Vengeance Turns Vol 1: New Life In The Old West

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A female led western revenge film that sees a woman, played by Paola Luelmo, lose her husband and child and then go on a quest for revenge.

When you think about the wider Western genre it can be hard to name many films that are female led, there are a few like Jane Got A Gun, Bandidas, Calamity Jane, and True Grit, the last one is debatable, but on the whole the genre is fairly male dominated. As such it is nice to see a female led Spaghetti Western it feels so refreshing. I thought Paola Luelmo did a great job in the role and you really ended up buying her character transformation across the film.

I thought there were some elements of the exploitation genre here and I got a lot of hints of Revenge the French film from a few years back now. I liked that the film never strayed away from the gritty violence and maintained a fairly consistent tone and momentum across the entire runtime of the film.

I enjoyed the ending a great deal, and was left wanting more for sure. My one criticism of this film would be that it could have done with an extra 10 or so minutes just to give everything the breathing room it needed, but I suppose there is a sequel coming in which to unpack the unanswered questions of this film.

Overall, a very enjoyable western film with a nice exploitation esque edge to it.

Pros.

Luelmo

The ending

Nice to see another female led Western

The stakes and tension

The violence

Cons.

A little more needed

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Whiplash: The Bloodiest Drum Kit You Will Likely Ever See

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Andrew Neiman, played by Miles Teller, has the world’s worst student experience.

Previously I have not liked Miles Teller as a performer, he often gives off a very smug and irritating air that I find ruins a lot of his performances for me, however, here I thought he was first class. Teller brought a lot to this film, you really felt the character’s pain both physical and mental over the course of the film. Moreover, I thought this character’s journey to greatness was incredibly inspirational and I thought a lot of that had to do with Teller’s performance.

In addition, I hadn’t been a great fan of Damien Chazelle’s other films La La Land and First Man did little for me in either case. However, I thought this film was incredibly effecting and one of the tensest films I have ever seen, the battle between Neiman and his abusive conductor, played by J.K Simmons, was marvellous and never let up.

Simmons was fantastic as well and truly deserved the Oscar for his performance, he portrayed the character in such a flawed and layered way that you are never quite sure how you feel about him, on the one hand he is incredibly abusive but on the other he really does want Neiman to be the best he can be.

Overall, a powerful film.

Pros.

Simmons

Teller

The tension

The emotion

Cons.

The pacing, it could have been better being about 15 minutes shorter with a tighter edit of the second act

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Shining Vale: Courtney Cox’s Comeback

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A series about a struggling writer, played by Courtney Cox, who moves out to the country after cheating on her husband, played by Greg Kinnear, and shortly thereafter finds herself coming under the influence of a demon, maybe?

I thought this series had a lot of potential but was quite rough around the edges. Firstly, I thought the social commentary aspect of the show where it talked about struggles with addiction and mental illness, mainly from a female perspective, was for the most part pretty on point. However, there were times when I found the show to be really ramming its message home and operating without any subtlety at all, and a lot can be said for a point made well in a subtle manner being more thought provoking.

Moreover, I thought for the most part the cast was strong, however, I thought Cox played it a bit too straight and at times it came across as though she was just playing a version of her character from Scream. I think a case could be made that Cox was miscast for this show, especially because it is supposed to be a comedy.

For me the comedy didn’t really land either, there were a few moments that made me chuckle but by and large it left me cold.

Overall, a show with undeniable potential but one that needs to be refined and possibly recast.

Pros.

An interesting idea

A few strong points

A strong ending

Cons.

Cox

Sometimes a bit too in your face with its social commentary

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The Northman: A Viking Life For Me

5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Amleth, played by Alexander Skarsgård, is a Viking prince who after losing his family and his kingdom goes on an epic quest for revenge.

Honestly this may be Robert Eggers best film, now I love the VVitch it is my second favourite film of all time, but I do think this film gives it a run for its money.

There is something so original and fresh about this film, you have never seen anything quite like it before, there are notes of Winding Refn’s Valhalla Rising but even then not quite. This is not a revenge film as you would expect it, this is not a Viking film as you would expect it, this film takes different elements from several different genres and blends them together to create something new and abstract.

The abstract elements of this film, where things go noticeably strange, are just fantastic. Not only are they visually distinct and interesting but they are shot in such a beautiful way that they become burnt into your minds eye.

The characters are of course terrific Skarsgård is a capable lead, but I would say he is outpaced by both Nicole Kidman and Anya Taylor-Joy who both give masterful performance that will stay with you. I thought the twist with Kidman’s character worked perfectly and superbly steered the film towards its final act. My favourite performance of the film was probably Willem Dafoe’s jester/mystic character who thought he was only in it for a few brief scenes is a lot of fun.

Overall, a must see.

Pros.

The epic scale

The battle scenes

The abstract elements

The performances

The ending

Cons.

None

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Doctor Strange Into The Multiverse Of Madness: You Better Have Watched All The Disney + Shows

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Following on from the events of Wandavision Wanda, played by Elizabeth Olsen, goes on a multiverse wide rampage to try and get her kids back, forcing Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and other mystical characters to try and stop her.

I think this may be my favourite Marvel film to date, or certainly up there in the top 3, I really enjoyed the Raimi elements to this film and I thought the horror sequences were terrific. I liked that this film felt a little darker and more supernatural than the rest of the MCU it gives me hope for characters like Blade and Ghost Rider. I thought the Raimi esque shot choices and transitions were just superb, it really gave this film a sense of identity all its own.

Moreover, despite some of the more unrefined criticism of this film saying how they turned Wanda into a bad guy, I thought this film did great things for her character and felt like a natural carry over from where the end of Wandavision left her. In the comics the character is deeply mentally unstable and crazy powerful this felt a true reflection of that, this idea that Wanda is a superhero and that she is a force for good only, is both not true and also just a creation of the MCU- one they now seem to be breaking.

I thought the new character of America Chavez, played by Xochitl Gomez was great she easily held her own both with Strange and Cumberbatch and I eagerly await to see what else they do with her character, most likely a Young Avengers show or film. In that same vein, I thought this film added a lot to most of the characters from the previous Doctor Strange film that helped to make them feel more rounded. I liked Strange and Wong’s, played by Benedict Wong, relationship and how Strange eventually comes to respect Wong as the new Sorcerer Supreme and also thought the film did justice to Rachel McAdams’ Christine from the first film, tying that up nicely.

The things I didn’t like about this film were all quite minor, firstly I didn’t like the Illuminati I thought it felt far too much like blatant fan service and thought there was no point to them existing other than to give Wanda people to tear apart. I did like the Black Bolt, played by Anson Mount, death however, I thought that was gutsy and some nice unexpected gore. Secondly, I have issues with the post credits scenes, with the first I think it is too unclear what is going on, moreover unless you are an avid comics reader you will not know who Clea, played by Charlize Theron, is and will be left baffled. The second post credits scene is just annoying and makes you feel like you have wasted your time. Thirdly, I didn’t like Strange’s relationship with Baron Mordo, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, it felt very much like some scenes were missing there as there relationship made no sense being where it was based off the ending of the previous film.

Overall, I think this film is brave, brutal and great for the MCU. I hope very much they can talk Raimi into coming back to do more movies.

Pros.

The horror elements and the Raimi feel of the film

Wanda’s progression

Strange and Christine and Strange and Wong

America Chavez

The ending

Cons.

Too many cameos

Uneven storytelling with Mordo

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Doctor Strange: A New Advance In Faith Healing

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

World famous surgeon Stephen Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, becomes a master of the mystic arts after suffering injuries in a car accident.

I think this is one of the slower MCU films but there is still a lot to enjoy here.

The world and characters are all interesting, Tilda Swinton is great as the Ancient One and Benedict Wong gives us a first fun look at Wong. However, I would say the opening of the film and Strange’s training takes far too much of the film, it feels as though you have been watching for quite a while before anything large scale happens.

Once we start getting the big magical set pieces and everything starts to look at bit more like Inception things pick up. I would say this film does enough visually to allow it to stand apart from a lot of the other Marvel films. I thought the big final battle against Dormammu in the time-loop was a lot of fun and quite inventive, sadly the other battle against Mads Mikkelsen’s Kaecillius was far less interesting and Kaecillius on the whole was quite wasted.

I go back and forth about how I feel about Christine Palmer, played by Rachel McAdams, on the one hand I think her and Cumberbatch have great chemistry together and there scenes do have a nice amount of energy, but on the other hand I do wish that they would have given her more to do or at least allowed her to tag along for more of the craziness rather than just staying at the hospital.

Overall, a serviceable to good Marvel film but one that does let down a few of its key characters.

Pros.

Cumberbatch

The time-loop sequence

Swinton and Wong

McAdams has good chemistry with Cumberbatch

Cons.

McAdams isn’t given enough to do

Kaecillius is wasted

The training takes far too long

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The Aviary: The Most Boring Movie About A Cult Ever Made

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Two women, played by Lorenza Izzo and Malin Akerman, escape a cult run by the love interest from the Mindy Project

Really there isn’t a whole lot to say about this film. Its narrative of self determination and the roads that lead lost people to join up with cults and other harmful organisations is nothing new. Indeed most aspects of this film have been well-mined before by other better projects and this just feels like it is trying to replicate them to justify its existence.

The saddest thing about this film is the fact that it wastes an incredibly talented cast. Izzo, Akerman, Messina and Holt have all been really good in previous projects so there is a well of talent to draw from, yet this film just ignores that and has them be boring, forgettable and beige.

They try and do a horror/thriller aspect to the film wherein the characters believe they are being pursued by their former cult, or are they? However, in the end this just leads to a trite predictable conclusion.

Overall, a generic snooze fest that wastes good talent.

Pros.

It is watchable if there are no other options and you can’t go and do something else

Cons.

It wastes the talent

It is incredibly generic

It is dull

The actors are given nothing to work with

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Alex Kurtzman And The Sorry State Of Modern Star Trek

Written by Luke Barnes

In this piece I want to talk about the current state of Star Trek, now I am not claiming to be a major fan or anything of the sort, but I did see the Pine fronted movies as a kid and have tried to get into the series that have come out since, whilst also going back and visiting the older series for a first time. Perhaps comparing the new to the old is not a favourable comparison, perhaps the bar is set too high, however, I really do find that these newer series just can’t hold a candle to the older shows and are noticeably weaker.

Why do I think Discovery and Piccard are so weak well that is an easy question dear reader, the problems of modern Star Trek can be traced back to one bad writer, Alex Kurtzman, the guy who brought you The Amazing Spider-Man sequel and The Mummy with Tom Cruise. Kurtzman is a hack by all accounts and has milked a relationship with J.J Abrams for all it is worth, hence his current position in the Star Trek universe.

Kurtzman doesn’t seem to understand a lot of the projects he is involved in, hence he thought a Silence Of The Lambs sequel series without Hannibal Lecter was a good idea, but nowhere is that more true than with Star Trek. Kurtzman turned Discovery into a platform to spout his political beliefs to anyone who would listen, and yes though the original series had a strong political centre it was handled far better than what Kurtzman did with Discovery, which seems purposefully divisive.

Piccard was a slightly different beast and at first had some promise, however, as the series continued it became clear that it was only created as a means for Kurtzman and co to milk nostalgia and to remind the fans of better times, only to then promptly screw them up. Piccard was less preachy but the issues of Discovery were there.

Discovery and Piccard have had very well published behind the scenes issues and poor ratings hence why Strange New Worlds is playing it safe and going back to basics, and so far I am only one episode deep into that show but it does seem better.

On the movie side of things, Tarantino was supposed to be involved with a Star Trek film for a while and then that got shot down, and now they are trying to get some more milage out of the Pine cast despite those films coming out a while ago now.

Honestly, if I had to give you a quick snap judgment as to the current state of Star Trek, from my perspective at least it seems as though the franchise is battling to stay relevant in the wider cultural and streaming landscape and possibly failing in that aim.

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The Sonic Shared Universe: The Real Challenge To The MCU

Written by Luke Barnes

In this piece I want to talk about The Sonic franchise and how I think it is the only shared universe that might rival Marvel, in time.

So for those of you that haven’t seen the Sonic sequel yet you might want to look away now, as there will be spoilers in this article.

The Dark Universe, The DCEU, The Power Rangers Universe all failed, in several cases horribly. Now why they failed is up for debate, but most agree that they either didn’t need to exist or were trying too hard to compete with the MCU and so rushed things out of the gate. I don’t think Sonic has either of these issues as firstly there is a strong fan base, as has been reflected by the box office for both films, but also the creatives seem to be in good communication with the fans and listen to what they want. Moreover, the Sonic films have not rushed to have all their characters appear on screen together as such audiences will have to wait a few years before they get their first taste of Shadow. In other climates at different studios this would have already happened, we would have got twelve spin off films and fifty streaming series to set everything up but for the most part Paramount has been fairly sparing, the most we are getting is a Knuckles tv show.

It is for these reasons that I think the Sonic universe can rival the MCU, as they still have a lot of cool and crucially popular characters left to introduce and there are a number of projects and places where this universe could go next, it is quite exciting. I am obviously a big Sonic fan, I have enjoyed the games, the animated series and now the films so I want them to keep coming and maybe that is making me look at this shared universe future with pre-emptive rose tinted glasses, but hey I think the Knuckles show will be cool and I’d love a Shadow prequel so I won’t be complaining when we get them.

We can all just hope that Paramount keeps up the quality, the heart and the fan commitment that has made the films so far good.

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Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore: Surprisingly Progressive For Hollywood

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A love story between two wizards, wherein the drama is turned up to the maximum.

I will preface this review by saying that I did not want to see this film, I have issues with the removal of Johnny Depp and the casting of Ezra Miller, however, a friend of mine bought us tickets to see it and really wanted me to go so out of a sense of obligation I went. I want to put my bias right up front there.

However, despite going in expecting the worst the film was actually not bad. I was impressed with the romantic intimacy WB gave Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, and Grindelwald, played by Mads Mikkelsen, in that they felt like a real couple. Rather than just force in a same sex kiss for the sake of appearing progressive this film actually built the characters and went for it.

Again I think this film owes a lot to Law and Mikkelsen, with both adding a lot to the project. In the case of the former he brings an easy charm to proceedings but also a dramatic weight when required, and in the case of the latter he brings a strong villainous presence as well as the petulance of someone broken hearted and looking to spite their ex.

I think where the film falls down is once again in the fantastic beasts department. Newt, played by Eddie Redmayne is again fine, but nothing more than that and he basically acts as a passenger within his own film. Moreover, the magical creatures felt quite redundant to this film for the most part with the only exception to this being a few scenes towards the end wherein they are forced in for plot reasons.

In addition, I did not like how kill happy this film was with its magical creatures. They are CGI I know, but some of the scenes especially early on in the film wherein creatures are killed in quite graphic ways on screen just feels needless and done to try and appear edgy.

Overall, not as bad as I was expecting but certainly not great either.

Pros.

Committing to the Dumbledore Grindelwald relationship

Folger

The sense of scope and adventure

Cons.

The graphic creature death

Redmayne

It doesn’t need to exist and doesn’t justify itself

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