New Mutants: The Poor Man’s Chronicle, Potential We Will Never Get To See

The New Mutants is a superhero horror film directed by Josh Boone. The plot sees a group of young people have to come to terms with their mutant abilities whilst inside a secure facility. Each has emotional scars from their past that they need to overcome in order to move forward.

So before I get into this I will just announce that I may have a slight bit of bias of this one, because Josh Boone has recently revealed himself to be a terrible person, look up his disastrous io9 interview for more information, as such I don’t like him, but I tried my best to stay impartial with the film.

This film is not as terrible as you have heard, it is by no means the worst X-Men film. There are strong parts to it, such as the horror, however there are also a lot of problems. It is a very mixed bag.

First the positive. I thought the horror elements of the film were really compelling and worked well, it was actually scary at times. Personally I thought this film would probably work better as a straight horror film, as when the superhero stuff happened it did not seem to fit with everything else. The CGI battle at the end of the film, is proof of this, it stood out for all the wrong reasons and felt jarring.

I enjoyed seeing each of the characters on screen, I think for the most part they nailed the look and feel of them from the comics, I had never seen anything like it before (in terms of powers). The acting was patchy, as though the characters were enjoyable and fun to watch, for the most part the ones who were doing accents were doing them badly. Charlie Heaton was the only member of the cast who pulled his accent off, Anya Taylor Joy’s Russian accent came and went and was not maintained and Masie Williams’ Scottish accent was awful.

I would like to see more from these characters, sadly we never will.

There is a scene that I would like to talk about that I found to be questionable. The shower scene early on in the film between Masie Williams character and lead Danielle Moonstar (Blu Hunt), felt a bit icky to me. There was something about it that I didn’t like, and it felt off, especially considering the actors ages when it was shot.

Overall, there is some fun to be had and it is definitely worth a watch, not in cinemas (its not that urgent), however the problems it has are significant. It would have been better as a horror film.

Pros.

The characters are all likeable

It was cool seeing the powers pulled off well

The horror

Cons.

The superhero stuff felt like it clashed

The shower scenes

Taylor-Joy and Williams’ accents

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Puss In Boots: The Shrek Spinoff We Needed?

Puss In Boots is an animated film directed by Chris Miller. The plot sees Puss (Antonio Banderas), try to steal the magical Golden Goose from inside the giant’s castle from the tale of Jack and The Bean Stalk.

So, we can all agree the best thing about Shrek 2 was the introduction of Puss In Boots, who would go on to be one of the best characters in the franchise. With that in mind the idea of a Puss centred spin off seems like a very likely bet and that is what this film is.

The story as a whole doesn’t feel like it adds much to the Shrek world, and feels oddly self-contained. The new characters are fine, but again they’re nothing to write home about. Selma Hayek as Kitty Soft Paws is a nice on-screen partner for Puss, but even she can’t be memorable.

Everything new about this film doesn’t really work, but the returning character of Puss is still fun. The only thing that keeps this from being a bad film is the charm of Banderas, which is the film’s saving grace. It is nice seeing Puss get his own film, but it suffers without having the other well-known characters to bounce off.

Overall, a needless spinoff that is kept alive by the bandit esque charm of Antonio Banderas’ Puss, but one that you can give a miss.

Pros.

Banderas

A few good jokes

Cons.

The new characters aren’t interesting

The world feels small

Banderas can only take the film so far

The ending is so dumb

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Scooby Doo Camp Scare: Oddly Sexual

Scooby Doo Camp Scare is an animated film directed by Ethan Spaulding. The plot sees Scooby (Frank Welker), and the gang head to Camp Little Moose, as Fred (also Welker), wants to relive some of his childhood and has become a councillor there, the gang naturally accompany him. However, once they arrive they realise something stalks the woods, something scary.

So, the first thing I noticed about this film was the animation is different to the other animated Scooby Doo films I have reviewed, not necessarily worse, but certainly newer looking in style. I found this to be jarring at the start of the film, but I found it to be less of an issue as it went on.

The drawn style of the female characters in this one is oddly sexual, they have Daphne (Grey Griffin), in a bikini and pan the camera up and down her body multiple times; you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching the soft core start of a very convincing porn parody. Other female characters suffer the same fate and it just feels a bit icky. Also they walk back some of the character development of Daphne and turn her into the jealous girlfriend cliché

Switching gear, I found this to be much funnier than previous Scooby adventures, this film seemed to be crammed with innuendos and dirty jokes which I appreciated and that did in fact make me laugh.

The Scooby Doo formula is less strikingly apparent here, yes it still ends in the standard way that you would expect but it feels like more freedom was given to the creatives.

Overall, a fun ride, though a little creepy at times in a questionable sort of way.

Pros.

It is very watchable

More creative freedom

Has a few good funny moments

Cons.

Weirdly sexual

A shift in animation

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Random Acts Of Violence: A Reflection On Our Society

Random Acts Of Violence is a horror thriller film directed by Jay Baruchel. The film follows Todd (Jesse Williams), a comic writer who starts seeing the murders within his comic come to life around him, as the serial killer that the comic is based on becomes active once again.

I enjoyed this film for having a hard look at violence within our society. What inspires what? If a killer watches a violent movie that then inspires there killing does the movie bare any responsibility? Obviously the answer is no. Can we become trapped in cycles with forces that define our life for the worst almost forming a co-dependant partnership with them? I don’t know the answers to these questions, but the film sure does take a good stab at it.

I thought the idea itself was quite novel, moreover the execution was incredible; especially considering that Baruchel is an inexperienced director. The tension and real sense of fear in this film is unlike anything I have seen in a long time; it is a very human threat that we could all be susceptible to.

My one issue would be due to this strikingly real-life theme, the film itself is quite depressing. With something like the Conjuring you can divorce it from reality, because it is so larger than life, however you can’t do the same with this. It is not really an issue though as it is to be expected with this type of film.

Overall, a startingly good debut for Baruchel, very well done.

Pros.

The sense of genuine fear

The premise

It keeps you on the edge of your seat, pardon the cliched phrase

You care about the characters

Cons.

Maybe it is a little too dark, a little too close to home

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Scooby Doo And The Loch Ness Monster: The Scottish Accent Is Further Butchered

Scooby Doo and The Loch Ness Monster is an animated family film directed by Scott Jeralds and Joe Sichta. The plot sees the Mystery Machine gang head to Scotland to meet up with Daphne’s (Grey Griffin), family for the Highland games. However, the most infamous Scottish legend of all is terrorising the proceedings, the one and only Loch Ness Monster.

There is a certain safety in a formula, you know what you’re getting. I have talked at length about the Scooby Doo formula in other reviews and I think for the most part it works, but here it was a little too samey and left the whole film feeling very unmemorable and a little bland.

The Scottish accents were butchered to hell as well, so don’t watch if you’re an easily offended Scottish person. However, unlike in Monster of Mexico, I thought the Scottish side characters were treated as more than mere stereotypes and were okay. They felt like characters in their own right and not cheap clichés so that is a positive.

I also enjoyed the ending tease where it implied that Nessie was in fact real; after having been proven to be people in a costume moments before. I like the fact that this era of Scooby Doo shock things up and didn’t have every monster just be a person in a costume using unrealistic practical effects; the added supernatural mystery of these films gives them more substance.

Overall, a very standard affair, not the best Scooby Doo animated film, but not the worst either. I’m glad the local side characters don’t feel like harmful stereotypes and I think the ending adds some much-needed mystery to things.

Pros.

It is very watchable

The ending tease

Not having the side characters be stereotypes

Fun to turn your brain off to

Cons.

It doesn’t grab you

It is forgettable

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Week Of: Adam Sandler Just Has To Be An Old Lady, Ruining A Dramatic Performance

The Week Of is a comedy film directed by Robert Smigel. The plot follows Kenny (Adam Sandler), the father of the bride as he tries to make sure everything goes right on his daughter big day, whilst not being out done by the groom’s father Kirby (Chris Rock).

So when I put this film on I was expecting a standard Adam Sandler comedy film, nothing too surprising, a few cheap laughs. However, this film was far more than that. I would say though there are a few badly timed gags and bits this film almost plays like a drama, and I enjoyed that.

Sandler’s character is much more toned down, his usual stick is not here, and he is playing his role in far more of a reserved way. I enjoyed his performance and it reminded me that Sandler can be a good dramatic actor when he wants to be. However, there is one out of place, needless, scene of Sandler dressed as an old lady singing for no reason at all; that stops my praise for his performance from being full on.

When the film did use humour it was sparingly and done with intent, a lot of the jokes felt well throughout and actually made me laugh rather than just seemingly like the writers trying to guess how many dick jokes they can fit into an hour and a half.

Overall, very much a surprise. Both Chris Rock and Adam Sandler act, and do it well.

Pros.

Not Sandler’s usual stick

The comedy is used sparingly

The drama is good and the main focus

Sandler and Rock play it straight for the most part

Cons.

Why did he have to dress as an old lady?

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Open Season: Brother Bear without the Charm

Open Season is a family animated film directed by Roger Allers, Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi. The plot sees show bear Boog (Martin Lawrence), go on step to far and get sent by his human owner to go and live in the woods. His life of comfort and domesticity has left him soft; how will he get tough enough to survive in the wild, especially in hunting season.

I remember, vaguely, watching this when it came out in the cinema. It left very little impression on me then and watching it now, I can say it does leave an impression, but an odd one.

So, there is an off-kilter nature to this film, maybe it was just me, but I didn’t find this film funny or charming like family films often try and be, instead I found it to be sad and even melancholic at times. It felt like there was something off just beneath the surface of it. Maybe that was my viewing of it.

None of the voice cast do a particularly good job, Lawrence tries but his material seems like a parody at best, and the rest fair far worse. Ashton Kutcher as Elliot, Boog’s deer side kick is thoroughly annoying and doesn’t have any real redeeming qualities. The rest of the voice cast is wasted, veterans like Patrick Warburton are just reciting clearly joyless lines and it is painful.

Overall, something seems off about this film, it is not terrible, I have seen far worse animated fare, but it is incredibly average and depressing.

Pros.

Lawrence is trying

It is watchable

Cons.

None of the characters are likable

Kutcher is annoying

The supporting cast are wasted

I left watching this feeling depressed

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Iron Man: The One That Started It All

Iron Man is a Marvel Comics superhero film directed by Jon Favreau. The plot sees billionaire weapons dealer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), get captured by terrorists who use his weapons. This leads Stark to rethink his business model, it also leads to him becoming the superhero known as Iron Man.

This is were it all began, this was the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and likely without it, said universe might not have happened at all. This film was responsible for setting up one of the most complex characters in Marvel’s shared universe as well as for setting the tone for future adventures.

Personally, I enjoy that this and other early MCU films, pre full Disney, had more of rough around the edge’s kind of charm. A bit more adult and far less of the incredibly safe content that would come later.

Downey Jr. gives the performance of his life, resurrecting both his career as well as the character of Iron Man who had fallen out of mainstream popularity long ago. The life and energy that Downey Jr. brings to the role is truly extraordinary and would very hard to replicate with a different actor.

Overall, a very enjoyable film, the best Marvel film to some, and in my top 10 for sure.

Pros.

Establishing the world

Robert Downey Jr’s performance

The humour

The rough around the edges feel of it

Cons.

A weak forgettable villain

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke