in IMAX 3D, which really was an incredible experience.

It is clear that Michael Bay, who at the time said this would be his last Transformers film, still had some passion for this franchise.  The story, while not perfect, is not nonsensical and, in my opinion, there are no stand out annoying characters.  Some goofy, slapstick humour still exists but tonally Dark of the Moon feels like it takes itself more serious than the other films.

The score by Steve Jablonsky is once again beautiful, the action set pieces are exciting and they even tried giving the robot cast more personality, particularly with their relationships to other characters; Optimus and his mentor Sentinel Prime, Bumblebee and Sam.

The action set pieces are incredibly exciting, particularly the highway chase that occurs around the 1 hour mark.  Despite this, the final battle that takes up the last act of the film feels more like a sequence of individual events, "this happens, then this happens, then this happens".  I often compare this to The Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012), where there is also a final battle at the end of the film in a big city, involving numerous heroes taking on waves of drone-like enemies.  However, the way this battle is filmed and structured feels more like a battle that progresses, "this happens, whilst this happens, therefore this happens".

It is not an intellectually challenging film, nor is it a modern classic.  It is a summer blockbuster, mindless action movie that, though it ends rather abruptly, is a satisfying end to one of my favourite guilty pleasure film trilogies - as far as I'm concerned, 4 and 5 are fever dreams that never happened canonically.   

Archive Review - EDDIE THE EAGLE (2016)

*Salvaged from some notes found in one of my old notebooks.  These notes would have been made at the latest the day after originally seeing the film.*

High Flyer 

Eddie the Eagle is a biopic released in 2016 and stars Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.  It is based on the true story of skier Michael Edwards as he strives to represent Great Britain in ski jumping at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

It is a very positive, inspiring film all about how self-belief, perseverance and hard work will help you achieve your dreams.  It's a message audiences have been subjected to many times by now, but thanks to such compelling, mostly fleshed out characters, it is still very engaging and charming.

(The only negatives are rather nit-picky).  Jackman's character Bronson Peary, Eddie's trainer, is a former professional skier, disgraced because - he didn't take the sport seriously enough?  Additionally, he is completely fictional, created solely for the film.

Also, in the film, Eddie stays at a bar whilst at a training camp in Germany.  He is discovered by the bar owner sleeping in a cupboard, with no prior introduction, though she allows him to stay due to her being physically attracted to him.  Questionable reasoning, but at least Eddie had a place to stay.

These criticisms certainly do not detract from it being a very inspirational, feel good film.  Though, as Edwards himself has said himself, much of the film is highly dramatised and "around 20% accurate" to what actually happened.  However, in adaptation, artistic/creative licence must be taken for the sake of entertainment. It is still a great, fun film.     

*Originally given an 8/10 score.* 

   

    

Ranking the Live Action TRANSFORMERS Movies. Worst to Best - Number 3

3. TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (2009)

“Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life. But when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers’ war.”

- IMDB Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen

Revenge of the Fallen is, in the eyes of a lot of people, terrible.  For me though, it is a nostalgic mixed bag and the first Transformers film I was truly hyped for.

For me it has its moments.  The score by Steve Jablonsky is once again beautifully epic, the CGI is incredible and some of the action set pieces, such as the opening Shanghai fight, the forest battle and the final fight in Egypt, are exciting. 

However, it is bogged down with some stupid, unfunny, crass humour and annoying characters (both human and robot).  Leo Spitz, Sam's college roommate, has no character arc at all and should have either been written out of the story after the first hour or gone through some character growth by the end of the film.  As it is, he is there for "comic relief", making a fool of himself in failed slapstick comedy and literally screaming in fear.

Then there is the issue of two of the new Autobots - twins Mudflap and Skids.  Criticised for being racial stereotypes, they bring nothing to the film other than a misjudged attempt at comic relief and two new toys for Hasbro's tie-in toy line.  They were received so poorly in this instalment that they were omitted almost completely from the franchise's third film (almost, since they were included in tie in comics, books, the toy line and can still be seen in their vehicle modes, albeit briefly, in the background of one of the shots early in the film.

The film was in pre-production during the time of the Writers Guild of America strike, so the story and character development definitely suffer for that.  It is a basic plot of the Decepticons searching for a Cybertronian MacGuffin that will end the world and the Autobots, with the help of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), have to stop them. Sam's character arc involves him getting to the stage in his relationship with Mikaela (Megan Fox, who has somewhat improved acting-wise since the last film) where he can tell her that he loves her.  His mother and father make a return, with them learning to cope with their son leaving for college, on his way to face the world on his own whilst also being caught up in this alien war..

At the age of fourteen-going-on-fifteen, Revenge of the Fallen was the perfect Summer action blockbuster for me and, at the time, I probably favoured it over the first one.  This is no longer the case, but it is still mindless background noise if you are doing something else, that you can pick and choose to watch your favourite moments.  Also, director Michael Bay still seemed to actually care at this point, so it is far better than Age of Extinction and The Last Knight. 

KNOCK - A Short Horror Film - Directed and written by James Roberts

A teenager is home alone, scrolling through social media when he comes across a chain-mail post that he doesn't share...

This is a short film I made for my University course.  Not everything went to plan, but I'm happy enough with how it turned out. 

If you watch/have watched it, thank you.