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

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

Sicario 2 Soldado

Sicario 2 Soldado, follows the efforts of Matt Graver, (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro, (Benicio del Toro) in their war with the Mexican Cartels. The plot focuses on Washington’s renewed effort to wipe out the Cartels, as such, they bring in Graver and Alejandro. What follows is 122 minutes of pure adrenaline and suspense, which never relents, it starts off with 2 suicide bombings and it carries on from there. As such the tone of the film is jet black, with all the characters being wrapped in shades of grey. For anyone worried that the acting wouldn’t be as strong because Emily Blunt didn’t return, fear not! Brolin’s Graves is menacing and chews up every piece of scenery he gets. Furthermore, del Toro’s Alejandro is fantastic, with him being paired with a cartel bosses daughter for most of the film. Said Cartel boss’s daughter is played to perfection by Isabela Moner, as we see her go on an emotional journey after her kidnapping. The surrogate parent angle, that del Toro’s character is given is oddly enthralling throughout. However, the acting is let down by Elijah Rodriguez’s character of Miguel. Said character is terrible as he only manages to have one facial expression for the entire film, which when compared him to Moner, the other child actor of the film; you see how flawed his performance is. Sicario 2 wastes minutes by cutting away from the main plot to focus on Miguel’s side story, which is boring. Overall the film feels very timely, with current events being what they are, and I truly believe that this adds an extra dimension to the film. Moreover, this film carries on the impressive action sequences of the first film, with each sequence being captured with ruthless efficiency, showing all the horrid splendour. On that note, this film’s gore is used to show how gritty the cartel world is and how in it youth and innocence are lost. Finally, the score for the film is also incredibly well used, being memorable and really wrenching up the suspense. Overall this is an amazing action thriller, and it is one anyone can enjoy. To conclude this may be one of the best sequels of 2018.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ocean’s 8

Spoiler ahead!

Ocean’s 8 is the latest film in the series which follows Debbie Ocean, (Sandra Bullock), Danny’s Ocean’s sister. Ocean’s 8 does fall short of Soderbergh’s trilogy, this is most noticeably shown when you look at the films’ screenplays. Soderbergh’s previous films had very intricate heist sequences with everything fitting together elegantly, whereas 8 is a series of events that don’t make sense that come together in a way that leaves you saying, “wait what?”. Furthermore, there are twists that are laughably stupid such as, Anne Hathaway’s Daphne Kluger joining the team. What could have been good character development is instead boiled down to her joining the team because she’s lonely. That is indicative of the fact that the film is poorly written. The characters outside of Debbie are not given much in the way of motivation, feeling one dimensional and shallow. This is best shown through 9 ball, (Rihanna), with it serving to highlight her lack of acting ability and makes her character feel out of place. However, there are also positives. All the cast give good performances, with each actress adding an air of believability to their characters, making them likeable. The two best performances are from Anne Hathaway and a surprisingly funny third act turn by James Corden. Hathaway has all the funniest lines. Whereas Corden excels because he isn’t playing his usual over the top character, instead he plays it mostly straight, to a humour degree.

To conclude if you can ignore the numerous plot holes this is a good film; it is dumb fun and a thrilling ride to boot. Overall this is a good start to a possible new series.

3/5

My Friend Dahmer

My Friend Dahmer focuses on the young life of the infamous American serial killer, focusing on his high school years, up until the time of his first murder. This is a genius creative decision as it creates incredible amounts of tension, all without showing a single murder. Furthermore, this early focus allows for an in-depth character study, seeking to find out the motivation for his crimes. In that regard, there are themes of isolation, sexuality and family; all of which are well-formed. In terms of the genre, the script conveys the film as a coming of age tale thereby bucking the trend of the standard biopic. Presenting a film about the teenage experience which also features a soon to be serial killer. What’s more, the script doesn’t present Dahmer as evil, there are even times when you even feel something akin to sympathy for him. The performance of Ross Lynch as Dahmer is fantastic because he plays as both unpredictable, and also truly unsettling. Dahmer’s parent Joyce and Lionel, (Anne Heche and Dallas Roberts), in particular, are outstanding as they truly paint a picture of the dysfunctional family life. Roberts portrays Lionel as a man who is worried for and desperately trying to connect with his son. The film sublimely dissects the mind of Dahmer, creating an experience that feels unlike anything else; allowing you to see his rawest form. Everyone knows how the story ends, but the script and the performances are good enough to still make every minute enthralling. The only issue is that the film is overly long with a lull in the second act. To conclude the film is an excellent and truly gripping character study of a broken, twisted mind.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke.

Den of Thieves

To sum this movie up, this is a heist film like the Oceans film series but without the charm. This movie like other heist films has twists and turns and in this particular case, they come in 2 varieties. The first is blindingly obvious such as when the characters are robbing a bank, and then they escape into the sewers; which was obviously what they were going to do from the beginning of the scene. The second type is the twists that are wildly confusing, and are thrown in in an attempt to try and make this film seem cleverer than it is, the end twist is an example of this, said twist undoes quite a lot of character decisions and makes you think, well why would such a character have done that then. So it’s quite easy to say that my main issue with this film is the script and the plot, with the only real way to enjoy this movie is to switch your brain off and not think about it too much. The acting, for the most part, is quite one-note and generic, with me not remembering even what the characters were called after seeing it, and the whole film just not being memorable. Unlike, in the much superior film, Ingrid goes west, O’Shea Jackson Jr brings no charm to the role, with his protagonist character never really being likable. 50 Cents character of Levi Enson is barely in the movie at all, and though there is one scene that tries to develop his character this scene feels oddly out of place, because up until this point in the film he’s barely been given a second thought. Then there is Gerard Butler’s character of Big Nick, which though being the antagonist of the movie even going so far as to say “we are the bad guys” in one lacking line of dialogue, is arguably the most likable character in the film. Butler’s character even has some funny lines in the film, and is even made vulnerable to the audience in a scene, where one is left to question are you trying to make the antagonist of your film likable? It would have been a similar issue if Andy Garcia’s character had been made likable in the before mentioned Oceans series. Despite this, we also see him as a terrible husband and as a manipulator, arguably he is the most fleshed out character in the movie and is the only memorable thing when the credits roll. Some of the cinematography in this film is pretty beautifully shot, with one scene in particular of Butler’s character Nick standing on a beach on the morning of the heist, and the visuals are quite stunning.The last thing I wanted to mention was Pablo Schreiber’s character of Merrimen, his character is poorly written his character’s motivations are at times puzzling and other times just head scratching. The final twist as I mentioned before completely underwrites his character and makes you think really as if I suppose to believe that. However much like Rosa Salazar, I think that Pablo Schreiber is a rising star, with him being able to elevate the stilted dialogue he is given.

To conclude this film is beautifully shot in parts, funny (unintentionally) in parts, with good performances from Schreiber and Butler. Whilst also being bland, generic, badly written and just baffling throughout, with one of the most pointless twists I’ve seen in a long time.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke.

All the Money in the World

This film is a testament to Ridley Scott as a director, with him replacing an actor and reshooting all his scenes only months before release. Whats more these scenes are hard to tell apart from the rest of the feature, blending in well; in contrast to other recent releases such as Justice League. Christopher Plummer portrays the role with equal parts ruthlessness, and a sheer sense of greed that perfectly encapsulates the character of J. Paul Getty. The film itself centers around the kidnapping of Getty’s grandson Paul, (played here by Charlie Plummer), and Getty’s refusal to pay any money in random. At its core, this film is defined by 3 key performances, Christopher Plummer’s Getty, who is tremendous throughout. With the performances of Michelle Williams, (Gail Harris), and Mark Wahlberg, (Fletcher Chase) also being critical. This is where the film fumbles, Michelle Willimas is perfect with her performance of a mother in crisis, trying to get her son back being both believable and the emotional backbone of the film. For anyone who has read any of my other reviews, they will know that so far this year I ‘ve been a big Michelle Willimas fan, with her role in the greatest showman being one of the best and most believable parts of that movie. However, it is the third key role that falls flat and that is Mark Wahlberg’s Chase Fletcher, who feels bland and uninteresting, really his role could be played by anyone. The strange standout social relationship of this film is between Charlie Plummers Paul and Romain Duris as Cinquanta, who are both excellent characters in their own right, but together they’re somewhat of an endearing pair. Duris’s Cinquanta is a sort of father figure to Paul and provides an interesting contrast to the usual stereotype of the despicable criminal. Through the character of Cinquanta, Scott explores the idea of a family with this man who is a criminal, who is one of the men who abducts Paul ultimately caring about him just as much as his mum. Furthermore, Cinquanta, when juxtaposed with Mr. Getty, is shown to be far more caring towards Paul than his own grandfather. This portrays one of the victims of the film as ultimately one of the antagonists. The negatives for this film really come from pacing, the film is paced badly, with the second act feeling dull and ultimately unnecessary, with too much time spent looking at the Chase, Getty relationship which ultimately goes nowhere. There were points in this film where it lost my interest to such a point, I debated the merits of going to the toilet for a prolonged break. Also, there were subplots with characters such as Pauls father which again feel like they go nowhere, with his character going through big changes in the first act without much explanation. The film could have benefited greatly from focusing more on Michelle Willimas’s character, and ditching Wahlberg outright. This is a gripping story sadly it’s just too long and not interesting enough, though I did appreciate the unusual captive captor relationship.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Molly’s Game

Molly’s Game tells the true story of “Poker Princess” Molly Bloom, for those of you who don’t know Molly Bloom was running million dollar poker games in both New York and LA. Now I’ve been looking forward to this film for quite a while, because it marks Aaron Sorkin’s directional debut. Sorkin has previously won an Oscar for his adapted screen play for the Social Network, fans of Sorkin’s previous work would expect his usual quick and snappy dialogue and that is here in abundance. The script and dialogue of Molly’s Game feels like a tour de force for Sorkin, serving as a highlights reel of everything that makes him one of the best currently working screen writers. Furthermore, the plot of the film itself has enough twists and turns to genuinely keep you on the edge of your seat, with all the characters being three dimensional and well formed. This excellent formation is shown in Jessica Chastain’s Molly, who is shown as both powerful and savvy whilst also having moments of weakness. Jessica Chastain is on top form here and makes Molly a very easy to root for character, even when she does things that you don’t agree with. The best pairing in this film is easily Chastain’s Molly and Idris Elba’s Charlie Jaffey, the scenes that feature the pairs back and forth are easily some of the most enjoyable moments in the film, and the two have an easy chemistry through the entire proceeding. Elba’s Charlie is somewhat of an audience surrogate as he goes through the same journey as the audience, believing in the beginning that Molly is guilty and he has no interest in her case, but as the film continues he starts to see her more and more for her she actually is and see’s past his first impressions. The friendship Jaffey and Bloom have at the end is testament to Sorkin’s writing ability as you can see the friendship blossom throughout the film, and doesn’t feel rushed but rather earned. Even Molly’s father played by Kevin Costner, who at first seems to be plying the disappointed father stereotype, is later shown to be more than he seems, really it is foolish to assume anyone in a Sorkin film is as simple as they first appear. My only complaint about the film is that it is slightly too long at 140 minutes, with me personally thinking it could still be an excellent film at the 120 minute mark, but other than that this may be one of the best crime dramas I’ve watched in a long time.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke