Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin is a film that answers the question of what happened after the 100 Acre Wood, what happened when Christopher Robin became too old to play with Winnie the Pooh. The reality of that being that Robin has lost his ability to have fun, his work consumes him and, he is neglectful of his family. Of course, the re-emergence of Pooh in his life changes all that.

Though the plot may sound formulaic, it is surprisingly deep. If you can read past the simple premise, this film has a lot to say about growing up- about life. However, it is not a deep meditative affair, merely, a children’s comedy film with surprising insight. Furthermore, there are plenty of warm moments that remind you why you feel in love with the 100 Acre Wood gang in the first place, as well as many laughs to be had.

The CGI on Pooh and his compatriots is all done to the calibre you would expect from Disney-truly outstanding. Pooh himself has all the best lines, many of which you will remember long after you leave the cinema. What’s more the performances from Ewan McGregor, (Christopher Robin), and Hayley Atwell, (Evelyn Robin), are both fantastic; with both bringing emotional weight and a sense of whimsey to their respective roles.

The only minor issue with the film is that Evelyn, along with some of the members of the 100 Acre Wood gang, were not developed as much as they could have been. The reason for this is because the relationship between Pooh and Christopher takes centre stage, as it rightfully should, so I can’t be too angry about the underdeveloped side characters. The dynamic between a grown-up Christopher Robin and Pooh is superb, to sum it up acutely it is the relationship between an adult and a child, which is both fascinating and also able to work on many levels; given the context of the narrative.

Overall, this film greatly surprised me, vastly exceeding my expectations. With it being both feel-good family fun and, also having an ability to make you think and even reflect.

4/5

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 Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds is a young adult film, taking place in a world where a disease has killed most of the child population; those who have survived have it the worst of all they gain superhuman powers- at the cost of their freedom. So far so standard YA dystopia.

I want to say that the YA genre is dead, to me Maze Runner Death Cure was the genre’s last gasp, The Darkest Minds proves me right at every turn. What this film amounts to is a collection of YA tropes, all the worst ones at that, seemingly lacking anything original. What this film strikes me as is a cynical attempt to resurrect a dead genre, probably because: some executive still thought there was money to be made.

Everything about this film feels forced, from its needless romance subplot to the even more unnecessary love triangle. The most egregious example of this: being how this film is trying to set up a franchise, that no one wanted.

The similarities between this film and 21st Century Fox’s other property X-Men are more than a little obvious. However, where X-men mostly get social commentary and feelings of isolation correct, Darkest Minds does it in the most hollow, cheap way possible. In many ways, this film is a second-rate X-men.

The acting and the script are also both incredibly weak. Having not read the source material, I don’t know to what extent the poor writing is the fault of the film, I also can’t say, if this is a faithful adaptation. The dialogue feels overly teenage angsty, with it often resulting in cringey, or offensively terrible scenes. The “acting” doesn’t ever amount to more than brooding.

Perhaps worst of all is Amandla Stenberg’s Ruby. Stenberg’s character doesn’t have a lot to work with script wise, but what she does get often feels annoying- to be blunt she may be the worst character in the film.

I’m not even going to go into how a lot of the decisions the characters make are bafflingly stupid, or how they waste a great supporting cast.

Overall, don’t go and see this film, don’t waste your time, money or effort- let the YA genre die in peace.

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Unfriended: Dark Web

Unfriended: Dark Web is a horror film and sequel to 2014’s Unfriended. However, it is a sequel in name alone: as none of the characters from the first film are revisited. The main similarity with the first film is its layout, with most of the film taking place online. This layout is initially jarring, but over time becomes more and more natural. The plot of this instalment centres around Matias, (Colin Woodell), as he starts using a strange laptop, he stole. Once, he begins using the laptop things quickly devolve, with him and his friends finding themselves in one of the darkest corners of the internet- thus beginning a life or death struggle.

Something that hugely benefits this film is the change in threat. Where the first film had a restless, malicious spirit seeking vengeance, this one has an altogether much more real menace. This menace is, of course, a group of depraved dark web dwellers, who hire people to slowly torture and kill, unsuspecting victims. This choice of focus makes the scares all the more terrifying: the fact that something like this could happen in real life makes the threat far more- intimate. This film didn’t make me scared in the traditional sense; instead, it made me anxious.

The anxiety of the film comes from the fear of what might happen to the characters. The film achieves an incredible task, it makes you care about the protagonists, all of whom are boring and in one case very annoying. The characters are the usual collection of stereotypes, and you’ll forget about them as soon as the credits roll. To call them bland would be an understatement, they are devoid of personality; with the character development being all but non-existent. The romance between Matias and Amaya, (Stephanie Nogueras), is well done to a degree and is convincing, though is still not all that memorable.

Finally, the film has two different endings, which I won’t spoil here, but I just wanted to make a note of it: because I think it is an ingenious move that makes this film unique.

Overall, the uneasy tension and the feeling of dread throughout makes up for the poor character work. A must see for all genre fans!

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Festival

The Festival is a British comedy film centring around two friends who attend a musical festival. One Nick, (Joe Thomas) goes to the festival to recover from a messy breakup and the other Shane, (Hammed Animashaun), goes to meet his hero DJ Hammer Head- hijinks ensue. Those who are familiar with the Inbetweeners, (a British comedy tv series), will find a lot of similar tissue here, due to similar creative teams. These similarities are my biggest issue with the film, many of the gags and jokes seem a little too familiar, and Thomas’s Nick is a near replica of his character of Simon from the Inbetweeners. However, that said, these similarities are not wholly a detriment to the film. If anything, they show this film for what it was a missed opportunity, as it could have easily been called the Inbetweeners 3 and it would have gained more fanfare.

The film’s humour is a perfect mix of cringe comedy and hilarious moments; working to great effect throughout. The standout character in this regard is Shane’s stepfather Robin, (Jemaine Clement), who steals every scene he is in; never failing to make me laugh.

As well as the film’s humour it also shares what the inbetweeners did so well, relatability. A false Hollywood esque studio comedy this is not. The film also manages to make most of the characters memorable and likeable, with the obvious example here being the effortlessly charming Amy, (Claudia O’ Doherty). Amy easily has some of the best lines of the film, and the relationship between her and Shane felt very genuine; O’Doherty is the breakout star of the film. Sadly, this likeability is not shared by the film’s lead. Thomas’s Nick is an annoying character in many ways, as such he is hard for root for; though I do think this was a conscious choice on behalf of the writers.

Finally, this film is a treasure trove of cameos from British comedians, with the likes of Nick Frost and Noel Fielding making terrific appearances.

Overall, if you loved the Inbetweeners, this is more of the same. The film’s greatest sin is that some of the side characters, like Amy, don’t get the attention they deserve, but this pales in light of the funny and relatable tale told.

3.5/5.

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.

Teen Titans GO to The Movies

Teen Titans Go to The Movies, is an animated superhero film by DC and Warner Brothers; based on the kid’s tv series of the same name. Teen Titans is a blast from start to finish; it is entertaining and incredibly engaging, with it also having many surprisingly good musical numbers. Said musical numbers were all very well used and more importantly memorable; even after the credits roll. The characters were all effortlessly charming, especially Raven, (voiced by Tara Strong), who always put a smile on my face, with her near constant use of sarcasm. However, there was one character who I thought was grating, Starfire, (voiced by Hynden Walch). The reason for this annoyance was the way the character speaks saying things like, “friend Robin”, all too often; with that part of her character being played up. The plot of the film revolves around the team as they try and get Robin, (voiced by Scott Menville), a superhero film of his own. In many ways, this meta-ness coupled with comments throughout the film, on the superhero genre, is what a lot of people were expecting, but crucially didn’t get, from Pixar’s Incredibles 2. To further comment on the plot, in an era where everything is part of a larger shared universe, the self-contained, throwaway nature of Teen Titans Go to The Movies, really helped the film to feel fresh. Conversely, the film’s humour, which is very juvenile is not to everyone’s taste; said humour may make adult audiences feel out of place. Finally, Teen Titans is a treasure trove of references to DC Comics lore, which if you are a comic fan, like me, will put a smile on your face. Overall this is a fun, light-hearted and enjoyable superhero movie, definitely more of a kid’s film than one aimed at adults, but great all the same. Plus, it has one of the best, most adorable shorts ever before it.

3.5/5

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

Mamma Mia 2

Spoilers

Mamma Mia, here we go again is a musical film, with two central plotlines. One is set in the present day focusing on Sophie, (Amanda Seyfried) as she tries to open a hotel in honour of her late mother Donna, (Meryl Streep). The other plotline is a series of flashbacks that chronicle how Donna, met each of Sophies 3 fathers and her early time on the island. Both storylines are good and have emotional weight, which leads to a bittersweet interwoven climax in the film’s third act. Furthermore, the casting of Lilly James as young Donna is spot on, James nails the performance; with it being clear to see she is enjoying every minute of it. However, my one criticism of the flashback storyline is that there is one moment that is clearly trying to be funny but instead comes off as overly awkward. In many ways the present-day storyline, whilst still being good, is overshadowed by the flashbacks. This is true in many ways, such as if we are being honest James is more of an enjoyable presence than Seyfried. The best thing about the present-day storyline is Fernando Cienfuegos, (Andy Garcia), who chews up every scene he is in. Moreover, whilst his character’s late in the game romance with, Ruby, (Cher) produces the best musical number of the whole film, it suffers from being underdeveloped. Finally, the music, the score and the songs themselves are of course superb. However, there is an issue which lies in how the songs are used. Mostly the songs feel spontaneous and natural, but there are a few instances where they feel needless and forced in for the sake of hitting all of ABBA’s greatest hits. Overall, this is a very fun romp, being a nice bit of summer escapism that I strongly recommend you indulge in. This film will make you laugh, cry and most importantly sing along.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke