Hobbs and Shaw is the latest film in the Fast and the Furious universe, and the first film to not be a numbered entry in the series; instead being a spinoff. The film revolves around the characters of Luke Hobbs, (Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson), first introduced in Fast 5 and Deckard Shaw, (Jason Statham), first introduced in Fast and the Furious 7, as they try and stop the outbreak of a deadly, world-ending virus. This film capitalises on the ridiculous over the topness of the last few Fast films; it is not tied down by seriousness or reality, portraying a world of glorious dumb spectacle- worth the ticket price alone. Best shown in a third act car chase where Hobbs uses his sheer strength to keep a helicopter tethered to a truck only to pull said helicopter to the ground mere moments later in a fiery explosion of testosterone. This film is dumb popcorn fun to the fullest extent, it does not require you to think even for a moment, and in many ways that is the best thing about it, the escapism, however, it becomes a problem if your mind does find itself questioning the plot because then it all falls apart utterly. Personally, I found myself more in the former than the latter. What truly is the unexpected highlight of the film is the delightfully, surprising cameos that are peppered in throughout, with both Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart giving memorable, funny performances; which do deliver. Whats more the female members of the cast are given far more to do than in previous Fast entries, with Hattie Shaw, (Vanessa Kirby), Deckard’s younger sister, being the standout character in the film. Her characters struggle, which I’m not going to get into for spoiler reasons, drives the film and is very compelling.
Moreover, she has some of the best fight scenes in the whole movie with an early fight between her and Hobbs being particularly good. Kirby has a very believable physicality, so her character’s abilities are all very convincing and impressive. Sadly the same praises can’t be aimed at Eiza Gonzalez’s Madam M who until I wrote this I had no idea what her name was, she is that underdeveloped, really just being included for the gaze of juvenile men and teenage boys, but maybe future installments in this spinoff series will prove me wrong.
The dynamic between Hobbs and Shaw is everything you would want it to be, with the barbs traded back and forth between the two being consistently funny and entertaining. The ending of the film sets up this side of the Fast universe with it teasing a big bad for the upcoming movies; several post-credits scenes further highlight this. The bad guy for this film is Brixton, (Idris Elba) a former MI6 officer who jumped ship and has a past with Shaw. Brixton is by far the worst part of this film, with his character being entirely forgettable and his motivations being a mystery to everyone, maybe even him. Elba is equally as forgettable with the role easily playable by many other actors with no real difference in quality. Overall, this film is excellent for what it is a dumb fun popcorn movie; it knows what it is and has fun with it; which is infectious. Despite some of the weak characters weighing the film down slightly, Hobbs and Shaw still manages to not only step out from the shadow of The Fast and The Furious but also become better than it; seeding the groundwork for what could be one of the best action-comedy series of recent memory. A must-see for the escapism alone.
4/5
Luke
Tag: Action
The Nun
The Nun is the latest film in the Conjuring Universe, fleshing out the character of Valak, the Nun, who first appeared in the Conjuring 2.
The plot of the film is a Valak origin story, set in a Romanian convent during the 1950’s. Following Sister Irene, (Taissa Farmiga), Father Burke, (Demian Bichir), and Frenchie, (Jonas Bloquet), as they investigate a suicide at the convent; which is much more than it appears.
The Nun is not a horror film at least I didn’t think it was, yes it does have jump scares, more on that later, but on the whole, it felt akin to a Gothic adventure film, not too far from the likes of Crimson Peak. The reason for this is the horror the film presents.
The jump scares, though well done, are predictable, so the film is left to rely on its atmosphere; which is not constantly menacing, like many other horror films are, instead it is gothic in it’s purest form. The non-horror nature of this film is a hard thing to describe; the closest parallel I can draw is to the Hugh Jackman staring Van Helsing film, yes there are horror elements, but it is an adventure film first and foremost.
Why the film chose to structure itself like this is anyone’s guess, but evidence for it comes from the protagonist’s quest to find the blood of Jesus, even some of the shots in the film are more in line with the Brother Grimm as opposed to something like Insidious.
That said, I liked the atmosphere and, the film itself.
The actors themselves do their best with the material they have, Farmiga, in particular, is very good. However, despite this, they are all underdeveloped, outside of the role they play in the narrative; which is a shame as they could have been so much more. Frenchie, in particular, proves my earlier point, he is the comedy relief of the film. Without him, the film would be a lot darker, a lot more like a traditional horror film, but his oneliners and, demon zombie killing shotgun prowess make the tone of the film similar to something like last year’s the Mummy, neither wholly action or horror.
To conclude if you like jump scares this film won’t let you down. However, if you like well-crafted horror films it will. With a tone similar to that of the Dark Universe this film is more gothic action adventure than horror. A strange film in many ways, but crucially not a bad one.
3/5
Reviewed by Luke.
Upgrade
Upgrade is an action horror film, produced by Blumhouse, of Insidious fame, being the companies first venture into the action genre. The plot follows Grey, (Logan Marshall-Green), as a man who loses his wife and his ability to move at the hands of a group of armed men. When all seems lost in steps, Eron Keen, (Harrison Gilbertson), with a device called Stem, that can give him both the ability to walk again and, the tools for getting revenge. What follows is a surprisingly deep dive into the symbiotic relationship between man and machine, revealing a collection of harrowing truths.
This film has some much to praise, such as merging the action, horror and dark comedy genre; to an outstanding effect. The film’s action feels very real and weighty, with there being some incredibly gory sequences; which are surprisingly effective from a narrative standpoint. The only issue is that there isn’t enough of it, after the very slow build at the beginning, the delivery is superb yet sparse. The action scenes are fantastic but, they are too few. The film’s horror is incredibly strong, perhaps the best element of the film. It all derives from a conversation about technology, can it be trusted and what has it done to earn our trust? The answers the film gives to these questions are both harrowing and fascinating. Said themes and ideas serve to show the complexity of the narrative; with a lot going on beneath the surface. The comedy of the film is pitch dark, and spot on near every time, never failing to make you shudder as much as you laugh.
The performances in the film are a mixed bag. Marshall-Green sells every scene he is in, conveying a wide array of emotions in a few facial expressions. His performance is much more layered then you would expect from an action film leading man. However, the supporting cast doesn’t get any near the same level, with Cortez, (Betty Gabriel), being a clear example. Cortez is a frustrating character, even sometimes annoying, but this is no fault of Gabriel as her lines are weak and uninspired. Cortez has no development, the scenes she is in you are left asking why she’s there. The main issue with her weak narrative is that it deflates the film’s emotional climax, cheapening it somewhat.
Overall this is a surprising success, very deserving of all the praise it is getting, yes it has some minor issue, but on the whole, it is superb. A must see for the message alone. Another hit for Blumhouse.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke
The Spy Who Dumped Me
The Spy Who Dumped Me is a comedy spy film, focusing on Audrey, (Mila Kunis), who after breaking up with her boyfriend later learns he is a spy. Hijinks ensue. The premise alone is not terrible, though it does feel oddly dated, it does seem like there are some laughs to be had here- there is potential. However, it is never fully implemented. The film is a mostly meh affair, being serviceable but not a whole lot more.
The script is weak, with the character work being likewise. The characters lack any motivation and, the film itself has very weak stakes. You never really care about the characters; even to the extent that you will remember their names when you leave the cinema. Kunis gives the best performance of the whole film, being the only likeable character; the rest are variants on either bland– or incredibly annoying. That brings us nicely to the other main character Morgan, (Kate McKinnon). Morgan does have some funny lines, let that be said, however, for the majority of the film her character is irritating. She is needlessly over the top and, a vast amount of her jokes don’t land. This poor character work is also present in Drew, (Justin Theroux). Drew is the titular spy, however other than a few brief sequences, some of which are devoid of any real meaning, he is absent. What’s more Theroux character is also very unlikeable, primarily because once again he is another annoying character.
The main positive of the film is the stunt work and the action choreography, both of which were far better than I was expecting. Said sequences aren’t on par with the likes of Bond or Mission Impossible, but they are still impressive in their own right.
Conversely, the film’s comedy is a collection of hits and misses, far more of the latter than the former. With the humour often being cringey and woefully off the mark.
To conclude, this film is, in essence, a complete waste of potential. It is never either good or bad, instead quite content in being meh. Additionally, the likeability of Kunis is tarnished and, eventually destroyed by the plethora of irritating characters.
2/5
Reviewed by Luke
The Equalizer 2
The Equalizer 2 is an action film and sequel to the 2014 film. This entry takes place sometime after the events of the first film, and other than a few minor supporting characters returning doesn’t connect. The main plot this time around focuses on Robert McCall, (Denzel Washington) as he investigates the death of his last remaining friend Susan, (Melissa Leto). What follows is a mostly predictable mystery. You will realise who is the villain about 20 minutes before the film reveals it; it is that obvious, in that, we are shown the main issue with the film- the writing.
The film’s first act is painfully slow; there are a few teases for things to come, and some very well-choreographed action sequences, but on the whole, there is nothing of substance for the first 30 minutes. As well as this we are introduced to a lot of supporting characters, all of whom have nothing to add to the main story, outside of showing that Mr McCall still helps people. As you can imagine they are all paper thin; serving as little more than filler.
Moreover, the film’s villain Dave York, (Pedro Pascal), is about as bland as they come, with his motivations never rising above the generic,” I’m doing it for the money”, his character also seems woefully insignificant when compared to McCall; making it hard to believe they are supposed to be on the same skill level.
That is another thing about this film, McCall’s skillset seems to vary wildly throughout the film, sometimes to almost a superhuman degree; being at points more than a little unbelievable. This film if you think about it too closely makes little sense, but that’s a good thing. In this case, a lot of the enjoyment comes from the cheesy, nonsensical things that happen, such as the strange almost at times out of place editing; at one point in the film as McCall walks down a street the camera flips upside down for no real reason. It is in these moments that the film shines, becoming something more akin to a cheesy action B movie, revelling in the weird and the bizarre. However, these moments are few and far between.
Denzel Washington gives a superb performance always elevating every scene he is in; being by far the best actor in the film.
To conclude there are moments where this film shines, where the B movieness slips out. However, the rest of the film rots within the confines of a generic action thriller. Featuring the most needless supporting characters possibly ever.
2.5/5
Reviewed by Luke
The Meg
The Meg is a film that could have been the goofy fun blockbuster of the summer, sadly though it never lives up to that billing. The plot focuses on Jonas Taylor, (Jason Statham), a diver tasked with manning a rescue mission to a new and previously unexplored part of the ocean, wherein a terrifying threat lurks- a prehistoric Megalodon. That premise alone suggests a dumb B movie esque action thriller, but in actuality, this film is just another generic blockbuster. My praise for this film is all based around its lead, Statham. The Meg has Statham in an unusually charming role; with it being obvious he is enjoying every minute of it. Furthermore, the interactions Statham’s Jonas has with the other characters are also quite amusing. Shown in Jonas’s surrogate father role to Meiying, (Shuya Sophia Cai), who, unlike most other child actors, is always a welcome presence.
However, even with Statham’s likeability in the role, the romantic subplot between Jonas and Suyin, (Li Binging), is dead in the water. There is no chemistry between the two characters, making their romance feel forced throughout. What’s more, in a bizarre script idea, Jonas ex-wife Lori, (Jessica McNamee), is also at the station. Lori amounts to little more than a plot device; and the star of more than a few awkward scenes. Sadly, though McNamee’s character is just one of many paper-thin characters; whose removal would not have an impact on the film overall. By the time the credits roll you will be lucky if you can remember a single character name, that is how developed and memorable they are. A clear example of this is Jack Morris, (Rainn Wilson), who starts out as the billionaire investor and main comedic relief character, but then for no explained reason turns into a maniacal almost supervillain in the films third act. Therein lies the film’s biggest and most egregious problem- it’s script.
The script doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, serious action film, or a dumb pulpy B movie. To the former, the film takes itself very seriously in many of its scenes, which is why when it tries to include humour in certain places it doesn’t work. To the latter, there are ridiculously over the top spectacle sequences; that end up coming across as eye-rollingly dumb as opposed to fun in any way. An example of this would be when the crew has one of its many fights with one of the Megs, during this sequence people needlessly keep falling into the water, but no one seems to notice. Furthermore, at one point in the film, the crew are trapped on a sinking boat, during which time they don’t know how to escape; somehow, they ignore the escape raft that is right in front of them- in a groan-inducing moment of stupidity.
More to the disservice of The Meg’s script, the dialogue is horrible. At its best, it is corny and cliched, at its worst, it is annoying and cringey. Some examples include a cringey rap song, the whole character interactions between Jonas and Dr Heller and perhaps worst of all the line, “it’s not about the people you lose, but the people you save”. Additionally, the humour in the film always feels out of place; in my opinion, added as an afterthought.
Finally, the film suffers from severe pacing issues, with the first act especially being boring and uninspired. Ultimately, boring and uninspired sum up acutely what this film is. Not even likeable performances from Statham and a charming Ruby Rose can save this film from sinking with the ship.
1/5
Reviewed by Luke.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Spoiler Warning.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot focuses on the efforts of Hank Pym, (Michael Douglas), and his daughter Hope, (Evangeline Lilly), as they try and bring back Hope’s mother Janet, (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the Quantum Realm. This film is a terrific sequel to the previous Ant-Man; as it deepens our connections to the characters. This is especially true of Hank, as he is given far more to do, even getting a hero moment all of his own. To this end, they introduce Bill Foster, (Lawrence Fishbourne). Foster is someone who has a history with Hank. For the little Fishbourne is used, he makes an impact and his relationship with Ava/Ghost, (Hannah John-Kamen), is one I hope gets explored in future instalments. Moreover, Ghost is the villain of the film, but she is not a generically evil character: she is instead a tortured soul looking for release. To continue on the note of villains, Walton Goggins plays Sunny Burch; who is the films, secondary antagonist. Burch is used as a standard evil villain, but he is also, however, an incredibly weak character. My greatest complaint about this film the character work is it’s incredibly uneven, some secondary characters like Michael Pena’s Luis are expanded whilst other secondary characters are criminally underused. However, there are two positives that offset this. Firstly, Lilly’s character of Hope is expanded wonderfully, with her being by far the standout character of the film. The second thing is that the plot hones in on the father-daughter relationship between Scott and Cassie; making for some incredibly sweet moments. Overall, this film is a step up from its predecessor in every way, being a sweet, funny self-contained bit of Marvel excellence.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke
Mission Impossible Fallout
Mission Impossible Fallout is the latest film in the series and the sequel to 2015’s Rogue Nation. Now a lot of you may have heard all the reviews saying that this is the best instalment in the series; that I believe is an accurate surmise. The reasons as to why Fallout is so good is two-fold, firstly it carries on the superb quality of the last few Mission Impossible film, with the eye-catching and gut-wrenching action choreography being evidence of that. Secondly, it strikes a bold and bloody tone straight from the off, one that works masterfully. More to the film’s praise all the performances are top-notch, with Tom Cruise still being very believable as Ethan Hunt; even after all these years. Moreover, Cruise does not disappoint fans who come looking for death-defying stunts, with there being plenty throughout; even more so than in previous instalments. In addition, Rebecca Ferguson returns from Rogue Nation as Ilsa Faust, bringing with her a plot ruffle that helps to add an international air to the storyline overall. To add to that the romantic relationship between Faust and Hunt is built upon, and unlike many others, I think this is done very well and feels natural and organic. Also, the newer additions to the cast are all outstanding, especially Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow, who brings with her the classic feelings of the femme fatale. Henry Cavil’s Walker is also an interesting sub- antagonist and a clear psychical match for Cruise. The plot, overall, is compelling and has many twists and turns; as one would expect from a Mission Impossible film. However, it also suffers from being overstuffed, with there being many plot lines that feel like they have no purpose. Chief amongst these is the return of Hunt’s wife Julia, (Michelle Monaghan), this return for me doesn’t work as it undercuts all that the film sets up between Hunt and Ilsa. What’s more the conversation between Hunt, Julia and her new husband in the film’s third act, doesn’t provide closure or raise the stakes as it may have been intended to, but instead serves to dampen the tension. Furthermore, there are dream sequences which feature the film’s true antagonist Solomon Lane, (Sean Harris), which seem oddly out of place. That being said the non-dream scenes that Lane is in are all superbly acted with Harris being a fantastic villain. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the supporting cast who mostly feel wasted this time around. This is especially true of Angela Bassett’s Erica Sloane who outside of a few brief scenes is barely featured. Overall despite the film’s issues and a needlessly over-bloated run-time, Fallout is without a doubt the best film in the Mission impossible series, and I really recommend you see it.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke
Hotel Artemis
Hotel Artemis focuses on the exploits and clientele of an exclusive criminal hospital. The story centres around one night at the hotel, focusing on multiple characters such as bank robber Sherman, (Sterling K Brown), assassin Nice, (Sofia Boutella), as well as the Nurse, (Jodie Foster); all set to the backdrop of a dystopian riot. The script written by Drew Pearce, (who also directs), is fantastic giving each character enough screen-time to make you care about them, without becoming too focused on any one character. All these beautifully interwoven subplots work to great effect helping to flesh out the world of the film, as well as the characters within it. An example of this is the Nurse subplot, which could have been a needless diversion, but instead becomes the context by which the rest of the film is derived. Furthermore, the performances here are also superb, especially Charlie Day, who upon first hearing of his casting I thought, (incorrectly,) was just going to be the comic relief. The action sequences are all exquisite, with the final hallway fight choreography being especially noteworthy; being helped greatly by the tremendous physicality that Boutella brings to the role. My only complaint is that Jeff Goldblum, (The Wolf King), is used very sparingly, in many ways he is used as little more than a plot device. However, this complaint is lessened by the fact he gives a phenomenal performance, having some of the best lines and the right amount of menace. This film could have just been little more than an expanded version of the Continental from John Wick. However, it is instead a strong and very original action film, with just the right amount of humour and heart. I would highly recommend Hotel Artemis and I hope to hear more from it in the future.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke
Skyscraper
Do you like Die Hard? Do you like Assault on Precinct 13? Skyscraper is like those just without the humour, brain or soul. Skyscraper is a film about a group of criminals who start a fire in a Skyscraper, so they can steal back a list of names, that threatens to expose their crime syndicate; and of course, Will Sawyer, (Dwayne Johnson), and his family gets caught in the thick of it. Does that sound ridiculous to you? Well, it should because Skyscraper is without a doubt the dumbest film of 2018. Things start off badly and get worse, the first act is a mess of contrived overplayed backstory, and hollow characters. Chief among these is Ben, (Pablo Schreiber), who is not even a character, more a poorly disguised plot device; being laughably underused then killed off. Then, the criminals decide to frame Sawyer, for no real reason, this combined with the fact that they have set the entire Skyscraper on fire to try and steal a USB drive, leaves you groaning and asking why. Those are just a few examples of the stupidest and perhaps even the worst script of 2018. Then you have the blatant product placement throughout the film which is downright offensive, think last years Power Rangers was product placement too far, well let me tell you this is a worse example. The characters, for the most part, are shallow, underdeveloped and ultimately frustrating. Characters such as Sarah Sawyer, (Neve Campbell), make decisions no one else would make in that situation, she leaves the Skyscraper with her son with no mention, not even one, about her daughter. However, the films one positive comes from its leads, Johnson and Campbell both give great performances, though the latter is given very little to work with, they also both have a great deal of chemistry together. Johnson is playing Johnson, just like always, but that isn’t a bad thing at least not if you like The Rocks usual work, he sells the right amount of emotion to make the moments feel more than they should do, considering the poor writing. There are other positives too such as some impressive visual effects sequences, the mirror sequences in the pearl itself look beautiful. However, this is offset by some very lacking choreography at times, such as the fight sequence that happens in the back of a police car between Sarah and Xia, (Hannah Quinlivan), in which the action is barely even visible. Overall, this film feels incredibly dated, if it had come out in the 1990’s or early 2000’s it would be right at home, but in 2018 with many other better blockbusters coming out, it comes across as soulless and hollow. Skyscraper chooses spectacle over everything else, and it loses for it. The script issues, laughably weak characters, rip off nature and a whole host of other issues stop me from being able to recommend this one.
1.5/5
Reviewed by Luke
Another Millennial Reviewer 
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