Tigers Are Not Afraid: Narcos Vs Ghosts

Tigers Are Not Afraid is a Mexican crime fantasy film directed by Issa Lopez. The film is about a group of orphans who are on the run from the Mexican cartel, there is also a mythical supernatural element surrounding the lead character Estrella (Paola Lara) having 3 wishes that seemingly come true; leading to horrific consequences.

This film isn’t scary, when I first put it on, I was under the impression that Tigers Are Not Afraid was a horror film, how wrong I was. This film to sum up is an hour and a half in soul destruction, it is so sad, in near everyway. The real-world cartel drama is far more impactful than the supernatural elements, because cartels exist in real life and everything that the cartel does to the kids over the course of the film probably happens hundreds of times every day; it’s scary because its real.

The idea that none of the supernatural elements are real and are instead a way for the kids to cope with everything going on around them is very interesting. The film never comes out and says this is or isn’t what is happening, but it does elude to it several times.

Whenever any of the supernatural forces show up, the style of the film changes, pictures and images appear on walls, random colour cross the screen, I liked this stylistic choice and thought it gave the film a sense of originality as it was something I had ever seen before in a film.

This film is most certainly not for everyone as there are moments that are unrelentingly sad, horrible things happen to the kids in this film and that is really hard to watch. In the final conformation of the film we see the main boy get shot through the face, by the big bad drug lord and it is traumatising.

Overall, this film is something everyone should see once, it is beautiful and unique, but it is also soul destroying and tear provoking, so by all means watch it, but be warned it is not an easy watch.

Pros.

The art style change.

The originality.

The grim reality.

Cons

The horror doesn’t really work with the drama.

It is very unpleasant and hard to watch at times.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Stuber: The Adventures Of Whiny And Dave Bautista

Stuber is a buddy cop action film directed by Michael Dowse. The plot follows timid Uber driver Stu (Kumail Nanjaini), a man who is obsessed with achieving two goals in life, convincing his friend Becca (Betty Gilpin), to go out with him as well as getting a 5-star rating on Uber. All of this is turned upside down and thrown out of the window however, as veteran detective Vic (Dave Bautista), get into Stu’s car on morning and then fate takes both men on a journey to bring down vicious drug lord Oka Tedjo (Iko Uwais), whether they like it or not.

When I first saw this film, I didn’t really like it. Then I watched it for a second time, and it was a little better, the jokes between Nanjaini and Bautista are by far the best thing about the film. This film feels to me, very much like it is trying to recapture the spirit of films like Rush Hour, and I don’t think it does it. Bautista is as hilarious as always, his turn as a comic actor is great and he has been funny in near every film he has been in. However, the weak link in the buddy cop chain is Nanjaini, he is far less funny than Batista, there is only so many times you can watch someone freak out before it becomes repetitive. What’s more a lot of Nanjaini’s jokes in this film feel as though he is reading out new paper headlines and talking points, as the films says to itself aren’t I so trendy and current; even when you watch it a few months later it appears dated.

What’s more the decision to have the storyline between Stu and Becca is baffling. We can see from a variety of other things in his life that Stu is a passive person who needs to become more assertive, so we don’t really need a storyline about him liking a girl who only wants to have sex with him because her current boyfriend annoyed her. The film devotes a weird amount of time to this sub-plot that takes away from the main story, moreover, this sub-plot doesn’t add much to Stu as a character and when he finally decides to cut her out of his life, it just leaves you thinking ‘finally’.

Overall, despite Bautista being funny and the banter being okay, Stuber feels like a poor imitation of buddy cop films of old, as it is too concerned with being trendy and bombarding you with sub-plots that take you out of the film. Another bomb Fox left on Disney’s doorstep.

Pros.

Dave Bautista.

The pair have some good moments.

Cons.

The sub-plot with Becca and Becca herself.

The references to current affairs.

Nanjaini is just a little bit too whiny.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Watchmen: Nothing Ever Ends

Watchmen is a superhero drama series created by Damon Lindelöf, it continues the narrative of Alan Moore’s acclaimed graphic novel, rather than trying to remake it. Watchmen tells the story of Angela Abar (Regina King), a costumed detective of the Tulsa police department, who tries to stop the evil plans of far-right terrorist organisation the Seven Cavalry. Whilst doing this there is a wider mystery at play, that involves some of the original characters from the graphic novel.

First off, I just want to say that yes, this show is political, but unlike a lot of other entertainment shows and films it doesn’t ram it philosophy down your throat, the writing is far too subtle for that.

I think this show was criminally under watched when it was on, as someone who is a huge fan of the graphic novel, I have often wondered what life would be like in a post-squid world and this show scratched that itch for me. It was fun seeing Silk Specter (Jean Smart) and Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) again, I liked what the show did with there characters and thought that all of the Ozymandias scenes when he was off world were really intriguing.

What the show did with Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) was good, I liked the romance angle between him and Angela, my only issue with his character was that we didn’t really get a good look at his powers, but that is probably because it was confined to a TV show budget. My other little gripe is, because the show brought back all these classic characters the new characters they introduced really needed to standout and in the case of Angela this was a detriment. Though Angela had some interesting scenes a lot of the time I was begging the show to return to Ozymandias or show me more of other characters as I found her to be a bit dull.

However, the best character on the show was one of the new characters, Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson). Looking Glass or Wade, is a fascinating character to watch on screen, as he has been emotionally and psychologically scarred by the events of squid night and watching him deal with that over the course of the season and then seeing him learn it was all one big plot is one of the best things I have seen on television recently.

Overall, this is a masterpiece of a show, it successfully follows up the great graphic novel in a way that feels new and fresh, adding something to the world overall. I am glad it is not coming back for season two as it works better as a one of thing. Must See TV!

Pros.

Looking Glass.

How it deals with returning characters.

The world it sets up.

Fascinating character work.

Cons.

Angela isn’t the best lead character and is often out shadowed by others.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Bad Boys For Life: Is It Time To Retire?

Bad Boys For Life is an action comedy film directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The plot returns us once again to the lives of Miami cops Mike (Will Smith), and Marcus ( Martin Lawrence), who are now on the cusp of retirement, with the two men disagreeing about whether they should or not. However, when a figure from Mike’s past comes back to haunt and hunt him, the Boys have to be Bad one last time.

This film knows what it is, it isn’t trying to be clever it is just dumb popcorn fun, think Fast and The Furious but with less of a focus on cars. The life blood of this film is the chemistry and banter between Smith and Lawrence and I am pleased to report that this chemistry is just as strong as ever, you buy them as two cops who have been partners for years and are more like brothers than friends at this point.

Moreover, the boy’s interactions with Ammo, the new policing group that does things differently to the Boys, is fantastic and had me laughing multiple times in the cinema. I think Alexander Ludwig of Vikings fame is the standout of this younger cast and the joke of him being a big burly guy who prefers to stay in the van never stops being funny. Also, some of the meta jokes in this film are also brilliant, an example of one of these is having Michael Bay announcing things at Marcus’s daughter’s wedding, which made me laugh as he was the director of the other two films.

The action in this film is pretty good the choreography is done well, however, when I was watching I often thought I don’t think Will Smith should do these type of roles anymore as I just don’t believe him as an action star anymore, he is past it and it shows in this film.

I thought the storyline of it being Mike’s son that was trying to kill him, was incredibly obvious from the beginning and is a little too similar to Smith’s other recent film Gemini Man.

Overall, I think that for a belated sequel this is probably as good as you could hope for, there are some laughs, it treats the characters with respect, it is an enjoyable turn your brain off sort of film, however it is still far from perfect and the issues that plague the film are fundamental, so aren’t easily changed. See it if you have nothing better to do!

Pros.

Smith and Lawrence’s chemistry.

The Boy’s interactions with Ammo.

Alexander Ludwig.

The meta jokes.

Cons.

The Boys are pasted their prime and it shows.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Narcos Mexico (Season 2): Once Upon A Time In Mexico.

Narcos Mexico (Season 2) is a crime TV series which focuses on the war on drugs. More specifically how it all started, the rise of the Mexican Cartels and the fall of of Miguel Gallardo (Diego Luna), the fallout from the kidnapping of Kiki Camarena and the US response to capture those involved.

Well done! That is what I would say if I could talk to the creative team behind this season, not only have they laid to rest all my fears about this show from the first season, but they managed to create a genuinely tense throughout excellent to watch crime show. Each episode the stakes get raised higher and higher as the DEA and the Cartel, go to further extreme lengths to get what they want. My one complaint with this side of things is that I would have liked to see them to a little further with things sink further into extremes, though I suppose they are hamstrung by real life history.

The performances are top notch here as well, I had issues with Michael Pena’s performance last season, I think his character is incredibly dull and as a result you don’t really care when he dies. However, season 2 remedies this by giving us Walt (Scoot McNairy), a morally complex character who is far more engaging and interesting than last season’s protagonist ever was.

The best thing this season does in my opinion is set up the war to come. One of my issues with season one is that it felt drawn out, season 2 however, feel just long enough: it shows us Gallardo’s last year on top and then teases us with the coming war between Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels. Anyone who keeps up to date on the war on drugs/ or watches Netflix’s El Chapo series will know of the madness to come and the ending monologue of this season ties it all together nicely, “the animals are out of their cage now”.

Overall, a huge step-up in my opinion, a thrill ride through which is helped greatly by a new and better lead and the promise of something big to come. This should definitely be your next Netflix binge.

Pros.

Scoot McNairy.

Diego Luna.

Perfect pacing.

Thrilling throughout.

The tease of wars to come.

Cons.

None.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Art Of Self Defense: Metal Maketh Man

The Art Of Self Defense is a black comedy thriller film directed by Riley Stearns. The plot follows Casey (Jessie Eisenberg), a ‘weak man’ who is constantly abused and victimised by people around him, one day Casey gets jumped and beaten to within an inch of his life and decides he needs to make a change. He then joins a karate class to try and become a ‘proper man’, the type of person who has always scared him, the class then takes over his life. Slowly he realises that his mentor Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), organised the beating that put him in the hospital and that the class is far darker than he ever realised.

I think this film is a tour-de-force in almost every aspect. The humour of the film had me laughing out loud constantly, it very much appealed to my pitch-dark sense of humour. The final joke of Casey shooting Sensei in the head and then pretending to have used a masterful finger technique to defeat him so all the students respect him is inspired.

What’s more I found the film’s conversation about masculinity to be fascinating, the idea of what makes a man a ‘real man’ is not only interesting, but also an important conversation to have. The film portrays the idea of toxic masculinity in a very clever and funny yet also very real way which is a testament to the writing. Moreover, the idea that if you listen to metal music and have a German Shepard it makes you more of a man really cracked me up.

My one issue with this film is that Imogen Poots’ character is criminally underused. Her character was one of sensei’s first students and has been involved in his dark crimes for a long time, she is pushed to the side by Sensei because of the fact she is a woman and is a frequent suffer of his abuse. She is the one who tells Casey about the evils that Sensei does after hours and is left in charge of the dojo at the end. Her character is important, but I thought she could have had more to do.

Overall, this is a fantastic film it is funny, smart and has a lot to say about men in this day and age. Definitely a must watch if you haven’t already seen it!

Pros.

Casey and Sensei’s relationship.

The idea of what makes a man a man.

The humour.

The ending.

Cons.

Poots could have more to do.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Stranger: One Little Lie

The Stranger is a British mystery thriller series released on Netflix based on the novel by Harlan Coben. The plot follows a group of people who are all approached by a stranger (Hannah John-Kamen), who tells them a secret, either to expose a lie or for blackmail purposes. From there the lives of these towns people descend into a mixture of chaos and a search for answers.

This series is one of the most underrated new releases on Netflix, it is both an excellent drama series and an excellent mystery series. The reason for this is because there are so many levels to the mystery just when you think you understand it another layer gets added, it keeps you guessing right up until the final 5 minutes. Moreover, there is a moral ambiguity to this series that adds to the overall story, the characters have good and bad qualities, Detective Katz (Paul Kaye), is an objectively bad person he kills a woman in cold blood, but when he finds out that his wife has been poisoning their daughter you feel for him.

There is a wide cast of characters, but very much to my surprise they all feel well done, developed and interesting. Richard Armitage’s Adam is the main character and his search to find his missing wife is the central plot line, but all the other characters are given a moment to shine and have great sub-plots of their own. Particularly Hannah John-Kamen’s Stranger, she is easily the most intriguing character in the series and when her identity is finally revealed it is genuinely surprising and a great twist.

My issues with this series are only very small, firstly I didn’t like that the stranger just left again at the end, when it turned out that Adam was her brother, I was hoping she would become a part of his family, but sadly she didn’t. My other issue is that there is a lot of stuff going on at the same time, which can be hard to keep track of at times, but it is handled very well and never becomes confusing so I can’t complain.

Overall, this is a great thriller/crime series to binge on Netflix the next time you’re looking for something, it has endless amounts of tension and suspense and a great mystery that keep you guessing right up until the end. A surprisingly solid show!

Pros.

Hannah John-Kamen.

Richard Armitage.

Paul Kaye.

Great mystery.

Hard to take your eyes off.

Cons.

The ending could have been better.

4.5/5

Narcos Mexico Season 1: A New Era Of Narcos

Narcos Mexico Season 1 is a crime drama series and spin-off to the Netflix series Narcos. The new series as the name would suggest shifts the focus of the program from the cocaine fields of Columbia to the weed fields of Mexico, though some familiar faces do make a return. The series chronicles the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel and Felix Gallardo’s (Diego Luna), kidnapping of American DEA Agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Pena).

To briefly describe this series, it is more of the same, if you liked Narcos and enjoyed seeing the DEA slowly busting drug dealers over a period of years than you will enjoy this. As usually there are some cheer worthy monuments (in this season it is the burning of the weed fields), some sad moments (Kiki’s death), and a hell of a lot of frustration as the corrupt system gets in the way of these agents doing their job.

As someone who loved all of that in previous seasons, I fully enjoyed Narcos Mexico Season 1, I found it to be both captivating and thrilling and it proves the creative team behind the show still has it.

Michael Pena plays against type here, he has done some dramatic work before (End Of Watch, Fury), but he is mainly known for his more comedic work. He played Kiki as a man on a mission, much like characters of past seasons his whole life revolved around bringing the drug lord to justice. My one issue is that the character could be annoying at times and do reckless and dangerous things without thinking about his family, who had moved down to Mexico with him.

I thought Luna’s Gallardo was a villain on the same level of Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura), this is exactly what the series needed and was the issue the final series of Narcos was disappointing: because the villains were lacking. My one issue on this side of things was that I would have preferred to see Gallardo’s rise and fall within one series as opposed to two, it just feels more dragged out. A lot of episodes have plot points that go nowhere and feel put into pad out the 50+ minute runtime.

Overall, Narcos Mexico Season 1 is good, the characters are working and that is what made the first two series of Narcos feel so special, I still have a few issues with it, such as I feel like it didn’t need to be spread over two seasons and that I found Kiki’s character annoying at times. Ps. Don’t even get me started on Raffa or more adeptly the worst character ever written.

Pros.

Back to basics in a good way.

Interesting new villain.

It feels fresh again.

Cons.

It is too dragged out.

Some of the characters are annoying.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Jay And Silent Bob Reboot: Who Said All Reboots Are Bad

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is a buddy comedy film directed by Kevin Smith. This film sees the titular duo head back to Hollywood to try and stop a remake of The Blunt Man and Chronic movie, facing various foes along the way, and also dealing with Jay finding out he has a daughter he never knew about.

I was not expecting to like this film as much as I did, it was terrific and easily one of the best films of last year at least to me. This film has made its way onto not only my favourite comedy films of all-time list, but also my favourite films of all-time list, it is simply that good.

As someone who has become a lapse Kevin Smith fan in recent years it is nice to see him back in top form. Characters from previous Kevin Smith films such as Matt Damon’s character from Dogma show up here, it is nice to see all the familiar faces and inside jokes. What’s more this film is fantastically meta, it knows it is a film and milks it for all it is worth.

The comedy in this film is great, all of the characters are hilarious; especially Jason Lee who is only in the film for a short amount of time, but he makes the most of every second, that Alvin and The Chipmunks joke made me laugh out loud. This film had me laughing constantly, there was very few to no jokes that didn’t land, as a comedy film this is perfect.

The relationship between Jay (Jason Mewes), and his daughter Millennium (Harley Quinn Smith), is incredibly endearing. We see Jay come to terms with being a parent and having to overcome his own father issues so that he can be a good dad to his new daughter. Harley Quinn Smith does a great job as well, she is loveable and hard not to root for, her dream of having a dad that loves her is as sweet as it is heart-breaking. The final scene of the film acts as sort of a passing of the torch moment between Jay and his daughter and it is beautifully done, ending the film on an extreme high note.

Overall, a bundle of laughs, joy and heart from start to finish. Hilarious and heart-warming, a must see!

Pros.

It’s hilarious.

It has a great heart.

All the cameos from Smith collaborators.

The relationship between Jay and his daughter.

A beautiful ending.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Bling Ring: Crime, Fashion And Celebrity

The Bling Ring is a satirical crime film, written directed and produced by Sofia Coppola. The film tells the tale of the real-life Bling Ring a group of teenagers who robbed the homes of famous Hollywood celebrities when they were out of town, their victims included Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Orlando Bloom.

I have to say for years I had no interest in this film, but when someone told me recently that it was directed by Sofia Coppola, the person behind Lost In Translation and The Beguiled, I decided to give it a go. To describe this film in a sentence, it is the very definition of style over substance. I understand that might have been an intentional choice on the part of the director, but it works to the film’s detriment.

The cinematography and editing of the film of the film is all very flashy and looks pretty, but overall it feels incredibly dated. There is a slow-motion sequence of the gang walking down the street to the song Power by Kayne West and it feels incredibly 2013. However, some of the film’s elements like the random inclusion of interviews here and there do a lot to breakup the film and keep it engaging.

The story itself is interesting, we are invited into the world of these selfish self-absorbed teenagers who think there is nothing more important than being rich and famous, they are the epitome of the words vapid and vain. We root against these characters and want to see them fail, though the film makes you think is it really the characters fault or is it the culture they have been raised in?

The social commentary elements add some depth to this film, but not as much as you would like. It still feels very shallow.

The cast is fine and serviceable, but they are nothing special. The main characters, I can’t remember their names, are entirely eclipsed by Emma Watson’s character who is a supporting character at best. Watson is basically playing herself, if a slightly bad version, because as I often say she can’t act. Her character is very hateable, and the ending really hits that home.

Overall, this film feels like it has ideas of grandeur, of being an art house film that has something to say about society, but instead it feels hollow and lacking, which is a shame as this film had potential.

Pros.

Interesting story.

Social commentary.

Sofia’s style.

Cons.

Emma Watson can’t act.

It feels dated.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke