Assassin Club: Give Noomi Rapace More Action Roles Please

Summary

An assassin, played by Henry Golding, must kill his fellow assassins before they kill him.

The premise is very worn, many films have been there before and this one doesn’t change it at all, who know right where it is going and every twist and turn is completely guessable.

However, the enjoyment of this film comes from its surprisingly good performances. Noomi Rapace steals the show as her unhinged villain Falk, but the real power of her performance comes from how well and distinguished Rapace plays both Falk and her day time persona of a government agent. The duality in her performance is palpable, and you really do feel as though she is playing two different characters. Moreover, Daniela Melchior is also a very welcome addition to the cast. After impressing in The Suicide Squad a few years back I like what she did with the role here, and think that she elevated it beyond simply being the girlfriend in distress. Golding of course was a capable leading man, but I would say that Rapace acted circles around him at every turn.

Another thing to give this film credit for is it’s fight scenes. Though at times they were a little choppy the fight scenes were well done throughout and some of them felt really quite intense and bone breaking which is nice when thinking about the sea of mediocre fight scenes that exist within the action genre.

Overall, don’t watch this for something new because it isn’t . Instead it takes the familiar and repackages it in a fairly enjoyable way with good performances and strong action. Not a must see.

3/5

Pros.

Solid action

Rapace

Melchior

Cons.

Familiar

Easily guessable

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next, bespoke film recommendation to fit you as a person and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Evil Dead Rise: Some Books Are Better Left Unread

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A new family find the Necronomicon.

This was a sore disappointment for me. I had been excited for this film for a while, it was certainly one of my most anticipated of April, if not the year, but after watching it I have to say it wasn’t very good. I want to state up front that I am a big fan of the original trilogy of Evil Dead Movies and Ash Vs The Evil Dead, but I wasn’t taken with the remake from a decade ago and this I found had a lot of the same mistakes.

I think the problems of this film fit broadly into four key areas. Firstly, there is way too much fan service and nods back to the previous films, if you are going to do another quasi reboot then you have to have it stand on its own, by having all the call backs it makes people compare it to the original trilogy of films, and that is not in the films favour. Secondly, the opening sequence by the lake is dumb and should have been cut out, it has no relevance on the main plot of the film and just serves to tie up an ending tease, the book ended approach to the storytelling but done in reverse really doesn’t work. Thirdly, the first act of the film is a mess and is awfully paced. The first act feels like it goes on forever introducing us to all of these characters, who we don’t care about, it takes way too long to get into the deadite action and by that point you have stopped caring. Fourthly and finally, a lot of the scares and horror aspects of the film no longer feel fresh, they might have done had this come out a few decades ago, but there wasn’t anything here that I hadn’t seen already done to death in other films.

All that said I will give the film props for being fun and a good time from the second act onwards. Once Alyssa Sutherland’s character turns into a deadite and things start to go off the wall and into a gory spectacle things get a lot better and become more entertaining. I still wouldn’t say the scares land in the way the film wants them to but the gory spectacle of the film is at least good for a laugh.

Overall, I would leave the series here, it feels very much out of steam, if they have to do another film they should bring back old man Ash, played by Bruce Campbell.

2.5/5

Pros.

The gore

Fun with the deadites

It is watchable

Cons.

The first act is horribly paced and way too long

There is too much fan service for something that is supposed to be its own thing

You don’t care about any of the characters

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Renfield: The Role Nicolas Cage Was Born To Play

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Renfield, played by Nicolas Hoult, must do battle with both his toxic boss Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage, as well as with local mobsters.

I liked this film for the goofy fun ride it was. I appreciated the focus on Renfield and Dracula’s relationship and the ins and outs of it. I thought framing the whole thing through this idea of unhealthy co-dependent relationships was both funny and also able to generate some real insights. I have never really thought of the Dracula Renfield relationship like that before but I suppose that I haven’t really thought about it at all.

Moreover, both Cage and Hoult are terrific, Cage is as hammy and as campy as you would want him to be, he is very much playing the Bela Lugosi Dracula and that comes across in the costume design as well. Whereas Hoult really turns Renfield into a multi-layered character that you end up caring about, being both sympathetic but also heroic in equal measures. I must say however, thought I like Awkwafina in other things I thought she was miscast here. I say this because she has terrible chemistry with Hoult which would be less noticeable if the film was trying to ship them off into a relationship for most of their screen time together. Moreover, her being the straight man to all the on screen silliness just doesn’t work, what we want is for her to be reacting more to the craziness as her reactions could then be a stand-in for the audience, but instead she just keeps being stoic.

Furthermore, I don’t know how I feel about the films action. It is a horror comedy film and not an action film, yet the film does feature a lot of Wick esque fight sequences which honestly get a little tried after a while. Worse yet with the whole cockroach power up mechanic the fights end up feeling like generic superhero battles and then become lost in that sea of generic special effects. However, I do like how gory the confrontations get that makes for some good gross out moments and gags.

Overall, fun and with a good message of being your own person, but Awkwafina is sorely miscast.

4/5

Pros.

Hoult

Cage

The gore

The message about relationships

Cons.

Awkwafina is miscast

The action becomes boring after a while

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

RRR: The Sun Sets On The British Empire

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Two Indian revolutionaries, played by N.T Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan, wage war on the British Crown.

I think this film has a little bit of everything. It has epic action scenes that are both intense and beautifully shot, it has fantastic and surprisingly catchy musical numbers and a good message about standing up for what you believe in and staying true to yourself.

I think the most impressive moment of the whole film comes within the opening act wherein Charan’s character is tasked with arresting a protestor who has just smashed a picture of the King with a rock. What follows is one of the best uses of slow motion I have seen in recent cinema, coupled with the fact that the fight gets gory and isn’t afraid to let the hero get hurt, it is incredibly effective.

I also think that the two leading men have great chemistry which is really important as basically throughout the film their character become metaphorical brothers and as such the bond needs to be believable. I thought each played off the other really well and both had moments of action hero prowess as well as relatability.

The one area where I had an issue with the film, and I know that it is fairly predictable, is with the pacing and the length of the film. I understand that the film is supposed to be an epic and that entails a certain scope and runtime, but I think also that the film has a lot of filler which could be cut out in order to make it a more streamlined and enjoyable viewing experience. Take a lot of the strange romantic comedy esque moments that are placed into the second act for example they could be removed and it would better the pace of the film by a lot.

Overall, the film is fun and has a lot to enjoy in it, however, the incredibly slow pace does hurt it.

3.5/5

Pros.

The action

The two leads

It is a lot of fun

The songs

Cons.

The pacing

Sometimes there are tonal issues

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Qorin: Is Your Teacher A Demonic Summoner?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A boarding school is turned into a portal to hell when students begin performing black arts and summoning their demonic doppelgangers.

I have a lot of love for Indonesian horror cinema, and I think that in many ways Muslim focused horror films make for a nice break away from the same old Christian tinged horror films that play every week at the multiplex. As such, I went into this with high expectations expecting another May The Devil Take You, but boy was I wrong.

This film isn’t the worst possession film I have ever seen but it is also in no way good. I would say the biggest issues the film has is that despite is premise being just different enough that it feels a little bit fresh, the way the story plays out is anything but. You have seen this film many times before and know exactly where it is going. Indeed this film clings to tropes and worn out characters as though it is too afraid to show an ounce of originality.

Additionally, the low-fi scares of the film don’t prove effective at all. Now I am not saying that low budget films, which this clearly is, can’t be scary really the opposite is true, but they do have to make an effort to do more with less and to make every shot count. This becomes an issue here as a lot of the time the effects just aren’t good enough and don’t lead to a scary scene, again it comes back to the fact that it is the same old same old, their demonic doppelgangers are in no way different to how a character from a Blumhouse movie would be and that is boring.

Overall, there is so novelty to the idea and trace amounts of originality, but the film really shoots itself in the foot by sticking far too closely to tired characters, scares and storylines.

2/5

Pros.

Traces of originality

It is unintentionally hilarious at times

Cons.

It relies way too heavily on cliches

It is bored and predictable

The scares don’t work

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Living With Chucky: A Love Letter

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A documentary about the people who have brought the Child’s Play franchise to life over the years and what the films mean to them.

I thought this was a sweet film, especially in the later stages when the documentarian reveals herself and what her connection is to the franchise.

What I liked the most about this film is that you can tell it was a labour of love, and more than that you can tell how much the series means to all of the people being interviewed and as a fan of the series, I don’t understand why you would be watching if you weren’t, that spoke to and connected with me.

I liked the deeper insights the documentary gave into the behind the scenes production of the films and the fact it gave a voice to some of the lesser known people who have been involved with the series and allowed them to talk about their experiences as well. It was fascinating.

My one complaint and this is a very nit picky one if I do say so myself is that this film felt incomplete. Whilst I understand it was probably shot a few years ago and only being released now, it feels incredibly remiss to not talk about the Chucky tv series that is currently airing within it. All of the films get a mention but the series isn’t name checked once which feels like a noticeable admission at least on my part. I would like the thoroughness of having the documentary go through everything to do with the franchise but again I see that is hard when it is on-going perhaps they will do a follow up down the line.

Overall, a lovely documentary and if you are a fan of the franchise one that you simply must check out.

4/5

Pros.

The real sense of love

The look behind the scenes

It brings back a lot of happy nostalgic memories

The sweet connection of the documentarian to the franchise

Cons.

They don’t mention the show

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Friday: Working For The Weekend

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Craig, played by Ice Cube, and Smokey, played by Chris Tucker, run into trouble when they get on the wrong side of their local drug dealer.

I know a lot of people really like this film, and I have been meaning to watch it for some time. After watching it I can see the appeal, the film is quite effortlessly funny and has characters that both make you laugh and smile but also that you can relate to. Everyone has known someone like these guys before, and as such the experience of watching this film feels like spending time with your friends.

There are also quite a number of funny and well developed side characters that helped the world to feel full and lived in. There is constantly something funny going on and that helps the film to feel lively which helps to stop any pacing issues. In terms of wider narrative I thought the film was fine, yes the story has been done before and since, but the laughs and the characters more than make up for the overly familiar story and give you a reason to stick with it.

Overall, a lot of fun.

4/5

Pros.

Cube

Tucker

The side characters and world

It is very funny

Cons.

The story is a little familiar

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Other Woman: This Is Why Cameron Diaz Needed To Retire

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A pair of women, played by Cameron Diaz and Leslie Maan, find out that they have been cheated on and so team up to try and take down their ex, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

When considering films like this you can see why Cameron Diaz retired. If her return in years to come leads to more films like this being made than the landscape as a whole will be a worse place for it.

There was nothing of any charm of warmth about this film. If anything there were lines so unpleasant and off putting that I almost turned it off. Take if you will a scene in which Diaz’s character is talking to her assistant, played by a robotic Nicki Minaj, wherein they talk about there being no issue with Diaz sleeping with married men so long as she can ‘take them’. Now, before you say it, yes this attitude has been in many male driven rom-coms before so isn’t anything new, and this is at the start of the film wherein the character still needs to work on themselves, however, whether it was a man or a woman saying this it is still a dick move. The whole conversation, which is fairly early on, doesn’t do anything to make you like Diaz’s character really quite the opposite.

Moreover, the film tries to cut a feminist silhouette of having the women realising they should be helping and uplifting each other rather than fighting over a man, which is a good message. Although it is quickly undercut as Diaz’s character just begins a new romance, which then makes the idea of her not needing a man to be happy, which the film really tries to run with, feeling hollow. I think the film would have been better if after defeating the ex Diaz’s character ended the film single but open to the idea of trusting a man again. That would feel more true to me at least.

Overall, this film wasn’t enjoyable to watch at all and at times felt like it was forcing my hand to the off button, and I like rom-coms.

0/5

Pros.

None

Con.

Diaz is unlikeable

It is contrived and overly familiar

It tires to land a feminist message but is way off course

The ending contrasts the whole point of the film

Nicki Minaj can’t act and shouldn’t be given any roles in the future.

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Air: Born In The USA

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A film about the making of the Air Jordan

If this film proves nothing else it proves that Ben Affleck is a hell of a director. Whilst I wouldn’t say this is perhaps to the same level as Argo I would say it was a very fun film that worked on pretty much every level.

I found more than enough to like about the plot to keep me engaged even though I am not interested in Basketball. The business aspects of the film felt almost like classic Sorkin, and I thought that the scenes between Damon’s character and Davis’ character wherein they discussed Jordan’s future with Nike were easily the best of the film.

In a lot of the more dialogue heavy scenes the terrific performances that Affleck is able to get out of his cast really come through. Not only were the previously mentioned Affleck, Damon and Davis great, but I also really liked Chris Tucker and Jason Bateman. Bateman in particular had a number of really strong dramatic scenes that connected with me emotionally, in particular his scene about how his daughter only wants to see him because he can give her shoes.

However, the feather in this film’s cap is its soundtrack. All of the Eighties hits that you could possibly want are featured here at every turn and it is glorious and helps the film to feel lively and keep you engaged.

My one complaint of the film would be that, as is so often the case, the pacing isn’t good. Like with many modern films this out stays its welcome and would have been a better film if it was shortened.

Overall, bar the pacing issues a great film and a directorial comeback for Affleck, though I personally liked Live By Night.

4/5

Pros.

The business scenes are really sharp

Everyone is bringing their A game

The soundtrack

The unexpected emotion

Cons.

The pacing issues

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

John Wick Chapter 4: One Man’s Ability To Fall Down Stairs And Get Hit By Cars With Barely A Scratch

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

John Wick’s story comes to a close.

Honestly, this film was a little disappointing to me. Not hugely so, but enough to be noticeable. Maybe I went in with too high expectations, or maybe the previous films set a standard so high that this film couldn’t match it.

I think my main issue with this film is that it spends a lot of its incredibly long run time, boy does this film have pacing issues, on fights. Now don’t get me wrong the fights are great as always, but instead of doubling down on the characters and the world and giving us more time with them they instead make each fight go on and on to the point where they become a little repetitive. Rather than have a ten minute long fight scene in front of a well known Parisian land mark, I would have rather it been five and we be given instead a flashback explaining how John, played by Keanu Reeves, came to know Caine, played by Donny Yen, and Koji, played by Hiroyuki Sanada.

However, it would be remiss to say that the film doesn’t give us any character/world development as it does in the form of introducing us to John’s family and also introducing a slew of new characters to the series. The film is at its best when the fighting stops and these characters are interacting, as oxymoronic as that might sound.

I thought the ending was appropriate, and gave John a fitting send off. Keanu Reeves as always was terrific and did a magnificent job with the physicality of the role, he truly is one of a kind as an actor. Going forward I could both see Wick coming back, in a faked his death sort of way, or him being gone for good. I would be happy either way. I would be quite interested to follow Akira, played by Rina Sawayama, in a spin-off and see some more new blood injected into the world.

Overall, good for sure but not as good as the previous films.

3.5/5

Pros.

The fights

The world building and the characters

The ending

Reeves

Cons.

I would have liked more character development and flashbacks

Pacing issues galore

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer