Breaking In

Breaking In focuses on Shaun, (Gabrielle Union) and her kids as they are preyed upon by a group of burglars. Breaking In is as generic as action thrillers go with its premise, cast and overall direction being very forgettable. Each character is two dimensional and has no complexity to speak off. There character’s backstories are eluded to, but these are just throwaway references. Eddie, (Billy Burke) is the only memorable character, being the main antagonist and, masterfully portrayed by Burke with a cold calculating demeanour. The rest of the cast is very by the numbers, with Gabrielle Union in particular not being very convincing. The major flaw of the film is the pacing issues; which are extremely prevalent in both the 1st and 3rd act. The whole of the first act could have been cut out in its entirety as it is simply very average. The pacing issues are shown again as the film long overstays it’s welcome, with you thinking multiple times that: “surely this must be the end”. The crux of the issue is that this film doesn’t feel like a tense thrilling time, it just feels like a slog. Whatsmore, there are also scripting issues, such as a lack of any kind of character motivations beyond the generic “we want the money” and, plot holes galore. This is best shown by the fact, that Shaun seems to have all these survival skills yet it is never explained how she got them. Also, the writing for the kids Jasmine and Glover, (Ajiona Alexus and Seth Carr), makes them come across as annoying, with them also saying things that just feel unnatural to the situation. This is shown when Glover says, “Whatever freak”, as his sister is about to go and risk her life. To conclude, this film is the most generic, boring, badly paced film out now that you can go and see. Really the only highlight is a menacing performance by Billy Burke.
1/5
Reviewed by Luke.

Avengers Infinty War

There will be mild spoilers here so if you want to go into the film fresh, watch it then come back and read this.

Avengers Infinity War is the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Focusing on the heroes as they try and stop Thanos, (Josh Brolin), in his quest for the Infinity Stones. I’m first going to talk about my issues with the film then get into the positives later. The film begins straight after Thor Ragnarok then cuts to the invasion of New York. During which sequence we get an incredibly needless scene with Peter Potts, (Gwyneth Paltrow) which feels incredibly out of place; with the beginning as a whole feeling poorly paced. Furthermore, the villains of the film are woefully underdeveloped with the Black Order being a prime example of this; the only interesting member is Ebony Maw but, even he is barely on screen. The main villain Thanos, (Josh Brolin) seems far too overpowered during the film, making the Avengers efforts to beat him seem pointless: as he is more powerful than them in every way; thereby making certain plot lines redundant. An example of this is Thor’s arc, focusing on Thor, (Chris Hemsworth) forging a new weapon to kill Thanos. This plot line is bad for two reasons: the first is that it ignores the plot of Thor Ragnarok, with him no longer needing a weapon to harness the Oden Force as it’s within him. The other issue is that it’s pointless, the audience knows that Thanos is collecting the infinity stones, which could easily undo any damage done to him by an axe, even if it is magical, so the whole plotline feels like a waste of time. As for the positives of the film, it is incredibly well shot: with the Edinburgh fight scene being superbly shot. The visuals are stunning throughout, with a lot of varied worlds that all look satisfyingly unique. The characters are all treated very well with plot arcs from various films being tied up nicely here. The most satisfying of which is probably Tony Stark’s, as he realises that this is the fight he’s been worrying about ever since Age of Ultron. Robert Downey Jr, (Tony Stark/ Iron Man) sells the emotional delivery especially towards the end of the third act. The interplay between the characters feels genuinely real and, will be a delight for fans of the MCU. The ending is outstanding being the best of any Marvel film, as it hits with raw emotion that it is guaranteed to leave an impact being simply game changing. There is a post-credits scene at the end of the film which dramatically ups the ante for the next instalment. Overall a very solid Marvel film, most likely one that will soon be in everyone’s top 5.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke

Rampage

Spoilers ahead!
The plot of Rampage focuses on Davis Okoye, (Dwayne Johnson) as he searches for answers after a gorilla, that he has a strong bond, with is struck with a pathogen turning it into a monster. This film is loosely based on a series of video games, in which, you play as various monsters whose goal it is to cause the most destruction. In that respect, this is quite a good adaption: with the simplicity translating well to the big screen, however, only the creature names carrying over from the games. The plot is ridiculous and nonsensical from the start, but the film seems to be aware of that; and revels in the fact that it’s just a dumb B movie. The bond between Davis and George, (the gorilla) is done very well and is surprisingly endearing. However, the relationship also has a lot of cheap and needless moments. Such as a scene in which George is tranquillized and falls to the floor; done in slow motion. This scene carries no emotional weight, being incredibly overdramatic, with the slow motion only adding to the needless nature of the scene. Furthermore, the humour between Davis and George didn’t work, with the middle finger bit seeming quite repetitive by the end, and the sex joke at the end is incredibly out of place and dated. In contrast, the humour outside of that dynamic works very well with Harvey Russel, (Jeffery Dean Morgan) having some especially funny lines. All of the actors in this film, (but especially Jeffery Dean Morgan) seem to be having the time of their lives; with that being apparent in their performances. The Villian of the piece Claire Wyden, (Malin Akerman), is just what you would want from a B movie villain; being menacing but also being amusing at the same time. Wyden is just a sub-villain to the film’s mutated monsters, Ralph, (The Wolf) and Lizzie, (The Crocodile) and to an extent George. The CGI on the film’s creatures is all very convincing and brings you out of the experience. My main issue with the film is the character of Kate Caldwell, (Naomie Harris). First, let me preface this complaint by saying this isn’t the sort of film that has flushed out characters. Kate is particularly bad in this regard, as the whole point of her character is to spout exposition. She also furthers the needless plotline about getting Davis to trust humans again, which takes away from the overall fun of the film; in general everything about the relationship between the two seems forced. Overall this film would be right at home in the 90’s, whether that is a good or bad thing is for you to decide. If you are looking for the sort of film where Wyden’s plan for the monsters is called, “Operation Ramage”, being essentially just dumb fun, then look no further.
3/5
Reviewed By Luke

Ready Player One

Ready Player One is a futurist Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; featuring more references to pop culture than you ever thought possible. The plot focuses on a video game developer who creates a virtual world, called the Oasis, which is up for grabs after his death. With people across the world searching for an easter egg, that will grant them control over the Oasis, passing tests and traps along the way so far so Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This film wears its influences on its sleeve, ranging from King Kong to Battle Toads, in every way Ready Player, One is a love letter to the pop culture of the 80’s and 90’s. Spielberg helms this ship of nostalgia, bringing with him all the heart and magic that made his earlier films such hits. Said heart is shown through Wade, (Sheridan) and Samantha, (Cooke). Sheridan makes for a likeable lead with his Wade feeling oddly relatable throughout. Olivia Cooke’s Samantha is amazing right from the off, with the decision to make her the leader of some sort of resistance against the evil IOI being incredibly interesting; though not in the book. Furthermore, the villain Nolan Sorrento, (Mendelsohn) is a fantastic presence throughout feeling both very menacing, whilst also being quite human. The film struggles with supporting characters, for a start, they introduce an ally for Sorrento with F’Nale, (Played by Hannah John-Kamen). What makes F’Nale so bad is that until writing this review I didn’t know what her name was. Furthermore, the film does not develop the characters of Sho and Datio, (played by Phillip Zhao and Win Morisaki respectively). What makes this so egregious is the fact that both of these characters are members of the “High Five”, with the film instead decides to focus on the trio of Sheridan, Cooke and Mendelsohn characters; everyone else is reduced to forgettable background fodder. The references and cameos are mostly done to great effect; though they do occasionally pull you out of things. Finally, as this film is in a virtual world, only featuring a few short sequences in the real world, it is very much CGI heavy. Said CGI is a mixed bag, with the Oasis avatars for the main cast being particularly bad. This is the clearest with Samantha’s avatar of Art3mis who belongs on the wrong side of the uncanny valley. In closing, this film benefits greatly from old school Spielberg magic. However, fans of the book will feel somewhat disappointed, as a lot of the characters aren’t fleshed out and the film is too reliant on pop culture references. Overall it is a good popcorn movie but not a must-see.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Pacific Rim Uprising

Pacific Rim Uprising is a science fiction action film; and the second film in the Pacific Rim series. The general plot focuses on aliens sending giant beasts, called Kaiju, into our world with the Human resistance fighting back against them in robots called Jaegers. Pacific Rim Uprising is welcoming to new viewers of the franchise: as it recaps the events of the first film. However, the exposition becomes tired and repetitive leaving you thinking, “I already know this” Therein lies this films greatest problem, it doesn’t justify its existence. Uprising adds little to the mythology set up by the first film, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. The screenplay is also noticeably weaker, with numerous plot threads that lead nowhere, and characters that are redundant. Chief among these redundant characters is Scott Eastwood’s Nate; who lacks all the charm of Charlie Hunnam’s co-pilot from the first film, being the cliché of a soldier in almost every regard. Furthermore, this poor character development is also shown by Jules, (played by Adria Arjona) with her character being nothing more than a love interest for Nate and Jake; which might I add is one of the most pointless subplots of the whole film. John Boyega has a strong performance as Jake Pentecost, lending an air of credibility to the film. Another mayor returning character from the first film is Charlie Day’s Newt. This film completely butchers his character: this is done by a late in the game plot twist that is beyond questionable. The recruits are handled much better, with the comradery between them all seeming real; with Ivanna Sakhno’s Vik being especially good. The relationship between the film’s two main stars in Jake and Amara, (Cailee Spaeny) feels incredibly generic and predictable. Something is lost by not having del Toro back to direct, with the direction in this film by Steven S. DeKnight being without identity. Uprising is DeKnight’s film debut, with his approach being far too indulgent with close up shots and an oddly placed montage sequence. This film has more in common with the Transformers series than it does the original Pacific Rim, with Uprising being an example of a film that sells its soul for mass appeal. If you are a fan of this series then give Uprising a miss, as it is a worn-out husk of the first film favouring spectacle over substance; with a surprising lack of Kaiju.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Annihilation

Annihilation is a science fiction horror film by Alex Garland; the man behind Ex Machina. Annihilation follows a team of scientists led by Lena, (Natalie Portman) as they explore the shimmer: an area of land that has been overrun by a strange alien sphere. The script I found to be quite a mixed bag, with Tessa Thompson’s Josie, Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Dr Ventress and the before mentioned Lena being the only memorable characters. With Josie, in particular, being instantly likeable and relatable, also being well developed. However, this strong character development doesn’t reach all the cast members as most are underdeveloped: this is shown by Gina Rodriguez’s Anya. Anya is never really developed as a character, which then makes certain actions committed by her later in the film come across a little unbelievable. Natalie Portman gives a satisfyingly strong performance as Lena: as we see her become driven to find out what happened to her husband; played marvellously by Oscar Isaac. The film is visually stunning throughout, from the costume design to the creatures that inhabit the sphere: including a nightmare-inducing mutant bear. Said bear and the other creature that live inside the sphere are all very well designed; with them all being both beautiful and unique. My only real issue came from the ending, which was a little too ambiguous for my taste; with the plot twists at the end not really adding much outside of making it a bit more confusing. Furthermore, the ending doesn’t come across as satisfying more as a bit pretentious; as though the film is trying to remind you one last time just how clever it is. Other than that though this is a very strong science fiction film; I got notes throughout the film of other similar films, such as 2016’s Arrival to name but one. There is more than enough here to get genre fans very on board with this film. One closing note I would like to bring up is that cinematography is exquisite: with one shot from the inside of a crocodiles mouth being my favourite of the film. Overall, I would recommend this film, though perhaps not to casual science fiction fans. It’s just a shame about the needlessly pretentious ending.
3/5
Reviewed by Luke

Proud Mary

Proud Mary is an action thriller starring Taraji P. Henson as the titular Mary. Focusing on a relationship between a mob hit woman, (Mary) and a child of one of her previous targets. Henson however, is woefully miscast: not selling any of the emotional delivery; with her performance being quite standard and at times bad. Jahi Di’allo Winston is similarly boring; even at times being downright annoying; with the relationship between his character Danny and Mary being so forced it is in no way believable. However, these bad performances are a result of a very poor script. Further shown through the fact that the characters feel like tired action movie cliches, rather than real people. Said cliches can be best represented by Mary and Danny’s relationship; the adoptive mother-son thing feels played out; with the reasoning behind it not making sense at all. This film has plot holes of all shapes and sizes; that range from the ridiculous to the so dumb it will make you groan; with it becoming frustratingly apparent that this film wastes a good premise. The supporting cast with Danny Glover and Neal McDonough are wasted entirely. It is a sad state of affairs to see an actor of Danny Glover’s status being in a film like this; he tries his best elevate the film failing at every turn. Glover’s character is woefully underused and underdeveloped. The rest of the supporting cast has it surprisingly worse, with actors like the previously mentioned McDonough being nothing more than glorified cameos; so that Mary could have a mildly famous face to shoot. The direction by Babak Najafi is a strong disservice to the film; as he never manages to raise it beyond a generic action film. The cinematography is also dull and lifeless, with it being perhaps the most forgettable cinematography of recent memory. The only shallow praise I can afford this film is that the score is a welcome treat in an otherwise uninspired film; with it being memorable after the credits roll. To put it bluntly, this film is the most generic action film so far this year with nothing elevating it beyond mediocrity; with performances so hollow and wooden that you would question if the actors were forced to do it. Don’t go and see it!
1/5
Reviewed by Luke

Tomb Raider

I am going to open this with a very bold statement I think that Tomb Raider may be the film that breaks the cycle of bad video game adaptions. First off let me just say that this film is not without its problems, some problems were just little things some were fundamental issues. The most prominent being the pacing, the film itself is far far too long. Some sequences feel needlessly drawn out and, others feel rushed. Additionally, whilst the screenplay is mostly quite good in parts it does feel a little too familiar to the games in a way that makes certain sections quite predictable. Furthermore, some of the dialogue seemed quite cliched and stilted, really taking me out of the film. On the positive side, Alicia Vikander is a great Lara Croft.Vikander captures the look of Lara Croft perfectly, (especially when you compare her to the new Crystal Dynamics Lara Croft). Vikander also manages to capture that sense of adventure that so drives Lara as a character. What’s more, Vikander’s heroine is incredibly likeable, charming and warm. Continuing on, the theme of fathers and daughters in this film is quite touching, yes it is somewhat predictable and has been done before but, I think it is done quite well here. Unlike in the recent games, her father Richard Croft is quite a big part of the overall story. Overall Lord Richard Croft is quite a memorable character thanks to a well-acted performance from Dominic West. West manages to elevate a lot of the dialogue and really sells this emotional bond between Richard and Lara. The film has a lot of nods to things fans of the game series would recognise, some subtle some not so subtle. All of these fan service moments feel quite natural and not forced in for the sake of it. The comedy of the film comes from Max played by Nick Frost. Frost’s character is a welcomed change of pace in the few scenes he’s in. Another good aspect of the film is the score which is incredibly well done with a lot of the music adding to the themes and message of the film. Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound for this film is also brilliant with all the grunts and moans from Lara being very reminiscent of the recent games where we can see the physical toll that adventuring has on her. Walton Goggins’ character of Vogel is a menacing presence for the films second act if a little two dimensional. However, by the third act, he starts to unravel and makes baffling choice after baffling choice. Though the ending of the film was shameless sequel bait, I believe it was quite well done as it sets up a whole lot of directions that the series could move in if this film proves popular. I would recommend this for fans of the game series and newcomers alike.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Gringo

Gringo is a comedy film centring around a trip to Mexico to look into the development of a weed pill that is the next breakthrough in medical marijuana. The company who is developing the marijuana pill has been selling to the cartels and, the trip is also to stop that much to the cartel’s annoyance. That is the main summary of the plot which is at times baffling with aimless subplots and pointless characters running amok throughout. The subplot that is particularly egregious is the love triangle between Charlize Theron’s character of Elaine Joel Edgerton’s character of Richard and, Thandie Newton’s character of Bonnie. This subplot adds absolutely nothing to the main plot and, feels as though it should have been cut out. Whilst it adds a small amount of character development for Theron’s character, it just feels completely unrelated to the rest of the film and, shows a complete lack of focus on the part of the director Nash Edgerton. In many ways, you can tell that this is Nash Edgerton’s first dive into the world of directing because the inexperience rings true throughout leading to a lot of problems. Theron is completely wasted in her role though she does have a few memorable moments. Furthermore, Amanda Seyfried’s character of Sunny is just pointless only really serving as a girlfriend character and, as an optimist to balance Harold out when he gets down. She is given no agency here and has very little to do, making it almost head scratching why Seyfried signed on for this project in the first place. Then there is the titular character of Harold played by David Oyelowo who whilst more likeable and, flushed out than the others is still nothing more than average. The main issue with the cast is that at there best they are nothing more than average with none of them having satisfying arcs and mostly just being wasted. Really this genericness is the issue of the film with it being very familiar in a bad way. The cartel boss who could have been a good and memorable villain is reduced to nothing more than a stereotype with bad jokes. The fundamental problem with this film is that the script is just very poorly written and, that is clear to see in the final product. Sharlto Copley does his best to save the film and, gives probably the best performance of the whole film but it just isn’t enough. The cinematography and score are just further examples of how the film squanders it’s potential with there being moments of greatness in both.
To conclude really other than Copley’s performance as the ex-mercenary Mitch there really isn’t a reason to go and see this. This film is simply a bad lazy comedy film and, not worth your time.
1.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Red Sparrow

On the surface, one could easily confuse Red Sparrow as a cold war thriller, not unlike last years Atomic Blond. The plot centres around Jennifer Lawrence’s character of Dominika, as she is brought into the world of geopolitical espionage. Lawrence perfectly captured the essences of being brought into a new world and have to adapt to survive. However, her performance wasn’t up there with her co-star Jeremy Irons’ performance. Irons who plays with relish the character of Vladimir Andreievich Korchnoi. Irons’ performance oozes menace, from the second he is introduced, whilst also bringing an air of class to proceedings. From a plot standpoint, the first 45 minutes is pretty standard genre fare, with the start especially being slow. The pacing is all over the place, really being quite detrimental to the film. However, towards the end, the film picks up and really captured my attention. The ending itself does feel well set up and satisfying, with the twists being good but not reinventing the wheel. Joel Edgerton’s Nate Nash is quite bland and doesn’t really leave much of an impression, definitely being the weak point of the cast overall. The world building here is excellent, thanks in part to the strong direction of Francis Lawrence. The world itself feels real and gritty down to the last detail. However, in many ways, that grittiness is taken too far with the film trying too hard to be shocking in many of its scenes. An example of this is shown in the films torture scenes, that come across as gratuitous. Also being shown in the themes of sexual violence throughout. The action scenes are quite standard, with only one truly exceptional knife fight sequence that was outstandingly well choreographed. The romantic subplot between Nate and Dominika does feel forced, being quite clichéd. Lawrence’s character is well written and it is hard to tell a lot of the time who’s side she is on. Leading to a satisfying end twist that I believe is the best thing about this film. The highlight of the film is the training process to become a sparrow, with the Matron played by Charlotte Rampling stealing every scene she is in. This sequence is the saving grace of the film. Overall I would only recommend this to the most hardcore of action fans but even then, temper your expectations, it is a mostly dull ride throughout.

2/5
Reviewed by Luke